Sobering
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BuccaneerBulletin Volume 14 Number 5 March 2011
Oswego High School’s Student Voice Photo By Monék Cullen
Editorial
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Drawing Board
Buccaneer Bulletin Oswego High School’s Student Voice Editor-in-Chief Jasmine Davis Managing Editor Faith Whitely Layout Editor Meghan Carl Chief Photographer Monék Cullen Art Director Erin McIntosh Business Manager Katherine Robinson Senior Writer Kathryn Whelsky Entertainment Editor Tina Buckingham Clublicity Editor Shaughnessy Darrow Ad Representative Jeff Wallace Sports Writer Christina Dehm Reporters Morgan Pratt Rebecca Pratt Heather Rounds Marcus Wolf Webmaster Madison Rhoades Advisers Bill Reeser Mike McCrobie The Buccaneer Bulletin, a member of the Empire State School Press Association, and The Quill and Scroll, is published periodically by the students of the Oswego High School, 2 Buccaneer Blvd.; Oswego, New York 13126; (315) 3412200. It is intended as a vehicle to inform, educate, and entertain the student body. Printing services are provided by The Palladium-Times. Opinions expressed are those of the students and do not necessarily reflect those of the administration or the advisers. Check us out on the web at: www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com
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CARTOON BY ERIN MCINTOSH
. . .To the pep band that played at the Buc hockey home games this season. They brought extra school spirit to the games and most definitely deserve a thumbs up! These students are: Anthony Miuccio, Tom James, James DeBiase, Mike Gill, Grant Richmond, Justin Abbott, Steve Richmond, Mitchell Rabalais, Emily King, Gina Bartholomew, Tory Welsch, Tyme Baez, Scott Ciesla, Alex Todd, Alex Baer, Kyrstin Blackburn, Paulie Oleyourrk, Ben McCrobie, Jacqueline Hondro, Heather Carapetyan, Brandon Walker, and Seamus Darrow. . . .To Haley Annal for having her artwork selected from CNY Scholastic Arts Exhibit to be displayed at the Everson Museum in Syracuse. Only 30 pieces are chosen from the 800 already selected for the Scholastic Arts Exhibit. This is the sixth year in a row that Oswego has had at least one piece selected for this honor.
. . . To buses being late to school on clear, sunny days, especially in March. There’s no snow or ice, there should be no excuse for buses bringing students 20 minutes late to school! . . . To the outdated, and falling apart girls’ bathrooms in the gymnasium. Sure, we don’t expect them to be spectacularly decorated, but the stalls look as if they haven’t been updated in years judging by the rust and mass amount of peeling paint. The lighting is poor, and the faucets soak everyone who washes her hands. . . . To the re-assignment of room numbers with the new signs. It’s nice that the school has finally organized the classrooms, but did they really need to give separate room numbers to the janitor/utility closets and do it in the middle of the school year? www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com
March 2011
Editorial In Our View . . .
Gov’t Cuts Should Spare Planned Parenthood Lately, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate, has been under attack by the government that has decided to discontinue its funding. Planned Parenthood provides sexual and reproductive health care for over five million men, women, and adolescents worldwide. The things they are most recognized for are free birth control, safe sex education, and healthy relationship information. However, they also offer services such as STD and HIV testing, cancer screenings, help to quit smoking, and many other potentially lifesaving services. They also provide pregnancy services. These services can vary from answering questions for people considering getting pregnant, to prepregnancy health care or parental care for women throughout their pregnancy. However, they also offer services to women who are pregnant and didn’t expect or want to be. Besides helping them get ready to be a parent, Planned Parenthood offers to set up adoptions, in-clinic abortions, or the abortion pill. Why then, is Planned Parenthood a target of funding cuts if it provides so many services to a nation in the midst of a healthcare crisis? The government’s reasoning lies with the abortion issue. This, understandably, is why people are getting upset over this. Abortions are an ugly business and they are hard for some people to deal with. However,
it is vital to know all the facts before that piece of information makes you regret your tax dollars are going to Planned Parenthood. The biggest thing to consider is the amount of taxpayer funding for these abortions. Out of their total funds (total funding being from federal and private donors) abortions represent only three percent of the Planned Parenthood budget. In addition, the federal funding the service receives, your tax dollars, cannot go to any abortions as stated in the Hyde Amendment. This means all of the money going to the abortions by Planned Parenthood comes from private donations given to the organization. (Note: Not all private donations go to abortions. Some donors specifically request that their funds not go to abortions, while others are marked specifically for them.) Are we going to stop funding Planned Parenthood and its lifesaving services because something we aren’t funding is part of this organization’s practices? Compared to all the good they do for society, is it really worth shutting the whole program down? We need to stand by Planned Parenthood. Whether you are pro-life, or pro-choice, even if abortion is against everything you believe in, don’t make millions suffer by putting an end to an important organization.
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What’s Your Opinion? “Do you agree or disagree with the goverment’s proposal to cut funding to Planned Parenthood programs” Mrs. Sarah Williams Faculty
“ I disagree with the government’s proposal. Planned Parenthood provides many low cost or free services to women and families--services they could not get elsewhere.”
Kelsey Ross Junior
“I disagree, because girls who can’t afford the help they need to practice safe sex should be able to have this service.”
Letters to the Editor
Students React to February Topics
Dear Editor: I thought many of the articles in the recent Buc Bulletin were good. The Facebook article was a good topic. I think if you play a sport it shouldn’t be mandatory that you take PE. I think it should be an option, though. I also thought Jeff Wallace’s article about Zumba class was very funny. I think the Bulletin should talk about some funny things or maybe current events. A lot of stuff in the paper is very random. In the February issue, for example, you wrote about religion. I think kids can do what they want or worship in their own way. Religion doesn’t always have to be about church or eating bread; it should be about how you worship in your own way. Also, Atheism isn’t really a religion. Brian Dodge Dear Editor: It should not be allowed on Facebook to have teachers as friends. If students get too close to their teachers things could go wrong. Teacher-student relationships could happen and the teacher and the student could get in trouble. It’s best to forbid this rather than not doing anything about it and have a teacher lose his job over a student they got close to. Tabitha Rivers
Buccaneer Bulletin
Dear Editor: I think that there should be some type of program besides APPS for pregnant teens. Most of the girls don’t know what it is until they are high risk for getting pregnant. Instead of once a year or once every few years, maybe a speaker should come in to speak to the students about not getting pregnant and being safe. To set an example, some of the mothers who are enrolled here should be interviewed so the other students can see what it’s like being a teenage mom. I just think that the girls here should be a little more cautious when thinking about getting pregnant. It is dangerous that it seems like nobody is listening to adults when they warn how difficult it is. Experiencing motherhood while still in school happens, but it’s also very hard. I know. It is frustrating to see people just wanting a baby because they’re cute and cuddly. I wish that people would actually pay attention to the rate of neglect and child abuse and how much higher it is among irresponsible teen parents. Rachelle Moree
Brian Daino Junior
“I disagree ending support to the Planned Parenthood programs because if they do stop it, it will just cause more trouble for the community.”
Morgan Domicolo Senior
“I disagree because it would deny people who cannot afford contraception certain freedoms.”
The Buccaneer Bulletin welcomes letters-to-the-editor. If you have a question, a comment or a concern about anything that relates to OHS, feel free to send a letter to Managing Editor Faith Whitely at fwhitely@oswego.org. www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com
March 2011
Column
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It’s Never Too Late to Reconnect with Your Dad Almost every female I can think of in high school (and out of high school for that matter) can relate to the everpopular phrase, “Daddy Drama.” As we females grow and mature, we look to our fathers for guidance, approval, and a shoulder to cry on when boys break our hearts. We count on our fathers to protect us, to care for us, and to inspire us to become the best women we can be. Sometimes, what we truly want and need is not what we receive in return. Dads are often notorious for being “that guy,” and in the end, Daddy Drama hurts and diminishes you to the core. In my case, I grew up thinking it was normal that my dad was frequently out of town/state for work. There was a period of time when my father was absent from my life for nine months due to his hectic work schedule. Phone
calls and postcards could never begin to fill the hole I had in my heart, and the sadness I felt when it came holiday time and he wasn’t there. As my family gathered around the dining room table, it was all I could do to hold back tears as my gaze drifted to the empty chair where he should have been. I savored the moments he was home, and held the memories close of him strumming his guitar on a Saturday night. I began to realize that my dad was missing out on huge portions of my life, seemingly returning home at his own convenience. As I grew older, I began to resent him for keeping my mom, my sister, and me waiting, always waiting; eyes focused on the foyer window hoping to see his car pull in the driveway. After what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, I slowly turned cold-hearted, and believed that the only person I could depend on was me. I convinced myself that portraying a “tough as nails” attitude would disguise the emptiness that took over me. Looking back now, I see that doing this I brought out an ugly side of me, as I became a broken version of who I
actually was. I know plenty of girls who have felt the same emptiness when their fathers ceased to measure up to the “Superhero” they perceived their dads as when they were little. How does it go from dad giving us piggy-back rides and teaching us how to throw our first baseball, to suddenly becoming the enemy? It hurts when fathers leave, when they abandon their daughters. It hurts when you try so incredibly hard to make your parents proud, but your dad is still shaking his head in disapproval. It hurts when they’re ticking timebombs, and you go through each day trying not to cause him to explode. Trust me, I get it. I feel for every girl and woman who has ever felt let down by their father. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Daddy Drama it’s that you cannot let it break you. It seems easier to become angry, and take it out on everyone you come in contact with. You can convince yourself that your father doesn’t love you, or doesn’t need you. None of it will take the pain away. In doing this, you’re leading yourself down a path of selfdestruction.
Before you stop reading this column, one thing needs to be clear: things between my dad and me are awesome. I love him very much, and I know that he loves me. I understand now that all the time he spent away from me and my family was only to give us a better life. We are closer in our long distance father-daughter relationship, than many of my friends who live in the same house as their dads. If you haven’t attained any information from this column, at least understand this: a father loves his daughter the very moment she’s brought into this world, and that love will never die. Fathers want the best for their daughters, and would walk to the ends of the earth to make sure no one hurts them. The best way to avoid the mess of Daddy Drama is to communicate with your father and let him know that you need each other. After all, the relationship between a father and daughter is precious and fragile; it will mold you into the woman you become in the future. To quote Frenchy from Grease, “The only man a girl can depend on is her daddy.”
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March 2011
Features
5
Heather Faces Her Worst Enemy--Mathematics could ever concoct. That darker evil, was, of course, mathematics. My mom is always telling me my problem is not thinking positively. That’s like telling someone who’s being electrocuted, “Try harder to like it and it will be okay.” But the thing about that is that you’re not supposed to enjoy being electrocuted. The other problem, I am told, is application. “You need to apply yourself. Start trying and stop complaining.” I AM, MOM! But can’t you tell that with every hour I drag myself through math homework, I am losing a strip of my soul!? I have dedicated hundreds of hours, since I was six, sitting
into. It becomes a forty-three minute period where I experience so much mental torture that if any person of authority could experience it along with me, he/she would immediately deem it unethical and I would be forever excused from attending a math class. Honestly, I think I am allergic to math. What else could explain my bizarre reactions? I either My definition of math is the shriveling and become comatose and utterly unresponsive or I tearing of one’s soul through and an emotionally explode. In the event of the latter, I can’t focus acidic and tedious process, often resulting in the loss on my teacher’s words because my brain goes of one’s vision of what’s real and true. crazy. I start a spiral of thinking and can’t rein That might not be exactly what the dictionary in my thoughts. This downward circular motion says, but deep down, many of us feel that it’s true. usually starts with “Who classified this as socially For all my life, my worst mandatory?” and ends with “I enemy has indeed been math. leaving society.” I would When most kids sat in bed at night imagining and dreading am Even as a young child I was choose being a hobo over aware (maybe not consciously, the monsters under their beds, I sat in bed, aware of a darker being mentally incapacitated. but I knew) that something evil that was more real than any eight-armed, oozing blob of I mean, why this? Why aren’t wasn’t right with the world. we learning actual physical fire that any little kid could ever concoct . . . mathematics. forms of torture as well? Then, the day came when I was handed my first math When the bell finally book. Since that day, as an rings, I’m like Rocky Balboa eager, bright-eyed six year at the dining room table with my dad as he broke after going 15 rounds with Apollo Creed. Unlike old introduced to the jarring brutality of the world, down every form of math into the simplest steps, Rocky, though, when I finish, I don’t have anyone I have feared it above everything. In fact, I was while I stared back at him blankly. The only sign that chanting my name in congratulations for surviving, quite a courageous child. You know why? Because shows I am absorbing anything is the twitching of my nor are there doctors rushing to my side to revive when most kids sat in bed at night imagining and upper lip. I exhibit that same twitch when I drive by my limp being. I don’t even get a recovery period. dreading the monsters under their beds, I sat in bed, a hunched over dog, plopping a doozie on someone’s I have to come back the next day, still raw and aware of a darker evil that was more real than any lawn. And since I can hardly understand my dad, sore, and go through it all over again. eight-armed, oozing blob of fire that any little kid you can assume what actual math class develops
Theater Tech Crew: Unsung Heroes Behind the Scenes
By Shaughnessy Darrow Clublicity Editor
In the month of March there is always so much going on, that for most, it is labeled March Madness. For others around the state, it’s considered Music in our Schools month, a time for music to be recognized and celebrated. Chorus, band, and orchestra classes combine to put on great concerts. Many schools have their school plays and others do plenty of things to recognize the importance of music and the arts in their lives and the life of their school. For students and staff who are involved in tech crew at the Oswego High School, the theater itself could be considered “madness” during March. Due to so many concerts and performances during this month, people in tech are extremely busy setting things up, teching during the actual events, tearing down after the performances, and then setting up for the next event. This process has been repeated and then repeated some more, with very few breaks in-between. In the month of March, there has been
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an event almost every day (including weekends) . Students who are part of the tech crew love what they do, so this is the time for them to let their talents shine. So much goes into things that happen behind the scenes, yet so few people are actually aware of all that goes on backstage. There are many jobs that need to get done for the theater to run smoothly. A stage manager is vital to running a show because without one telling the other people when their jobs need to get done, nothing would run correctly. Stage managers manage everything on stage. They tell the light operator when to turn lights on, tell the fly ops to pull the curtain; tell the sound op to turn on the microphones for the people on stage or start the recording for various concerts, or even tell the
deck manager to set the stage for the next scene. All students who are members of the tech crew can learn how to do all of these tasks. One job known as the fly operator runs the flys, or the big ropes. They make the curtain close and they fly in set pieces from above. Fly ops have to be trained and be very careful because flys can be dangerous. Not every tech crew member can work flys. They have to take a mini class to do it right; that way no one gets hurt. For all this to happen Mr. Steve Braun and Mr. TJ Bandla, the advisers of the tech crew must devote a tremendous amount of their time setting up risers for choruses, band or orchestra seating, setting up lighting for Battle of the Bands, and rigging microphones for
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the spelling bee among so many other things. Students volunteer so much of their time as well as giving up lunches, study halls, and after-school time to make Music in our Schools month happen. Tech crew members, in school, help build sets, as well as design sound and lighting. Everything that happens in the theater is done with the help of the tech members. They do so much behind the scenes, seldom receiving recognition, but they are a remarkable group of people. They are the type that if you are willing to learn, they are more than willing to help you and welcome you into their group. Junior Jane Coty, secretary for the theater said, “The tech crew and the staff who run it are amazing people who just need to be given a chance. The program itself is absolutely indispensible.” A big thank you needs to be given to all who were involved behind the scenes to make the amazing programs known as Music in our School month come to life.
March 2011
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Feature
Sobering Numbers: The Truth About Teen Drinking By Christina Dehm Sports Writer
After a night of partying, best friends Jessica Rasdall and Laura Gorman got into a car. Rasdall was driving. One mile from Gorman’s dorm at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, the car went off the road. It went down a hill and crashed into a tree. Rasdall said that the next thing she remembered was waking up in her car on the side of the road. “I didn’t know where I was, or who I had been with; I couldn’t remember anything,” she said. “I saw somebody was sitting in my passenger seat. The person’s face was turned away from me. I shook her arm. And deep down I knew the person next to me was dead.” Less than an hour after the girls left a club, Gorman was dead and Rasdall would be charged with killing her best friend. Every year, about 5,000 kids under the age of 21 die as a result of car crashes, homicides, and suicides. All three of these things can be linked to one issue: underage drinking. About 1,900 people under the age of 21 die from alcohol-related car crashes every year. Because kids BUCCANEER BULLETIN PHOTO are more prone to alcohol-induced impairment of driving skills, drivers In a mock DWI drill, EMS personnel attand to a student portraying the victim of an alcohol-related accident. between the ages of 16 and 20 are twice as likely as drivers over the age Research states that the human “People who drink compromise abuse. Alcohol also contributes to an of 21 to be involved in fatal car crashes brain continues to develop into a their behaviors and let people down, estimated 300 teen suicides a year, after drinking. person’s early 20s. The age when like coaches or parents or significant as it interacts with conditions like Earlier this year, a fourteen-yeardrinking starts affects future drinking others,” stated OHS counselor Geoffrey depression and stress. old girl named Valeria Rodriguez, of problems. For each year that the Baer, who started at OHS in 1989 as a “I think it’s a dumb thing to do,” Denton, Texas, was in a drunk driving start of drinking is delayed, the risk Drug and Alcohol Counselor. “It only stated sophomore Chrissy Abare about accident. She was riding in a car with of alcohol dependence is reduced takes two ounces of alcohol to shut alcohol abuse at a young age. “You two other underage drivers, and all by 14 percent. The exposure of the down the part of the brain that controls could get caught, and if people take three of them had been drinking. The developing brain to alcohol increases fear and anxiety, so that opens up the pictures and post them on Facebook, it driver lost control of the wheel and the the likelihood of alcohol addiction, ‘regret door,’ and they regret the things could affect your entire future. People car struck a guardrail and separated they did while under have lost college scholarships because it from several of the influence.” of underage drinking.” its support beams. About 1,900 people under the age of 21 die According to Another OHS student confessed The car flipped over from alcohol-related car crashes every year. thefamilydoctor. to recently waking up in unfamiliar several times and org, health risks that surroundings, covered in blood and landed twenty feet and may have long-lasting effects on coincide with excessive alcohol use vomit. “I didn’t know where I was or away from the road. Rodriguez was intellectual capabilities as well. include stomach ulcers, liver problems, how I got there,” he said. killed on impact. Teen alcohol use may cause heart problems, and malnutrition. By simply talking to their teens “The thing about teens is, they poor performance in school, as teens These problems are not always seen about the effects of teenage drinking, go into everything with a ‘not me’ who drink on a regular basis have in teens, as they are more common in parents can reduce the risk of their attitude,” said OHS health teacher trouble concentrating in class and on people who have been drinking for a children starting to drink. Teens whose David Gryczka. “They never think homework. They also may struggle longer period of time, but they can be parents talk to them about drugs and anything bad is going to happen. They with relationships with their peers as seen in teens if they continue to drink alcohol are almost fifty percent less don’t realize that there have been local well as their teachers. They could also as they get older. Teens who drink likely to use said substances than teens kids who have been killed in DWIs. withdraw from their families, and have are also at risk for a long list of other whose parents don’t talk about those They don’t think anything can happen difficulties with family relationships. injuries, as well as potential life-long issues with them. to them.”
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March 2011
Columns
7
Have Texas Lawmakers Gone Out of Their Minds? Seniors are filled with many worries about going off to college. Being away from home and family, having a bad roommate, meeting new people, and doing well academically are just a few of their worries. But should one of those worries be getting shot? The State of Texas is preparing to pass a law that will allow students and professors with licenses, to carry concealed guns on campus. If passed, Texas will be the second state (the first being Utah) to pass a law allowing guns on campus. This new law is designed to provide students greater self-defense and to prevent tragedies like those at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois in 2008. But I am not quite sure how arming students will cut down gun violence. This bill might be one of the most ridiculous pieces of legislation ever. I think it will do more harm than good. Imagine all of the problems guns on campus could cause. Among these problems would be student-to-student violence, student-to-teacher violence, and even an increase in armed robbery and suicide rates.
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Students think relationship drama is intense in high schools wait until Texas adds guns into the mix. People holding each other at gun point to get that special someone. Big break-ups could equal big BANGS, whether via homicide or suicide. Recent, bullying issues made headlines because of the suicide of a college student. Imagine placing guns in the equation. Let’s face it; partying is a big part of college life. Nothing like “unwinding” after that hard test. Everyone drinking cheap booze, acting crazy and playing beer pong. Give one of those inebriated college kids a gun when they can’t think straight and they want to be a sharp-shooting, wild cowboy. Next thing you know, four people are dead and another nine are wounded. I understand that if this bill is passed, only those with licenses can carry concealed guns on campus and that licensing means they had specific training that allows them to carry firearms, but not every twenty year old truly has the mental stability or maturity to wield a gun. Also, if the student’s gun isn’t properly stored, another college student could steal that gun from right under that person’s nose and start another massacre. Legal guns are bad enough on the streets, in
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restaurants, and in stores, but in college, there are a lot more people who still need to grow up a little. I’m not saying college kids are all immature. I’m saying there is a grave potential danger with allowing guns on campuses in Texas, or anywhere else for that matter. The best idea, in my opinion, would be to have increased security placed all around campuses where guns are allowed. That way, we know for sure that there will be someone to stop shootings like those in the past, and guns will be wielded by those who can truly handle them.
March 2011
By Tina Buckingham Entertainment Editor
Artist of the Month; 365 Days A
One thinks of the artwork and the majority of the time, envisions paintings, drawings or sculptures. The truth is, artwork can be anything unique that a person uses creativity and their own personal beliefs to produce. Photography is becoming even more popular as an art form, especially within the digital age of the 21st century. Expressing one’s self through photos is a
practically limitless way to create artwork. Influenced by photography class opportunities and access to modern-day photography technology, and inspired by her mother who first introduced her to forms of art, OHS senior Brittany Juravich, has created her own path to fame with the extraordinary photos she has been shooting since the summer before her sophomore year. While she is mostly self-taught, Juravich has been a part of photography throughout high school and has always kept an open mind to learning more about her passion. While she takes shots of many subjects, her favorite seems to be taking photos of “people in their truest form.” “I like candid shots that highlight people at their best,” commented Juravich. Having so many photographs, Juravich has participated in contests, been published in the online magazines, published her own work on websites, contributed to school publications and taken on photography projects just for her own enjoyment in her free time. Juravich has, in the past, received honorable mention in Syracuse University’s ESSPA competition and has had works published in online magazine, “Racing Minds.” Her work can be seen across Flickr, where she claims to post most of her photos, as well as on DeviantArt.
Besides these sites, perhaps one projects to date is her recently c which is available on her Faceb requires complete dedication an taking a picture of him- or hers every picture differing from the Juravich chose to take on th much other peoples’ work impr she stated. Now, because of a y have taken more interest in her to see what she’ll create next. W work, comments and feedback tell me that my photos are real. tell me that they like my work o said Juravich. Her friends and f supportive of the project and th “Most of them are supportive a even asked me to take photos a commented. While photography has been her life, there is more to this ris traveling, music, and many thin girls enjoy. She travels a lot to fact that she is a night owl, and future goals for herself. Juravich plans to attend sch next year to begin her path to a start by making it her major nex in business as well, so that som her own business. Long term, s New York City, having her own well known magazine and owni however, she’s just looking forw and starting her next big projec To other, less experienced or no advised, “Bring your camera w pictures of everything. Experim
A Year
e of her most well-known completed 365 days project, book page. This project nd consists of a photographer self for 365 days straight; with e rest. his project after “seeing how roved during their 365 project,” year’s worth of photos, people photography and are anxious With more people viewing her come streaming along. “People People I don’t even know or that I’ve inspired them,” family have consistently been he rest of her work as well. and pose for me, and some have t their events for them,” she
Day 1
Juravich’s work can be viewed across the web on sites such as Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter, and is a part of various online publications including an online magazine called, Racing Minds. Pictured below are two photos of Juravich’s featured in Racing Minds, part of a display of photos titled “City Scapes,” and to the left are days 1 and 365 of Juravich’s project.
Day 365
n an unquestionable part of sing artist. Juravich loves ngs that average 17 year old see bands, takes pride in the d like most people, has made
hooling at Cazenovia College career in photography. She’ll xt year. She plans to minor meday she can end up opening she’d be happy with moving to n exhibit, taking photos for a ing a cat for company. For now ward to getting more exposure ct (which is yet to be decided). ovice photographers, Juravich ith you everywhere and take ment and keep practicing.” PHOTOS BY BRITTANY JURAVICH
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Feature
Sleep Assistance Drinks Gaining Popularity By Kathryn Whelsky Senior Writer
It’s scientifically proven that average people of different age groups operate on different schedules. Little kids go to sleep early and get up early, while teenagers (if we had our way) would stay up late and sleep in even later. Adults have the most regular sleeping pattern, even though every person is just as different as the number of hours they sleep at night. How we sleep and the times we get tired are controlled by our body’s inner-workings. Unfortunately, hardly anyone’s schedule matches their internal sleepy-time clock. People can’t help it if they have to get to school or work early – and once they’re awake they figure, hey, there’s no problem staying up an hour later than usual so that they can catch up on the latest episode of Jersey Shore. No one likes to yawn while Snookie is running around on the boardwalk screaming, and it seems to have become an acceptable practice for teens and young adults to try to completely control their sleeping schedules by drinking all sorts of energizing sports drinks/sodas and evil scientist concoctions. Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar to name a few, are popular energy drinks that you can buy at pretty much any store or gas station. Lots of people lean on products such as 5 Hour Energy every morning to jump-start their days. For a society that so widely accepts drinking energized drinks that pump you up to obnoxious levels, it honestly surprises me that a commercialized version of a ‘sleep aid’ drink didn’t show up sooner than now. A new species of grocery storepeddled drinks had emerged as a black sheep among the literally hundreds of brands of energy drinks. These drinks are seeking the exact opposite effect of Monster and their like. Instead of wiring your brain for activity, these drinks aim to tone everything down and naturally relax your mind. ‘Relaxation’ drinks are getting more and more popular, and all brands pretty much promise you that in drinking their product, you will achieve a much better night’s sleep than you would have without it. Most of the brands brag on their labels about containing things like melatonin, which is a natural sleep aid hormone that your body naturally produces, tryptophan, (the hormone in turkey meat that makes you tired after Thanksgiving dinner) and valerian root.
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Dream Water is one of many sleep-aid drinks currently being produced. Energy drinks burst onto the market several years ago and now the drinks that have the opposite effect are becoming popular with teens and adults alike who cannot get prescription sleep medication.
I personally have never been a good sleeper. You can ask my mom – as a child, I was awake more or less 23 hours a day, and I was just as loud then as I am now, so you can imagine her chagrin. Even now, I’m a self-proclaimed night owl. Like most teens I feel most comfortable when I stay up a little later than ten or eleven o’clock at night, and if I had my way I wouldn’t be waking up for school until at least nine. (Take note of that, school board). Energy drinks have never had much of an effect on me, no matter if I drink one Rockstar or twelve, I’m not the type who goes off the wall whenever an energy boost is mentioned. I decided it would be a good idea to try one of these sleep-aid drinks personally, just to see if they truly did have any effect on a person’s level of sleepiness. I had my pick between a relatively large selection of drinks, including bottles plastered with names like ‘Dream Water’ and ‘Unwind.’ Unlike energy drinks, which usually have brightly colored and eye-catching designs, most designs on the cans of the relaxation beverages were calm, cool tones. I guess certain shades of blue and pastel green are supposed to make you feel relaxed even before you start
drinking something designed to make you fall asleep, but I didn’t fall for it. Not even a little bit. No matter how many times these companies shoved the italicized term ‘Relaxation Blend’ in my face, I wasn’t going to believe it until I saw, or more specifically, felt the relaxing effects of the drink. I ended up picking a drink that claimed its flavor was ‘Snoozeberry,’ whatever the heck that is, and I drank it that night about an hour before I was planning to go to bed. I’m sorry to say, honestly, the drink didn’t really affect me at all like its label claimed. According to the advertising on the can, I should have been dozing off to dreams of a perfect world. (In case you’re wondering, my perfect world consists of a world with no mandatory gym classes, Leonardo DiCaprio as my devoted husband, and free Kit-Kats all the time). After waiting a while, I did start to feel a little sleepy, but who could tell whether it was the drink or just my boredom and impatience at having to wait so long to see if I felt any effects. If you’re desperate to get some sleep, in my opinion, it’s better to seek out more natural roads, like lying
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down and relaxing (no texting, no TV), or drinking a warm beverage like tea before bed. Exercising during the day also promotes a person’s sleepiness, predictably, as the more you work, the more you sleep. Physical and mental stimulation right before you go to bed is a bad idea, so you should always take time to relax and let your mind wander before you try to go to sleep. The idea of being able to wake up with a Red Bull in the morning and then slow down in the evening with a nice cool can of ‘iChill’ is a pretty novel idea, but one that I’m guessing isn’t going to become a reality in the near future. People react differently to energy drinks, so it’s natural to say that the same would happen with any other sort of drink that claims to be able to alter your state of mind. For now, until more research has been done on the ingredients and recipes that make up sleep-aid drinks, I’d stay away from anything in the juice aisle that claims it can have you snoozing within just a matter of minutes. Catching Z’s is a necessity, sure, but as far as I can tell, no amount of ‘Berry Berry Tired’ flavored relaxation drink will help you catch them any faster.
March 2011
Walking the Plank
11
Mackenzie Kerley: Not Your Average OHS Athlete Buc Bulletin: What is your full name? Mackenzie Kerley: Mackenzie Erin Kerley BB: How old are you? MK: 17 BB: What grade are you in? MK: 11th BB: What is your favorite movie? MK: Dear John BB: What is your favorite class? MK: Art. BB: What is your favorite color? MK: Pink. BB: What is your favorite sport? MK: Football BB: What is your favorite TV show? MK: “Pit Boss” BB: What is your favorite high school memory? MK: First time I caught the ball during a KOR drill in football practice. BB: What is your favorite genre of music? MK: Rock and metal BB: What is your favorite restaurant? MK: Friendly’s. BB: What is your favorite meal there? MK: Caesar salad. BB: Who is your favorite teacher and why? MK: Mrs. VanWaldick, because she has been so helpful with my art work. BB: What is your favorite school subject? MK: Art Class BB: What was your favorite book read at OHS? MK: Skin Deep BB: Who is your favorite singer? MK: Hollywood Undead BB: What are your hobbies? MK: Drawing, running, and sports. BB:What are your interests? MK: Football, wrestling,and music. BB: If you could eat with three people, living or dead, who would they be? MK: Brianna Coon, J-Dog, and Mrs. Shene.
Buccaneer Bulletin
BB: If you were stranded on an island, and you could bring three things, what would you bring? MK: A fridge full of food, a sailboat, and my cell phone.
BB: Why the switch from cheerleading, to male contact sports? MK: I just decided that I wanted to play, and that was that.
BB: Do you have any pets? MK: Yes, 2 dogs, 3 cats, a snake, and a lizard.
BB: Do you think that cheerleading is just as tough as wrestling and football? MK: No. Cheerleading was hard, don’t get me wrong, but football and wrestling were harder for me.
BB: If you could have any super power, what would it be? MK: Super speed.
BB: You’re still young, but what do you want to do in your future? MK: Attend Norwich University.
BB: What’s your biggest fear? MK: Clowns and needles. BB: Describe yourself using one word. MK: Strong.
BB: Who is your biggest influence? MK: My dad. BB: Do you have any siblings? MK: Yes, three sisters and four brothers.
BB: What’s one thing that people might not know about you? MK: I am enlisting in the Marines in May.
BB: If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go? MK: Paris Island.
BB: What was your first high school sport? MK: Cheerleading. BB: How was it being a part of the cheerleading team? MK: It was the best time ever. It was like being with a big family, and I loved it. BB: Going from cheerleading to football, was that a huge change for you? MK: Yes, it was difficult for me. BB: How was being a part of the football team, and being with all of the boys? MK: It was fun. I wouldn’t give it up for anything, being with the guys however, was tough. BB: We heard you tried out for wrestling as well, did you participate in any of the matches? MK: No because of my head injury. BB: From a girls’ point of view, how do you think you did at football and wrestling? MK: Pretty good. www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com
PHOTO BY MONÉK CULLEN
BB: What is one quote that you could live your life by? MK: “Don’t try so hard to fit in when you’re born to stand out.”
BB: What is your biggest pet peeve? MK: People with huge egos. BB: What was your most embarrassing moment? MK: Falling down the stairs freshman year BB: What is your favorite part of the day? MK: Going to sports practice and working out.
Editor’s note: “Walking the Plank” is a regular question-and-answer feature of The Buccaneer Bulletin. If you know a student or staff member who you would like to see walk the plank, contact Jasmine Davis at jdavis3@oswego.org. This edition of “Walking the Plank” was written by Meghan Carl. March 2011
12
Entertainment
‘Ontario Unplugged’ a Great Friday Night Out By Marcus Wolf Reporter
When the week is done and all of the stress of homework, tests, and other various required school assignments are complete, one can usually relax for a couple days. But what is there to do on a Friday night? If someone has nothing to do and enjoys listening to music, they should go to the Coffee Connection and listen to “Ontario Unplugged.” “Ontario Unplugged” is a free show where local musicians, in or out of high school, can go to play music for the public. It allows young musicians to showcase their musical talent and creativity to an appreciative and captive audience, while it also gives people the chance to relax and to listen to some interesting and delightful music. The show started a couple years ago and was originally called the “Acoustic Storm.” The founders of the “Acoustic Storm” were Scott Warner, Connor Akley, John Samson, Dan Rounds, and Evelyn Horan. According to Warner, he and Akley started playing together and Akley wanted to play in front of an audience, so they got together with Samson, Rounds, and Horan, and started the “Acoustic Storm.” “It was more successful than I thought it would be,” stated Warner.
The shows were also done in other coffee shops and “The Oswego Tea Company.” According to Samson, the irritation of not having an audience to play their music for was mutual throughout the entire group. “We got tired of not having a place to play our music, and the music scene died down a little, so we just got together and started playing little shows with a small group of people.” That feeling started to spread as more people including Jake Behr, Wes Jones, John Raby, and Marikate Lamb began to perform as well. The show is now under new management and is now called “Ontario Unplugged.” The new managers are Marikate Lamb, Jake Behr, and Natalie Emmons. According to Lamb and Behr, the name of the show was changed due to the new management of the show and the concern that the name was being used elsewhere. “I think our main point is to put local artists (high schoolers and college kids) in the show in and portray them to the community,” stated Lamb. Even though the name is different, however, the shows will still be like those of the “Acoustic Storm.” Marikate Lamb may now be one of the new managers of the show, but she has been participating in it since April
of 2010. “It was a great opportunity for me as a new artist.” She currently plays as a solo artist for the show, but she also performs in her band “Eliza” with her friends and bandmates Dalton Carvey and Kaitlan Barker. They play folk and Indie music. Both Barker and Carvey support the show as well. “It lends a bit of culture to Oswego, culture that we desperately need,” said Carvey. “It gives people a place to go and not get themselves in trouble,” said Barker Despite his new managerial position, Jake Behr has been playing in the show for two years. Currently, he plays with his band, which is known as “Ah! Eathernautes.” The band consists of Behr, Cody Stewart, Paul Gamble, Wes Jones, and Natalie Emmons. “Expect to see a lot this summer,” stated Behr. Also still playing in the shows are Evelyn Horan and John Samson. “I’m willing to play for anyone who is willing to listen,” stated Horan. Horan currently participates as a solo artist, playing her acoustic guitar and singing. She performs both original songs and covers. Samson plays covers of other artists and originals as well. “Usually, they ask if I can play, and I go and play,” says Samson. The students also have great
things to say about the show. “I was a really big fan of it and I want to go the next one,” said senior Alex Todd. His favorite performers were Wes Jones performing as a solo and the band “Ah! Eathernautes.” “I think it’s a great idea. It’s a great way for teenagers and younger kids to express themselves with music,” commented junior Raquelle Moreau. “It’s a good way to show that our musical community can perform well. It’s also good because there are no restrictions put on them,” stated sophomore Terilyn Pospesel. “I think the show is a good way for us to perform without teachers telling us how to do it,” exclaimed junior Monica George. Both Pospesel and George enjoy the variety of music at the show. “It’s great. It’s good for musicians to play small audiences, to get used to playing for audiences. It’s also good for people to get together to just hang around and support the musicians,” commented sophomore Nicholas Djukic Cockx, who will be playing in upcoming shows. Whether performing or listening, people enjoy the “Acoustic Storm” shows, which are now called “Ontario Unplugged.” The people are united by their love and passion for music. So if someone is looking for something interesting to do on a Friday night, go see “Ontario Unplugged.”
Introspect 2011 to Supplement this Year’s Paradox
By Christina Dehm
It’s great to see Tina and Mr. Shaw reviving it.” “I think that it’s great that OHS is starting their This year, OHS is releasing something new with own literary magazine,” said senior Brittany Juravich, every yearbook: Introspect 2011, a literary magazine who will have some of her photography featured in the highlighting our high school’s talented art department. magazine. “It’s a good way to share people’s writings “It’s going to represent the part of the school that’s not and artwork throughout the school, and I’m honored that normally heard about,” said senior Tina Buckingham, I was asked to be a part of it.” the editor of Introspect. “It’s a good way for not only student to be Introspect is a “combination of all the arts and recognized, but for our school to be recognized as literature aspects of our school that come from well,” said freshman Lauren Daniels, who is also “It’s going to represent the part of the being featured in the magazine. “People in the people who wouldn’t normally get a chance to shine,” Buckingham continued. “It’s a school that’s not normally heard about.” community can see other kinds of talent that we collaboration of lyrics, poetry, prose, drawings, to offer.” Tina Buckingham have“All paintings, graphics, and any other of kinds of arts of our previous magazines were Introspect Editor well received by students and teachers alike,” that can be published. There are lots of talented people in our school who no one knows about.” continued McCrobie. OHS hasn’t had a literary magazine published create a lot of good things that don’t get recognized, and “A select group of people will definitely respond in approximately fifteen years. “We had several it’d be nice to showcase them this year.” well to Introspect 2011,” Shaw agreed. “People are incarnations while I’ve been at OHS,” said Buccaneer “A school this size should have a literary interested in different things, and the people who Bulletin adviser Mike McCrobie. “In the 1970s, when magazine,” McCrobie stated. “We have a great are interested in the arts are going to appreciate it. I was in high school, we had one called Dimensions. communications program, an award winning newspaper, Hopefully it’ll work out well.” When I became the newspaper advisor in the 1980s we an outstanding yearbook, and fantastic television “People always complain that the Art Department had several publications; one was called The Studio, production classes, so the only print publication that we has no recognition,” Buckingham said. “This is its and another was called Off the Wall.” The Paradox staff don’t have that most schools do is a literary magazine. chance to be recognized.”
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tried to revive the magazine in 2006, but there wasn’t enough interest and the literary magazine went under. “Going to literary competitions like ESSPA and Columbia, we’ve seen lots of schools that have really good literary magazines, and we’d like to have one for competition as well,” said technology teacher and yearbook advisor Warren Shaw, who approached Buckingham about bringing the magazine back. “There are lots of students here that
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March 2011
Point/Counterpoint
13
Should Schools Employ Cell Phone Blocking Devices? Drawing YESBoard
Drawing NOBoard
By Erin McIntosh Contrary to popular belief, turning your phone off and putting it away won’t kill you. This, however, is widely misunderstood by youth in schools locally and nationwide. Incessant texting and web surfing in the classroom has been a growing problem since the technology gods bestowed the magic of the smart phone into the hands of tech-savvy adolescents. This wouldn’t be such a problem if people would just turn their phones off during school hours, as school handbooks everywhere, including at OHS, clearly state. I’ll be honest; I’ve been a cell phone user in school. Clearly I know better than to text under my teacher’s nose, but other students, obviously, don’t have the same kind of common sense. I understand that people want something else to focus on instead of school, because being at school is sometimes like having a root canal every day for eight hours, but phones present a problem whether it’s an innocent text to someone else, or a text containing the answer to a test question. If a phone goes off during class, it’s not only disruptive to the teacher, but also to the students. Most of us have the attention span of a five year old child watching SpongeBob, so something as subtle as someone’s cell phone going off in the middle of a lesson, presents something more interesting to focus on than the Civil War, and can result in the class never getting back on subject. To resolve this technological epidemic, a company called Try Safety First (TSF) is currently in the process of sending a petition to Congress to create mandatory cell phone protocols in classrooms across the country. Fred Wenz and John Fischer, the creators of TSF have developed a device that ultimately sends electronics such as cell phones, the iTouch, and iPads into a “sleep” mode during class time; however, it does not turn electronics completely off. This “sleep mode” device, being offered to schools for free, will allow all emergency 911 numbers and two parental emergency numbers to always remain active. This discourages the popular “what if there’s an emergency and my parents need to call/text me” excuse. If there is an emergency, students would not be left phoneless in this type of situation. If your mom needs to tell you not to stay after school, due to a family emergency that text or call can still go through. One reason teens are so distracted from educational activities is due to excessive time using electronic devices. Letting the school have the ability to put everyone’s cell phones to sleep will most likely increase students’ abilities to stay on task, and paying attention in class. For all those students who will eternally whine and complain about this, the TSF petition openly makes the suggestion to allow student use of phones in the halls in between classes and in lunch periods instead of in the classroom. However, this is against the OHS code of conduct “off and away, or taken away.” The suggestion, on the other hand, may spark some interest among schools to make a possible compromise if they do have issue the TSF devices to be used in classrooms. Ultimately, I believe TSF’s proposal to be an outstanding idea because the TSF cell phone sleep device could prevent increasing class distractions and cheating. The use of these TSF devices, even with their unpopular reputation among teens who neglect to turn off their phones, could remove the growing problem of cell phone use in the classroom everywhere.
By Shaughnessy Darrow “Has your school experienced classroom disruptions, cheating, and cyber bullying linked to cell phones? If so, we have a FREE solution, but we need your help. It is going to take passage of a bill for this technology to take effect. Congress has requested we show support. Please sign our petition.” This was part of an e-mail that was sent to teachers many high schools, by John Fischer CEO of Try Safety First. Fischer wants to provide classrooms with a device that blocks the services of cell phones while in that class. This on/off switch technology is supposed to reduce cell phone problems that schools incur. This may sound like a great idea for teachers, but people need to look at the bigger picture. As a student, I’m obviously going to say that I don’t see what’s wrong with having your cell phone on in school. If I’m sitting in senior study hall or in the cafeteria, I see no problem with being able to use my phone. I also understand that obviously I shouldn’t be texting away while my teacher is talking to the class. Students text in class and use their phones anyway, no matter how many rules and restrictions schools place on phones. That does not mean that a school needs to take such serious actions as to block a person’s service from their phone through technology. There are times when a cell phone is needed. I even know of teachers who have their cell phones on them all day in case they get an emergency call about their children, a sick relative, something going on at their house and so on. Students sometimes receive texts that are important too. If someone’s mom needs to inform them of something that is going on after school or of a family emergency, it’s necessary to be able to get it via their phone. Yes, anyone can call the office to pass along information, but it’s so much easier to glance at an important text instead of taking time out of class to explain to your teacher the importance of your situation, which is sometimes personal. When it comes to a no cell phone policy, our constantly heard motto “off and away or taken away” is understandable, but how much is too much when it comes to enforcing policies? If our school allows these blocking devices to be installed, where does it stop? How far will schools go to restrict things? Since I was a freshman there have been many new policies that I believe have benefited our school, but this one is overly restrictive. If this device is permitted what will they allow next? Will they start adding even more restrictions? As high school students, many adults think that we are still “kids,” and joke that we think we know everything. Yes, we are still young and we think we know a lot, but not all. If that were the case, we wouldn’t bother even coming to school. Though they consider us young, they still want us to be mature and grow, so we are ready to go out into the world after we graduate. If there are so many restrictions in our school how could we possibly be ready to be on our own? Students will not be accustomed to freedom and many of them might not know what to do with it. Fischer says, in his e-mail, that he is willing to give these devices to schools for free. Instead of getting grants for these devices, why can’t we be concerned with the various other things our school could use grant money for? Something as simple as having enough tissues to last us the whole school year, might be worthy of a grant. Too dramatic? Is this taking one little policy idea to the extreme? You might say that, but personally, I disagree with the idea of blocking students’ cell phones. As a person who thinks ahead, I believe this could lead to many future policy restrictions and disgruntled students.
Buccaneer Bulletin
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March 2011
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Sports
15
BUCS TAKE TO THE FIELD, COURT, TRACK GIRLS SOFTBALL:
GIRLS LAX:
GIRLS GOLF:
Coach: Mike McCrobie Seniors: Kaitlin Friel, Erika Lazzaro, Taylor Maas, and Devynn Wilder Returning Players: Kaitlin Friel, Emily Kolenda, Erika Lazzaro, Taylor Maas, Devynn Widler, Allie Yule Newcomers: Chrissy Abare, Kaleigh Fitzsimmons, Sarah Mancuso, Mary Montagnola, Victoria Race, Ashley Wapen Biggest Rivals: Liverpool, CNS Senior Night: May 19th Must see games: April 11th, May 17th
Coach: Laura Burger Assistant Coaches: Teddy Beers and Brad Sherman Seniors: Lacey Brown, Hayley Lukaczyk, Sam McCarrick Returning Players: Kaitlyn Armstrong, Tayler Bowman, Cassie Collins, Danielle Faivus, Taylor Giglio, Abby Haesig, Paige Hart, Alexa Healy, Christie Hoefer, Brittany Kearns, Becca Martin and Allison McPherson Key Player: Kaitlyn Armstrong Biggest Rival: Liverpool, which the girls will be playing against twice in the start of their season Senior Night: Not yet been decided Must see Games: April 5th, April 19th, April 26th, May 3rd Captains: Hayley Lukaczyk and Brittany Kearns
Coach: Dan Rose Senior: Ashley Deveney Returning Players: Ashley Deveney, Hannah Allen, Abby Atkins, Sarah Gosek, Michaela Kearns, and Caroline Reynolds, Courtney Kelly and Tess Gordon Newcomers: Maddy Muckey, Meghan LiVoti, Allison Moshier, Emilee Anderson, Madi Collins, and Lauren Daniels Key Player: Sarah Gosek Biggest Rival: West Genesee Senior Night: Not yet been decided Must see Games: April 14th, April 26th, May 11th, May 12th
“The theme for this year’s varsity softball team is ‘BLUE THUNDER.’ We have some long-ball potential and if the players hit like they’re capable of hitting, we could have a successful season.” --Coach McCrobie
“Kait will be working hard in the midfield for us.” --Coach Burger
BOYS TENNIS:
BOYS BASEBALL: Coach: John Finch Seniors: Corey Galletta, Rich Carpentier, Darren Bezio, Chris Pike, Matt Pirro, Tyler Lisec, Chris Bosco, Cody Battista, Tom Drumm Returning Players: Chris Pike, Autie Ascenzi, Kevin Carpentier, Rich Carpentier, Ernesto Cedillo, Kyle Perez, Corey Galletta, Tom Drumm, Cody Battista, Chris Bosco and Colin Burns Newcomers: Matt Pirro (All-CNY Pitcher of the Year for 2010 at Bishop Ludden, baseball scholarship to Wake Forest University) Key Players: Pitchers: Matt Pirro, Kevin Carpentier, Chris Bosco Hitters: Autie Ascenzi, Corey Galletta, Tom Drumm, Rich Carpentier, Kevin Carpentier Biggest Rival: The boys have a non-league game with Fulton on April 7th Senior Night: May 12th Must see Games: April 11, April 20
“As seniors, Chris Pike and Tyler Lisec are both solid teammates with leadership qualities that do whatever is asked of them. Juniors Colin Burns and Kyle Perez also have that ‘team first’ mentality, which every good team needs.” --Coach Finch
Buccaneer Bulletin
“Sarah Gosek looks to lead the team this season. She started all 12 matches last season and produced one of the lowest stroke averages on the team.” --Coach Rose
Go Bucs! GIRLS TRACK: Coach: Jim McCaul Assistant Coach: Ron Ahart Seniors: Nikole Bonacorsi, Michelle Champagne, Courtney Gazda, and Paige Gray Returning Players: Leah Weiss, Whitney Ford, Carlie Ferdette, Kaylie Allen, Catherine Wells, Michelle Champagne, Courtney Gazda, and Paige Gray Newcomers: Nikole Bonacorsi, Ariel Bouffard, McKenzie Demong, Rebecca Fidler, Carrie Gilbert, Deondra Smith, and Tara Stacy Senior Night: May 11th
“With the loss of twelve seniors from last year’s team, we are very young and inexperienced in many events. We are hoping to improve individually, improve as a team, and become more competitive as the season progresses.” --Coach McCaul www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com
Coach: Jim Hartmann Seniors: Matt Randall, Sean O’Connor, Tim Hanisch, and Steven Scott Returning Players: Matt Randall, Sean O’Connor, Steven Scott, Dakota Kazyaka, Mike Hart, Stefan Mazuroski, Austin Demott, and Ryan Patrick Biggest Rivals: Fayetteville-Manlius, Baldwinsville, and West Genesse Senior Night: May 9th Must see games: April 11th, April 19th
BOYS LAX: Coach: Bob ‘Doc’ Nelson Assistant Coach: Dan Bartlett Seniors: Matt Lloyd and Andrew DiVita Returning Players: Dom Cianfarano, Matt Lloyd, John Phillips, Trent Yule, Josh Sova Biggest Rivals: Auburn, Central Square and Rome have been ‘dog fights’ in recent years considering we don’t play Fulton anymore Senior Night: May 10th Must see Games: April 7th, May 3rd
“But don’t wait until the last game of the season to check us out; you might like it, and by then it will be too late!” --Coach Nelson March 2011
Buccaneer Bulletin Sports Volume 14 Number 5
Oswego High School’s Student Voice
March 2011
Athletes of the Month Matt Pirro Senior Matt Pirro is new to Oswego High School this year. He will be spending his last season of high school baseball as a first-time Buccaneer, earning a spot as a starting pitcher for the varsity baseball team. Pirro began playing baseball when he was just three years old, looking up to his father who was also a baseball player. “My idol would be my dad. He’s the one who put the ball in my hand at such a young age and pushed me every step of the way to achieve my dreams,” said Pirro, and achieve he has. Next year, Pirro will be continuing his playing career and education at Division I Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Pirro’s commitment was officially made in fall when he signed his National Letter of Intent. Pirro is happy to be spending his senior season at OHS. “Transferring is never easy but the people here at OHS have been very welcoming and made things easy for me,” he said. Pirro’s glad he got the opportunity to make new friendships and memories. For the coming season, Pirro will work hard to achieve his goal of being selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in June. “As a team, winning a sectional championship is the focus. Every league game will be a challenge and we need to prepare for each one differently,” said Pirro. Pirro can’t wait to pursue a career in baseball. It’s the only sport he plays, and it keeps him busy year-round. “I love the competition and being able to go head-tohead with hitters, knowing that I can get them out,” he said. Pirro is looking forward to the challenge of playing at the collegiate level. “I’m very excited at the opportunity to go to college and play in a conference like ACC. Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to play for a national championship down the road,” said Pirro. photo by monek cullen
By Jasmine Davis
Sam Mccarrick
Editor-In-Chief
As luck would have it, Sam McCarrick will be starting off her final season as a Buccaneer injured. After a devastating injury during her basketball season, she’s been on the fast road to recovery and is will be back on the lacrosse field in no time. McCarrick began playing lacrosse in the third grade. She’s a versatile and experienced player on the field, who has played every position. McCarrick is quick, aggressive and plays the game to win. “I enjoy the speed of the game, getting interceptions, and scoring,” says McCarrick. Her commitment and passion for the game have led her to become a key player for the girls’ varsity team. She is anxious to get back on the field, “Our first game of the season will be the most important,” she says. This past fall, McCarrick signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division II lacrosse at Limestone College in South Carolina. McCarrick says that signing the agreement will forever be one her favorite high school memories. “I can’t wait to play at a higher level of competition and meet new people,” said McCarrick. She is looking for a new challenge and she knows that she has a lot of hard work ahead of her, but her love of the game will continue to push her through whatever obstacles she comes by. Getting injured in the winter jeopardized McCarrick’s scholarship, especially if she couldn’t recover quickly enough. But she kept her head up and worked hard to get back on her feet. Now she is looking forward to a successful season and a busy summer of preparing for Limestone. McCarrick is working hard to receive first team All-League and be selected for the AllAmerican Team, which will further help her prepare for college. “As a team, I hope that we can make it to sectionals this year,” said McCarrick.