Blue & Gold Issue 5

blue&gold Friday, March 11, 2011

THE BIG PICTURE

SPORTS Figure skaters display talent

Step by step

Volume 88, Issue 5 Findlay High School 1200 Broad Ave., Findlay, Ohio , 45840

page 5

senior Kenzie Mellott

TODAY Partly cloudy High: 40 Low: 34

INDEX

Godspell cast prepares for show

page 6 Sophomore Becca Wells

SUNDAY Mostly cloudy High: 38 Low: 29

TOMORROW Showers High: 44 Low: 34

NEWS

page 6

ON THE SCENE

Girls find prom dresses online

WEATHER

page 8

Dance team members not only show off their moves at basketball games, but also share their rythmic knowledge at their Kids Clinic.

FEATURE

page 4

Editorial...............2 Entertainment....3 News/Feature.....4

Feature.................5 Photo essay.........6 Feature.................7 Sports..................8

Junior Catherine Longo

Channel 13’s Action News anchor Diane Larson reports live from North Main Street during the 11 p.m. news when the Blanchard River overflowed its banks last week.

The river crested at 16.42 feet and parts of downtown were under three feet of water in what was the city’s sixth worst flood.

photo by Taylor McGonnell

Here we go again Flooding devastates families, businesses n By Leah Cramer

When the Blanchard River crested at 16.42 feet on Monday, March 1, the water line marked Findlay’s sixth worst flood.

This is the fourth flood in the past four years to make Findlay’s top 10. The rush of river water drove some people from their homes to the Red Cross emergency shelter.

“We had one instance where a single mother, ONLINE with six children, basiSee our website cally lost everything to for additional the flood,” Red Cross photo and video volunteer Robert Gaskill flood coverage. said. “People would come blueandgoldtoday.org in here with a look of desperation, soaking wet; they had nothing, not even dry clothes.”

Red Cross volunteer Gwen Pahl knows firsthand the effects of flooding. After completely rebuilding her house following the August 2007 flood, she can relate to the overwhelming feeling that flooding brings.

“When it happened to me the first time, we had no idea what to do,” Pahl said. “For the

BLAST from the PAST Levi-Strauss jeans company began selling bell bottoms as part of their denim collection 42 years ago on March 11, 1969, according to thepeoplehistory.com. photo: courtesy of reneetbouchard.com (fair use)

people that have done this several times now, they just feel a sense of distress.

“You can’t sell your home and move somewhere else because you can’t get the market value out of it. So, you’re pretty much forced to stay in that same home that’s going to flood again and again and there’s no way out of it.”

Pahl sees the effects as being especially bad due to the cold weather.

“It’s more devastating because a lot of peoples’ water heaters and furnaces were damaged by the flood,” Pahl said. “So, they can live in their homes, but they have no heat or hot water: the necessities of life.

“We had people calling just to ask if there was somewhere they could take a shower.”

the 2007 flood, was struck again by the rising river water last week.

“The entire floor in my room was soaked and the couch got destroyed because it absorbed all the water,” Hoover said. “Everything in the garage was ruined by mud and it’s going to take a long time to clean off.

“It honestly makes me mad because when this happened three years ago, they formed a committee to do something about it, but nothing has been done.”

Fighting to stay afloat

Besides damaging homes, flooding also hit downtown businesses.

Washed out Greg Kuhlman, owner of Kuhlman’s Body Repair on North Main Street, has flooded Two feet of water poured into sophomore multiple times.

Lucas Kelley-Kieffer’s basement Monday and “We had enough warning to move everydidn’t begin to go down until late Wednesday. thing out in time, but the office still got 2.5 feet “It caused a lot of stress for us,” Kelley-Kief- of water in it,” Kuhlman said. “We’ll probably fer said. “We started to panic and pack things be closed for around 10 days and we’ll lose up, but we still lost a lot. potential customers over that time span.

“We lost some of my mom’s old photos, “We’ll probably lose between $10,000including one of the only ones she had of her $20,000. The flooding has hurt the downtown with her mother, who died of cancer.” business climate severely. A lot of businesses Junior Sid Hoover, whose family spent have closed down because they can’t sustain around six months rebuilding their house after the continued negative economic impact.”

5

things to make you look smart

1. The average person has about 1,460 dreams a year.

2. The chief analyst of the Oil Price Information Service predicts gas will not exceed $3.75 this summer.

3. Biomedical engineering is the fastest growing career field in America.

4. Due to a rise in Alzheimer’s and diabetes, the U.S. will be the sickest country in the industrialized world by 2015.

5. The real St. Patrick wasn’t Irish; he was born in Britain.

sources: Spirit magazine, cbsnews.com, acinet.com, hardtimesgazette.com, nationalgeographic.com

photo: courtesy of uab.edu (fair use)

STRESSED

A city fireman gets reports over his phone as he watches the rising waters of Main Street at 11:40 p.m.

Monday responders rescued 46 people. photo by Taylor McGonnell

HATS

OFF

After placing first at regionals, juniors Derek Williams and Jimmy Roche qualified to attend the Ohio DECA Career Development Conference March 18 and 19. “To win first by a sizeable margin is a big momentum booster for state,” Roche said.

Roche

blue & gold

friday, march 11, 2011

2

EDITORIAL

THE GIST OF IT • Officials must find a solution to the flooding before businesses leave.

• Controversial Ohio Senate Bill 5 infringes on public employees’ rights.

• Teachers should give students more time to finish in-class examinations.

OUR VIEW

Staff policy

City must do more to fix flood problem

Blue & Gold is a monthly student publication for the students of Findlay High School.

Blue & Gold is a public forum which is funded by advertising.

City administrators, local organizations and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) need to get their act together to stop local flooding and save the downtown district.

Four of the Blanchard River’s 10 worst floods have taken place in the last four years, including a 16.42 foot crest last week that damaged homes and businesses, closed schools and shut down roads for two days.

The latest flood was just a reminder that more than three years since the devastating August 2007 disaster, little has been done to end the city’s water woes.

While there have been efforts to find a solution to the flooding, including a study conducted by the ACE, the mayor claims the progress has lagged due to funding issues.

Money should not be the issue standing in the way of saving our community from another devastating flood.

Flooding has already killed several downtown businesses.

Vacant buildings line Main Street near the river and each costly flood could be the final straw for other local stores.

In an economic recession where downtowns across the country are struggling to survive, damaging floods just add insult to injury.

Money is always a consideration, but it is unfair to let local businesses and residents suffer simply because flood mitigation has run into “funding issues”.

Pass a new tax, write to the federal government—do what it takes to find money to end the flooding. After the 2007 flood alone caused over $100 million in damage, solving the problem sounds like a reasonable investment.

Instead, it seems like all that has been accomplished is the formation of a partnership (now dissolved) and a study; the community is seeing no results.

Time is running out. If flood mitigation is put off any longer, residents will leave and downtown will be nothing more than a street of moldy, empty buildings.

Fixing the flood problem will not be cheap, but if the city continues to be inundated with water every time it rains, the price our community pays will be much higher.

Letters to the editor As an open forum for students, letters to the editor are welcomed by the staff, but we request that they be 300 words or less due to lack of space. All letters must be signed. Blue & Gold staff reserves the right to edit letters without changing the meaning.

Letters may be dropped in room 286.

Staff editorials All editorials without a byline reflect at least two/thirds opinion of the Blue & Gold staff but are not necessarily the opinion of the administration.

Contact us Contact Blue us & Gold 1200 Broad Avenue Findlay, Ohio 45840 (419)-427-5474

About us

Ohio Senate Bill 5 detrimental to public employee bargaining rights n

MY

By John Sisser

Chances are, if you’ve changed the channel from MTV in the past month, you’ve seen something about teachers protesting proposed state bills ending collective bargaining for unions.

Chances are, you VIEW also asked yourself, “Who are the unions, what is collective bargaining and why should I care?” and the flipped back to the newest episode of Teen Mom. But these “costcutting” legislations,

?

what’s problem

like Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) in Ohio, may hit closer to home than you think. Teachers, police officers, and firefighters are all going to be affected by the proposed bill.

SB 5 narrowly passed in the Ohio senate 17-16, largely due to a vote from state Sen. Cliff Hite, a former Findlay High School teacher and union member. Now, it must pass in the Ohio House before becoming a law.

Let’s start by establishing what the bill would do. If passed, SB 5 would eliminate the rights of union workers, many of them government employees, to negotiate for their benefits, like health insurance, sick days, etc.

Essentially, the law gives the government even more control over the amount of health care teachers receive or the working hours firefighters have to put in.

Republicans, lead by newly-elected Gov. John Kasich, tote the bill as a way of reducing the state’s $8 billion deficit. Democrats, on the

other hand, claim the law aims to take away the rights of state workers.

So which side is right? Well, obviously, that is a matter of opinion. But it seems rather sneaky that Republicans are claiming this is a “cost-cutting” measure when, in reality, it does nothing to fix the deficit.

According to a University of Toledo Law professor Joseph Slater quoted in a Reuters story, there is no correlation between collective bargaining rights and a state’s deficit.

All this bill really does is unfairly take away the rights of union workers to demand appropriate benefits; it would further oppress underpaid and overworked public employees.

Do legislators expect to pass such blatant “union-busting” bills that could force thousands of police officers, firefighters and teachers to work more for less? These are the people that educate our youth, arrest criminals or run into burning buildings. They deserve better.

Republicans may have run for office on the idea of balancing the budget and making cuts, but so far, what they’ve really done is propose divisive and irrational legislation, sparking massive protests across the Midwest.

Worse yet, Hite has backstabbed his former coworkers here at the high school by supporting the bill. While he collects his teacher retirement pay on top of his politician salary, he voted against his former colleagues’ right to negotiate their pension.

I understand when economic times are tough we all need to cut back. But lower-wage public employees are the hardest hit and unwarranted, useless legislation like SB 5 just rubs salt in wounds.

So before you flip back to MTV or VH1, realize that these workers have a reason to be upset. The outcome of the SB 5 debate doesn’t just affect your teachers, your neighbors and your friends—it affects everyone.

down desperate poppy-cock, hoping I can scrounge up a few points here and there.

When I receive my test back, my grades usually reflect my poor—no, slow test taking skills.

“Slow testers” like me should be given more time to finish the test to the best of our ability.

The simple constraint of time should not be the factor that brings my whole grade down.

I would rather receive a grade that I know I deserve based on my understanding of the material, rather than one that reflects my not working as fast as other students. junior Franki Abraham

Drug testing would end abuse

are illegal, and they are also physically and mentally detrimental. As an athlete, I know what it feels like to give it all for your team and by using drugs you are not only harming yourself, you are letting down your team.

I know drug testing that is forced upon us may seem unfair but it is for the good of the school, our teams and the athletes who have fallen under the influence drugs. Since this has become such an immense problem, our administration needs to institute mandatory drug testing for all students involved in sports. junior Sean King

to the

LETTERS EDITOR

More time needed for tests Dear Editor, I would like to speak out for all the students who find test taking to be difficult. It is not the material they find difficult, but rather the allotted time for taking the test. I sometimes find it challenging to finish my tests by the end of the test period, and I assume I am not alone.

I know the material, but I like to write out everything the long way, check and re-check my answers. I find myself running out of time and by the end of the test period, I am writing

YOUR VIEW

Dear Editor, Drug use is a major issue plaguing our sports teams and drug testing would be a very effective solution. The school could randomly test for drugs throughout the season or a require a test at the beginning of the sport.

Some claim economic issues stand in the way of testing, but there are many solutions to this that must be explored because of how important it is to have drug-free sports teams.

These substances being used by our athletes

Is the city doing enough to solve the flooding problem?

“There really has been an effort to come up with a plan to prevent future flooding in our city. Hopefully we can come up with away to stop the floods.” teacher Susan Davidson

“Findlay has an issue with floods and the city needs to wrap up all their talks and actually do something about it.” junior Aaron Binkley

“They’re trying, but taking too long to do something.

They’ve spent the last few years talking, but haven’t done anything.” senior Jeremy Schleucher

“No, they aren’t doing a good job at controlling the floods because it happens more often every year.” freshman Mackenzie Evans

“Findlay is not doing enough. They are not willing to spend the money necessary to take precaution.” senior Janis Rizor

“I live in the 100 year flood plain and my home has been flooded four times. There is a lot of talk about fixing the flood problem but not a lot of fixing.” senior Jarrad Balko

Blue & Gold is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, Quill & Scroll and the Ohio Scholastic Media Association.

The staff John Sisser Editor-in-chief Kim Maples Feature editor Taylor McGonnell Katie Logsdon Photo co-editors Lexi Perrault Sports editor Leah Cramer Michaela Marincic News co-editors Sam Malloy Advertising editor Kieley Ray Stacy Graham Emily Eckhardt Krystal Kornblatt Shelby Wilson Emily Wolfe Photographers Lydia Bauler Erin Dougherty Reporters Autumn Simmermeyer Artist Jim McGonnell Adviser

blue & gold

friday, march 11, 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

THE GIST OF IT • Rap star Lil Wayne will perform in Columbus, Ohio.

• Matthew Perry’s Mr. Sunshine lacks comedy and substance.

• Adele’s latest album, 21, is slow, dull and boring.

3

the

What’s buzz?

10 things YOU need to check out this week

5

Lil Wayne in concert He’s the iconic rap-star bad boy and his I Am Music II Tour stops in Columbus, Ohio Saturday, March 19. Head to the Nationwide Arena to hear the artist perform his hits like Lollipop and A Milli.

Lil Wayne

Secret Millionaire

The Fighter on DVD

It’s becoming a television trend: watch wealthy businesspeople go undercover, suffer through the pains of poverty then share their wealth with everyone they meet. ABC joins the bandwagon, airing Secret Millionaire Sundays at 8 p.m.

After earning Academy Awards for both Best Supporting Actor and Actress, The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg, hits stores Tuesday, March 15. The movie follows Micky Ward, a Boston-area fighter and welterweight champion.

1

Selection Sunday for March Madness tournaments

Get your brackets ready as the March Madness tournament kicks off. See where your favorite of the 68 participating teams is seeded, their competition ahead and who will crack the “First Four” opening round next week. The madness begins with Selection Sunday, airing March 13 at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Zach Galifianakis hosts SNL The Hangover star Zach Galifianakis will host Saturday Night Live tomorrow, March 12 at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. The actor, who stars in Due Date and the upcoming Hangover Part II, is sure to deliver a performance you won’t want to miss.

Battle: Los Angeles in theaters After aliens invade the planet, Los Angeles, Calif. becomes the final battleground to save mankind. Battle: Los Angeles, starring Aaron Eckhart, hits theaters tonight, March 11.

Galifianakis

Celebrity Apprentice

10

With a cast including former The View co-host Star Jones and musician Meat Loaf, the latest season of Donald Trump’s hit show won’t disappoint. Tune in to NBC every Sunday at 9 p.m. to catch season 11.

2

Homefront video game After the fictional Greater Korean Republic, under the control of North Korea, begins taking over the world, the United States army crumbles and soldiers must use guerilla tactics to fight off invasions. Join the battle when you buy the video game, Homefront, in stores now.

R.E.M. album The Grammy Awardwinning rock band that brought you hits like Losing My Religion will release its 15th studio album. The CD, titled Collapse into Now, is available now.

Apple’s new iPad 2 in stores

Tablet computers take a major step as Apple’s iPad 2 ships today, March 11. The device features front and rear cameras, a faster processor, a magnetic cover (for $39) and a white color option, without a price increase.

Selection Sunday photo: courtesy of buckeyebanter.com (fair use), Homefront photo: flash-screen.com (fair use), Donald Trump photo: digitaljournal.com (fair use), Collapse into Now photo: bestmediaportal.org (fair use), Lil Wayne photo: sohh.com (fair use), The FIghter photo: vis-soft.com (fair use), Secret Millionaire photo: sidereel.com (fair use), Galifianakis photo: askmen.com (fair use), Battle: L.A. photo: blastr.com (fair use), iPad 2 photo: usatoday.com (fair use)

HITor MISS From movies to shows to CDs, we’ve got you covered

MOVIES

Unknown falls short on acting n

Never Say Never tells Bieber’s inspirational story n

NBC delivers with Restaurant n

By Emily Wolfe

Title: Unknown Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones Plot: Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson), a biotechnologist, had the perfect life. While attending a conference in Berlin, Harris is involved in a car crash and sent into a coma for four days.

After waking up worried about his wife (Jones) and going out in search for her, she denies knowing him.

This seems to happen to every person he runs into, causing Harris to question his whole life and if he really is who he believes he is.

Why see it: This action packed movie is filled with highspeed car chases and intense fighting sequences, which disguises the poor acting throughout the film. Though it isn’t one of Neeson’s finest performances, the mysterious storyline is creative and will have your mind running.

Grade: C

By Krystal Kornblatt

Title: Never Say Never (Director’s Cut) Starring: Justin Bieber and Scott (Scooter) Braun Plot: Never Say Never (Director’s Cut) is an inspirational movie that tells the story of Bieber’s rise to fame. The storyline shows the hard times of the teen’s childhood, the success of his explosive singing career and the struggles of preparing for Bieber’s Madison Square Garden concert.

Why see it: Never Say Never explains Bieber’s life in 115 minutes of pure talent. While the Director’s Cut was out for only one weekend, the original will still blow you away.

The movie combines the young star’s biography and his love of music. Whether you’ve caught the Bieber fever or not, you’re sure to enjoy this film.

Grade: A

MUSIC

TELEVISION

Flay

By John Sisser

n

Title: America’s Next Great Restaurant Starring: Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone, Lorena Garcia and Steve Ells Plot: Contestants pitch their restaurant dream to four investors. The winner gets coveted locations nationwide.

Why see it: This mash-up of Top Chef and The Apprentice dives into each character’s personal history. The judges are a little harsh when it comes to contestants’ life-long aspirations, but the idea is creative enough to make for interesting television.

The show airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on NBC. Grade: B+

Mr. Sunshine boring, waste of time n

Adele’s 21 puts listeners to sleep

Album: 21 Artist: Adele Sound: Soul Last Release: 19 Why not to buy it: Adele’s latest release is full of slow songs like Someone Like You and Lovesong. Although she incorporated a few faster paced tracks, including Rumor Has It, her raspy voice didn’t fit the style of music she was after. The album puts listeners to sleep with a boring, slow track list.

Download this: Turning Tables Adele Grade: C+

Thompson Square delivers classic country album n

By John Sisser

Album: Thompson Square Artist: Thompson Square Sound: Country Why buy it: In their debut CD, husband and wife duo Thompson Square put together a solid, though lackluster, modern country album. Songs like As Bad As It Gets and Let’s Fight are upbeat while tunes like Glass are more passionate. However, while the album incorporates variety, the beats are generic and lyrics lack depth.

Download this: Getaway Car Grade: C

By John Sisser

Title: Mr. Sunshine Starring: Matthew Perry and Allison Janney Plot: Ben Donovan (Perry), a self-absorbed Sunshine Arena operator, is led on goose chases to fix his psychotic boss’s (Janney) mistakes.

Why skip it: Airing after two of the best comedies on television (The Middle and Modern Family), the show is a major disappointment for ABC’s Comedy Wednesday.

Perry’s character is mean and unrealistic and his co-workers are equally obnoxious.

Jokes are overused and the plot is boring.

A Cougar Town rerun would have been more enjoyable.

Mr. Sunshine airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC. Grade: D

By Erin Dougherty

3 TOP

Perry

albums on the Billboard 200 chart

1. 21 Adele

2. Never Say Never: The Remixes Justin Bieber

3. Sigh No More Mumford & Sons

blue & gold

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friday, march 11, 2011

THE GIST OF IT • Engineers and politicians are working on ways to divert flooding.

• Rehearsals are in full swing for the April 1 opening of Godspell.

• Upperclassmen start school 40 minutes later next week due to OGT.

NEWS/FEATURE

RISING WATERS

COMING SOON

City seeks flood solutions n

By Leah Cramer

In response to the continued flooding in Findlay, the city and county officials are working with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and an engineering firm from Cleveland to create a plan to reduce flood effects.

They hope to present the plan at the ACE headquarters in Washington, D.C. by the end of 2011. From there, the next step will be getting the funding needed from Congress.

“There would be earthen levees (grass-covered dirt mounds), concrete flood walls by North Main Street and the river and a diversion channel for Eagle Creek,” Tony Iriti, former president of the dissolved Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership, said.

According to Mayor Pete Sehnert, the diversion of Eagle Creek could reduce flooding by three feet, but there are possible negative effects for Putnam County, which is also involved in the project.

“Ottawa is west of us and we want to get the water out of our city, but we don’t want to make it go any faster down the river to them,” Sehnert said. “There would have to be a retention area somewhere.

“We can’t just think of ourselves; we have to consider the people downstream from us.”

However, once the plan is worked out, it could provide additional benefits beyond just controlling flooding.

“We’re going to coordinate with the park district and create more recreational opportunities for the citizens by building bike paths and jogging trails on the levees,” Iriti said.

Sehnert hopes that the levees, along with the other measures, will be enough to minimize flood damage.

“We can’t completely eliminate the problem of flooding, but we can prepare for what we think will be the worst,” Sehnert said. “The main thing is just that we do something.”

DEAD END

Floodwaters block a bicyclist’s path near the bridge on North Main Street. Plans to reduce flooding are in the works, including flood walls and levees. “It’s a complex project,” Tony Iriti, former president of the dissolved Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership, said.

“I know people are frustrated that it’s taking so long, but in order to do it correctly, it takes time.” photo by Taylor McGonnell

Godspell set for April debut n

By Leah Cramer

Preparations for the spring musical have swung into high gear as the cast and crew get ready for the April 1 opening of Godspell.

Godspell follows the gospel of Matthew with a 70s style twist.

“The show is all about the concept of building a community of compassion through the retelling of the parables with the idea of the love of Jesus,” senior Isaac Steinhour (Jesus) said. “It has a very free feel to it.

“There are a lot of parts in the script where we get to interpret it in our own way and come up with whatever we think will get the point across the best and it’s very fun and happy.”

The free, expressive style of the musical is also seen in the variety of songs.

“The show has everything from folk to rock to very upbeat, happy music to some sadder sounding songs as well,” vocal director Craig VanRenterghem said. “Musically, it will be a challenge to portray the emotion of what they’re singing about to the audience.”

Cast members will be working to show that emotion with a sense of togetherness.

“Everyone is part of this big community that comes together to worship Jesus,” junior Jenna McGlade (disciple Courtney) said. “The whole point of the show is to demonstrate that Jesus brought all of these people together.

“That’s really what’s happening both within the show and outside of it too, with the cast all

coming together, which is really cool.”

Part of working together will be making decisions as a cast.

“With this show, more than any other show I’ve done, I’ve been trying to give the cast a lot more freedom with decision making,” director Debbie Benson said. “They’ve been making choices about things like parts of the set and what we do at rehearsals.

“It’s interesting because the decisions they make aren’t necessarily the ones that I would make, such as choosing whether or not to change certain language, so I’m handing over some control and letting them have a say in as many things as possible.”

Cast members will be using this freedom of expression as they attempt to bring the audience members into the strong emotion of the show.

“We really are going to be very involved with the audience and interact with them throughout the show,” McGlade said. “We’ll go out into the audience a lot and be really energetic and excited to be with everyone.

“We want to be able to pull the audience into that celebration with us.”

Shows are April 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and April 3 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium.

Tickets are $10 for evening shows, $5 for the matinee and will be sold in front of the auditorium March 28-April 1 from 3-6 p.m. as well as at the door.

Creative Hair Designs 212 E. Sandusky St. Findlay, Ohio 45840 419-425-HAIR (4247)

By Leah Cramer

Drumline and winter color guard members will host their first Ohio Indoor Performing Arts contest March 12-13 in the main gym.

Ninety-two groups will participate in the state circuit competition.

“We have a fast-paced show,” drumline member Zach Climes said. “There’s nothing else like it because all of the drums playing at the same time create a really cool sound.”

The competition will run Saturday from 2-9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission is $8 at the door.

Best-selling author visits during CommunityREAD n

By Michaela Marincic

New York Times best-selling author Jamie Ford will speak March 25 at 7 p.m. in Central auditorium as part of CommunityREAD. Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is the CommunityREAD feaured book.

“We’re really lucky to have him (Ford),” CommunityREAD director Lisa Houck said.

“We don’t normally have big authors in Findlay; this will be an opportunity to hear and learn something new.”

Tickets cost $5 and are available at the Arts Partnership, The sCommunity Foundation or at the door.

HEADS UP Upperclassmen schedules change for OGT testing

By Michaela Marincic

Juniors and seniors who passed the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) do not begin school until 8:15 a.m. next week due to OGT testing.

These upperclassmen will attend lectures from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Juniors report to the main gym and seniors to the auditorium.

Students can volunteer for two hours to be excused from the lecture Friday morning.

Freshmen and sophomores will start school at 7:35 a.m. Freshmen will do practice OGT questions while sophomores and upperclassmen who have not passed one or more sections of the OGT take the test.

Two student programs nominated for awards n

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Drumline, color guard host first competition

Actors’ legs become the bars of a prison cell for senior Sophie Miller’s character in Godspell. The musical runs April 1-3. photo by Taylor McGonnell

By Michaela Marincic

Both the Blue & Gold newspaper and its news website, www.blueandgoldtoday.org, are finalists for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold Crown awards.

Both programs will receive either a Gold or Silver Crown at the CSPA’s 87th Annual Convention March 16-18 in New York City.

“Gold Crown is one of the biggest awards in the country for scholastic journalism,” adviser Jim McGonnell said. “It’s a big deal to be up for one, let alone two, Crown awards.”

Besides the Crown awards, individual staff members of the Blue & Gold and The Vid were nominated for 22 Gold Circle awards.

friday, march 11, 2011

blue & gold

FEATURE n By Kim Maples

With a few clicks you can have the prom dress of your dreams arrive at your doorstep in a couple of weeks. Here’s how it all happens, according to Kim Collins, Senior Vice President at Promgirl.com.

Make your choice

Find a dress you like and use the size charts and color swatches to make it fit for you. Fill out the information and place your order.

Your order is received

2

• Online prom dress stores offer more selection and sometimes cheaper prices.

• Most internet vendors have exchange policies if your dress doesn’t fit.

• Migraines cause patients to be extremely sensitive to light and noises.

Girls prevent prom dress stress by ordering online

5 steps to ordering a prom dress

1

5

THE GIST OF IT

The order is sent to the company, who checks their warehouses.

Promgirl.com keeps a store of 50,000 dresses in stock for the season.

You’re trying to find the perfect prom dress that no one else will have, and after hours of searching, you finally find the one.

Excited, you rush to the dressing room and try it on, but as soon as you tug on the zipper, you realize it’s two sizes too small.

Before you convince yourself that you don’t really need to breathe after all, consider ditching the conventional methods of shopping for online dress stores.

“The greatest advantage of dress shopping online is the convenience,” Kim Collins, Senior Vice President at Promgirl.com, said in an email interview. “Online shopping allows for customers to shop on their own time.

“Also, you are typically not going to find as extensive of a collection of different dress styles and brands at a physical store location as you will on our site.”

More options online mean it’s easier to find a unique dress.

“I buy online because there are more options and people won’t have the same dress as me,” senior Kendyll Cullum said. “You don’t want to look the same as someone else.”

Senior Kenzie Mellott also wanted a wider assortment of dresses, which brought her to Unique-vintage.com, a site that she’s ordered from twice before.

“I couldn’t find any dresses in the stores that I liked or that fit me right,” Mellott said.

“The one I bought (online) was a lot cheaper than all the stores.”

Extra costs can be found in shipping.

However, some sites offer free shipping for all orders while others only have this for dresses over a certain price. Promgirl.com has a U.S. ground rate of close to $9.

Of course, virtual shopping has its down-

3

Finding your dress

If the dress isn’t in stock, the company will have it shipped directly from the designer.

sides. Customers must buy their dress without trying it on first, unless they can find a similar model in a local store.

“I knew that I wanted a black dress so I narrowed it down and searched from there,” Mellott said. “I tried on my old dresses I had to compare the sizes and I ordered the size that would fit best.”

Websites try to make it easy for shoppers to envision themselves in the dress.

“We realize that customers might be hesitant to purchase a dress that they have never physically tried on,” Collins said. “This is why we strive to provide all possible details so the customer knows exactly what to expect.”

Many sites offer sizing charts that show the measurements for each section of the dress.

Color swatches also help the buyer decide what shade would look best on them.

But if the dress doesn’t fit, alterations are always an option.

“I know my dress size and I picked the one I thought would fit,” Cullum said. “I can always get it altered, but it’s expensive and you never know how long it’ll take.

“It’s suspenseful to see if your dress fits when it’s finished.”

Local alteration shop Brigitte’s Sewing charges from $25-45 for bodice adjustments and $12 per layer for hemming.

However, more and more people are willing to take the risk of having to get alterations as the online prom dress business flourishes.

“Our online sales have steadily increased over the 12 years we have been in business,” Collins said. “As the Internet has become more popular and more people are purchasing things online, our business has grown.

“We expect this year will be bigger than ever before.”

4

5

Your order is shipped

Try it on

Your dress is shipped. Promgirl. com has multiple options so you can receive your dress when you want it. Senior Kenzie Mellott said her dress will take two weeks.

You have your dress! Decide if you need to get alterations or another size. senior Kenzie Mellott

LEARN MORE Migraines can be caused by: • Lighting • Perfume • Loud noises • Stress • Allergies • Hormones • Food According to medical assistant Barb Meyers

Migraine pain may cause students to lose focus during class instruction n By Kim Maples

Everyone’s had a headache: that dull throbbing in your skull that makes you stop what you’re doing and pop a couple aspirins, and once it’s gone, it’s back to work.

But that dull ache could turn into a piercing pain throughout your head, making every light or sound feel like an attack on your brain.

This type of pain, known as a migraine, is very real and is much more painful and hard to cure than regular headaches.

“It’s like someone is pushing my head against something,” sophomore Anna Williams said. “Then my eyes start hurting and I can’t focus on anything.

“It’s hard to focus if I have one during

school, because I’m more worried about my head. I miss stuff and fall behind sometimes.”

The condition is not uncommon. According to Barb Meyers, medical assistant and practice manager at Comprehensive Neurology & Headache Center in Toledo, 29 million Americans suffer from migraines.

“A migraine has more of the sensitivity to light and noises and they (the patient) become nauseous,” she said. “They have to be put in a quiet room because the external senses are more sensitive than with a regular headache.”

Migraines can be caused by a number of triggers that aggravate the brain.

“There’s a nerve within the brain and it (migraine) can be in different locations

depending on what the trigger is; it is not one certain place,” Meyers said. “People have to figure out what triggers the migraine, and they could go away if that trigger was removed.”

Junior Hannah Frobel suffers migraines about three times a month.

“My migraines are cluster headaches, where it starts in one part of your head and moves to another part,” Frobel said. “It affects my focus and attention. I try to ignore it as much as possible, and if I can’t, I try to get out of school and cope.

“I’ve missed out on weeks and weeks of school in the past because of them.”

The length and frequency of the migraine depends on the person.

“We’ve got one girl who’s had them three years straight,” Meyers said. “Some people have not had a migraine in six months and other people have them three times a week, so it varies person-to-person.”

The best way to prevent migraines is to avoid triggers, but you can also contact a doctor and take pain medication, either orally or through injection.

Williams takes medicine every day as a preventative and the migraines have gotten better, but sometimes they still occur.

“I take aspirin if I get one,” she said. “If I’m at home I’ll go lay down and if I’m at school I’ll try and forget about it and let the medicine kick in.”

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blue & gold

6

friday, march 11, 2011

BIG PICTURE

THE GIST OF IT • Dance team won the Wow award at the Beavercreek Classic dance competition.

• Dancers organized the Kids Clinic February 12, teaching 106 children a routine.

• All 20 dance team members perform at pep rallies and community events.

Dancing Queens

ALL TOGETHER

Senior Lauren Montaine leads the little Kids’ Clinic dancers in their performance at the boys junior varsity game against Lima Shawnee. There were 106 children grades K-5 that performed to Hannah Montana’s Life’s What You Make It. photo by Taylor McGonnell

Dancers participate in various activities n By John Sisser

Dance team members hosted the annual Kids Clinic February 12, teaching local children a routine performed at the junior varsity basketball game.

The girls learned dance moves throughout the day and performed to Hannah Montana’s Life’s What You Make It that evening.

With over 100 children participating, the clinic was the most successful to date.

“The Kids Clinic is nice because it gets the younger age groups aware of how fun dancing is and what it’s like to dance for the school,” second year officer Lauren Montaine said.

“I enjoyed working with the kids. I had the five-year-olds, so they couldn’t really learn the routine but we still had fun.”

Coach Erica Van Gunten believes events

like the Kids Clinic show residents the benefits of the dance program and the school district.

“We have a lot of individual talent not only on the dance team, but at the high school and it is important for the community to see the positive things going on,” Van Gunten said.

“The purpose of things like the Kids Clinic is to build interest in dance and it is a great way for the girls to give back to the community.”

Helping organize events like the Kids Clinic is just one of the girls’ obligations.

“Dance team is a much bigger commitment than most people think,” Montaine said.

“We practice almost year round, even though our competition season is during the winter.

We practice four days a week and we perform at games, go to summer camps and we have different community events.”

POSING

PERFORM

Junior Abby Arnet shows off the team’s award-winning competition routine from the Beaver Creek Classic at a varsity boys basketball game. The dance team received the Wow Choreography Award at the competition on February 13. photo by Taylor McGonnell

Senior Leah Mitchell strikes a pose with the children in her group while teaching them the dance routine for the Kids’ Clinic performance. The girls rocked out to Hannah Montana during the half time of a home JV boys basketball game.

DANCE, DANCE

photo by Stacy Graham

Junior Jenny Case performs their competition routine during the winter pep rally. The dance team recently placed first for their kick and pom performance at the Beaver Creek Dance Invitational.

photo by Taylor McGonnell

friday, march 11, 2011

blue & gold

FEATURE

7

THE GIST OF IT • A study found that teens make worse decisions around their friends.

• The part of the brain involved in decision-making is not fully developed in teens.

• Gliding Stars participants will skate in an ice show March 20.

JUMPED If your friends

The craziest thing I’ve done with my friends was...

off a bridge...

n By Kim Maples

If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow them? A new study from Temple University suggests you might be tempted.

Researchers found that teenagers make worse decisions in the presence of friends than when they’re alone.

During the study, teenagers played a driving simulation game and were rewarded for finishing quickly. Teens crashed 60 percent more when they knew their friends watched from another room.

“When they made these decisions while their friends watched, the ‘go for it’ part of the brain was more involved in the decision-making than when they were alone,” Temple University research assistant Dustin Albert said.

This ‘go for it’ system is the ventral striatum in the brain, which is associated with reward, risk and addiction. The reward in this case, according to Albert, is getting through the game faster and impressing friends.

However, adults and college-aged kids did not have this brain activity and made the same decisions when friends were watching.

“These findings are more consistent with there being a biological component to it (making bad decisions),” Albert said. “They go along with theories that we’ve developed of how the adolescent brain works and what goes on with sensation-seeking and impulse control.”

Study finds that teenagers make worse decisions around peers

Under pressure

graphic by Kim Maples

School psychologist Samantha DeWood also thinks the decision-making process is partially fueled by the teenage psyche.

“Kids especially have a need for acceptance and approval,” DeWood said. “This need is vital to a teen. They are influenced by their friends because of that need to belong.”

Senior DJ Yockey notices this influence in his decision-making.

“When you’re with your friends, you’re put to peer pressure, wanting to do stupid things that you know you’d get in trouble for,” he said.

Another revelation from the study was the influence of friends who weren’t in the room.

“They don’t have to be verbal or in the same room, just the knowledge that friends are around can influence a student,” DeWood said. “Being there is enough (to affect them).”

“Steal baby Jesus from a nativity scene in front of a church.” sophomore Ciara Martin

Growing and changing Besides the neurological findings of this study, another theory of why teenagers are influenced like this more so than adults is that they lack life experiences.

“The parts of the brain that are regulating behavior are still developing,” Albert said.

“Your brain changes in response to experiences. As a teenager, you haven’t had as many.

“If adolescents make bad decisions with their friends, it’s partly because they haven’t had to make that many decisions in that situation. You learn how to control your behavior, and your brain responds to that learning.”

However, Albert believes decision-making is a mix between biology and behavior.

“I never like to say anything is more biological than choice,” Albert said. “Nature and nurture are involved together in everything.”

Positive peers

“Cutting class and extracurricular activities.” junior Arden Macdonald

“Egg someone’s house with 120 eggs.” sophomore Kyle Staley

Freshman Jennifer Norton tries to ignore the pressure she sometimes feels from friends.

“I try to be my own person. If someone tries to get me to do something, I know how to say no and walk away from that person,” Norton said.

To make better decisions, DeWood believes you have to surround yourself with a positive group of people.

“During your teenage years, you’re in flux—you’re not a kid and you’re not an adult, and that’s hard for a lot of people,” DeWood said. “If you surround yourself with positive peers, you’re likely to be influenced by them in a good way.”

“My friend blended pigs’ feet, put it on a Snicker’s bar and made me eat it. It was disgusting.” junior Adrienne Hennessy

Special needs skating program prepares for show n By Michaela Marincic

Child after child glides into position on the ice, but there is something different about these skaters.

Some wear skates with extra-wide blades, others clutch walkers or hold the hand of a volunteer, but all are proud just to be skating.

Children with disabilities of all kinds can overcome their handicaps through learning to ice skate with the Gliding Stars program.

“It’s exciting for families, especially whose kids have autism or sensory impairments, to see the kids break through and forget their issues,” director Cindy Bregel said.

Gliding Stars participants will skate in the

ice show March 20 at 2:30 p.m. at The Cube.

The performance is called Time Traveling with Gliding Stars and will feature skating routines from the past nine years to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary in Findlay.

“I invite everyone to see the show,” Bregel said. “It’s exciting to watch their (the skaters’) faces light up, especially at the ice show where they can show their talent and hear applause.

“Their facial expressions are priceless.”

The handicapped skaters benefit from the social aspect of the program and the sense of accomplishment from skating.

“Through talking with their volunteers, they learn better speech skills,” senior Michael

Rowe, a volunteer skater, said. “They also feel they can achieve their goals from becoming a better skater, which gives them confidence.”

With 51 children and enrollment increasing, Gliding Stars directors continuously seek new volunteers.

“It (volunteering) has already improved my patience and ability to adapt to new situations,” junior Gabby Evans, first-time Gliding Stars volunteer, said. “It helps you realize how special everyone is.

“You skate together, and sometimes fall, but you’re going to go out and do the show.”

Tickets cost $5 and can be ordered in advance by calling 419-423-0081 or at the door.

ON ICE

Senior Katie Hostler talks to Gliding Star member Katie Vanderhoff during their ice show practice.

The show, Time Traveling with Gliding Stars is Sunday, March 20 at 2 p.m. photo by Taylor McGonnell

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On the web

Wrestlers end season at districts

ONLINE OPINION

Online

More sports updates on blueandgoldtoday.org

What will happen in the NFL negotations?

Player lockout Deal will be made Players strike Who cares, players are overpaid already junior Ben Hilkert

Vote at blueandgoldtoday.org

Hockey

Girls Basketball

Toledo St. Francis ousts Trojans with 6-3 victory

Anthony Wayne ends girls postseason run

senior Megan Lammers

senior Lance Sims

blue & goldsports Friday, March 11, 2011

Silver Blades presents annual skating show Seniors prepare to take final bow n By Michaela Marincic

ELEGANCE

Junior Taylor Polder practices her solo ice show routine; she will perform to Fields of Gold by Sting. The ice show, titled Color My World, opens March 25 at 7 p.m. photo by Taylor McGonnell

Senior Holly Dreier approaches performances just like practice: go out on the ice, get lost in the music and let your body do the skating. No pre-show nerves, just calm.

But this time, there will be the sadness of knowing it’s her last show with the Silver Blades Figure Skating Club.

“It makes me so sad,” Dreier said. “Silver Blades has become a part of my daily routine.

For the members of the club, skating and competing has made them who they are today.”

For the five members who are graduating, the upcoming ice show March 25-27 will be their final bow with Silver Blades.

From five seniors to five-year-olds, Silver Blades includes girls of all ages.

“There is a wide variety of skating talent and all levels of ability,” Show Director Dan Chicotel said. “There are older girls who do various jumps, spins and other elements in figure skating, and then younger girls who are still learning and do simpler elements.”

These girls will show off their moves in Color My World, this year’s ice show. Each skating routine will be set to a song with a color in its title, including Purple People Eater and Green Tambourine.

“The show begins by cycling through the colors as each color displays its self-importance,” Chicotel said. “Mother Nature teaches them the lesson that no one is better than anyone else by sending a storm that brings rain

and unites the colors in a rainbow.”

Special effects, especially different types of lighting, will enhance the storyline and visual impact of the show.

“There’s going to be a lot of lighting with different colors and one number that uses black light,” junior Cat Longo said. “The special effects contribute to the overall theme of colors and make the show exciting.”

Besides local talent, the ice show features performances from professional skaters Akop Manoukian and Armen Saakian and two-time U.S. figure skating novice men’s champion Nathan Chen.

“We hire professional, world-class and Olympic skaters for the show,” Chicotel said. “It’s the entertainment highlight of the year in our town; people come away the first time saying, ‘I had no idea we had this in Findlay.’

It’s a pleasant surprise.”

The performance begins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

General admission is $6 for those under 18 or over 60 and $10 for adults, while reserved seating costs $16.

Call Julie Stevens at 419-957-0731 for general admission or Cassie Muzy at 419-2993503 for reserved seats. senior Katie Logsdon

Three sports find success at state meets

Boys team in midst of postseason play n By Lexi Perrault

n By Lexi Perrault

Gymnastics Sophomore Alexa Settlemire vaulted her way into the limelight at the gymnastics state meet, earning All-Ohio honors.

In individual competition, Settlemire placed fifth on vault, sixth on floor and eighth on beam to earn 10th place in all-around. Junior Jillian Bendt also competed, earning 14th place on bars.

“I was happy with where I placed considering it was the state meet,” Settlemire said. “I wish I would’ve done better on vault, but considering it was the second day of the competition and I was sore, I was happy with how I placed.”

The girls also had success in the team portion of the meet, with the squad placing 10th.

“We did really great,” coach Joe Dunn said.

“We accomplished our major goal, to be the highest scoring team from our district. Oregon Clay placed first at districts, with us in second, but we beat them at state because we placed 10th and they finished 11th.”

Girls swimming Senior Maggie Malaney’s goal was to qualify for the state swim meet.

But she surprised herself, as she not only qualified but ended up finishing ninth in the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 0:24.34, earning All-Ohio honors.

WINNERS

(Clockwise) Sophomore Alexa Settlemire rehearses her competition floor routine before the district gymnastics meet. Freshman Bethany Glick concentrates before a dive at the Marion Harding home meet. Junior Nick Topel practices his breast stroke in preparation for the state swim meet. photos by Katie Logsdon

“My only goal was to make state,” Malaney said. “I didn’t even realize I had placed ninth until I sat up on the side of the pool.

“This season was very challenging because I battled many illnesses, but fortunately I was able to not only reach but surpass my goals.”

Malaney wasn’t the only one to earn All-Ohio honors, as freshman Bethany Glick placed 11th in girls diving.

“I was really happy with how I placed, because the girls I competed against were good,” Glick said. “Next year I hope to place at least 10th and junior year in the top eight.”

Final records Junior varsity

Freshmen

Girls Basketball 13-7

Girls Basketball 17-3

Boys Basketball 19-1

Boys Basketball 13-9

Hockey

8-13-2

Wrestling

6-4

Boys swimming

In the NCAA March Madness tournament, who will be the four number one seeds? in a random survey of 100 students

30% Kansas 27% Pittsburgh

freshman Zoe Swisher

STATENUMBERS

All it took was 1:28.27 for the boys 200 freestyle relay team to place 13th at state and shatter a 20-year-old school record.

The team, composed of junior Nick Topel, sophomores Kyle Hopkins and Dietrich Hinesman and freshman Jeremy Wilson, was satisfied with how they ended their season.

“We were really excited (with 13th place),” Hinesman said. “The four of us have been swimming together for years and we knew we were going to be successful.”

22% Ohio State 21% Duke

also receiving votes: Texas, Purdue, San Diego State, BYU

Jared Sullinger

6

swimmers/diver earned first team All-Ohio honors

competed 2 gymnasts individually at state earned 1 gymnast All-Ohio in all

around competition

With a 19-2 record and a Greater Buckeye Conference (GBC) title on its resume, the boys team now has its sights on regionals.

The last time a Findlay team made the regional finals was 2007 and although coach Jim Rucki believes his team is capable of getting there, he doesn’t want to be overconfident.

“To prepare for these games we’re going to do what we’ve been doing all season long,” Rucki said. “We’ll be watching a lot of film to find out what other teams are good at and also to look at what we can improve.”

The team faced Perrysburg last night in the district semifinal game, who they defeated last year in the sectional final.

“If we defeat Perrysburg we will face either Mansfield Senior or Sandusky tomorrow (March 12),” junior Daniel Peak said. “We’ve already proven we can beat Sandusky and if we play our best, we are capable of beating many teams.”

Working hard in practice and staying focused are key for success in tournaments, according to senior Grant Birchmeier.

“We will prepare the same as every other game,” he said. “When the tournament starts, the records get thrown away. We need to come out strong and play like we have all year.

“Every game is going to be a challenge and we have to be ready and prepared for anyone.”

Even if the boys do not advance further in tournaments, they are still content with achieving their goal of winning the GBC title.

“It feels great to have won the title because it has been a goal from the very beginning of the season and we are proud that we accomplished it,” Birchmeier said.

Varsity records Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Hockey Gymnastics Boys Swimming Girls Swimming Wrestling

19-2 14-8 15-14-1 48-1 8-4 9-3 8-24

sophomore Michael Clark