October 2011 by Karen Ballash

Take a bite out of Fall fun

Get spooked at Bloodview p. 3

Haunted Ohio p. 4-5

Calendar of Fall Fun p. 7

Vol. 91, No. 1 October 2011 • Lakewood High School • 14100 Franklin Blvd. • Lakewood, OH 44107 • www.lakewoodtimes.net

contents

Vol. 91 Issue 1 October 2011

Times staff 2010/2011 Managing Editors Julia Houska Gwen Stephen Lily Pollack Victoria Chesmar Juan Amador

Sports Editors

Jon Cropper Sabrina Suleiman

Adviser

Copy Editor

Bushra Harba

Editorial Board Members Maddy Kane Brandy Davis Khalil Cormier Brandon Reid Dylan Dombroski Becca Houp

Karen Ballash

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Lakewood Life

News

18 Try on some new threads 20 Musical Mulready 22 Interact for a world view 23 FreshFaces and Underclassmen Uncovered 24 Homecoming highlights

3. Where to get spooked 4 Haunted Hometown 6 Spooky past/ Religious Views 7 Calendar/Menchies

8 The new “Breakfast Club” 10 Spreading yourself too thin 12 Your public personna

Opinion

Rangerman waves the flag at the Homecoming Game.

Sports 26 Turning the leaf on LHS sports 28 Final Word

14 Age....just a number?/ In a Moodle ? 15 A get rich quick scheme 16 Spirit Weak?

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.

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The Lakewood Times

Get your socks knocked off at By Dylan Dombroski

Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz won’t be showing up for house calls at Bloodview. Bloodview is a Haunted House in Broadview Heights and it is an experience that you would want to enjoy, even though most of the time you will be screaming. At Bloodview, the “monsters” are allowed to touch you and torment you until the very end. They will make you suffer for entering their unholy territory. Bloodview is sponsored by Broadview Heights Lion Club and is staffed by the Legion of Terror, the oldest improvisational horror acting, make up, and special FX organization. Bloodview is split into three main parts: The Gore House, the Woods, and the Big House. This weekend’s theme was Medical Madness and every crazy person on site prowled and stalked every sane person around. I took my younger brother with me because we went last year and liked it. We thought we were a little braver than last year. As soon as I bought our tickets, a clown showed us the way to go and hounded my brother until a demented hillbilly surrounded us, including a mutated- plant scientist who claimed he was making a serum to stop growing. Even before I got into the first part, I was sniffed, growled at, offered “pain killers”, even karate chopped by a hidden ninja, who reminded me of Chris Farley in the movie Beverley Hills Ninja. The Gore House was like the inside of a creepy killer’s meat locker. There were hidden doors people jumped out of, and yelled at you while running to you. We passed hanging body bags thinking that people were hidden among them. I turned a corner and found myself face to face to an insane lady butcher, who yelled and threatened my brother that she would follow him home and haunt his nightmares. We got up with a group of people that were also held back by a crazy person, until a butcher pounding a mallet attacked us next to our feet. My brother and I convinced ourselves to keep going onto the woods. The Elder Woods was a dark, muddy path through a giant cemetery that seemed like monsters were going to jump out from every shadow and bush. We crossed a bridge and stopped by a crazy guy with a bloody face grabbed my shoe and when I protested, he proclaimed “Your shoe, my foot!” Then, when I was walking past the bridge, another insane guy who made car noises and crashed into me and startled me. My brother walked past a moaning zombie, who pro-

October 2011

ceeded to follow the group we were walking behind. The zombie kept walking with us and kept going on with his incessant moaning. He cut me off from my brother and I was then caught by a witch and she said with sadistic glee, “Ooooh, a straggler!” To myself I thought, “It’s always the funny guy that gets killed first in the movies”. As I quickly escaped the witch to catch up with my brother, the zombie guy turned around for one last moan and shuffled off to irritate the next victims. When I did catch up to my brother, he was trying to get out of the way of an upset old lady, who was selling her live plant, that would whack you in the head with its leaves. As we went deeper into the woods, a giant asked us how he looked because he had no mirror and offered us a “complimentary” dirt nap. Outside of the giant’s tomb, a hungry beggar asked us for food, and complained he would eat anything, including Domino’s. My brother asked if he wanted a Twinkie, he declined and said he wanted a Ho-Ho. When we finally got through the forest, I was thinking what was left in store for us in the Big House and what we might encounter. As we sustained on our perilous journey, we found ourselves in a dark hallway with a confused ax-man who didn’t like the dark. My brother was the one leading the way through the dark corridor and I made a joke saying “it was the blind leading the blonde”. Our eyes were tortured by strobe lights when a horrified girl was asking for help because she was being chased by a killer. We proceeded onto the darkness and came to a sign saying “Don’t excite or tease the inmates” plus, a crazy person in a cage begging us to be let out. I soon realized the longer we resisted, the more violent everyone would become. Unfortunately, this theory was true. A French painter pleaded with my brother to have his liver because it was the right shade of red to finish her “masterpiece”. It was a continuous maze of insane and violent people kept coming at us and would follow us until we got to another hallway. It went silent for a while until a surgeon wanted to do a stomach transplant on me and my brother. Then a friendly, crazy person showed us her house and we greeted “Mother and her Guest” and asked to stay

for tea. I didn’t like tea and said this and she got really infuriated and called us rude and started to push us out. We were then saved by a good doctor (finally) and pushed away his insane paitents as he sprayed us with holy water. He told us to follow him to the end, but was sidetracked by all of his paitents wanting our attention. The doctor led us down a hallway and just as we saw the light of outside the same clown that followed us earlier, ambushed us and scared us half to death. I recommend going to Bloodview but go as a group. You don’t want one person with you because then both of you will get petrified of everything. Also, not a big group where only a few people get scared and the others just laugh. The best group ratio would be 3-4, that way you have somebody watching your back. Be prepared to pay a big price for going once into all three of the attractions. The price range is 15 dollars for one admission, 3 dollars for repeats, and 20 for an all-nighter. Fortunately, on the Bloodview website (www.bloodview.net) there is a printable coupon for 1 dollar off on admission. Overall, I give Bloodview an 8.9 because the actors knew their roles so well and stayed in character all night. There aren’t a lot of props, but I think that is mostly to focus on the actors and the scenery. Just remember your nursery rhymes.

Interested in going? Use your Smart Phone to scan this QR code to take you directly to Bloodview’a website.

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Ohio’s Haunted Hotspots

By Gwen Stephen

As knees tremble and heartbeats race, teenagers up the ante every year continuing to increase their stamina for frightening situations. From horror movies to haunted houses, each Halloween new attractions and entertainment appear to become less and less of a challenge to endure. Living in and around cities that possess a century’s worth of history, the true haunting experience can be right in your own backyard, or basement, or bedroom–literally. Lakewood is known for it’s older homes and buildings, each with a story to tell of their own. Within the city’s limits, and the outskirts of Northern Ohio, real life experiences as well as urban legends have intrigued and captivated thrill-seekers for over 100 years.

Lakewood Catholic Academy Housed in a building with roots that exceed 120 years, Lakewood Catholic Academy (LCA), formerly St. Augustine Academy, is allegedly home to over a dozen spirits within the school, and on the grounds. Originally occupied by Cleveland politician, Marcus Hanna, the Sisters of the Charity of St. Augustine purchased the summer estate in 1892. Since then, the premises has experienced a death of a nun caused by pneumonia, two fires and several other deaths within the old building due to the harsh winter of 1897. Years later the Academy housed sick children and victims of industrial accidents. “There were supposed to be about 15 spirits,” said Maureen McGlynn, who taught history at St. Augustine Academy for 26 years. Although the standing school buildings today were all built af-

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ter 1925, the school grounds are prone to paranormal activity according to McGlynn. “I left my room to get something from the Social Studies Office and heard someone cough in the bathroom area......I heard the cough again and said “Jean?” I got no response. I heard the cough again, and asked if my friend Jean, who I thought might be in the bathroom was ok. No response. I heard the cough again. I was concerned that again I got no answer, so I opened the bathroom door [but] the room was empty,” she said. “There are five classrooms in this area and none of these rooms had a class in them at that time period in the afternoon. I was alone on this floor, although school was in session,” said McGlynn. Though she personally has seldom experienced the ac-

tivity in the school, McGlynn had discussed various encounters with other teachers. “I heard [a story] from another teacher who.......locked her office one night to go home. This office had a curtain hanging on the door as it always was when she left. When she returned the next morning, the curtain was on the floor. The curtain rod screwed into brackets and it was still screwed into the brackets when she unlocked the door the next morning,” she said, “it couldn’t have slipped off.” Former LCA student, Leslie Shewalter is a nonbeliever in the hauntings. “I’ve [only] heard stories,” she said, noting that regardless “the whole building is kind of dark and creepy.” Although not everyone is on the same page, various former teachers and supervisers of St. Augustine claimed to have experienced if not the same event, something without explanation--including Journalism and Avanced English 10 teacher, Karen Ballash. “It was in October a good 15 years ago, and I was teaching at St. Augustine Academy and I was teaching the Drama Club,” she said. “We were there late for rehearsal, and everyone had left except me and one student. The school had gates, locked across different passage ways so we couldn’t wander all over the school...the lights in the entire school were off and we

were sitting...waiting for this girl’s mother,” Ballash said. “And all of a sudden, it’s just she an I,” she explained. “And we hear running footsteps and slamming into the gate,” said Ballash. “[I thought] I’m the teacher, so I have to be brave here, so I [crept] up around the corner to where the gate [was] and [saw] nothing,” she said. “There was nobody in the building, there is no other explanation,” Ballash continued. Ghost busters have been brought onto the property to get rid of the alleged bad energy surrounding it. Also, 14 years ago an exorcism took place in the building, though more information has been kept a secret by witnesses. “As far as ‘do I believe’ in this sort of thing, I don’t know, but I would tell you that if you believe at all in heaven or hell than you have to consider this a possibility,” she said.

Franklin Castle Located at 4308 Franklin Blvd., the Franklin Castle, in Cleveland, has been named the most haunted house in Ohio. The manor was built for German immigrant, Hannes Tiedemann, in the late 1880s. Shortly after the Tiedemann family had moved into the house Hannes’ daughter and mother-in-law had passed away. In order to keep his wife in good spirits, Hannes began drastically re-

The Lakewood Times

Art by Brett Brown

modeling the home, reportedly adding numerous secret passageways, and rooms. Before Hannes died in 1908, his entire family had passed away before him, including his grandchildren. Since then multiple owners have bought and sold the house, with little changes made from it’s original structure. Two fires have caused damage to the well-known property. One fire took place in the home in late 1999, and one in the carriage house in March 2011. It is said that an owner walked through the house one day, and discovered a skeleton in a hidden room, which according to a coroner was very old. Charles Milsaps, a caretaker of the property would occasionally give tours of the residence, but recently they have been discontinued. Visitors to the home as well as residents have said they’ve experienced hearing children cry in the home, footsteps, apparitions, and being touched.

Gore Orphanage Found in what is now Lorain County’s property, Gore Orphanage, located in Vermilion, has created a plethora of stories. The area near what is thought to be Gore Orphanage was in fact at one time Swift Mansion–home to Johnathon Swift, a wealthy Massachusetts man and his family. After moving in, Swift’s children had passed away, allegedly in the arms of his wife. After Swift

October 2011

and his wife had later passed, the home was abandoned, abused and frequently visited by curious passersby in the early 1900s. Later, the area was designated to Light of Hope Orphanage, which was burned down, due to arson, killing a number of children. Now the area is deemed haunted by locals, who’ve been said to experience sounds of a crackling fire, the smell of smoke, children screaming, footsteps above them as if on another floor, and apparitions. The area lays on a gore shape piece of land--hence its commonly misinterpreted title. Park Rangers are on guard to castaway trespassers, protecting what is now an area of the woods decorated with old pillars, and pieces of stone, left over from the burned down orphanage.

Mansfield tory

Reforma-

Over 200 individuals have died in the Ohio State Reformatory, located in Mansfield, Ohio. The reformatory was built between 1886 and 1910, and was in use until 1990. The reformatory is known for its debut in The Shawshank Redemption, as well as SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, and its many accounts of brutality from the inmates. The Mansfield reformatory offers tours for all ages, as well as overnight stays, but only if you’re 21 and over. Tickets to stay the night are $65 each. To schedule an over-

night ghost hunting adventure visit the website below.* During the Halloween season starting on September 23rd, the prison has temporarily discontinued overnight stays, in order to allow for Halloween Haunts, an overloaded haunted house experience. Tickets are $17 each. To get more information about the haunted house

visit

the

website

below.**

Haunted Hoax

Cry Baby Bridge-

Many believe for this bridge to be somewhere deep in the valley. Haunted by a crying baby and its mother late into the night, however, this story is not in anyway specifically pinned on the Lakewood area, but in fact is a nationwide ghost story. Looking up “Cry Baby Bridge” on the Internet will lead to multiple cities, and numerous states.

Abandoned Fire Station-

Though sitting lonesome near Detroit Ave. at the end of Hopkins, the abandoned fire station is anything but haunted. “The building was old and drafty, and the wind used to blow open the covers on the poles. We used to joke that it was the spirit of a firefighter who retired. But he didn’t die in the line of duty. He just retired and later passed on. It was all a joke,” said a retired firefighter, who wished to re-

main anonymous.

Bozak Bridge-

Allegedly haunted by “Jessica” the Bozak Bridge, in Lakewood is prone to startling drivers through the night, with items throne at them and apparitions of a young woman who is said to have died there. Though the tale is disturbing, and much like the Cry Baby Bridge, Lakewoodites haven’t even heard of this so called bridge, and are unaware of Jessica, though many outsiders claim to believe the tale. Some think the bridge crossing the railroad tracks off of Sloane Ave., is this “Bozak Bridge,” though it is not—regardless the bridge near Sloane is not closed off and was a walking bridge only. Still—many believe for THIS bridge to be haunted, but that still lies a mystery. Check out these websites! *www.mrps.org **www.hauntedx.com

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The origins of Halloween By Greg Watson

Halloween is a vastly celebrated holiday, but do most of us know where it came from? What did it mean to the people who created it? Halloween began with the Celtic people of Ireland more than two-thousand years ago. On October 31st, the Celts celebrated their holiday of Samhain, (sow-en), which marked the end of their harvest. When evening set on the night of Samhain, the Celtic people feared for their lives believing that after the celebration the barrier between our world and the spirit world diminished for one night allowing all spirits to wreak havoc in the human world. Many Celts started to dress up as ghouls and goblins and other creatures to scare away the spirits. The Celts annually practiced this to keep their people safe and their villages alive, but how did such a scary holiday turn into an exciting one-- where you’re given candy for saying trick-or-treat? The Romans can be considered responsible for today’s traditional Halloween, because they had adopted the holiday. The Romans combined Samhain with another one of their holidays in October, the day to honor their goddess Pomona--goddess of fruit and trees.

Pomona’s symbol was the apple, so bobbing for apples eventually became a tradition among us. Trick-or-treating is most likely relevant to the Christian holiday of All Souls Day on November second. During this holiday, Christians would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes”. In return the beggar would promise to pray for dead relatives of the generous person. At this time, it was believed souls were trapped in Purgatory and prayer helped them to reach Heaven so many Romans happily gave “soul cakes”. Many pranksters in England at this time would tip over out houses or remove gates from their hinges for fun. Now these rituals formed to create the phrase “Trick-or-Treat”. In Ireland, folklore is believed to have created the Jack-o-Lantern that we commonly put out every Halloween. A common story tells the tale of a man named Jack who was a drunkard and a prankster. He tricked Satan into climbing up a tree and carved a cross at the bottom so the devil could not get down. Jack made the devil promise to never tempt him again with

alcohol and let the devil down. When Jack died, God would not allow him into Heaven for his evil ways and the devil would not let him into hell because he tricked him. Jack was given a single ember and a hollowed out turnip to put it in by the devil. Jack wanders the darkness with his Jack-o-Lantern. The Irish used turnips instead of the pumpkin because turnips were more plentiful, but when immigrant Irish people came to America in the 1800’s, they used the plentiful pumpkins instead. These traditions may seem silly to us now, but they were fun things to do. Without these beginnings, the Halloween we love today would have never existed.

Halloween: a religious comparison By Brittany Lewkowski

Not all followers of each faith prescribe to the opinions below. These are the general opinions of the religious groups as a whole. Below are a few of the many religions that are followed today. Buddhism: Buddhists share the belief of rebirth with the Celtics. The Buddhist celebration of Halloween coincides with the original Celtic celebration as well as with the Buddhist concept of “Bardo.” Bardo is the idea of experiencing apparitions (ghosts, demons, etc.) Halloween symbolizes the entry of spirits into our world for many Buddhists. Christianity: Christian beliefs vary on this topic. Some Christians condemn anything to do with the holiday where as many welcome it as a chance to share their faith to trick-ortreaters. There are also those who insist it was the Christian people who started Halloween. The most devout Christian will forbid the celebration of Halloween, due to the belief that its origin comes from Paganism and “devil-worship.” Many Christians recognize Halloween as All Hallowed’s Eve or “Feast of Saints” which occurs on November second

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and celebrates the dead in purgatory and in heaven. It was customary to bang pots and pans on All Hallowed’s Eve to let the dead and damned know they were not forgotten. Islam: The most devout followers of Islam don’t celebrate Halloween, as it is forbidden in the Qu’ran to celebrate non-Muslim holidays. In a quote from Islam.com, “Halloween represents the devil worshipper’s new year’s celebration.” The Islamic standpoint is that Halloween is one of the worst celebrations due to its origins in Paganism. Judaism: For the same reasons as the Muslims, the people of the Jewish faith do not celebrate Halloween. Due to Halloweens Celtic roots and Christian relation (All Saints Day), the Jewish do not believe it to be a non-sectarian holiday. It is forbidden in their faith to celebrate a non-Jewish holiday. However there is a holiday similar to Halloween that the Jewish celebrate. The holiday is Purim, and it commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from an enormous massacre. Purim also involves costumes and candy in its festivities. Satanism: Religious Satanists actu-

ally do not assign any significance to Halloween. The holiday is not Satanic in origin, and Satanists do not practice any sort of sacrifice on Halloween (nor is animal sacrifice an accepted practice of any organized Satanic group; Which puts to rest many stereotypes about Satanists). Wiccans: Halloween is the New Year celebration for Wiccans. It represents a time of reflection and celebration. It is believed by Wiccans that the centrifuge between the spiritual world and our world is thinnest around the holiday. Samhain, as Wiccans refer to it, is one of eight holidays the Wiccans celebrate. It symbolizes the death of the Great Horn God, the male energy of the Divine, and the aging Goddess; the female energy of the Divine. While researching other beliefs and faiths you should always keep an open mind. Religious tolerance encourages achievement while being close minded can only keep you shadowed in ignorance.

The Lakewood Times

Menchie’s satisfies the munchies A review by Alyssa Wheeler

What do you get when you combine bright colors, sleek designs, and dozens of frozen yogurt flavors? Menchie’s, the new packed place in town. Menchie’s is this great frozen yogurt parlor where you serve yourself, choosing from over 15 flavors of frozen yogurt. Some are the classic vanilla and chocolate, tropical mango tart, and familiar cookies ‘n cream. Plus, if two flavors are right next to each other, you can swirl them. Another great thing about Menchie’s is that they allow you to sample any flavor. Which is great if you don’t know

October 2011

if a flavor is good or not. I would suggest going for the Pineapple flavor. It got me, an avid pineapple hater, to enjoy the tropical flavor. After you choose your favorite frozen yogurt flavors, you get to move on to the toppings station. With everything from marshmallows to hot fudge to gummy worms, any food lover can find something to add to their smooth perfection. From there you go to the cash register and paying 45¢ per ounce of toppings and frozen yogurt. But Menchie’s does have its downside. Since it’s a serve-yourself place, there aren’t that

many employees actually out in the store. Both times I’ve been at Menchie’s, there’s been one employee, running the cashier. So, customer service can be a bit bad, but they will get around to you, and when things have cooled down, they walk around and show you how things work there. Having been there twice, and enjoying it both time, Menchie’s has earned a 4 out of 5 from this writer.

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The Breakfast Club returns By Brandon Reid

This school year has a lot of new things to offer, like new classes, teachers and a even a new form of detention. Saturday school is a plan offered here at LHS and is run by the three house principal. The purpose of Saturday School is to keep kids out of O.S.S. (Out of School Suspension). When a student gets an O.S.S. they receive zeroe’s on assignments for the time they were out of school. “The house princpals were trying to find something in the middle of I.S.A. and O.S.S.” said Mr. Siftar. Saturday school is held every Saturday from 8am to 11am; but if students have good behavior then they’re able to get out at 10:30. The three House Principals run it entirely and do it on their own time. They do not get paid for it. Students attending Saturday school have a few rules to follow, such as no eating or talking. One positive is that students are actually allowed to bring a laptop and use it for educational purposes. Also , they’re allowed to use the computers in Lecture Hall 1, or read magazines quietly. Surprisingly, some people would even choose it over a detention, just because there’s more stuff to do. On a special occasion the House Principal may have some project to do, like helping out with the Homecoming setup. Students also seem to think it’s a good thing. “It makes you come so you don’t get [an} O.S.S” said senior Conor Mabry, Art by Brett Brown

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The Lakewood Times

The principal players

When asked about how Saturday school is going this is what the House Princpals had to say,

Yakoob Badat, House 1 Principal

“It’s successful” “Students are getting an opurtunity to get all their work done.”

Lynn Eckert, House 2 Principal

“Saturday school is a perfect correction for kids that have a job after school.”

Brian Siftar, House 3 Principal

“The attendance rate is vey high at about a little over 90 percent.”

Saturday school in Lecture Hall one

Art by Casey Miller

October 2011

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ARE TEENS SPREADING THEMSELVES

TOO

THIN?

By Lily Pollack

It seems as if more and more teens want to take on more than they can handle. Aside from the fact that these teens are over-booked, the building of stress can take a serious toll on their social, mental and physical well being. But why are teens taking on so much? “I think a lot of it is based on financial stress. Students feel the need to overachieve to gain financial help for college. It’s gotten a lot more competitive in today’s time.” said Jeanne Hoopes, guidance counselor. The reason behind a trend in overachieving could be due to many reasons. Not only are college admissions getting more competitive, but scholarship money and opportunities are becoming scarcer due to the state of the economy. Because of this, most parents are push-

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ing their kids harder and harder to succeed in high school, and to stand out above the rest. “There tends to be an external pressure to achieve a goal from parents and teachers,” said Hoopes. “But, there’s also an internal pressure. Perfectionism or expectations students have for themselves to be good at everything is usually what pushes kids.” Overachievement could also be more personality based, according to psychology teacher, Kimberley Scheer. “Overachievement is inborn, and an overachiever wants to be exceptional. They’re going to bit off more because it’s self competition. It’s all about reaching goals.” Someone who does things because it is personally rewarding and fulfilling is known

as intrinsically motivated. On the other hand, someone who does things because parents are pushing them or because of other outside pressures is extrinsically motivated. Both internal and external pressures ultimately push kids to put too much on their plate, whether it is taking too many classes, racking up loads of AP credits, acquiring a job, participating in clubs, juggling instruments or playing multiple sports. Sheila McMahon, a junior, juggles four AP classes, which can be quite time consuming. On top of all of that, she attends AYF meetings, is an active participant in H20, and takes karate classes. When winter rolls around, she adds gymnastics. “I like to be challenged and I would rather spend my time learning something, even if it takes a little more effort, than taking an easier class and not working to my potential. I just hate being bored,” McMahon said. But hard classes make for lots of homework, which can really add on the anxiety. “I try not to overextend myself to avoid being too stressed. If something in particular is giving me problems, or a bunch of things come up at once, I make use of my time and take breaks to keep myself from getting too drained.” McMahon writes down things that have to get done to keep organized. “I look at what I have, like if there’s a meeting or something. I’ll keep that in mind and plan accordingly.” Time management is critical when dealing with an over-packed schedule. There isn’t a moment to spare, and everything has to have a time and place. LHS junior, Grace Lazos, has a color coded planner to keep track of everything she has to do, and the list is quite extensive. She keeps track of Rangerette sectionals, Barnstormers meetings, Poetry Slam gatherings, German club, various classes at the Beck Center, Chamber Choir, voice lessons, volunteering, Race and Diversity and Model United Nations. The use of sticky notes places around her desk and house reminds her of where she needs to be as well. McMahon gets about eight hours of sleep a night, and typically has about one to two hours of homework each evening if it’s a light day. When a project or test comes up, the time spent on homework is bumped up to about four or five hours. Lazos gets about five to six and a half hours of sleep a night, and typically has three hours of homework or so. “I’m tired a lot. But I’d rather be tired and do things that I’m proud of.” According to kidshealth.org, teens need about eight and half to nine hours of sleep each night. Sleep isn’t something to cut short in highschool. It prevents the chance of falling asleep in class and not perform-

The Lakewood Times

re yo

an overachiever?

ing well on tests and in athletics, making it all the harder for over-achievers. “There are physical effects on students that put excessive demands on themselves,” said Hoopes. “There are stress related patterns… migraines, headaches, digestive problems, and stomachaches. Even over eating and under eating. It’s different for everybody.” The stress takes a toll on teens. With no time to slow down, Often times teens find themselves falling ill, and in worse conditions, ignore that they are ill. This is where stress outlets are pivotal in a teens success. Lazos relieves her stress by singing or listening to music, or while she’s dancing in one of the classes she takes at The Beck. However, the amount that overachievers take on couldn’t be done without the support of friends and parents. “My parents are supportive of my choices, but they don’t force me or push me to do more than I want to do.” said McMahon. “[My parents] literally tell me to calm down. They support me, but hate to see me frazzled.” said Lazos. Although things can get overwhelming, MacMahon and Lazos are hoping all the hard work pays off. “Use your time wisely and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.” said McMahon. “If you can’t handle everything then find a way to either let off stress or maybe let a few activities go so you can focus on a few you really like. You shouldn’t feel pressured by anyone but yourself.”

1. How many AP classes do you currently take? a. 0-1 b.2-3 c.3-4 2. How many extracurriculars are you involved with? a.0-1 b.2-3 c.3 or more 3. How many hours of sleep do you usually get each night? a. 8 or more b. 6 or 7 c. 5 or less 4. How many times a week do you hang out with friends? a. Every day b. Two or three times c. Once a week if I”m lucky 5. What is your grade point everage? a. 3.0 to 3.5 b. 3.5-4.0 c. 4.0 and up 6. Do you usually complete all of your homework, regardless of how much you have? a. No way b. Sometimes c. Absolutely

How to score your quiz: Mostly A’s- Try getting more involved. Mostly B’s- You’re an average student who does what they’re supposed to do. Mostly C’s- You go above and beyond to achieve what you want.

What do colleges look for?

Case Western Reserve University Very Important Admission Factors:

Class rank, Extracurricular Activities, GPA, Standardized text scores, rigor of secondary school record

Important Factors:

Volunteer work, work experience, talent/ability *Community activities and work outside of school are considered very important. School achievement record and test scores are most important

October 2011

Ohio State University

Very Important Admission Factors:

GPA, Class Rank, Standardized test scores, rigor of secondary school record

Important Factors:

Extracurricular activities, talent/ability, work experience, volunteer work *Test scores and class rank are the most important, along with secondary school records.

Yale University

Very Important Admission Factors:

GPA, extracurricular activities, Standardized test scores, Talent/ Ability, class rank, rigor of secondary school record

Considered:

Volunteer work, work experience, *Honors work at secondary level, standardized test scores, and a high degree of accomplishment in one or more nonacademic areas and a diversity of interests and talents are the most important admission factors.

Oberlin College

Admission Factors:

Class rank, GPA, Standardized test scores, rigor of secondary school record.

Important Factors:

Extracurricular Activities, talent/ability *school achievement records, school and community leadership activities and interview are all the most important admission factors.

Information from www.collegeboard.com

news

Watch your public face By Victoria Chesmar

It’s always good to be extra clean. In pany via Facebook and Twitter. Aka, “I today’s world, techhate my job!” Also, nology is becoming in some contracts very useful for people, the company may including businesses ask you not to post and colleges. For all any pictures in your students who plan on job site or wearing attending college or a company uniform. applying for a job, they It really does should be aware of matter what’s on what’s on their FaceFacebook, because book page. Colleges it matters to emnot only look for acaployers and college demics, but also peradmission offices. sonality and behavior. According to USAMany teenagers Today.com nearly these days like to a quarter (24%) of “I think they’re cool by take pictures at last admissions officials letting everyone know that weekend’s party and at 359 selective post the pictures oncolleges say they they stay up late and do line. College scouts used Facebook, up illegal things. It’s ignorant don’t want to look from 6% the previat a student’s drunk ous year, and 20% cause they don’t know photo-op. It is highly used Google to help who sees it.” -- Senior Maddie unprofessional and evaluate an applithen they’ll know cant, says the surGowan that you’re not elivey, conducted by gible for their school. Kaplan Test Prep. It’s not just colleges, but businesses That one picture from a party could too. When applying for a job cleaning easily deny someone from an oportunity up Facebook has become a necessity. for college or work. Another tip that anyThe question is why do teens have one should look out for is how explicit the constant need to post pictures from you are through Facebook or Twitter. Disparties? Is it because they like to show playing a cell phone number, or an adoff that they’re “cool”? “I think they’re dress could later be a nonbeneficial factor. cool by letting everyone know that they “Drama mama’s” can cause issues, stay up late and do illegal things. It’s too. If constant drama is shown through ignorant cause they don’t know who Facebook it shows colleges and employsees it.” said Senior Maddie Gowan. ers a bad side. One should be ignore On Facebook, teenagers swear the rude and nasty comments. Starta lot through their anger or it’s ing, or being involved in Facebook fights, adapted into their communication. will only appear to be unprofessional. Swearing doesn’t look good either. Not only will colleges and businesses Also, another issue that could afcheck Facebook for page displays, but fect students is how many friends they they can also search the applicants name have. Having over 300 friends, can on Google and see what pictures, videos, show that they will add anyone and posts that link to them. Not only should their privacy levels aren’t so protected. one be watching what is posted, but also According to Onlinecollegecourses. what friends post too. Delete posts like, com colleges and businesses are lock“Hey whore, wtf did you do last night?” ing down and even some jobs make apCheck In’s are highly explicit because plicants sign to ensure that they will not Facebook users know what certain places state anything negative about their comcertain people are. Strangers know where

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they are as well. Not only do friends know where the check-In took place, but also other people could check in at the same spot and view who has also been there. Checking in at Starbucks with friends, can be acceptable every once in a while, but not all the time. Facebook users are showing too much information. It shouldn’t just be about business and colleges but for their own safety. There are still people out there looking for the innocent to harm. “I think students need to be careful on how they present themselves

“I think students need to be careful on how they present themselves to the world because there’s colleges, jobs, and online predators.” -History teacher Joe Lobozzo

to the world because there’s colleges, jobs, and online predators.” said history teacher Joe Lobozzo. Besides a job or attending college, also keep family in mind. Most people can’t stand adding their family because usually their family member is always “creeping” on their posts, statuses, or pictures. It may get annoying or even rude at times, What you post is what you make yourself look like.

The Lakewood Times

Do NOT try home Do try this thisatat home Tina Trashy’s page was designed to simulate common Facebook mistakes.

Having an unbelievable amount of friends looks unprofessional.

Private jokes, drunk speech, gibberish and “swearing like a sailor” looks unattractive and childish.

Posting statuses about a excessive partying can do real damage to college admissions and future jobs.

Look out for what your friends say, too. They could make you look immature. Be sure to monitor how they tag you on their Facebooks. Do not post any pictures from a party. Future colleges, employers, or even the police could be checking.

Friends 975 Gwen Stephens

Victoria Chesmar

Becca Houp

Inforgraphic by Victoria Chesmar

October 2011

news

Isn’t age just a number? By Julia Houska

The leaves change colors, the air gets crisper, and the smell of pumpkin is in the air. It’s time for Halloween and kids all over Lakewood are looking to dress up and get some candy. Kids of all ages get excited for Halloween, but at what age do teens start getting dirty looks from parents. Halloween is a time of fun and festivities, so shouldn’t people of all ages trick or treat? I understand that if a fifteen year old comes to your door having no costume and looking like they didn’t even try, you might politely decline giving them candy but, as long as they put effort into their costume they should get candy. And as long as they are being respectful there shouldn’t be a problem. In Belleville, Illinois the Mayor went as far as placing a $100 fine on anyone over twelve caught trick or treating. I think this is ridicu-

lous. There shouldn’t be an age limit on such a community-based holiday. Halloween brings the community together is celebration and fun, so why should teens get told they are too old to trick or treat. A few years ago, I was told as I said “trick or treat” that I was to old for Halloween. I was fourteen years old. How is that too old? I was just starting high school I still had naïve dreams of being a pop star like Brittney Spears, and even dressed up as a dead cheerleader. I thought that it was perfectly fine that my siblings and I wanted to celebrate Halloween and enjoy free candy. Trick or treating isn’t for everyone. Some teenagers want to just sit on their porch, pass out candy, and admire all the costumes each year. No

matter how old you are you should stay young at heart. Adults are always telling us to not wish our lives away. So shouldn’t we live in the moment and enjoy Halloween? Students around this city should dress up and go get their candy. No one should tell you, you are too old.

Freshman in a real Moodle

By Laert Fejzullarr

Have you ever had to meet a major deadline, then all of the sudden, technology fails you? Then you know how ninth grade Advanced English 9 classes felt when their assignment was due. As part of their assignment, students of the class were supposed to share two journals on Moodle from their walks aross Lakewood. However, when students attempted to post to Moodle, almost all were denied access. So what exactly is Moodle? According to Moodle’s website, “Moodle is a Course Management System that educators can use to create effective online learning sites.” Sounds great right? It would be, if it actually worked. When anxious students attempted to post a journal for an ongo-

14 opinion

ing project, they were met with a bitter surprise. The students who could actually make accounts were informed they did not have the permission to post. Thus the heartache known as Moodle created untold grief for unaware students. Greg Watson, a student enrolled in Mr. Sullivan’s class said, “ I worried about it for a while, I wasn’t quite sure if it was only happening to me, but eventually they got it to work and everything has been fine.” To many, myself included, the

technology that is used for Moodle is a great relief compared to the traditional method of printing off every assignment. How e v e r, when technology refuses to cooperate, it’s a great frustration to the students and thus the teacher. Moodle continues to be used, which is fine by most students, as long as it actually works and doesn’t cause them to scream their heads off. Fortunately, the teachers are very understanding about the problems experienced on Moodle and the tech-

nology department have resolved the issues quickly. When it works Moodle seems to be here to stay and while these problems have proven discouraging, Moodle could be a crucial part of a student’s curriculums.

The Lakewood Times

How to get cash fast By Victoria Chesmar

Teenagers need money like it’s air because lately everything costs too much. Need cash fast for this Friday’s football game? Well here are some tips on how to get cash fast. This includes going to the movies, football games, Cedar Point, public pool, shopping at the mall, and much more. If you don’t have a job or a weekly allowance then how do

teens get to hang out on the weekends without spending any money? Added to teen’s economic troubles, it’s difficult to get a job. Besides social activites there is saving for college. Books for school are expensive and lately most college studdents have a laptop because most of their proffessors woulld like you to submit your essays and homework electronically. Some-

times parents can’t help teen’s out as much with college because of the high prices of electronics. Ipods are getting more advanced but the prices are still high. Most cell phones today are usually smart phones and it’s difficult to pay the bill for the price of the phone and the data plan. So how is it possible for teens to be cool with their new electronics when they can afford it?

Sell your old clothes you don’t wear anymore. Look through your dresser and find all the clothes you barely wear, and find all the clothes and shoes that are too big or too small. Then sell them to friends. Or you can get a good deal and sell them at PLATO’s closet. You could either get a gift card and use at their store, or cash back. You could also go to Value World and Just 4 Girlz,

Cleaning out your room and find a whole bunch of old CD’s. Who uses CD’s anymore? If they aren’t damaged or scratched, you could sell your old CD’s at the Record Exchange 15100 Detroit, across the street from Burger King and Caribou.

October 2011

Lately, many businesses are allowing customers to have a trade deal, or sell their old technology for some cash. Try selling yours, so you’re not asking for money every weekend.

Also, you don’t always need money to have a good weekend. Have a movie night and use Netflix instantly through your Blue Ray. Choose from hundreds of different movies and shows. The weather is cooling down and it’s perfect weather for a bonfire. Toast some marshmallows on the fire and it’s a perfect treat. Or maybe you could have friends over for a Wii party and play Mario Kart, Super Mario Brothers and Beatles Rock Band.

The cool weather is coming in and the leaves are falling. Ask your neighbors if you could rake their yards for pay. A few yards could get you a movie ticket for this Friday’s flick. You could then take your yard raking business into shoveling snow. Maybe you have some neighbors that have kids that need help with their schoolwork. You could spend an hour every other day and tutor their child with what they need work on. Do you still have your old books you read when you were a kid? Sell your old books at Half Priced Books. They may not pay a lot, but it’s better than nothing.

opinion

LHS STUDENTS DIS-SPIRITED?

Photo illustration by Julia Houska, Maddy Kane and Brandy Davis

We’ve got spirit, yes we do...

...wait just kidding, no we don’t By Brandy Davis and Maddy Kane

New students start walking the halls of Lakewood High School, they often notice a severe lack of school spirit. Lakewood, in comparison to other schools, is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to showing school pride. Madelyn Kane: Senior I came from Avon lake High School, where if you didn’t have school spirit, they would hunt you down and paint you in the school colors themselves. I’m exaggerating a bit, but they were obnoxtious about taking pride in their school. Having moved to Lakewood, I was shocked to not even find out what the school

16 opinion

mascot was until my fourth day at LHS, and I only found out by over hearing a group of kids making fun of the Ranger Man. Although Avon Lake sometimes went overboard on the level of spirit they wanted to achieve, I have to say I miss it very much. I miss all of the students being excited to go to the football games and to support their team. Not even just the football team, the tennis team, cross country team, the marching band, majorettes, and flag core. LHS students seem to not even acknowledge these hard working students. With the lack of support these teams and clubs, who would want to join them? Some one has to

start supporting these students’ efforts. Support for athletes and clubs is not the only problem. What about the seniors?! Where is your excitement in making LHS your alma mater? I feel not only seniors, but every student should take pride in their school, especially students that have lived in Lakewood their whole lives. What kind of freshman or other new students would be excited to attend LHS when the attitude about the school is so dull and unenthusiastic? In Avon Lake there was a spirit assembly before homecoming and for every sporting season. Every grade would decorate a hall way with certain themes such as: pirate theme, Harry Potter theme, tropical theme,

The Lakewood Times

Willy Wonka, jungle, and many more creative ideas. I used to stay until almost 11:00 pm every night painting for my hallway, to have a chance at my class winning the décor that time. After all the decorating was done, the hallways would be judged by the principal and the vice principals. Along with the hallways, the show cases and billboards around the school were judged. After the decorating was judged, all the students separated into their classes and gathered in the gym. There, the juniors and underclassmen would watch the seniors vs. faculty sporting event. After that, there were competitions between all of the classes such as who could do their class chant the loudest. Along with that there were relay races and finally a grueling match of tug-of war. The points from all the events won would be tallied up and the class with the most points received the spirit award. Every quarter a class won the spirit award and it was to be flaunted in your showcase to prove that your class had the most school spirit. Along with the spirit assemblies, seniors designed t-shirts to take pride in their graduating class. The underclassmen couldn’t wait to be seniors to show the school how much spending four years there meant to them. Brandy Davis: Senior I use to go to John Marshall in Cleveland and we were all about spirit. Red and white

were our colors, and that’s really what you saw when you walked through the doors. Although when you think of Marshall, you probably think it’s a bad school, it really isn’t. The students there take so much pride in their school, and go all out when it comes to showing spirit. We would take off the last few periods of school occasionally and have different activities in the gym. It would be so much fun, and even if you didn’t think so, at least you got out of your classes. Say, you forgot to study and you have a test 9th period, but then you realize that the test is postponed due to the spirit games that are occurring, junior vs. seniors volleyball games, or even seniors vs. staff !(Wouldn’t you love to kick Mrs. Ballash’s or Mr. Ebner’s butt in a match of basketball?) Whatever the teams may be, it’s all fun. The winner of these games got bragging rights. Whoever won would be considered the best class. It sounds unbelievable, but it was what they got. No real prizes were involved, just class pride. At LHS, the seniors seem to not take pride in their school, let alone the underclassmen. If seniors aren’t participating in “Spirit Week,” then why would the freshman, sophomores or juniors? Those of us LHS transplants,

encourage seniors, along with the rest of the school, to actually participate in the activities that the school is offering you. We think that ideas that other schools use to promote enthusiasm, would be wonderful to bring to LHS. It would make a really inviting school climate, and create friendly competition between classes. It would let seniors show pride in being seniors, and let freshmen attempt to make a name for themselves at the school. You all should be proud to attend Lakewood High School. Wear your purple and gold, and wear them with pride! Don’t be afraid to say, ”Go Rangers!”

How LHS Students Feel About School Spirit Out of 1,800 students, 525 responded to The Lakewood Times Live poll online. Look around you LHS students. Are these results reality ?

Art by Casey Miller

I’m so pumped !! Go Rangers!! I wear my purple and gold when I’m supposed to. Who cares about purple & gold? Wait.. What’s our mascot?!

October 2011

opinion

Fall Fashion

By Emma Brady

Sophomore Hailey Davis pairs an edgy leather jacket with a geometric tribal top.

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Fall is already here and different styles have overtaken stores. Now, it is time for people to spice things up, and take some fashion risks. You know you are secretly hiding your love for cowboy boots and are dying for a cute maxi skirt, but you think to yourself, “I could never pull that off”, or “People would make fun of me if I wore that”. Most people are just too scared to try different things. It shouldn’t be up to someone else to “pull off” what you want to wear. No one should have to tell you the “dos” and “don’ts” of fashion. Take a risk and wear what you really want! Fall is the time of year some of the most exciting trends emerge. In New York City, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is mostly where it all begins. The designers at fashion week take a great deal of risks to set trends for the rest of the season. You may not feel like dressing as outrageously as some models you see on the runway, but you can still try new trends without looking ridiculous. For instance, you can take a long fur coat you see at fashion week and tweak it into a furry vest with your favorite top. Fashion risks take baby steps On the runway this season, many different trends were spotted. You will find fur coats, lots of deep reds and blues, leather skirts, animal print, sequins, graphic stripes, scarves, cozy sweaters, mid-calf and maxi skirts, plaids, tuxedo wear, bright pants, and some lace here and there. Obviously not everyone is going to go out and get all these looks. So, how do you you tone it down, while still updating your closet? Clothes found in stores, for the teenage shopper, are a little different than the styles seen on the runway this fall. The clothes are more wearable and a little more fun. Here is your fall checklist: (also don’t forget your sequins, animal print and deep blues and reds!) Individualtiy is everywhere. People can have totally different styles. It is just a matter of who you are. Don’t feel the need to only wear what other people are wearing. TAKE A RISK! Lakewood High needs some new fashion trends of its own. Wear what you really want to and don’t let anyone hold you back.

The Lakewood Times

Brad tries a lace top with a denim jacket.

TOPS/JACKETS Plaid Shirts Striped tops Denim tops Military jacket Leather jacket Cozy sweaters Lace or Sheer tops Ponchos

BOTTOMS:

Davus says donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget your feather accessories

High waisted pants Circle skirts Maxi or mid-calf skirts Bright pants Skinny jeans

Emma Brady pairs up a patterened scarf with a plain shirt and a pair of leather boots.

SHOES

Leather or Equestrian Boots Oxfords or moccaisins A cute pair of flats Sperryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Plaid is always in style, according to Davis.

Then she adds a little animal print here and there for fun.

ACCESSORIES Chunky Jewelry Feather accessories Bright Bags Patterned scarves

To find all of your fall essentials and great prices, try shopping at Forever 21, H&M, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target, JCPenney, Charlotte Russe, American Eagle, Payless, Charming Charlies, and even some thrift stores.

Take a tank top with a little detailing and pair it with a cardigan, advises Brady.

Photo credit: Grace Lazos

October 2011

lkwd life

By Khalil Cormier

ulready to play

Every once in a while some one will learn a skill and take it to the next level. And sometimes they don’t get the attention they deserve. Sophomore Max Mulready already deserves attention for his contributions to music at Lakewood. For those who don’t know Max, he’s one of the few sophomores to possess a fully-grown beard. You can find him in Lakewood Project, Marching band, Choir, Wind Ensemble and even Jazz Band. He, along with Danny Toner, even lead the composition portion of the “Big Beach Read” where students created a piece of music using “Garage Band.” Besides this, Max played ukulele with 70 Lewis in the school’s rendition of Godspell. As for Max’s musical talents he has

20 lkwd life

played drums his whole life. Since his father is an accomplished musician and a drummer there was always a drum kit around for little Max to bang on.   ”When I was about three or four, I started taking Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Beck Center,” said Max. (Dalcroze Eurythmics is a method used to teach musical education to students, commonly found in general music classes such as choir and orchestra.) He then continued with piano lessons from the same teacher, and music theory a few years later at the Beck Center as well. Max is also an experienced pianist; he plays drums and synthesizer in Lakewood Project, drums in jazz band, and the snare in Marching band. Starting trombone in the 5th grade he was given the opportunity to play the French horn in the 7th. He also plays guitar and the ukulele and has taken extensive lessons in music theory and also sings. Wondering what his favorite instrument might be? ”Every instrument is so unique in it’s own way, it makes it so difficult to judge them based on my liking. But if I were to say which allows me to enjoy myself the most, it would have to be the drums, specifically when playing jazz.” “Piano is such a great instrument to know as well, and the theory behind it makes room for just about every other instrument to come easily. And guitar makes it so easy to play simple chords and sing along, there’s really no way to pick favorites since every instrument contributes to a different aspect of music itself.” This musical prodigy got his start from his father, who is an accomplished musician and drummer. He is the CEO and co

founder of coolcleveland.com and started the Ingenuity Fest. He was also previously in a band called “Cats on Holiday”. “Both my parents pushed music into my life, mostly because our family loves music, and it’s something a lot of kids do when they’re young. I continued with it, adding more and more as I got older, because it was so enjoyable for me. It will never be a decision I’d regret” said Mulready. Max’s favorite genres of music are Jazz and Experimental. ”My favorite band, (not counting the Beatles, of course) might be Fleet Foxes, except that there are too many bands to consider one better than the other. Animal Collective has such a diverse musical sound, and Best Coast lets her listeners take her music into whatever direction they want due to the simplicity of the songs.” Mulready also enjoys the classic music from the ‘60s and even earlier with jazz and blues. He believes these early roots play a huge role in how we interact with what we hear, and what effect it has on us. “I’ve learned that if you want to enjoy music to the fullest extent, you have to learn to appreciate everything it has to offer. By trying to expose myself to as many musical experiences as possible, I someday hope to create the perfect type of music for myself.” Mulready said “If I can satisfy myself in that way, I will then consider myself successful.”

The Lakewood Times

Photos courtesy of the Mulready family.

Mulready (grade 6) practices for solo and ensemble.

Another jam session on the Mulready throne.

October 2011

Mulreadys first try at the drums in his basement.

Max takes time to practice piano

lkwd life

Make an effort to connect with exchange students By Ingrid Vatamanu

The beginning of a new school year comes with a long list of activities at Lakewood High School, and the difficult choices of choosing which clubs suit students best. Among this list is a new club started last year called the Interact Club. The Interact Club is in association with Rotary International Club- a worldwide organization helping people in need all over the world. Rotary also provides students the opportunity to participate in an exchange program, where they study abroad for a whole year. By joining the club, students learn about becoming an exchange student, what the process of applying is like, and what going with the Rotary Club is like. Studying aboard is not a requirement for joining the club, but Interact consists of many past exchange students and hopefuls. It also provides you with the chance to meet the foreign exchange students that Lakewood High School is supporting. Last year, Interact engaged in many fun, help-

ful, activities. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, members went to Lakewood’s Masonic Temple and helped pass out turkeys to families in Lakewood who didn’t have food to put on their holiday tables. Helping people is what the holiday season is all about, and this was a great way to give back to the community. Interact partakes in many of the Rotary volunteer programs which are useful to many people in need. At Christmas time, several of the members piled up in a van, drove to Peninsula, Ohio, had dinner at the Winking Lizard, and then went to help out with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. There, they dressed up as Christmas figures, such as elves, snowmen, reindeer, and gingerbread men. Members waved to little children passing by on the train, and then went and had hot chocolate with chocolate chip cookies. For Valentine’s Day, members drove to the Ennis Court Nursing Home to visit the seniors. They had previously made Valentine’s Day cards and after passing them out, sat and talked with the seniors, listening to their stories, and in ex-

change telling them theirs. The groups biggest activity was the Rotary/ AYF Service Auction in Rocky River. There, each person from the club listed a service they could provide, whether it was babysitting, yard work, baking, or other talents. They then auctioned them off for money, and after people bought their services the money went to the club. Interact Club also had a Cake Walk, which was when everybody in the club baked a cake and then raffled it off at the auction. With over 15 cakes, the group raised a lot of money just from selling their delicious concoctions! While some of the money will remain in the club treasury, a part of the profit will go to the Rotary Shelter Box Fund which helps victims of natural disasters all over the world. For the 4th of July, several of the group’s nembers marched in the parade with international flags. The Interact Club will me meeting in the LRC South every other Tuesday morning. Come to learn more about the club and also meet the new foreign exchange students at LHS.

New faces from different places

By Sabrina Suleiman

Foreign exchange students come annually to spend a year all over the world. Aleksandra Wieckowska, a junior, is one of the lucky students welcomed at LHS. She’s always dreamt of being able to see the U.S. “I really wanted to see American high schools since I was ten.” said Wieckowska. She’s learned four languages French, Italian, German, and Polish. She is currently staying with the Guetling family. In Poland, high school only lasts three years, depending on the level of education offered in the school. Aleksandra describes how some kids have longer schedules than others. At the end of the day it’s all determined by where the student stands, and how many classes they are assigned. She grew up watching plays from the sideline. Hopefully this year Wieckowska will participate with the drama class. One of her dreams is to write scripts, or partake in theater. Other admirations of hers are camping, reading, listening to

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music, and drinking green tea. The one hobby she enjoys the most is watching football games. “I’m an only child, so being with my host family really makes me want to be there for them the whole step of the way. I enjoy cheering for my “brother” when he plays football, including the high school team.” Wieckowska is a bookworm. She loves the Hunger Games series, and cannot wait for the movies to be released. “I can’t believe its coming to life! Its crazy, the series is just incredible. I really, really liked the books.” She explains what she went through while traveling. “We’re all chosen randomly, and you do lots of paperwork and give the people your top three places you’d like to see. Trust me, its worth it. All that time spent on filling them out, all those hand cramps. It definitely paid off!” Making new friends is not easy, especially when you’re moving halfway around the world, but for Bayardo Rojas, a senior it comes easily. He speaks four different languages too, Spanish, German, French, and English. In Switzerland, it wasn’t cho-

sen randomly. It was entirely up to the student if they wanted to travel. “I did this because I wanted to experience something new. For once to leave my home and see something new.” Rojas enjoys attending American classes. “They’re interesting and cool, plus they are way easier than in Switzerland. He finds school fascinating but not so much as the classes. At this point, Rojas doesn’t really have a favorite, but he’s taking a liking to British Literature. When it comes to learning different languages, Bayardo is all for it. “Any language class for me is motivating.” He’s been to Crocker Park and Downtown Cleveland, but he really hopes to go to Cedar Point. Some of his goals are to become a part of the LHS basketball team. “I really like sports, but basketball is my favorite though. I meet a lot of new people who are really good.” In Switzerland he played for the school team, but right now he’s conditioning with the LHS team. Hanging out with friends and going to the movies are just some of his hobbies. The one he jokes about is eating, “I really love the food!” All in all he enjoys hanging out with friends, eating out, and playing any sport.

The Lakewood Times

Familiar Faces

By Sabrina Suleiman

S e n i o r

J u n i o r

Sophomore

Lexi Getz has been a part of Rugby for four years. Getz snowboard’s and also golf ’s, and soccer was her hobby freshman and sophomore year. She jams to rap and country music and her favorite food is sushi. When she has extra time Getz takes her dog Skruffy out for walks.

Amber Ganoe enjoys drawing, and has artwork hanging up in Borroca on Madison. Ganoe also came in first place at the Chalk Drawing contest during the Big Beach Read, and Art History is one of her favorite subjects. Ganoe also enjoys music, and her favorite band is the The Killers. Ganoe is currently enrolled in Interactive Media. She adores pancakes, plus her two dogs and cat.

Aaron Morit plays basketball and football for the high school team. He enjoys reading and writing, he hopes to write for a sports magazine in the future. When he’s free, Aaron hangs out his friends as much as he can. Morit enjoys watching comedy and action movies. History, Journalism, and Art are his favored subjects.

Underclassmen Uncovered By Dylan Dombroski

Island and The Beatles. Morgenstern likes to eat pasta, his favorite food, while watching 127 Hours, and Hot Rod. In the future, Morgenstern wants to get an 8-bit Mario Mushroom as a tattoo. Morgenstern also likes to listens to classic rock, pop, and alternative. His favorite part of the day is his Spanish class and running cross-country after school. Morgenstern liked the Beach Read but he was not present for the event.

Matt Morgenstern is a freshman that runs cross-country and listens to his favorite bands the Lonely

October 2011

tured since being a freshman, but his sister senior Brianna Kaviak says otherwise. He likes to hang out with friends and play bass while eating his favorite food, hamburgers. Kaviak likes all kinds of music, except country and Justin Bieber. He also likes listening to Korn, Slipknot, nsane Clown Posse, Twizted, and System of a Down. Kaviak doesn’t like the dress code and thinks there are too many people. Kaviak enjoys his 2.0 classes and his favorite teacher, Mr. Wheeler.

Joe Kaviak is a sophomore who is a big fan of Star Wars and the Harry Potter series. Kaviak says he ma-

lkwd life

Homecoming Highlights

By Julia Houska

. Senior John Vincent is ready to head back on the field in hopes of victory against Medina.

Senior Jenny Hood reacts to her name being called as Lakewood Highâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011/2012 Homecoming Queen. (Note mother and daughter expressions.)

Homecoming Queen and King, seniors Jenny Hood and Jay Andreani.

Junior Jovon Young watching his fellow Rangers from the sidelines. . Senior Zach Morit takes a breather before heading back to the field. Rangerettes are huddling up before their half time show.

The 2011/2012 Homecoming Court show approval of the DJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s song choice.

. Seniors Ariel Lopez and Tom Muse have fun on the dance floor.

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Homecoming Weekend was a busy time. To kick off the weekend different sports and clubs showed their school pride in the Spirit Parade. Students made their way from Lakewood Park up Bunts Road to the high school. The Lakewood Rangers football team then beat Medina 20-15. During half time of this game Senior’s Jay Andreani and Jenny Hood were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. The next night, students from all grades came and danced the night away at “Club Gold.”

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Senior Tony Goddard runs back an interception. Photos courtesy of Woodard Photography

Rangers discover winning ways

By Jon Cropper

It’s that time of year again, and the LHS fall sports season is underway. So far Lakewood has discovered some new winning ways. Football

The Rangers have had their best start since 2004. With impressive wins over Lincoln West, North Olmsted, Medina, Cuyahoga Falls, and Valley Forge, the team has shown improvement over the past few years and has a record of 5-2. Junior running back Jovon Young and senior quarterback Aturo Morgan are leading the offense

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with a massive amount of rushing and passing touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive lineman Sie “sack animal” Doe, Jr. anchors the D-line with over 15 tackles for loss, while Jacob Supinksi, Ben Fitchwell, and Marquise Tyus have also had impressive seasons on defense. “We have a good amount of returning

starters on defense so they’re feeling comfortable at their positions,” Coach Lewis said in an interview with the Plain Dealer. “Sie’s quick and has been very disruptive for the opposition, Ben’s running our defense and Marquise is a solid cover guy.” Lakewood has a chance to finish with a winning record and possibly make it to the division 1 region 1 playoffs for the first time in years.

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Volleyball players cheering each other on.

Volleyball

This year’s volleyball team is also joining the success. The Rangers have a winning record of 11-5 and are hoping to win their second N.O.C championship since ‘09. Captains Dani Witri, and the Garcia twins Jessica and Bridgette are carrying the team. “I think we are doing really good this year, our record is good and we are still going strong. We are improving everyday,” Junior Marissa Burke said. There are enough matches left for the Rangers to pull away with a conference championship.

Junior Chris Richardson swings away.

Golf

Championships are the new tradition for the boy’s golf team. Winning their third consecutive conference championship, the boy’s golf team is becoming a top team in the N.O.C. “I think our team is the best it’s been in the last few years. All of us are showing improvement since the start of the season and we’ve capped it off by winning our third consecutive title.” Junior Chris Richardson said. Richardson, Elliot Smith and Jacob Zbin each received All-Conference honors. The Ranger golf team boasts a regular season record of 11-1 (their one loss coming from Normandy by only 12 strokes), and is focused on the OHSAA sectional tournament.

Scan this QR code with your smart phone to check out more Lakewood sports stats. Senior Nate Nader evades a defender.

Soccer

The boy’s soccer team has a lot of excitement brewing about

the playoffs. With a record of 7-2-5, the Rangers are led by Senior Captain Eric Kunze with 14 goals, and he leads the area with assists (11). Thomas Salukombo, Sergei Hajardi and Jacob Shelt all have at least 5 goals. Not to mention Junior Zach Fehrenback has had an outstanding season in Goal with over 60 saves. Lakewood also kept the Community Cup in the annual rivalry game with St. Ed’s. “I think we can go far in the playoffs this year, I want that ring on my finger.” Junior Defender Mirsad Curri said referring to winning a state championship. The team has a legitimate chance to do it. They lost in the first round of the playoffs last year to Avon Lake, but are expected to go a lot farther this year.

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sports

Final Word By Gwen Stephen

Book bags are getting a little fuller, and late nights are getting a little later. By October, the school year has officially kicked into full gear. We no longer have an explanation as to why or how we’re still in a summer daze. While we begin to stand by the sidelines and watch assignments pile up, tests and college applications inch closer and closer, with deadlines becoming long overdue, we need not forget that we have a sliver of hope—and a tangible one at that. As some believe everything from the fall leaves to our attention span is dying off, many like to think of the season as coming alive. The colors on the trees, the smells in the air, the beginning of the holiday season—fall is the start to a whole new school year, and a world of possibilities. Take time to enjoy what is around us for such a short amount of time. In between college applications, take a trip to experience new sights and sounds that have been at a distance for the past year. After the long awaited PSAT, stop by that highly acclaimed haunted house, go apple picking and walk through the corn maze at Mapleside. Get involved and enjoy the last of the fall sports events. Visit Halloweekends, stock up on fall fashions, just try something new. Fall is about celebrating the season, not worrying about taking on too much at school, or why Moodle isn’t loading, or having to sit in the lecture hall at Saturday detention, or getting in trouble for posting private things on Facebook. Though all of these are important, fall silently encourages each and every one of us to get up and out and simply experience and enjoy the next couple of months where the snow isn’t up to our knees. Take the time to take the time. Make the best of every situation, whether you’re suffering from the end-of-summer-slump or not. That is what this issue is about, not just taking a bite out of the fall fun, but taking a bite out of life, to unwind, unravel, and engage. Happy Fall!

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