November 2010

BuccaneerBulletin Oswego High School’s Student Voice

Graffiti: Art or Illegal Vandalism?

Pages 10 & 11 Luke Boshart: Athlete of the Month Page 20

Volume 14 Number 2 November 2010

Photo By Monék Cullen

Editorial

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Buccaneer Bulletin

Drawing Board

Oswego High School’s Student Voice Editor-in-Chief Jasmine Davis Managing Editor Faith Whitely Layout Editor Mackenzie Oatman Chief Photographer Monék Cullen Art Director Erin McIntosh Business Manager Katherine Robinson Sports Editor Meghan Carl Senior Writer Kathryn Whelsky Entertainment Editor Tina Buckingham Clublicity Editor Shaughnessy Darrow Ad Representative Riley Flynn Jeff Wallace Sports Writer Christina Dehm Reporters Morgan Pratt Rebecca Pratt Heather Rounds Marcus Wolf Webmaster Madison Rhoades Contributing Writer Bridget Collins 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 Palladium-Times. Opinions expressed are those of the students and do not necessarily reflect those of the administration or the advisers.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Cartoon by SHAUGHNESSY DARROW

...to the new sign on Utica Street that was donated by the Class of 2009. It’s an awesome and classy touch to OHS. ...to Senior Rachel Menzer starting the “Purple for Peace Day.” A lot of people participated, and it was nice that students were recognizing the seriousness of recent teenage suicides. ...to Mrs. Goolden using The Buc Bulletin for a scavenger hunt lesson for her students! ...to Mr. McCaul who is back for gym class. We can’t wait to hear the classic, “Ohkie Ohkie Ohkie!” ...to Principal Hartwell being involved in our school, and being out and about to make sure the student body is on the right track.

...to the people who think it’s okay to wear pajamas to school. It’s not that difficult to get ready in the morning. Doesn’t anyone enforce the dress code? ...to the fact that it’s November, and room 237 still has no carpet, and no tile. ...to the lack of student parking. There are plenty of spaces in the teachers’ parking lot, now that construction is over, but yet we aren’t allowed to park there? ...to the teachers who do not use homeroom time for homeroom things, like WBUC morning announcements. It’s not supposed to be five extra class minutes.

November 2010

Editorial In Our View . . .

Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem

It’s been all over the news. Their faces have been slapped on every magazine, newspaper, and news website across the country. They were once recognized as the talented violinist, the loyal friend, and the dedicated student. Because of the depression and embarrassment that overwhelmed them as the result of bullying, they are now recognized as the teenage victims who took their own lives.

In the month of September alone, at least six gay youths ended their own lives because of the cruel taunts from their peers. In perhaps the most publicized incident, Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University freshman, jumped to his death after his sexual encounter with another man was broadcast for all to see on the web.

Justin Aaberg (age 15) hung himself after a long period of high school tormenting. Asher Brown (age 13) shot himself with his stepfather’s 9 mm Beretta after months upon months of being pushed down the stairs, tripped in the halls, and antagonized for his sexuality. What could have possibly gotten underneath the skin of these young boys? We all know. We all know because we see and hear the same things every single day. We’re aware of the hurtful words, wounding glares, shoves, punches, and unimaginable embarrassment. These boys, as well as many other gay and straight teenagers alike, face on a day-to-day basis.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, youth, gay and straight, are at risk for suicide between the ages of 15 and 24. It’s difficult to imagine that teens this young could be so unhappy with themselves. Asher Brown was barely in the beginning of his teenage years when he felt so much hate that he took his own life. Brown, as well as too many other teens across the U.S., was bullied to death; a promising young life was lost in the ongoing war of bullying.

The Trevor Project, an extremely helpful organization that operates a 24/7 crisis line for gay youth, reported that over 5,000 American teens take their own lives every year. On top of this sobering statistic, gay teens are four times more likely to attempt suicide. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): 19.3 percent of high school students have seriously considered killing themselves, 14.5 percent of high school students made actual plans for committing suicide, and a staggering 900,000 youth planned their suicides during an episode of major depression.

If you think it’s a national problem that doesn’t happen here, you’re wrong. It definitely does happen.

Some students are aware of it, and aren’t afraid to speak out for those who get bullied. Even then, words can be weapons. Some people prey on the weak, bullying others for their differences, simply because they’re afraid. People are afraid of the unknown, afraid of things they don’t completely understand, and cling to the idea that what they don’t agree with is wrong. Ignorance and fear breed hatred.

Should anyone have to feel what those teens felt before they ended their own lives. An unimaginable pain in the pit of their stomach? Dreading having to walk another day through the same miserable hallways?

Hearing the same damaging phrases and knowing what pain and torture lies ahead? It’s just not right--plain and simple.

Don’t be the problem, be the solution. Make yourself approachable and understanding to those who may be desperately calling out for help. As for teens who may be feeling hopeless, find someone to confide in. It may be a friend, an adult, a teacher, a parent, or a guidance counselor. There’s also a National Suicide Prevention line, 1-800-273-8255. Keep in mind that there are people out there who care; there are people out there who will listen. Suicide is not the answer; it gets better.

Anti-Bullying School Legislation Passed; Will Not Take Effect Until July 1, 2012

By Faith Whitely

Managing Editor

On September 7, Governor Paterson signed the “Dignity for All Students Act” (DASA), which was finally acknowledged after 11 years of not being able to pass through the New York State Senate.

The purpose of DASA is to make sure that school administrators and teachers can account for every student, especially teenage victims of bullying.

The Dignity for All Students

Buccaneer Bulletin

Act ensures a safe environment for students to learn and achieve their goals. To enforce this, the DASA requires all school districts to do the following: • Make sure the rules and codes of conduct in school handbooks are based on the idea of a harassment-free and discrimination-free school environment.

• Begin to incorporate the issues of bullying into educational training programs, and make schools more appropriately aware of these

situations so that they can attempt to prevent bullying. The goal is to have at least one staff member involved in the nondiscriminatory training program.

According to the new law, you may not discriminate against or harass a student for the actual or perceived “race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, or gender.”

Though the DASA will take effect on July 1, 2012, there’s no reason why these changes can’t be implemented now.

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What’s Your Opinion?

“Have you ever been bullied? To what extent?

What long term or short term effect has it had on you?”

Nick Guido Senior

“I’ve been bullied pretty much all throughout my school years. It never had much of an effect on me until middle school, when the bullying was the worst. I was really depressed most of the way through middle school, but it is nowhere near as bad now. I’m proud to say it hasn’t had a long term effect on me.”

Collin Daino

Sophomore “I’ve never really been bullied bad, most of the time it’s just joking around with other friends. When I have, been picked on it is people calling me short. It’s no big deal.”

Cody Crouse Senior

“I’ve been bullied all my school life about my weight. Ever since it started, I developed a high anxiety.

But in the past years I’ve learned to overcome everything.”

Emily Fultz

Senior “I was bullied in middle school for not being like everyone else. It made me feel bad about myself, but now I like myself the way I am.”

November 2010

Columns

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There’s No Quick Fix For a Bad Haircut Whether to have shoulder-length hair, a bob, a mohawk, or super-long locks, I think it’s easy enough to say that everyone’s hair is their own personal statement.

Most girls can spend literally hours on their hair – the decision on whether or not to wear one’s hair up in a ponytail can take ages. Guys can afford to be a little more carefree with their hair, both because the majority of the time it’s short anyway, and, well, guys don’t really need to look ‘pretty.’

But what you do with your hair is a conscious choice everyone makes, and trust me, when someone screws up your hair, it can be traumatic. Big time.

I had long brown hair, well past my shoulders, paired with side-swept bangs. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but this summer I cut nine inches of my hair off, which left me with a little shorter than shoulderlength hair. I’d wanted a change and I certainly got one. I was happy with

it. But when I went into a hair salon a few weeks ago and asked for blunt bangs rather than side-swept, I had no idea what I was getting into. I walked out of the salon looking like Cleopatra – no joke. The bangs were choppy, and about an inch and a half too short.

While the woman in the salon was cutting them, it almost seemed as if it was happening in slow-motion. A dramatic, long and heartbroken scream of ‘NOOOOOO!!!’ definitely wouldn’t have been out of place as I looked in the mirror, horrified as the hairdresser tried to salvage my obviously horrible new bangs. There was no saving them though, and I walked out of the salon forty minutes later with my hand covering my forehead, not sure how I was going to go into school the next day. I looked like someone had taken a pair of hedge-clippers to my hair.

At first, I tried to brush the bangs back into my hair, so they couldn’t be seen. But they were so ridiculously short and choppy, I just ended up looking like I’d been electrocuted.

After hiding in my room all night, I had to go to school the next day, and even though I hated them and thought I looked absolutely horrible, I brushed my bangs across my forehead and held my head high in the hallways.

Getting a bad haircut can really cut into your self-esteem. Everyone likes his/her hair a certain way, and when it gets really messed up, it can definitely shock you and make you feel different, ugly, and shy. Lots of people like to think that their physical appearance really doesn’t matter much to them or to other people, but there’s no denying that most kids in this high school take time in the morning when they get dressed and comb their hair, because they want to look good and leave a good impression on their friends and any new acquaintances. When your hair looks good, you feel good. And when it looks bad, you can be sure that in the back of your mind all day you’re thinking, ‘Does my hair look bad?!’

Unfortunately, bad haircuts and bad hair days do happen. They’re simply a fact of life. If every girl at Oswego High School stayed home when she had a bad hair day, I’m sure half the female population would be absent on any given day. But in the grand scheme of things, hair is only hair. It’s not going to ruin your life, no matter how bad you may feel about it.

I wanted to curl up in my room for a month and a half and re-emerge once my bangs had grown out, but that’s simply impossible. So the only thing

I had to do was own it, hold my head high, and take any negative comments as best I could. Heading out the door to school, my mom struck an (absolutely ridiculous) model runway pose and yelled, “WORK ITTTT, WORK THAT HAIR!!! MODEL. EDGY. FIERCE. BAM.” Yeah, she’s slightly unstable, but my mom’s crazy antics did make me feel a little bit better. That’s all I had to do, was accept that, yes, my hair did look kind of silly, but that didn’t mean that any part of me had changed because of it. I went to school and I worked my hair as best as I could. Even though I was still embarrassed and thought I looked like a mega-dweeb, people reacted positively to my hair because they saw how confident I was.

On average, hair grows half an inch every month, so even though right now I still look a little bit dorky with my too-short bangs, and I’ve started missing my long hair, I know that in about three weeks, my bangs will look fine and that by the beginning of summer, my hair will be making its way past my shoulders again. If you act like you’re confident with how you look, people won’t be able to tell you’re acting: they’ll just see you, strutting down the hallway with a new haircut, working it.

Traumatic Experience Behind the Wheel

By Monék Cullen Chief Photographer

Tragedy--a disaster or an event resulting in great loss and misfortune. That may be how the dictionary describes it, but I describe it as what happened on September 11, 2010. For many that was a day of mourning, and remembrance of 9/11. For years that day never really had a close affect on me, until that cold September day this year.

It was early in the morning, the sun was just rising. I was still trying to wake up, even though I was already in the car, and on the way back home. It had rained overnight, and the fog was full and cloudy.

I was driving slowly because it was still dark, but apparently not slowly enough. The back windshield wiper wasn’t working, and the entire back window was fogged over. I turned my head to see what was wrong, and as I did, my body went with me. I was still looking out the back and I felt the car violently vibrate back and forth. I had flown up on the curb and side-swiped a telephone pole. I was inches away from crashing head-on into a big oak tree. As I finally turned around to look back at the road, I realized what had happened. The car started to smoke, so I

Buccaneer Bulletin

grabbed my things and jumped out to stand near the oak tree that I almost struck. I didn’t even get the chance to dial my mom’s number and the neighbor from down the road came rushing to my aid. I was shaking to a point where I couldn’t stop. The neighbor asked if I was alright, but all I could do was cry. I finally mumbled the words “I’m fine.”

Before I knew it, there were four police cars and an ambulance flying down the street. An officer stepped out of the car and tried to ask me questions.

At that point, I was still in shock from what happened, so all I could say was “I’m in so much trouble; I’m just so,so sorry.” As my mother arrived, a crowd of neighbors, police officers, and firefighters assembled around of me. At that point, all I could do is turn away from everyone and silently cry.

I couldn’t stop thinking, what if that killed me?

What if that accident paralyzed me for life? Would anyone truly be affected by it besides me? Have I done anything really memorable in my life? Have I really done ANYTHING in my life? Accomplished anything? It really made me pause and reflect. From that point on, I changed the way I think, act, and look

Continued On Page 15

Photo by Monék Cullen

The aftermath of Monek Cullen’s car crash left physical damage to the car and emotional damage to the teenage driver.

November 2010

Walking the Plank

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Get Acquainted Walking the Plank with Norm Senior Norman Berlin, a familiar face in Oswego drama productions, sat down with us this month to talk about life.

BB: What is your favorite movie?

NB: 5th Element or Princess Mononoke.

BB: If you were trapped on a desert island what are the first 3 things you’d bring?

NB: A knife, a history book, and a flashlight.

BB: Do you prefer coffee or tea?

NB: Coffee

BB: If you could go to dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?

NB: Frederick Douglass, Buster Keaton, and Aaron Burr.

BB: What is your favorite season?

NB: Spring

Buc Bulletin: What’s your full name?

Norman Berlin: Norman Berlin III

BB: What’s your favorite game in gym class?

NB: Ohkie Ball, of course.

BB: What year in high school are you?

NB: I am a senior.

BB: If you could make a national holiday, what would it be?

NB: A day honoring Leif Erickson, we give too much credit to Columbus.

BB: What is your favorite subject in school?

NB: History.

BB: What’s your favorite holiday?

NB: Thanksgiving because of the good food and the reason for giving thanks.

BB: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

NB: I’m involved with acting and Drama Club. I’m currently involved with the play Murder on the Nile acting as the Steward.

BB: What was your favorite toy of your childhood:?

NB:Anything that had to do with Star Trek.

BB: Out of all the plays you’ve been in, which on has been your favorite?

NB: My favorite play has been One Flew of The Cuckoo’s Nest. I got to act with my father. Another one of my favorites is Tom Sawyer because I played the leading role.

BB: Who is the most influential person if your life?

NB: My mother.

BB: What is your favorite spot in Oswego?

NB: The Frances Marion Brown Theatre; it’s where I spend most of my time.

BB: Who is your favorite director?

NB: Bobby Fontana.

BB: What’re your plans for after high school?

NB: I’m planning on going to Oswego State, either after community college for two years or right out of high school.

BB: What is your biggest fear?

NB: Dying alone and clowns.

BB: What is your favorite way of travel?

NB: By train.

BB: What is your favorite color?

NB: Green.

BB: What is your favorite food?

NB: Plumbs or broccoli.

BB: What is your favorite book?

NB: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

BB:If you could ask any celebrity on a date who would it be?

NB: Jessica Alba.

Norman Berlin III

Photo by Monék Cullen

BB: If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?

NB: Nepal because it’s so culturally diverse.

BB: If you were to win the lottery what are the first three things you’d do with the money?

NB: I’d share it with my parents, invest some of it, and buy a company.

Cheswick.

BB: Do you have any siblings?

NB: Yes, a sister named Heidi.

BB: Do you have any pets?

NB: Yes, I have a cat named

BB:What is your favorite quote?

NB: “Don’t worry, be happy.”

BB: What’s your favorite Halloween costume from when you were a kid?

NB: Phantom of the Opera

Editor’s note: “Walking The Plank” is a regular question-and-answer feature of The Buccaneer Bulletin.

If you know a student or staff member who you would like to see walk the plank, contact Jasmine Davis at jdavis3@oswego.org

Buccaneer Bulletin

November 2010

Clublicity

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Clubs, Organizations Undertake Various Projects Class of 2011

Seniors interested in going on the senior trip to Orlando, FL, March 2 to March 6, should see the class advisers, Mr. Mark Mirabito (room 215) or Mrs. Tami Palmitesso (room 218). There are still some seats available. For those already signed up, the next payment of $335.00 is due December 1.

Remember, no cash (only check or money orders will be accepted).

The Senior Class also is having its annual semi-formal dance on December 4 at the Elks Club.

Admission for the dance is $5 and paperwork for guests must be picked up and turned in a week in advance. Semi-formal means no jeans, no sneakers, or t-shirts. Students of all grade levels are invited to attend.

Yearbook

Students meet every day either first or second period to work on putting together the 2011 yearbook. They spend their time snapping photos, asking questions, writing articles, and laying out pages.

This year’s edition of the OHS Paradox is under the direction of Mackenzie Dunsmoor, the editor-inchief. The class advisers Mr. Warren Shaw and Mr. Chris Mangano oversee these classes to make sure that everything runs smoothly and gets done on the strict publishing deadlines.

Recently, the yearbook staff held a fundraiser at the Oswego Tea Company by selling pumpkins for Halloween. These students are working hard to get everything done by the end of this year, so we can all enjoy a yearbook that holds all our memories.

Drama Club

Drama Club is not just for actors. It’s a club for anyone who loves any aspect of the stage and production. If you’re a student who’s interested in acting or performing, doing the technical behind- thescenes work, creating costumes or doing advertising, then Drama Club is the place for you!

The shows produced by the Drama Club are fully operated by the students. From the directing to the stage lighting, the students are in charge and the advisers do simply what their job titles describe--advise. Students gain real experience in the production of plays and hold a lot of responsibilities.

New members are always welcome!

Drama Club is already in full swing this school year. Members have been working hard and rehearsing every day for their upcoming performance of Murder on the Nile. The rehearsals take place after school and require a large time commitment. The play will be performed November 19 and 20 at the Faust Theatre. If you’re interested in getting involved with the club email the adviser Steve Braun at sbraun@ oswego.org or the club president Haily Thompson at hthompso@oswego.org.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Photo by Shaughnessy Darrow

Norman Berlin III, Seamus Darrow, Emily Hurlbutt, and Nick Cocks rehearse for the Drama Club’s production of Murder on the Nile.

NHS

This year’s National Honor Society, advised by OHS teacher, Mr. Mike McCrobie, is well underway with its service to our community. This year’s club includes 91 members and currently meets every month as a group, though members are busy with individual service projects. Each month the NHS votes on a charity to which they donate $100 to a selected charity. In October, the club donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fund and this month, $100 was sent to Oswego County’s Meals on Wheels program.

National Honor Society also hosted the school’s fall blood drive, chaired by Julie Delles and Chris Pike, in which over 50 pints of blood were collected for the American Red Cross.

The next NHS meeting will be held Wednesday December 8 in the cafeteria where holiday service projects will be discussed. Any student hoping to be inducted this year into NHS should contact McCrobie, with questions. Applications will be made available at the beginning of the second semester.

Symphonic Band

The Symphonic Band has been preparing for its first concert coming up on December 4. Some of the students have also been preparing for Oswego AllCounty Band at the end of this month. “It’s a good group of students this year,” said Mr. Steve Defren, director of the band and teacher of the class.

Key Club

Key Club members have been hard at work raising money for UNICEF, the United Nations’ International Children’s Emergency Fund. They also held a can drive on Halloween, as well as made a trip to the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen on November 6. The club also held a pancake breakfast earlier this month.

Editor’s note: Clublicity is a regular monthly feature of the Buccaneer Bulletin, the following reporters contributed to this month’s clublicity; Marcus Wolf, Katherine Robinson, Erin McIntosh, Jasmine Davis, Shaughnessy Darrow, Faith Whitely, Meghan Carl, Christina Dehm, Christina Buckingham, Rebecca Pratt, and Madison Rhoades. If your club has any events that you would like publicized in the newspaper you can e-mail Shaughnessy Darrow at sdarrow@ oswego.org.

November 2010

Clublicity

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More Diversity, Involvement for Oswego Clubs WBUC

WBUC is the product of the OHS TV Production classes led by Mr. Steve Cass during periods 1 and 2. The class focuses on TV production, direction, and editing. Currently, WBUC is working towards the goal of going live for the morning announcements within the next month. Also, the studio will be receiving equipment updates as well as a production trailer for taping off-site events as the result of an educational grant.

Tune in to view the work of the students in WBUC every morning during homeroom for the Wake-up Buc announcement show, and on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights from 5-9:00 pm on cable channel 16 for the half-hour magazine-format program, The ‘Swego Show.

GSA

The Gay-Straight Alliance Club, advised by Mrs. Heather Robillard, meets every Monday in room 237.

The main goal of the club is to alter the perceived image the club has.

GSA is not only for gay and lesbian students, there are plenty of straight students who are involved as well. GSA wants to educate students, who aren’t in the club, not convert their beliefs. They are determined and dedicated to putting an end to discrimination and violence in schools. The club partakes in discussion days, where members review a media clip or article regarding issues on gay-straight tolerance, or anything pertaining to the club. They participate in a Day of Silence in April, bringing attention to anti-bullying.

Recently, they’ve been focusing on the “It Gets Better” campaign that many celebrities have been involved in, which focuses on the recent spate of gay teen suicides and how they can be prevented. The co-presidents are Dalton Carvey and Taylor Braun. “We’re always looking into new ways to bring more people into our club,” Braun stated. The club is always welcoming new members, even if students just want to attend one of the discussion days.

Adventure Club

Outdoor Adventure Club members are obtaining donations in order to bring Outdoor Adventure Club back to Oswego High School as an official club, after falling victim to 2010-11 budget cuts, according to club adviser Mr. Issac Kain.

Once the club starts, Kain plans on having two to three major trips which involve camping, rock climbing, and watercraft sports. The rock climbing trip would take place in Oswego’s new rock climbing gym called Top of the Wall, which is expected to open soon.

The camping trip would take place in the Adirondack Mountains. The watercraft sports trip would take place either locally or in the Adirondack Mountains.

According to Kain, part of the goal of the Outdoor Adventure Club is to, “nurture and foster a spirit of adventure in a local setting and in locations other than in our hometown.”

The club will not be able to do these activities or exist in general unless $700 in donations is obtained.

Buccaneer Bulletin

Photo by Christina Dehm

WBUC videographer Nick Guido shoots footage on the class field trip at the studios of CNY Central.

Critical Issues

Critical Issues club, advised by Mr. Mike Mallett and Mr. Ben Hall meets in room 131 one to two times a month with announcements occurring a few days before the meetings. The purpose of critical issues club is to give students a forum to debate controversial issues of their choosing. The club consists of about ten students per meeting and is always welcoming new members. The president of Critical Issues club is Morgan Allen, vice president Jake Oleyourryk, and secretary Ashley Deveney. Critical issues Club holds debates and discussions of a variety of topics that are selected by the club members. Goals the club would like to achieve this year include increasing club membership and continuing to build on the improvements made over the past two years.

Interact Club

The Interact Club is a community service club run by adviser Mr. Warren Shaw and president Sarah Gosek that is currently working on three big projects.

One is Blankets for Babies. The club is collecting blankets to donate to Oswego Hospital. This initiative is supported by the Sunrise Rotary Club. Next is Pennies for Polio. This project’s purpose it to collect pennies to raise awareness about polio. This project is supported by the Noontime Rotary Club. Finally, the Interact Club’s newest project is “TRAK”, which stands for Toys to Reach Afghan Kids.

Photo by Christina Dehm

Matthew Moshier-Feeney tapes the OHS morning announcement show, Wake-up Buc, on the set of WTVH news in Syracuse.

November 2010

Features

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Naviance Streamlines the College Application Process

By Jasmine Davis Editor-in-Chief

Gone are the days when the tedious college applications took long hours of hard work. The whole process is now online in a fast and easy format.

Naviance is an online site designed for students, their families, and school counselors to plan and organize applying to colleges. From an easy-touse personality assessment, collegecomparing tools and the scholarship search program, Naviance has it all.

Common Application is also connected to Naviance. This year, Naviance was introduced to Oswego High School and although the program is new for most, it’s certainly making things easier for everyone.

In previous years, OHS had different college search programs, but as time moved forward, these programs quickly became outdated. Our counseling department began looking for a new program that would move the admission process toward being more web-based

and increase efficiency. Looking for an home or has time to log on and check it example of what other counselors were at school every day,” said counselor Lisa doing in the surrounding area, OHS Roman. looked to Fayetteville-Manlius High Naviance promised an efficient School that has been using Naviance for a program and it has certainly given that couple years. After seeing the success at to OHS. Tasks such as taking surveys or FM, our counseling department decided it looking up scholarships become a snap was time to make the switch. It took a few on Naviance. Everything is literally years to get the program approved, but completed digitally. once it was, it was quickly introduced to Not only counselors are finding the students this the program to “So far, I have found fall. be useful, but “I love students are as Naviance easy to use…” the access for well. “It makes -OHS Social Studies Teacher applying to communication with students Mrs. Nancy Richardson colleges that use it provides. the common Students and application a parents both provided their home e-mail lot easier. You only have to fill one out addresses for the program, so any online and then you send everything e-mail we decide to send out about off through the internet to each college, college visits or scheduling senior so you only have to do each step of the reviews goes to an e-mail address that’s application process once,” said senior, convenient for them. I feel that using the Karissa Favata. school e-mail address was not as useful One of the most useful features because not everyone can open Citrix at of the website is the teacher

recommendation system. Students are able to select teachers from a list and Naviance automatically sends an e-mail to the teacher with a request for the recommendation. The teacher can then submit the recommendation electronically. “So far, I have found Naviance easy to use…I have already done about ten recommendations using this site. It is convenient and is more environmentally friendly,” said teacher Nancy Richardson.

Although this is the first year for the program, Naviance has been a success so far. It’s new for everyone and it’s a multi-dimensional program, so everyone is going through an adjustment period, but once it becomes familiar, things will run smoothly. The counseling department is hoping for continuing success in future years. “(I would) absolutely recommend it (using Naviance to future seniors), unless they want to do a lot of extra, unnecessary work. It takes a lot of the stress away and makes applying to college easier,”

Thank your Teachers for the Extra Things They Do

As students, we have had to deal with teachers since we were little toddlers who waddled into our pre-school classes. There have been ones we liked and learned a lot from and others whom we made voodoo dolls for. Parents always tell us that we need to respect them all and appreciate what they’re doing for us. Between the eye rolls we give them, these parents have a point, what are teachers doing behind the scenes that we should appreciate?

Faculty at the high school is paid a set salary. to work from 7:25 to 2:35. Any time spent in the building before or after these times, teachers do not get paid extra for unless they are hired to advise a club or coach a team. That means when a student stays after to get extra help, or comes in early that morning to re-take a test; this is personal time your teacher is sacrificing to help you. There is no financial reward to them for staying for you.

There are some teachers who stay as late as four o’clock or later helping students or planning for their next day’s classes. Chaperones for dances or other school functions are not paid to help out either, yet these functions cannot happen without supervision.

Translation: without these volunteers, those events

Buccaneer Bulletin

Photo by Monek Cullen

Mr. Chris Mangano, like many other OHS teachers helps students well-after the 2:30 bell rings.

would not take place.

Another selfless thing that most teachers do is take money out of their pockets to pay for school

supplies and things in their classroom. There are limited budgets for supplies and such, but many teachers wishing to do something extra pay for things themselves.

When teachers are not at school, they’re still often working. They have to plan classes and projects and decide the best way to go about teaching something. They use their spare time to grade tests and read essays. Because they are educators themselves, they also need to constantly continue their own education through different seminars or courses.

I know people can easily say that teachers knew what they were getting into when they chose their profession, and it’s their duty to do extra. Even though this is something they personally chose, many teachers are taken for granted, especially in Oswego. Few people recognize how hard they are working and rooting for their students or how many anguish over budget cuts and struggling students.

As high schoolers, we can’t be the easiest people in the world to deal with, and the fact that most of our teachers come in everyday with such a positive approach says a lot. Even though we have to go to school and have to deal with teachers, they have to deal with us too. I think there needs to be some appreciation for the faculty of the Oswego City School District, and those who are actually trying to make a difference in our lives. Those are people worth appreciating.

Thank You.

November 2010

News

9

OHS Suspends After-School Detention

By Madison Rhoades Webmaster

No student likes being handed that yellow slip reading “Detention” in big bold letters. With the change of principal this year, we’ve also had a change in the discipline code, resulting in no more after-school detention. But don’t get the idea that students are running wild and ruling the school. It’s quite the opposite.

Last school year, a student could get an afterschool detention just for being late to class. Now, when students accumulate five disciplinary referrals, the serious action is taken. However, when a student accumulates three referrals, a call is placed home.

After students receive a fifth referral, another call is placed home and the student is then assigned to a half day of in-school suspension, unless the fifth referral calls for an out-of-school suspension due to its severity. A call is also placed home when the student reaches his/her eighth referral.

After a student accumulates 10 referrals, he or she is then assigned to a full day of in-school suspension and scheduled for a principal’s hearing.

If the student continues to receive referrals after this point, more serious action is taken. The first and

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second offense after the tenth referral will result in a day of in-school suspension; the third offense results in three days of out-of-school suspension; and the fourth offense will result in five days of out-of-school suspension and a superintendent’s hearing.

This new system seems to be working pretty

well. “About 89 percent of the students in this school don’t have any referrals,” stated Mr. Brian Parrotte, Dean of Students. “In September I used to get about 44 lates a day, and now I get less than 20,” Parrotte averaged. He thinks this number will continue to go down as the year goes on.

Parrotte Well-Suited for Dean of Students Position Mr. Brian Parrotte was just appointed to the position of Dean of Students at OHS this year. After previously being a physical education teacher, he felt it was a risky change to go from a job he loved to a new job with so much uncertainty.

When Parrotte first started his career in education, he was a Dean of Students at a middle school in Trumansburg, but he was only 26 years old. At that same time, he was also teaching three PE classes and coaching three teams. When he was offered a job in the physical education department in the Oswego City School District, he was thankful. At that time, he loved being a PE teacher, but disliked being Dean of Students.

“Being Dean of Students now at my age (44) is a lot different than it was at age 26,” said Parrotte, “When I was a student, I got into some trouble. A teacher helped set me on the right track. He’s the reason I became a teacher.” With the job of Dean of Students, he can better understand and help students who are like he was when he was younger.

Parrotte likes the challenge of this job and enjoys a solid professional working relationship with Principal Brian Hartwell. Parrotte said he probably wouldn’t have applied for the job if Hartwell wasn’t the principal. “I like Mr. Hartwell’s mission for this school. He wants us to be a school of excellence and

November 2010

Artistic L

10

PHOTO COURTESY MS. VAN WALDICK

2010 graduate Phi Le works on the mural during one of its early stages.

Art students relocate the pieces as they put finish

Mural

By Shaughnessy D Clublicity Editor

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MONEK CULLEN

Living in Oswego, at o to make your way across t you do, if you happen to lo will see a large mural hung piece took the place of the frequently graphitize. This pieces that have been plac replace the old look for a b An idea for a mural wa Bateman. There had been bad the river walk had bec something about the issue, was then passed by the com then formed that included art teachers, as well as the youth, some of whom wer suspected of tagging or pu The focus of this committe promote the arts and disco the area.

Oswego High School a

Oswego police officers demonstrate the apprehension of suspected graffiti vandals along West Linear Park.

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Liberation

PHOTO COURTESY MS. VAN WALDICK

hing touches on the mural before installation.

11

PHOTO COURTESY MS. VAN WALDICK

The finished product is unveiled for the community and city officials at Linear Park.

Projects Try to Discourage Graffiti Vandals

Darrow

one time or another you’re going the Utica Street Bridge. When look north toward the river you ng over the river walk. This artistic e boring concrete wall that was s mural, along with the other ced along the walk have come to better looking Oswego. was proposed by Mayor Randy several complaints regarding how come due to graffiti. Eager to do e, Bateman proposed the idea that ommon council. A committee was d the city councilors, local artists, e youth bureau who worked with re even associated with those utting graffiti up around town. tee was to form ideas that could ourage those who spray graffiti in art teacher, Ms. Stacey

n.wordpress.com

VanWaldick was approached about getting together a group of students to paint a mural. “I said count us in, because I know we have lots of kids with the drive to participate in a project that size,” VanWaldick said. Six high school students ended up participating in putting together the mural. The students were told to pick a subject matter to portray. The six of them Cassidy Barney, Christian Cabanlig, Phi Le, Alexus Crouch, Dakota Hulbert, and Christina Demmerie all worked very diligently to get the project done, according to VanWaldick.

The students worked on the pieces during class as well as after school. They put in a lot of effort as to go along with their artistic abilities. The project became known as “project spring board” due to the many ideas that sprung from the original. Six panels ended up being designed, spray painted, and put together to make the one piece.

“The students worked really hard in regards to the subject matter,” stated Kelly Rabideau, a student teacher who also helped with the project.

The mural certainly added positively to the appearance of the river walk as well as the other paintings that have been put up in the area. That did not completely eliminate the problem of graffiti that still plagues parts of the river walk.

Any type of graffiti or tagging on public property is illegal. If someone is caught spraying anything on property, not only can they be arrested, but fined anywhere from $50 to $600 depending on the situation. It is considered a misdemeanor, but multiple instances can lead to felony charges and even jail time. This situation is not taken lightly and the law officers try to uphold that.

Even though it is illegal, graffiti still continues to show up and detracts from the beauty that Oswego has to offer.

Other ideas for more art are being brought up in meetings, and hopefully more projects will result from it. This will hopefully also lead to the continued disappearance of graffiti that appears along the river walk.

This mural project, along with the other paintings was a good idea for the community. Some great ideas have sprung from the original and the beauty of the art speaks for itself. “I have thoroughly enjoyed this project and the results as well. The arts are critically important to our youth and adults of this community and it is very rewarding to provide an opportunity for the youth of our community to share their artistic talents to beautify our city. We will begin after the first of the year to plan for our next round of murals,” said Linda Goodness, Assistant Director of Community Development at city hall.

November 2010

12

Columns

Show Your True Self and be Proud of That National Coming Out Day, marked this year on October 11, is celebrated by the LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender) community and straight supporters.

National Coming Out Day started in 1988 by Robert Eichberg started National Coming Out Day, after the Second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, this day is about people in the LBGT community to “come out of the closet” and show their colors. It is a time for LBGT people to be themselves while spreading awareness. I believe that National Coming Out Day is not only a day that is beneficial to the LBGT community, it is a time to show peace to everyone despite their differences.

I did not learn about National Coming Out Day until October 8 when I saw it on Facebook. I wasn’t sure how to celebrate besides the obvious--coming out and telling people you’re gay, or in

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my case, lesbian. Then, when I started to think about it, I realized people don’t even have to do that. I figured out that National Coming Out Day isn’t just about coming out, it’s about being proud of who you are despite what other people may or may not think. Also, it is about trying to change things and make things better for the LBGT community.

Something I think could change in this school is the way people use the word “gay.” I personally cannot go a day in school without hearing the word “gay’” used in a negative and insulting way. Using the word in a negative manner makes people sound like bigots and makes the word “gay’” seem like a synonym to the word “stupid,” which it is not. Gay means either happy, or that you prefer the same sex. I’m pretty sure that the homework you received doesn’t have feelings so the statement, “This homework is gay,” makes no sense whatsoever. The same goes for any other inanimate objects.

If everyone took a second to think about how they use the word “gay,” they might understand how hurtful it could be to someone without even realizing it. I don’t necessarily take it to heart unless I hear it from the same people repeatedly, which tends to be the case.

Maybe it’s a force of habit, but at this point, I don’t care.

A person whom I hear it from everyday is in my one of my classes this year and was in one of my classes in ninth grade also. He and his friends would call a student gay whenever they saw him, and personally, it took all my will power to not knock them upside the head. They didn’t know if the victim of their comment was gay or not, and even if they did, they had no reason or right to rag him about it. I wanted to apologize to this person for never saying anything to either the teacher or the kids, but I was already a sore thumb in the class for being the only girl and I didn’t want to stand out anymore than I already did, so I did nothing. I hope he is reading this now.

On a national level, I think that it past the time for gay marriage to be passed, along with getting rid of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Some people, I guess, don’t know that you get your marriage license through the state and not the church, so it should go without saying that separation of church and state should apply to gay marriage as well. That means all the people in the church could be against gay marriage, but it still could, and should, be legal.

I don’t think that people should be allowed to vote on other people’s rights, such as the right to marry like they did with Prop 8 in California.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which is used in the military, is difficult to understand. Wouldn’t you want people who love this country fighting for it? Why would you kick them out of the army? It doesn’t make any sense to me. Wouldn’t the last thing you’d be worried about in the army was if some guy or girl was gay. There is a war you’re fighting in and you’re telling me you’re worried about whether your fellow soldier is gay?

Personally, I’d like to think I can walk the streets of this town or the halls of this school and not get beat up for being gay. However, I could be wrong.

I wouldn’t put it past people to not make rude remarks, though. I’d be glad if they would be my only worry. All in all, I think being gay in this town isn’t horrible, but there are things that could be changed to help LBGT people.

There are many different ways that people can celebrate National Coming Out Day. Whether you’re LBGT or straight, show your true self and be proud of that.

November 2010

Columns

13

In Spite of the Evidence, Teens Still Lighting Up shoes. though, how this kid is probably The tax was put in place to be right around sixteen years old and a motivator for smokers to give up bragging to me about how bad his their deadly addiction. Some people nicotine cravings have been today, who have been annoyed by how but that he’s determined expensive cigarettes have become, never to touch a have let go of the habit in favor cigarette again.

The new tax in New York State of taking up nicotine patches and It sounds like on cigarettes was put in place in gum, quit plans, and cigarette helpsomething a forty the hopes of encouraging long-time lines.

Yet, near our own Oswego year old should smokers to quit the habit, and prevent High School every day before and be saying – teens and young adults from starting after school, it seems as though our someone who’s smoking in the first place. resident smokers’ corner hasn’t seen had some time On average, a smoker’s life span a decline in its patronage at all.

Kids to live, make is fourteen years shorter than that of can be seen there every day puffing mistakes, and a non-smoker’s. Smoking also causes on cigarettes. get addicted. a variety of often deadly diseases, When asked why he started The fact is, like heart disease and cancer, and smoking, one Oswego High School cigarettes are a is often found to be the cause of senior, who requested to remain heart breaker. respiratory illnesses and asthma. anonymous, answered, “I don’t And who Infants with parents who smoke are honestly wants more likely to die from Sudden Infant know. I bought a pack when I turned eighteen, just because I to willingly Death Syndrome, and babies and could, and I started smoking get their heart children who have been exposed to them.

It wasn’t like I broken? second-hand smoke are high at risk planned on getting “I for things like asthma, bronchitis, addicted or anything, don’t and pneumonia. Or, to put it simply: think the Smoking is bad for you, and everyone I just liked the way Photo illustration by Rebecca pratt tax will they made me feel, so around you. So why do teenagers still I kept buying them.” really stop anyone from insist on starting to smoke?

What about the sky-high prices? smoking if they really want to,” New York has the highest Well, it seems that the price hike continued the junior. “I mean, my cigarette tax in the United States, has had various effects on different friends and me would always take at a steep $4.35 tax per one pack of smokers.

The same senior said, “I turns buying packs and bumming cigarettes. With the average price of a mean, everything is expensive now them off friends who had extra or pack of cigarettes being right around anyway.

If I didn’t spend some of my whatever.” five bucks, that means that dedicated money on cigarettes, I’d probably It’s a sad fact that kids are most smokers will have to start shelling spend it on something else that was likely going to continue to pick up out at least eight dollars every time just as ridiculously over-priced smoking, no matter what the price they get a craving for a new pack of anyway.” for a pack of cigarettes is. Along their favorite smokey treats. If you’re

with the obvious chunk of change going to start smoking nowadays On the flip side, however, a cigarettes cost, they are also one of in New York, you have to have a junior (who also requested to remain the most deadly openly available pretty fat wallet, with some brands products in the world.

An estimated “Yet near our own Oswego High School every day 2,000 teenagers and become smokers before and after school, it seems as though our kids every day, and as a resident smoker’s corner hasn’t seen a decline in its result of that, nearly 33 percent of them will die patronage at all.” prematurely. Whether it’s the new tax that causes you to quit smoking, or anonymous) answered my cigarettesimply worrying about your health, of cigarettes costing over ten dollars related questions by lifting up the the research is in, folks. Cigarettes per pack. To put it in perspective, sleeve of his t-shirt and showing me are bad for you.

So either don’t start ten dollars in Oswego could get you a flesh-colored nicotine patch that in the first place, or start looking and a friend into the movies, or ten was stuck to his arm.

“I quit two for support now so that you’ll have cheeseburgers from the McDonald’s weeks ago.” people rooting for you when you dollar menu. Or, you know, you could I find it funny how no smoker quit, because it isn’t nearly has easy just save up your ten smackaroos for ever really becomes a non-smoker. to stop smoking as it is to start. a new Xbox game or a cute pair of They just quit. I don’t find it funny

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No ifs, ands, or butts Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. Between 1964 and 2004, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 12 million deaths, including 4.1 million deaths from cancer, and 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases.

Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 443,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of “secondhand” exposure to tobacco’s carcinogens.

Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.

Smoking in pregnancy accounts for an estimated 20 to 30 percent of low-birth weight babies, up to 14 percent of pre-term deliveries, and some 10 percent of all infant deaths. Even apparently healthy, full-term babies of smokers have been found to be born with narrowed airways and reduced lung function Like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, nicotine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which affects the brain pathways that control reward and pleasure. For many tobacco users, long-term brain changes induced by continued nicotine exposure result in addiction — a condition of compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative consequences.

Smoking cost the United States over $193 billion in 2004, including $97 billion in lost productivity and $96 billion in direct health care expenditures, or an average of $4,260 per adult smoker.

November 2010

14

Point/Counterpoint

Society Split on ‘Cradle Robbing’ Age Extremes are not OK “Age is only a number.” This well- known phrase can be challenged by a modern phrase which is rapidly increasing in popularity, “robbing the cradle.”

By definition according to Urbandictionary. com, the act of “cradle robbing” is dating someone significantly younger than you, for example, when a 17 year old dates a 14 year old. Keep in mind, cradle robbing is not just dating someone younger than you, but it is where a relationship is taking place with a significant age difference. Who is to say what a significant number is? Some believe two years is a large age difference; however others, like Steve Martin and his second wife who share an age difference of thirty five years, might argue. Perhaps if Martin could be the father to his new bride, the age difference is a tad excessive, and by a tad, I mean very.

Please don’t presume that this piece of writing has anything to do with the high school grade levels, because that is not necessarily the case. A senior, could be anywhere from already 18, or not yet 17, whereas some freshmen are still 13, yet others are approaching the age of fifteen within the next several months. Therefore, a freshman who could be fifteen could be dating a young senior who is only 17. Do you see how technical this is getting?

What happens when you hear of a freshman dating a senior? What do you think when you hear female students call their male teachers “cute?” What do you think when you hear of a 21 year old (who can legally buy alcohol) dating a 17 year old high school student? Do you think of cradle robbing? Don’t take into account grade level, but do take into account both maturity level and age as a number.

Boys are stereotypically two years younger in maturity level than age, and girls are stereotypically one year older in maturity level, than age. Therefore a 15 year old boy, dating an 18 year old girl, would equate to being a 13 year old boy dating a 19 year old girl. However in society, this equation doesn’t seem to be reversible. If you have an 18 year old boy, and a 14 year old girl, then it would equal out to be a 16 year old boy, and a 15 year old girl, right? Not necessarily, this is where age as a number comes back into the equation. “I think older, like mid-twenties guys are cute, but then again, if any of them took an interest in me, I’d be creeped,” stated a senior girl (anonymously).

When you are 14, you’re taking freshman global, this involves carving your name in hieroglyphics into clay. You’re still trying to remember your gym locker combination, and your most recent memories of school are those which were spent at the Oswego Middle School. Boys are punching each other in the hallway, and girls are clinging to their best friends like leeches, gossiping about Justin Beiber. (Then again, the 18 year old boys are still punching each other, and unfortunately some of the senior girls are still clinging to their best friends talking about Justin Beiber.) However, when you’re 18 (I hesitate to say this) you’re legally an adult, more that not have a driver’s license, are making college plans, and deciding what to do in the future. If you look at someone who is 14, the girls are complaining in gym class, wearing so much eye makeup they look like raccoons, and can’t even decide on their favorite color day by day. While the fourteen year old boys are busy picking fights, thinking they can make basketball shots from half court (you’re not even 5 foot 5, you’re not going to make the shot, nor can you dunk), and talk to random people around the world on Call of Duty more than they talk to their parents.

I personally, am also “creeped” by the older guys taking interest in girls with a significant age difference. This is not the 1820s where the husband was ten years older than his wife. This is the era where significant age difference could be interpreted as pedophilia, which could then result in a prison sentence. Eighteen year old guys, this means you could be charged as an adult with statutory rape if you engaged in sexual activity with a much younger girl.

Lastly, keep in mind the idea of cradle robbing, is a recent idea, one that has only developed within the past two generations. This is not to say if your parents’ share an age difference of five years, that your father is a “cradle robber.” Later in life, perhaps after college when everyone has established a life, the idea of “cradle robbing” loses its relevance. But for now, within the high school years of our lives, and early college years, I for one, would be most pleased to view fewer 13 year old girls with 18 year old guys. If you’re old enough to be their babysitter, you shouldn’t be dating them.

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Age Differences are perfectly acceptable The idea of “cradle robbing,” though may have some basis in an earnest hope to prevent things like pedophilia and statutory rape, is a preposterous notion that has recently developed in our society. Love, in the most romantic form of the definition, knows no limits. The media has shown that opposition to same-sex couples has recently deteriorated greatly, so why should couples of a different age be discriminated against as well?

In high school years, an age difference in a relationship is not uncommon.

I have known many people who crossed the “barriers” of high school class; senior girls dating sophomore and junior boys, senior boys dating freshmen girls. These are not your average week-long high school relationships, either.

Some of these couples have lasted longer than peers who date each other, and even longer than some (granted, ridiculously short) marriages! If this is not enough to prove that some high-schoolers have the maturity to date out of their direct age groups, think of the traditional relationship at OHS. From my experience, relationships generally are short-lived and full of drama. Boy and girl like each other; boy and girl start dating. Then some unknown force comes down from the heavens (or they simply stop liking each other) and they break up. From there, it’s usually awkward for both parties. Looking at this simple description, I really wonder if any high school relationships are mature, let alone those between people of different ages. If you happen to be dating somebody who is significantly younger (or older) than you in high school, I don’t see the big deal. Chances are it will be like any other high school relationship: if you’re and you truly like each “In thirty years, you compatible other, the relationship could last. won’t even remember If you really aren’t “meant to be” you’ll break up and move on how old you were in then with your life. In thirty years, you high school, let alone won’t even remember how old you were in high school, let alone your your ex.” ex.

As life goes on, I think relationships get simultaneously more and less complex. In part, relationships tend to be much more serious, because you are adult. There is a greater possibility that you will spend the rest of your lives together. However, age also becomes less of a factor as you age. You are no longer stuck at Oswego High School, where the people are either no more than four years apart from you or they’re much older, and are teaching you, not looking at you as a potential date. You may meet someone at work or at a social event, where, yes, people in your age group may be, but there is no particular gathering by year of birth. If you were to meet a guy (or girl) at work who (a) liked you and (b) had every other requirement of someone you wish to date, would you really turn him/her down because of a significant difference in age? I suppose if age is one of your requirements, the answer would be yes. I would think, however, you wouldn’t cut off your nose to spite your face, and you’d give the person a chance.

Some couples have faced criticism for their relationships; especially those in Hollywood (think Anna Nicole Smith and her rich old husband who died shortly after they were married). If you think about it, though, it’s Hollywood!

Take a look at some tabloids and you’ll see that some pretty crazy things happen to the rich and famous regardless of age.

In general, who you date should be a choice left up to you. When you’re a minor, your parents will probably object to you dating someone 8 years older.

If you’re truly soul mates, though, wait a few years and then see if it works.

Bottom line, if you are really in love with someone, there is no reason you shouldn’t be together, regardless of what other people may think.

Editor’s Note: Graphic illustration by Katherine Robinson and Erin McIntosh

November 2010

Walking the Plank

15

Girls Prove Themselves Worthy in World of Video

I am a nerd, a hard-core gamer. I watch X-play wasn’t just lines after lines after lines of boring text; and two out of five of my home pages on Google it was colorful, interesting, and interactive. It’s like Chrome are GameStop and GameSpot. I have an exploring another world. I can see how you could Xbox, Xbox 360, a laptop, Wii, Nintendo 64, and do that in books too, I’m a bookworm as well, but Call of Duty: Black Ops, one of the Game Boys… I don’t there is something most anticipated games of the year, have a PlayStation--more captivating in came out November 9. With the always Yet! I’m working on games. amazing game play, this game is bound it. Regardless, I spend So yes, yes, I to dominate this Christmas season. a lot of money and am a girl, a gaming time on my games girl. And believe it World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the and systems. You or not all you gents next expansion in the most popular must be thinking, out there playing MMORPG is hitting stores December 7.

‘Man this dude has a Halo Reach, that With over twelve-million players, a good problem!’ Wrong! It’s ‘dude’ handing turnout is expected. really, ‘That chick has you your rear-end a problem.’ on a platter, isn’t Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is I was about always a dude after being released November 16, giving us five-years-old when all. I bet that hurts all new ways to bring down corruption I started paying your male ego a bit, and evil with hidden blades and new attention to the heroic but it shouldn’t! I moves. If you have yet to try this figures on the TV my mean, really, don’t amazing saga of games, now is the time dad could control you know by now to join the fun! and manipulate and ‘anything boys --Rebecca Pratt I started to notice can do girls can my brother start do better?’ Right Illustration by erin mcintosh playing on the Super ladies? I’m just just to show me he is still the boss. I’m simply saying Nintendo. Naturally, I kidding… Kind of. that generalizing us because “you can so beat your had to follow suit and join my big brother and daddy. So, all you guy gamers out there that think little sister” is stupid.

I can still remember the hockey game we use to put we can’t be good at video games need to get Guys need to lay off of girl gamers and get over in and play. Crude little black and blue figures you real. Just because you are a guy doesn’t give you the could move down a chicken scratch hockey rink. natural ability to be a better gamer then the rest of us. the fact that, yeah, we play too! If you really think you’re that much better than us, have us join a match It was captivating. I could play hockey in was the Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all of us are and let’s go a round or middle of the summer when Guys need to lay off of girl gamers and get over the fact that, two. I’m sure we can give I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It was nothing short yeah, we play too! If you really think you’re that much better you more trouble than that ten-year-old boy playing of amazing. than us, have us join a match and let’s go a round or two.

Gears of War, who drops The game that really the f-bomb every time he got me hooked though and dies (a lot). So go on and get which I still consider one of my favorites is “Zelda: better than all of the guys. I know some great gamers gaming all you dudes and dudettes and I will see you Ocarina of Time”. You could be have a story full of who are guys too. My brother, in fact, loves to blow pictures, right in front of your eyes, in your hands. It me up red with the Spartan Laser a few million times, on the battlefields.

Holiday Game Gifts

Celebrity Look-a-Like

Lesson Learned from Accident: Live Your Life to the Fullest Continued from page 4

Mills or Hargitay?

Mills or Hargitay?

If you know anyone at OHS who has a celebrity look-a-like, contact Monek Cullen at mcullen@oswego.org. Above, teacher Mrs. Trina Mills (left) bears a remarkable resemblance to Law & Order Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay).

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at life.

Though the accident wasn’t fatal, it truly could have been I might have been killed right then and there. I am so thankful that the damages and the incident weren’t as bad as they could have been.

I know I’m not the only one in Oswego who has had a near-death experience, or experienced a traumatic event. It’s a hardship, and amazingly a lot harder to deal with than people believe. The nightmares about that cold September day are so real, and so life

like, that they still wake me up, because my pillow is filled with tears.

I know we’ve heard all our lives “enjoy life,” or “live life to the fullest.” Most of us take expressions like that for granted; some of us are even annoyed at those clichés. But please, don’t be. You may not have personally experienced a disaster like that, but I know someone close to you may have. Moments like those are truly life changing. So just take what life has to offer, be adventurous, listen to your heart, and just appreciate the little things, because every second of your being counts.

November 2010

Arts & Entertainment

16

Music Debate: Underground or Mainstream?

Music, as a whole, has been evolving into new forms since its existence. Developments in the areas of writing and performing music have further led to the augmentation of the mainstream and underground movements as well the music within the movements.

In today’s media, mainstream music offers a non-threatening and familiar music to the general public. What one may hear on the radio, a popular MySpace page, or at a large concert venue can be considered mainstream.

Its exposure through the media allows it to have the large mainstreamer fan base therefore, being more popular than underground. Artists such as Brad Paisley, Lil’ Wayne, Avenged Sevenfold, the Dave Matthews Band, or Eric Clapton, all appealing to large commercial audiences, are corporate musicians who write and perform under the contract of large record labels. They use their music abilities to build income so that they can live and continue to make music. Along with the ability to make a living through music, comes influence by the record label and somewhat the public. In some cases, but not all, artists who are in the hands of their labels, have been obligated to make changes in their music to please said label and by extension, the public.

While artists would like to express themselves in their own way, and not by the way of mainstream influence, sacrifices are made to put bread on the table.

As opposed to mainstream,

underground music could be considered radical or fairly odd to the people. Their music is raw and has no restrictions, truly displaying what they feel or believe in. Within itself, underground emphasizes a sense of freedom of creative expression mainly due to the fact that it’s focused on a relatively small fan population. Like the fan base, venues are often small, limited performances which stick to a small budget. Underground artists like The Empire, Soldier of Love, Plaster, and Reboot the Robot, receive exposure extending only to local businesses and the internet. In almost every situation, mainstream artists began in the underground. As they developed, the fan base increased, small record deals turned into bigger ones, and they were exposed to the general public which, in turn, separated them from the underground to transfer to the mainstream.

Regardless of where they stand in the entertainment pyramid, they’re artists, underground or mainstream, they have the same idea-- to express themselves. They are creating music because it is what they are passionate about. At the same time, they shoot to gain more fans, become more popular, and evidently, make money.

Unfortunately, the true intentions of an artist may be hidden by the characteristics of the mainstream and underground groups. With mainstream, you have famous artists who, along with major record deals, are earning millions of dollars a year. The problem with having such a high standard contract is that the artist can be molded into what the record label pleases, which can affect not only the music, but the image and the integrity of the artist. The fan base of a certain musician has standards for what they expect throughout that

musician’s career, and if a change is required to maintain a contract or in other words, a job, the change is made resulting in positive or negative output.

At the same time, underground musicians may be successfully expressing themselves, but the characteristics of underground add a stereotypical label to the artist.

Underground artists have a smaller fan base resulting in poor producing record deals, if any. They aren’t taken seriously.

Like a child, an underground artist is considered immature, so potential fans do not take notice.

The artist may have the potential to be a hit, but the lack of fans, publicity, and budget makes it difficult to be introduced to a big time record label.

Though an underground artist may want to make it in the mainstream world, they must wait until the conditions of their circumstance support it.

Though the several varieties and

Illustration By Erin McIntosh

subcultures of artists and their work may change, whether mainstream or underground, one element holds strong within the music industry, ambition.

Artists have the drive to continue writing and playing music, as well build on their fan base regardless of the label or stereotype that has been set forth on them by society.

Marching Bucs Compete at Towson St. University

By Tina Buckingham Entertainment Editor

Our school is one that is given numerous opportunities to prove to others that OHS students really are something to talk about. The OHS Marching Buccaneers are a group of driven musicians, who strive for excellence in every show and competition they perform, and have proven themselves over the years to be noteworthy band members.

Three coach buses, five and a half hours, and over one hundred students and staff travelled to perform for

Buccaneer Bulletin

seven minutes at Towson University in Maryland on October 23, 2010. “I will never forget this trip; it was an experience of a lifetime,” stated drum major of the Oswego High School Marching Buccaneers, Jackie Hondro.

The Marching Bucs performed for the secondto-last time before the 2010 New York State Field Band Championships at the Dome, in front of the most prestigious judges (Bands of America) and with the most renowned bands on the East Coast. The Marching Bucs were one of 18 bands competing for

ten final spots. Although the band did not make it to finals, it was by far its best performance for the season.

Other activities that members took part in on the trip included a corn maze, decorating hotel room doors, dining out together, and of course, lots of rehearsing. Although the students stayed in a hotel, had loads of fun, and had the chance to enjoy each other’s company, the trip was a lot of hard work with the amount of fundraising done prior to the trip and the seemingly endless rehearsals during the trip.

November 2010

Arts & Entertainment

17

Artist of the Month

By Tina Buckingham

Entertainment Editor

Among the arts, just like all aspects of our society, there are those who excel in what they do and exceed the achievements of their peers. The arts are where life-altering ideas are formed and changes are made. It is those few people who succeed over the rest who help to enlighten the world around us.

Emilie Benigno, a 16 year old junior here at OHS more than fits the description of a focused artist; she is the epitome of a goal-driven teenager with higher aspirations for herself than most people her age dare strive for. This musician focuses her talents in playing the violin and clarinet while she has also managed to teach herself to play various other instruments such as the guitar, cello, flute, piano, and saxophone. She began playing her two main instruments when she was in elementary school and since then they have practically become her life, resulting in amazing music success. The clarinet began for her in the summer before third grade and Emily Benigno she gained the chance in fifth grade to begin playing the violin when she moved here to Oswego, as there was no orchestra at her previous school in Greenville, New York.

This year, Benigno was accepted into Conference All State which is an elite group of musicians from all over New York that have proven themselves to be some of the best at their instruments in the state. Being accepted into the conference is not an easy task, and Benigno managed not only to earn her place with the violin, but the clarinet as well. Benigno was also recently selected into the American Music Abroad Program in which she will travel to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic for a duration of two weeks to play in various concerts. On weekends, this driven artist, also plays in a quartet based in Syracuse where she has had the chance to play with the best of the best, including a violinist who was first chair in the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a violinist who started the Sri Lanka Philharmonic.

Benigno has been playing music for over eight years now and does not plan on quitting any time soon. Her high school music career has provided the most opportunities for her so far. Her biggest inspiration has been retired band director Mr. Bill Palange, who has instilled a love and enjoyment of music in her. Her biggest obstacle throughout high school, however, has been finding time to practice. “This year, I got lucky; I can practice during my study halls, but before, there have been times when I wanted to quit because I wasn’t practicing enough and not improving,” claimed Benigno.

Photo By Tina Buckingham Along with music, Benigno is, after all, a high school teenager, and enjoys illustration by Erin mcintosh spending time with her friends in her spare time and searching for new songs on YouTube. She realizes that music has cost her a lot socially, however, since she doesn’t think she has much of a social life outside of music and school, she uses her free time to practice.

Regardless, Benigno does not plan on leaving her music any time soon. She would like to take her vast amounts of practice and her knowledge of music to teach in the field. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to teach kids how complex music is and how enjoyable it really can be,” stated Benigno.

Her parents share Benigno’s dreams through their support and understanding of her hectic schedules between all the orchestras that she is a part of and the demands that her music provides. “They’re all really supportive, especially my mom; she comes to every concert, drives me all over the place and takes time off from work to meet my needs. She knows my schedule better than I do!” said Benigno.

With the support of her friends and family, along with the drive that she possesses, Benigno is well on her way to proving herself as a musician and making a difference in the minds of younger artists like herself. Benigno’s dream of becoming a music teacher is fueled by the way she is confident of her ability in changing the way students could feel about music.

According to Benigno, “It’s not about being the best. Music is about improvement and meeting new people and, as cheesy as it sounds, having fun. No matter how frustrated you get, don’t give up, just take a step back, re-evaluate, and try again. Music really is full of rewarding experiences.”

Buccaneer Bulletin

November 2010

Sports

18

A Goal Keeper’s Life: Boredom to Frenzy

By Meghan Carl Sports Editor

Standing in your goal on the opposite end of the field, watching your teammates and opponents duke it out for points can change in the blink of an eye, from boredom to absolute chaos right in front of your face. It doesn’t matter whether it’s soccer, lacrosse or hockey, all goalies usually run into one of the two situations during the span of a game: the extremes of pure boredom or the frenzy of players charging your goal.

“A love for the sport” is one way to describe the willpower of a goalie to stand unaccompanied in their goal.

Soccer goalie, Matt Skinner stated, “Honestly, you have to be pretty mentally-ill to be a goalie. It’s such a crazy position. It builds up your confidence and tears it down.”

Having both teams storm your goal could potentially be nerve-wracking, but not if you have the right frame of mind. Varsity lacrosse goalie, Tayler Bowman stated, “I don’t panic when the players all rush to my goal. If I see a girl running towards me with the ball ready to shoot, I tell myself that letting it in is not an option.”

Being a spectator at your own game

can be a useful goalie; you experience for a basically goalie. Bowman assume the keeps a positive position of the mind when team leader. alone in her Bowman goal. “When stated, “When everyone is at the game is at the other end my end of the of the field, I field, I focus a try to imagine lot on directing myself as the my defense. other goalie and When it comes try to anticipate to saving the what I would shot, I’m totally do. I also watch in the zone and our offense I don’t think, I from the just react.” other goalie’s The other perspective and players on the try to pick out team are a things we could very big part PHoto by riley flynn work on or of the game, Leah Folgeraight gets ready to put the improve.” but when it ball back in play for the Lady Bucs.

A goalie comes to the mans his/her post, stands guard for their last line of defense, it’s all on the school, and becomes an extra set of eyes goalie’s shoulders. Skinner stated, for their team. Hockey goalie, Chase “When you are called on, it’s got to be Izyk commented, “I just have to stay more than 100 percent effort. It has to focused, and stop the puck.” be do-or-die.”

It’s a huge responsibility to be a The frustration and the

determination of a goalie definitely appear at that intense moment during a game when faced with an onslaught of offensive players. Bowman stated, “Goalies are the game changers.”

Subsequent to Bowman’s statement, soccer goalie, Skinner, said, “When everyone else gets beaten, you have to be there to ‘answer the call.’ You have to step up at times that nobody else can, and shut the other team DOWN.” Part of the sport is to just play the game, but strategizing to win is a completely different obstacle. Skinner said, “Mental toughness is absolutely key.” Being able to stay calm and collected are great assets to a goalie’s skill set and character during a game.

Izyk expressed, “It’s a lot of pressure, but I have gotten used to it.”

Yet, when the odd goal does make it through, the goalie needs to put it behind him/her and move on in order to keep his/her head in the game.

Skinner said, “You have to be able to use it as motivation. It has to make you angry, but in a positive way.”

Nonetheless, as goalie, you’re either right in the middle of the action or bored to death because it’s all down at the other goal.

Injuries to High School Athletes at an All-Time High

By Christina Dehm Sports Writer

As students look around the halls of Oswego High School, a similar thought echoes through their minds: why are so many kids on crutches these days? It’s impossible to walk down the hallways between classes without running into at least one poor kid who got hurt during gym class or an after-school sport and landed himself on crutches.

So what’s the deal? Why are so many kids on crutches these days? Is it lack of warm up before practice starts, leading to torn muscles? Or slippery surfaces, causing someone to fall and bust a knee cap?

It’s a combination of these things: injuries are ranging from twisted ankles to torn ligaments and everything in between.

Millions of teenagers participate in high school sports every year, and teenage athletes are injured just as much as professional athletes. Injuries in high school athletes could be potentially more problematic than those in professional athletes, as high school kids are still growing. Because they’re still growing, high school athletes can very easily be pulled from their sport mid-season. They can’t “play through the pain,” because leaving something untreated could add insult to injury, if not permanent damage.

Injuries mid-season are a very common occurrence. Many high school athletes have been pulled from their sports due to some freak accident

Buccaneer Bulletin

during a practice or a game. This kind of bad luck has led many seniors over the last few years to have to miss out on playing on their senior nights. Football player Ty Sweeting sprained his ankle a week before his senior night game, and was forced to sit out that night. “It was a gut-wrenching feeling knowing I couldn’t play in my last football game for high school,” Sweeting said.

And just the fear of injuries played a large part in why some girls involved in other sports opted out of playing Powderpuff football this year. To many girls, the risk of being pulled for the rest of an interscholastic sports season for two minutes of playing time on the field during the Powderpuff game just isn’t worth it.

Sometimes the coaches even got involved. “My coach wouldn’t let me play,” said junior Michaela Kearns, who swims on the girls’ varsity team. “He didn’t want me to get hurt.”

So what can coaches do to decrease the number of injuries to their players? What can athletes do to make sure they don’t get hurt themselves? According to the Los Angeles Times, more and more athletes are starting to play a different sport every season or the same sport all year round, and those who play all year are more susceptible to injury than those who take a break once in a while. Putting their all into sports is what high school athletes do best, but sometimes it’s better to take advantage of the off season.

PHOTO By CHRISTINA DEHM

The trip to the elevator to beat the crowds in the halls is familiar to those students on crutches.

November 2010

Sports

19

Service Project Turns into a Labor of Love

By Heather Rounds Reporter

A dirty baseball glove, bicycles with flat tires, broken homemade go-carts, bags of grass seed.

Normal stuff to find in a garage, right? How about more than 300 golf clubs and an assortment of golf balls and tees? Not so normal?

Since senior Austin Tracz started his National Honor Society community service project, that’s what has taken over his garage.

When Tracz was in search of an idea for his NHS community service project, he was approached by Mr. Mike McCrobie, the adviser of the NHS at Oswego High School, with the idea of becoming involved with the Tee Off for the Troops International, an organization developed by Give2TheTroops that collects used golf clubs and balls to send to the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To Tracz, an all-league golfer this past fall season at Oswego High School, that seemed like a pretty good idea. Tracz accepted the challenge. “If it wasn’t for this idea, I would probably be doing something really boring for my project,” Tracz said.

Tracz began advertising for donations. He made flyers and posted an article in The PalladiumTimes. He immediately began to receive positive

Buccaneer Bulletin

feedback from the community, both individuals and businesses alike. “I’ve received a lot of calls from people with equipment to donate. I haven’t even been able to call everyone back. Today, I came home and there were golf clubs in my front yard.” he said in an interview late last month.

On November 3, Tracz mailed out 364 golf clubs of all shapes and sizes. He sent drivers and putters, irons and rescue clubs. Some were still in the wrapper, others were well worn. Some were right handed clubs, others for lefties. Along with the clubs, he collected and packaged 47 dozen golf balls.

He also has received donations from several community groups. If needed, his fellow NHS members were willing to chip in $100 towards the shipping costs. That money was not needed because the Oswego Elks Lodge #271 donated $500 to cover the shipping and handling of all 11 boxes to the processing center in North Carolina “If they hadn’t donated, I might have had to pay the shipping fee myself,” stated Tracz.

“The clubs and other equipment were sent out to the Give2TheTroops’ headquarters where they will be processed and sent overseas to our troops,” McCrobie stated.

Even though Tracz’s project officially ended

PHOTO COURTESY OF AUSTIN TRACZ

October 29, the Elks Club has encouraged Tracz to continue his efforts and they will provide further financial support for the project.

“This project has been a lot of work . . . I’ve learned to take responsibility and to help others.”

Other students who are looking to prove their good character, whether honor students or not, should follow Tracz’s lead.

November 2010

BuccaneerBulletin Sports Volume 14 Number 2

Oswego High School’s Student Voice

November 2010

Oswego High School Athlete of the Month

Luke Boshart

By Jasmine Davis Editor-In-Chief

Golf is a sport that takes patience, precision and practice. It takes an enormous amount of confidence and concentration to walk out on the green when one poor shot could ruin your chance of winning. For Buccaneer Bulletin Athlete of the Month, Luke Boshart, golfing comes naturally. He led the golf team in stroke average and was the overall medalist at sectionals this fall competing against 97 other golfers at the Elms Golf Course in Sandy Creek. Only a sophomore, Boshart has a bright future in the next two years at OHS and on the course.

Boshart’s favorite part of golf is that it’s truly an individual sport. “If I mess up, I don’t have anyone else to blame,” stated Boshart, knowing that the responsibility lies on his own shoulders if he hopes to win. He’s a firm believer that practice makes perfect out on the golf course. He spends countless hours of free time on the practice green and the driving range.

“You make your own luck,” says Boshart. His perseverance has certainly paid off. He began golfing with his father when he was young. He began to take it seriously four years ago and has been working ever since. In the summer he spends almost forty hours a week at the Oswego Country Club improving his game. In season, during the school year, he practices approximately twenty hours a week. The strongest part of Boshart’s game is his short game which includes chipping and putting, shots generally taken from within twenty yards of the hole.

Although he is young, his presence on the team is substantial; he started every match this season. “His confidence on the course is unflappable and he rarely lets a bad shot deter his focus. The experience and poise that Luke has gained this season will surely be tested next year. I look forward to seeing how he develops as a player,” stated golf coach Dan Rose. Boshart knows that to continue being a successful player he must keep practicing to strengthen his all around game. “I hope to improve my tee shots in the following seasons, it was the part I struggled with most this season,” stated Boshart.

His teammates also appreciate Boshart’s dedication. He’s proof that hard work really does pay off. “Luke is a great player with a lot of talent.

He has worked extremely hard to get where he is now. He pulled through with a big win at sectionals this year and really showed people what he is capable of. I’m looking forward to playing with him next year during the on and off season,” said junior, Sam Lalonde.

Boshart was awarded 2nd Team All League this season, and he will continue on to states this spring. After high school, Boshart intends to move on to the collegiate level. He hopes to attend the University of South Carolina and study engineering.

Photo Illustration by Jasmine Davis