November 2007

BuccaneerBulletin Volume 11 Number 2 November 2007

Bulletins Driving Tired Poses Threat to Drivers

Everyone knows the dangers of driving while intoxicated, but many do not know that driving while tired can be just as dangerous. This is why Becki Bettinger R.N. at Fulton’s A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital is taking part in the National Sleep Foundation’s fight to keep our roads safe by informing both adults and teens on the dangers of driving tired.

“According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, only one in five adolescents gets an optimal amount of sleep during the week, and more than half report having driven drowsy in the past year,” stated Richard Gelula, NSF executive director. “Other research shows us that young people under the age of 25 are by far the largest at-risk group for these types of crashes.”

Young people need more sleep than adults, therefore they are more likely to be affected by drowsiness when driving according to Bettinger.

English Teacher Defends Literature

What books are appropriate for our high school’s English classes?

Recently teacher Mrs. Gretchen Fronk defended a book Bastard out of Carolina to be used in English 10 honors classes to the school board.

According to Fronk, it is important to include books in our curriculum that touch on topics such as identity, gender issues, racism, poverty and abuse. “I do agree there are sensitive topics that are in this book. But, I do believe that our teens are already exposed to these issues. Is it appropriate to have them read about such sensitive topics? I would have to say yes,” stated Fronk at an October board meeting. Due to Fronk’s convincing presentation, the board voted to allow the book into the Honors 10 curriculum.

Oswego High School’s Student Voice

FOR Cammeo

Page 9

By Morgan McNamara Alumni Editor

courtesy of bill foley

OHS students and staff donned turquoise to support Cammeo Lazzaro.

Oswego Unites to Help Burn Victim

By Katie DiVita Managing Editor

For the family and friends of OHS senior Cammeo Lazzaro, the past month has been a difficult one filled with a mixture of pain and heartache.

Cammeo has spent the majority of her senior year fighting for her life after suffering severe burns in a bonfire accident on October 6. She is currently being treated for her extensive injuries at Shriners’ Burn Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Cammeo was visiting her aunt and cousins at their home in Parish when a bonfire spread out of control. Both Cammeo and her younger sister Maria were burned by the advancing flames. Maria’s injuries were minor, and she was treated and released from University Hospital in Syracuse. Cammeo, however, suffered life-threatening

injuries and was instantly rushed into emergency medical care. She is still in critical condition and has suffered burns to over sixty percent of her body. Forty percent of her burns are third degree, the most severe category of burn injuries, and twenty percent are first and second degree. She is in a drug-induced coma for pain relief, but the sedatives have recently been reduced. Cammeo is now able to open her eyes one to two times a day. Mrs. Mary Kay Dowd, Cammeo’s step-grandmother, said, “Although she is in a coma, visitors still are able to see her and even play her favorite CDs for her.” Doctors expect her to have a full recovery in about five to six months.

Cammeo was looking forward to enjoying her senior year at OHS and spendsee

Dr. Altman’s America

Texting While Driving is Dangerous

Meet Samantha Page 8

“Community” page 2

MRSA Alert Page 10 & 11

Cell phone abuse by drivers has continues to increase year by year.

Though in the past, talking on cell phones was a major issue, the new dangerous issue is texting while driving. There have not been any studies on the dangers of texting while driving, but that is not stopping New York lawmakers from putting a stop to this dangerous, and sometimes deadly, issue.

On June 28 2007, in Fairport NY (near Rochester), text messages were sent back and forth to a 17 year-old girl’s cell phone seconds before her SUV slammed head-on into a truck. The crash killed her and four friends-- all recent high school graduates. Though investigators will never have clear proof of who was actually doing the text messaging, Long Island State Senator Carl Marcellino said the deaths of these teenagers showed the deadly potential of texting while driving and the need to ban the practice. “You need two thumbs to use these devices. How do you hold the wheel? You have to take your eyes off the road to see the screen or see the letters. It’s terribly dangerous,” said Marcellino to the Associated Press.

Marcellino introduced a law that would ban writing, sending, and receiving messages while driving. He understands that such a law would be difficult to enforce, but he said it would provide awareness to the issue. He expected the bill to reach the senate sometime this fall and if it is signed into a law, violators will have to pay a fine of $100, the same penalty for breaking the hand-held cell law.

In May, Washington became the first state in the country to make texting while driving illegal. Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, California and see

“NY” page 2

Also Inside ...

lClublicity lSpying on kids is debated

2

News

Community Rallies to Assist Cammeo Continued from page 1

ing a lot of time with her family and friends. She was excited about taking the SATs and applying to college.

Dowd said, “Cam’s a good student and always cared about her studies.

Overall, she’s just a good girl.” One of Cammeo’s aspirations is to get her degree in education and someday become a teacher. She likes to play tennis and listen to music with her friends. OHS student Michelle Cigler, a close friend of Cammeo’s, said, “She is a really good friend to everyone and is always there when you need her.”

It has been difficult for many of Cammeo’s friends to visit her since she was relocated to Boston, but they have been hoping and wishing for the best back in Oswego.

Cammeo’s boyfriend, Rich Isdel, said, “I haven’t been able to see her since October 11 when she was in Syracuse, but I think about her every day.”

Cammeo’s condition has obviously had an immense impact on the Lazzaro

family. Her father and step-mother have spent the last few weeks in Boston by her side for comfort and support. Unfortunately, this leaves a busy household to look after back in Oswego. According to Dowd, Cammeo’s aunts, uncles, and step-grandparents have been watching out for the children and managing the household in her parents’ absence.

Maria Lazzaro said, “The whole thing has been really hard, but it has actually brought us together as a family.”

Not only is this tragedy an emotional strain on the Lazzaro family, but a financial one as well. Cammeo’s father has had to take a leave of absence from his job at Novelis, and this has had an effect on the family’s revenue.

Although the services at Shriners’ Burn Center are free, the travel expenses back and forth between Boston and Oswego have been exorbitant. The many sacrifices the Lazzaros have had to make are indicative of their strength and genuine concern for Cammeo’s well being.

Recently, the Oswego commu-

NY Legislators Seek Laws To Ban Texting While Driving

nity has demonstrated that the Lazzaro family is not alone in this struggle.

Through fundraisers and thoughtful encouragement, the people of Oswego have proven that they will not stand idly by when one of their own is suffering. On Sunday, November 4, there were two simultaneous fundraisers held in Cammeo’s benefit. The Red Planet, a skateboard and BMX park, held a chicken barbeque, bake sale, and 50/50 raffle for younger participants, while LaGraf’s Pub held drink specials and featured an entertainment act for older participants. There was an outstanding turnout for both events. According to Bruce Bailey, a Red Planet benefit organizer, Cammeo’s name was place on the winning 50/50 raffle ticket, noting that about 75 to 80 percent of the tickets had her name on them. The joint fundraiser was successful in raising over $2500 for Cammeo and her family.

The Oswego City School District also did not hesitate to show its support.

In late October, a “Color Day” was held in her honor. Students were asked to wear turquoise, Cammeo’s favorite color, and donate twenty-five cents.

The school district allowed a “Hat Day” as well, charging students one dollar to wear a hat for the day. These two fund-

raisers fostered awareness for the cause and also gave students an opportunity to donate money to a family in need.

Between “Color Day” and “Hat Day” the schools and education center raised $3,432.78 for Cammeo and her family.

The National Honor Society members donated $500 to the cause as well.

The Lazzaros are genuinely thankful for the widespread support and kindness. Dowd said, “Our family is overwhelmed by the generosity of the city of Oswego and the school district.

Everyone has been so wonderful to us.” Larissa Lazzaro also added, “We could not be happier. It’s amazing how much people have done for us.”

The Cammeo Lazzaro Benefit Fund has been established at Alliance Bank.

Checks can be mailed or delivered to 161 State Route 104. On December 9, the American Foundry at 246 Seneca Street will host a benefit fundraiser for Cammeo. There will be a silent auction, bake sale, and several bands are expected to play for the evening. People who have been affected by Cammeo’s story and wish to help can show their support by attending these fundraisers held for her benefit. Cammeo will undoubtedly be on our minds and in our hearts as she travels on her road to recovery.

Continued from page 1

Oregon are also on their way to making similar texting bans according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In a recent survey by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, 37 percent of teens said they found text messaging to be extremely distracting while driving. Common sense dictates that texting or emailing while driving is dangerous and highly irresponsible, yet so many drivers just can’t help themselves. “I do text and drive. I keep one hand on the wheel and use my other hand to text. It is distracting, but when I get a text I need to answer it because I just keep thinking about it,” said OHS senior Kelsey Porter.

Few opponents argue that driving and texting — any more than driving and drinking — is a good idea. Student Nicole Nalle said, “It should definitely be a law.

If talking on a phone is illegal, so should texting. When you’re texting, you actually have to look at what you’re doing rather than just talking on a phone,” she said.

Police Officer Craig Bateman reiterated that they are trying to pass a law to ban texting and driving. “The only problem is I don’t think they will be able to enforce it,” said Bateman. As of right now, if you are pulled over texting on your phone there is no law prohibiting texting. “The cellular law is very vague, but if they are using both hands to text, then they can get a ticket because one hand needs to be on the wheel at all times. Other than that, no ticket can be dealt.” Officer Bateman stated that he personally has never given out a ticket for texting. “On average I give out about five tickets a month for talking on a cell phone, but I usually work the midnight shift, so it’s not very common.”

Even though texting while driving is a dangerous and deadly issue, many drivers still insist on typing messages at the wheel. Law enforcers understand that this law will be hard to enforce, but that is not stopping them from trying to end this distracting and sometimes fatal practice.

Buccaneer Bulletin

November 2007

Columns

3

Look Past Appearances to the True Person Kristin’s Kor ner Kristin Hadley I was never the first one with my hand raised to answer any questions in class. Sometimes the teachers would ask me to volunteer and my entire body would freeze from fear of not knowing what the answer was. I knew sitting in my seat that I should have known the answer. My peers all looked at me like I was some sort of circus animal and talked about me after class as if I had no feelings at all.

I’m learning disabled. You may recognize me as the kid in the halls who walks funny or the girl with the scars on her face, but physical appearances are not always everything. Sure, it makes for a great

date when you have the best looking girl or guy to go to the dance with, and yes it makes it easier to get a date if you are physically attractive, but if you take the time to get to know a person for who he or she is, you will see how attractive they really are in all aspects. In my opinion, it is much better to have someone in your life that has good intentions and a good personality than someone who is physically gorgeous, but lacks emotional depth.

I feel that people like that miss out on so much more, even when it seems like they get every opportunity. I know that in my life, it seems that everyone is one level above me, even though I’m a senior. I sometimes feel that people are smarter than me when it comes to academics, and many of them are. I just have to remember that I have a lot of common sense that will get me a long way in life.

Though I struggle with class work and homework, I do receive assistance from a number of different teachers. Thanks to them, I don’t get

behind. Some classes I thrive in such as English and biology, but others, like math and history are harder to keep up with. I am a very efficient person who likes to have everything done and done well, but sometimes not everything goes the way I would like it to. Often times I have to stay after school for added assistance, even after I’ve been helped all day.

Do I ever get frustrated? Of course I do. To work the whole period or all day and not get a lot done gets very frustrating. That’s where patience comes into play, and I have to confess, I don’t have much of that.

My goal after I leave the Oswego High School is to become a psychologist so that I can help people who are worse off than I am. I know that I have something to offer someone else in need. I will take all that I have learned at OHS and apply it to what I will learn out in the working world. My ultimate goal in life is to teach people to look beyond the obvious to find the person’s true identity.

Will we ever say ‘When I Was Your Age . . . ?’

You Don’t Know Jack Jack Carmody We’ve all heard the stories about our parents’ youth and how “you kids have it so easy nowadays.” The stories of events we aren’t taught in school and the pop culture icons long since passed from the limelight make up the older generation’s nostalgic trips down memory lane. Granted, some legends live on, such as head-banging metal and the laughable, but timeless disco, but many of our parents’ pastimes have drifted off into the abyss. I don’t know the characters in M*A*S*H, nor do I care about the acting prowess of the decrepit Jimmy Stewart. I hate ABBA and don’t think that Perry Como is “nifty.” Relics like Beta-max and vinyl records are not something to reminisce about.

What scares me about a trip down memory lane is wondering what will become of us when we make that journey? When we are all well into our 40’s, 50’s or even 60’s, what boring tales will we spin about the “glory days?” I’m sure you can imagine yourself ranting like “back in my day, we drove cars that

Buccaneer Bulletin

ran off of fossil fuels that exploded inside the engines,” or better yet, “When I was your age, we didn’t have electronic telepathy, we had to view media with our old fiber optic internet connections. We’d have to wait three whole seconds for an AIM reply!” I’m sure the Iraq War and the September 11 crisis will be in history books right alongside JFK’s assassination, but much like our elders’ personal accounts, no one will care what we had for breakfast that day.

Another question that concerns me is a simple one. When our parents were younger, they probably thought that there’s no way technology and social sciences could further improve. Then came computers, CD-ROMs, and the almighty antidepressant to make way for a new era of revolutions. We were born into the age of technology and communications unparalleled to any other. But then again, so were they with innovations like microwave ovens and color TVs! My concern is what every thinks off: what’s next? It seems that a milestone in humanity’s advancement is reached everyday, so often, in fact, that we as a society have become desensitized to it. We hear the buzz of popular topics, but

in this age, no one really marvels over anything any more, unless it’s outrageous or terrifying. What will become of our children? As much as we have advancements, the vast majority of people have become more complacent, lazy, and ignorant. I’m afraid that with the further control over every aspect of our lives, people may become too dimwitted to notice an opportunity for progress and just take these conveniences blindly for granted.

There could be hope for the future though. With perfection of innovations taking place, like our parents, we too can say that we’ve

seen things the “old fashioned way.”

So after you’ve lived rich and eventful lives, and are watching your kids or grandkids grow up, don’t be afraid to bore them with stories of what your life was like. Have them turn off the new video game console or music video, dust off your old MP3 player, put on your favorite songs and tell them about the cultural icons in your youth. They may not be familiar with what you are talking about, but then you can just shake a fist at them and say, “You kids have it much easier than I did when I was your age! I remember when we had to…”

November 2007

Editorial

4 Buccaneer Bulletin Oswego High School’s Student Voice Editor-in-Chief Christina King Ashley Johnston Managing Editor Katie Divita Layout Editor Patrick Dougherty Entertainment Editor Sophie Rosenbaum Clublicity Editor Jack Carmody Alumni Editor Morgan McNamara Sports Editor Kathryn Lazarski Sportswriters Joe Bucher, Ryan Galloway Maddie Goulet, Kailyn Gray, Brett McClelland Art Director Fred Maxon Art Staff Amanda Donovan Chief Photographer Morganne Atutis Photographers David Abare, Michaela Frost, Blair Harvey, Caitlin Sawyer Ad Representatives Emily DiFabio, Katy Furletti, Christian Scaccia Ad Designers Olivia Capone, Michelle Stepien Senior Writer Kevin Kearns Reporters Dillon Coates, Danielle D’Amico, Lauren Dimarco, Kristen Diment, Christy Maher, Brittany Ross, Kaitlin Scanlon, Lindsay Usherwood 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) 341-2200.

It is intended as a vehicle to inform, educate, and entertain the student body.

Printing services are provided by The PalladiumTimes. Opinions expressed are those of the students and do not necessarily reflect those of the administration or the advisers.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Drawing Board

cartoon by amanda donovan

…to having fundraisers for senior Cammeo Lazzaro. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Cammeo and her family and we’re all hoping for a speedy recovery. Our recent fundraisers raised $3,432.78 for Cammeo and her family. …to the Oswego High School girls’ gymnastics team that earned the league championship with a 7-1 record. Although the girls got a late start to the season when North Country Gymnastics moved their facilities, the girls still came out on top. … to Mr. Scott Sugar, who was named as the new Oswego City School District Director of Physical Education and Athletics. Sugar’s appointment was unanimously approved by the seven members of the Board of Education. He will commence his duties on December 3. …to the students of OHS who contributed to the Red Cross Bloodmobile. Students donated 55 pints of blood at the drive.

…to the rumors of a MRSA epidemic at OHS. The administration has taken all precautions necessary to ward off MRSA and there is no need for anyone to be worried because there have only been a few isolated cases at OHS. …to the lack of weight lifting equipment in the weight room. Many of the weight machines have recently been removed from the weight room, and either moved to another school or discarded completely.

November 2007

Editorial

5

In Our View . . .

Through Laws or Common Sense, Texting While Driving Must Stop

Several Fairport High School students died choice. However, when you are putting others’ just days after their graduation last June in a tragic lives on the line because of your actions, it is car crash which might have been the result of completely irresponsible. the driver text messaging. As accidents among In our opinion, legislators, on the local, state or teens on their cell phones become more and more federal level need to create laws that treat accidents frequent, lawmakers across the country have begun caused by texting, similar to crimes of DWI to discuss how to stop this dangerous activity. or criminally-negligent homicide. Admittedly, We believe that it is absurd that there are not catching someone texting while driving is nearly already laws impossible for prohibiting enforcers, It is one thing to endanger your own life, law text messaging but the law that’s your (dumb) choice. However, when itself may be while driving.

In order for you are putting others’ lives on the line enough of a a driver to deterrent that because of your actions, it is a completely many drivers text message, he/she has may think irresponsible. to take both twice before hands off the wheel and look away from the road. texting while driving.

Not only are drivers putting their own lives on the If new anti-texting while driving laws line while they try to drive and text, they are also prevent one single death, then they would be endangering the lives of many others including more than worthwhile. We understand that there passengers and oncoming motorists. It is one thing are many issues our lawmakers have to deal with, to endanger your own life, that’s your (dumb) however as a result of the recent tragedies, making text messaging while driving illegal, needs to be a priority

Would you feel safe if someone driving a car you were a passenger in, was sending a text message?

Alex Wetter “No I wouldn’t feel safe at all. Texting takes all focus away from whatever it is that you are doing. Texting is worse to do while driving than talking on the phone.”

Lauren Longley

Letter to the Editor

“I wouldn’t feel safe if the person driving was not an experienced driver and/or texter.”

Let’s Have a Little Common Courtesy Dear Editor, Why is it practically impossible to get through the halls anymore?

From the minute I get to school in the morning to the minute I leave, I find myself either having to step over people whose feet are straight out into the halls, or pushing through the crowds of kids hanging out “conveniently” smack-dab in the middle of the walkways.

I thought being considerate of others was something we learned in kindergarten. I’m beginning to lose track of all the times I’ve been late or barely on time to a class because I’ve had to wait for some “posse” to catch-up on life in the middle of the hall. Or walking down the hallway near the language office in the morning, where it takes about 20 minutes to pass through because of the kids sitting in

Buccaneer Bulletin

front of their lockers, feet stuck straight out into the walkway on both sides, making it impossible to get by.

How about the growing number of kids who think that it’s perfectly acceptable to stop directly in front of everyone in the hallway, and tell their friends about what they’re going to do after school. No one cares; get over yourself and keep walking, because some people actually have places to be.

I don’t understand how people can feel that they’re the only people in the school.

Unfortunately, being courteous to others isn’t a big deal. Standing with all of your friends in a giant group in the middle of the hall isn’t just rude, it’s inconvenient to those around you, and pointless to boot. If you need to talk to all of your friends together that badly, get their numbers and 3-way call

your little hearts out, but don’t keep me from getting to my class on time.

Newsflash: this is high school. We don’t stop in the middle of the hallway to catch up on the latest gossip, and we don’t gather in huge mobs just taking up space. Why? Because here in high school, we’re almost adults, and being almost adults, we understand that even if we don’t care about getting to class on time, we have no right to make it so that others are forced to be the same way.

So, asking as politely as I can, please if you want to sit in the hall, sit with your legs not in the walking space of others, and if you need to stop and talk inbetween classes, take it to the side of the hallway. It’s called being considerate of others.

Kailyn Gray

Class of 2009

Class of 2010

Class of 2008

Dave Swan “It would depend on whether or not the person was an experienced driver or not, but most likely not.”

Class of 2009

Krisi Stemple

Class of 2011

“I wouldn’t feel safe because they wouldn’t be paying attention to the road and our safety would be at risk.”

November 2007

Clublicity

6

Busy Semester Ahead for OHS Organizations Red Cross

The Red Cross Club at OHS focuses on water safety, lifeguard skills, and CPR training. According to club adviser Ms.Debra Kasmer, the club mainly consists of students in the lifeguarding class that she teaches. Kasmer added that the club is planning some sort of holiday fundraiser with the Salvation Army starting in November. Although no specific day or time is set up, the club is planning on meeting monthly.

Media Club

The Media Club, advised by Mrs. Janet Bernreuther, is rapidly expanding. In Media Club, students are able to be creative in all aspects of media. Members of the club have the opportunity to create a collaborative production which includes writing, reading, drawing, film, interpretation, photography and other sources of graphic media. This year’s production has been named “The Monkey’s Paw” and it should be done sometime this spring. If you’re interested in joining Media Club, please contact Mrs. Bernreuther in the Library Media Center.

Art Club Art Club adviser Mrs. Melissa Martin is working hard with the 45 student members of the club towards a common goal. The goal they have in mind is to raise enough money to buy a printing press for the entire Art Department, which costs around $2000.

The club president Lindi Himes is working together with the other students organizing different fundraisers to hopefully raise enough money to reach the goal.

The most common way to raise money for Oswego High School’s Art Club that everyone knows about is face painting. The students have been spending the past few months learning different techniques for face paintings, using European face paint that the club purchased. Upcoming dates for face paintings will be announced.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Yearbook

Yearbook production class consists of 48 dedicated members, under the direction of advisers are Mr. Chris Mangano and Mr. Warren Shaw. They are honored to say that last year’s yearbook was a New York State Gold award winner. This year’s club editor is senior Ashley Cahill, who showed her dedication by recently attending a summer program to learn new trends and techniques for the upcoming yearbook.

Letters should have been received by all students in the mail with yearbook order forms.

If, by some chance you misplaced it or it was accidentally thrown out, don’t worry. You can still order them directly from the club treasurer Casey Taylor until April.

Advisers and staff members are looking forward to the New York City trip, when they will be bringing this year’s book to Columbia University where they will take part in a national competition.

NHS

The National Honor Society (NHS) consists of a prestigious core of students in grades ten through twelve. Students involved in this club gain leadership qualities and interact in their community trough extensive volunteer service.

“It’s a feather in their cap when applying to colleges,” said Mr. Michael McCrobie, adviser, when discussing the NHS membership.

These students are obligated to have at least a 90 average and a minimum of 18 hours of community service per year. Some of these projects include tutoring, helping at community service events such as the tree lighting ceremony, or volunteering as guides to open house.

In early December, NHS will hold its annual coat drive. This event will run for the first two weeks of the month. Used coats and winter outerwear can be dropped off in room105 at OHS for distribution to the needy of Oswego.

Applications for NHS will be taken in early March for induction in May ’08.

photo by Caitlin sawyer

Jess Mazur (left) paints the face of Vanessa Sheffield during a Halloween fundraiser for the Art Club.

Class of ‘09

The Class of ‘09 started this year off with the homecoming dance on October 5, which raised over $2000. The profits from the dance will go towards the junior prom.

The junior class adviser, for her sixth year, is Ms. Jennifer Dempsey.

“I chose to be a class adviser because I thought it would be a way for me to meet new students every year. I meet a lot of parents; I get to work with the faculty and I like being in charge of activities,” said Dempsey.

In February, auditions will be held for the annual Junior Variety Show. The show is scheduled for April 4 and 5. The profits from the show will also go towards the junior prom. Also in February, prom committee begins to prepare for the May prom.

Math Club

If you’re looking to earn extra points for your school by quizzing your brain with math varying from grade-school knowledge to what you’re learning now, then you should

stop by room 233 with Mr. Michael Mort after school, and become a member of our school’s Math Club.

There is a week out of every month in which anyone can stay after school for this club. Members can choose which day out of that week they want to go to room 233 and take a short test. If you score high on these tests, you can eventually be adding up points for our school in the state-wide math competition. There will be prizes for the highest scores.

If you’re interested in becoming a member this school year, you can contact the adviser, Mr. Mort.

Engineering The Engineers of Tomorrow meet every Monday with adviser Mr. Charles Rowlee after school from 2:30 until the last member decides his work is done. During their meetings, they put forth a great deal of work and dedication. Recently the engineers put the finishing touches on their electric car. They are also hoping to enter the electric car into a race this upcoming spring.

November 2007

Clublicity

7

Clubs, Classes Prep for the Holidays Photography Club

Chorus

After a quiet year last year, Photography Club plans on setting goals and accomplishing them this year. After just one meeting, the members plan on having a year full of fundraising. The club’s goal is to go on a camping trip to the Adirondacks in the spring.

They also plan to set up a community-wide photography contest sometime during the year.

This club is not for just experienced photographers; it is meant to be a place where people who simply enjoy taking pictures can learn more about the art of photography.

Meetings are on specified Fridays each month; indicated by signs on the doors of room B3.

Usually meetings are held at 2:35; they are short, yet productive. If you would like to join, keep your eyes open for signs as you walk by room B3 on the way to lunch, and bring fundraising and activity ideas to the next meeting.

Good things lie ahead for the three choral groups in our school. There is a Christmas concert being held Wednesday, December 5 at 7:30 PM which consists of all of our Chorale, Choir, and Chamber Singers. This is sure to bring a wide variety of holiday music that everyone can enjoy.

Mrs. Veronica Shaver, chorus teacher, feels an exceptionally good performance is on the way, including a finale featuring all groups in the song “Oh Holy Night.”

Another concert is being performed by the Chamber Singers on December 9 alongside the SUNY Choir and the Syracuse Brass Ensemble at St. Mary’s Church.

Key Club The Key Club meets every Monday in room 200 right after school. The goal of the Key Club is to help the community in whatever way they can by doing community service projects. The president of the club is Ryan King, the vicepresident is John Collins, the sergeant-at-arms is Rebecca Battles, and the secretary is Chrissy King.

Some of its upcoming events are ringing the bell for the Salvation Army and adopting a family for Thanksgiving. The Key Club will also be volunteering at the concession stands for hockey and basketball games. To become a member, you must join at the beginning of the year. However, if you would just like to volunteer, you can contact Mr. Kirk Mulverhill at kmulverh@oswego.org.

Travel Club

This year, Travel Club is traveling to Greece. New members are always welcome and encouraged to join. The trip will be scheduled for July 2008.This year’s fundraiser is the sale of chocolate treats from the Tastefully Simple Chocolate catalog. Travel Club meets the first Wednesday of each month in room 104. The advisers of the Travel Club are Mrs.Williams, Mrs. McPherson and Mrs. Fronk.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Bands

Many events are in store for the bands of Oswego High. The Marching Buccaneers had a successful fall competition season, and are going to perform at the Citrus Bowl Parade in Florida in December.

With the long-awaited new drum line equipment, they’re sure to put on quite a show.

The Jazz bands are planning a Christmas Concert assembly during classes on December 18, and an evening performance on December 19 at 7:30 PM. These concerts have free admission. A concert for Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Orchestra is being held Friday, December 14 at 7:30 as well. If anyone with previous music experience is interested in playing in band, please contact Mr. Steve Defren or Mr. Bill Palange.

Drama Club

The Drama Club will be putting on its fall play, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, November 16 and 17 at the Ralph M. Faust Theater, at 7:30.

The lead role will be played by Jessica Allen as Mollie Ralston; the supporting roles will be played by, Jared Syrell, Tiemen Godswaldt, Rachel Gower, Shane Fetterly, Heather Hanlon, and John Samson.

Kylie Wyman, who plays Parauicini said, “It’s going really well so far. We have done so much, it should really be a great performance.”

Class of ‘10

The Class of ‘10 is beginning to organize fundraisers at Wendy’s and Fajita Grill.

They also hope to have a huge event in school at some point in the year, although as of now there are no ideas to what the event may be.

The money raised over the year will be used for the Junior Variety Show, prom, homecoming, senior night, the senior trip and for other benefits of the Class of 2010.

Class meetings are normally once a month in adviser Mr. Nick Cook’s classroom, room 241. Any sophomore can go to the meetings or take part in the class’s activities.

The president of the sophomore class is Jeremy Gosek. The vice president is Sarah Hill.

Amanda D’Amico is the treasurer and Taylor Phillips is secretary.

French Club

While the French Club is very interested in taking a trip to French Canada, co-advisers Ms. Lilly Sweeting and Ms. Amy Leopold have been bringing the French culture to school by planning many exciting activities for the club to take part in. They participate in activities from making crêpes and croque-monsieur—popular French foods—to watching French films.

All French students are welcome to join; the club meets every other Thursday in room 205. The next meeting is set to take place on November 28.

Interact

The Interact Club has started this year off with fundraising for Cammeo Lazzaro a senior here at OHS who was recently injured in a fire. They also have planned a breakfast with the college Interact Club, a beach clean up, and a county-wide talent show with the Oswego Rotary Club in the spring. The club meets every-other Tuesday in room B-3. The next meeting will be on Tuesday November 27.

If you have any questions, see Katie Metcalf the president of Interact Club or email her at kmetcalf@oswego.org.

Clublicity is a regular monthly feature of The Buccaneeer Bulletin. The following reporters contributed to covering the clubs included this month: Ryan Galloway, Danielle D’Amico, Michelle Stepien, Brittany Ross, Caitlin Sawyer, Olivia Capone, Christy Maher, Morgan Atutis, Joe Bucher, Kristin Hadley, Jack Carmody, Emily DiFabio, Kaitlin Scanlon, Kristen Diment, and Blair Harvey.

November 2007

News

8

Academic Debate Intensifies: AP vs. SUPA Successful Alumni Comment on Their SUPA Experiences “Looking back, I’d say that SUPA English definitely had a positive impact in preparing me for college…a great majority of the class was based on discussion. This was different from other high school classes where the teacher would lecture the whole time, and even other high school English classes. I participated in the Humanities program in 9th through 11th grades, and those classes had a large amount of discussion, but SUPA English went further.

I may not have realized it at the time, but that was excellent preparation for college, where my grades heavily depended on being comfortable enough to participate in discussion, offering my own ideas and responding to those of others…”

-Matt McCrobie--Class of 2002 “... I only now realize that the material I first encountered in SUPA English has made a profound and lasting impact upon my own academic work as well as the career path I have chosen to pursue after college.

To put it simply, not only would I be a very different thinker had I not spent time in SUPA English but I strongly believe that I could not possibly be the same person that I am today… when I went on to college I did feel like I had leg up on a number of people” -Gregory Brown--Class of 2003 “I was actually a bit disappointed in what was considered advanced freshman writing once I got to college since I didn’t find the course nearly as exciting, challenging and rigorous as the SUPA English program...”

-Elaine Frawley--Class of 1999 “ S U PA E n g l i s h i s w h a t convinced me to become a n E n g l i s h t e a c h e r. . . ” -Brandi Weidman--Class of 1988

Buccaneer Bulletin

graphic by kevin kearns

By Kevin Kearns Senior Writer

A long-standing academic tradition at Oswego High School for top senior students, Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) English is suffering from declining enrollment, resulting in discussion by OCSD administrators about replacing the course with Advanced Placement English.

More and more students and their parents who help them with such decisions are deciding against the challenging college-level elective. “…somewhere along the line, it seems as if students have come to the conclusion that the course has no value to them,” said Mr. Thomas Frawley, an English teacher at OHS and former SUPA instructor.

SUPA English, in the past, was known for its high enrollment, at times even having to turn students away due to lack of space. Despite the course’s popularity in the past, it has recently seen its enrollment decline. This year, of the 444 students in the senior class, only 13 are currently enrolled in SUPA English. Previously two instructors each taught one section, however due to the decreased enrollment, there is only one instructor this school year.

“It appears that more and more students are becoming reluctant to take SUPA English…in a time in which so

much of what people do for recreation or satisfaction, is all about instant gratification, it’s difficult to attract students to take SUPA English when it may take a week or so to craft a single paragraph of your paper...” commented Mr. Elden Phaneuf, who currently instructs SUPA English at OHS. “Personally I didn’t want to take SUPA English because last year’s class (Class of 2007) none of the students in the top 10 took SUPA English, so I didn’t see any benefit in taking it myself,” said senior Steve Kolenda, who is currently ranked in the top 25 of the class.

As numbers continue to decline, decision makers in Oswego are discussing whether or not AP English would be more beneficial than offering SUPA English. “I personally would like to see the discussion continue on offering AP English to our students…AP courses would be generally accepted at more colleges or universities than SUPA credits would,” said Oswego High School Principal Peter Myles.

“I would take AP English if it was offered (at OHS). I don’t think it would be as intimidating to kids as a Syracuse University course is,” said senior Megan Boardway, who opted not to take SUPA English.

“There has always been this debate, AP versus SUPA, and the debate

normally comes down to what the students see as their best interest.

Also, AP results in students gaining more acceptability of their work. I suppose that is true to a point, except AP credit is based on a one time only test…whereas with the Syracuse University course, you actually receive a college transcript saying that you took a college course,” said Frawley A large part of the controversy over AP seems to surround acceptance of credit. In the case of SUPA, students pay for six hours of college credit, which certain schools, notably Cornell, will not accept. Credit in AP English is awarded through a test in May. Colleges will generally award three hours of credit for a score of four or five (out of five). According to Myles, AP does tend to have a higher credit acceptance rate than credit gained through SUPA courses.

Although both courses seem to have their own benefits, some believe it would be a mistake to introduce AP English over SUPA English. “…I do have serious intellectual reservations about AP English. What we do in SUPA is largely writing and critical thinking. AP English is driven more by standardized tests. There is writing involved (in AP English), but it is a completely different writing experience,” said Phaneuf.

Phaneuf also added that although AP does have its benefits, it is largely a curriculum which is based on a traditional way of thinking, whereas SUPA English has a much more modern and a broader-perspective curriculum.

Frawley also seemed to favor SUPA over the change to AP. “I think (SUPA English) is a valuable course to have in the high school. I say that as an instructor who has heard back from students about its value to them once they get into undergraduate campuses and I say that as a parent of three children who actually took the course,” Frawley commented.

A compromise of offering both AP and SUPA English would probably not be an option, according to Myles.

What will happen next year is very much up in the air. “We run courses based on student enrollment, so if there are enough students enrolled in SUPA English next year, we will run SUPA English,” Myles said.

November 2007

Alumni

9

Dr. Altman’s Sabbatical ‘On the Road’ Semester of study allows educator to connect with OHS alumni nationwide.

After 12,000 miles, 200 hours of driving and 163 Youtube video clips, Dr. Thomas Altman, Ph.D, has created what he is now calling “The High School Project.”

On his sabbatical from OHS this semester, Altman has already visited 22 states and plans to visit more in the coming months. He has been tracking down Oswego alumni and making five-minute video clips of what they are doing after high school. Many of the alumni are using physics they learned from Altman in some aspect of their occupations.

Altman’s sabbatical was approved at the end of last school year. He began to make his Youtube videos then and continued with them through the summer.

Altman said, “I wanted as many videos as possible posted before the school year started so that ‘my students’ could use them if they needed to.” Each video clip has to do with physics; whether it’s measuring the mass, calculating a problem using Newton’s law, or determining the force exerted on a particular object.

Eventually, Altman is hoping to be able to teach lessons using his Youtube clips.

Phoenix, Arizona-Have you ever been to a chiropractor and needed an adjustment?

Chiropractors often use a tool to realign and adjust the spinal column.

Dr. Chris Colloca, a graduate of OHS Class of ’85, created the “Impulse adjuster,” which he now sells in kits to chiropractors worldwide. The name of the instrument (“Impulse”) was a term Colloca learned in Altman’s class. He founded NeuroMechanical Innovations hoping to revolutionalize chiropractic practices internationally.

Colloca and his team at NeuroMechincal Innovations have given hundreds of seminars to “the chiropractors of the future.”

Los Alamos, New Mexico-Dr. Kevin Sanbonmatsu, a graduate of OHS Class of ’88, has created the world’s largest supercomputer simulation of bimolecular ribosomes.

Buccaneer Bulletin

He works at the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico, where the first atomic bomb was created. Although most of the research performed at Los Alamos National Lab is confidential, Sanbonmatsu was able to give a general overview of what he is doing. During his interview with Sanbonmatsu, Altman focused in on Sanbonmatsu’s computer screen-saver simulation. The simulation, along with Sanbonmatsu’s range of scientific vocabulary, demonstrated the genius in one of Oswego’s very own.

Yosemite National Park, CA-Katie Lyons, a graduate of OHS Class of ’94, is now a park ranger at Yosemite National Park. Altman said that out of all the alumni, he was most surprised by Lyons because in high school, she was quiet and now she’s “controlling bears as they charge at her.”

It is Lyons’ responsibility to take charge and do something to stop the bears or calm them down. As part of her job, Lyons goes into the wilderness for a week at a time with only the equipment she carries on her back. On many occasions, she has had to save people from falling to their deaths.

On the Youtube clip, she recounts a time that a man was hanging by his sweatpants at a dangerous angle from a cliff and she was called upon to rescue him. Lyons was able to think about the situation and use logic to strategize the angle from which to rescue the man (with the laws of gravity working against her, of course). Altman proclaimed Lyons as a kind of “hero” and claimed that “she works in some of the most amazing places in the nation.”

Las Vegas, Nevada-Down in the valleys of Nevada resides ’87 Oswego graduate Shane Pritchard, who is working as a mechanical engineer at an energy plant.

Pritchard’s job involves supplying the large city of Las Vegas with electricity.

Vancouver, Washington-Michael Howes, OHS graduate of ’96, is now living in Vancouver, Washington where he is an acoustic engineer for Logitech. Altman found Howes working on a research project involving wavelengths of sound. Howes had trouble finding a solution to one of

courtesy of dr. altman

‘The High School Project,’ Dr. Altman’s sabbatical project has taken him across the country to both see and demonstrate practical applications of science.

the problems presented at his job. He recalled an experiment that was done in Altman’s physics class 11 years ago and that turned out to be the solution.

Bolder Creek, California-Pat Salisbury, a graduate of ’87, now resides in Bolder Creek, California. His house is located on the top of a mountain in a geodesic dome under a redwood grove. Altman explained that he uploaded his videos over a satellite communication system that Salisbury designed and now builds for famous individuals in California living atop other mountains. Salisbury is a regular at the “Burning Man”

(see Altman’s Youtube clip on the “Burning Man”). In short, Salisbury has become a real renaissance man.

Altman has not only met with several Oswego alumni, he has also taken part in various activities across the country which pertain to physics.

He taught a graduate level class at the University of Nevada and did a laser assembly for the students in Tucson, Arizona for OHS graduate Beth Sheenan.

Altman says that his travels have served as a kind of “revitalization” of the relevance of physics to the education of young adults.

If you would like to watch Altman’s Youtube clips, his user name is starcross42.

November 2007

Ne

10

‘Superbug’

By Katie DiVita Managing Editor

M

HYSTERIA

RSA. In the past month, those four letters have been constantly echoed all throughout the med ia and me d ic a l f ield a l i ke . T hey have si n gle-handedly caused fear in some schools, and a panic in others around Central New York, including our own.

More formally known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, this highly-contagious, possibly deadly infection is infiltrating schools all around the northeastern United States. It has recently become so prominent that scientists have deemed it to be a “superbug.”

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria – often called staph – is commonly found on the human body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staph exists on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population. This pathogen is generally harmless, unless it enters the body through an open cut or wound. Even then, it usually only causes minor skin irritations and can be treated with antibiotics. However, the strand of staph bacteria referred to as MRSA can become more serious if not diagnosed and treated properly.

MRSA is a specific strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that has developed an immunity to conventional antibiotic drugs. According to Mrs. Christina Chamberlain, registered school nurse at OHS, the substantial publicity the MRSA bacteria has received recently is a result of its evolved ability to resist antibiotic treatment. Penicillin, methicillin, and other related beta-lactam antibiotics have been proven to be ineffective against the pathogen. Studies conducted by the CDC have shown that this is presumably the result of widespread inappropriate antibiotic use by patients with staph infections.

Chamberlain said, “A lot of the time people Per 100,00 people discontinue antibiotic Heart Disease 232.5 use when they start to feel better. They save All Cancers 193.5 the medicine, and when Strokes 53.5 they experience recurring symptoms, they go Diabetes 24.5 back on it. This gives Colo-Rectal Cancer 19 the bacteria a chance to become resistant.”

Auto Accidents 15.3 She emphasized that Firearms 10.3 people shou ld on ly take antibiotics when MRSA 6.3 necessary and always HIV 4.7 take them as directed.

All Causes 801 Although MRSA has out wit ted some Source: Kaiser Family Foundation and the journal of the American medica association of the most powerful antibiotics known to

Causes of Death

Buccaneer Bulletin

scientists, there are certain drugs that can thwart the infection if it is diagnosed early. The media is therefore attempting to publicize the best ways to identify MRSA symptoms and what people should do if they think they have it. According to the CDC, the symptoms of MRSA include redness, swelling, pimples, or boils. People are urged to immediately see their doctor if they experience any variation of these symptoms that don’t heal normally. The student at OHS who was diagnosed with MRSA, who shall remain anonymous, said, “I realized I had this bump on my leg but didn’t think much of it. It began to swell the whole bottom part of my leg and it hurt when I walked on it. After the infection didn’t go away, I thought I should get it checked out. The doctor took one look at my leg and I was immediately rushed to the hospital.”

Most MRSA infections occur in healthcare settings and are rarely a problem in the general community. For example, hospital patients who have undergone surgery and kidney dialysis patients are especially vulnerable to MRSA. However, the CDC has recently warned that athletes are becoming increasingly more at risk for staph infections. This is the result of frequent physical contact, which can foster the spread of various skin infections including MRSA. Thus, athletes are especially urged to keep their injuries clean and not to share sports equipment.

Mrs. Michelle Wink, athletic trainer at OHS, said, “Athletes should never share gloves, pads, shin guards, or other equipment. Also, they should let these items dry out overnight to avoid bacterial infections such as MRSA.” This distinctive strand of staph has been in the spotlight due to several confirmed cases in high schools around Onondaga County, many of whom are athletes. According to The Post-Standard, two severe cases were reported at both Liverpool and Henninger High Schools, and a more recent case was reported at Nottingham High School. In a school setting, MRSA is especially contagious. According to the CDC, MRSA usually spreads as a result of skinto-skin contact, but it can be shared from object-to-person since it lives on surfaces for up to three days. Schools can consequently function as environments for large-scale MRSA transmission by means of desks, chairs, lockers, and other educational facilities. The Onondaga County Health Department has been forced to close down over a dozen schools for extensive cleaning and sterilization of such facilities to prevent more students from falling ill.

Last month, it became evident that Oswego High School is not immune to the MRSA panic that has been spreading throughout Central New York.

As most students know, there was a confirmed case of MRSA reported here at OHS. This student, who chooses to remain nameless, said, “After seeing various other cases on the news, I figured it would be beneficial to warn others about my illness since it was going around the schools.” School and public health officials have been working since the diagnosis to calm the fears of concerned parents and students. A letter was sent home with students to remind parents of healthy prevention and treatment techniques. Mrs. Tina Bourgeois, a nurse at the Oswego County Health Department assures, “The student was treated with antibiotics and was released by the doctor to return safely to school. We’ve had parents calling the health department asking to

ews

11 The A-Z of Hand Sanitizers

Many teachers and students use hand sanitizer throughout the day.

Hand sanitizers are a common site around OHS. Pictured above is sophomore Katie Abramski, with Purel attached to her binder.

close the schools, but there’s really no need for all that hype.” The student added, “No, I’m not still contagious.

I wouldn’t be in school if I was.”

Since MRSA is becoming increasingly more evident in young people, it is essential that high schools take the proper precautions to protect against it. Above all else, the CDC stresses that MRSA can be best be prevented with one simple action – hand washing. Chamberlain said, “This is an opportunity to make the public aware of how important frequent hand washing is.” She also advised to keep open wounds clean and to refrain from sharing personal items such as razors or towels. To stem the spread of MRSA, everyone is urged to cooperate and place an emphasis on personal hygiene.

According to the CDC, over 90,000 Americans are infected with the form of staph infection called MRSA each year. It has become increasingly obvious that MRSA is a serious health issue, not only in the northeastern United States, but around the entire nation. If MRSA is not controlled, public health experts have warned that deaths tied to the infection could surpass those caused by AIDS. According to data released by the Journal

of the American Medical Association, in 2005, roughly 16,000 people in the U.S. died from AIDS. In that same year, a reported 18,650 deaths were recorded due to MRSA. That’s an astounding 2,650 more deaths caused by the type of staph infection, which has only gained more momentum in 2007.

Despite the disturbing headlines and statistics, MRSA is by no means invincible and can be controlled by simple means. Chamberlain said, “This is nothing to panic about. This infection has been around forever, the media has just recently brought it into the forefront.” Although the infection understandably entices alarm, drastic lifestyle changes are not necessary to contend with the latest outbreak of the disease.

Bourgeois commented, “Education is the biggest thing we can do here at the health department to protect everyone from MRSA.” As long as people are aware of the seriousness of this potentially deadly form of staph infection, they can protect themselves and prevent its further advance throughout high schools and hospitals. With the proper safety precautions and awareness, MRSA can be contained and hopefully eliminated from existence in the future.

Doctors say washing hands regularly for 30 seconds or more is the easiest way to avoid this infection.

Dirty shower stalls could be possible homes for many different bacteria.

Water fountains are germ havens.

Ever since the “MRSA scare” has entered OHS, antibacterial lotion bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors have sprung up in all areas of the school; whether it is in students’ lockers, teachers’ desks, the library – anywhere.

With all the research that has been done about various diseases, including MRSA, most doctors and specialists agree that washing your hands regularly is the best thing to do to avoid contracting a disease; this has been a known fact for many years. It is also a known fact that many people lie about whether or not they truly wash their hands.

Most people claim that they wash their hands every time they use the bathroom, yet the truth of the matter is, people generally sprinkle water on their hands and assume that their hands are clean. Health experts state that washing your hands requires the use of both soap and water for about 30 seconds.

If you walk around any hospital in the US, you will see that almost anywhere you look, there is a dispenser of antibacterial hand sanitizer. People are encouraged to wash their hands frequently and these dispensers give patients/visitors a convenient way of doing so. The automatic hand sanitizer gel automatically comes out when a person places his hand under it. The gel instantaneously turns into foam that is easy to rub in.

The number of diseases and bacteria that are on the surfaces of commonly used objects at OHS including desks, door knobs, computer keyboards, bathroom stalls, and lockers is unimaginable. All of these objects are unavoidable during a school day. Installing a few antibacterial hand sanitizers in strategic locations (cafeteria, library hallway, Utica Street ramp, main office) throughout the school could be beneficial in reducing the spread of germs. Also, with four minutes to get from one class to another, a pit stop at the bathroom to wash your hands is sometimes difficult. If there was an automatic dispenser of hand sanitizer available on your walk to class, you might be able to swipe your hand under and make it to class on time.

Until then, pick up a personal size to carry with you.

--Sophie Rosenbaum

all photos by Morganne Atutis

November 2007

12

Features

Waru & Sam Pilot Best Buddies Program

By Waruguru Gichane

Contributing Writer In the last issue of The Buccaneer Bulletin, Sophie Rosenbaum wrote about the Best Buddies program. Best Buddies is a program where regular education students are paired with special education students not for tutoring, but for social interaction. After learning about the benefits of this program, I signed up to be a part of it.

When I pulled in to pick up Samantha Gordon last Wednesday, she was ready to go. She had her spending money on hand, and was wearing a “Go Bucs” visor which she had made herself. She gave a slight wave to her father, and got in the car. We were off to Senior Night for the girls and boys varsity cross country teams.

Once we arrived at the middle school, I expected to introduce Sam to the girls’ team. To my surprise, she knew just about everyone, and left me in the dust as she went off to make conversation with all her friends. She was shaking hands, and giving hugs to middle schoolers, high schoolers and even the occasional teacher. Soon I was ask-

Buccaneer Bulletin

Photo by morganne atutis

Samantha Gordon (left) and Waruguru Gichane (right) pose for a photo at the cross country senior night.

ing her to introduce me to her friends.

When I asked her how she knew all these people she replied, “I’m popular!”

About a half hour after we arrived, it was time for team pictures.

Sam walked with us in the woods and watched as our photographs were being taken. She took out her own camera and made a few snapshots of

the team, and posed for several herself.

As the races began, she cheered everyone on enthusiastically. Sam truly was our biggest fan that night. After the meet was over, she had to rush off to a piano lesson. Her mother and sister picked her up. She waved goodbye, and we made plans to hang out again.

I learned a lot about Sam on Senior

Night. She has an older brother named Josh who is a sophomore at SUNY Albany, and a younger sister named Tess who is a seventh grader at Oswego Middle School. While she sometimes finds them annoying, she said, “I love them.”

Sam is a dedicated student. “I love math, adding and subtracting,” she stated. She works hard in all her classes and hopes to one day be a baker.

There’s a lot that can be learned from Sam. If every student at OHS shared her school spirit, there would be a far more positive attitude in the high school.

Best Buddies is a program that should be instituted at every high school in the nation. It is a wonderful experience, and it presents an opportunity to meet a student that you may not have met otherwise. There is so much to learn from this special program.

At a modest four feet eight inches, Samantha Gordon may not be the first person you spot in the hallway.

However, what she lacks in height, she makes up for in her spirit and personality. Sam’s warmth and optimism bring a smile to the face of everyone she meets.

November 2007

Entertainment

13

Bee Movie Still Among the Best at the Box Office What’s the buzz about this box office smash film, Bee Movie?

A bee named Barry B. Benson, played

by Jerry Seinfield, is a recent college graduate whose life is devoted to making honey. He finds this career path boring and decides to venture outside the bee hive. On his adventure, he meets Vanessa (Renee Zellweger) who is a florist in NYC. Vanessa and Barry become fast friends and during their many conversations, Barry discovers that humans eat honey. Almost instantaneously, Barry realizes that he needs to put a stop to this. He takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of this, and while he’s at it he decides to sue the entire human race.

With stars such as Larry King, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock, and Sting, Bee Movie has been highly recommended by many critics. The movie is a must see for anyone who wants to sit back, relax, and enjoy an entertaining movie!

- Sophie Rosenbaum

photo courtesy of dreamworks animation l.l.c.

(Right to Left) Classmates of the Graduating Class of 9:15 Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) and Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick) tour Honex: A Division of Honesco: A Part of the Hexagon Group, in DreamWorks’ Bee Movie, recently released by Paramount Pictures.

Develop an Appetite for Lifelong Learning King a Da Hill Chrissy King “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

Mark Twain said this, and he has a very valid point. In school, everyone has to take English, social studies, math, and science, but those subjects are not where the learning stops. People can learn from everyday life, other people, reading and extracurricular activities and programs.

Learning can be continued for your entire life, long after high school and college have been completed. Some people don’t take the opportunities that are out there to learn every day, but those who do, are better for it.

People choose to learn for a variety of different reasons. This is true not only of in-school learning, but also outside of school learning. Sophomore Megan Henry attended a National Youth Leadership forum in Chicago for 10 days during the summer to learn about leadership skills and medical procedures. “I chose to go because I want to be a doctor and it was an opportunity to learn more about that field,” she said.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Senior Sophie Rosenbaum also attended a summer program at Cornell University but for different reasons than Megan. “I wanted to get insight on becoming a lawyer and the program I went to was three weeks of learning about political science, so it was a good opportunity for me,” Rosenbaum stated.

Students are not the only people who take their education to another level. Mr. Mark Mirabito teaches Advanced Placement Psychology at OHS and is a self-proclaimed lifelong learner. Though a twenty-nine year teaching veteran, he continued his education for a variety of reasons. He commented, “Personally, I hate being bored and taking classes helps me do my job better because I know more and I just enjoy it.”

However, if you are not as studious and wouldn’t want to spend extra time outside of school taking notes and taking tests, there are many other types of classes and activities you can partake in to continue your education. Education is not limited to math and science; there are opportunities to learn around every corner. Cooking classes, dance classes, exercise programs, reading, talking to your friends, even just looking outside your window and observing the world gives you the chance to learn something about yourself, life, and the world you live in. If you keep your eyes and ears open to new information, the possibilities for expanding

your knowledge are exponential. Some of the most important things that you learn from life cannot be taught by taking notes off a blackboard, but from observing other people and experiencing life.

Another good thing about learning outside of school is that you stay busy, which means you have less chance to get into trouble. People who get bored and don’t really have anything to do are more likely to get into a little bit of trouble, especially during the summer months. Rosenbaum commented, “If you’re home for the summer, there is room to get in trouble because kids just get bored in Oswego, so I personally need distractions like taking classes.

A lot of people spend their summers in trouble or grounded, but if you’re away or doing something, there isn’t time for it.”

To some people, it might seem that learning always has to be boring and that you have to be holed up in a classroom, but that is just not true.

Learning can be fun, as long as you’re learning about something you truly want to know more about. Learning can enrich your life and your mind.

So, the moral of the story is, don’t let some boring classes you are required to take in school ruin your appetite for learning. Whether you take classes outside of school or join a cooking class or even intramurals, learning doesn’t have to stop.

Rosenbaum sums everything up when she said, “Learn. It’s good for you!”

November 2007

14

Point/Counterpoint

Should Parents be Allowed to Spy on Their Children?

King a Da Hill Chrissy King

Growing up is a difficult process for both parents and teens. Parents get worried that their “babies” will make the wrong choices and ruin their lives. This fear can sometimes be so overwhelming for parents that they resort to spying on their kids, snooping through their things, basically monitoring their entire lives. The parents’ jobs are to make sure that their kids stay on the right path, but this should be done through talking to their kids, punishing them when necessary, and always loving them; not by spying on them.

In today’s high-tech world, there are many different ways that parents can keep tabs on their kids. There are actual spy stores that sell legal high-tech devices such as mini-cams that can be hidden in desk clocks, baseball caps, and in the closets of teen’s rooms. Parents can now also bug their teen’s phone lines.

They can join myspaceWATCH. com and facebook.com to monitor their kids’ friends and view their pictures on their profiles. Many parents also buy Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to install in kids’ cars and cell phones so they can track the location of their children.

These devices seem like a great idea to parents because they can keep track of their kids and not have to worry about being lied to about where the kids are going because they have a device in their car, recording exactly where they are and how fast they’re going. Using Alltrack’s GPS black box, parents can even make virtual fences in the GPS around the places where their kids aren’t supposed to go. If their kids do go to these restricted places, parents can flash the lights on the car or beep the horn nonstop with a remote control.

As tempting as this is for parents, there can be many consequences

Buccaneer Bulletin

Point that are counterproductive. Parents think that if they can spy on their kids, then they will be able to ensure their safety. But often times, kids will find ways around parental “precautions” and do dangerous things that they may not have done if they weren’t being spied on. If teens find out about their parents’ spy tactics, more than likely they will “forget their cell phones” or drop their car off somewhere and then go with their friends. Then what will parents do, because they think they know what their kids are doing and they really have no idea.

If you push teens, they’ll push back. Spying undermines trust and makes many teens feel angry that they can’t trust their parents because their parents don’t trust them. A 1997 adolescent health study of 12,000 teens showed that the one thing that can help prevent teens from making bad choices is a feeling of closeness with their parents. Being spied on will more than likely cause this closeness to be stunted or not occur at all. Spying in general is just a terrible idea.

Teens need to make their own choices, make their own mistakes, and not be treated like a criminal who is going to do something wrong.

Parents should be there for their kids and help them learn how to make good choices. Making the choices for them by keeping them under lockand-key does nothing to help them grow into healthy, responsible adults.

Teens are learning and maturing; they aren’t stupid. They can make choices, and need to do so. Parents need to learn to give their kids some slack and give them the freedom to make their own judgments. A parent’s job is to let their kids make some mistakes, and try to stop them from making big mistakes, but not stop them from living.

Many times, teens are misled by television, music, video games, computers and other influences in their lives. For girls, it’s all about looking skinny and beautiful, no matter what lengths you have to go to obtain the looks. For guys, it’s risk-taking and pushing things to the limit. When you put the two things together, it could end in disaster.

However, if parents spy or snoop on their teens, it will allow for parents to be more involved in what is occurring in their children’s lives. Talking to your teens does not always work because they don’t always want to talk to their parents about their problems. Sometimes, spying is the only alternative.

It’s not always easy to get the truth out of teenagers because many of them lie to their parents just to get away with something. Most of the time, parents can get a feel for when their child may be into some kind of trouble. By putting cameras in teenagers’ rooms, parents are able to monitor activities that may be going on when they are not around. A GPS system in a vehicle is a great way to see where your teens have gone.

My Space is a great way for teens to communicate with their friends, but it is also dangerous because child predators can easily reach kids by just an e-mail. By joining myspaceWATCH.com parents can easily monitor what their children are putting on the internet, including pictures. Cell phones are also a good way to spy on teens because text messages from friends can be easily found and viewed. As good as teens think they are when it comes to scamming their parents, parents almost always have a way of finding out, especially in a town like Oswego.

In 2005, about 10.8 million people between the ages of 1220 illegally consumed alcohol according to SADD statistics, and 3,467 16-20 year old drivers were killed in automobile accidents that could have been prevented had the parents been more involved. Many teens think it’s a pain to have their parents call their cell phones when

Counterpoint Kristin’s Cor ner Kristin Hadley they are out with friends, but having their parents involved lowers the risk of serious injury or even death from a destructive decision.

If parents know ahead of time, they can also give their child a ride home from a party instead of letting friends who may be under the influence of alcohol get behind the wheel.

Snooping also allows parents to see what is going on with their children emotionally. Things such as a journal or a diary often provide private information that teens don’t tell their parents that could be life-altering.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in ages 15-24 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some reasons that teens turn to suicide are psychological disorders such as depression, conflicts in and out of school, bullying, and break ups with girlfriends or boyfriends. More often than not, teens will use a journal as an outlet for their problems. By knowing this ahead of time, parents can prevent their children from harming themselves. Parents will then be able provide their child some emotional support and get them help such as counseling.

In the end, teens will end up healthier and safer if parents keep tabs on them. Even if they don’t understand it at the time teens may grow up to thank their parents for looking out for them.

In the long run, it will make the relationship between the child and the parent stronger, not weaker.

Parents who spy on their kids are often not as popular as parents who don’t, but the question that parents have to ask themselves is would you rather be “cool” to your teens or be the parent they need you to be?

November 2007

Entertainment

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Neon Bible, Arcade Fire’s Newest Release a Classic

By Fred Maxon Reporter

Last year, we reviewed a Montreal-based indie rock band known as Arcade Fire. On March 6, 2007, they released their second studio album, entitled Neon Bible. Recorded in an old church and selfproduced, Neon Bible offers an insightful look at the world we live in today, presented in 11 songs that have been critically-acclaimed for their composition and use of new instruments to make songs that are audibly pleasing.

While their first album, Funeral, was focused more on the lives and woes of teenage life with lyrics such as “Something filled up/ my heart with nothing/ someone told me not to cry,” excerpted from the song “Wake Up.” Neon Bible is more politically-charged and looks at society today and all of the idiosyncrasies that exist in it. The song “Windowsill” is a prime example of this. Win Butler sings lyrics about how he doesn’t want to live in America “no more,” and invokes memories of Hurricane Katrina with the line “The windows are locked now, so what’ll it be, / A house on fire or the rising sea?” and alludes to a third world war with the line “World War Three, when are you coming for me?”

However, Neon Bible isn’t completely without a nod to growing up an awkward teen. The last song on the CD, “My Body Is a Cage,” is an anthem for

all those who are uncomfortable with how they look.

It starts softly at first, with only Win’s voice singing over a soft drum beat. As the chorus repeats, a soft chord on the church’s pipe organ joins Win’s soulfilled voice, and with each passing chorus and verse, grows louder. Many teenagers can identify with the song’s message “My body is a cage/that keeps me from dancing with the one I love/ but my mind holds the key.”

However, a true standout on this album is a re-recording of the song “No Cars Go” off of their original EP. “No Cars Go” was re-recorded with a full orchestra, and is a faster-paced, more energetic version of the original. It was the third single from Neon Bible.

On February 24, 2007, Arcade Fire appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and played the songs “Intervention” and “Keep the Car Running,” their first two singles in the U.K. At the end of “Intervention,” Win smashed his guitar which read “Sak vide pa kanpe,” an old Haitian proverb meaning, “An empty sack cannot stand,” and was in reference to the injustices that the people of Haiti face. Haiti was the birthplace of Regine.

“Keep the Car Running,” the first single in the U.K, has been praised numerous times by renowned rock band Foo Fighters. The band, known for such hits as “Learn to Fly,” and “Times Like These,” performed the song twice on August 17, 2007,

the first at Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge, a program on the British radio station BBC Radio One, and later during Radio One’s summer concert series in Brighton, with David Grohl informing the audience that, while they had played it earlier in the day, he felt as though he hadn’t performed it well enough.

Grohl stated, during the interview with Whiley, that he listens to the song every morning when he wakes up. Arcade Fire, along with music legend Bruce Springsteen, performed the song live in Ottawa on October 14, and members of Arcade Fire were allowed to play the songs “State Trooper” and “Born to Run” with Springsteen and the E-Street Band.

Neon Bible can be purchased in three different editions: a regular edition, containing just the CD; a deluxe edition, containing two 32-page flip books; and a double LP, with the album on three sides of the vinyl and an etching on the fourth. The double LP was released May 8, 2007 due to manufacturing delays.

Neon Bible has received rave reviews from many respected music magazines and web sites such as four and a half out of five stars from Rolling Stone Magazine and an impressive nine out of ten stars from New Musical Express, a rock magazine published in the UK. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire’s impressive sophomore album, is a classic and well worth the price.

Mirabito Marks 29th Year in Education Dedicated, hard-working, punctual, and humorous all describe a man who is in his 26th year of teaching at Oswego High School, and 29th overall. Throughout his teaching career, he has taught four different subjects: health, driver education, psychology, and biology. He affects hundreds of students’ lives every year with his informative teaching style. “He has a better teaching style than most teachers at OHS even though it’s more ‘old fashioned.’ He relates to us and gives us examples so that we understand difficult concepts,” says senior Andrea Carrow.

The “he” she is referring to is, of course, Mr. Mark Mirabito.

One of the attributes that he is known for is his sense of humor. Most students find it hard not to laugh at his jokes and/or stories. “His stories are unforgettable and make you laugh whenever you think of them. I think he can make just about anyone laugh,” said senior Alyssa Collins.

“His humor is something else and his cynicism is unmatched by any other teacher in the school,” said Class of ’07 graduate James Bates. Bates continued by exclaiming, “He is one of the most intriguing people I have ever had the pleasure of being taught b y; a true educator who not only cares about the education of his students, but their futures as well.”

For all of the above reasons, and more,, the staff of The Buccaneer Bulletin recognizes Mr. Mirabito as Teacher of the Month.

Buccaneer Bulletin

PHOTO By Caitlin Sawyer

November 2007

Images

16

Photo by caitlin sawyer

Photo by Dave abare

Photo top left: Self portrait? A member of the Art Club goes beyond face painting and moves on to her arm.

Photo top right: Vanessa Sheffield finishes a volley with a kill during the varsity girls’ volleyball sectional playoff game vs. Liverpool.

Photo bottom left: Travis Hadley had one of the most unique “lids” for the Hat Day fundraiser for Cammeo Lazzaro.

Photo bottom right: Tres Bell, Ryan Blauvelt, and Mitch Galvin compete in the last boys’ cross country home meet of the season.

photo by kristin hadley

Buccaneer Bulletin

Photo by kat lazarski

November 2007

Sports

17

In Sports, it’s Root, Root, Root for the Underdog KSPN Kevin Kearns “The Rockies pull off the impossible, advance to World Series” (ESPN) “Appalachian State Stuns College Football World, Beats Michigan” (The Daily Reel) USC Stunned By Stanford! Trojans Lose 24-23 Though Favored by Over 40 (Cleveland Leader) Are you kidding me?

Upsets are not necessarily supposed to happen.

Yet upsets are something that makes sports so interesting to follow. Sports would be simply boring if the underdog never won. Sure, Appalachian St. beating Michigan might be a bit over the top, but who didn’t love to see it happen. It’s that rush you get when you see a team or fans rushing onto the field, celebrating, yelling “overrated,” that makes sports interesting.

It is undisputed that part of today’s sports culture is to always root for the underdog. Of course this can be avoided if your favorite team is playing

in the contest, but what is it we really like seeing? whatever reason (I don’t even want to get started Do we truly like to see the little guy come out of on their 200 million dollar payroll) the Yankees are nowhere leaving us with an inspiring tale, or is our almost always successful. Sports fans either love pleasure derived from watching teams which seem the Yankees or hate them, and if you hate them, invincible come you don’t care who the opponent is, you purely crashing down to want them to lose. Typically the teams who they earth? are playing are not favored, yet fans’ motivation Did anyone for rooting for the opposition is solely a result of really want George despising the Yankees. Fans could care less if it is Mason to win two the opponents are the Kansas City Royals or the years ago on its Chicago Cubs, as long as the Yankees lose. march to the Final Whenever I watch an upset, the huge Four, or was it more celebration which follows a college game, or the of people wanting glorious quotes sure to follow any professional to see the Huskies contest don’t interest me in the least. Personally, of Connecticut lose?

I enjoy watching the look on superior athletes’ Personally, I can still faces, as they realize that they blew it. It sounds remember jumping like a terrible thing to root for, but it’s true. for joy when the I guess true joy comes as a result of that buzzer went off knowledge in the back of our minds that Photo courtesy of espn signaling a Patriot ultimately we know the ranks will be restored. win over the Huskies. Honestly, I took more joy The underdog will eventually go back to its lowly in watching the deflated Huskies, who acted as if ways, and the favored team will climb its way back George Mason didn’t even belong on the same court to the top. But for that moment in time, everything as them cry, than I did watching the Patriots cut is perfect in our sport world. Cocky athletes are down the nets. heartbroken; what else could one ask for?

Just look at the New York Yankees. For

Spare Us--Ten Striking Reasons to Form a Bowling Team Kat’s Got Your Tongue Kat Lazarski Bowling. The greatest sport on earth. Okay, you got me there; it’s not.

Before you stop reading this because it is about bowling, let me just point a thing or two out. First of all, did you know that the last New York state championship team Oswego High School had was its bowling team back in 1991? It figures, that one of the few successful teams we could call our own, we would cut. Oh well…

Aside from actually winning a state title, I figured I would run down some of the top reasons why we should bring back the bowling team at OHS. With apologies to David Letterman and his top ten lists, here we go . . . .

10. Family Bowling Night.

For all of the people who are about to celebrate Thanksgiving, a nice family game of bowling is probably in order.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Turkeys, although delicious food with some stuffing and cranberry sauce, can also be found at any bowling alley in the world. Best of all, you don’t have to buy them by the pound.

9. Low injury risk. Unlike just about every sport, the chances of getting hurt in bowling are incredibly slim. If you hurt yourself bowling, you are a real klutz. Anyone hoping to grow closer to our athletic trainer, Michelle Wink, probably shouldn’t go out for bowling.

8. Bowl for a cause. Many celebrities bowl for charity. Just recently, Terrell Owens was spotted bowling, and who doesn’t want to be like T.O.? True enough, not many people actually want to be like T.O., but hey, if he bowls, why can’t we?

7. Bowling shoes, shirts are cool. Who is not a fan of amazing off-color shoes, and pastel shirts?

Bowling truly could turn any normal high school geek into the big man on campus. On the lanes, any fashion ‘don’t’ becomes a fashion ‘do.’

6. Sports can be devastating to some athletes’ egos. Bowling also has the ability

to ruin someone’s day, but with an arcade just a few steps away at the bowling alley, any bad round can be fixed. Doesn’t a round of Dance Dance Revolution cheer everyone up?

5. Cool bowling balls. There are some really cool bowling balls out there…multi-colored balls, neon balls, crazy logos. Actually, I just saw a Barry Bonds bowling ball on eBay (Buy it now!). No, steroids do not come included, but they can be ordered separately for an additional $19.99, rush delivery available!

4. It’s on ESPN. If it is on ESPN, it is a legitimate sport.

Therefore, our high school should offer all students the chance to be featured on ESPN. How hard can it be to make it in bowling anyway?

3. Gutter Balls. Anyone who has ever bowled knows all about the dreaded gutter ball. Well, the gutter is a friend and foe to many bowlers Yes, no one likes to see his/her ball go in the gutter. The gutter is where the minds of high schoolers are--whether they’re bowlers or not!

2. Parker Bohn III. Yes, there is actually a professional bowler by

this name. And I have to tell you that his mustache puts Marvin Harrison’s ‘stache to shame. If we had a bowling team, the locker room (do they even have locker rooms?) could even have a Parker Bohn III shrine! With a name like that, he should be idolized. Can you imagine going through school with that name?

1. Food. The single most attractive thing to me about bowling actually has nothing to do with competition. All other sports are so incredibly serious, that at times, there is barely even time for water breaks. But in bowling, there is more than enough time for water. Actually there is enough time to go to the concession stand for nachos, coke, a cheeseburger, and a soft pretzel.

Bowling might not have much going for it after all, but we did win a state championship back in the day.

We actually have some really talented bowlers here at OHS, though, and a really nice bowling alley right in town.

So, this year if we have a little room left over in the budget, a bowling team should be seriously considered.

November 2007

Sports

18

Buccaneer Flashback 5 Years Ago (2002)

At the 2002 Empire State Games, nine Oswego High School students vied in various competitions. Suiting up for boys’ soccer were Devin Deane and David Doran. The soccer team won the gold medal. The girls’ soccer team also won gold as Oswego was represented by Meg Runeari and Karli Klein. Mike Pappa played for the silver medal hockey team. Ashley Wallace played girls’ basketball and averaged 11 points per game throughout the tournament. Shannon Pagano won a gold medal for girls’ lacrosse. Liz Delia competed in the 200 meter medley for girls’ swimming and finished eleventh in her heat. Arguably the best performance from OHS was Aubree Lewis. Lewis competed in the gymnastics competition and finished second overall.

10 Years Ago (1997)

Crystal Conrad finished her historic career in gymnastics for OHS as the first-ever to compete in the New York State Championships where she placed third in all-around competition. She broke every Oswego record except for the floor exercise, was a three-time team MVP, and was first team all-league six times during her career.

15 Years Ago (1992)

The Oswego girls’ varsity soccer team lost 6-3 in the Section III championship game to Liverpool at the Carrier Dome. The first half was dominated by Liverpool, where they scored three goals in the first four minutes of the game.

Oswego fought back though with three goals in the second half by Amy Altimonda, Allison Cole, and Jessica Vermilyea. Liverpool was too much, however, as they also scored three goals in the second half making the final 6-3.

Wanted: Fan Support for Soccer T he DC Update Dillon Coates In sports, the most varied, frenzied, and largest fan base belongs to the sport referred to worldwide as football. Not the football Americans play, but the beautifully suspenseful crosses, the amazingly precise volleys, and the deadly accurate shooting we can find in the game we call soccer. Yet, sadly enough, we find none of these exciting, heart pounding, wonderful adjectives in America’s own league, the MLS. How is it that we as Americans are not frustrated with our current position in international soccer? We could easily afford to improve our stadiums, number of teams, and quality of players.

If we can easily do it in baseball, basketball, football, and hockey then why not soccer? Our current international ranking is 18. The funny thing is that if it were any other sport suffering at the hands of European nations, our public would be outraged. We’re complacent not because we have such a great respect for their skill, because we love making them look like pee-wee basketball teams every time we assemble our “Dream Team” from the finest American athletes in the NBA, probably straight out of high school with IQs below room temperature and histories of marijuana abuse.

It certainly doesn’t help to bring someone like David Beckham to America with a huge salary to give fans a false hope that the sport will suddenly become something it’s not because of some guy they’ve heard of, yet never seen play.

It would make better sense to spend that kind of money on many good players, not as capable in the merchandising department, yet with fresh legs and many more seasons to play. The reality is that David Beckham can only play for a few more years.

Most likely, he won’t have that large an impact unless he takes one of his infamous free kicks every game. I recall specifically when the English Premier team, Chelsea, came to the U.S. on one of its international tours to play the Los Angeles Galaxy that had recently acquired Beckham.

Now keep in mind that the players on Chelsea are literally some of the best in the world. (Much better than Beckham.) Yet, to no surprise, guess where the camera was focused the majority of the game.

On the injured David Beckham who would come in for ten minutes and touch the ball a few times and increase his ankle injury only games later. So much for those ticket sales. The announcers are something else. With their constant referencing of soccer and basketball saying that Beckham is “the Michael Jordan of soccer.” First of all, you can’t compare the two sports, and I may have considered it seriously three or four years ago when Beckham was that good. This further showcased America’s ignorance when it comes to soccer, since the announcers who are paid to analyze the game don’t even know what they were talking about. So let’s keep the camera off Beckham and silence those who say they just watch to see his Spice Girl wife Victoria, and let’s focus on the game. This isn’t Hollywood as the Beckham’s appear to think it is.

My point is not to bash Beckham; he was, and still is, a great player. I’m just questioning the knowledge of the broadcasters and how negatively this will affect newcomers to the game. But there is hope for the new generation of U.S. soccer, as we have drastically improved over the past couple of years, defeating the respected Mexicans and winning the American Gold Cup. All thanks to players such as Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, and newly pronounced U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra.

I think the main reason why people don’t support soccer is because they aren’t able to see it often (thanks to ESPN.) But what U.S. soccer needs now more than anything is good fan support.

Let’s start to give it the appreciation it deserves.

20 Years Ago (1987)

The Oswego High School freshman football team finished the first undefeated season at Oswego in twenty years. The team was coached by Ron Ahart and Bill Atkins. The Bucs capped their perfect season by defeating West Genesee 40-8.

Editor’s Note: Flashback, compiled by Ryan Galloway, is a monthly feature of The Buccaneer Bulletin.

Buccaneer Bulletin

November 2007

Walking the Plank

19

New Athletic Director Sugar Walks the Plank Beginning next month, former Oswego High School athlete Mr. Scott Sugar will inherit the OHS athletic program.

Buccaneer Bulletin: What’s the best part of being an athletic director?

Mr. Sugar: I actually like it when it’s hectic and a ton of things are going on, but probably what I like the most is just seeing the enjoyment on the athletes’ faces after they win a game or win sectionals or win states. Our boys’ soccer team (in Red Creek) won states two years ago so it’s pretty special just being able to watch them excel.

BB: How many years have you been an athletic director?

SS: This is my seventh year as an athletic director. I taught physical education for three years and then for the next four years I was a half-time physical education teacher and half-time athletic director, and then the last three years I was the high school assistant principal and athletic director in Red Creek.

BB: W h a t w i l l y ou r w o r k load be here compared to when you were at Red Creek?

SS: I only have to oversee physical education and athletics, not health or the school nurses here. But in Red Creek, there are only four varsity sports in the fall, and here there are probably ten. So the trade-off is not having to deal so much with discipline, but having many more sports to manage.

BB: Is there anything that you are going to change right away?

SS: No. I’m not someone that’s just going to come in and just start changing things, obviously, unless there is a major problem. I’m going to evaluate everything and see what I think is good. I don’t recognize anything as a major problem right away, or something that I’m just going to change tomorrow. I want to make sure that if I make a decision that it’s the right one.

I also want to make sure that there are people on board with the decisions.

I’m also going to have to change my school clothing. I have a great deal of red/white Red Creek clothing and no blue/white Oswego clothing so that will have to change very quickly.

Buccaneer Bulletin

BB: How do you feel about Oswego’s position with not having a turf field?

SS: I definitely think that we do need to look into the advantages and/or disadvantages of having one. There are two sides to every story; just because we do a turf field here doesn’t mean that our other facilities can’t be upgraded, too. But yes, I’m very interested in the topic.

ball in high school, but nothing in college. I wouldn’t have been able to graduate in four years if I played sports in college. I could have played basketball, though. I did all of the preseason stuff my sophomore year and I was pretty much on the team, but then I just decided that I wasn’t going to be on the team because I was taking so many different classes; I just couldn’t fit anything else into my schedule.

BB: W h a t’s you r fa vorite sports movie?

SS: I would have to say Remember the Titans. But I mean, you can list five or six there…you can go f r om M a jor League to Field of Dreams.

BB: What are your over all goals for Oswego athletics?

BB: What do SS: I think evAge: 31 you think your erybody can imGraduated OHS in: 1993 bigge s t cha l prove everyday.

College: SUNY Cortland lenge will be?

So, if you’re an Takes job at OHS: December 3 SS: I am a athlete, you can Family: Wife, Susan, and 18people person always get better month-old son, Connor and I can literthe next day. Even Coaching Experience: Varsity ally walk down though the Red the halls in Red basketball and baseball coach Creek boys’ socCreek and name at Red Creek cer team has won every single kid Favorite team: The NY Yankees 20 sectionals, we in the high school always strive to right now, and figure out how we probably half of can win another one, or how we can win the middle school.

That’s going to be another state title. Then, you can look difficult for me here because there will at how the football team hasn’t excelled be times when I won’t be able to walk so much here and ask how can that get down the hall and say, “Hey, so and so, better? We need to improve our pronice game last night.”

Just adjusting gram every single day. Even the strongest programs still have room to grow. to the new people is going to be hard.

The Sugar File

BB: What’s your favorite sport?

SS: Sport in general? Baseball.

BB: What do you think about the Red Sox winning the World Series?

SS: I will not be politically correct, I am a die-hard Yankee fan, and I will make sure that everyone knows that I am a die-hard Yankee fan. But as far as A-Rod goes, I’ll help him out the door.

BB: What sports did you play in high school and/or college?

SS: I played basketball and base-

BB: W hat are the posi t i ve s a bou t O s we go s p or t s?

SS: I really think that a lot of people care, I mean, people really, truly care.

Whether there is high participation and the sport is successful or there’s less participation and maybe some people are upset with some things, it’s not because they don’t like people, they just truly care about the sports, about the kids, and that’s a positive. People don’t complain about a coach or why certain kids are playing more than others just to complain, they complain because they really care and they want

to see the team and the school do well.

BB: How do Oswego sports now compare to how they were when you were a student here?

SS: Well there are more sports now…the girls program was just starting. There wasn’t girls’ lacrosse at all.

I think as a whole, I would say that the league was different, too. When I played basketball, Henninger once had three D-1 basketball players on their team and one D-1 football player and you don’t really see that nowadays.

If you see one or two guys maybe go D-1 that’s a big time, but back when I played, there were guys all over the place going D-1 for different sports. I mean, we would go to West Genesee and one kid that I faced went on to play lax at Syracuse. It’s not that kids aren’t doing that now, but there isn’t as much hype now. I once played against Lazarus Simms, who went on to play for Syracuse, then play professionally, and now he’s coaching at Syracuse. I think that maybe the whole demographics of Central New York sports have changed. Girls’ basketball is nothing like it was when I was here. Now it’s head and shoulders above what it used to be. Sports change and times change.

BB: W h a t a r e y ou r fo n d e s t m e m o r i e s f r o m s p o r t s?

SS: Probably one of my fondest memories here was my senior year when I was playing baseball, we needed to win our last game to make sectionals and I had the game-winning hit. So, it’s something that’s stuck with me ever since, it went right down the third-base line.

BB: W h o w a s y ou r fa v or ite teacher when you went here?

SS: Mr. Muench, he taught social studies and he now is at FM. He was an awesome teacher, I wasn’t smart enough to be in Mr. Frawley’s class, so I’d have to say Mr. Muench.

Editor’s note: “Walking the Plank” is a regular feature of The Buccaneer Bulletin. This month’s installment was compiled by Kat Lazarski. If you know an OHS personality who you would like to see “walk the plank,” contact Chrissy King at cking2@oswego.org.

November 2007

Page 19 Where’s the Love for U.S. Soccer?

Page 18 Top Ten Reasons to Bring Back the Bowling Team Page 17

Photo by Morganne Atutis Graphic Illustration by Fred MAxon