The Bruin - January 2023

CCP CLASSES ARE MORE EFFICIENT THAN AP CLASSES

classes

taken by many students at Wadsworth High School, it is more effective to take CCP classes. Both courses, CCP and AP are for both high school and college credit, but when a student takes AP they not only have to pass the class but also take the AP test. This can be very stressful. It also costs money to take the final exam, and students do not receive credit for college if they do not pass with a score of three or higher. Conversely, CCP courses do not require a make-or-break exam at the end of the year. Also, CCP classes do not have any initial fees, unless the student drops the class after the allowed time or fails. However, this is not to say that AP does not have its advantages. The class is a year long rather than just a semester, so students get a more thorough understanding of the material. Also, AP courses always follow the high school schedule. With certain CCP courses, they follow the University of Akron’s schedule, so students could have to go to class on a day where they have no other school with Wadsworth. Despite these positives, we believe that students that are looking for a class that takes less time and money all the while getting the same amount of credit, they should consider taking CCP rather than AP.

GRIZZLIES OF THE MONTH

Jaycee Kabasky, 11

Luke Ramsier, 12

The Bruin would like to give a special thanks to senior Julia Fortner for her camera work. The photo featured on the cover was taken by Julia Fortner at the WHS Varsity Boys Basketball game against Brunswick. The image features Maxxwell Bosley (11), as the student section storms the court after a 4 overtime game victory. Bosley set the record for the most points scored in a game with 47 points. The theme for this game was ‘jersey,’ students can be seen wearing jersey’s from their favorite teams while supporting WHS basketball.

BY HALEY REEDY

OHIO LEGALIZES SPORTS BETTING

As of January 1, 2023, online sports betting has been legalized in Ohio. In 2018, the United States Supreme court voted to overturn PASPA, Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, leaving it up to the individual state to legalize sports betting. Under new legislation, online and in-person sports betting are available to those 21 and over. DraftKings and FanDuel are two of the more well-known sports betting websites.

PEER MENTORS GUIDE FRESHMEN

BY NOELLE ALLEN

WHS upperclassmen provide leadership and guidance for this year’s freshmen through the Peer Mentor Program. The Peer Mentor Team aims to ease the transition from middle school, to high school and offer role models and friendly faces to the new students, as well as teach them how to handle their first year and the rest of their high school careers.

Nikki Farson, counselor of the freshman class, is the coordinator of the program this year. Along with the help of a number of counselors and staff members at Wadsworth, she is working to create a valuable experience for both incoming freshmen and upperclassmen leaders.

“I am excited to see how much happens between freshmen year and how the leaders will have grown and matured,” Farson said.

Julia Fortner discusses study skills in Mr. Vankirk’s freshmen lab. The presentation included tips on staying focused and organized in preparation for midterms. “[The presentation] helped me prepare for upcoming events from the perspective of the students who have personally experienced it,” said Eve Connor, freshmen at WHS

presentation.

“My favorite part is being able to talk to the freshmen and be there for them when needed,” said Julia Fortner, senior Peer Leader at WHS.

Fortner was introduced to the program during a freshman orientation meeting for the HUDDLE program

SUPPORTERS RALLY BEHIND DAMAR HAMLIN

NFL safety for the Buffalo Bills, Damar Hamlin, suffered cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday January 2, 2023. Hamlin was tackling Tee Higgins, wide receiver for the Bengals, and passed out after standing up from the tackle. Hamlin then went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field. Hamlin’s representative, Jordon Rooney, says that Hamlin is showing signs of progress and on January 11 was the ICU. NFL and Hamlin supporters are using the slogan ‘Pray for 3’ to show love to Hamlin and his family.

STRIKE AVERTED IN AKRON CITY SCHOOLS

The Akron Education Association called off the potential strike the night before it was planned to begin. President of the Akron Board of Education, N. J. Akbar, Ph.D released a statement saying that the board was dedicated to working with the AEA to come to an agreement to avoid strike. With the new contract, AEA members will pay raises and the board will be investing more money in school security.

A typical presentation takes place during the freshman Academic Labs. During these meetings; two to three leaders present a topic to the students through slideshow presentations and interactive activities such as games or icebreakers.

A few of the topics covered so far in the program include, the homecoming dance expectations and study skills. When asked in a survey, between 60-65% of the freshmen found the homecoming lesson

helpful to them. Farson hopes to continue to use student feedback to make the program as beneficial as possible, as well as use student suggestions on the topics covered in the future.

Peer leaders are required to commit to four, or five lessons throughout the year as well as other opportunities such as a freshmen activity appreciation day which is planned to take place in January. To prepare for the lessons, students are also required to attend a meeting alongside the other leaders and prepare for the next

-- Helping Us Develop Dedication, Leadership, and Enthusiasm. This year, Farson reached out to HUDDLE to recruit responsible and reliable students to begin this new program. HUDDLE is a similar program where upperclassmen travel to elementary schools and teach lessons on a number of subjects such as peer pressure and decision making. Students involved in this club are chosen following an application and interview process. In the future, the process for selecting peer leaders will progress similarly.

“Hearing about [peer mentoring] made me want to help because when I was a freshman having a peer mentor would’ve been nice,” Fortner said, “I also really wanted to stay active in school and help other students the best way I could.”

NEW PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE

MC FLEX STARTS TESTING IN WADSWORTH

BY KATIE ALLEN

This year, having a new goal of improving transportation, Medina County Public Transit department or MCPT, plans to launch a new public transportation option to Wadsworth called MC Flex. This service will replace the existing Loop Route in Wadsworth by being an on-demand service, having many new incentives to it. Because it is a relatively new type of public transportation, it is currently only in the testing phase; however, if it is found successful, it will be permanently implemented in Wadsworth.

“What we plan to do is to put together a service for the entire Wadsworth area on an on-call demand,” said Shannon Rine, the Medina County Public Transit director. “Up to 7 days in advance and a minimum

of 2 hours in advance, you’ll be able to call in to the [MCPT] office and book a ride to anywhere in the Wadsworth area based on our service map.”

While riders can certainly call the MCTP office to book a trip, MC Flex allows for the new addition of a mobile app, called Rides on Demand, which is compatible with both Apple and Android devices. This app can be used to book trips within the hours of 8AM4PM Monday-Friday, and can even track the locations of the vehicles.

Once trips have been booked, the MC Flex software will automatically create the bus routes to pick up and drop off riders. Riders can be picked up and taken to any place within the limits of the service map. Because riders can be picked up in a variety of new locations, this service will allow public transport to be much more accessible within the area limits.

“I was out testing it today making sure that the points and the map recognized, and it did do that,” Rine said. “Now we are working on scheduling rides on a test basis, that would go right to the tablets on the buses through a wifi signal and a GPS signal to match up the buses with where clients would want to get picked up by the buses.”

Although MC Flex brings up many new additions to public transportation, the price of a bus ride will remain the same as the Loop Route at $1.50.

“MC Flex is launching when transportation costs are at the forefront of many people’s minds,” the Medina County Commissioners’ Newsletter quoted. “With gas prices continuing to rise, parking becoming scarcer and more expensive,

and vehicle costs rising, MC Flex offers a simple, low cost, and efficient solution to transportation within Wadsworth.”

As of now the pilot launch is scheduled for three months and will end sometime in the spring. If successful it is possible for the service area to expand to other parts of Wadsworth and to even become available in Medina and Brunswick city in the future.

Photo courtesy Fair Use.

Photo courtesy of NFL

Photo courtesy of Akron Education Association

Photo courtesy of Nikki Farson.

“MY FAVORITE PART IS BEING ABLE TO TALK TO THE FRESHMEN AND BE THERE FOR THEM WHEN NEEDED.”

-JULIA FORTNER, SENIOR PEER LEADER

Shown above in the dark green outline is the area of which MC Flex will be available in. If testing is successful, the area could become larger in the future.

Photo courtesy of Medina County Public Transit Department.

Info graphic courtesy of Medina County Public Transit Department.

AP vs CCP

BY SYDNEY BLAKE

Both AP and CCP classes offer students opportunities to get ahead on their college credits and to start studying courses that actually interest them, as opposed to the courses that high schools require students to take. Here are some things to consider when deciding between AP and CCP courses.

A big thing for students to consider is where they plan on attending college because not every college accepts AP and CCP credits.

“The State of Ohio says that most CCP courses offered by our Ohio public colleges will transfer - but how the credit is applied is up to the college,” said Mrs. Ross, guidance counselor at Wadsworth High School. “Colleges get the final say on accepting credit.”

At WHS, AP classes are available to some freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. WHS offers 16 AP classes. At the end of each course, students have the option to take the AP test to earn the credits for the course. The College Board grades the AP exams on a five point scale, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. Students must obtain a three on the exam to earn the credits.

AP classes are typically more difficult than CCP, but less homework is given.

“I usually have less homework in my AP classes because I have class five days a

week compared to CCP that is only three days a week so they expect you to do a lot of the work on your own time,” said Jenna Ruether, senior at WHS.

Students have to pay the price to take the test, with the amount varying for each test but they are all around $100. This can become very expensive very quickly if students are taking multiple AP tests at the end of the year.

If students do not remember to return their books and supplies from CCP classes, they will be fined. CCP classes only meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for one semester. For most students, this means that they can leave during their CCP class time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After the semester is over, they earn three credits if they pass the class. This means no expensive tests at the end of the year.

Both AP and CCP classes are targeted to help high school students obtain college credits before graduation.

ART CLUB PLANS TO CREATE STUDENT MURAL

BY ALEX BANKS

Art Club is hoping to bring their talent to the walls of Wadsworth High School during the second semester.

Members have been meeting to discuss potential ideas for what they want it to look like and what they want their mark on WHS to be.

“Over the years I’ve done a lot of murals with the schools, we decided to do the Art Club as more of a group-effort types of art projects, so students who are in Art Club who usually do individual projects can work together on group projects,” said Dave Derrig, head of the Art Club.

This is the Art Club’s second year and in the past year they have done things such as creating a mosaic of a grizzly paw print and decorating the windows of the Media Center. They also got the chance to talk with an artist who has created two murals around downtown Wadsworth who talked about his work and his process of creating and planning murals.

their talent.

“This year, we are looking to do something hopefully down by the PAC, that would celebrate the arts,” Derrig said.

Once they get their ideas finalized, Derrig can take it to Dr. Hill for the final submission to be approved.

in course selections:

8th Grade: Feb. 13th (due Feb. 6th in science)

9th Grade: Jan. 31st & Feb. 1st

10th Grade: Feb. 8th, 9th & 15th

11th Grade: Feb. 3rd, 6th & 7th

WADSWORTH WRESTLERS ACCEPT SCHOLARSHIPS

BY JOSEPH DAVIS

This year, two boys on the wrestling team, Coen Grimm and Jaxon Joy, have committed to wrestle in college.

Coen Grimm, senior wrestler at Wadsworth High School has committed to the University of Buffalo to continue wrestling.

“It means a whole lot because of the hard work and what it’s taken to help me get there,” Grimm said. “It means something to a lot of the people who helped me get there. And to be so successful, it’s something special.”

Grimm stated, it was the hardest decision for him to make because of the big offer he received from buffalo and his love for Appalachain State University.

Grimm says he chose Buffalo because of

the strong interest the coaches had in him, even visiting to watch him play football.

Jaxon Joy, a junior and wrestler at Wadsworth High School has decided to continue his wrestling journey. Wrestling since the age of 4, Joy has recently committed to Cornell University where he will continue the sport.

“It means a lot to me because it is something that I’ve worked a long time for, and it is a huge help for my future,” Joy said. “It took a lot of hard work and sacrifices, and it wasn’t always the most fun but it was definitely worth it in the end.”

Joy ended up choosing Cornell because of the family-like atmosphere and how successful their program has been.

In addition, Cornell takes part in the running for a national title every year, and that is something Joy wants to be a part of.

“My coaches have helped me out a ton over my entire time wrestling. There are so many people that I am thankful for but I am most thankful for my family,” Joy said. “I’m mostly looking forward to getting great opportunities to become the best version of myself at Cornell.”

“I gave [the students] some ideas and just kind of threw stuff out there and then they’re working in groups of two or three and brainstorming amongst themselves,” Derrig said. “But it is all student-driven, I’m not the one coming up with the ideas, they are. I just told them what the theme of the mural was and they are working on ideas to kind of fit that theme.”

Their overall idea is to incorporate music and the drama department to appreciate

“I think that I’m most looking forward to being able to work with my friends to create something for the school,” said Maia Edwards, a sophomore and second-year Art Club member.

The mural will be funded by the school system if it is approved and they will have to figure out the overall cost of resources.

“I’m hoping to have it done before the end of the school year because I’d like for the seniors to see it before they are graduated,” Derrig said.

They are hoping to come up with a final idea by the end of January and then begin creating the mural during February.

“MY COACHES HAVE HELPED ME OUT A TON OVER MY TIME WRESTLING.”

-JAXON JOY JUNIOR WRESTLER

Coen Grimm pictured to the left, facing off Brecksville opponent. Wadsworth competing against their biggest rivals.

Photo by Joseph Davis.

Derrig shows the students an idea that another member sketched prior to the first Art Club meeting of the year. Students have been working on creating different ideas for the mural.

Photo by Alex Banks

Meeting times with counselors to finalize and turn

MOVIE MARKETING TO TEENS HAS GONE TOO FAR

OPINION BY HALEY REEDY

It should be no surprise to avid movie watchers that movie producers capitalize off of younger generations. The moldable mind makes teenagers and young adults the perfect audience for producers to make their money off of. With easily swayable attitudes, producers can shape the way that younger generations think. The concept within itself is not something

that parents of teens are naive to, but the issue is when producers are categorizing these shows and movies as ‘TV-14’. Producers are making movies that are being rated TV-14 but are glorifying sex, drugs, smoking, drinking, cussing, and violence

According to kidshealth.org, “Most females will start puberty when they’re 8 to 13 years old, and most males will start between 9 and 14.” The age range of puberty are the ages that kids are most impressionable. They are beginning to think for themselves and start to form their own ideas and beliefs.

For example, one of Netflix’s more popular romance movies is called The Kissing Booth.

According to Netflix, one in three viewers of the film have re-watched it, “which is 30 percent higher than the average movie rewatch rate on the [streaming service]”.

The Kissing Booth is rated TV-14 and it portrays scenes of violence, drinking, and sex. The main character Elle begins to sneak around with her best friends, Lee, brother, Noah. There are many scenes that show Elle and Noah making out and innuendos while in an empty classroom. There is another scene where Elle is drunk at a party and starts to take all of her clothes off and has to be carried out of the party. One of the final scenes in the first movie shows a physical fight between Noah and Lee where Lee walks away with a

black eye from his brother.

When these movies are being pushed by producers and streaming services to younger audiences, we are teaching the younger audiences that these scenes are normal and nothing to raise question to. Teaching teens that having sex in an empty classroom is not something that should be normalized. Netflix’s restricted kid accounts are intended to be for kids ages 12 and under. Parents have the ability to restrict what their kids see under their kid’s account, but not many parents know about this feature.

“I do [have Netflix kids], I think it’s effective because it doesn’t give them the option to watch more adult rated shows,” Tina Mileto, mother of elementary, middle, and high school students.

At the end of the day, there is no real way for streaming services to ensure that the movies and shows that they are putting on their site will be watched by the correct age group. An older sibling may watch a movie that is rated TV-14 and a younger sibling under the age of 14 may also watch the movie with their sibling.

“I watch movies with my little brother all the time, even if they aren’t rated for him. I watched Dahmer with him,” said Lily Smith, Junior at Wadworth High School.

The question then becomes, is it the streaming services’ responsibility to somehow ensure that kids are not watching these movies, or is it the parents’?

Streaming services make millions of dollars a year. Is it really that difficult for more age restrictions to be added the streaming services themselves?

There are countless movies that Netflix rates as TV-14 that display scenes that have some sort of sexual undertone to them.

For example, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” shows a scene between main character Lara Jean and love interest Peter Kavinsky making out in a hot tub. There is also the innuendo that the two do more than make out, but the rumor is shut down later in the movie.

In conclusion, romance movies are pushed to audiences that are too young to understand what actual love looks like. If Netflix and producers continue to push movies like this to younger audiences, younger generations are going to get the idea that lust is actually love. By normalizing hook-up culture in romance movies we are setting generations up for failure in relationships.

DELAYS ARE THE BAIN OF GAMING

OPINION BY BRENDEN BARLETT

Destined to be “gaming’s greatest year in a decade,” last year bolstered blockbuster titles such as “Elden Ring” (2022’s GotY), “Breath of the Wild 2,” “God of War Ragnarok,” “Hogwarts Legacy,” “Starfield,” and “Redfall.”

With the release of so many highly anticipated games, many expected the excitement which buzzed in gaming communities. So, when 2022 passed into 2023, and only two of the aforementioned titles were released, many were rightfully disappointed.

“I’m okay with necessary delays,” said Samuel Bridenthal, a senior at WHS and longtime fan of BGS (Bethesda Game Studios). “If it is necessary, it is necessary, but I think they (gaming studios) should stop giving release dates in general. I mean, who knows what’s going on in these companies, you know? Like, who knows why they’re delaying all these games? I don’t. I’m not sure on the reasoning on why all these games aren’t finished–I just know they aren’t.”

Prior to the various delays CD Projekt RED’s “Cyberpunk 2077” had before its abysmal launch in December 2020, delays were far less common in the gaming world. They certainly existed, but the idea that over half a dozen AAA titles could be delayed all in the

same year was unthinkable.

“Maybe if games weren’t so graphics-focused and were more game play-focused,” Bridenthal said, “they would be ready to release closer to their set time and be more optimized.”

Unfortunately, while Bridenthal’s preference for game play and optimization over graphics is preferable, the trend of promising a revolutionary visual and game play-wise experience, then showing off little other than visuals before delaying said “experience” is seemingly an emerging trend in AAA studios.

“It’s weird because you can look at all the best games, and it’s never the graphics,” Bridenthal said. “That’s not the reason why that game is so good, and that especially applies to the games that have been blowing up the past few years, like “Minecraft” and “Fortnite.” It’s not like those games have good graphics; it’s the actual game play aspect of it.”

Players enjoy graphics, sure, but they can live with mediocre graphics and a great, immersive, and stable experience. But it is hard to enjoy beautiful visuals if the frame rate is unstable, even on expensive hardware, and the game’s design potentially sacrifices game play, immersion, and/or story at the expense of being visually appealing.

That said, it is not entirely fair to simply hound developers and gaming studios for every

delayed game. Aidan Gray, a senior at WHS and a fan of the Harry Potter series and Zelda games, stressed that “we, as the consumers” of these games, should provide some patience and understanding.

“Personally, I think that if a game gets delayed, it is for a good cause,” Gray said, “The developers realize that it’s not finished, so they do not send it out. We all make mistakes, and it’s hard to predict when something will be done.”

To an extent, Gray is right. Releasing a game is complicated, and various unexpected implications can arise during game development. That said, if a game is not guaranteed to release on time, developers should not offer a release date until that changes.

“They’re making a promise in saying a release date,” Bridenthal said, “and I feel like it is unacceptable. It is unprofessional. That kind of stuff (delays) only works in industries like the video game industry. Like, imagine if Apple delayed the release of the iPhone. People would be understandably upset.”

At the end of the day, some delays are inevitable. Game developers do not have to be perfect, though, and should not be held to such standards. But players deserve transparency from AAA studios like smaller developers and

indie developers often provide so they can retain faith and excitement for upcoming titles such as “Starfield” and “Hogwarts Legacy,” despite the bumps along the road to release.

“’BeamNG.drive’s’ devs are really active,” Bridenthal said, “they comment on YouTubers making videos about their games, and they’ve been developing their game since like 2015.

It’s still in early access, but they are frequently in forums and posting updates on Steam.”

BeamNG, the developers of “BeamNG.drive,” are not the only developers to be active and transparent with their audience. They are proof of the concept that transparency and early access can go a long way in building developer-gamer trust and releasing a worthwhile videogame.

Other early access titles that have tried similar methods include “Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord,” “Baldur’s Gate 3,” and “Valheim.” It should be noted that dozens of other games choose to release similarly.

Whatever gaming developers decide to do in the future, at the very least, they should consider being open and honest with their player base. Admittedly open development can sometimes spoil that first moment a player enters a world, but for the future of gaming, putting polish before spectacle should be favored.

Starfield-

Sons

Forspoken-

The Kissing Booth follows a plot line where main character Elle, sneaks around her best friend’s (Lee) brother (Noah). The movie is rated TV-14 by Netflix but shows multiple scenes displaying sexual acts, alcohol, violence, and cussing. Photo courtesy of Fair Use.

FOUR CITIES COMPACT SHOULD CORRESPOND SCHOOL SCHEDULES

BY KATIE GRIFFIN

As the Four Cities Compact, including Norton, Barberton, Highland and Wadsworth High Schools embarks on its 50th year in succession, students have voiced their dissatisfaction with the way the schools in the compact program schedule their breaks. When holiday breaks are laid out, they often conflict, causing students to have to miss classes or attend school on multiple days that other students have off, shortening their breaks. The break schedules of the high schools within the compact program should be altered so that students do not need to miss classes or lose days of break.

Many students have their schedules drastically changed on these days, specifically delayed starts, when Wadsworth does not begin school until 9:35, while all of the other districts still begin at 7:35. The compact schedule is not altered at all on those days, and students are expected to adapt and make the necessary changes themselves. This often leads to missing a class at Wadsworth to account for their travel time.

“A lot of my days end up being different because of the schedules, said Adi Myers, WHS senior and member of Norton’s teaching compact. “I miss my third period class on delayed start days because I have to leave to get to my student teaching position on time.”

Roger Wright, director of the compact, program explains that this issue is minor, and would be difficult to completely fix.

“The reason is that the work day schedules are all negotiated through contracts with the teachers in all four districts,” Wright said. “The superintendents try to keep the same schedule as much as they can between the four, especially with start dates, end dates and the holiday break, but each district has different contractual days for their teachers like professional development days and conference days, which is usually where you get the differences.”

While this clearly would be an issue to get the days to perfectly line up, the districts could at least make more of an effort to collaborate with each other and attempt to plan the same teacher in-service days and contractual days as much as possible, specifically to spread them apart from holiday breaks. Over Thanksgiving break this year, Barberton and Norton students had the Wednesday before the break off. Wadsworth, Norton, and Copley students had the Monday after break off, both due to teacher inservice days, while Barberton students were required to attend.

“With Thanksgiving break, I had to go to a half day at Wadsworth on Wednesday and half a day at Norton on Monday,” Myers said. “I would rather just have a full day to get it over with so that my break would be the same

length.”

Wright makes sure that he continues to provide transportation for students to be able to make it to and from their compact, even if certain districts are not in the building that day.

“We always tell the students to follow the schedule of whatever school they’re at,” Wright said. “Whenever school is open anywhere, we have buses run to transport the students.”

Wright believes that while it may inconvenience students sometimes to attend school on days they wouldn’t normally have to, the schedule does even out and the students benefit from it as well.

“There is a good chance that

there are days you have off that you wouldn’t usually, since your compact has off,” Wright said. “As long as the superintendents try to match up the big things like the start and end, holiday break, and spring break, that’s the best you can do.”

Wright says that the districts have done the best they can to collaborate with each other to line student’s schedules up as much as possible, and there would be no way to further connect them.

However, it seems that there would be no issue with making a further attempt to align the contractual days to be the same days, since there are the same amount, and they are already so close to each other.

NETFLIX OFFERS LESS FOR MORE

BY LUKE HOUSER

In May 2011, Netflix officially became the largest source of internet streaming in North America, and it has only continued to grow. Before streaming services had so much attention, most people used cable as their go-to option for movie-watching. Netflix promised to be a cheaper alternative to cable TV.

For only $8 a month, users could watch a variety of different movies at a reasonable price. As a result, many other companies started providing their own streaming services to compete, and since that time, the streaming market has taken off. However, with Netflix being the most popular of the services, they are charging more money for their subscription with only the promise of hit or miss originals to offset the price point.

Netflix has announced that starting sometime early this year, they will be ‘cracking down’ on password sharing. It is undeniable that the concept of password sharing has cost Netflix money, but it has become an integral part of many users’ experience, with reports of around 46% of Netflix users engaging in some type of multiple household password sharing. With so many people using this feature, the fact that Netflix plans to crack down on such a widely used feature will harm the experience for many. This will ultimately lead to less people having access to Netflix’s library as the service

raises its prices for anyone attempting to share passwords. As many people are already upset with the recent raises in prices, adding additional fees onto things makes it increasingly difficult to justify using the popular streaming service.

Netflix has also had some major trial and error with their recently released shows. ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’, which is a spin-off from The Witcher series, was released late 2022 and has been received very poorly by the general public. At the same time, Netflix pulled

one of their first original series, ‘Hemlock Grove’, off the digital library. Not only have recent fan favorite movies and TV shows been pulled from Netflix’s library, but their ‘quantity over quality’ method of content that they have been criticized for shows through with all the shows that have been quickly canceled in recent months. ‘Blockbuster’, ‘The B****** Son and the Devil Himself’ were both canceled in December 2022, less than a month after both of their releases. ‘Warrior Nun’ and ‘The Midnight Club’,

both released earlier this year, were both just canceled in December 2022.

“Their originals are hit or miss usually,” said Mark Eaton, senior.

When speaking to students, the consensus is that Netflix is a decent streaming service, but that the value for the price is usually better with other streaming services.

“I haven’t watched it in a while. I prefer other streaming services like Hulu and Paramount Plus… I like their shows more,” said Brad Bomgardner, junior.

Hulu is one such streaming service that people stated was a better option for the price. Hulu, for example, offers a bundle for $13.99 a month that includes access to Hulu as well as a Disney+ subscription and access to ESPN+.

‘I do like Netflix, but I prefer other streaming services more. I prefer things like Disney+ because I can watch all the Marvel movies,” said Amarina Long, junior.

According to Nicole Sangari, Kantar’s VP of Entertainment on Demand, “When looking at average weekly screen time by platform, it’s actually Hulu, not Netflix, that has a greater proportion of its subscribers watching 3+ hours per day.”

With the price increases that occurred at the beginning of last year and the announcement of additional charges for password sharing, Netflix is becoming less cost friendly and things only seem to be getting worse.

Calendar showcases what the Thanksgiving break was for all schools within the compact this year. Students who take part in the Compact Program have to attend school on all days that their main school or their compact school is in session. Photo by Eric Heffinger.

MASSIVE GRIZZLY BASKETBALL STUDENT

BY LAUREN BALL AND CARSON BERNARD

While autumn Friday nights are most often reserved for Varsity football games, when the season ends, school spirit does not. Many students instead seize the opportunity to support another sport, basketball.

Packed together in the stands, dressed for the theme, and cheering for every basket, Wadsworth High School’s student section shows that it is not just for football. Boys basketball has garnered quite the crowd on Tuesday and Friday nights during the winter, when the basketball games take place.

For years Wadsworth High School has shown up on game night to support the various athletic programs, one sport in particular being varsity football. The love and support for the Grizzlies football team continues to grow as students show up once a week on Friday nights to cheer on the team.

But as the season comes to a close, students at WHS have not

stopped supporting the Grizzlies. The boys basketball season has officially begun and the cheering is only getting louder as the season progresses. There has always been a student section at the games in years past, however, the attendance the team has this year is arguably the most it has ever seen.

Avery Neville, sophomore at WHS, has been attending the games ever since she was in middle school. She has been coming to support her older brother, Alex Neville, a senior on the basketball team, since he was a freshman.

“I remember when I was in middle school and I would watch [him] his freshman and sophomore year and the student section was not big, and then last year - my freshman yearthere started to be more of a student section, and now that it’s his senior year a lot more people are getting hyped up about it,” Neville said.

Nobody is sure where this massive turn up of student attendance

started going to more events, because during COVID a lot of things shut down and tickets were more expensive, and people didn’t really go, and this year a lot more people went, since pep rallies were brought back, more people are excited to go and watch,” Neville said. Regardless, the surge of attendance is appreciated by the team, school faculty, and community.

Game night can be one of the most stressful events a player can go through. Even with hours of practice and mental preparation, a player can still let their emotions get the best of them if there is too much on their mind. While the student section may just seem like a overly crowded group of teens, the energy they bring has a positive effect on the players on the court.

“On the sidelines I feel like it brings the energy up, it’s hard to initiate the energy by ourselves,” Corell said.

However, the reverse effect can occur for a team who travels for an away game. Callaghan Corell, a junior on the WHS Varsity basketball team, loves the support the crowd brings to the games. As an athlete who has competed in both home and away games, Corell has noticed that while the cheering from Wadsworth is appreciated, the equal energy from the opponent during away games can be difficult.

“I’ve heard both sides. In away games you hear that negative energy. But at home games hearing that positive support makes you want to succeed,” Corell said.

The student section plays a pivotal role in the game. No matter if it’s the big stage in professional sports, or in a small Midwestern high school in Wadsworth, the cheering, shouting, and screaming the fans bring to the arena creates a whole different environment.

However, the cheering for the Grizzlies is not exclusively at home. This year fans have been on the road traveling to the away games to show their continuous support for the team.

This past winter break, students traveled to Columbus to watch the Grizzlies Varsity basketball player

Solomon Callaghan break the High School record for most points scored all time in a career at Wadsworth. No matter where the game is, whether here at Wadsworth or down in Columbus, the Grizzly fans have shown their support for this team, school, and community.

The student section expressed pride and excitement for the team when junior Maxxwell Bosley set the Wadsworth single game record when he scored 47 points in the Grizzlies January 10 game against North Royalton.

The energy a student section brings to the arena is unmatched. A key factor in the liveliness and vibe that the student section brings is the themes. The Grizzly leaders come up with the theme the week of the games.

The themes range from western, USA, all the way to Hawaiian. Themes are a fun way for the students to express themselves in creative ways by wearing fun outfits to fit the theme. The Grizzly leaders do a phenomenal job informing the students what the theme will be for the week’s sporting events.

Popular social media account @wads.redzone on Instagram posts the various themes and students repost them on their own Instagram stories. This helps spread the word extremely quickly and efficiently.

Having the technology to inform the student body so efficiently has played a major role in student turn out at the games.

“I noticed the student sections get bigger, and now that they have Instagram pages and stuff, more people are going,” Neville said

With the goal in mind to expand the student section even more, look around on social media or listen to the school announcements to hear about the theme for the weekend’s events.

Prior to going on winter break, Wadsworth held an event for the boys and girls basketball team called “Not So Silent Night.” This tailgate-like event was put on by the Student Council.

There was a raffle, food, and games for free and most importantly it encouraged the students to stay and support the girls team who played at 6:30 PM, and stay for the boys team who played after. The tailgate was a success as the students were eager and excited to cheer on the teams.

The girls experienced a very exciting night with the support of their peers cheering them on. The Lady Grizzlies won 66-18, a blowout win against

“ I NOTICED THE STUDENT SECTIONS GET BIGGER, AND NOW THAT THEY HAVE LIKE INSTAGRAM PAGES AND STUFF, MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING. “

- AVERY NEVILLE, SOPHOMORE

Members of the student section participated in the flannel theme for a game in the 2021-2022 basketball season. Many of them attended to support their friend, senior Alex Neville. Photo courtesy of Avery Neville.

NATION SUPPORT: SECTION ON THE RISE

1.) The student section storms the court after a four overtime win against Brunswick on December 6. Maxxwell Bosley (11) is surrounded in the center. Photo courtesy of Julia Fortner.

2.) Callaghan Corell (11) is focused during a free throw in a Grizzly home game. Photo courtesy of Callaghan Corell.

3.) From left to right: Avery Neville (10), Livia Hill (11), Alex Neville (12), and Tatum Mendel (11) support Alex after the Grizzlies won 78-67 against North Royalton on January 10. Photo courtesy of Avery Neville.

Nordonia.

With a combination of school spirit, social interactions, and themes to dress for that attract students to the games, it appears that the Grizzly student section is not going anywhere, regardless of the sports season. Their positive energy and cheering is essential in motivating the team to play their best, according to members of the Wadsworth basketball team. From home match ups to away games, this extra boost of motivation provided by student fans is felt by everyone at the court.

ADAM SANDLER - Jan. 10 vs. North Royalton

HELMET - Dec. 12 vs. John Adams

PAJAMA - Dec. 16 vs. Nordonia

WESTERN - Dec. 13 vs. Hudson

GROUTFIT - Dec. 9 @ Brecksville

JERSEY - Dec. 6 vs. Brunswick

RED OUT - Nov. 29 vs. Perry

Maxxwell Bosley (11) and Solomon Callaghan (12) both have had record breaking games recently. Bosley (left) set the single game scoring record with 47 points and Callaghan (right) broke the career points record.

Photo courtesy of Wadsworth Athletics.

Photo courtesy of Fair Use.

GETTING OFF THE BLOCKS FAST WITH TRACK AND FIELD’S OFF-SEASON PROGRAM

BY AIDEN BROWN

The official Track and Field season starts in roughly two months: however, off-season preparation is in full swing with hopes of returning this spring stronger than ever.

“Off-season speed and form training helps us develop speed and endurance for our regular season,” said Wadsworth senior track athlete. Luke Ramsier.

Those who are still roaming the halls right after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays will often hear the sounds of the Wadsworth track and field team. The echoed sound of Coach Beery’s, track coach, whistle is often followed by the track team stampeding down the main hallways while those who are waiting for their turn share laughter with their

teammates over music being blasted out of a JBL boombox.

“We have a great time,” said Ramsier. “You should come sometime!” Although Ramsier meant what he said in a joking manner, his comment still rings true to the culture that surrounds sports today regarding the off-season. Off-season programs have become more essential for teams to stay relevant in recent years, those who are not in other sports during the off-season are expected to set aside time for workouts and other athletic programs.

Winter track is a special opportunity for track athletes who are at the top of the team. Those who are eligible often compete in indoor meets during

the off-season. “Winter track gets us in top shape and helps us set the edge over our opponents,” said Ramsier, one of the select few who are able to compete during the winter season. Winter track provides these athletes with more opportunities to stay in shape when many others might be taking the time to relax.

Team culture has leaned heavily on the preservation of their athletes in the recent rise of sports medicine. Wadsworth track and field has taken a priority to keeping track athletes “fresh” during the grueling season. Track workouts always start with an extensive period of different stretches and warm ups which is done as a to prevent to injury that may happen from

overworking the muscles.

With the season starting in two months, Coach Beery is adamant for more and more of his athletes to attend these after school programs. In an announcement to his team via email, Coach Beery ended the announcement with:

“I am excited for this season. I think we have a lot of potential, but potential is a dangerous word as it also implies that we only have the ability to be successful but we haven’t been successful yet.”

Coach Beery expects the most out of his athletes through off-season workouts and expects his team to grow more because of it.

WINTER SPORTS FOCUS ON WINTER BREAK TRAINING SWIMMING GYMNASTICS

BY MALLORY GERSCHUTZ

Christmas break training is the most vital part of the swim teams’ success during the postseason. The time off school allows swimmers to be in the water for over four hours a day, as well as having substantial time in the weight room.

Each weekday during Christmas break the swim team has two practices a day, one from 7-9 AM and the other from 3-5:30 PM. The goal for each day is to hit 10,000 yards, almost six miles. Additionally, the team lifts from 5:45-6:45 AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The team trains the hardest during break to ensure the best possible outcomes during the postseason.

“Putting in the yardage now gives you money in the bank, if you don’t put any money in the bank there is nothing to withdraw out when you go to the bank,” said Autumn Reeves, head coach of the WHS swim team. If

swimmers put in the most work now, focusing on their technique and gaining strength, it will become muscle memory. This results in their peak performance at sectionals, districts, and states.

One of the hardest parts of winter break training is the mental aspect.

“I would say it’s more mentally challenging than physically because we’re one of the only sports that has to be up as early as we are and then back again in the afternoon,” said captain Maddy Schnelzer, junior at WHS.

Due to the considerable amount of time devoted to practice over break, swimmers may be easily unmotivated, especially because it is their time off of school. However, it is crucial for the athletes to give 100% now for results later in the season.

“You have to physically do the work, but you can mentally talk yourself out of anything,” Reeves said.

As the team transitions out of break they will slowly decrease the amount of yardage each day until the end of the season.

BY ANGEL JONES

Over winter break the WHS gymnastics team put a lot of work and time into practices. The gymnastics schedule over break was two to three hours of practice three days a week.

“I enjoyed the way that we had our practices, being able to go to the gym in the morning, then having the rest of the day to do other things.” said Hampton Arnold, a senior on the gymnatics team. All of the WHS gymnastics practices were based off of the head coach Kelly Murphy.

“All of the practices were mostly based on my work schedule and what worked best with me,” said Murphy.

Over the break the WHS gymnastics team had a judge come in to critique the girls routines.

“I really liked being able to have a judge

come and help with our routines during the break, it helped me figure out what I needed to work on and get better at,” Arnold said.

Each day at practice the girls pick about two of the gymnastics events out of four to put their main focus on.

“We focused on routines for each event, putting everything together and cleaning them up,” Murphy said.

The gymnastics team wanted to clean up all of their routines to eventually put bigger skills into them.

Having practices over the long break can also help the gymnasts gain more confidence in the activity they are doing. Gymnastics is a hard sport mentally, and it can be extremely difficult to just stop doing anything for weeks. Trying to jump back into a sport, especially gymnastics can be extremely stressful. The WHS gymnastics team is practicing often in anticipation

Alex Braunlich (11) dives to start his 50 yard freestyle. Braunlich specializes in freestyle sprint events. Photo courtesy of Ryann Braunlich.

Tyler Hutchinson (12) swimming the 100 yard butterfly during a home meet. Hutchinson is one of the five team captains leading the team. Photo courtesy of Ryann Braunlich.

Athletes on the track team wait for their turn to run the 40 yard dash. Coach Beery uses tracking chips in order to keep data on how fast individuals run their times. Photo by Aiden Brown.

Nathan Metzger bursts off the blocks and speeds down the runway during a thursday practice. When practices are held indoors then track athletes help Coach Beery set up a long running space that is safe for track spikes to run on. Photo by Aiden Brown.

The WHS Gymnastics team doing their Grizzly chant right before their meet against Cloverleaf High School. WHS got second place in this meet but still had an amazing time. Photo courtesy of Kelly Murphy.

for the competition.

WHS Gymnastics seniors Payton Murphy, Addie Beck, and Hampon Arnold taking pictures for the Wadsworth Gymnastics Instagram. Photo courtesy of Kelly Murphy.

JULIA FORTNER BRINGS LLS TO WADSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL

BY BRI PERKINS

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a nonprofit organization leading the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma all while trying to support the lives of these patients and their families. LLS is bringing its program to WHS, named the Grizzly Givers, in 2023 and is being led by senior Julia Fortner.

Fortner was informed about the LLS program by Mr. Rich Berlin, Associate Principal at WHS. She was inspired to participate because of what her sister had to go through when she had lymphoma cancer, which consisted of multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy. For this reason, she wanted to be able to help others with their battle against blood cancers.

With Berlin’s support, Fortner became a a part of the LLS student visionary program and started her own team. As student council vice president and a NHS member, Fortner had already shown the leadership skills required to take on this role.

“The biggest challenge starting was having to get a team together and find people that won’t mind me bothering them to help me with my campaign,” Fortner said.

Fortner created a team out of many WHS students she trusted to help support her cause. Alongside her peers, her family

and friends have added support as she takes on this new role. These supporters have become student visionaries for LLS and are the people who help run Fortner’s movement. However, her main resource on this project is her mentor, Savannah Drdek, her job is to provide Fortner with the information and tasks needed to make her campaign as successful as possible. Drdek meets with Fortner to try and provide the best service possible when it comes to information.

One of Fortner’s team members, Sydney Daily, has taken on the role of a student visionary to help support the cause for LLS. With cancer running in her family, Daily has had to have a lot of these experiences that families go through first hand. Similar to Fortner she

just wants to do whatever she can to help these people and try to give them the best experience possible.

“When Julia asked me I immediately said yes,” Daily said. “I want to help in any way I can even if it just makes a small difference.”

The LLS campaign at WHS will begin January 27 and continue until March 18. To begin the campaign Fortner and all of her team members created a letter to send out to their family and friends to help jumpstart the awareness of the campaign. On January 27 the Grizzly Givers will have a kickoff meeting in Brunswick with guest speaker, Jess Davis. To learn more about this cause you can go to lls.org, @grizzlygiverslls, or contact 23jfortner@wadsworthschools.org with any questions.

THIS QR CODE STARTING 1/27

WHS STUDENTS TALK ABOUT THEIR RESOLUTIONS

BY JADE WILCOX

Each year, millions around the world make resolutions to obtain by the end of the new year. These goals usually range anywhere from working out one day a week to spending more time with family and friends. With writing resolutions, it is important to make them achievable, accurate, and timely. Making resolutions this way has a chance to prevent getting discouraged with the results, and increases the chances that the resolution will either come to pass, or will not be given up so easily by the creator. This edition of the Bruin features Wadsworth High School students sharing their opinions on this tradition.

Fortner shows her support for her sister, Maria Fortner, as she goes through her cancer journey. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma large B cell cancer.

Photo courtesy of Julia Fortner.

Julia Fortner and her sisters helped Maria Fortner thorugh her many treatments and hardships that came with her battle for cancer. The sisters were devested with Maria’s diagnosis but Julia believes that it brought them closer together.

Photo courtesy of Julia Fortner.

- JACK EDWARDS; SENIOR AT WHS

FAST FASHION TAKES A TOLL ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND FASHION INDUSTRY

OPINION BY LILY CHESBRO

Fast fashion has impacted the world around us for quite a long time. The term “fast fashion” was coined by The New York Times and has continued to grow in the fashion industry rapidly, especially as of the past few years. Going through clothing not only has effects on businesses that sell clothes, but also the environment.

Once trends go through and are done with, stores do not sell the clothes they have in stock even after putting the items on sale to try and get rid of them. Instead, when people do not buy them, they just end up in the landfills. According to earth.org, 1.92 million tons of textiles are dumped into the landfills each year.

Regan Simpson, who is attending Kent State University, is majoring in Fashion Merchandising, and minoring in Fashion Media and public relations. She mentioned that the fashion industry is discussed in all of her classes.

“The effects of the fashion industry are discussed in every single one of my classes, because we are going to be the ones that can help the industry recover,” Simpson said.

As of right now, because of the generation we are in, the assumption is that there are not really any solutions to slowing down fashion trends because of social media and influencers on YouTube who promote trends as well.

“I think the only ‘solution’ to sustaining trends longer is timeless pieces and styles,” Simpson said. “The fact that there are 52 cycles per year (used to only be four) is absolutely insane. Social media supports the quick rate of trend cycles, so promoting timeless and sustainable pieces could be beneficial.”

Brands who support fast fashion and keep up with it are the businesses that tend to get more business because they are catering to the generation of trend setters. The brands also make clothing extremely affordable but that does not necessarily mean that it is the best quality.

They do this so people are able to keep up with trends without breaking the bank.

“I think that the main fast fashion brands like Shein are the biggest problem today,” Simpson said. “The attractiveness of the cheap prices and trendy clothes results in so many consumers. These stores are also very

harmful in the sense of working conditions. The factories in many developing countries have horrible working conditions and many deaths are caused by them, like the Rana Plaza incident.”

Fast fashion is not only something that one should be concerned about in the US, because many of the other countries that are still developing have not fully had the time to make sure their businesses are being sustainable.

Emma Hitch, a senior at Wadsworth High School, has a strong passion for fashion and tries not to fall in the trap of trends.

“I try to combat fast fashion by using what I already have in my closet,” Hitch said. “Instead of spending all my money on websites like Shein, I invested in a sewing machine, fabric scissors, and some thread.”

Promoting businesses such as Shein are only promoting the waste of carbon and fossil fuels used to make these products that only stay on market for a couple weeks.

“Fashion has definitely become a way that I express myself in recent years. I love hopping on a good trend, but I also love finding unique

pieces that fit my personality,” Hitch said.”I wear my clothes until they can’t be worn anymore and I do that by finding stuff I love, as opposed to stuff I know other people will like.”

Trends are something that carry social media marketing and is what keeps a lot of influencers on TikTok and YouTube going.

Awareness of fast fashion can be brought to many consumers through just obtaining knowledge on the term “fast fashion” and what it has done to the fashion industry of depleting unique pieces as well as what it has done to the environment.

Thrifting clothing is a way that one can obtain the trends without buying a newly made piece of clothing.

“Thrifting is also great for trends because most trends are recycled from previous decades and thrift stores have a lot of cool pieces from when the trend was first around,” Hitch said.

There are ways to keep timeless pieces and keep thrifting going so less pieces are getting throw into the landfill and less carbons are being emitted.

OPINION BY LEZLIE TINNEY & KATIE BASINGER

No one is immune to the rising popularity of social media. Whether it be likes, followers, or subscribers, it seems as if everyone is craving the validation of social media. Wadsworth High School has produced two up and coming influencers who are eager to jump into the social media spotlight.

WHS alumni, Logan Scandlon, or Scandygainz, started his YouTube channel and his social media presence several years ago. He started his channel with the intention of creating a fitness account. While attending WHS he was a wrestler and then proceeded to coach for two years post graduation.

Scandlon shifted his social media topic to more uplifting and positive videos shortly after starting his account.

“As far as Scandygainz goes, I’ve just been posting to spread some joy in the world because there’s a lot of sadness and

people who just need a break once in a while,” Scandlon said. “So I started that because I’m a strong Christian, and I like to give back. So I just figured, why not start a YouTube channel where I can spread awareness and give someone an outlet at the end of the week and laugh.”

He said that he loves giving back to the community and spreading joy into peoples lives in whatever ways he can.

“I don’t think I see much of it on YouTube: a hype towards giving back to the community. It’s always one or the other,” he said.

He told the Bruin that he was not expecting the following he got and the energy that he gets from the “Scandygainerz.”

“In the grand scheme of things, I’m still a relatively small influencer, but the energy of the group makes it seem like I have a million subscribers on YouTube, it’s crazy,” Scandlon said. “Everyone is so energetic about it.”

Scandlon said he is excited to keep growing his channel and

cannot wait to improve the quality of his videos, along with making a difference in people’s lives and his community around him.

Juli Horvat, a WHS senior, has a TikTok account well known as “thejahinterviews.” Horvat interviews the students at WHS.

In total Horvat currently has 2,316 followers and 70.8K likes on TikTok. Horvat enjoys that her videos are more personal than the average interview seen on your For You page.

Horvat was scrolling through TikTok and saw the trend of kids interviewing people around their school and wanted to do something similar. She had the idea of doing more in depth interviews, since most of the ones are very fast paced and just rushing through students.

“Their videos were really short and I wanted to do longer interviews and ask people real questions,” Horvat said.

She ordered a microphone off of Amazon and started off with interviewing her friends

as a joke. Then, she realized that people wanted to be interviewed by her. After a few videos were posted, one of them got a lot of attention. Her video interviewing Owen Robertson got around 200K views and 52K likes. In addition, she believes these interviews have helped her social life improve, and that she has made many more friends.

“I was really scared about talking to random people but, then after a while a lot of people just came up to me,” Horvat said. “I like how my [interviews] are personal and it’s not like every other video, mine are more creative.”

Doing these interviews has led her o consider potentially pursuing a career with news or something that involves interviewing.

“If it actually did blow up, I’d love to do something like that,” Horvat said. “It would be so much fun.”

Although she has been really busy recently, she is hoping to continue doing the interviews and improve the quality of her

This is a screenshot of the SHEIN homepage. At the top there is a tab that says “trends”. This shows that this is a website that primarily focuses on the trends that are currently in. Screenshot by Lily Chesbro.

Photo courtesy of Logan Scandlon.

Horvat’s

Photo courtesy of Juli Horvat.

WHS STUDENT IMMIGRANTS

MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES WITH LATIN AMERICAN ORIGINS

BY GRACE BARRETT & DREW BOWERMAN

Although most students at Wadsworth High School have grown up within the district, many have joined from drastically different backgrounds. Some have even moved here from other countries.

Francisco Bejerano, otherwise known as “Fran,” is a senior at WHS. He immigrated to the United States during the quarantine of 2020 from Panama, specifically David, the capital of the province, Chiriqui.

At 15 years old, Bejerano decided to leave behind his father’s family and his close friends to move in with his mother in America. However, Bejerano did not originally plan to settle in Wadsworth.

“I had a green card, and had to visit the US within a six month [time period]. I was just supposed to be here for a couple of months,” Bejerano said. “I thought about it and decided I had a better future by staying here.”

After permanently moving to the United States, Bejerano experienced a variety of cultural changes from his home life in Panama. One of the most significant distinctions that he noticed while first being immersed in American culture was the different driving environment.

“I think the people in Panama are wild drivers,” Bejerano said. “They run a lot of stop signs and they’re really crazy.”

Conversely, Bejerano believes that drivers in the United States are more disciplined and patient.

As well as this, Bejerano explained that in Panama, people can first obtain a driver’s license at 18. With the age restriction being 16 in the US, he believes that American teens can have more independence.

Even with many new aspects of American culture, Bejerano continues to miss certain aspects of Panama. More specifically, he yearns for the ethnic food that the country offers.

“It’s the breakfast that’s the strongest,” Bejerano said. “Especially the Panamanian tortillas and meatballs.”

Aside from these minor differences, the most evident culture shock that Bejerano discovered when beginning his life in Wadsworth was the various sports opportunities available in the United States.

“There are more sports [here] than in Panama because in Panama, you only have soccer in high school, and that’s it,” Bejerano said. “Here, you have a lot of sports that you can play. I think that’s

a big thing because sports not only can give you more skills, but also can give you scholarships.”

Bejerano decided to join the high school soccer team, which allowed him to develop more social skills. Since sports are not a big deal in Panama, the concept of tryouts was new to him.

As well as Bejerano’s involvement in soccer, he has also joined the WHS Show Choir and has participated in the drama department’s musical productions.

“I found out that I was actually pretty good at performing, singing, and dancing,” Bejerano said.

“I entered choir, I did the musical, and now I’m doing this [upcoming] musical.”

Joining these extracurriculars has helped Bejerano quickly make friends. Because he went to a bilingual school while growing up in Panama, Bejerano rarely struggled with a language barrier when meeting new people.

“I’ve been learning English since I was in kindergarten,” Bejerano said. “The only difficult thing is my accent.”

As well as this, Bejerano found WHS to be a very welcoming environment to him.

“Everyone here has been nice to me,” Bejerano said. “When they find out I am Latino and know how to speak another language they’re amazed because there’s no diversity in WHS. I think that’s one of the advantages I have here.”

Beyond high school, however, Bejerano has many plans for his future in the United States.

“I don’t want to move back to Panama,” Bejerano said, “I want to stay here, go to college here, have a family here, everything.”

While in college, Bejerano is planning to pursue a career in cybersecurity. However, this is not the only career path he has in mind.

“My dream is to start in cyber security, and once I’m all settled, I want to chase my dream of becoming an actor,” Bejerano said.

Overall, Bejerano is very thankful for the opportunities he has been given by moving to Wadsworth.

“It’s a really good school,” he said. “I am happy to be here.”

Similarly, Victoria Cuellar, a senior at WHS who is originally from Morelos, Mexico, moved to America in the fourth grade. Since settling down in Ohio, Cuellar has noticed that she misses multiple aspects of her life in Mexico, most importantly, the culture.

“A lot of people here have a good sense of style, but in Mexico, people like to dress up,” Cuellar said. “Anywhere they go, even to school or just outside.”

Beyond this, Cuellar has found a distinct difference between the food in America and Mexico.

“[Mexicans] don’t tend to eat a lot of fast food, but more main dishes and traditional dishes,” Cuellar said.

Furthermore, Cuellar noticed a difference in multiple aspects of school life.

“Academic wise, we came to America with a higher level of education than we were supposed to have at that grade level,” Cuellar said. “Popularity is also different. [In Mexico] it’s less about social groups and more about if your parents have money.”

Originally attending school in the Copley-Fairlawn district, Cuellar eventually moved to Wadsworth in seventh grade. Unfortunately, she found the initial move to Copley to be difficult, as there was a language barrier between her and her peers.

“I knew the basics, just able to keep a small conversation,” Cuellar said. “I wasn’t able to understand any of the lessons.”

However, when Cuellar moved to Wadsworth, she experienced a drastic change.

“Wadsworth was a big change from Copley. It was a whole different situation over there,” Cuellar said. “I think going to Copley first really affected me coming [to Wadsworth] because

I

During her time at WHS, Cuellar has participated in multiple activities, including the International Club, the Environmental and Recycling Club, HUDDLE, Tri-M, and

volleyball.

While Cuellar often visits her grandmothers in Mexico, she has no plans of moving back.

“When I first came here, I did want to go back,” Cuellar said. “[Now] knowing how it is over there, financially and just in general, it’s not a very good place to live in.”

Overall, Cuellar is very thankful for her life in Wadsworth, often appreciating the district’s evolving inclusivity.

“I’m glad there is more diversity in the past few years,” Cuellar said, “I think that would have been better for ‘past me’, just knowing that Wadsworth is now more accepting.”

Moving forward, Cuellar and Bejenaro have many plans to fulfill while creating their futures in the United States.

there was a lot of discrimination.

did have to take time to adjust to the way things were here; it was a lot more welcoming.”

(Top photo) Victoria Cuellar poses as a princess for a photo during her childhood in Mexico. (Bottom photo) Cuellar dresses up for a photo as a high schooler at WHS. Photos courtesy of Victoria Cuellar

(Top photo) Fransisco Bejerano (bottom middle) in Panama, posing with his fellow bandmates in Panama. Bejerano participated in marching band previous to moving to Ohio. (Bottom photo) Bejerano playing soccer for Wadsworth High School, an activity he is passionate about.

Photos courtesy of Francisco Bejerano

WHS OFFERS NEW CLASSES FOR 2023

BY SYDNEY BLAKE

adsworth High School is introducing nine new classes to its building starting in the 2023-2024 school year. Among these is Mr. Paul Taylor’s Intro to Broadcasting class.

Currently, Taylor is teaching a broadcasting club that is very similar to what the Intro to Broadcasting class will be.

The Intro to Broadcasting class will be available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. It is recommended that students taking the class have at least a B+ in their English class. This course is a year long and focuses on teaching students about the basics of broadcast journalism and news production.

“They will learn how to write news stories, develop successful techniques for conducting interviews on camera and produce complete video news packages,” Taylor said.

The Intro to Broadcasting class will be

Musical Theater

- (10-12) an exploration of American Musical Theater. Students will study the work of the actor/singer/dancer and develop as performers, as well as members of small groups and larger ensembles. Choir teacher rec. required and must be in an auditioned choir.

Music Theory - (10-12) Semester elective for the advanced musician who would like to expand their knowledge of theoretical concepts and how they relate to musical construction. For students who can proficiently read musical notation, rhythm, and understand music terminology.

Introduction to Sports

Officiating- (9-12) Semester elective focusing on the skills and certifications necessary to become sports officials. Experience will be gained by officiating varsity sport practices around the high school. Students must have a background in athletics or the passion to become more familiar with athletics.

WHS is starting four new math classes in the 2023-2024 school year. Two of these classes will be CCP Calculus II and CCP Calculus III. Only seniors can take these courses with a teacher recommendation.

Many advanced students take all of the math classes WHS offers before they graduate, forcing them to travel off campus to The University of Akron to take CCP math classes.

“We want to offer these classes so that those students will not have to drive to Akron and can receive college credit in our building,” said Mr. Hanna, math teacher at WHS.

If students are interested in taking these CCP classes, they must take and pass AP Calculus AB by getting at least a three on the AP exam in May.

“I hope these classes will allow more students to get college credit now so that they can save some money on tuition in college and get a jump start on the courses necessary for their college degrees,” Hanna said.

Applied Algebra (9th)Algebra foundational course to be followed by Algebra 1 during 10th grade, Geo. in 11th then QR. Digital Design 2 (10-12)

Logan Merkle (12) practices doing a voiceover with a script that he wrote. He is using the voiceover for a documentary he is making. Photo by Sydney Blake

BY LILY LOVE

The release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” brought Marvel’s Phase 4 to a close. Lasting now, until mid 2023, Phase 5 is the shortest phase yet, and will continue where Phase 4 ended.

The first release of the new phase will be “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantimainia.” It will be released to theaters on February 17, 2023.

This is only one of the 29 movies, and 6 television series being released in Phase 5. “I’m super excited about the [‘Agatha Coven

of Chaos’] show because I loved the ending of ‘WandaVision’ and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for her complex character,” said Emma Watson, a WHS junior and a fan of the Marvel movies and comics.

Marvel, is now set to release movies, as well as television series, up until the year 2026.

For now, Marvel plans on releasing Phase 5 until mid 2023, meaning all their releases until then, are considered part of the new phase.

Movies and series that are a part of this phase include “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantimania,” “Secret Invasion,” “Ironheart,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3,” “Loki” season 2, “Agatha Coven of Chaos,” and more.

The upcoming movies will be released to select theaters, while the upcoming series will be moved straight onto DisneyPlus.

“I [also] can’t wait for them to bring in ‘Blade.’ I was a super big fan of the comics and movies made for him, and I’m excited to see him interact with

ITS CINEMATIC

other beloved Marvel characters and villains.” Watson said.

Due to anticipation of their upcoming productions, Marvel has begun sharing news regarding certain films and series, set to release in Phase 5.

Some of these things include sharing trailers to series that will be released through DisneyPlus, as well as short blurbs giving information about the show.

Secret Invasion is one of the new series in Phase 5. Not much is known about this series but in a DisneyPlus blurb Marvel previewed Secret Invasion with fans.

This series will feature well known characters such as Nick Fury, and lesser known ones like Daisy Johnson, better known in the comics as “Quake.“

Over the course of Phase 5, many popular characters will return to the MCU. Characters include “Captain Marvel,” “Ant-Man,” “The Wasp,” “Loki,” and more.

These characters will be returning to the MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe] in order to head their own movies and series, as well as to appear in more of the Phase 5 releases.

With the start of Phase 5, fans of Marvel have started to speculate about the Phase’s popularity, comparing it to the latest Phase 4.

During Phase 4, Marvel had a lot of popular hits with their movies and series. Releasing things like “Black Widow,” “Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness,” and more. As Phase 5 starts up, fans are beginning to speculate what this next phase of Marvel will be.

“I believe that Phase 5 will be the building

stage of our next Marvel heroes,” said Reese Calkins, a WHS sophomore and a longtime fan of Marvel.

Along with speculating about Phase 5’s continuation of Phase 4, fans are also beginning to debate the popularity of Phase 5.

Phase 4 was not as popular as past phases largely due to COVID-19, as well as the fact that during the phase Marvel did not release that many movies or series.

Despite this, fans are excited about upcoming Phase 5 productions, and are already ensuring that Phase 5 will be a popular one.

“I think that fans have long awaited these upcoming films and it will be extremely popular,” Calkins said. “I think Phase 5 will not only be better than Phase 4, but also bring more deep, touching stories to the characters.”

With all the speculation over Phase 5, this new phase of Marvel could go anywhere. Phase 5 is designed to bring in new and old characters alike, and has been long awaited by fans.

“HAMILTON” LIVES UP TO ITS LEGACY

heart of the script, each actor made the role their own by adding unique bits of emotion or humor.

The cast was led by Pierre Jean Gonzales, who starred as Alexander Hamilton. He excelled in the role, confidently handling the intricate, fast-paced rap.

“I thought Franklin’s portrayal of Thomas Jefferson was amazing,” said junior Riley Wenger.

Square on Tuesday, December 6.

“Hamilton” tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. The show follows Hamilton’s journey as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, his rise to prominence in politics, and his fall from grace that spirals into tragedy.

The musical was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. By telling Hamilton’s story through popular music styles including hiphop and rap, Miranda made Hamilton’s story relevant and meaningful to today’s audience.

“In school they usually talk about how Hamilton created the bank and how he got shot, but that’s all we ever learn,” said junior Abigail Kissinger. “Lin-Manuel Miranda includes small details about his life, and opened my eyes to the big picture of what he went through.”

“Hamilton” debuted on Broadway in August of 2015, and became an instant hit. Now, over seven years later, it is still as popular as ever. The story and songs have become classics, but it is the men and women performing the show that keep the magic alive.

The cast performing at Playhouse Square was no exception. While staying true to the

Gonzales’ energetic performance was perfectly complemented by the cool confidence of Jared Dixon, who played Aaron Burr. Dixon had a strong stage presence that demanded the audience’s attention. Through his use of emotion, vulnerability, and humor, Dixon succeeded in the challenging task of bringing sympathy to the “villain” of the story.

“Dixon was my favorite actor because I could hear the emotion in his voice when he sang, and how desperate he was,” Kissinger said.

One of the highlights of the show was its humor. “Hamilton” deals with many heavy topics including war, death, and heartbreak, but they were balanced out by humorous moments.

While this humor can be found embedded in the lyrics and choreography, several characters play a crucial role in bringing it out. In particular, Warren Egypt Franklin brought the comic relief in his roles of both Lafayette in Act I and Thomas Jefferson in Act II. As Lafayette, Franklin lit up the stage with his animated French accent and lightning-fast rapping. He carried this energy over into Act II, bringing Jefferson to life with charm, sass, and hilarious dancing.

The crowdfavorite character was King George, played by Cleveland native Rory O’Malley.

While the king is already a popular character, O’Malley received an extra enthusiastic round of applause from his hometown audience each time he took the stage, and for good reason. His portrayal of the slightly insane King George was spoton, consistently drawing laughs from the audience.

Nikisha Williams made a lasting impression in her role as Eliza. Her voice flowed beautifully in every song, making even the highest notes sound effortless. She sang the final notes of the show, bringing the performance to a close and leaving the audience touched by emotion.

Although the main characters are the face of the performance, it was the ensemble

that brought the show to the next level. In addition to strengthening songs with background vocals, they performed intricate choreography-often using turntables and other props-to make each scene more interesting. The ensemble is meant to be in the background, but in many scenes they were even more entertaining to watch than the main cast.

It is the small details that make “Hamilton” what it is. Every aspect of the show is carefully thought out and performed to the highest standard.

“Everything about it is incredible,” Kissinger said. “The actors, dancing, lighting effects, and, of course, the singing.”

Performances of “Hamilton” will continue to be held at the Keybank State Theatre until January 15.

A Hamilton sign was displayed above the doors of the Keybank State Theatre. The show is at Playhouse Square from December 6 to January 15. Photo by Lizzy Edwards.

A YEAR IN MUSIC: WHS STUDENTS SPEAK ON THEIR FAVORITES OF 2022

BY CARLEY SORRENT

When someone hears a certain song, it can often take them back to when the song was popular. It is safe to say that many people associate memories with music. This year, there were a myriad of albums that became notable rembrandts of the time. According to Rolling Stone, these include albums by artists such as Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Rosalía, and Harry Styles.

Many of these songs were pushed out by TikTok trends. For example,

“SOS” by SZA was extremely popular, bringing forth different video trends. Many artists have gained popularity because of their prominence on the app. Rose Short, senior, decides that her favorite album is one that became popular on TikTok.

“[My favorite album this year is] probably ‘Stick Season’ by Noah Kahan,” Short said.

Another example for album starting trends would be “Midnights” by Taylor Swift, which brought forth dances and other things. Although many songs that gain popularity

on TikTok are by very famous artists, TikTok also brings lesser known artists to the front. It gives newer artists opportunities to gain a following while also letting them interact.

In a survey conducted by The Bruin, majority of Wadsworth High School students think that the best album is “SOS” by SZA, taking 31.3% of the votes. SZA’s new album has already broken records, staying at number one on Billboard for a consecutive month.

Coming in second place is “American Heartbreak” by Zach

Bryan, which had 15.7% of students’ votes. This album contains an enormous 34 songs, lasting 121 minutes and 121 seconds. This country album shines through all the others this year.

Finally, the third most popular album at WHS, is Midnights by Taylor Swift. 13% of students said this was their favorite. This album came as a shock to many of her fans when Swift announced it during her acceptance speech at the VMA’s. Swift brought back her pop music after two albums of folk, giving homage to her previous eras.