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The Lakewood Times
contents Focus
4 Are you PC? 6 Times tries to stay clean 8 Masterpiece makeover 10 Civil discourse 12 Sext me later 13 A hard lesson learned
22
News
14 Educational early birds
Opinion
Times staff 2010/2011 Co-Editors-in-Chief Fiza Shah Deven Middleton
Design & Sports Editor Lisa Kowalski News Editor Sam Cross Opinon Editor Alberto Rodreguiez Lakewood Life Editor Julia Houska Copy Editors Melissa Gajewski Gwen Stephen Adviser Karen Ballash
Editorial Board Members Toby Tobin Haley McGinty Katy Eberl Grant Graves Andrew O’Connor Meredith Richards Peter Quigley Lindsey LcEntee Grace Coy Juan Amador Tori Chesmar Sabrina Suleiman Wilson Sackett Naseem Shean Paige Smigelski Lily Pollack Matt Majewski
16 The power of words Snowball fight 17 Privacy...going, going, gone 18 The woes of abortion 19 20 PC: it’s not a bad thing
Vol. 90 Issue 5 March 2011
Lakewood Life
21 Breckel’s spirit/Snowball’s demise 22 LHS rock bands 24 Don’t fail at nails 25 Who stole the show? 26 Sculpting art careers 27 A cleaner standard for McKee
Sports
28 New coach pitches plans 29 Baseball’s back 30 Suspicious minds 31 The race has begun/ Give me credit
Cover by Tessa Newbacher
Oops!
In the last issue, Peter Nelson was wrongly identified as senior Danny Mazzeo. We apologize.
Times Editorial Policy As preservers of democracy, our schools shall protect, encourage, and enhance free speech and the exchange of ideas as a means of protecting our American way of life. The Times and its staff are protected by, and bound to, the principles of the First Amendment and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various court decisions implementing those principles. It is the mission of The Lakewood Times, the official newsmagazine of Lakewood High School, to serve as a public forum that promotes the gathering and exchange of ideas, and uphold high journalistic standards for the purpose of enriching the lives of our readers. The Times is established as an open forum for student expression and as a voice in the uninhibited, free and open discussion of issues. The Times will not be reviewed or restrained prior to publication. Content of the Times, therefore, reflections only the views of the student staff or individual students and not school officials. Students may use online media to educate, inform, and entertain their readers. Both the school and the cyber community are entitled to the same protections and subject to the same freedoms and responsibilities, as all other student media outlined in this policy. Online media are forums for self-expression and are similar to traditional media, in their freedoms, responsibilities, and professional obligations. As such they will not be subject to prior review or restraint. Student journalists may use online media to report news and information, to communicate with other students and individuals, to question and consult with experts, and to locate material, to meet their newsgathering and research needs. The Times, and staff, will strive to avoid publishing any material determined by student editors or the student editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous, obscene, materially disruptive of the school process, an unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright laws or electronic manipulations changing the essential truth of the photo or illustrations. Other obligations can be found in the handbook available to each student. The Times adviser will not act as a censor. If questions arise over specific copy as defined within this policy, student journalists will seek the advice of the communications attorney from the Student Press Law Center. The Times editorial board as a whole will be responsible for determining editorial opinions, which represent the opinions of a majority of the editorial board. No single member of the Times can be held responsible for editorial content decisions. The Times is a tool in the learning process of journalism and operates as a learning laboratory. Any student may be a member of the staff, with or without prior journalism experience or enrollment on the staff for credit. As a forum for student expression, the Times will publish all letters to the editor, provided they are 300 words or less and contain the author’s name, house, and address. On occasion, we will publish letters using the “name withheld” providing the Times editor, or a team editor, knows the author’s identity. We reserve the right to withhold a letter or column and return it for more information if we determine it contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy. Letters will be edited for spelling and grammar. Should a letter contain errors in fact, excessive grammatical errors or be too long, it will be returned to the author for re submission. Deadlines for letters and columns will be no later than ten days before the next publication date. The Times may choose to report student, staff, faculty, and alumnus deaths as he editorial board is made aware of them. We reserve the right to decide not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstances. In cases where the editorial board decided not to cover death, letters to the editor in regard to that death could be printed.
March 2011
contents
3
A survey of political correctness among LHS students By Lindsey McEntee
How often do you still get your mouth washed out with soap? According to a survey conducted by the Times on political correctness at LHS, it should be every period, every day. An overwhelming majority of LHS students believe that the students of this school are saying whatever pops into their heads. Out of a total of 223 surveyed, only 12 answered that they believed most students were mindful of what they were saying and only one answered to never having heard a vulgar or profane word uttered in the hallway. The vast majority of students said they often overheard private matters being discussed in public places, and everyone seemed to agree on the topics – sex, drinking, drugs, and family issues. Other common answers were abortion, pregnancy, suicide, and arrests. “Many girls will just sit in class and talk about their sex life and what sexual things they did the night before as if they have no respect for the people around them, but more importantly themselves,” said one freshman. However, when it comes to commenting on their own behavior, the numbers seem to magically spin. While most people answered that they heard swearing between every period, the majority feel they themselves only swore four to seven times a day. This may be due to people being unaware that they are using vulgar or profane language. In everyday life, language such as ‘oh my god’ or ‘sucks’ have come to be considered completely appropriate. When asked if they could go a week without swearing a surprising majority (61%) answered yes. When the Times staff took on a weeklong challenge of no vulgar, profane, or objectionable language, we failed miserably. While this sample of the student body could not overcome the urge to swear, it is interesting that the rest of the student body believed they could. Now of course swear words are not the only aspect of political correctness. Words pertaining to race and ethnic background are also issues to combat. It would seem that circumstances often determine the kind of language used when talking about these issues. For example, more people feel comfortable using the word white than black when with friends. However surprisingly, more people feel comfortable using the words African American as opposed to Caucasian. With regards to the n-word, only 29% said they felt comfortable using it in a social situation, but 35% answered it was alright to use the n-word if you are African American yourself. With such a discrepancy in numbers it is possible to conclude that people are really just basing their language on what they feel will be accepted in a particular situation. Over the years, words regarding sexuality have almost all come to be accepted. In regards to homosexuality, the num-
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How often students at LHS swear in a day:
15 or more; 26% 8-14 times; 12%
0-3 times; 30% 4-7 times; 32%
All art by Casey Miller
The Lakewood Times
89% 66% White
62%
African American
Gay
Caucasion
82% Black
Homosexual Fag 65%
72%
43%
Queer 29%
Words you felt comfortable using with friends
ber one word students felt comfortable using with friends wasn’t homosexual, but gay (72% felt comfortable). Homosexual came in second (65%), fag in third (43%), and queer in fourth (39%). Words regarding girls’ sexuality such as hoe, skank, slut, and whore have become completely accepted by both boys and girls. An overwhelming percent admitted to referring to a girl by one of these names in a playful as well as a derogatory way. Whatever students may consider acceptable is probably not going to be the same
March 2011
as the adults who get to tell them what they actually can say. When it comes to parents, people tend to still be afraid of the repercussions, as only 12% answered that they would be okay using any word in front of their parents. However school is a different story, only eight people confessed to receiving a detention or referral for their language, while the rest believe the only consequences for their language are a swift ‘clean it up’ from an administrator or teacher.
With so many different people and circumstances, only one thing can be determined from the survey as a whole, students are semi-mindful when it comes to language in a less-lax environment, however with friends, anything goes.
focus 5
Are you By Haley McGinty
Paige Smigelski, a junior on the Times staff, was the first to lose her cool right outside room B207. When given the challenge of not swearing after stepping outside of the classroom, she was the first to drop an “oh f___,” (rhymes with truck.) Karen Ballash, the Times advisor would have never thought “quiet Paige” would be the first. While planning this issue, the Times staff zoned in on one aspect of political correctness- the often politically incorrect words and gestures many teenagers use throughout the day. Some examples include f__ (rhymes with tag), f___ (rhymes with duck), d_____ (rhymes with cram-it), the raised middle finger, and even phrases such as “oh my god.” “It’s such a large part of our culture,” says junior staff member Lily Pollack. “We are surrounded by it constantly.” Senior and co editor-in-chief Fiza Shah states that “it is hard to stop yourself from letting curse words slip, especially with friends. But, the hardest part was stopping myself from saying things like ‘oh my God.’” This is not to say that we are uncontrollable with words, but that generally, no one really seems to try. Shah, like other teenagers, wondered how hard it would be to become more conscious of her bad mouth, and if being more aware would help her to focus on not using this type of language. And so the challenge was presented to the class; one week of being more conscious of the language they use, and in what context they use it. Narrowing it down to four main categories (vulgar, profane, objectionable, and gesture) the class quickly became aware of the increasingly vulgar language and crude gestures many teens use. Every time a Times staff member was to use any of the 4 categories in any kind of discussion or manner, they were to record what they said, and in what context. Since using words such as “n_____” (rhymes with trigger,) and “s___” (rhymes with hit,) occur in almost every day social conversions, no one would have thought twice. This was the hard part of the challenge, having to catch yourself. “I swear like a maniac,” says senior staff member Grant Graves. “I had to write [in a memo] in my phone every time during the day when I swore. It was awful by 9th period
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The Times staff swear jar. All photos by Gwen Stephen
The Lakewood Times
u up for the challenge? Times staff tests their political correctness
journalism.” Recording the data was not the worst part of this challenge though; it was becoming aware of your language that made it tough. “I usually say something before I catch it though,” says senior staff member Katy Eberl. And that’s exactly why language such as the F-bomb or even the N-word has become so common. “It becomes a habit of everyday sort-of speech,” says junior staff member Peter Quigley. “Even [teens] these days don’t have as wide of a vocabulary, so it might be hard to alternate words.” Kids and teens don’t even know they are saying it, because they hear it in everyday conversations. It doesn’t become an actual problem until an adult or another adolescent point it out as one. For the Times s t a ff ,
vulgarity was the hardest wall to break. The first swear log, recorded on Thursday, February 10th, 2011 showed that the staff had a total of 85 vulgarities with 16 profanities, and that’s eliminating the fact that many kids could have slipped without recording their data. The next day, the number dropped significantly to 46 vulgarities, while profanities increased to 18. This data shows that the class, in just 24 hours, became very aware of how much they swore per day. But it was predicted that over the weekend all guards would drop. This is exactly what happened. “Not cussing for a week is a lot harder than [thought],” says senior staff member Matthew Majewski. “When I would [swear], I would eventually follow that cuss with another cuss. It was embarrassing.” “I couldn’t hold my tongue over the weekend. Being around my teachers [during the week] makes me more [conscience] about my choice of words,” says senior staff member Sam Cross. “The weekend seems care-
March 2011
free.” Over the Valentine weekend, the vulgarity count flew through the roof. (Proof we love to swear?) A total of 352 were estimated, while eliminating any factors of staff members forgetting to record their data. Also, the profanities reached a total of 61 recordings, mostly were confirmed as “oh my god.” On Wednesday, February 16th, the last day of the challenge, a total of 183 vulgarities were recorded, and 53 profanities, all of which were “oh my god.” “I think we improved in the end, only because we became more and more aware,” said Katy Eberl. “This challenge made us pay attention. Even though the challenge is over I still always catch that thought in my mind as I swear.” This challenge showed the Times staff that our vocabulary has not only changed, but has become more open to the words our parents and grandparents would look at as despicable, shameful, or even immoral. The Times staff learned that some of the categories were used more than others. For example, vulgarities were used way more than objectionables. There were very few objectionables. “The objectionables are definitely more taboo than the rest,” says senior Matthew Majewski. “Most people probably fear saying them too loud.” This challenge made the Times staff more aware of the swear words used everyday. Nevertheless, frowned upon or shrugged off, swear words will ultimately come and go with the decades, just as slang always has. It is not that teens are disrespectful with every swear word used, but it is an act no one really tries to correct. But this experiment showed that most teens still have morals, when it comes to actual hurtful words, rather than the occasional slip of the tongue.
Challenge Rules The challenge was to last for 1 whole week as soon as school let out that day.
No Times staff member could use the following spoken or written language: • Vulgar words like the f-word and common curses
• Profane words that take God’s name in vain. • Objectionable language that labels another, like the n-word. • Politically incorrect gestures were also forbidden.
If a staff member broke the rules, they were to record what they said or did and in what context. Then they added it to the jar.
focus 7
Turning the page on “Huck Finn” By Fiza Shah
English teacher. “If my job is to teach language, well, that’s the nuclear bomb,” he said. In one of his classes, Wheeler walked into the room, wrote the “n-word” on the wall, and waited. In less than 10 seconds, the laughter and conversations turned into silence as students noticed the word on the wall. According to him, this is the power of the word. Afterwards, he began a discussion with his class. Ballash, on the other hand, thinks she would get the same dramatic reaction if she The quote above is from the novel “The censorship, but the actions of Gribben have walked up to the board and put up any steAdventures of Huckleberry Finn” written by made him err on the side of censorship in reotypical label. Mark Twain. In the quote, the word “nigger” this issue. Because of the power in this word, Wheelis repeated twice. This is 2 out of the 219 “My goal is to teach reading comprehen- er believes students should discuss how the total times it is mentioned in the book. sion; I have to eliminate anything that stands word is used and the various connotations At LHS, this book is taught at the sopho- in the way of that. I could opt not to teach behind it. While he understands that it is the more advanced level. Huck Finn,” said Wheeler. “I’m allowed to English teachers’ responsibility to address Because of this word, Dr. Alan Gribben re- [opt out] like the hundreds of teachers who such words, to think the only way to do so leased a new version, the New South Edition, have and who will continue to. But, I think we is by teaching Twain, Wheeler says, is “prereplacing “nigger” with “slave.” This removal miss out something quintessentially Ameri- posterous.” has caused some controversy. can about the literature of Mark Twain.” “Mark Twain didn’t want to white-wash The varying opinions represented in the He says that Twain’s intent with writing history,” says Ballash. “He wanted you to country in regards to see that it was this issue are also rephurtful and that it resented in the English was wrong to ob“In a high school at the sophomore level, I have Department. jectify and make English teacher JenniJim less than huto deal with the idea that I don’t want to lose kids fer Lewis doesn’t agree man.” with the censorship of Readers don’t in the reading of a book. And I think that Huck Finn the text. Nonetheless, understand this in she doesn’t read the many cases, says has a lot more to say to a kid than just a debate word out loud during Ballash. The hero class in fear of hurting of the book is acabout the ‘n word.’ I think Huck Finn is deep -- deep a student’s feelings. If a tually Jim, who student has the original teaches Huck with meaning, and I don’t think changing that word copy in their hands, they how to be polite, can still read the word nice, and behave changes any of the meaning.” in their heads and that in society. Huck word will register in variis riding in a boat ous ways depending on down the river their experiences. But, with someone there’s no need to read who’s supposed it out loud. to be beneath “I grew up hearing sticks and stones may this book was not to evoke a controversial him. In doing so, Twain has “protected Jim break your bones,” said Karen Ballash, “but response to the word, which was commonly by making him the most human and admirawords will never hurt you. But, I know names accepted and used during the framework of ble person in the entire book.” She points out hurt.” the story. Therefore, putting so much em- that Twain was an abolitionist, and he knew But Ballash, also a sophomore English phasis into this particular word draws the at- exactly what he was doing. He chose that teacher, feels the edited version reduces the tention away from the other elements in the word on purpose. integrity of Twain’s work. book, which are important to kids. Tomas Pano, a student in Wheeler’s EngEnglish teacher Sean Wheeler feels conWheeler understands that he cannot sim- lish class, feels the word should no longer be flicted by the idea of using the new edition. ply disregard the word as a whole, because used, whether it is in everyday conversations Wheeler says he is usually on the side against it is part of the English language and he is an or during the reading of a book. “You’re not
“Each person had their own nigger to wait on them-
Buck, too. My nigger had a monstrous easy time, because I warn’t used to having anybody do anything
for me, but Buck’s was on the jump most of the time”
- “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
- Sean Wheeler
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The Lakewood Times
“Mark Twain didn’t want to white-wash history. He wanted you to see that it was hurtful and that it was wrong to objectify and make Jim less than human.”
- Karen Ballash
[trying] to change the history. You’re just trying to make it less offensive,” he said. “Whenever you take away someone’s name and give them a label (whether its retard or Polack) it hurts because you take away their personality and reduce them to a label. That always hurts and it always should hurt.” Many of Wheeler’s students feel that the book shouldn’t be edited. Heather DeJesus says that changing such a big part of the book changes its meaning. She would use the original version, even if teachers do use the edited one, because it is historically correct. “You’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because you don’t want to offend anyone and you certainly don’t want to turn anyone off to the book,” says Lewis. “But at the same time you want to be true to the written word. I mean, he wrote it [this way] for a reason.” Lewis’ students also debated with her on the issue when she asked them not to say the word during class. The students thought the words should be read as it’s written, as does Ballash. But, then Lewis also had black students this year who felt uncomfortable when that word was read in class. “It’s still offensive, but they have to realize that back then that’s how it was,” said Matt Bosworth, another student in Wheeler’s class. “So they should be [looking at what] they’ve conquered, what [they] used to be, rather than in the state they are right now. It’s not as bad today.” The last time she taught the book was six years ago, and Lewis doesn’t remember there being a discussion on the subject at the time. Lewis says she doesn’t want to hurt anyone in the reading of a book, so she didn’t read the book out loud this year. She sees this as unfortunate because this is the first time in American Literature where the author is writing in dialect with a regional accent. “In a high school at the sophomore level, I have to deal with the idea that I don’t want to lose kids in the reading of a book. And I think that Huck Finn has a lot more to say to a kid than just a debate about the ‘n- word.’ I think Huck Finn is deep, deep with mean-
March 2011
ing,” Wheeler said. “And I don’t think changing that word changes any of the meaning.” Julie Herman, a sophomore in Wheeler’s Advanced English class says that it would be more productive to talk about the n-word in class, rather than hearing students use it in their personal lives. “I would love to teach that controversy outside of this book,” said Wheeler. “That being said, we’re about to start “Catcher in the Rye.” There’s not an edited version of that.” “Catcher in the Rye,” similar to “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is also taught at the sophomore level. It uses curse words and other controversial language. Ballash has taught this book over 14 times. In recent years she faced a parental challenge to this book for the first time ever. Ironically, “Huck Finn” was the alternative book. “How do we decide who gets to be offended more?” says Wheeler. Different people are offended by different things, he says. Whose wishes should be respected? While teaching in Lakewood, with such diversity, Ballash thinks racism has gotten to be less and less of a problem, especially
“I think it’s better to see someone’s skin color and still accept them, instead of just not recognizing it.” Nonetheless, Wheeler feels skin color does affect the dynamics of the class. “Every student who looks at me using that word knows I’ve never been called it. Change my skin color and every student in the room will assume I have. That’s really different.” There are other ways the racism from other times seeps through. For example, Tom Sawyer, Huck’s friend, gets wounded. Even thought he has treated Jim terribly, Jim still says they need to get a doctor right away. He risks getting caught as a runaway. Huck responded by saying, “I knowed [Jim] was white inside.” Herman points out that Twain uses both the n-word and slave in the book. When he wants to write “slave,” he writes it. Taking out the n-word and replacing it with “slave” implies the words are synonyms and they’re not. Not all black people were slaves, but most were referred to as “niggers.” “[The publisher of the new edition is] getting money for just removing a word and reprinting it,” says Ballash. “He’s profiting from Twain. I mean, I would never want to teach that book. If we adopted it here, I would opt out.” Wheeler says that he doesn’t want to completely erase swear words because it is part of the language. “I don’t agree with cleansing the world of all bad words. There’s a part of me that celebrates it. There’s a part of me that says, ‘well that’s just the richness of language,’” Wheeler said. “And I’ve read some things that were
“You’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because you don’t want to offend anyone and you certainly don’t want to turn anyone off to the book. But at the same time you want to be true to the written word. I mean, he wrote it [this way] for a reason.”
- Jennifer Lewis
with clubs and classes focused specifically towards bridging the racial gap. “If we can’t talk about race,” says Ballash, “why the hell do we have the Race and Diversity Club, if we can’t use the word or talk about it?” “People who say they don’t recognize people’s skin color [are] not being racist but they’re just ignoring the issue,” says Herman.
meant to offend and I’m still okay with it.” While it is unlikely that LHS English department would replace the original text with the censored one, both English teachers and students seem to have a strong opinion on the matter.
focus 9
*
The state of civil discou Polite discussion and debate of ideas, respecting all persons’ right to a differing opinion By Fiza Shah
The idea of civil discourse is one that is not unfamiliar to most, as it has been a heated topic of discussion within the media. After the Tucson shootings, many politicians and their constituents called for civil discourse between the two parties. This sort of call to action often follows a tragic event but usually doesn’t last long, as most politicians become quickly caught up in the next heated topic. “John Stewart did the rally to restore sanity, and I thought that was a great point. I would hope [the message we’re sending is that] politics is [not] about the screaming and the yelling,” said Ron Lewis, regular and Advanced Placement Government teacher. “But, the unfortunate part is that if you want to be on television and you want to compete with the entertainment shows, you have to bring an element of entertainment to your [news] show.” However, it is not just politicians who might need a lesson in civility. Lewis and Christopher Lamphear, a British Literature and Speech teacher, feel it is not just the level of civil discourse that has declined, but rather the amount of discourse in general has lessened. As the world is becoming more and more of a global village, Lewis says society is becoming more and more apathetic. This apathy can also be seen within the student body. “In my class, where I’m actually trying to stimulate a discussion, kids just don’t seem to be as moved by some of the topics. And, maybe I’m not picking the right topics,” said Lewis. But whatever the reason, these students feel removed from the topics, he says. “I don’t want to say that kids don’t care anymore, [because] I know they care. But I just don’t see it (incivility) as far as the discussions going on in the classroom.” Alisa Nazelli, who teaches Human Rights and Conflict and Advanced Placement European History, feels that some students are less likely to participate because they fear being ridiculed by their peers.
10 focus
This is why many people choose to visit chat rooms and forums online to share their opinions, Lewis says. Online, they can be anonymous. In technological age, the news is often competing with shows meant to entertain. Therefore, Lewis says many of these organizations try to entertain rather than inform. Outlets such as NPR, which is primarily straight news, are publicly funded because otherwise they too would have to compete with entertainment shows. This clash between entertainment and news is partly what Stewart was rallying against. Lauren Flynn, who teaches Pop Culture, says, “I think unfortunately the media plays a big role in [the level of civil discourse]. Things that [students have] been exposed to on television, in film and things like that, have gotten our society to a point where [people] think that’s a normal way to handle conflict. Growing up as a child, you don’t really see the repercussions of those actions. You just see them glorified in the media.” Dr. Chuck Greenoff, who teaches regular and Advanced Placement United States History, agrees that technology has had a major impact on how we converse. “We’re at the point now where we have more and more ways to say less and less. We have twitter, and e-mail and instant messaging and texting. And, so we have more ways to instantly communicate. So, we think less about what we’re saying. And, have less to say. And, more ways of saying.” Greenoff, however, feels that our level of discourse has not gotten worse. “For the most part, students are able to be civil and are civil. There’s a level of non civil behavior, like some student think that they can bump themselves into someone else in the hall and they don’t have that concept that they exist in a society because it’s just all about them all the time.” Flynn attributes what she sees as civility to the amount of diversity there is in Lakewood. “I think you learn a lot from people who are not like you and I think Lakewood
students have a great deal of respect for that. Like I said, there are always going to be kids who don’t get along, but I think for the most part, we’ve kind of learned from one another and tried to avoid [incivility].” Lewis teaches his classes that the two major political parties (Republicans and Democrats) are primarily the same. The majority of the American people don’t follow an extreme, and instead are moderate in their thinking. Therefore, to appeal to a larger majority of people, neither party leans too far left or right. Some politicians then revert to personal attacks in order to separate themselves from their opponents, thus mudslinging. This concept can also be applied to the classroom level. Lamphear says that part of the problem with civil discourse is that many times, students bring their own personal conflicts into classroom discussions. “It happens all the time. Two students are involved in discourse in the class,” Lamphear says. “They don’t like each other outside the class, and decide to disagree with each other, not based on the arguments themselves, but on their personal feelings.” So, in this case, rather than discussing the topic in hand, the conversation can sometimes derail into mudslinging. Flynn, the adviser for the Peer Mediation program, says many of the tools the students use to mediate with can also be taught at the classroom level. Peer Mediation encourages student leadership and discourse to resolve problems. The process is that students are referred to the mediation program by an administrator, teacher, or another student. The referred students then meet with student mediators. “Basically the process allows students who are having some sort of conflict to sit down with one another in a peaceful way and each person gets to tell their side or share their feelings without interruptions. Then, they work together to come to some sort of agreement, whether it is to avoid each other completely, or possibly to get
Civil Discourse
The Lakewood Times
urse* in the classrooms
Art by Casey Miller
along.” “Regardless of time and place, teenagers are not always civil and polite with one another,” especially outside the classroom. Then this sort of behavior sometimes transfers into the classroom as a normal way to converse,” Nazelli said. “It’s a shame because it’s a poor substitute for actually thinking. Name calling is not a good argument,” said Greenoff. “F---
March 2011
off is not a very persuasive argument. You can’t’ take that into court; you can’t take that anywhere and convince anyone of anything. It’s a formula for failure in life just to rely on that level of dialogue.” Regardless, Greenoff doesn’t think that simply using curse words makes someone a unable to converse civilly. It is more about knowing when it is appropriate. Lewis agrees. “There are parts of my life, people in my life, who when I’m with them, that’s part of the regular vernacular. And I have friends, who, if I didn’t curse when I’m with them, will ask ‘are you okay, is there something wrong with you?’” Regardless, Lewis still doesn’t appreciate when students curse in front of him because there is a time and place for everything. With friends, Lewis says, it is often acceptable to curse, “but sitting at home and asking grandma to pass the f---ing mashed potatoes [is] out of context and wrong and it doesn’t’ fit.” For Nazelli these sort of swear words in regular conversations puts the person off to what is being discussed and the points being made. Therefore, to encourage students to avoid such vernacular, these teachers attempt to first arm their students with knowledge about the subject so that their opinions can be informed. According to these teachers, many students are not always knowledgeable. “It’s hard to have a heated discussion when no one has any facts because that wears out pretty quickly and then it just turns into, ‘I don’t like your shirt,’” says Lewis. Lamphear solves this problem by using a basic method of teaching for all of his classes, be they regular or advanced.
For the first half of the year, Lamphear teaches students about what other scholars thought about specific works. He teaches them about various types of literature, philosophies, etc. Then, during the second half of the year, once they have developed a knowledge base, he encourages them to develop their own theories and learn to think for themselves. In order to better understand others and develop their own theories, Lamphear encourages his students to suspend the values they have. While this is difficult to do, it does create a level field. Nothing’s concrete. Nothing’s good or evil. Everything’s up for interpretation. “My whole idea is to unhinge my students from the idea of black and white,” said Lamphear. “From the concept of right and wrong.” One of the biggest problems with student discussions is, according to Lamphear, that many students don’t know how to listen. One skill he tries to encourage in his students is “to listen to somebody and not only understand what they’re saying, but why they’re saying it.” When Lewis was a high school student, he admits he was “very much like the typical high school kid” in that he wasn’t very politically aware. He had some “really good social studies teachers here at Lakewood that started to get [him] interested in history and politics during his junior and senior year. “It was only when I got into college and got into political science that I became more active and aware,” said Lewis. “Part of growing up surrounded by a bunch of Democrats is that you don’t feel the need to go out and learn a lot because everyone feels the same way you do.” Both Lamphear and Lewis said that the best part of teaching is when students take over discussion. They both agree that this is the characteristic of great teaching. “I think that everyone who teaches social studies would say that the best day of teaching is when you, as the teacher, are doing less of the talking and it’s more of the kids,” says Lewis. It’s just getting them to that point that can be a little challenging.”
focus 11
The skinny on sexting Sexting does more damage than you might think By Melissa Gajewski
A quick pose in front of the mirror, shirt off, snap a quick picture on your phone, then click send. The whole process took about a minute. Maybe you spent a day or two deliberating. But what’s done is done, and your partially nude image is out there, out of reach and out of your control. “Give yourself a minute to think before you click that send or enter button,” said Officer David Acklin. “Because once it’s out there, it’s gone.” Officer Acklin, an LHS class of 1995 graduate, has been Lakewood’s School Resource Officer (SRO) from the Lakewood Police Department for the past three years. His job here is not only to ensure the safety of the staff and students, but also to educate the student body. One issue Acklin has been forced to confront and continues to warn students of is a growing trend among teens across America: sexting. According to Acklin, sexting is “when a minor sends a sexually oriented photo of themselves to someone else.” It sounds relatively harmless, just another example of youthful human beings expressing their hormonal angst to one another. But it’s not harmless, not even relatively so. In fact, it’s downright dangerous for anyone who has future plans to be college student, a homeowner or even a part of the American workforce. The consequences are severe. Sending or saving a received sext of a naked or semi-nude minor (person under 18) qualifies as child pornography and, if taken to court, can end up as a second-degree felony, sentencing the guilty party to register as a sex offender for the next 25 years. “You’re not thinking about how it’s going to effect you down the
12 focus
line with colleges and future jobs, but it will.” said Acklin. “Students are putting themselves into this situation and not thinking of the consequences.” Registered sex offenders are required by Pam Lychner’s Act to inform their neighbors, co-workers, or anyone else with whom they will have extended contact, of their crime until their registration expires. Some Ohio legislators are working to remove the seconddegree felony charges from sexting and make it instead a firstdegree misdemeanor (House Bill 473.) This would remove the 25-year sex offender registration from the verdict. “It’s not worth it to label a minor as a sex offender,” said Republican Ohio Rep. Ron Maag in a February interview with Record Publishing, Portage County. “There are some situations where [those charges are merited,] but the majority would not.” “Obviously, the laws are in effect [to punish] sex offenders,” said Acklin. “Some of the laws [that] are really severe could be [either] good or bad. On the good hand, kids could be swayed [away from sexting]. But again, kids are kids and 15, 16 year olds do stupid things.” What some Ohio legislators worry about is that, by changing the laws from second-degree felony to first-degree misdemeanor, those who do ‘merit’ a sex offender label will get off with the misdemeanor, or that pornographers will hire minors to circulate child pornography. That is why there are some groups, like the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association (OPAA,) who instead favor instilling mandatory education programs, similar to the work Officer Acklin does in Lakewood, in
high schools and middle schools across the state. This would also call for each sexting case to be ruled individually and not given a blanket punishment, like a firstdegree misdemeanor. Major groups still support House Bill 473 despite the OPAA’s opposition, including the Ohio ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The direction the sexting law in Ohio will take is as yet undetermined. Regardless of the level of illegality of sexting, Acklin encourages students to think before they send or post. Even if a sexting case does not end up in juvenile court or in an administrator’s office, it can be damaging to youth. “Teens tend to look at sexting like it’s a joke.” Acklin said. “They overlook the serious repercussions of it.” In the presentation Acklin
gives to health classes at LHS, he tells the story of 18-year-old Jesse Logan, a senior in Cincinnati who killed herself after a nude picture she sent to her boyfriend was circulated around her entire school. Jesse’s is not the only suicide linked to sexting: 13-year-old Hope Witsell, in Florida, hanged herself in 2009 after a topless photo of her was sent around her school and her city’s high school. (To read Hope’s whole story, go to the Today Show at msnbc.com.) Sending one explicit picture to one person can easily escalate. As Acklin said, “They [the receiver] have this very private picture of you and who knows what they’re going to do with it.” Acklin encourages students to come to him if they or a friend are involved in a sexting issue, or even if they simply have questions. His office is situated in House III, in the Mods, and his door is always open.
Officer David Acklin. Photo by Melissa Gajewski
The Lakewood Times
Learning from a mistake By Becca Houp
Everyone knows about it, whispers about it in the hallways, and reads articles in magazines. Sexting-it’s a risky epidemic among teens and young adults that’s sweeping the nation. Do you know the definition of sexting? Students at Lakewood high school were asked the same question, and 23 out of 27 asked couldn’t give the correct answer. Contrary to what most teens may think, the real definition of sexting is to send or receive nude or semi-nude pictures of someone. According to a survey done by the staff at CNN news, 20% of teenagers aged 13-19 have participated in this criminal offense. And, according to the same survey, 18% of teenage boys admit sending scandalous pictures of themselves as well. Even more surprising, 11% of young teen girls aged 13-16 claimed to have sent nude pictures of themselves to someone. What would make someone want to take part in this kind of activity? “It’s a live by the moment kind of thing.” Fifteen-yearold Sarah, a sophomore here at LHS, whose name has been
Megan’s Law Requires a convicted sex offender to register within 7 days of changing address and reserves the right to collect DNA, fingerprints, photo ID and vehicle registration information.
March 2011
changed to protect her identity, admits to sexting. “You don’t really think about what you’re doing as you’re doing it. No one thinks it’s a big deal,” she said. Sarah first began taking nude pictures of herself when she was 13, and she says she only saved them in her phone. She knew that some of her peers were sexting, but she was never brave enough to send any pictures. Like Sarah, many other teens don’t know that just taking and storing nude pictures of yourself is breaking the law. Even if the pictures are only of yourself, you are still in possession of child pornography. Sarah didn’t begin sending the pictures until she first started dating 18-year-old Liam, whose name has also been changed. Sarah said that when she first started dating Liam, everything was pretty casual. He claimed he was fine with “taking it slow”. Late one Saturday night, Liam and Sarah were texting after they’d seen a movie. Liam talked about his favorite scenes of the movie, and Sarah proceeded to tell him her plans for the next day. That’s when Sarah said the conversation took an odd turn.
Lychner’s Act A person convicted of a sexual crime must inform the community he/ she works/lives in and the FBI has the right to release any information about the person to the general public.
Liam asked her to send him a picture of herself. She automatically sent him the picture she used for her Facebook profile thinking he wanted to set it as her contact ID. Liam then described to Sarah what he really wanted to see in the picture. Sarah really liked Liam and trusted him. She didn’t want to chase him away so early in the relationship. Sarah locked herself in the bathroom, and with her parents downstairs, took the picture. She then swallowed her pride, and hit the “send” button. Sarah said Liam was quick to respond with messages reading, “You’re so beautiful…now I really know you care about me.” Sarah and Liam continued dating in the following months, and a few times a month, Liam would ask for new pictures. “It came to a point where he said he had something to tell me and he wouldn’t tell me anything until I sent him a new picture,” Sarah recalls. Liam started sending nude photos of other girls to Sarah as well. Sarah instantly felt offended that her boyfriend was gazing upon the naked bodies of other girls. “He eventually made me feel like his best friend. Then he would send me naked pictures of these girls and say, ‘think you can top that?’ and ‘she’s pretty hot but I bet you could pose better.’ I felt like it became a little game, and I was okay with it.” A few weeks after Sarah and Liam began playing their “little game”, Sarah made a shocking discovery in her best friend Sammy’s boyfriend’s phone. Sammy confronted Sarah hysterically, asking why she would send pictures like that to her boyfriend. But Sammy and Sarah quickly
discovered who really distributed the sexts. When Sarah asked Liam about the pictures that afternoon, he laughed and boasted that he had in fact, sent the picture. “I’ve never felt so embarrassed in my entire life.” Liam and Sarah’s relationship ended, but to this day, Sarah is unaware of the whereabouts of the picture. Sarah says she deleted it from Liam’s friend’s phone, but she has reason to believe he’s not the only one who received it. The events that went on between Sarah, Liam, and all of their friends could land them all in jail. Sarah received sexts of other girls from Liam, as well as distributed them herself. Liam sent and received sexts, and Liam’s friend was in possession of child pornography. But does Sarah really consider Liam a sex offender? “I believe he’s a jerk, not a sex offender. I don’t think he will ever understand the damage he did, just because he’s immature. And immature people are ignorant to the consequences of their actions.” Getting caught smoking, drinking and doing drugs is easier to recover from, but now have teens found the one activity that will haunt them down the road when applying for colleges or jobs. Even trying to live in a decent neighborhood would be a difficult with “Megan’s law” and “Pam Lychner sexual offender tracking and identification act.”
focus 13
Graduating Is it for
Mick Wooley gathers change for a customer during his close-to-full-time job at Rozi’s Wine House on Detroit. Photo by Sam Cross.
F
By Sam Cross
or some teens, high school’s four years are the best. For others, it’s a place provoking extreme boredom and ‘round the clock torture. On the plus side, those who chose to suffer from a heavy workload are the same ones who are making it out first. “I was beginning to not care about school and getting fed up with the dumb rules and disgusting pizza,” said early graduate, Mick Wooley. “So I thought, if I don’t have to be here all year, then why not graduate early?” In order to do this, students must meet the standard requirements. “All you need to make sure of
14 news
is that you have 21 credits by the nity to stay, I would definitely recend of the first semester of your ommend PSEO (Post Secondsenior year,” said early graduate, ary Enrollment Options),” said Young. Nick Cestaro. Although out of high school, Those 21 credits, however, can’t come from any old class. Cestaro now has time to do more Seniors must complete and pass than educational things, withcertain courses in order to walk out actually sitting in a cramped across the stage at the end of classroom. the year. “I work, watch my daughter, “I just had to make sure my and go to Tri-C,” said Cestaro. senior English and Government “[Graduating early was] a great requirements were taken care idea, and an opportunity to get of after the first semester,” said a head start on college. I plan on Wooley. “It wasn’t hard, really going to Toledo.” While students who graduanyone can do it.” Although high school work- ate before the end of the regular sheets and final exams are long school year tend to leave in early gone for these two graduates, January, others find the opporbeing productive is far from out tunity more fulfilling to leave an entire year early. of the picture. “I work “There’s almost full never very “I would be stuck at the time,” said many [stuhigh school every day taking W o o l e y. dents who electives that won’t help me graduate “It’s nice in the real world at all.” because early],” said - Nick Cestaro now I can Yo u n g . save my H o w e v e r, money.” if more students were informed Like Cestaro and Wooley, of the benefits early graduation many high school seniors, or offers, many more might be ineven juniors, may experience the terested in doing so.” feeling of wanting to leave high “I think it’s better for kids to school and move on to a higher graduate early so they can plan level of education earlier than the ahead for college and a career,” rest of their peers. said Cestaro. “If I didn’t, I would Guidance counselor Emmy be stuck at the high school every Young advises those students day taking electives that won’t to continue learning while simply help me in the real world at all,” stepping it up a level, instead of said Cestaro. “I should be able leaving the educational atmo- to take college classes instead of cooking or art or other silly sphere all together. “If a student had an opportu- classes.”
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The Lakewood Times
early you?
1 In the early Fall of 2008, Governor Ted Strickland revealed a proposal in his State of the State address called, “Seniors to Sophomores Program.” The educational project allowed high school students to study on a University System of Ohio campus for their senior year. In exchange, these qualified students would receive a tuition-free year of college credit, while also completing their last year of high school. To be qualified, students interested must have passed the Ohio Graduation Test, pass three years of English and Algebra II, and score ‘college ready’ on the college partner’s entrance assessment. An estimated 30 Ohio campuses showed a willingness to follow Strickland’s proposal, giving the leading-edge program a definite go. Like the Seniors to Sophomores program, PSEO also has many followers. “It’s a way to earn college credit with everything paid for,” said Young. Although Wooley is dedicating his time to making hard-earned money, he is also keeping his future in mind. “I’m planning on going to college, most likely Kent,” said Wooley. As a message to all of the underclassmen, Wooley highly suggests making the same decision he did: “It’s the perfect cure for senioritis.”
March 2011
5
WHAT TO DO
PLANNING STEPS
BEFORE GRADUATING EARLY
FlNANCE
Talk to your parents. Consider your options if you’re graduating a year early. Without help from Post Secondary Enrollment Options, discuss if college classes are affordable at this point in your academic career. If graduating after the first semester, consider applying for financial support.
2
FlELD OF STUDY Make sure you’ve become familiar with a specific area of learning you are interested in studying. Think about the future and if your interest would make a suitable career.
3
GUlDANCE Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss if you’re eligible for PSEO and to discuss which college is best for you.
4
APPLY Find and research colleges you’ve talked over with your counselor. Apply to these colleges that interest you. Be sure to mention the field you are interested in studying.
5
SCHOLARSHlPS
Applying for scholarships will show you are an early graduating student eager to meet a higher level of education. It shows you are capable of starting on the path to the next step in your future (after following through with the four steps above). Scholarships may also help you financially.
news 15
Times Staff Editorials: Minding your mouth
Respect for others is a rare treasure these days. While our society has become more comfortable with verbal abuse and ignorant of offensiveness, the amount of hurt and discrimination has greatly increased. It seems as though we’ve become more like cans of soup and less like civil human beings. Labeled and put on shelves, we’re carefully placed in categories and we conveniently find a place for others, too. Everyone is a victim and offender in this society. While we may find politically incorrect words or phrases rude and offensive, not many of us can confidently say we’ve never said them. To intentionally use words such as “fag,” “dike,” “retarded,” “homo,” and “slut,” to dismiss someone else is hurtful and completely uncalled for. How hard is it to think before you speak? How hard is it to be aware of others’ feelings and consider the consequences of our actions? Who would think that calling someone else a “fag” could lead to his or her suicide? Never does anyone really consider the true effect of their hurtful words, because after all they’re just words, right? No. We’re living in a world of war on words. No one believes that their accidental slip or intentional, ignorant, immature name-calling would ever strike someone in such a way. It is our duty as human beings to contribute to society in a way that will promote well-being. What is stopping us from taking a stand and ending this abusive verbal relationship we continue to engage in with each other. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But piled on, hurtful words and absolutely childish behavior does nothing for our community and for our school. Politically incorrect language has increasingly lost its shock value.
A decade ago, the “f-word” would cause heads to turn. Now it’s more common than the word ”please.” For a generation that one day hopes to command respect, shouldn’t we begin by respecting our language.
Art by Matt Majewski
Students lose the Snowball fight Getting dressed up, taking pictures and dancing the night away with friends --sounds like a good time, right? Then what kept 87% of the students from attending this year’s Snowball? The Times staff believes that the idea of a good time may have changed. With students watching shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Skins,” the consumption of alcohol and partying all night is glorified. Students would rather attend a private party than a schoolorganized dance. This trend is also happening in schools
16 opinion
nearby, with dances cancelled at Medina, Rocky River, and St. Ed’s. Students claim that they are sick of the dress code rules for dances and new regulations every year. So it just makes more sense to some people to attend a party where they can wear what they want and dance how they want. Another factor affecting the ticket sales for Snowball was the cost. The prices for tickets continue to rise because seniors need the money for prom and have done no type of fundraising. Tickets sold for $12. When you
add the cost of a spiffy outfit and shoes, it can definitely put a dent in one’s budget. Cost or quality? Either way, not enough students were satisfied with the dance. It ended up disappointing 240 students and leaving the seniors out of luck.
The Lakewood Times
Privacy: a thing of the past? By Peter Quigley
A mere 16 years ago, people had to go to fairly significant lengths to learn about each other. They had to earn each other’s trust and go through other obstacles before they knew each other well. These extra steps only made that knowledge more fulfilling, kind of like the feeling of reaching the good part of a previously boring book. Those were the days of privacy. When the information age was born, privacy died. The World Wide Web, launched in 1995, made it easy for any fool to click a button and find out many things about someone else. Without privacy, formerly personal things have become public. People tend to forget that everything is permanent on the internet. Google saves every search. Every Twitter update is added to the U.S. Library of Congress. Every click is encapsulated for eternity. Although it’s great that the world has become so much more communal and interactive
through the Internet, I am saddened by it. The journey can sometimes be more important than the destination. Getting to know someone the old-fashioned way is in many ways better than looking at their Facebook page. The lack of privacy in today’s society has turned this generation into a tightly concentrated pool of boredom. Even more so, this school has turned into a pathetic puddle of apathy. Honestly, what’s the fun in going to a school of about 2,000 kids if you already know the majority of them indirectly through the internet? Here I am as a sophomore, and I’m already bored with my surroundings. The corners of the social map have been filled and here I am, wasting away on an island of disillusionment. Ignorance can certainly be bliss. However clichéd that saying might be, it is quite true, especially today. In many ways, the unknowns of life can be much more exciting than the familiar. That’s why people watch movies about monsters and ghosts rath-
Letter to the editor
Art by Casey Miller
er than people going to work and paying taxes. I’m not necessarily discouraging knowledge, but there would be no fun in living in a world that you know everything about. If you knew everything, what would be left to learn? Another aspect I truly dislike about the lack of privacy is that it gives distorted representations of people. There is very often a divide between someone in reality and the same person on the internet or in gossip. However, the lines between reality and word of mouth often blur, leading to confusion and hurt. I think the whole world needs to slow down. Privacy is like the spaces between notes in music. Often under appreciated, it is
still the thing that makes everything else more enjoyable. When it comes to the argument of political correctness, I find it sad that people need profanity, sex and violence to keep them interested in life. People should learn to find the more subtle joys in life. Privacy is what’s keeping the world from being one big, ugly, boring room. I don’t want future generations to be deprived of the thrill of discovery and the frustrations of secrets. Without privacy, we’re killing all our fun.
Do you have any strong feelings about this issue? Drop your letters to the editor off in the mailbox in B207.
March 2011
opinion 17
Abortion: an irresponsible choice
By Julia Houska
By the age of 45, more than 1/3 of women in the U.S. have an abortion. Since 1996 1.37 million abortions occur every year. In the state of Ohio, it is legal to have an abortion. But does that make it right? The answer is no. The excuses about why abortions are okay just seem so unacceptable. People talk about parents not being ready. They also talk about overpopulated foster homes. But it usually comes down to parents who
are teenagers and can’t keep a child in a good environment. Or that it can’t survive outside the womb, so its not really a child. It is the teens’ fault for getting pregnant in the first place and getting themselves into a situation that might make them a parent. In modern day America, how can I expect my peers to stay abstinent? It’s not my place to scold them for doing something wrong. But when it comes to killing an innocent life, I can’t be silent. When people criticize abortion, they immediately blame the mother. But, it takes two to create life. This then becomes both of their responsibilities. Teen pregnancy is becoming seen more and more. Yes, this is a problem, but the real problem lies in those people aborting their
18 opinion
child. I’m not attacking the women that have had an abortion I don’t agree with their decision but I also don’t judge them because of it. When one looks at it there are two main ways to end a child’s life through abortion: in-clinic abortion and medicated abortion. For both, you need either a parent to sign off or a judicial override and it will cost between $350 and $900. It is legal to do this within the first trimester. Recently Ohio Republicans introduced a bill to end this. The “Heart-Beat bill,” if passed, will make it illegal to have an abortion once a heartbeat is heard. The heart in an unborn is one of the first organs to form, It is believed a heartbeat can be heard as soon as 16 days for some women and up to 5 weeks for others. According to the ABC News website, the bill has a strong chance of passing and I could not be more thrilled that we are steps closer to stopping abortion. We wouldn’t bury someone if they had a heartbeat. Why do we kill them through abortion? A heartbeat is a sign of life and everyone has the right to life. If you have a new puppy that you can’t care for or don’t want, is it right to kill it? No. You either give it away or find a way to take care of it. A puppy is not the same thing as a human being but still gets the point across. Instead of aborting a beautiful child because you can’t accept that you brought them here, put them up for adoption or figure out a way to raise them. If your grandparent can’t make it around the house as easily as they used to or they aren’t “with it,” do we feel its okay to just toss them in a nursing home? No, but because a child is a “hassle,” why we can choose to terminate them? How is it okay to say murder is a bad thing, but abortion isn’t? If you are unable to kill your grandfather because of burden (money, personal care, etc.), then it isn’t acceptable why is acceptable to kill a child. Yes children cost a lot of money, money most teens don’t have, but that
doesn’t justify not giving them their rights. Life is life. Would your life be the same if your best friends’ parents had terminated your best friend? So how can you justify killing someone’s future best friend? These unborn children have the right to live and deserve their chance in this world. For all you know, the baby that isn’t getting a chance to live their life just might have been a future president, or the next Oprah Winfrey. How would you feel if someone denied you the right to live? That is exactly what you are doing when you approve those 1.37 million abortions each year.
The Lakewood Times
Out of sight is, unfortunately, out of mind
By Fiza Shah
A few nights ago, I was watching a Pakistani news show on TV. Usually I hate watching Pakistani news, but for some reason, I decided to suspend my previous distaste and give it a try. It didn’t take but a few minutes for me to realize why I hated it so much. The anchor was talking about Pakistani politics, something I try not to pay attention to. With one of the most awkward transitions in history, he then moved on to a story about a father who took the lives of his family and himself to escape poverty. As if relaying the day’s forecast, the anchor spoke of how the man was not able to work because of disability and while his wife did what she could, it was still not enough fill their children’s empty stomachs. As he spoke, they were showing a picture of the family smiling, perhaps one of the most eerie sights I’ve seen. The newscaster relayed how the man strangled his wife first, then his kids, and then hanged himself, as his smiling face was staring back at me. And, the only thing I could think of was “He was so poor he couldn’t even afford poison.” An overwhelming sense of disgust, anger and shame overcame m e .
This is why I didn’t watch Pakistani news. The idea of dying of hunger is something I just can’t comprehend. What it feels like, at the age of six or seven, to go to sleep hungry, your parents’ unconvincing reassurances a lullaby. “You’ll have food tomorrow. I promise,” they must say. Or “when I get a job, I’m going to buy you a huge plate of rice. Steaming. With chicken and beef and anything else. For now, just sleep.” I imagine the last words to be more of a plea. And, sadly, they did sleep. What does it feel like to die from hunger? It always seems so basic. Saying, “He lives in poverty.” I’ve heard it so many times it seems more like a place of residence than a life in desperation. There’s a part of me who never wants to see such news again. The feeling of helplessness I felt while watching the pictures of the little kids, smiling. Gazing into their eyes and seeing the look of desperation. And, looking down at my plate of rice, still steaming. And yet, there’s a part of me that wishes I could see such news every day. Because when I looked down at that plate of rice, I didn’t see the leftovers that I saw minutes before. I saw life. If that little
boy had the plate of rice that sat before me, he might be alive. While watching the show, I was imagining little kids searching through garbage dumps to find the last bits of the burger I carelessly threw away. And, I imagined a woman sitting at McDonalds, bragging about how she donated $10 to her church, as she finishes the hamburger and fries she just paid $20 for. There will always be a part of me who wishes I had never seen such “news.” But, isn’t that what we always say when we want to remain ignorant to something. I can say how I didn’t want to see it because it was disturbing or depressing. But, the truth is that for me, at that point, ignorance would’ve been bliss. The truth is that no one would brag about their $10 donation if they had seen that family picture. And, the truth is that our sense of responsibility lessens the more ignorant we are. Perhaps we, as a society, have become so apathetic towards the rest of the world because we can switch the channel and simply pay attention to something else. And, because we don’t know, we can remain blissfully ignorant. Maybe, if I had changed the channel and watched “Glee” instead, I would be able to joyfully complain about the stale rice without any nagging feeling of guilt. But, this guilt is not simply a burden or hindrance. Rather, it is a necessity for anyone wanting to call themselves human. Of course, guilt will not feed a starving child. So, the next step should be to donate something. But, it shouldn’t be with the mindset that you’re doing your part in society, because that’s not the truth. It should be with this guilt in your heart that you donate that money. And, if the guilt is there, you will never brag about your generosity. because you won’t be ignorant. And, your intellect will tell you you’re responsible to do much more than donate $10. And, this responsibility will force you to watch such shows. Otherwise, in a guiltless world, out of sight is, unfortunately, out of mind. Art by Danielle Curran
March 2011
opinion 19
Drawing the line between political correctness and
disrespect
By Al Rodriguez
The line between being “politically correct” and respectful could use a bit of blurring. From our childhoods, most of us are taught to be respectful towards others. We’re brought up to say “please,” “thank you,” and avoid swear words or other rude language that could hurt another human being. As children, we learn this as “respect.” Never are these qualities called “politically correct.” In the media, we only seem to hear about political correctness in a negative connotation. We hear about instances when “Merry Christmas” is changed to “Happy Holidays,” or when books such as “Huckleberry Finn” are re-edited to avoid use of the “n-word”, which was commonly used in the time. When only exposed to the negatives, it’s easy to develop the mindset that being “politically
correct” is bad; too liberal, too conservative. After only seeing one side, we begin to become blind to just how similar PC and basic respect are. The language is the same. The standard “politically correct” terms: “African-American, “Happy Holidays,” or “Homosexual” are all intended to show respect for the minority group they are directed at. If we choose to believe that avoiding swear words, or “speaking like we would like to be spoken to” is right, we are also being politically correct, and probably not realizing it. However, there are those that bring this to our attention, and create a difference between PC and respect, by choosing to be neither. They point out the flaws in both. Take for example outrageous television shows like Jersey Shore, and “Shock Jocks”
such as Howard Stern. They don’t seem to be respectful, and certainly not politically correct with their use of language and often present inappropriate material. However, millions of Americans pay cable/satellite providers just to tune in and hear what outrageous things they’ll say next. This sort of crazy entertainment keeps Americans watching, listening, and thinking that being “Politically Correct” is a bad thing. It builds up an assertion that only the uptight and cranky care about political correctness, and that pop culture says it’s okay to do whatever, or say whatever, despite whom it may offend. In order for PC and respect to truly go hand-in-hand, both sides need to be able to give and take. Those advocating extreme po-
litical correctness could lay off a little, and see that today’s culture contains topics and language that used to be offensive years ago, but aren’t now. The side calling for the complete freedom of speech needs to realize that basic respect for other human beings isn’t a bad thing. As members of this society, we can help blur this line, and create an environment in which being PC isn’t seen as the censoring of free speech. Take pride in the fact that you are respectful and politically correct. After all, the word “political” derives from the root word “polite.” They go hand in hand. Talk to others how you would like to be talked to, and think before you speak. Taking personal pride in the positive aspects of being PC can help make the world around us a little bit nicer.
Say what? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says that obscene material is never allowed on television or radio. But, what makes a show or program “obscene?”
Obscene material, according to a Supreme Court case, is: - Something that the “average” person views as offensive or
crude, - Any material that depicts or describes sexual conduct offensively,
- Material that meets the above standards, and, as a whole, lacks real literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
Offenders could be subject to the FCC taking a license away, a big fine, or a warning.
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The Lakewood Times
Breckel speaks for spirit By Paige Smigelski
Alison Breckel, Student Council advisor, hopes that the Snowball Dance being cancelled isn’t “the start of a series of unfortunate events.” The cancellation of Snowball was a disappointment to many. As an alumnus of Lakewood High, Breckel is disappointed in what Snowball has become. “Snowball is a chance for kids to dress up and play a role they don’t normally get to play. It’s upsetting that students no longer want to be a part of it.” Breckel knows that the school will never be how it was when she went here. “I want to make
it the best we can. I know it will be different, but it will be good because it will be about the kids today.” She is trying to change the way students feel about school functions and activities, by making it about them. Since times have changed, she knows they need to come up with new ways to get students excited for school. With Dr. Wagner’s “full support” she is setting up events to try and boost school spirit. The spirit rallies are just a small way to get students excited about school. There are many other events planned that are
similar. Color wars are another way to increase the spirit. “Color wars were big when I went here,” says Breckel. Classes used to wear their “color” every Friday to show their school spirit. Although there were no rewards for the class that showed the most pride, it was still a way to make school a fun and exciting environment. Around thirty Lakewood students participated in a West Shore lock-in, involving a few other schools as well. The students spent the night at Westlake Recreation Center, where
there were a variety of activities to participate in. There was a swimming pool, karaoke, basketball and other fun activities. It was an “Above the Influence” event and a way for kids to interact without the use of drugs and alcohol. Breckel says that “it went well and we hope to have another lock-in soon.” For Breckel, school spirit is important. “I think you should be proud of anything you are participating in. It just makes your overall high school experience more enjoyable.”
The Snowball has melted By Lisa Kowalski
On February 18, Lakewood High School received some grim news. Due to insufficient ticket sales, the Snowball Dance would be canceled. The minimum number of tickets that needed to be sold in order to cover the cost of the DJ and photographer was 300. But only 241 students bought tickets. “Snowball has dwindled in enrollment for a long time which is why it was opened to the whole school last year,” said Alison Breckel, one of the Student Council advisors.
Part of the reason that the dance was opened to everyone was because the senior class of 2010 wanted to raise more money for their prom. “Snowball has always been a senior class fundraiser, but Dr. Wagner and Ms. Neal also made the push for an all-school dance because attendance had been so low the year before, ” said Breckel. But opening the dance to the whole school created a “Catch 22” of sorts. By letting the whole school attend the Snowball, the senior class could raise more money, but the dance lost its appeal of exclusivity, which led many
people to avoid the dance all together. “When it was first established, Snowball was a seniors-only sitdown dinner and semi-formal dance that was held offsite. Back in the day Snowball was better than prom,” said Breckel. There were also changes made in the ticket-buying process this year. Instead of the usual Fridaybefore-the-dance ticket sales deadline, the deadline w a s
two weeks before the dance. Erin D commented on The Times website that “some students didn’t have the money for the tickets or fees. With 240 tickets sold by Friday, I think that the extra 60 would be sold by Wednesday. Some people were really looking forward to the Snowball Dance. Especially freshmen and sophomores. That was going to be their last dance for the year and most of them were excited for it.” As for the future of Snowball, Student Activities Director Kim Bindel has a positive outlook. “We will certainly try to have one in the future,” said Bindel.
Art by Al Rodriguez
March 2011
lkwd life 21
S H
L
ic k ts
a j e
h t t
u o k
en
d u st
s m
By Lily Pollack
Experiencing the rush of rocking out on stage with crowds of people cheering is something out of the ordinary. Three local bands comprised of LHS students work multiple times a week to perfect original songs and cover pieces. They record, perform, practice, practice some more, form friendships and have a blast while doing so.
Twin Engine Originally comprised of sophomores Kent and Chris Dockus along with Strongsville sophomore Justice Buike, Twin Engine was formed in their 7th grade year. “Chris and Kent were the main starters of the group and they really like boats. [Especially] this one kind of boat with this engine called well…Twin Engine,” said sophomore Sam Fedor. After going through a couple of lead singers and other musicians, the band is now made up by the three originators, plus Fedor and senior Shawn Ziegler. Fedor was added to the group when the Dockus brothers heard her singing in class once and asked her to try it out with the band. Loving every minute of it, she became their lead singer. “We had our first little gig at the Unity Spiritual Center in Westlake,” said Fedor. “It was so much fun, and things skyrocketed from there.” The group practices every Friday night usually, and on weekdays leading up to a performance. But their schedule has changed around a little. “Now we are mainly recording originals on Fridays and working on our own stuff on Sundays,” said Fedor. They’ve played at Lakewood Park, Crocker Park, various bars, and the Blue Dog Bar and Grill along with many other locations
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around Northeastern Ohio. But there is one they remember most. “The House of Blues was crazy fun! We had a blast. It was for the Tri-C Rock Off,” said Fedor. “The lights, the huge sparkly drum set, the backstage crew in the green room, the crowd screaming at us, and the hallway that was covered in signatures and drawings from bands before our time were all there.” The group also performed in Akron on New Year’s Eve for First Night in Akron, 2011. “We also did this concert for Christmas, an original composition at Unity. It was a big turn out and really fun,” said Fedor. Twin Engine does a lot of covers, some of which include “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, “American Girl” by Tom Petty, and “1985” by Bowling for Soup. An added twist to the group would be the uniqueness of the viper (an electric violin) they’ve got. “It gives the sound an extra oomph.” said Fedor. Spending so much time together perform-
ing and practicing creates unforgettable friendships. “The boys in this band are my brothers and my best friends, and they would say the same. They refer to me as their sister,” said Fedor. “When we fight we always get over it.” “Playing together on stage, jamming next to each other is a feeling you only get when you are with friends you know are the best friends you will ever have.”
Twin Engine performs at the Tri-C Rock Off. Photo courtesy of Twin Engine
The Lakewood Times
Make Like a Tree
A.J. Graber, Khalil Cormier and Ryan Thomas practice. Photo courtesy of Make Like a Tree
Originally named Silence of the Night Hawk, LHS sophomore Khalil Cormier, junior Ryan Thomas and junior A.J. Graber decided to form a small band. “I put the plans into motion when I discovered that A.J. could play the guitar,” said Thomas. Suddenly the Night Hawk was silenced and Make Like a Tree was born shortly after the band decided that they wanted to do the
Tri-C High School Rock Off. “There is no real reason for the name, and the only reason we don’t change it is because so many people know us by that,” said Thomas. “We are also amidst a dispute with a band from Colorado of the same name, so we want to hold out until they change their name first.” After adding a few members to the band before being able to perform in the Tri-C Rock Off, it was finally been decided that the lineup would consist of Thomas, Cormier, Graber and Jacob Kirkwood. The four played several months together. The group tends to stick with writing originals, only doing a cover occasionally. “[Some covers] we’ve done are ‘Who will save your soul?” by Jewel and ‘Yo Relatives’ by DJ Assault.” said Thomas. Practicing two or three times every week for a few hours is starting to pay off, seeing that the group has performed in several places. “But our only real ‘gig’, if you could call it that was at the House of Blues for the Tri-C
High School Rock Off,” said Thomas. They enjoy playing for friends and family as well, but one spot is the most memorable for them. “Our most interesting venture was a weekend when a few of us went downtown to try our hands as street musicians with the Cleveland locals,” said Thomas. “It was wild. We were accosted by the homeless, praised by people who weren’t even speaking English, and eventually stopped by an overzealous Bible thumper who believed we were spreading the scripture of the devil himself.” said Thomas. On Make Like a Tree’s Facebook page, they label their sound as “Indie Rock,” Although Thomas says it’s always been hard to label it. But they’re not just unique in terms of performance. “Our band is unique in the bond that we share, and our gung-ho writing style,” said Thomas. “The best part is having the ability to express anything you want to say in the form of music.”
Off the Ground Junior Abby Boland’s need for a backup band when performing in a small venue as a solo artist gave three other teenagers the perfect opportunity to start a band. “Eventually we wrote music together, so I separated the two and now we have Off The Ground,” said Boland. The group is made up of LHS juniors Conner McCready and Zachary Dick along with junior Patrick Arbeznik from St. Ignatius and of course, Boland. “I think the name was chosen by just bouncing ideas off each other,” Boland said. Weeks before an upcoming show are filled with lots of practicing, usually five times a week for a hefty four hours each of those days. “Luckily we get along…most of the time,” Boland said. The practice pays off, seeing that Off the Ground has performed in various venues all around Northeast Ohio. “I think our favorite [experience] was playing at the House of Blues for the Rock Off,”said Boland. Regardless of the all of the gigs they have played, the group still has their feet firmly planted on the ground. “I wouldn’t say we’ve made any major achievements. I think we’re just doing what we love with great people,” said Boland.
March 2011
Their sound is labeled as Pop Rock, “The type of music bands like Paramore play,” said Boland. But regardless of the popular label, the group still has originality like none other. “I think what makes us unique is that we write our own music, and not only that but we all have different music taste,” said Boland. “It’s unique to have different music taste because then the music we create is completely different from anything you’ve ever heard.” There wouldn’t be any music though if it weren’t for the bonds the group members share with each other. “The best part of being in this band is spending the times with the guys. I mean, I would never say this directly to them, but I love them,” said Boland. “They’re like brothers. We fight and scream at each other and then we order pizza and forget about it. It’s just an awesome relationship to have with each of them.”
Abby Boland performs in front of a cheering crowd.
Off the Ground poses for a group photo at the Tri-C Rock-Off. Photos courtesy of Off the Ground
lkwd life 23
Grace nails it By Grace Coy
Photos by Grace Coy
Reverse French Manicure
Sparkles
Diagonal
French Manicure
Polka Dots
This season, the best accessories are your hands! As the season changes, there is a great way to brighten up your wardrobe. Experimenting with nail polish colors and designs is artistic, easy, cheap, and the most fun way to jump into spring. A trend being seen at many spring fashion shows is the reverse French manicure. Instead of having white half moon tips, nails are painted a dark color with a half moon shape of a light color at the base of your nail. Experiment with the colors used as a base, and the tips of the nails, for a new manicured look. Nail decal strips’ popularity is increasing. They are easy to stick on, leaving an intricate design without the hassle of painting. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, last up to ten days and cover your
Nail polsihes can be found in every color. Black, lavender, raspberry and pale pink are popular colors for spring.
whole nail. Nail stickers, which are little stickers with a symbol or design that stick to the nail, are another hassle-free way to enhance your nails. Although they have adhesive on the back, apply a clear topcoat to keep them from peeling off quickly. Get fancy with nails by painting your own designs. First you have to pick a base coat that will act as the background. Next, pick whether you are going to do stripes, letters, or flowers on your nail. Then you simply pick out the colors you want for your design and begin painting them on with a toothpick. To achieve the bursting flowers, paint tiny dots in a circle with a tooth pick. If you want a quick way to make your nails stand out, simply pick a good color. This season, very pale colors, nudes, and metallic are standing out. Lavenders and powder blues are youthful without making too much of a statement. For
a more bohemian look, use nude colors that match your natural nail color, or browns and mossy greens. As for metallics, sparkles are here to stay! Glitter has been a big nail trend for a long time and continues to shine. Whether it’s tiny sparkles in nail polish or big sequin-like glitter, you can easily achieve a flashy look. Some people are afraid of painting their nails a certain color because it won’t match their everyday wardrobe… but don’t worry! It’s okay if your nails don’t match exactly. Try to keep your outfit and nails in the same color scheme. If you have a more neural wardrobe, let your nails take center stage and use bright colors. With all this concentration on your nails, you have to consider your rings too. The bigger the better when it comes to your rings. Look for rings with large stones and patterns. Your rings should complement
How to flower your nails
1
Pick a color for the background of your design.
24 lkwd life
2
Paint tiny dots with a toothpick.
3
Paint little dots surrounding the center dots.
The Lakewood Times
The road to stardom By Tori Chesmar Photos by Lily Pollack
Sarah Beurman belts her song a capella.
Lights, talent, perform. Acts ranging from singing to hiphop dancing and all the way to pogo stick dancing have been presented at the American Youth Foundation (AYF) annual talent show. The talent show has been around for over ten years. But what does it take to actually be a star of the show? “The show is successful every year because you gain confidence, increase your self-esteem and it’s a great learning experience,” said Matt Heslep, AYF advisor. Junior Sarah Beurman, has been singing since she was in first grade. She has been in choir since elementary school and is still in choir now. She always had a passion for music in her young life. Before she tried out for the AYF talent show she had also sung “Perfect” by Pink and “One step at a time” by 4 Years Strong at a candle light vigil. When she tried out for the talent show she had great confidence that she made it. Beurman sang “At Last” by Etta James. When she found out she made the show she was very excited and her friends and family supported her. She began to practice a few hours a week before the big show. The show became a success for her and she will still continue to sing. “ You have to be fierce, have a great personality and love what you do to become a star in the talent show,” said Beurman.
Aces got swag. Delvon Mitchel, Miles Tucker, Armani Averyheart, Stanely Sims, and Tavaris Crenshaw formed Aces in December when they were just hanging out at a friends house having a good time. They were listening to music and started adding moves. That moment was the start of the group. They started experimenting and adding names, music, and moves. Mitchel learned his dance moves from his father, and Armani had it from his heart. Saul Hawley is their personal song selector, while Tucker combines the songs into one freestyle beat. When it was audition day Aces was helping out their friends, Essential Swagg for auditions for the talent show, Averyheart persuaded the group to try out for the show. A few days later the group made the show. “You have to practice hard, dedicate yourself and have team effort to be a star,” said Mitchel.
Esoteric rocks the stage, and brings the show to a close.
March 2011
Everything happens for a reason just like the band, Esoteric. The closing band of both talent show nights really brought a fantastic ending. Esoteric, the rock n’ roll band, consists of four members, Ryan Cleary (guitarist, songwriter), Meg Zimmerman (vocalist, songwriter), Matt Sims (lead guitarist, songwriter), and Jonah Schupple (drummer). The band started about two years ago and it happened when they discovered their musical talents and said, “Let’s make a band!” Cleary and Sims were self-taught, and Sims plays the cello in orchestra. Schupple and Zimmerman have been taking lessons for a while. The lessons really did pay off. When they found out the results the band scheduled practices once a week and practiced even more before the show. This was the band’s first performance. What’s different about Esoteric? They all have a really close dynamic. Esoteric says, “One of the biggest things is that we try to keep a good balance in music with volume, and we try to keep things simple, so that all the parts can melt together.” What does it take for Esoteric to become a star? Lots of practice, becoming dynamic and moving around on stage to give the audience something to look at. Esoteric will continue to rock out with their own songs and are searching for gigs.
lkwd life 25
When
ART reflects WORK By Naseem Shean
You’re creative. You love to draw, paint, sculpt, write or design. But what does it take to have a career as an artist? What paths can or should you pursue, and how valid is the stereotype of the starving artist? Pursuing a career as a full-time or part-time artist is very viable if you have the passion and the energy. For years, students have grad-
26 lkwd life
uated from LHS and other high schools pursuing a career in art. Stories about poor artists of the past like Leonardo Da Vinci and Van Gogh created many discouraging stereotypes for artists. In the past couple years, LHS students have been more interested and passionate about art than ever. Those students are discouraged by their peers, siblings and even from their par-
Art made by Lakewood High School students. Photos by Naseem Shean.
ents. The standing argument from these doubters is if you become an artist, you won’t make a living. “One of the biggest superstitions I’ve heard is that if you are a true artist, you will be purely living off of your art and will most likely be sleeping in a box,” said junior Maddie Gowan. That is otherwise known as “the starving artist.” Today’s job outlook is broad, so whether you are someone who wants to find a career in drawing, or someone who would rather sit at a desk designing things on a computer, you’re bound to find an occupation of interest.
“I worked a few random jobs while I started up my art career. Being an artist on your own doesn’t really pay anything right away, and that’s where most people fall off, and take that job at the Design firm, or American Greetings or something, and there’s nothing wrong with that of course, everybody needs money, but I was very determined not to do that. I wanted to run my own show,” said professional painter and artist Jeff Yost. Competition in all art and design fields is generally quite keen. Melissa Maxwell, Graphic Designer and part-time art teacher at LHS says, “Art it is a competitive field and you must
The Lakewood Times
“Being an artist will tell you a lot about yourself. It is a huge path of discovery, and in turn you can offer the world some very great things, not only in the art that you give but in showing how hard you worked to get it out to people. It is very inspiring to see people achieve the thing they dream of doing.” - Jeff Yost
Photo courtesy of www.jeffyostpaintings.com
stand out, have an amazing portfolio and leave an impression of why you’re different. You must be confident when you graduate because typically you have no work experience and you’re asking companies to take a chance on you,” said Maxwell. Recently, the outlook has be-
come most favorable for multimedia artists and animators, as the demand for special effects in movies, television and video games is increasing. Lakewood High School offers students the opportunity of learning many different styles of art. The classes teach students
the basics of art and inspire students to take a new outlook on things. Many aspiring artists hope to one day make their name famous and to see their work in people’s homes and galleries all over the world. Art is defined differently by everyone. To senior Mary Wallace, “Art is an essential
part of life,” While to others, like junior Jacob Shelt, “Art isn’t as important as heart surgery.” “Art is anything created originally that either serves a purpose, expresses emotion or world events, or simply appeals to the senses, basically anything and everything around you,” Gowan said.
McKee minds her p’s and q’s By Meredith Richards
It seems like everywhere you turn, people are dropping f-bombs and taking the Lord’s name in vain. Everyone swears, right? Junior Kelly McKee disproves this theory. “I choose not to swear because I see no point in it,” McKee said. McKee has never sworn in her life. Never. Many would find this impossible, but for McKee, it is very normal. “I am aware of myself not swearing, but I never really think about it until somebody talks about it,” McKee said. McKee grew up in a Christian household but says that is not the main reason why she chooses not to swear. “Nobody really influenced me to not swear, I just have found it unnecessary, and I have seen some people for whom swearing has become a bad habit, and I feel if you don’t start to swear, you don’t have to worry about it becoming a habit. Also, I don’t have to worry about watching my mouth around anybody.” McKee sees swearing as an outlet for strong emotion that could be expressed otherwise. “I think that people use swearing to let out their anger or show their hatred, and it is becoming acceptable in today’s world.” McKee finds other ways to channel her anger. She stays calm and doesn’t use fighting words to relieve her frustration. Peer pressure is a huge part of being a teen, but McKee does not let others affect
March 2011
her choices in the words she uses. “I really couldn’t care less about other people swearing. I don’t try to stop them, it is their own decision,” McKee said. “My friends have tried to get me to swear, just because they think that it is so weird that I never have.” Junior Coco Parke, McKee’s friend since the age of three, believes that McKee has a strong willpower that deters her from being seduced by swearing. “It shows she has respect for herself and the people around her, which is very respectable,” Parke says. Although McKee watches what she says, she is not as straight laced as one would think. “She’s always the life of the party, she can make anyone laugh, and she doesn’t judge anyone whether they swear or not,” Parke said. Many of her friends ask her what keeps her going. “I just feel better about myself by not swearing,” McKee said. McKee hopes that even when she has children she can pass down her pristine mouth. “I will not approve of my kids swearing, but if it happens every once and awhile, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I just wouldn’t like to see them get into the habit of it, because it would give them, and myself, a bad image.”
Kelly McKee even looks as angelic as she speaks Photo by Melissa Gajewski
Even McKee questions if she’ll ever swear. “I can’t think of anything that would cause me to swear. I feel like using swear words doesn’t help anything or solve anyone’s problems, so there is no need,” McKee said. Parke thinks McKee will make it. “I think that it is crazy! I have to believe one will spill out someday. But hey, she’s made it this far, and who would bet against Kelly McKee?”
lkwd life 27
By Deven Middleton
New coach pitches his ideas for the baseball team
After talking with new varsity coach, Mike Ribar, it was clear this was a man that was always balancing his time. Calls from each of his three daughters came between interview questions, ranging from how one of them was getting home t o
when t h e n e x t softball g a m e was. “They play sports. When they grow up they’re going to tell people they actually think they lived at Lakewood stadium,” said Ribar. “I’m divorced, which makes it harder. When they’re with me, we schedule. You should see my calendar.”
28 sports
Realizing the baseball team has something to prove, Ribar took on the challenge of building up it’s reputation and record, along with the hardships every new leader faces when taking over a team. “Anytime you change a coach there’s a different thought process, especially when you change the whole staff,” said Ribar. “I don’t go back and say ‘what did you guys do last year?’ I say ‘this is what we’re doing this year.’” Though Ribar knows it won’t be easy, he has high hopes for the season ahead of him. And he knows what needs to be accomplished. “The first step is to instill our philosophy and to make this a new program,” said Ribar, who said this is the “biggest goal for the year and maybe the next two or three.” Although he’s busy taking on the challenges of the program, for Ribar, the opportunity to lead the baseball team is one he coveted. “This is a dream job,” said Ribar. “I’m a Lakewood guy. I grew up here and I played here. I’m right back where I want to be.” A Lakewood Hall of Famer, Ribar graduated from LHS in ’85. He played baseball all four years. As a shortstop (and one season at third base) he helped the team to the Lake Erie League Conference and was All Ohio. Ribar’s love for the game started “when I was five and playing t-ball for Lakewood Rec. Being pretty good at it might have made me like baseball more than other sports, but it’s much more than that,” said Ribar. After graduating, Ribar went to Kent State, where he played as a 4-year starter for the baseball team. He graduated with a degree in business management, and worked in the business world for years. Different jobs allowed him to keep on coaching, even though it was only voluntary work. When he landed a managing job in 2003, he was unable to coach for almost four years. “That’s what made me change, why I changed my job back to the schools. I wanted to get back into coaching. My job didn’t give me any time to coach.” Ribar started working for Lakewood City Academy two years ago as the Behavior Specialist, where he “manages things when they go wrong. But [his] job is to make sure the students are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.” Though he says it has its differences from
the business world, he compares his job, like many other aspects of his life, to coaching. “My work is just about relationships and building them,” said Ribar. “You figure out how to deal with people, just how I worked as a business manager and a coach.” With a list too long to keep track of, Ribar has coached everything from girls’ softball to varsity LHS football. His decisions are based not on the plays, but on the people. “In coaching, I’m trying to get to know [the players] and what gets them through their day, what makes that guy better. What are his strengths and weaknesses? How do I use those to make him perform better?” said Ribar. “That’s what coaching is all about-building relationships, and understanding who you’re dealing with.” The baseball team has been conditioning since November, but the official season starts in March. For the upcoming season, Ribar and the other baseball coaches plan on doing things their way. “We have a different thought process when it comes to who gets on the team. A lot of coaches say ‘that guy’s not going to make it.’ Instead we want to say ‘that guy worked hard enough that he’s going to make it,’” said Ribar. This philosophy is crucial to the upcoming season. “Baseball to me is a mental game, much more mental than physical. The mental aspect is the part people don’t fully understand,” said Ribar. “You can go five innings without touching the ball, which is why people who don’t understand the game think it’s boring. But there’s no huddle in baseball. You don’t know what the next play is going to be.” Ribar wants his players to “be focused and realize that time and effort pays off in the end. When you do something, do it 100%, that’s what we’re preaching.” “You go through your world, and hopefully someday you find out who you really are and what you want to be, and this is it,” said Ribar. “I gave up those other things, and decided to wake up every morning doing something I love, and baseball is what I love the most. So, where else would I want to be?”
Mike Ribar walks through his players running drills during practice. Photo by Katy Eberl.
The Lakewood Times
Up to bat
Baseball season is back in full swing
By Toby Tobin
Promising young talent and strong senior leadership are the staples of Lakewood Baseball going into this season. The varsity team, led by a new coaching staff, looks to improve upon last year’s 5-21 record. The new coaching staff consists of Varsity Head Coach Mike Ribar, Varsity Assistants Kevin Moran and Brian Nolan, Varsity pitching coach Kevin Roche, and Freshman Head Coach Sean Ranc, along with several returning coaches. Ribar looks to instill his own system into the team. His first step is “Establishing some structure.” Ribar then plans on “Emphasizing fundamentals,” and finally teaching his team to “approach the mental parts of the game.” The Rangers return a number of seniors who have been with the team all four years. This experience will be key, as there will also be a great deal of inexperience filling out the roster. Many players, including senior pitcher/ third basemen Dan Harrington believe this year’s team will be an improvement over last year’s team. Harrington said, “We’ve got a lot more guys willing to work harder than last year. Now there are a lot of coaches here to help focus on individual things. We’re getting things done in practice.” Though there are bright spots for this team, there are also some glaring weaknesses that could hinder them throughout the season. The pitching depth will be tested, and there will be a number of inexperienced players taking on key roles. The entire middle of last year’s lineup graduated, so a major question is who will step up and drive in runs. There are a number of positions up for grabs this season, namely two in the outfield, and an impressive training camp can earn a player a position. “There is some serious competition for spots in [the training] camp,” said senior pitcher/first basemen Bob Rivera. The season will once again open with the Al Gruss/ Tony DiBiasio at the Tournament, which will be held on April 1-2. This year, the tournament features two new teams, Crest-
view and Rocky River will be replacing St. Edward and Holy Name, with North Olmsted returning. This represents a great opportunity for the Rangers to get off on the right foot and build confidence. Senior catcher Dave Reulbach said, “We’re playing good teams [in the tournament]. We’ll be bringing our ‘A game,‘ and looking to show off the new Lakewood.” Once again, the team will be playing the majority of its games on its home field, which presents a great opportunity for the team. Seen as one of the top fields in all of
Ohio, Ranger players are excited to be playing most of their games here. “Our field is a privilege. We can get out there during harsh weather when other teams can‘t,” said senior first basemen/pitcher Evan Roder. Ribar’s goal for the season is to “Win the conference championship. That’s my goal every year.” He added, “My ultimate goal is for us to play hard every game.”
The team stretches together before beginning practice. Photo by Katy Eberl.
Seniors Kyle Meggas and Bobby Rivera stand with coach Mike Ribar. Photo by Katy Eberl.
Very Superstitious
Athletes talk about pre-game traditions By Grant Graves
Michael Jordan, six time NBA champion. Wade Boggs, 11 time MLB all-star. Nomar Garciaparra, six time MLB all-star and 1997 rookie of the year. Tiger Woods, all-time great golfer. All these men giants of their sport and have one thing in common. They are all very superstitious athletes. Jordan would wear his old North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls shorts every game. Boggs would eat chicken every game day. Garciaparra did an extensive ritual with his batting gloves before stepping into the batter’s box and Woods always wears red on Sundays. Superstitions are a huge part of sports, from the high school athlete to the hall of famer, every athlete has a unique ritual or practice. Most practice their superstition before a game or match, while some do it during or after the game. “For cross country we always say it is a beautiful day to run and it doesn’t hurt less to run any slower. Also, we spit on the line before we race,” says senior Missy Richardson, who is a three-sport athlete with crosscountry, soccer and swimming. Some superstitions are a bit less sanitary than others. Like Jordan wearing his old shorts, many superstitions consist of not washing a particular article of clothing. “I always wear the same socks after a good game,” said senior baseball player Dan Harrington. “I remember sophomore year a kid on our team had a hit streak going for a while and didn’t wash his socks. They smelled horrible. He asked to borrow a teammates cleats one game and the guy had to throw the shoes out when he got them back because the smell was unbearable.” “For baseball, it is always a gray smiley face undershirt for an away game and for home games it is always a white undershirt. I don’t really wash either shirt, especially if I have a good game,“ said senior catcher David Ruelbach.
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Many athletes have a favorite pre game or post game meal that is very important to them. Like Boggs, many athletes choose to eat a certain food before their game or match. “I always have to have Robeks before a game,” says senior guard Daniel Mazzeo. “It started out with me and fellow guard Mike Gonzalez getting it before games but it evolved and now most of the basketball team gets a smoothie before a game.” Toby Tobin, director of player personnel for the varsity baseball team, enjoys a bag of peanut M&M’s before every home game. “My mom always brought me a bag for double headers freshman year and we did pretty well in those double headers, so I started making it a superstition of mine.” Sophomore basketball player Pete Nelson is a firm believer in a pre game meal. “I always have to eat like 3 or 4 salads the night
before a game, usually like 24 hours before the game. It always puts me in a good mood and I mean salads are really healthy.” No matter what the superstition, athletes are in agreement that they are a big part of preparation. It can get an athlete into their mental “zone” and give them a comfort zone. Superstitions can affect a player’s performance any given night and no matter how bizarre they may be, superstitions work in mysterious ways.
Daniel Mazzeo never plays a game without a smoothie from Robeks. Photo by Devin Werner
David Reulbach takes a swing during baseball practice. Photo by Katy Eberl.
The Lakewood Times
Track team off to a running start By Andrew O’Connor
For the past three seasons, the track team has shown improvements but has not been able to get over the hump. With the speed of the sprinters and the endurance of the distance runners, the hump may just be a stepping-stone this year. The departure of key leaders from last season leaves leadership open, but “leadership is still there,” said senior captain Miles Tucker. “I wish to encourage and push this team to new limits.” It appears that this team will come out with a different attitude then previous years. “Being dedicated is that new limit. We’ve had so much potential in the past but weren’t dedicated,” said Tucker. “We won our first dual meet since 2006 last year and this years team seems pumped. We have potential.” Tucker doesn’t see mant problems for sprinters. “If any-
thing gets in the way its negative energy. If ten people are working hard and are on the same page that’s good, but sometimes other runners will give negative energy that we don’t need.” The races that grind it out are being led this year by junior Nick Jackosky and junior A.J. Graber. Jackosky, who ended the crosscountry season at the state meet in Columbus, looks to carry his momentum on to the track. “I have been running, 5 to 7 miles, since December. Just getting out in the snow and grinding it out,” said Jackosky Graber is also looking to have a healthy season. “Last year I had issues with my quad and then my shoulder at districts,” said Graber. “Having A.J. (Graber) and (Nick) Stadler, should really help us this season,” said Jackosky.
A couple of additions to the distance team may fill the missing links that the team has had in previous seasons. “Having the additions of Wilson Sackett and Ben Toole can really help us out. It gives us a really strong 4 by 8 team,” said Jackosky. The goals are high for these two runners and running without limits seems to be the goal. “I just want to run hard and have a good season,” said Jackosky.
Give me some credit
Junior Nick Stadler leads the pack on the first day of outdoor practice. Photo by Devin Werner.
A sports opinion by Sabrina Suleiman
There are some athletic clubs at LHS that do not count, at least as far as physical education credits go. It’s not fair that a sport like rugby, regardless of its ‘club’ status, is treated with less respect than a varsity sport, or a club like marching band. The LHS administration has allowed any student involved in a whole season of a varsity sport or marching band to get one gym credit. “I t h i n k that kids should definitely get credit for participating in any sport or club. They work for it, so they de-
March 2011
serve some kind of credit,” said Andre Bruwer, the girl’s rugby coach. Although Bruwer trains his rugby girls for eight months, they aren’t recognized for their great accomplishments. “I mean we’ll take it. My girls can take anything. I love that it as a club, I wouldn’t change it for anything,” said Bruwer But even if it remains a club, that doesn’t make Rugby less of a sport than football, baseball, basketball or any other varsity sport at LHS. In fact, Lakewood’s ruggers practice practically year round, almost every day and put their heart, soul and health into the sport. If the school thinks that some kids sitting on the bleachers in jeans deserve a physical edu-
cation credit more than these bloodied, mud-stained girls, I think they need to take a second look. Not everyone agrees with the new P.E. waiver, though, including assistant football coach, Joseph Zombek. “I don’t think it’s necessary to count athletics for a grade. The relationships you’ve built with team, and coaches, the shared experienced of workouts, practices and games, and the chance to compete in front of your family, friends and community are the rewards of being an athlete.” Zombek said. “A lot of retired athletes believe the best part of their time in school was playing their particular sport, and they didn’t need a grade to feel that way.”
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Final Word
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By Fiza Shah
We all deserve respect…but calling someone “retarded” is okay. Women are equal to men…but “women in the kitchen” jokes are sometimes funny. We shouldn’t discriminate…but saying “fag” is acceptable. As a community, we all claim we are breaking down barriers. We use the diversity of our school as evidence to our tolerance. And, we are breaking down barriers, but we’re also replacing them with newer walls. And within these walls, we are building a home. And within this home, we’re hanging up pictures, moving in furniture, and getting comfortable. These newer walls have made words that before would be considered offensive, now acceptable. While a few decades ago, saying “fag” would label you as a prejudiced person, now we walk about saying it jokingly. Political correctness is defined as demonstrating progressive ideals, especially by avoiding vocabulary that is considered offensive, discriminatory, or judgmental, such as those concerning race and gender. According to this definition, we shouldn’t say “gay” when addressing something we don’t like. Even so, this word is widely used, even at LHS. But, if someone says “shit” to express distaste, they are immediately disciplined. What is more offensive: saying “gay” or “shit?” We are all trying to be “politically correct” without really knowing what it means. While we might be getting comfortable with our new “PC” place of residence, it is also creating a muddled sense of right and wrong. Perhaps this is what happens when people look to society for their morals. A society whose level of knowledge and passion is determined by the ever-changing media. What can political correctness really mean when 7.7 million people watched the last episode of “Jersey Shore?”
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Is such a definition really applicable in a school where teachers can look the other way when a student is being picked on and then hand out detentions for inappropriate language? Is it applicable in a school where students feel more and more comfortable using words like “fag,” “ghetto,” “gay,” or “retarded?” The answer is no. When talking about diction, most (not all) people are very comfortable with using “fag” or “gay.” But, we feel the need to censor something like the “n-word” out of Huck Finn because it might offend someone. This is fine, if it really does offend people. But, if we are censoring Huck Finn for the “n-word,” we also need to censor this word from all rap music as well, because we hear it in that context much more than while reading classical literature. And, if we choose to censor this word, we then need to censor all the “bitches,” “sluts,” and “f-words” from all other songs or forms of media. To look at one word and label it offensive is simply mocking the intelligence of the average citizen who knows that the censored word is simply the tip of the iceberg. As a society, we are attempting to protect the innocence of a shameless generation. I would consider it monumentally foolish if anyone thinks they can protect this generation from hearing the “n-word” simply by censoring it from a book. So, rather than trying to be the thought police (something that is obviously not working), let’s try to to self-censor. And, ratehr than getting comfortable in this palace of impoliteness, we should truely break down barriers. Art by Tessa Newbacher
The Lakewood Times