NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL
TRUCKER IMPRINT
Volume 12, No. 2
350 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk, OH
Record–breaking season
Friday, November 15, 2013
LEEder and Merit Scholar By Brie Schneider
Photo by Taylor Phillips
Senior Joe Hinckley leaps on top of his team before the game to get pumped. To read about the playoff game, see page 10.
Photo by Brie Schneider
Academic Challenge members challenge each other during practice.
Defending champs begin new season By Amanda See Norwalk’s Academic Challenge team is defending champion in the competition this year. Chris Cloud, the adviser of the team, predicts that they will do well, even though they lost many seniors. The team still has many returning students from last year. Firelands Challenge is 18 schools in the area that compete in an academic competition. In the competition, the students are asked questions on many subjects.
To join the team, students have to sign up and have a competitive tryout. When the students compete, they wear uniforms. Students have practice three to four times a week. Team members this year are: sophomores Alex Penrose, Raven Emerick and Shannon Fredrick; juniors Garret Bader, Ben Hohman, Luke Landis, Caleb Meyers and Jennifer Young; and seniors Adrian Go and Jared Lee. They will appear later this year on channel WNWO in its Academic Challenge program.
Find the editor Sports editor Erica Leber (left) stands with sophomore Carlie Case just after awarding her the prize for being last issue’s Find the Editor contest winner. In each issue of the Trucker Imprint, including this one, a picture of one of the editors is hidden somewhere in the paper. In this issue, it is editor-in-chief Taylor Phillips. If you find the picture with Taylor hidden in it, cut it out, put your name on the back and turn it in to the box in Mrs. Leffler’s room 6208. A winner will be randomly chosen.
If there were such a thing as going to state in academics, senior Jared Lee has accomplished just that. Jared was one of 1.5 million students who took the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test). His high score placed him in the top one percent in the nation. He has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. "Jared is, without a doubt, one of the best students I have or will ever have in the classroom. His academic success is based on hard work and a thorough examination of the topic at hand. It is very refreshing to see someone taking advantage of the Advanced Placement curriculum like he has done," math teacher Chris Higgins said. Jared’s favorite subject is math. “There is a right or wrong answer, nothing in-between,” he explained. Along with math being his favorite subject, Mr. Higgins is Jared’s favorite teacher because “he’s punny.” Jared said he knew the requirements to become a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist and knew what he had gotten on the test, so he wasn’t surprised when he found out that he quali-
To see a blast from the past from teachers and other college-related articles, see pages 4 and 5.
fied. But, he explained, he was happy that it made his parents so happy. Jared attributes his success to his parents and also his hard work. Qualifying for this was no walk in the park. See LEE on page 6
Bon Voyage! By Brianna Young Four Norwalk High School students and six adults from the community will be traveling across the world to explore France for two weeks in June. The students going on this trip right now are sophomore Michaila Bigler, juniors Ellen Map of where students will be traveling during Finch and Ben Hohman, their trip to France. and senior Kierstin French food,” French teacher Dawson. Norwalk students are Peggy Smith said. going with students from MonEllen is most looking forward roeville. to going to the Eiffel Tower. This trip costs about $3,800, “I’m very excited because I which covers doing many things don’t go places much and the while there. These include only state I’ve been to besides spending a few days in Paris, Ohio is Michigan,” she said. going to the Loire Valley where When asked if she was exthere are many castles, visiting cited, Kierstin said, “Yes, beBiarritz which is a resort town cause it’s been one of my goals on the Atlantic, and going to since I signed up for French.” Monaco where they will be visitThe trip is going to be from ing a perfume factory. June 12 to June 25, 2014. StuWhat are they looking fordents are still allowed to sign up ward to most? to go on the trip. For more infor”Just seeing the monuments mation, see Mrs. Smith. in Paris again and eating all the
Class Code
College Rush
Photo by Brie Schneider
Senior Jared Lee shows his leadership skills at an Academic Challenge practice.
Trucker Cam Go to page 8 to learn the dos and don’ts for dating.
Look for your faces on page 9
Page 2 — Trucker Imprint — Friday, November 15, 2013
OUR VOICES
Homeschooling and school sports Homeschooled students should stay at home
By Travis Morgan Allowing home-schooled students to participate in extracurricular activities is a bad idea. If home-schooled students are not social enough to be in a public school, they should not be able to partake in social events. Not to mention how awkward it would be for them to be around a whole new group of people. Also, how would the athletic director know if the parent is lying about the student’s grades? It is very possible that the parents could be lying about it just so their kid could meet eligibility requirements to play. Our athletic director has no way of looking at the grades of the homeschooled students. Not being able to see their grades is unfair to every other student athlete. A student athlete could be
School sports are for all students to enjoy
passing every class but two and not be able to play, but a homeschooled student could be failing every class. NHS requires student athletes to be at school by 11 a.m. on game days. Who knows if the home-schooled student even attended “school” that day? He or she could have just skipped the whole day of school and still be able to participate. Also, if practice were cancelled, the homeschooled student might have no idea because someone usually announces the cancellation over the school announcements at the end of the day. This law should just be dropped. Let’s go back to the way it was before.
By Kasey Duncan Students who are homeschooled should be allowed to participate in school organized sports. There are many reasons why parents, and even kids themselves, choose to be home schooled. Some children have special
What the new law says The Ohio Legislature passed a law in June that, beginning on Sept. 29, students who are homeschooled or do not attend public schools can participate in public schools’ extracurricular activities, even if they take no classes at the school. They merely have to live within the school district and meet academic eligibility requirements. In order to fulfill the eligibility requirements, it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that all grade requirements are met. The students must also pay all of the same athletic fees as other students. Athletic Director Ray Scheid said that so far, no homeschooled students have joined Norwalk teams, but it has happened at other schools and it could happen here.
needs that have to be catered to. Others are homeschooled for religious purposes. I don’t think it’s fair to that child to take away or not offer the opportunity to play in sports. Not to mention, if we didn’t allow homeschooled children to join our teams, we might miss out on a lot of talent that could contribute to our teams. For example, Tim Tebow was homeschooled in high school. Florida adopted a law in 1996 to allow homeschooled students to participate in their local high school sports, so Tim Tebow took advantage of that opportunity. He went on to be the quarterback for the Florida Gators and won the Heisman trophy, and then he later became a professional athlete. If parents are paying taxes in this district and they're not using the educational system, their children should at least be able to take advantage of playing sports. These children should not be deprived of the valuable lessons that can be learned on the playing fields.
How do you manage a job, school, and sports? Photos and interviews by Jenna Thorpe and Amanda See
Student: Junior Jennifer Young Sports: Cross country and track Job: Chick-fil-A at Cedar Point “I only work on Friday and Saturday. I have a schedule that works around my meets. Only issue is not getting home till 4 a.m. and then having to do homework the next day.”
Student: Sophomore Evan Kaczor Sports: Cross country, basketball and track Job: Berry’s Restaurant “I work on the weekends. When I have to work on the same day as a sport, I have someone cover my shift or trade days.”
Student: Junior Sampson Slack Sport: Football Job: Lifeguard at Kalahari “My sport only allows me to work on Sunday, but my employer is very good at working around my football schedule.”
Student: Sophomore Morgan Krupp Sport: Varsity cheerleader Job: Norwalk Rec Center “I get work done in class and pay attention.”
Student: Senior Jared Conley Sports: Powerlifting and wrestling Job: Wendy’s “Work interferes with lifting a lot. When I can’t work, I ask someone to cover my shift. My hours for work get cut during wrestling season.”
Student: Junior Lucas Troxel Sport: Football Job: McDonalds “I only get scheduled on weekends but sometimes I get scheduled too early and it interferes with practice and I have to call off work.”
Busy-ness can be beneficial Many high school students must juggle school, homework and sports along with other extracurricular activities. Sometimes that seems like a struggle, but what if you added a job into the mix? Is it possible to handle all of that? The answer to that question is yes. It all depends on the person and how well he or she manages time. Many junior and senior students, and even some sophomores, have part-time jobs to add into the mix of their busy life in high school.
The ability to balance a busy schedule comes from an inner drive to excel personally and socially while preparing oneself for life on one’s own. Multi-tasking is a useful skill and is attainable for anyone and everyone who is willing to work at it. When you take a job, sign a sports contract, or participate in other activities that can cause a crazy life and busy schedule, you just have to learn how to step back, breathe, and manage your time to dedicate it to all the things that you are involved in.
Editorial Policy The Trucker Imprint is a paper by, for, and about students at NHS. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Editorial Board. All reporters strive to be objective. Views expressed in the paper are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff, school, or community.
Balance between school, work, sports and other extracurriculars is possible as long as you are willing to work hard and stay on track. There will be times you will want to give up, but don’t. You’ll be grateful that you trained yourself early for the craziness of life beyond the brick and mortar of school. One last piece of advice: While you fill your schedule with all the opportunities that come with being an upperclassman, don’t forget to enjoy high school. It only happens once.
Editor-in-Chief: Taylor Phillips Editors: News: Micala Nebergall Features: Tanner Murray Entertainment: Zac Breitbach Sports: Erica Leber Photo: Caitlen Cameron and Jenna Thorpe
. C.C
Reporters: Sabrina Boyd Paige Espvik Amanda See Kasey Duncan Kirsten Kelley Adviser:
Courtney Pelham Travis Morgan Brie Schneider Brianna Young
Debbie Leffler
Friday, November 15, 2013 — Trucker Imprint — Page 3
STUDENTS AT SCHOOL
TALENT TAKEOVER By Micala Nebergall
Name: Anthony Mummert Grade: 11 Age: 17 Immediate Family: Dad, Timothy Mummert; mom, Lisa Mummert; and brother, Christian Mummert Pets and their names: Chocolate beagle named Toby. School activities: Teens for Christ and Select Choir. When not sitting behind a desk, what do you like to do? Play guitar and hang with friends. Biggest pet peeve: When people talk falsely about my friends. Best thing about Norwalk High School: All the amazing people I get to meet. Worst thing about Norwalk High School: The extensive amount of homework. Favorite song and why: “Freedom” by Run Kid Run because it is beautiful and full of deep meaning. Something people would be surprised to know about me: I am crazy about catching critters. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? As a physical therapist. Favorite restaurant: La Petite. Favorite food: Grilled shrimp over pasta. Biggest regret: Not trying harder my freshman year. Most embarrassing moment: I got pantsed when I fell out of a tree. Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch. My hero: Jesus. Coolest place you’ve ever been: Guinea, Africa for a mission trip. Favorite teacher and why: Mr. Baker because he just seemed the most funny. My proudest moment: I passed my driver’s test with a perfect score.
could use improvement, he added. A typical day at Interlochen has normal core classes such as math, English, and history like any normal high school until 2 p.m. Then starts the art block which focuses on the major each student plans to go into once he or she graduates from Interlochen. “My classes are music theory from 2 to 3 and orchestra from 4 to 6. The day is longer than most, but it’s what interests me,” he said. It has been a different experience compared to being back at Norwalk High School, but Joe said everyone is nice and the experience allows for more opportunities in the future.
Last year, Joe Grof walked the halls of NHS, but this year he is attending a nationally ranked music school. Joe was accepted into Interlochen Academy of the Arts for his ability to play viola. Interlochen Academy of the Arts is a fine arts boarding high school that is nationally ranked first of its kind, according to the school’s website. It offers high quality training with collegepreparatory academic programs. It is located in Michigan. The idea of going to Interlochen came this past summer when Joe’s private viola teacher recommended that he audition for the school. He was enrolled and started this fall. Being at a “boarding school” means that Joe lives in a dorm on campus instead of at home. “I love the environment. I’m surrounded by phenomenal musicians, the teachers are fantastic and I’m constantly being pushed to become a Photo by Jacob Gilson better musiJoe Grof practices his viola last year at NHS. His talent at cian,” he the viola earned him a spot in the state orchestra last year. said. The This year, he attends the nationally-ranked Interlochen Acadfood, though, emy of the Arts in Michigan.
Donate: Save a Life By Zac Breitbach
Blood Drive Facts
⇒ Four blood drives I walk into the cold auxiliary planned for this year gym early Tuesday, Oct. 8, ⇒ Next one is Dec. 18 where I am to controllably bleed ⇒ 48 people donated blood a pint of blood. It’s not that I’m during the first drive, nervous -- it’s more apprehencollecting a total of 34 sion since I had never donated pints. blood before. I wait in line for about 50 whole bunch of iodine over it, minutes, reading over list after and push the needle into my list of variations of diseases and vein, on the opposite side of my lifestyle choices, all of which, elbow. The finger poke hurt a lot for having, would mean I cannot more than the real thing. After a donate blood. After a while of few minutes of observation, the reading the endless lists, I started nurse reassuringly says to me, to doubt myself. “What if I have “Well, you’re bleeding.” And I injected drugs intravenously?” was. For about 15 minutes I “What if I do have mad cow disbled, laying on a cold bench in ease?” After a while of introthe auxiliary gym of Norwalk spective questioning, I realize High School. After enough I’m next in line. blood was collected, they reThe nurse calls me back to moved the needle and sat me answer a slew of questions, and upright for about five minutes. then answer even more on a After I get up, I’m directed over computer, more or less asking to the snack tables where I drink me if I have so-and-so disease. I a nice, cold small can of apple answer them, and the nurse prejuice and eat a granola bar. pares my finger to be poked, to test me for who knows what. I See SAVE on page 6. must’ve passed everything, because I’m eventually led back to one of the tables where the real donation is set to happen. The preparation seems to go on forever, when in reality it probably took less than three minutes. They Photo by Mady Fulger disinfect the Senior Zac Breitbach donates blood for the first time. site, rub a
TEACHERS AT WORK
Name: Abby Magoto Subject (s) taught: Resource Room English 1 -4 and Inclusion English and Math First job: I spent a summer babysitting for a family with four kids. They also had 13 milk goats they were raising for a 4-H project. Most embarrassing moment while teaching: I was helping Mrs. Lark’s class recycle and thought it was a good idea to stand in the recycling bin to smash the papers down. When I jumped, the bin went one way and I went the other — wiping out in front of the class. Favorite former teacher and why: Mrs. Krystowski at St. Paul High School. She showed me teachers are human and that it’s OK to use humor in the classroom. Hobbies: Reading, teaching piano/voice lessons. Pet peeve: Laziness and rudeness! What were you like in high school? Sarcastic and smart. I did a lot of activities like band, Key Club, Student Council and the musical. I became a teacher because: I really love learning and wanted to work with kids -- I never thought I’d be teaching high school! Favorite memory of this school? Traveling to Washington, D.C., with Mrs. Swope, Mr. Higgins and Mr. Cloud. If not teaching, what would you be doing? Living in a cottage in Ireland, drinking tea and writing. What would people be surprised to know about you? I have lived in Florida, Korea, Alaska and Canada. I also majored in Music Education and have been in several operas. Biggest weakness: Diet Pepsi and chocolate. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be and why? Audrey Hepburn -- She is the epitome of class and elegance. She was also a great humanitarian who really had a heart for helping children around the world. What would we find in your refrigerator? Skim milk, cheese, veggies and hummus. What is your favorite memory from when you were a student? A scholars group I was a part of traveled to Florence, Italy, when I was a junior in college. If you won the lottery, what would you spend it on? I’d pay off my school loans, donate some, then move to my cottage in Ireland…
New faces and new experiences at NHS kley Dominique Wor
Five new faces entered Norwalk High School from other school districts for the 2013-2014 school year, and all are enjoying their time so far. Freshman Wesley Burnley, who came f r o m Willard, said that in Norwalk, “People Wesley Burnley
are friendlier, the food is better and the teachers are nicer.” According to junior Brandon Bleile, a former St. Paul student, Norwalk is a good school to go to when wanting to academically challenge yourself. He also feels that Brandon Bleile the new friends he has made have helped him tremendously in adjusting to the new school.
Agreeing with Brandon that new friends have helped them adjust are sophomore Dominique Workley and freshman Paige Struhldreher. Both are former St. Paul students. Having to meet and work with new teachers can cause students to pick favorites when adjusting to a new school. “Mrs. Magoto is defiShane Hummel
nitely my favorite teacher,” sophomore Shane Hummel, a former Bellevue student, said. Instead of having one favorite teacher, Paige believes there are too many to choose from. Agreeing with Paige are Dominique, Wesley and Brandon. Paige Struhldreher
-Story and photos by Sabrina Boyd
Page 4 — Trucker Imprint — Friday, November 15, 2013
COLLEGE RUSH Free after-school ACT tutoring offered By Tanner Murray
Students here can get free ACT tutoring after school, thanks to a new program. “Many students were inquisitive if there was anything available,” said guidance counselor Lee Ann Wetzel, explaining why the program was started. “Many students have had to look to outside tutoring to get help improving their ACT scores and these can cost upwards of $500,” Mrs. Wetzel said. The
after school program offered here is free. The ACT is a high-stakes test required by many colleges. The score often plays a substantial role in where a student gets admitted to college and which scholarships are offered. This program is offered Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after school at study tables. It focuses on all areas of the ACT and is run by English teacher Amie Swope. During the tutoring, students “usually get a
packet from a practice test and take that test. Then students get answers and review it with a core subject teacher,” Mrs. Swope explained. “Becoming familiar with the test format is really beneficial. You can also go over material with someone who truly understands it,” Mrs. Swope said. The goal of this program, explained by Mrs. Swope, is to improve ACT scores and to get the scores above the state average. Last year, the average NHS student
score was slightly below the state average (see chart below). The program is also offered online at learningexpresslibrary.com. On the website, students can take practice tests, get their scores, and get feedback about their test. Senior Jeff M. Thomas attends the tutoring every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. He says that while he doesn’t necessarily enjoy going, it is helping him improve on his testtaking skills.
Average ACT scores– Comparing Norwalk High School to the State of Ohio NO. OF STUDENTS ENGLISH MATHEMATICS READING SCIENCE
COMPOSITE
Information provided by ACT
Teachers share college stories
Compiled by Kirsten Kelley
In college, you meet people who become really good friends and people who are, well, weird. One semester I had many classes with a person who fit the category of a little bit different. Somehow he befriended me, sat by me in class and told me odd tales. One day we were stapling our papers prior to turning them in and I noticed that the stapler was very nice. It was heavy, monogrammed and just a nice all-around stapler. I mentioned this to my strange friend. After class, I was walking back to my dorm when the weird guy came running up to me. He said, “Hey, I heard you say you liked the stapler.” He then thrust the stapler, WHICH HE HAD STOLEN, into my hand and added, “I got this for you.” Then he ran away, leaving me bewildered and holding a contraband stapler. Seriously, it was a very awkward moment. But it is a very nice stapler. And if you ever feel the need to staple something, stop by my room to use my awesome stapler — just don’t steal it. - English teacher Jennifer Lark In college, English teacher Jennifer Lark (right) dressed up for Halloween.
Graduation in August of 2003 and giving my dad and mom a huge hug after receiving my diploma was by far the best memory that I have of college, but I’m sure you don’t want the mushy gooshy stories, so here is what I have for you. I was very active in college with clubs and organizations associated with technology education. BGSU TECA was the one most affiliated with my major. The spring of 2003, the International Technology Education Association was having its convention in Nashville, Tennessee. BGSU was looking to send a representative to shake hands with alumni and do some speaking on what was going on at the main campus. I was just the guy that they were looking for. I chose to drive there and get paid the mileage, plus costs of hotels and food for the trip were paid for by the university. The university was kind enough to cut me a check prior to my trip so I could pay for everything. Instead of staying at the nice fancy Hiltons they were paying me for, I opted for the cheap Motel 6’s that saved me some money. With this added income and since it was spring break, after the conference ended I drove south to Winterhaven, Florida, to check out the Cleveland Indians in spring training for a week. Getting to feed my baseball addiction for an entire week of spring training where you can pretty much watch some form of baseball from sun up to sun down was a dream come true. While I was there, a national story broke on an Indians player getting in trouble. The national sports media converged on the town and it was exciting to meet some popular sports reporters -- Rich Eisen from ESPN being the one I enjoyed the most. This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and was aweIndustrial arts teacher Chris Jackson (left) some!!! Especially because it really didn’t cost me any money out of the pocket!! So turning a fourwatched the Cleveland Indians spring training with ESPN reporter Rich Eisen during spring break day conference into a 13-day road trip mostly filled with baseball makes this my favorite college memory besides the hug mentioned above!! at college. - Industrial arts teacher Chris Jackson
I was stuck taking summer school classes in the summer of 1981 at Bowling Green State University, living in an apartment without air conditioning. The apartment complex had three building that were arranged in a “U” shape. In the center was a big pool with chaise lounges where more fortunate renters spent their afternoons. My roommates were from this area and really missed having the lake, Cedar Point and the islands nearby. On one trip home, they caught some fish while out on the lake and decided to bring them back to Bowling Green to live in our pool. Unfortunately, Carl the manager didn’t like them as well as we did! Another time, we were missing Toft’s ice cream so we decided to make our own ice cream drive thru. Our apartment was in the front corner with the kitchen window being on the corner of the building. We would make ice cream cones or s’mores on the gas stove, get in our cars, drive up over the sidewalk to the window, pick up our “treat” and then drive back around the neighboring building to the parking area. Carl the manager didn’t like the ruts in the grass very well either. Oh well, it made the summer pass a little faster and gave us a few reminders of home. - Art teacher Rachel Hipp Art teacher Rachel Hipp in college.
I was at Ohio State University taking a science class in which part of the class included walking around campus with the professor and identify plants. There were about 50 students in this group. I did not do my homework and was not prepared for class. I was just going to hang out in the back of the group as we looked at the plants that day. The professor had a class list of the names of students and began calling out the students when we would come upon a particular plant. As we moved from place to place, I suddenly got caught in the front of the group and was standing next to the professor. He suddenly called out “Mr. Cole, please identify this plant.” I had no idea what it was and just stood there and did not know what to say. The professor repeated himself. “Mr. Cole, please identify this plant.” Again, I just stood there. On the third time the professor called my name, I looked right at him and said, “I don’t think he is here today.” The professor then said “OK” and called another person in the class to answer the question. After the episode, another guy in the class approached me and said, “You are Mr. Cole.” I replied “yes” but I did not know the answer to the professor’s question. We both got a big laugh about it and I learned to make sure I did my homework. - Health teacher Jeff Cole
Friday, November 15, 2013 — Trucker Imprint — Page 5
COLLEGE RUSH Weighing the options
College: Will it cost an arm? Or a leg?
By Travis Morgan The phrase “if you blink you will miss it” can be applied to high school. Most people can look back and still remember the first day of their freshman year. Now, seniors are walking through Norwalk High School’s hallways for their last year here. Many seniors are going to start the next chapter of their life: college. Some factors to consider when choosing a college, according to guidance counselor Lee Ann Wetzel, include: The location of the college. Would you prefer to live at home and not pay to live on campus or live on campus for the experience? The size of the college. Are you more of person who likes to be around a lot of people or would you like to keep to yourself?
The environment around the college. Would you like to go to a college located in a city or go to a college that is in the middle of nowhere? The cost of the college. Do you want to go to a state university that costs more than a local college? Or do you want to go to a private university that may offer bigger scholarships? The extracurricular activities that the college has. Are you trying to be a part of the school’s varsity sports team or clubs? And last but not least, the majors that the college has. Are you going to go to a college that has what you are interested in, or do you want to sample a variety of possibilities before making a decision.
Popular Ohio College Choices (at right) Cincinnati– 1* Columbus College of Art and Design– 2 Miami University– 3 Ohio State University– 4 Lorain Community College– 5 Ashland University– 3 Ohio University– 4 Cleveland State University–11 Akron University– 8 Tiffin University– 10 Heidelberg University– 4 Bowling Green– 6 Toledo University– 21 BGSU Firelands– 56 Terra Community College– 7 Baldwin Wallace– 3 Kent State– 6 Cuyahoga Community College– 3 Owens Community College– 5
University of Findlay– 6 Ohio Northern University– 4 *Number after school indicates the number of students attending from the 2012 and 2013 graduating classes.
Visits make all the difference By Tanner Murray College visits are universally understood to be a crucial part for senior and junior students in deciding where to spend the next phase of their life. English teacher Leah Schuster highly recommends going on college visits, and definitely more than one. “I think visits are very important in this process. I’d say visit three or four to keep your options open,” Mrs. Schuster said. Guidance counselor Sandy Stewart agrees about the importance of college visits. “I think you get a feeling on campus of ‘I’m comfortable and I
can see myself here’ or ‘I don’t like it here’. The feeling is an important thing. Once you feel it, it makes sense,” she said. Mrs. Schuster speaks from experience, explaining, “I did everything backwards. I was going to go to Mount Vernon Nazarene College until April of my senior year. A friend told me to visit Bluffton College, so I did. I liked it so much better than Mount Vernon, and applied April of my senior year…which is not what you’re supposed to do. Everything was finalized with scholarships and dorms in mid-June,” she said.
I personally have visited three colleges, all in Ohio. I scheduled visits with Ohio University, The Ohio State University and Miami University. Each experience was very different and I’m glad I went. Each college highlighted what was great about its campus, and helped me decide if it was the right school for me. While colleges want students to apply, they realize how important it is to feel at home at college, so they don’t pressure visitors into applying. I knew when I walked onto campus if it was right for me or not.
Students who have visited campuses can all find something they like about it, but I think what really matters is the gut feeling that many people get when they know where they want to go. It’s a comfortable excitement that builds in your stomach and you just can’t wait for your future. During my visits, I got to take a walking tour of the campus and visited dorms, the places to eat, and the classrooms. On each visit there was also about an hour-long informational session about the college, its cost, how to apply, its majors and minors, and other opportunities it offers.
Looking into the future
Sophomore Garrett Cross wants to be a superhero.
Senior Kaleb Cashen wants to be an Army Combat Engineer.
Freshman Jacob Coe wants to be a professional golfer in the PGA.
Sophomore Maddy McFadden wants to be a lawyer and a poet on the side.
Sophomore Mikayla Salmons wants to be a firefighter.
Junior Brandon Bleile wants to be a chief financial officer.
Photos and interviews by Taylor Phillips & Kirsten Kelley
Freshman Ally Douglas wants to be a pediatrician.
Sophomore Marissa Flowers wants to be a cosmetologist.
Page 6— Trucker Imprint — Friday, November 15, 2013
NHS Round-up
Willy Wonka coming By Zac Breitbach This year’s musical has been chosen. On March 7-9, Norwalk High School students will present Willy Wonka, which tells the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in musical form. Musical director Robyn Rogers said that Willy Wonka was chosen this year because it is a family-friendly show that
will attract large audiences and raise the interest of many children, and also because it has a large number of featured roles. “Norwalk High School has so many talented students and we wanted to do a show that would allow many of them to shine in different roles,” Mrs. Rogers said. Tryouts for the musical will be Nov. 19 and 20, with callback auditions scheduled for Nov. 25.
Sara Stoll is EPIC
Photo by Brianna Young
ISR takes place in one of the downstairs middle school locker rooms.
ISR changes location By Brianna Young
Photo by Courtney Pelham
Sara Stoll works on a project for EPIC Technologies.
By Courtney Pelham It’s not every day you get to leave school and do a project for your class. Once a week, senior Sara Stoll works on her project at EPIC Technologies for her engineering design/development class at NHS. “Sara is an amazing student and has a bright future,” said Adam Leutenegger, who teaches Sara’s engineering class. “It feels good to have a reallife job and my own office when
Library hosts game day By Paige Espvik The Norwalk Public Library is having an International Game Day from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. It is for grades 6-12 and they will be playing Wii, X-Box 360 and board games. The library is also offering “Teen After School Social Time” on Thursdays. The dates are on Nov. 21 and Dec. 19. Teens are going to play Wii and the library’s new X-Box 360 Minute To Win It. Snacks will be provided and there is no registration required.
I’m only in high school,” said Sara. Sara found a problem that when truck drivers go to make a delivery or pick-up, the company’s employees do not always know the driver is present. Her project is to design a device that clearly notifies the company that the truck driver is there. Sara said she hopes to be working at EPIC for a while and maybe get scholarships for college. She would like to pursue a career in the engineering field.
SAVE Continued from page 3 As I sit there, I think over how oddly neat it is knowing that someone I will most likely never meet in my life is going to have my blood in their body. It’s a good feeling, knowing that they probably needed it a lot more than I did. I’d encourage everyone to at least consider donating blood. If you’re scared or nervous, simply ask someone. Honestly, I can say it was not as bad as I was expecting. So donate — your blood might save someone’s life. Above all, you get to skip out on class time.
Quote of the Issue
TLC teaches at middle school By Courtney Pelham Half of the Teen Leadership class goes to the middle school once each quarter to teach seventh graders character and leadership skills. They teach the students through hands-on activities and
– Tim Burton
What’s in your car? Empty Bottle
Senior Jeremy Urbancich 1. I’m a master of manipulation.
3. I can count the people I like on one hand. 4. I analyze every single social interaction in my day. 5. I hate love. 6. I’ve busted my head open six times, all resulting in stitches.
A Single Wedge Shoe
Sweatshirt
Trash Photo by Paige Espvik
A closer look into sophomore Karlee Talkington’s car.
group discussion about leadership. “They hope that the middle school students get a better understanding of leadership skills and what it takes to be a leader,” said Nick Lee, who teaches TLC. “The students are anxious to go,” Mr. Lee said.
10 things you LEE Continued from page 1 didn’t know Jared studies approximately about me four hours a night, but he says
2. I wear a wig.
“One person’s craziness is another person’s reality.”
Basketball Shoes
Anyone who has gotten in serious trouble at Norwalk High School knows that he or she is probably going to be spending some time in the mezzanine for in-school suspension. However, there is a change for ISR now: it takes place at the middle school. ISR had moved to there for “financial savings,” Principal Brad Cooley said. There had originally been three locations for this, which were Main Street School, the middle school and the high school. By moving all of the suspended students into one building, it eliminates the need for three officers to have to oversee it. Now, only one is needed.
Students get to the middle school by a shuttle that is run there. Once they are there, the students then spend the time in one of the downstairs locker rooms. Something has remained the same, though. Work is still collected from the teachers and is transported over to the middle school, so that students will still be able to work on their schoolwork while in ISR. When asked how ISR is going at the new location, Assistant Principal Patrick Kania said, “Everyone showed up and it went pretty well,” adding that there were no reports regarding any disciplinary problems.
7. I’m Irish. 8. I lack the ability to cry. 9. I dabble in dark comedy. 10. My favorite thing about myself is my mean-spirited personality.
he is no “nerd” — he is very involved in the school. Jared is senior class president, treasurer of Foreign Language club, president of National Honor Society, treasurer of Key Club, a captain of the academic challenge team, is involved in Teen Leadership Corps and has been in the Political Debate Club in past years. He also runs cross country and track and his 4x8 team went to state last year. Jared was Academic All- Ohio in track as well. If all of that isn’t enough, Jared also works and volunteers at the hospital. W i t h the free time that he has left, Jared enjoys running, playing X-box, grilling out with junior Garret Bader, and being on Twitter. Among his many interests, Jared likes rap music, alternative, and the band Four Seasons. Jared is also a selfproclaimed “amateur student professional story teller,” which he says is his most impressive character trait. When asked which has been his favorite year of school, he replied, “senior year, of course.” Jared is going to college to be a finance investment banker and in 10 years he sees himself on Wall Street. Jared’s advice to other students is “Don’t be afraid to give up what is good to achieve what is great.”
Friday, November 15, 2013 — Trucker Imprint — Page 7
ENTERTAINMENT New Direction
Do-it-yourself crucial for music By Zac Breitbach If there’s any one t h i n g more essential to the music s c e n e across the country besides the bands and the music itself, it’s a DIY attitude. DIY, otherwise known as do-it-yourself, means basically what it says: Do it yourself. Book your own shows, self-release your own music. You don’t need a third party, especially in today’s world, with the Internet readily
available and so many people across the country willing to help bands and local music. Of course, this means you’ll be playing in people’s houses or basements, or something similar to that. It may seem sketchy at first, but these types of shows turn out to be the most fun, and more people become a fan of your music. The alternative to this method is something called pay-to-play, which I think is one of the biggest scams in the music realm. Pay-toplay companies, such as Gorilla Music, exploit young musicians into selling tickets for their own shows. While this may not seem inherently bad, the shows them-
selves are. I’ve played these types of shows, and I can honestly say they are not fun, and they do not gain you fans. In these types of shows, five or six or even more bands are on the same bill and they’re called a “battle of the bands” or a “showcase,” which already is bad, because aren’t musicians and artists supposed to help and promote each other, not compete against each other? Anyway, the company tells the artists that to get a later time on the bill, they have to sell more tickets than the other bands, which basically means nothing, because people usually only stay for the band they got the ticket from, then leave. The company itself does no promotion at all.
No show flyer, no anything. They promise that “record company executives” will look at you, and other similar things that younger musicians in newer bands will obviously be all over, but these things never actually happen. The pay, which as a musician you shouldn’t really expect, is little if any. But in spite of this, DIY is still thriving. With the advent of social media, organizing and booking shows has become easier than ever, and more and more local bands are turning into touring bands because of it. For more information on DIY and local scenes visit clevelanddiy.forumotion.com and dodiy.org.
Tanner on Trends
Sweater weather is better weather By Tanner Murray
Now that it’s fall, it’s time for fall fashion. Social media ex-
plodes with girls saying how excited they are for sweater and boot weather. But what about taking that style to the next level? Now that Fashion Weeks in Milan, Paris, New York, and London have ended, I was able to do research on trends online on multiple fashion magazines like Elle and Vogue and various fashion blogs from people like famous stylish Rachel Zoe and her blog The Zoe Report. The question that was on my mind while looking at the runway photos was, “how can someone
here wear a trend like that to school?” I haven’t seen anyone walking around Norwalk in giant menswear suits or coats that look like gowns. The easiest way to make a runway trend fit into a high school girl’s wardrobe is to take one element of the look and find it in pieces that could be worn every day. When picking out colors this fall, look for dark emerald greens and navy blues. When picking out a winter coat, pastel and cotton candy pink coats were a huge hit on all of the runways. Embel-
lishments were also big on runways this Fashion Week. As always, sweaters are a big part of the fall wardrobe, but this year graphic hoodless pull-over sweatshirts are the trend. Boots made appearances during Fall Fashion Week, of course, but this year the trend was over-the-knee boots (if you’re brave enough to pull it off). Lastly, beanies were popular too. While you can’t wear them in school, they are great for outof-school and are a cuter version of the standard old winter hat.
Movie review
Book review
Insidious: cheesy but OK
Bestseller is an ace
By Brianna Young Insidious Chapter 2 picks up right where Insidious left off. It starts at the scene of death of Elise, the paranormal investigator who was killed while trying to rid the Lambert family’s son of an evil spirit. Even though the son is rid of the ghost, the family discovers that it’s the father who is now possessed. The rest of the movie is an attempt to destroy the spirit in the father before the father begins to kill his family. The first Insidious was ridiculous, so there wasn’t much to expect from this one. Unlike the first one, there are some seriously tense scenes that make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and make you want to cover your eyes. This is
totally awesome for a horror movie. However, the plot to this movie is awkward and doesn’t make sense. The real problem I have with it is that the family is trying to kill a ghost. You can’t kill something that is already dead. Performing an exorcism on the father would be more sensible. Anyone who liked Stephen King’s The Shining would probably not like this because it’s a bad rip-off of it. It has the same “father is possessed and trying to murder his family” scheme. There’s even a copy of the infamous “Here’s Johnny” scene from The Shining. The only thing that they needed to do was isolate the family to some version of the Stanley Hotel. All in all, this movie was good at making you jump. Other than that, it was pretty awkward, but it wouldn’t be a horror movie if it wasn’t cheesy in some aspect.
Music review
New Drake album unique By Kasey Duncan Nothing was the Same, the multi-platinum recording artist Drake’s highly anticipated third album, was released Sept. 24. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 after selling approximately 658,000 copies the first week of its release, according to Drake's official website. I enjoyed this album. For anyone who keeps up on Drake’s
music, the sound and inspiration behind Nothing Was the Same differs from his past two albums Take Care and Thank Me Later. I wouldn’t recommend this album to anyone who doesn’t like colorful language, but I do think it’s worth a listen. The mixture of Drake's ability to rap and sing gives this album its own unique sound. Just don’t Drake and drive because you will black out and when you come to, you'll find yourself in your ex’s driveway.
By Brie Schneider John Green was awarded the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award for his book Looking for Alaska. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. There are romantic sections in Looking for Alaska, but it is written from the perspective of a high school boy, so both males and females can relate to it. This book is centered around introvert Miles Halter. Miles
leaves his safe life in Florida to search for his “Great Perhaps” at Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama. While at Culver Creek, Miles meets new people and surprisingly makes friends, which he never had at home. One of those friends is Alaska Young. Alaska turns Miles’ life upside down and forever leaves an imprint on him. Looking for Alaska is Miles’ journey of searching for his “Great Perhaps” and putting his life back together after Alaska shook up his world. You can find Looking for Alaska in the Norwalk High School library.
Page 8— Trucker Imprint — Friday, November 15, 2013
Do’s and Don’ts of First Dates
Photos and interviews by Kasey Duncan
“Just be Channing Tatum. Or McLovin. You’ll never get turned down for a date that way.” –Junior James Seiler “Don’t skip football practice to hang out with me…especially when my Dad’s the coach.” –Freshman Cara MacFarland
“If you really want a guy to truly appreciate you on the first date, you have to fart in front of him.” –Senior Shelbi Brown
“The chances of me actually liking you are slim. I just want a free movie or meal.” –Junior Alexa Perry
“Do open the door for me, or I’ll open the door to my house and go back inside.” –Junior Catherine Blackwood
“Don’t go to B-Dubs on the first date unless you’re prepared to get a wrap.” –Senior Garret MacFarland
“Girls should change it up and pay for once, ’cause a Brotha ain’t got no money.” –Senior Desmond Harkness
NHS offers a variety of clubs By Sabrina Boyd and Micala Nebergall
SHADOW Adviser: Fran Murray President: Kierstin Dawson What it is: Recycling club -- Students Helping Against Destruction of Our World Goals: Have more paper reused, less in the landfill, in hopes to save the universe. Requirements: Show up. There is no special fee. What is done: Collect bins from class rooms and recycle the papers.
Key Club Adviser: Kim Majoy President: Tanner Murray
What it is: Committee service organization that focuses on helping with organizing and carrying out community activities. Goals: Participate in as many activities as possible. What is done: Raise money for leukemia and UNICEF, keep a section of highway clean. Requirements: Come to meetings and pay basic fee.
Art Club Adviser: Tracy VanBuskirk President: Caiti Southers What it is: Organization to allow students to be exposed to the art world outside of the classroom. Goals: Art workshops that will utilize some of the artists in our local area. Requirements: No artistic ability necessary; pay $5 fee.
Teens For Christ
Adviser: Barb Moore Presidents: Anthony Mummert and MacKensey Thomas What it is: Prayer group/support group; Bible study and devotion. Goals: Get more people to join and support the group. Requirements: Show up. What is done: Caroling, set up baccalaureate, service projects.
Foreign Language Advisers: Spanish- Barb Moore and Janet Peterson; FrenchPeggy Smith Presidents: Carson Sparks and Kierstin Dawson What it is: Club that goes more into depth in studies of the languages and the cultures behind each.
These presidents are musical
Story and photos by Caitlen Cameron This year’s band president, senior Chaise Conney, has great plans for this season’s football games. Chaise has many jobs as president, like conducting. “You can put your hands up at random and everyone follows,” Chaise said Another thing Chaise can do as president is request changes. The first change he would make is adding a taco bar for the summer band camp. “I would request for all the kids years after me to have taco bars for band camp, because everyone loves taco bars,” Chaise said. Another change that Chaise would like is to bring back the bucket hats.
Six-year bass player Cody Reed is this year’s orchestra president. Cody was very surprised when he got elected. “I was surprised about being elected, but then I was also scared to be in front of everyone,” he said. As president, Cody does jobs like conducting, stapling papers, and he gets to be in charge for orchestra teacher Mark Parish when he is absent. Cody said he has the slight pull of authority to suggest songs to be played, but not very much. One of the things Cody doesn’t like to do that much is conducting. “It’s a lot of arm flailing and I’m not very good at it,” Cody said, adding that his favorite thing about being president is getting to yell at people. If he could change anything about orchestra, it would be two things: “Have my own personal assistant and change the uniforms to lederhosen,” he said.
Word of the Issue Foible [foi-buhl] Noun Definition: A minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect The students admired their teacher because of his ability to admit his foibles.
Goals: Do more than just bowling like years past. Requirements: Show up and participate. What is done: Christmas/culture parties, cooking demonstrations.
Environthon Adviser: Nate Whaley What it is: Organization sponsored by local community conservation districts to inform students about their environment. Goals: Place higher in the competition than years past. Requirements: Hard working, determined, interested in environment and nature; able to be selftaught. What is done: Independent studies, hands-on projects, bi-weekly reviews
NHS laces up the shoe polls
Teen Leadership student Tim Duncan is this year’s senior president for choir. Tim has been in choir for seven years and is a baritone. His favorite part about being choir president is being with choir teacher Carol Mason for two periods in a row and helping her. If Tim were going to make any changes to how choir is operating or what songs they are singing, he said he wouldn’t change a thing. “Mrs. Mason is smart and I trust all her decisions,” Tim said. As president, Tim does things like counting money for fundraisers, helping with practice time and rehearsals, and whatever other things Mrs. Mason needs help with. He said he is very happy to be the president of choir.
Fact of the Issue The sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter in the English alphabet.
Note: The charts above are based on a random survey of 100 NHS students in grades 912.
Friday, November 15, 2013 — Trucker Imprint — Page 9
Junior Breck Turner (left) refuses to be taken down by the Tiffin defense during the playoff game.
Industrial arts teacher Chris Jackson and science teacher Rod Thimke enjoy the tailgating.
Junior Nick Horner works on a mailbox for woodshop.
Powder Puff football players under the lights for this year’s game.
Senior Joe Hinckley gets taken down during the Vermilion game.
Senior Keaton Wineman with his parents on parent night.
Sophomore Trenton Sheldon shown with his dad during the Father and Son Golf Outing.
Seniors (left) and juniors (right) plan the line for the Powder Puff game.
Sophomore Marcus McClain works in woodshop.
Freshmen (from left)Adrianna Rodriguez, Ally Douglas, Addie Manino, Cara MacFarland and Malorie Malson pose as social media for Halloween.
English teacher Dustin Baker, Reflector photographer Jeff Van Natta and senior Tanner Murray (foreground from left) enjoy the tailgating.
Senior Garret MacFarland (left) and junior Zachary Heald (right) are shown above playing defense during the playoff game.
Photos by Kasey Duncan, Erica Leber and Taylor Phillips Junior Seth Staley prays before a game.
Page 10 — Trucker Imprint — Friday, November 15, 2013
SPORTS
Break out the record books By Erica Leber and Taylor Phillips
Just three yards away is where the ball sat. The ball was snapped and away it went. Senior Jordan Johnson leapt up to try to save the ball from getting recovered by Colombian. It rolled back about 27 yards. Johnson saved the ball before getting powered over by the Tiffin defense. Third and 30 with two plays to go, the ball was
snapped to Johnson, who ran to gain three yards One play left, one option left, a Hail Mary pass to senior Joe Hinckley. He bobbled the ball in the air surrounded by a swarm of Tiffin defenders. The ball dropped to the field, along with the players. After a 39-year playoff drought, the Truckers’ first playoff appearance came to an end on Nov. 8.
“It’s your last chance — you guys need to go out there and give every ounce of everything you have and leave it all on the field,” said Chris MacFarland, head football coach, at half time in the locker room. The team made it known that they would not go down without a fight, with rally scoring and many defensive stops. Going into two overtimes, the Truckers never gave up the hope
that they would come out with a first round win. This was the closest playoff game in the area. Fans from all over Northwestern Ohio were there supporting both teams. After five seasons, coach MacFarland has turned the team around from a 1-9 record to a 9-2 record, along with a first playoff appearance in more than 30 years. This season was definitely one for the record books.
‘God gave me these gifts’ By Erica Leber
Being an average, mediocre athlete would not be used to describe the way Breck Turner plays football, the sport he has loved since fifth grade. Breck has broken the record for most rushing yards in a season and in a game, most rushing touchdowns in a season, and most points in a season. “I just play to play,” said Breck. Breck, a junior, is capable of doing what most cannot. He participates in a sport all three seasons: football in the fall, basketball in the winter and track in the spring. The thing that is the most important to him is staying fo-
cused during all the seasons. Breck said he is unsure right now about where he would like to attend college when he graduates, but he is getting letters in the mail from multiple colleges. “He’s the type of kid that colleges and coaches want in their program,” said head football coach Chris MacFarland. From being a Junior Trucker little tyke to being a leading athlete in the NOL for rushing yards, one could definitely tell that Breck was born to be on the football field. On top of being a great athlete, it’s a plus that he is humble and modest. Before every football game, Breck takes a knee on the sidelines and makes sure he gets a
blessing from the most important man in his life, God. He is very important to Breck and is there for him through the good and bad times. “He gave me these gifts — might as well use them, right?” added Breck. Very rarely does Breck fumble the ball, but when he does, “Awh man, I’m going to have the heavy ball at practice on Monday,” goes through his mind. Breck said he would not have been able to accomplish all that he’s done without the support of his teammates, the fans, and his family. “I have a pretty good line protecting me from getting tackled,” said Breck.
Photo by Taylor Phillips
Junior Breck Turner takes a knee on the sidelines before a big game to ask for a blessing from God.
Freshmen win varsity honors
Quentin goes to State tourney By Erica Leber Senior Quentin Howell is the only cross country runner to advance to the state tournament this year on Saturday Nov. 2 near Columbus. On top of making it to state, Quentin broke the school record
for 3.1 miles at a time of 15.50 minutes. “It takes a lot of practice,” said Quentin. Although he did not do as well as he thought he would at state, he finished 63rd out of a total of 164 runners, placing him in the top half.
Photo by Erica Leber
Senior Quentin Howell, along with coaches Drew Karnhem and Donna Fairfax, at the send-off for Quentin.
Soccer team makes history By Kasey Duncan "Just wait ’til next year" seemed to be the underlying feeling of the NHS boys’ soccer team as their record-breaking season came to an end on Oct. 31. "We made it far in the tournament. We came into the season as friends and came out as a family. We fought hard throughout the season and in tournaments, and we played with no regrets. Lastly, I'd like to give a special thanks to our supporting fans," junior Avery Albright said. This is the first time the NHS boys soccer team has made it this far since the 1997 boys’ team accomplished the same feat. It looks like history has a way of repeating itself, because much like the team in '97 lost to the Bay Village Rockets (1-0), the boys once again fell short to the Rockets this year (4-0) in the regional semifinals. Bay's team has since advanced on to the state round.
Photo by Kasey Duncan
The boys’ soccer team gives one last “HOORAH” after losing to Bay Village in the regional semifinals.
The Truckers shocked the rankings when they beat the Clear Fork Colts after 110 minutes playing and two rounds of penalty kicks in the district finals.
"It was a very good season. It started off rough but they really came together as a team and made something happen," Coach Gabe Smith said.
By Kirsten Kelley Getting a varsity letter as a freshman is not impossible, but uncommon. It’s not every day that freshmen are alongside playing with seniors. Freshman golfer the This fall seaMax Berry son, only a handful of freshman students will receive a varsity letter. Three of them are Griffin Rinner, M a x Berry and A d d i e Manino. Griffin Freshman football is letter- player Griffin Rinner ing for football, and he punts for the varsity football team. His hopes for next year are punting more and being on the field more offensively. Max and Addie are both lettering for golf. Max’s hopes for next year are going to districts, while Addie would like to lower her score. The boys, Freshman golfer Griffin and Addie Manino Max, have been playing their sport for quite a long time. Griffin has been on the field since third grade, and Max has been working on his swing for nine years now. Addie is the complete opposite. This is her first year of golf on a team level. In fact, this is her first year of playing golf ever and it’s clear she’s a natural.
Friday, November 15, 2013— Trucker Imprint — Page 11
SPORTS Listen to Leb
The true meaning of a ‘team’
By Erica Leber Family. That’s a word I would like to use to describe the relationship between my volleyball
teammates and myself. We have had our ups and downs but at the end of the day, each and every one of us has each other’s backs, no matter the situation. Despite the unfortunate ending to our season, it was successful in a sense of stats and relationships. For the fourth straight year in a row, the Lady Trucker volleyball team was NOL champs. No team in the NOL even took a set from us. In the regular season, the only good competition we had was at
the Magnificat tournament along with our match against 2012 Division I state qualifiers, St. Ursula. No one in the NOL was very good competition to us. Beating all the teams in three games, with a big point spread makes the games very boring. After experiencing being at state last year and all the perks that went along with it, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to relive it. Losing in district finals this year against a team like Mansfield Madison
really doesn’t make anything feel better. To be blunt, it sucks. After winning, one would think the winners could be modest and humble, but apparently that’s not the way things go with Madison. Chanting things at us as we walked back to the locker room with tears rushing down our faces was not very classy. All in all, the season ended far too soon, but I made relationships with those girls that are going to last a lifetime. Team is temporary, but family is forever.
NHS grad named head coach By Taylor Phillips Erin Smetzer, assistant swim coach for two years, is stepping up to the head coach position. Coach Smetzer, a 2005 NHS graduate, coached a Sting Ray team for many years for the Rec Department, and is an experienced swimmer. “I started swimming competitively when I was 8 years old. My favorite stroke is the butterfly. In high school I swam the 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and relays,” Coach Smetzer said.
Swimming helps a lot with the body, she believes. “My favorite part of the sport is how beneficial it is for your body. The water's buoyancy relieves pressure on your joints, making it a healthy, lifelong sport,” Coach Smetzer said. Coach Smetzer has also been the assistant tennis coach for three years. She runs her own daycare center called Junior Explorers. “I like coaching high school sports because it offers a nice change from working with very
young children, birth to 5 years old. It allows me to play an influential role in young adults' lives. “Swimming and tennis played important roles in shaping my character and I like returning the favor to current stuPhoto by Taylor Phillips dents. I believe it is important to Erin Smetzer shows her helpful attitude. promote physical fitness, sports“I am planning on still being manship and responsibility to the very involved with the team, but high school students,” she added. due to a personal situation I canCoach Smetzer replaces head not devote the time needed to get coach Stacy Stoll, who stepped the team ready for this season,” down due to personal matters. Coach Stoll said.
WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW Photos and story by Taylor Phillips and Travis Morgan
Girls’ Basketball Goals are in store for the girls’ basketball team this upcoming season. “We would like to break the school record for wins, stay competitively in the NOL, and take home the sectional title. Those are just a start of the goals, but we do expect more,” three-year head coach Brock Manlet said. This year’s team returns with five lettermen. The team has traveled during the off season. “Normally in the off season we run our own varsity league and junior varsity league which gives our girls a lot of playing time in the summer. We also usually take a trip to a team camp, and this past summer we went to Belmont University in Nashville. It was a great experience and they had fun,” Coach Manlet said. They have put in a lot of work to prepare for the season as a team. “We do a lot of scouting and watching film of our opponents so that we know exactly what they do offensively and defensively. The other big part is making sure that we are working on things in practice that we don’t do very well, so those areas improve and get better. Our practices are tough, in terms of the work the girls put in, but it pays off on game days,” the coach said. The girls’ team opens their season on Friday Nov. 22 at the Bucyrus Classic.
Wrestling Wrestling is back at it. After just falling short to Sandusky in what would have been their fourth straight NOL title last year, they want it back. “We always set our number one goal as winning the NOL tournament and getting as many of our wrestlers down to the state tournament as possible. Every-
thing else seems to fall in line if you can win the conference, but the state tournament and winning /placing at state is always in the back of our mind,” head coach Danny Helton said. Self-motivation is key for a successful season. “Wrestling is very hard. If it were easy everyone would do it. In order to win at wrestling, you need to train at a sustained and intense level for an extended amount of time. It takes a lot of self-motivation to be a successful wrestler,” Coach Helton said. With 10 returning letterwinners, the team is looking for support at their few home games. “We don't get to wrestle too much at home this year so come out and support us!” Coach Helton said. The boys have a preview on Nov. 22 at St. Mary’s Central Catholic.
to fill. For the boys we have the "Three Amigos,” Grant Olsen, Mason Berry and Jacob Gilson leading the team. Senior girls coming back this year include varsity swimmers Micala Nebergall, Kayla Yourkvitch and Hannah VanDyne. These three have great leadership skills and knowledge for our girls’ team,” Stacy Stoll, last year’s head coach said. During the off season there are many opportunities for the swimmers to prepare. “Starting in March we offer swim club swimming two times a week. Then in the summer we have our summer team that practices Monday through Friday for two months, then club starts up again in September and October for twice a week practices/ conditioning. This keeps the swimmers in the pool without burning them out,” Coach Stoll said. Swimming opens up their season Nov. 22 vs. Huron.
Girls’ Bowling
Junior Mason Brutcher getting ready for the season.
Swimming Swimming is under way along with a new coach, Erin Smetzer. “Our top goal is to fill in the speed that we have lost from last year’s swimmers. Beyond that we need to keep our team healthy get them in peak condition for the races that matter. Geena, who has made it to state in the 50 and 100 free, placing both 7th as a freshman and 4th as a sophomore in both races, should make another appearance this year,” coach Smetzer said. Senior leadership will get the swim team through the season. “We have some great leadership in our senior class this year but they also have some big shoes
New girls will be stepping up for bowling this year. “A lot of teams had seniors all across the board so it’s all new teams. We have two returners, junior Maddie Edwards and senior Brennigan Collins. The rest will all have newer experience,” Coach Nate Whaley said. “Dwight Tkach really works with the girls to get them to hook. Hooking has more error, but has a better chance for success,” the coach said. “Bowling takes a lot of muscle memory and that is very mental,” Coach Whaley said. Girls’ bowling opens their season November 25th vs. St. Joseph Central Catholic.
Boys’ Bowling Along with the girls’ new team, the boys’ team is a whole new group. Head coach John Wade is focusing on the new group “picking up spares” instead of going just for the strike. The
only returning letter winner is junior Isaac Moore. “I expect a good season with the new varsity kids,” Coach Wade said. His goal for the team is for them to make it to districts as a team after coming short of it last season. The boys open the season on November 25th against St. Joseph Central Catholic.
Boys’ Basketball Basketball is back at it and eyeing the NOL title again. “Our goal is always to win the NOL,” 13-year head coach Steve Gray said. The team has four returning lettermen. Two of them are fouryear letter winners, and have committed to teams in college. “Senior Jeff Thomas is one of the best players in our area. He is committed to Division 1 Georgia State, along with Senior Ben Haraway committing to Division 2 Malone,” Coach Gray said. Despite being an NOL powerhouse and not losing a game the past three years, the team still has flaws. “Free throw shooting, understanding roles, and creating great team chemistry are our weaknesses so far,” Coach Gray said. Almost the whole varsity line up is at least 6’0”. “Our size and length is definitely one of our strong points,” Coach Gray said. The team broke some records last year, and will this year with their strengths. “Last year we averaged giving up 44 points per game, which was the school record. We have good shooting, and this is the quickest team I have ever coached,” Coach Gray said. T h e boys open their season on Nov. 15 vs. Westerville South. The boys’ basketball team practicing.
Page 12 — Trucker Imprint — Friday, November 15, 2013
“What are you looking forward to most in college?”
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Sophomore Jo hnna Thomas looks forward to teaching. helping
i auren Steffan Sophomore L er own food. th can’t wait to ea
Junior Bailee Cantu looks forward to being away from home.
Freshman Tieler C rouse can’t wait to meet new
Freshman Juanita Mancilla looks forward to the money.
people.
Senior Amanda Cadwallader look s forward to no cu no rules. rfew
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Photos and interviews by Paige Espvik
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?
Senior Miranda PeerPerryman’s favorite Thanksgiving food is cheesy mashed potatoes with bacon.
Junior Matt Davidson’s favorite
Thanksgiving food is stuffing.
Math teacher Chris Higgins’ favorite Thanksgiving food is turkey and pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream.
Math teacher Allison Sellers’ favorite Thanksgiving food is corn!
What do you do for Thanksgiving?
Freshman Rilee Horowitz eats lots of food on Thanksgiving.
Sophomore Maddie Bement has her family come over and then they eat together.
Junior Jennifer Young goes to her aunt’s house on Thanksgiving.
Junior Teddy McKenzie spends time with his family and they play football.
kids and