The Bruin - May 2023

STAFF EDITORIAL: GO EXPLORE THE WORLD

Wadsworth High School’s travel program, Grizzlies Abroad, was recently provided the opportunity to travel to Europe. These kinds of trips are such an important yet overlooked part of the high school experience. There is so much emphasis on test scores and maintaining good grades that students forget to have fun.

High school field trips and travel experiences are a great way to allow students to have fun but also learn about different ideas and cultures.

There are 3 main types of learning for students; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. These trips cover each of these learning styles.

For visual learners, students get the opportunity to go out into the world to places they’ve only ever seen from a screen. Seeing new cultures in person will help to expand students’ perspective of the world around them in better ways than a screen or a classroom could provide.

For auditory learners, planned tours around world destinations allows for students to learn from both locals and tour guides.

Most tours in popular locations now have headsets that allow for tourists to hear their guide better and get a greater understanding of all of information they are getting from their guides.

For kinesthetic learners, students are able to experience different cultures and languages first hand. Instead of just reading or listening to others talk about different cultures, these students are able to interact with these languages, customs, traditions, and ideas.

These types of trips allow students to experience all that the world has to offer. Some students are limited in their knowledge of what life is like in other countries. After high school, a world of opportunity opens up to students. Students may have the

chance to study abroad or take a gap year for travel.

The fact that the school organized this trip created a sense of community among students. Travel programs like our own here at Wadsworth, not only expose students to new cultures and customs but also let them create lifelong memories and friendships.

Traveling with peers for any amount of time is sure to create strong bonds between the students traveling together. These trips bring opportunities to students that they would not have without the school, and through these opportunities they experience moments that become lifelong memories.

Another benefit of traveling abroad in high school is allowing students to get outside of their comfort zone. Spending a week in a foreign place without the familiarity of your home and your parents is something that is coming for some students. With

BRUIN STAFF

625 Broad Street Wadsworth, OH 44281

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Haley Reedy & Katie Allen

ADVISOR

Eric Heffinger

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Lezlie Tinney

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Grace Barrett

FEATURES EDITOR

Drew Bowerman

NEWS EDITOR

Alex Banks

IN-DEPTH EDITOR

Lizzy Edwards

SPORTS EDITOR

Sydney Blake

OPINION EDITOR

Brooke Baughman

STAFF WRITERS

Aaliyah Davis Angel-Belle Jones Avery Nicholson

Bri Perkins Claire Ferguson Emma Lynn

Hadley James Joseph Davis Katie Basinger

Larkin Tackett Lily Love Maia Edwards Noah Johnson

Reagan Riggenbach Rhiona Beverly Riley Hunt

college just around the corner, these trips can act as a trial run for some students who wish to go away for college.

These opportunities to study abroad in high school are beneficial for a multitude of reasons. Students can learn what the real world has to offer while gaining a sense of independence but also being surrounded by people.

Although traveling abroad is not financially possible for all students, setting time aside to travel and experience life outside of Wadsworth during teenage and young adult years can prove to be extremely beneficial. Even if this time set aside for travel is something as simple as a cultural fair that is complied of different presentations on different countries and cultures, getting out there and experiencing the world will open up students eyes for generations to come.

INSIDE BRUIN THE

Grizzlies Abroad goes to Europe College Commits Junior Banquet

Editorial Policy The Bruin is a monthly publication produced by the Newspaper II and Newspaper III students at Wadsworth High School. The Newspaper I class produces the May issue. The staff will do its best to inform the student body and the community of intra-school, community or national events that affect the student body. This paper provides on-the-job training for the staff members. All decisions are made by the staff members with the advice and suggestions of the adviser. The school administration works closely with the staff to ensure accuracy. We, as the students of journalism, hold the same rights and the same responsibilities as professional journalists as we strive for professional standards. These rights include the right to print any material that is not libelous, obscene or excessively disruptive to the school process. The Bruin will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of religion, color, creed or sex. The staff members accept full responsibility for everything appearing in this publication. The staff strongly encourages students to express their opinions through the letters to the editor column, which is printed every month. The staff also encourages the members of the community to express their opinion as well. Space permitting, all letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit or omit any portion of any letter because the staff accepts the responsibility for the contents of the paper. All letters must be signed, but the name will be withheld upon request.

NEW FIRE STATION FURTHERS CONSTRUCTION

BY KATIE GRIFFIN

Construction of the new fire department for Wadsworth has begun.

The City of Wadsworth has been planning to build a new fire station since the levi passed at the end of 2021.

“This fire station is actually going to replace the one that is currently on North Lyman Street behind City Hall, so we will get rid of that station,” said Bob Linder, fire chief.

The new station will not be an additional station, but a replacement to the current building that they are using. Their current building has been in use for around sixty years.

“When that was designed, it was never designed for having full time staff operational 24/7,” Linder said.

They are not yet sure about what they are going to do with the current building but there are many options.

“We are currently in the works trying to decide what we are going to do with it,” Linder said. “Most likely, I’m going to say it’s a city building so it will stay within the city, maybe a smaller department might use it or we may use it just for storage for police vehicles or something, we are not really sure yet what is going to happen to it.”

They have added two additions to the original building as they have needed over the years. Over time, the equipment that the fire station requires has grown bigger, meaning that there is less space in the station to store everything that they need.

“Basically, we’ve outgrown it,” Linder said.

With the new building, they want to add more safety features to protect the firefighters that they did not have in the previous. For example, they want to have cancer-removing materials that will limit where the exhaust from the trucks can go to help keep their staff safe.

This new building will also contain a tornado shelter to increase the safety features that they have.

They will have new training elements that they currently do not have, such as

being able to practice things with the ladders inside and they will be able to practice more rope-rescue techniques.

Additionally, with the new location, they will have better access to the main road and may be able to get to certain areas of the city quicker.

The dispatch center is also being moved to be housed inside the fire station.

“We are actually going to house them inside the fire station,” Linder said. “Currently, they are in the basement of City Hall.”

They are hoping to finish this project around September or October this year.

NEW INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL BEGINS CONSTRUCTION

BY LEZLIE TINNEY

The project to build a new Intermediate school started a number of years ago with a community organization that Dr. Hill organized to evaluate the future of the school.

They did an assessment to figure out what would be needed to renovate the building and bring it to the standards that they needed for 21st century learning. Doing this showed them that the price to renovate the building and the price to build a new building, and they decided that building a new place would make more sense.

“Why take a 100+ year old building and

try to bring it up to speed, when we can have a beautiful new building from scratch for similar dollars,” said Douglas Beeman, the Treasurer of Wadsworth City Schools.

In November of 2021, Wadsworth voters could vote on the levi to build the new intermediate school. The levi passed and Wadsworth issued the bonds. They are now using that money to pay the architects and engineers who are designing the building and they will later use that money to pay the contractors.

“We hope to break ground here in June or July, all of the trees were cleared,” Beeman said. “The thing that is slowing our construction down is that there are wetlands in that area.”

There were multiple sites planned out for the intermediate school to be built on. Two of the sites were off campus and one was off campus.

“There were three separate sites that

were discussed… all of them had positives and negatives,” Beeman said. “As a board, we felt this site provided the most efficiencies and was the best.”

The district believes that the High School, Middle School, and Overlook Elementary School should not impose a traffic issue.

“The Intermediate school will stay on the elementary schedule, so we don’t think that should impact anything in the morning,” Beeman said.

The process to build a new intermediate school will take around 24 months. The Fall of 2025 is when construction will be finished and after that the building will be fully operational for students and staff.

BY ALEX BANKS

BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLASSES GO TO WADSWORTH

BIDEN RUNNING FOR REELECTION

Current president Joe Biden has officially announced on April 25 that he will be running again for the 2024 reelection. In the year 2020, Joe Biden ran for election as a Democrat against Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Photo Courtesy of US Government

Photo Courtesy of Mr. Kaufman

The Business Entrepreneurship Classes, led by Mr. Kaufman, had the opportunity to go to the Wadsworth Airport. They were able to fly in planes, talk to pilots, talk to an airplane mechanic, talk to the life flight crew, and view the life flight helicopter.

AIRPORT

Wadsworth City Schools were awarded Auditor of State Award recently for the 2021 - 2022 school year by Auditor of State Keith Fabor. The award was for excellence in financial reporting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

FIRE STATION NO. 1 - EXTERIOR VIEW 1

The City of Wadsworth released an image of what the new fire station is expected to look like. It will be located on College Street. Photo Courtesy of City of Wadsworth.

The auditorium plans seen from the first floor balcony. The new intermediate school will also include a performance gymnasium.

Photo courtesy of Douglas Beeman

The overall aerial view of the new building from the outside. They are hoping to finish construction within 24 months of breaking ground. Photo courtesy of Douglas Beeman

Photo Courtesy of Wadsworth City Schools

A PROUD WADSWORTH BUSINESS

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WE ARE LIFELONG RESIDENTS OF THE AKRON AREA AND WE’RE READY TO HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH OUR BUZZ KILL TREATMENT!

BUZZ KILL IS INSURED AND FULLY LICENSED BY THE STATE OF OHIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE COMMERCIAL APPLICATION OF PESTICIDES.

CRUMBLCOOKIES COMES TO FAIRLAWN

BY BROOKE BAUGHMAN

Crumbl Cookies, one of the most popular cookie companies in the United States, has opened up a local shop in Fairlawn, Ohio. Before Crumbl officially opened on March 31st, the closest locations to Wadsworth were in Canton, Medina, and Strongsville. The store hours are 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. Mondays through Thursdays, 8 A.M. to 12 A.M. Fridays and Saturdays, and Crumbl is closed on Sundays.

Alyson Suarez, manager of the Fairlawn Crumbl, could not contain her excitement when she found out that Crumbl was coming to Fairlawn.

“I was and am still very excited to come to and be at the Fairlawn Crumbl,” Suarez said. “I learned a lot opening a new store and I like a lot of the changes.”

Fairlawn has been very welcoming to the new Crumbl location

and showed their love on opening weekend.

“Opening weekend was definitely successful and had the weather not been so bad with the high winds, we would’ve sold well over 7,000 cookies Friday and Saturday,” said Suarez.

Per corporate policy, the hiring crew at Crumbl had to hire 60 employees to be on the staff in order to be given the go-ahead to open.

Several Wadsworth High School students were hired, including sophomore Cora Koeberle.

“I decided to work at Crumbl because I’ve always loved their cookies,” Koeberle said.

Crumbl consists of different jobs including a cashier who runs the front counter, a mixer who is responsible for making all of the dough, a baller who balls, weighs, and preps all of the dough, the baker who puts the dough

in the oven, and the dressers who decorate the baked cookies and put them neatly in Crumbl’s signature pink box to present to the customers.

“My favorite station is probably either balling dough or folding boxes,” said Koeberle.

Crumbl always has 5 new flavors every week and those are announced at 6 p.m. every Sunday on all of Crumbl’s social media accounts. Chocolate Chip is a constant cookie that is accompanied by 5 flavors of the 200-plus total flavors made at Crumbl.

Alyson Suarez recommends the Dark Dream cookie, a thick, chewy double chocolate cookie, and the Cowboy cookie, a

warm oatmeal cookie filled with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and toasted pecans. Cora Koeberle recommends the Chocolate Peanut Butter ft. Oreo, an oreo cookie base with peanut butter mousse and an oreo mini on the top.

Crumbl Cookies started as a familyowned business by cousins Sawyer Hemsley and Jason Mcgowen when they opened their first store in Logan, Utah, in 2017. Crumbl Cookies now has over 600 locations in 47 states.

SUMMER JOBS OPEN FOR WHS STUDENTS

BY RHINOA BEVERLY Day

Over the summer, many Wadsworth High School students look for job opportunities in order to gain experience and make money. In Wadsworth, there are a variety of different locations and types of jobs available for young employees. This ranges from the fast-food industry, to retail, to child-care at the YMCA.

For students, many employers, such as those listed below, provide a flexible schedule and hourly wage to accommodate the busy lifestyle of a teenager.

Wendy’s

PAY: 12 / HOUR

LOCATION: 125 GREAT OAKS TRL

ABILITIES:

CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

CONTACT INFO: 330-331-4970

Camp Counselor

PAY: $12.25 / HOUR

LOCATION: 623 SCHOOL DR, WADSWORTH

ABILITIES: 18 YEARS OF AGE AND A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF COLLEGE OR EQUIVALENT LIFE/WORKEXPERIENCE, PASS FIRST AID AND CPR TRAINING

CONTACT INFO:

NATALIE COOK 330-334-9622

NATALIEC@AKRONYMCA.ORG

Giant Eagle Team Member

PAY: 14/ HOUR

LOCATION: 825 AMBASSADOR DRIVE WADSWORTH

ABILITIES: CUSTOMER SERVICE, ASSISTING OTHERS, FOLLOWING SAFETY GUIDELINES CONTACT INFO: 330-336- 8733

Barista

PAY: 15.00 TO 17.03

LOCATION: 988 HIGH STREET, WADSWORTH OHIO

ABILITIES:

TEAM PLAYER

GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS

CUSTOMER SERVICE

CONTACT INFO: 330-334-0391

KFC Team Member

KFC TEAM MEMBER PAY: $12 /HOUR

LOCATION: 802 HIGH STREET WADSWORTH

ABILITIES:

16 YEARS OLD TO APPLY CUSTOMER SERVICE

McDonald’s Team Member Goodwill Donation Attendant

PAY: 11-14.15 / HOUR

LOCATION: 920 HIGH ST, WADSWORTH OH 44281

ABILITIES: - MUST BE 16 - CUSTOMER SERVICE - TEAM PLAYER CONTACT INFO: 330-336-8100

PAY: 12.25 / HOUR

LOCATION: 170 GREAT OAKS TRAIL, WADSWORTH

ABILITIES:

CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

ABILITY TO LIFT FIFTY POUNDS

CONTACT INFO: 330-331-4363

A Crumbl Cookies box from the week 4/24-4/29. The cookies are (left to right) Triple Chocolate Chip, Buttermilk Pancake, Strawberry Cupcake, and Cookies and Cream Milkshake. Photo by Brooke Baughman.

The Fairlawn Crumbl Cookies location is located on 3750 W Market Street. Crumbl is open everyday except for Sunday and certain holidays.

Photo by Brooke Baughman.

Wadsworth student Sydney King (11) holding the infamous pink Crumbl box in front of the pink wall inside Crumbl. She purchased each flavor of the week as shown above. Photo by Brooke Baughman.

SPANISH TEACHERS PLAN RETIREMENT

BY MAIA EDWARDS AND ALEX BANKS

Mrs. Matthews is retiring from teaching at Wadsworth High School after 28 years. She has taught levels one, two, and three of Spanish in her time at WHS, but her favorite class to teach is Spanish Three.

One of Matthews’ favorite parts of teaching Spanish is when she sees students begin to get a good grasp of the language.

“I really like to see when students get it and they start using it,” Matthews said. “Every once in a while they might burst out with a Spanish word.”

Matthews says that one of her favorite things that she gets to teach in Spanish is the culture. She enjoys teaching students about things like Day of the Dead, Christmas in Mexico, and different prominent Spanish artists.

Matthews wishes that she was able to have more time to focus on Spanish related things that are more than just grammar.

“I really love the culture and sadly, there is not enough time to teach all of [it],” Matthews said.

Her students have voiced that they enjoy her class and how she teaches.

“Mrs. Matthews actively seeks to make learning enjoyable,” said Bailey Fetterolf, a sophomore taking Spanish Two. “She always has different games, puzzles, and activities that are both fun and educational.”

Along with teaching Spanish, she was a Speech and Debate team coach for 21 years, with fifteen of those years including her being a head coach for the WHS team.

“One of my favorite things was getting to know the students who wanted to participate in the talent show and putting it on, and the Speech team worked really hard on it,” Matthews said. “I loved that talent show; it was fun.”

Matthews believes that her time spent teaching has taught her to be a more flexible person.

“No matter how well you prepare for a job, the best lesson is on the job experience,” Matthews said.

During her retirement, Matthews would like to spend more time in the cottage that she owns in Ontario with her husband.

She also wants to be able to visit her grandchildren, who live out-of-state on a more regular basis.

Additionally, she is a painter and enjoys spending time creating art. Specifically, she enjoys painting snowmen. She currently sells her paintings at a craft show, but is hoping to be able to sell them more with her free time.

Although she will miss teaching, she thinks that the new Spanish teachers will be very good at their jobs.

“We have met our replacements and they are very, very capable, and a good fit for Wadsworth High School,” Matthews said.

Matthews is very grateful that she was able to work at Wadsworth High School and feels that Wadsworth City School District has been a great school system.

Mrs. Beavers is retiring from teaching after spending 23 years teaching at Wadsworth. She has taught multiple levels of Spanish, including Spanish Four as a College Credit Plus course.

Before she began to work at Wadsworth, she taught at Woodridge High School for eleven years and was also a part-time substitute teacher at Copley. Additionally, she spent time working at Kent State University for a year as a graduate assistant.

Beavers’ favorite part about teaching is when students finally understand aspects of Spanish and “get it”. Students appreciate her effort to help them understand the class.

“She allows people to work at their own pace, and is considerate if someone doesn’t understand the topic we’re working on,” said Mallory Brooks, a Spanish Two student.

She has also coached Junior Varsity Softball and Volleyball for Wadsworth.

In addition to teaching multiple Spanish classes, she taught Algebra 1 for two years at Wadsworth because she has a minor degree in math. However, Spanish is her favorite subject that she has gotten the opportunity to teach.

She believes that her time spent at Wadsworth has taught her that she still has a lot to learn about teaching and students.

“I can learn so much from the kids about life and about being kind,” Beavers said.

Beavers has enjoyed getting the opportunity to take trips for school with the students. She has been to Mexico, Spain, France, Peru, and has also helped with a three week exchange with kids living with families in Costa Rica.

“Seeing them use the language, that’s the best,” Beavers said.

She believes that teaching and spending so much time around high schoolers has helped keep her patient and young.

“Hearing about the lives of the students is really fun--it interests me,” Beavers said.

Even after retiring from her teaching career, she says that she would love to work in a coffee shop or a boutique

“I love being around people,” Beavers said.

Beavers still wants to have the opportunity to travel. She specifically wants to take a trip to see her daughter in who is studying in New Orleans.

Beavers is also considering moving to North or South Carolina.

Beavers says that she will miss having coffee every morning with her colleagues Mrs. Matthews, Mr. Shipley, Mr. Vankirk, and Mrs. Kline. However, Beavers thinks that what she will miss the most about teaching at Wadsworth High School is the students, who have expressed that they will miss her as well.

“I’ll miss her positive attitude, her reassurance, and the way she involves everyone when we’re doing lessons,” Brooks said.

MR. HANNA LEAVING TEACHING CAREER

BY EMMA LYNN

Austin Hanna, a math teacher at Wadsworth High School, will no longer continue his career in teaching, and is pursuing an entirely new field at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

“I don’t have an official workplace, but I am going to be an actuary. I’m working with a couple different insurance companies right now,” Hanna said.

An actuary is a business professional tasked with measuring and managing risk for insurance companies. Because of the math required for this job, Hanna stated that the time he has spent teaching higher level math at WHS has greatly prepared him for the future.

“I think the teaching aspect really just kind of gives me an advantage over other

applicants,” Hanna said.

He knew from the beginning that eventually he planned on leaving teaching. However, Hanna was not confident in what job he would later pursue.

When Hanna went back to college, achieving his masters degree in mathematics, he realized how much he enjoyed his classes.

“I liked taking the math tests for my college classes,” Hanna said. “They were fun; I kind of forgot what it’s like to study and prepare for tests.”

Despite having the knowledge that he would leave Wadsworth eventually, the decision was not easy on Hanna.

“I will miss it here for sure,” Hanna said. “I’m going to miss my co-workers a lot, because I work with a really great department.”

Hanna will be greatly missed by many of his students. Chloe Piekarski, a sophomore at WHS, voiced how much she enjoyed being in his class.

“I think he has a really good way of teaching, and he is hard on us but it gets the point across a lot better,” Piekarski said.

Similarly, Addison Painting, a fellow sophomore, shared how she also admired the way that Hanna structured class time.

“I love how Mr. Hanna always makes his lessons fun and incorporates games,” Painting said. “He is also really good at helping when you don’t understand a lesson.”

Hanna will miss working at WHS in the future as he pursues a new career. In addition, his students have shared they are grateful for his influence on them over the past 6 years.

Mrs. Matthews waves her “magic wand”. She waves this by students’ desks before every test to give students “magic” and good luck for their exams. Photo by Maia Edwards.

Mr. Hanna introduces a new topic in his fourth period class. Currently, Hanna teaches AP calculus along with Honors Algebra 2 Trig with Limits. Photo by Emma Lynn

Beavers finished her last year at Wadsworth. She plans on expanding on her hobbies of reading, hiking, volleyball, and pickle ball in her retirement. Photo by Maia Edwards.

THE WILLOW PROJECT: WILL GEN-Z BE AFFECTED?

BY GRACE BARRETT, DREW BOWERMAN, & AALIYAH DAVIS

The Willow project, an oil drilling project by the company ConocoPhillips, was recently approved by the Biden administration. The multi-billion dollar project aims to drill down into the natural fossil fuel beds of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska with the goal of extracting fossil fuels for commercial sale.

The project was introduced in 2018 during former President Donald Trump’s time in office in order to rebuild the gas industry. Being supported by both Democratic and Republican politicians, it was approved by President Biden’s administration on March 13, 2023.

Many in support of the project feel that the increased supply of fossil fuels could help jump start the economy through a projected increase in jobs in the area.

“The Willow Project is significant for Alaska,” said Lisa Murkowski, Alaskan senator in a press release about the upcoming project. “From a job perspective, this is going to create about 2,500 jobs for the state that desperately needs that.”

In addition, the Biden administration has hopes that the United States will have an increased access to domestically sourced

oil, therefore becoming less reliant on foreign fuel.

However, since its approval, the Willow project has gained enormous media attention, particularly because of its projected effect on the climate and environment in the area.

Members of Gen-Z across the nation have posted information regarding the project and their concerns on a variety of social media platforms.

Natalie Vujas, a freshman at Wadsworth High School, learned about the Willow project on Instagram through the account @environment, an account dedicated to informing the public about environmental issues and innovation.

“If ConocoPhillips continues to move forward with the Willow project, then we as a society will be in big trouble,” Vujas said, describing her concerns surrounding the drilling. “The Willow project will also have to industrialize miles upon miles of animals’ natural habitats.”

As well as this, Vujas discovered through the @environment Instagram account that the project would release an estimated 278 million metric tons of greenhouse gases within 30 years, partially due to the 600 million barrels of oil ConocoPhillips plans to retrieve.

Jason Jurey, the AP Environmental Science teacher at WHS, believes that the drilling of the Willow project will be extremely harmful to the environment.

“Anytime you are going into a habitat and manipulating what is there, you are inviting changes, and I don’t think there is such a thing as a good change in an ecosystem when it is human driven,” Jurey said. “When we go in for our own extractive purposes… rarely is there a single example of when the habitat became more robust, or when the organisms thrived.”

According to Jurey, there are two major issues that will be caused by this.

“[Firstly], the habitat in which they are drilling is typically tundra or arctic, which means that it is very cold and frozen,” Jurey said. “So anytime you get into those habitats, they are unbelievably fragile; it’s very easy to do long-term sustained damage.”

According to Jurey, as this environment melts or is damaged, non-decomposed material frozen in the permafrost can be released, causing methane to go into the atmosphere.

“Methane is a 20 to 40 times greater greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide,” Jurey said. “So it’s

being called a ‘carbon bomb.’”

Jurey claims that this substantial release of methane gas will have a significant impact on the pace of climate change.

“Methane is going to rapidly add itself into the atmosphere,” Jurey said. “With climate change, it is going to be like something puts a brick on the gas pedal; it’s going to go really fast.”

Following the repercussions imposed by the release of methane gas, Jurey explains that the second problem is an indirect issue: an increased supply of gas and oil.

“As a consumer, it’s good that we get more gas and oil because it lowers the price of the pump,” Jurey said. “But by lowering the price of the pump, what you are doing is you are essentially deincentivizing people [who use] other resources for fuel.”

By creating a less expensive market within the gas industry, people are more likely to gravitate towards this method of fuel consumption, causing the harms of the Willow Project to be heightened by the American fuel economy.

Beyond these two main concerns, the wildlife in the region of the drilling will also experience harm due to the project.

“It is disruptive, just like any kind of construction,΅ Jurey said. “It’s going to remove native habitat where those organisms graze and reproduce. It’s definitely going to chase them from that area.”

According to Jurey, these animals include species such as caribou and polar bears. However, with modern technology, there are alternatives to oil drilling that could be effective in the near future.

“There is emerging technology that is starting to come to the forefront,” Jurey said. “They are probably not happening fast enough, however.”

For example, the use of electric cars has increased significantly within the past few years. However, they are not as environmentally appealing as they appear to be.

“The problem with electric cars right now is that most of them are charged from a grid that is being energized through the burning of fossil fuels,” Jurey said.

Although electric car users are not directly contributing to emissions, most of their vehicles’ power-sources can be traced back to a coal burning power plant. Unfortunately, coal is much worse for the environment than gasoline, so a truly clean alternative to a standard gasoline-powered car has not been discovered yet.

“You need to create a grid off of renewable [energy],” Jurey said. “Then, the Tesla becomes great because now you are not putting anything into the atmosphere and there isn’t any backlog of carbon.”

However, finding an effective renewable source is a more difficult process than it appears to be. Coal is the most popular form of energy, as the world’s infrastructure is built on of it. Because of this, if a renewable energy source could efficiently replace it, it would likely take decades to convert the entire grid over. As well as this, according to source.

“If you go to places like Arizona and New Mexico, solar is a really great alternative,” Jurey said. “But, if you go to the Great Plains, wind is good. However, in regions like [Ohio] there is really no technology that exists yet that really harnesses the power of our natural resources efficiently.”

Although many environmentally-friendly energy alternatives are available to students, many can still make an effort to reverse the foreseen impacts of the Willow Project.

“You have a lot of power as citizens of the United States,” Jurey said. “Letter writing campaigns, which might seem old school, get attention.”

Beyond urging politicians to vote in favor of the environment, Jurey explained that being active within the community and bringing awareness to peers is an effective way to individually make a difference. Vujas agrees, advising students to use their power to spread awareness.

“As students, we are not able to actually get out and fight the Willow project fist-tofist, but there are things we can do,” Vujas

News of the Willow project spread rapidly via social media, as pictured above. Many members of Gen-Z have become more aware of the potential environmental impacts through this form of sharing. Photo by Grace Barrett

“WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, IT IS GOING TO BE LIKE SOMETHING PUTS A BRICK ON THE GAS PEDAL; IT’S GOING TO GO REALLY FAST.”

- JASON JUREY, WHS AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEACHER

from a social media survey conducted by The Bruin. 70 Wadsworth High School students responded.

Information courtesy of The New York Times

A YEAR IN REVIEW: FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS LOOK BACK ON THE SCHOOL YEAR

BY RILEY HUNT & LILY LOVE

This year, Wadsworth High School had the opportunity to allow foreign exchange students Annarosa Gatti from Italy, Louise Chauvin-Mascart from France, Aaron Keinlein and Vivien Willing from Germany, Leyi Wu from China, and Alejandro San Segundo Marquez from Spain to spend a year in the United States.

All of the WHS exchange students feel this year has been an amazing opportunity that has made an impact on the rest of their lives.

“I always wanted to visit America because it was like the land of dreams,” Willing said.

Now, these foreign exchange students are preparing to leave America and head back home to their families. However, leaving the place they have called home for the past year comes with a variety of different emotions.

“Having so many exchange students in the same school definitely helped with the challenges this year.” ChauvinMascart said. “The fact that we can all understand each other is really great, too.”

During the year, the exchange students formed relationships with friends, their host families, and teachers.

These relationships have allowed the exchange students to have a positive experience during their time in the U.S. and within the Wadsworth community.

Willing has enjoyed getting to know so many new teachers and friends during her time in the U.S. this year.

“The students and teachers are so understanding,” Willing said. “I think, in general, the school is just so open minded.”

Over the course of the year, the exchange students were able to make new friends, try new things, and experience the American lifestyle.

Beyond this, Kienlein has enjoyed getting to see many different perspectives and getting to try various new things during his time in the U.S.

All of the foreign exchange students feel the administration and teachers made their journies easier.

Each exchange student has their own favorite teachers, but they agree that WHS American History teacher Mr. Myers had the biggest impact on them.

For teachers, there are many things that make their jobs so enjoyable for them. Specifically, for Mr. Myers, it is having the opportunity to teach the Wadsworth foreign exchange students.

“I enjoy having the foreign exchange students in my classes because of the content that I teach,” Myers said. “I am grateful and humbled that they feel that I have impacted them this year.”

Myers is thankful for the opportunity to teach the exchange students and cannot wait to teach more throughout

the rest of his career.

With this year coming to an end, the exchange students are preparing to graduate from WHS. Although all of them still have schooling left to do in their home countries, they are excited to experience the opportunity to walk the stage at graduation in the United States.

“[Graduation] doesn’t really count for us,” Gatti said. “We all have to go back and finish up school in Europe.”

Although most of the exchange students have decided to stay in their home country, they would all love to visit America again in the near future.

“I’m kind of sad about leaving here and graduating, but also happy,” Kienlein said. “You know you have accomplished something, in this exchange year.”

The exchange students are very sad to be leaving, but they are grateful for the opportunities that they have gotten to experience.

WHAT WILL THEY MISS THE MOST ABOUT AMERICA?

“I think my host family and my dog here and some of my friends.” Photo courtesy of Alex San Segundo.

“I will miss the most my host family, Anna, and wrestling, and school in general.” Photo courtesy of Louise Chauvin-Mascart.

“I’m going to miss playing lacrosse, Louise, and school.” Photo courtesy of Anna Gatti.

“My

host family, and I live in the city back home, so probably the countryside.”

Photo courtesy of Leyi Wu.

“Football games, my friends, and my host family.” Photo courtesy of Aaron Keinlein.

ALEX SAN SEGUNDO LEYI WU

LOUISE CHAUVINMASCART VIVIEN WILLING AARON KEINLEIN ANNA GATTI

“Definitely buffalo chicken dip. Jokes, I’ll miss every single thing. The football nights, the high school and my host family and friends.” Photo courtesy of Vivien Willing.

1. Leyi Wu (left, Anna Gatti (center), and Louise Chauvin-Mascart (right), dress up for WHS Red Ribbon week. 2. All WHS exchange students attend WHS Winter Formal 2023. 3. Anna Gatti (left) and Louise Chauvin-Mascart (right) at WHS lacrosse practice. 4. Anna Gatti dresses up for Valentine’s Day. 5. WHS Football team after game 2022. 6. Louise Chauvin-Mascart (right) and Vivien Willing (left) attend media day with the Bruin and film compact class. 7. WHS exchange students, along with other seniors, attend senior leaf-raking.

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GRIZZLIES ABROAD TOUR EUROPE

BY LARKIN TACKETT, MALLORY GERSCHUTZ, SYDNEY BLAKE

Over spring break, parents and students in the Grizzlies Abroad program traveled to Italy, Vatican City, Monaco, France, and Spain. This was a 10 day trip that was full of sightseeing, history, culture, eating European cuisine, and everything in between.

This was the biggest Grizzlies Abroad trip to date. Originally, the trip was only supposed to have about 80 travelers, but because the demand was so high,

a third bus was opened up. This made 110 travelers, consisting of Wadsworth students, relatives, and teachers.

The trip started as soon as the planes landed in Rome, Italy. With only a few hours of sleep on the red eye flight, the travelers met their tour guides and headed towards the city of Rome.

The travelers spent their first day in the heart of Rome and seeing the iconic monuments. Some threw their coins into the blue water of the Trevi Fountain, saw the incredibly detailed sculptures in The

Pantheon, explored around an Italian marketplace, and experienced creamy gelato. Then, to finish off their first night, they enjoyed an Italian meal of pizza, meatballs, carrots with olive oil, and an ice cream treat for dessert.

The next day, the travelers woke up bright and early to see the ancient architecture of the ancient Roman empire.

They got to visit the Colosseum to see where epic gladiator games took place and got to walk on the grounds of The Roman Forum, which was once the center of

ancient Roman’s day to day lives.

All three buses traveled to Vatican City, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and home to the Pope. This city was bustling with visitors as it was the day before the Pope was going to give his speech in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. The tourists then went into the Basilica while being led by their tour guides showing them all of the hidden gems inside of the Basilica.

The teachers, students, and relatives then traveled to the Cathedral Square in

“My favorite part was getting free time to explore the cities and try new foods, especially in Florence and Barcelona.”

“My favorite part of the trip was learning and listening to the guides explain the history of places we visited. I think these trips can be life changing events. Travel is important. Go and see the world!”

Mr. Knapp, Bus Leader

“It is hard to say what my favorite parts of the trip were. First of all, the students made the trip so so good. It’s a different vibe there and it’s so so good. Looking back on our trip, we have so many stories.”

Mrs. Decker, Nurse

“My favorite part was getting to go with my friends. I feel like we all got really close with the people on our bus. The trip was like truly a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to go.” Madison Bentley, 11

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Jenna Ruether, 12

Pisa. Their bus ride was about four hours. They got to walk around Pisa, seeing the leaning tower and many holy places. After this they traveled to Florence, Italy.

While in Florence, they walked around Piazza San Giovanni looking at the Uffizi Gallery and into shops to their next stop. They had a late dinner because they got to make their own meal, that consisted of home-made pasta, meatloaf, salad, bread, and a fruit and cream dessert.

After dinner they went back to their hotels so they could rest up for their next trip to Monaco and France. The next destination was Monaco. At the end of the day, in Monaco, the groups got to stop at

the rocky beach.

They went to Nímes, France to see the Arena of Nîmes. They then got to walk around the streets of Nímes getting lunch and going into the street shops.

On the same day, they traveled to Barcelona, Spain stopping at Vers-Pont-duGard first. They explored there a little bit and then went to dinner and back to the hotel. The next day they went to the beach and had some free time to walk around and go to tourist shops before dinner.

The next stop for the travelers was Park Güell in Barcelona which was on the last day of the Grizzlies Abroad trip. Once they finished at the park, they drove to the

Basílica de la Sagrada Família where they learned some history about the basilica while walking around outside of the church.

The final thing the groups did was go to La Rambla, a street in central Barcelona. They were there until late at night spending their time walking around while some went to the Flamenco dance.

The trip, including travel, was ten days long and was full of taking adventures, spending time with peers, and most of all having fun. Wadsworth High is talking about doing a trip similar to this again in the future to give more people this amazing experience to look at different cultures.

1.) Sydney Blake (11), Jenna Ruether (12), Brooke Baughman (11), and Rachel Dunkle in front of the Arno River. The Arno River flows through the Apennines, Florence, and the Ligurian Sea. Photo courtesy of Sydney Blake.

2.) Cale Breuers (12), John Schulze (12), and Sebastian Francis (12) in front of the Colosseum. About four million people visit the Colosseum each year. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

3.) Lauren Sieber (11) and Karyssa Stedman (12) inside of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is known for the epic gladiator games that it used to host. It is the world’s largest amphitheater. Photo courtesy of Lauren Sieber.

4.) Mrs. Knorr and Mrs. Davis in the Colosseum. The Colosseum is over 1,900 years old. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

5.) Bella Scoonover (11), Emma Watson (11), and Riley Wenger (11) on the Monaco coast. Photo courtesy of Emma Watson.

6.) Sydney Blake (11) and Jenna Ruether (12) inside of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The dome is the largest dome in the world, and the building was modeled after The Pantheon. Photo courtesy of Sydney Blake.

7.) Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Sorrent, Mrs. Marzano and Jackie Knorr in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The groups visited several churches and monuments while in Pisa, Italy. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

8.) Victoria Cueller (12) and Savannah Tucker (12) in an authentic Italian cooking class. Each bus got to make their own pasta dinner and learned from the best Italian chefs. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

9.) Allison Scroeder (11), Emily Nagel (11), and Peyton Looper (11) in the Roman Forum. The Forum was the heart of ancient Romans lives. Photo courtesy of Emily Nagel.

10.) Girls from Kline’s bus group at the aqueduct in France. The groups were able to get close to the water, some locals swam in the water. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Moore.

11.) Mr. Heffingers bus group at the beach in Monaco. The beach is called Plage de Centenaire and it is on the Promenade des Anglais. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

12.) Rachel Dunkle (11), Brooke Baughman (11), Sydney Blake (11), and Jenna Ruether (12) in the streets of Italy. The groups would get a few hours of free time to explore the city each day. Photo courtesy of Sydney Blake.

13.) Mr. Heffingers group eating gelato on the first day in Italy. Gelato is a very common snack throughout Europe, especially in Italy. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

14.) The Heffinger bus in Nice, France. Nice is located on the French Riviera and is the fifth largest city in France. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

15.) Landon Chrislip (11), Grayson Croghan (11), and Dan Polack (11) in front of the Vers-Pontdu-Gard in France. The groups got to explore the aqueduct and its surrounding landscape. Photo courtesy of Landon Chrislip.

16.) Larkin Tackett (9), Samuel Strickler (12), Katie Basinger (12), and Mr. Heffinger on the Piazzale Michelangelo. The bus drivers gave the groups a surprise by driving them to look at the beautiful view. Photo courtesy of Larkin Tackett.

17.) Leyton Kuse (12), Riley Wenger (11), Jennifer Moore (11), Elyse Errington (11), and Julia Thuestad (11) in Monaco. While it is small, Monaco is its own independent country. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Moore.

18.) Mr. Heffingers bus group sitting on the Amphitheatre of Nîmes in France. The groups got to go inside of the arena and even go on the battleground. Photo courtesy of Eric Heffinger.

“My favorite thing was getting to look out on the view of Florence and see the whole city.”

Stephanie Novak, 10

“My favorite country was definitely Italy. I loved meeting people and making new friends.”

Lyla Marzano, 9

“My favorite part was getting to hang out with friends and family. I really liked visiting the Roman Forum.”

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“My favorite part of the trip was going so many new places. It was super pretty and it had a wider variety of things to do while we were there.”

Hannah Hoffman, 11

Mike Banks, The Griffin Family, Realtor Amanda Daily, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, Eddie’s Mimi and Papa, Ari Kaser, The Henderson Family, Kay & David Alley, Thomas & Nancy Peltier, Barlett Family, Michael Peltier, Grace Pantalone, Dave & Laurie Griffin, Tara Griffin & Kevin Anderson, Jon and Karen Edwards, Jim and Marilyn Edwards, The Perkins Family, The Williams Family, Alice Basile, Andrea Basile, The Tinney Family, Rose Petkunas, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Lysiak, Peggy Shiflett, Art and Cindy Reedy, The Reedys, Aunt Anne, Mary Cunningham, Jay and Patty Barrett, Lena Barrett, Marge Hevener, Maia Edwards, Anne Peltier, Vicky Chesbro, The Poling Family, Sra. Victoria Mateos, Roxann and James Young, The Love Family, The Sorrent Family, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Basinger, The Sieber Family, The Maxwell Family, Mr. Knapp, Annette Merle, Tim Short, Russ and Patsy Chesbro, Russ & Marj Allen, The Allen Family, Tina Allen Kolessar, The Valeri Family, The Long Family, Kevin and Lisa Tinney, Mary Ellen Cunningham, The Keifling Family, Jaime Bowerman, The Kundmueller Family, Cara and Bill Nolan, Lara and Marvin Shipley, Mrs. Love, The Love Family, Lisa Smith, Kaufman Family Farm, The Hendershot Family, Steve & Brittany Basinger, The Houser Family, Grandma and Grandpa Koontz, Gramma and Grampa Houser, The Estep Family, The Basinger Family, Steve and Karen Blankenship, Carol, The Bernard Family, Bailey Family, Ball Family, Joe & Lisa Hanna, Hilary & Rod Bowerman, Coach Hutchinson and Family, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Smeltzer, Kristy Nichol, The Serger Family, Dave and Nancy Porter, Alaina Zigler, Ken, Amanda, and Max Allen, Matt, Teresa, and Vada Porter, Rick and Marguerite Blake, The Dente Family, Karen & Dan Gerschutz, The Riddle Family, Gilbert Family, Jon and Jessica Allen, The Gorbach Family, Steven and Ruby Mallory, The Williford Family, Carol Mallory, Granny and Pappy Baker, Bill and Diane Blake, Russ and Melissa Chesbro, Mrs. Snyder, Ferguson Family, Mrs. Sheehan, Amanda Hutcheson, Fr. Patrick Schultz, Tony Yorlano, Candy Young, Theresa Petkunas, Pam Voss, Ann Hartman, The Osborn Family, Dan and Laurel Houck, The Gerschutz Family, Amanda Hutcheson, Daugherty Family, Megan Crawford & Dustin Likens, Aaron and Sue Dupont, The Moore Family, Bill & Milann Daugherty

BOYS LACROSSE SENIORS TO ATTEND MOUNT UNION

BY LAUREN BALL

Wadsworth boys lacrosse is sending four seniors off to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level, three of which will be playing together for the next four years. Josh Pasco, Jared Pasco, and Ryder Evans will all be attending the University of Mount Union. Ryder Evans says that the coaching found at Mount Union is what initially drew him to the university.

“I went to Mount Union for their head coach,” Evans said. “He had kinda been in the recruiting portal a little bit, kind of scouting me, watching me. He wanted me to come play at some other colleges he had been coaching at. He became the Mount Union head coach and let me know and I went, I

checked out the campus. It was awesome, I loved the coaches and met some of the players, they were cool, and so I decided that was where I wanted to go.”

Strong coaching is something that Evans says he has experienced in the Wadsworth lacrosse program from the youth to varsity high school levels, and this has helped prepare him for when he plays in college.

“We’ve [Wadsworth] always had great coaches,” Evans said. “The coaching from Bantam lacrosse all the way up to the high school has been great. It has really excelled the program where we were a newer program a few years ago and now we’ve put ourselves on the map to be somebody and it helps in the recruiting process and puts our name out there and everybody knows who Wadsworth lacrosse is now.”

Jared Pasco, another senior in the Wadsworth lacrosse program, is going to Mount Union for lacrosse as well as football. While originally intending to visit Mount Union for football, a surprise offer to play lacrosse from Mount Union’s head lacrosse coach led to him committing to be a dual-sport athlete for the Purple Raiders.

“I thought that what they [Mount Union] had was very impressive for such a small school, and they have the right attitude as a team compared to some of the other places I visited,” Pasco said. “I went on a visit with my brother to Mount Union to play lacrosse and

out of nowhere the coach gave me a roster spot offer to play lacrosse. He also told me that if I wanted to, it would be a possibility that I could play both sports. A couple weeks later I knew that it was the place for me and I finally committed to play both football and lacrosse there.”

Aside from these athletes being excited to further their individual lacrosse careers, the three will share a special bond due to playing together for so many years, and now collegiately.

“I’ve played with Josh and Jared since fourth grade so we have great chemistry,” Evans said. “We’ve always worked together and worked really well on the field and off the field together, so to be able to go and play at the next level with them is awesome.”

Pasco agrees that continuing his career at a university with lifelong teammates is additionally special.

“I am very much looking forward to playing with my former teammates,” Pasco said. “I grew up playing with them and to play with not only Ryder, but with my brother will be an amazing experience. I also have played with some of the other commits on the lacrosse

team so some of us already know each other pretty well.”

While there is much to be excited for when Pasco and Evans get to college, there will be a big transition from the high school to collegiate level, namely the increased competition level.

In high school, skill levels can vary, but in college, every player is there for a reason which makes the atmosphere on the field even more competitive.

“[I’m most excited] to compete against better competition,” Evans said. “Obviously in high school there’s plenty of good players but then there’s also teams that aren’t as great, whereas in college everyone is at that next level and everybody has excelled past some of those lower level players.”

Pasco echoes this sentiment and says that this adjustment will be one to get used to.

“The biggest difference between college lacrosse and high school lacrosse for me will probably be the competition,” Pasco said. “Unlike high school lacrosse, in college everyone is there for a reason. They have all been recruited in a similar way that I have been and are very talented.”

Congratulations to these future Purple Raiders and best of luck with their continued lacrosse careers.

WHS STUDENTS PURSUE COLLEGE ATHLETICS

BY JOSEPH DAVIS AND BRI PERKINS

With graduation right around the corner, many WHS athletes await to compete at the collegiate level. As these students pursue their academic and athletic careers, there are many differences that they are preparing themselves for in their sports and academically.

Caden Madigan, a basketball commit for Baldwin Wallace University, has continued training during the offseason to keep himself in shape for his college debut. Madigan kept up with lifting alongside drills and shooting practice to maintain his skill for the upcoming season.

“I just go to the gym and shoot with my friends for fun or sometimes we play games if there are enough people,” Madigan said.

Another commit, Addie Beck, is in her last season of track and field, before she starts her collegiate training. Beck is committed to Ohio Wesleyan University for pole vault. Over the winter, Beck had practiced in an indoor facility to improve and brush up on her skills before this season started. She has had a very successful season taking first place at multiple meets in not only pole vault, but in long jump.

“This season I was really excited to start competing again, but I also felt a lot of pressure to perform after my last season,” Beck said.

In a different perspective, Nic Homyk committed to play soccer for Tiffin University in February. Homyk is exited to expand his skills and environment at Tiffin and had

always dreamed of becoming a college athlete.

“I’ve always wanted to play collegiate sports ever since I picked up the ball,” Homyk said.

All of these athletes have achieved greatness in their high school careers and jumped on the opportunity to continue their hard work into college. Alongside the athletes pictured, Soloman Callaghan, Coen Grimm, Chris Earnest, Josh Pasco, Jared Pasco, Tommy Arnold, Tim Edurese, Aaron Keating, Dan Hall, Brian Myers, Adi Myers, Ellie Zuro, Ryder Evans, Kayley Lovelace, Taylor Keck, Jesaray Zupan and Sammi Voitko

all made commitments to play their sport in college. Congratulations and good luck to all of these WHS athletes.

Nic Homyk Soccer, Tiffin University

Addie Beck Track- Pole Vault, Ohio Wesleyan University

Chloe Leavitt Cheerleading, Ashland University

Caden Madigan Basketball, Balwin Wallace University

Davis Nye Football, University of Mount Union

Caden Madigan visits the school where he committed to play basketball. Madigan has played basketball for WHS since his freshman year and is a four time letter winner.

Photo courtesy of Caden Madigan.

Addie Beck poses on her future home track on a visit to Ohio Wesleyan University. Beck started pole vault her sophomore year and picked it up quickly with her gymnastics background.

Photo courtesy of Addie Beck.

Nic Homyk smiles in his Wadsworth jersey for his senior year soccer photos. Homyk is exited to expand his skills and meet his new team in college.

Photo courtesy of Nic Homyk.

Davis Nye smiles for his senior pictures in Art Wright Stadium. Nye’s love for football pushed him to continue into the college level and decided to take his talents to Mount Union.

Photo courtesy of Davis Nye.

Chloe Leavitt gets ready to officially sign for Ashland University. Leavitt has been cheering for the grizzlies for ten years and is looking forward to the next four as an eagle.

Photo courtesy of Chloe Leavitt.

have

“THEY HAD THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AS A TEAM COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES I VISITED.”

-Josh Pasco, WHS senior lacrosse player and Mount Union commit

From left to right, Jared Pasco, Josh Pasco, and Ryder Evans are pictured on signing day as they officially signed to play lacrosse at Mount Union. Photos courtesy of Wadsworth Athletics.

KAILYN BIECKER NAVIGATES LIFE AS A THREE-SPORT ATH LETE

BY LIZZY EDWARDS

For Kailyn Biecker, playing sports is more than just an after-school activity--it is a part of her identity. Biecker, a junior at Wadsworth High School, participates in three different sports: cross country, track, and soccer. She runs for the high school cross country and track teams, while playing soccer at Internationals Soccer Club.

Out of the three sports Biecker plays, she has been involved in soccer the longest, beginning when she was in kindergarten. She enjoyed the sport when she was young and continued to stick with it over the years, increasing her hours spent playing and overall commitment to the sport.

“In season, we practice three days a week,” Biecker said. “Our schedule right now is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and each practice is an hour and 30 minutes with fitness at the end.”

Biecker spends the most time playing soccer in the spring and summer, which is when the season for club soccer is. She gets to travel a lot for soccer and has played games in places like New Mexico, California, Tennessee, Indiana, and, most recently, Arizona. Although Biecker’s busy schedule often causes her to miss school, she has learned to manage the extra work.

“[Missing school] is not that bad,” Biecker said. “Most of my teachers are pretty understanding, and I get my work done early. I usually have a lot of time to do it in the car.”

Although her practice schedule lightens up after the season, Biecker continues to train year-round in order to stay in shape and keep her game at its best.

Playing at such a high intensity for so many years can take a toll on any athlete. Biecker stays motivated by her love of the sport and desire to reach her goals. Specifically, playing Division 1 soccer in college has always been in the back of her mind.

“On my club team everyone was committing, and it’s really just a big push,” Biecker said. “I’ve just had a desire to play [in college] since I was younger.”

Biecker began the recruitment process by reaching out to numerous college coaches and performing in front of them at showcases. Although the process became stressful at times, it paid off in the end. Last winter, Biecker verbally committed to play soccer at the University of Akron.

“The Akron coach reached out and we were talking for a little bit, and I decided it was the best fit,” Biecker said.

Having committed as a junior, Biecker will wait another year before joining the Akron team. In the meantime, she continues to play club soccer--along with running track and cross country for WHS.

Biecker joined both cross country and track when she was in eighth grade. As a soccer player, she was already in

Biecker’s Weekly Schedule:

strong running shape and used to intense workouts. With the encouragement of her parents and even some teachers, she decided to try running competitively.

Biecker’s background in soccer combined with her strong work ethic allowed her to see success as a runner.

“She does a great job of really pushing herself through whatever workout she’s going through or whatever event she’s running,” said Mr. Humrichouser, who coaches cross country and track. “She’s never one to take a rep off. Even if she’s tired from soccer or vice versa, she’s going to give 100% to whatever she’s doing that day.”

Once Biecker joined the high school team, she quickly made a name for herself as one of the top runners in the area. She ended her freshman cross country season by qualifying to the state meet, where she placed 20th as an individual and helped the team come in tenth place.

“I do like [running] to an extent,” Biecker said. “I think it’s really stressful, but I like all the girls and I like the environment. We do a lot of fun things together.”

Cross country, in particular, has a very team-oriented atmosphere. Biecker has enjoyed bonding with her teammates on long runs, where they have fun by running to different places such as each other’s houses, and even Dunkin’ Donuts.

“SHE’S NEVER ONE TO TAKE A REP OFF. EVEN IF SHE’S TIRED FROM SOCCER OR VICE VERSA, SHE’S GOING TO GIVE 100% TO WHATEVER SHE’S DOING THAT DAY”

-MR. HUMRICHOUSER, CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK COACH

With her success in high school running, Biecker naturally started to question if she would like to continue running in college.

“I actually did consider it,” Biecker said. “There’s a part of me that will really miss running, so I was like, ‘Oh, I could do it in college,’ but that was just a tiny part of my brain.”

In the end, Biecker decided to continue focusing on college soccer. Still, she has high expectations for herself in her final few seasons of track and cross country.

“Her freshman year she was a part of our state cross country team that finished tenth overall in the state, and she was the top Division 1 freshman on that day,” Humrichouser said. “She was able to join us her first year, going through COVID protocols and everything, still excelling as a freshman. I’d say that would probably be her biggest accomplishment in her career.”

Biecker prefers cross country to track due to the smaller team size and the more relaxed environment. Still, she has had many accomplishments on the track. She qualified for state in the 4x400 relay as a freshman, and just missed qualifying for state last year.

Despite the physical and mental demands of cross country and track, Biecker still finds enjoyment in running and being a part of the team.

“I’d like to make it to states one more time in either track or cross country,” Biecker said.

Biecker is currently in the middle of track season. She typically goes to track practice after school, then goes straight to either soccer practice or work afterward. This schedule leaves little room for downtime to do homework or relax.

“The hardest part of being a three-sport athlete is balancing it all, keeping a positive mindset, and still finding the joy in certain things,” Biecker said.

Despite all the challenges, Biecker has enjoyed being a three-sport athlete. She has made the most of her time in high school by competing in three different sports that she loves.

“I think the most rewarding part is improving myself, being able to watch others succeed, and just spending time with good friends,” Biecker said.

2. Biecker passes the ball to her teammate at a soccer tournament in Florida. She travels around the county with her club team to play in tournaments and showcases.

All photos courtesy of Kailyn Biecker.

1. Biecker smiles as she runs in the 2021 regional meet at Boardman High School. Biecker finished the race in 8th place and qualified to the state meet.

3. Biecker runs her leg of a relay at the 2021 District track meet. She qualified to state in the 4x400 relay that year.

4. Biecker poses with her Akron jersey after committing to play Division 1 soccer at the University of Akron. She has been playing soccer since she was in kindergarten.

MUSIC VENUES PREPARE FOR SUMMER CONCERT SEASON

BY KATIE BASINGER

With the summer concert season coming up, many people are anticipating the big crowds, loud music, and heavy bass that accompany their favorite artists. However, attendees are not the only people excited for the new music season.

Big music venues in Ohio are preparing for an eventful summer as well.

Kemba Live! is known for their indoor and outdoor amphitheater located in downtown Columbus. It is owned and operated by PromoWest Productions. The production company owns several venues in Ohio and Pennsylvania and are known for their state of the art stage system that features a reversible stage for indoor and outdoor productions. They are the second largest live music company in the world

Marissa McClellan, the Marketing

COMING SOON...

Director for Kemba Live! And PromoWest Productions in Columbus explained that the venue is very exciting to be hosting a three day festival this summer.

“Our biggest and most anticipated event for the summer is The Re:SET Concert series featuring Boygenius, LCD Soundsystem, and Steve Lacy. It’s June 23-25,” McClellan said.

The Beachland Ballroom, is a music venue and tavern located in Cleveland, Ohio. They are known for their iconic vintage feel and two stage venue. The first stage is located in their tavern and the second stage is in their ballroom. The venue also has a vintage store on the lower levels and hosts other events year round as well, such as flea markets.

Todd Gauman, the Marketing Director for Beachland Ballroom, stated that the Ballroom’s most anticipated guest over the summer is Black Midi in July.

“This will be one of the first times that the band has played in the Cleveland

Market as well as their first time at Beachland,” Gauman said. “We have several other larger shows, one with Altin Gun, who is a band from Turkey. We have Reverend Horton Heat, who is a long standing performer here at the Beachland for a very long time. The Beths, in August, The Baseball Project, which features members of REM in August. We just have a lot of shows coming in through the summer.”

He explained that one of the best parts of the summer concert season is the ability to see a lot of bands. There are a lot of people touring at this time, regional and local.

“You get the opportunity to see a lot of bands and getting to see some of those emerging artists in the Tavern is always exciting,” Gauman said.

Similarly to Kemba Live!, as well as many other concert venues around the area, The Ballroom is jumping on the music festival excitement, hosting their

very own one day music festival in July.

One thing that indoor music venues struggle with in the summer is competition with outdoor music festivals.

“People going to the larger festivals, seeing multi-performers, obviously has an impact both positively and negatively on independent venues. You get a lot of different touring bands, which is nice. It’s always a very competitive market for us, as well as you’re competing for the individual patrons,” Gauman said. “I always encourage people to get out and support your independent venues, there’s quite a few located here in North East Ohio. As well as supporting local and regional music because there is still a ton of music and bands out there to discover, so I always want to tell people to take advantage of that.”

Music festival attendees and cozy venue lovers alike will find their concert of the summer this year in Ohio.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATING SENIOR STAFF OF THE BRUIN

CARLEY, LILY, CARSON, JADE, BRENDEN, OLIVIA, AIDEN, KATIE, LUKE, & NOELLE

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND DEDICATION TO OUR LITTLE PAPER OVER THE YEARS.

CLASS OF ‘23

THANK YOU

BIDINGER’S ICE CREAM FOR YOUR KIND DONATION AND SUPPORT OF THE BRUIN

Bidinger’s is located at 410 College St, Wadsworth, OH.

“THE ERAS TOUR” SWEEPS THE NATION

BY NOAH JOHNSON & KATIE ALLEN

On November 18, 2022, the day of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” ticket sale, 125 people at Wadsworth High School were on Ticketmaster, awaiting to purchase tickets.

Swift announced she would be going on a headlining tour across the United States on November 1, 2022. Tickets available for Ticketmaster Verified Fans would be on sale on November 18, 2022.

To be able to buy tickets early, fans had to register for Ticketmaster’s Verified Fans Presale. The day before the sale, those selected would be sent a code by Ticketmaster that could be used to get into the queue.

On the day of the sale, due to the high demand, the website experienced severe troubles, leaving many fans without tickets.

“I got in the queue, just chilling there forever because that line moved so slow,” said Addie Beck, Wadsworth High School senior and future attendee of “The Eras Tour” on June 16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

About 30 minutes after the sale began, Ticketmaster paused the queue due to their website experiencing technical issues.

“[Then] the queue paused,” Beck said. “It was a long wait; it was awful.”

After Beck was finally able to enter the sale, she experienced another problem.

“I finally got in and the tickets were finally able to be opened,” Beck said. “Then my code does not work. It was just a full panic mode.”

Despite the hassle to get tickets, many fans, including Beck, were still able to purchase them and eagerly await their date.

“I’m planning on dressing as [the] “Fearless” era and obviously going to do some bracelet trading when we get there,” Beck said.

Bracelet trading was a fan project based off the lyric in Swift’s song, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” saying, “so make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it...” As a result, many fans began making bracelets associated with Swift and trading them at the concert.

“We’ll probably go out to eat and I really want to go to the merch, but it isn’t a

november 18, 2022

most tickets sold in a single day TICKETMASTER

priority because it’s really difficult to get the merch,” said Meredith Hire, Wadsworth High School freshman and attendee of “The Eras Tour” on July 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“I’m excited to hear her sing ‘All Too Well,’” Hire said. “I’m excited to see Gracie [Abrams, one of ten openers for Swift on tour]; I’m excited to see her outfits and just hear her sing.”

Swift has a total of 16 costume changes throughout the concert including jackets, dresses, and even suits.

“I’m going to check into my hotel, I’m going to get ready for the concert, and I’m planning to go there early to go to the merch shop,” said Cynthia Wilhite, Wadsworth High School freshman and future attendee of “The Eras Tour” on June 17 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The concert goes through all of Swift’s musical eras, spanning her 17 year career.

Each night of the tour, Swift has an acoustic set with a guitar and piano song that change from show to show and never repeat.

“I can’t wait to see the performance live and hear the surprise songs,” Wilhite said.

Now, a few weeks into her tour, she continues to break more records.

The tour is beating her previous record of highest-grossing tour and an over 30-yearold record held by Madonna for the most attended concert by a female artist. Each show can expect anywhere from 60,000 to 70,000 fans in attendance.

Wadsworth graduates, Regan Simpson and Kenna Barfuss attended the second night of the Las Vegas shows on March 25, 2023.

A popular fan activity is dressing up either in costumes or outfits related to Taylor Swift and her music. While Simpson believes it can be a fun part of each concert to take part in, she feels it is important to dress for the environment.

“I would say to dress cute, but comfy because it is a dancing show,” Simpson said. “We are jumping and dancing and singing like the whole time, so you’ll want to be comfy. One other thing is get to the venue early because it’s fun to just be in the environment and see all the other Swifties.”

Swift will be on stage for over three hours, taking fans through the eras of her career, singing 44 songs total. Since the show is so long, if fans plan to get out of their seats and dance along, Barfuss recommends that they should consider that when picking their outfits and shoes.

“I would tell [fans] to expect to have the time of their lives and to wear comfy shoes,” Barfuss said. “I would also recommend going early to the concert to get merch and pictures. It was really fun taking it all in and listening to the openers.”

Outside the stadium, the merch truck has become a big topic of conversation to Swift’s fans on the Internet. Within the truck, certain items have gone viral and many fans have been arriving very early at the venues just to get in line for the truck. A couple venues have already addressed this issue, setting a time for fans to shop.

“For the merch, that’s really a big thing because I personally think concert merch is really cool, but I would say if you want merch with no line, get to

the venue early before the doors open,” Simpson said. “We got there at 3, the doors opened at 4:30 and we were probably third or fourth in line for merch, but on the other side.”

Inside the stadium are many different locations to buy merch, all spread around different entrances. A couple venues have shared statements mentioning this. For example, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia stated that they would have 26 different inside merch locations available.

“I think the merch and drink lines were insane,” Barfuss said. I had friends who waited 6 hours in line for merch and they couldn’t even get the merch that they wanted. I think the venue needed more merch and needed to organize it all better. It was also annoying how not all the merch that was sold in the truck outside was inside.”

Because so many fans are expected to be at each show, lines are projected be long everywhere. While some stadiums are not letting fans in line for things such as the merch truck until a certain time, fans are expected to arrive an hour or two before the doors open.

“I think the merch is totally worth it, but I don’t think it’s the end of the world if you don’t get it at your show because there’s variations online,” Simpson said.

Despite all the trouble fans went through all around the country buying tickets, the tour already has record high reviews.

“I would tell others that it is genuinely going to be such a good concert with so much for everyone, even if you’re not a huge Swiftie,” Simpson said. “It’s super cool because she plays a lot of her songs that everyone knows and the environment is just so amazing to be in.”

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Wadsworth Alumni Regan Simpson (fourth from left) and Kenna Barfuss (right of Simpson) pictured with others outside Allegiant Stadium. The two saw Swift on the second night of the Las Vegas show. Photo courtesy of Kenna Barfuss.

Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” poster. Swift spends over three hours performing on “The Eras Tour.” Promotional material from tour

Email sent by Ticketmaster to show fans that they have been selected for Verified Fan Presale. Later, they would receive a code to use to enter the sale. Screenshot of Noah Johnson.

WHS STUDENTS AWAIT SUMMER FILMS

BY HADLEY JAMES

As summer is approaching, WHS students anticipate the release of new movies to watch over the summer. Some movies coming out this summer include “Barbie,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Spider Man Into The Spider Verse 2,” and “Blue Beetle.” The “Barbie” movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is the first live action film based off of the dolls and follows Barbie as she faces reality in the real world.

“I am very excited, I think it will top all of [the previous “Barbie” movies],” said Emily Bennett, a WHS sophomore.

Margot Robbie will be playing Barbie alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken. The movie will have multiple Barbies and Kens; as well as characters being played by Dua Lipa, Anne Hathaway, and Emma Mackey.

“I think the new characters will be fun to see in the movie, especially with all of the different Barbies,” Bennett said.

As well as this, a new addition will be added to the DC Universe. On August 18, the movie based off of the 1939 novel, “Blue Beetle,” will makes its way to theaters. The film will follow the character Jaime Reyes, as he returns from college to his hometown and is infected by a bug that gives him super abilities.

“I think it has a really good chance at being a really good movie,” said Natalia Vujas, a WHS freshman. Vujas said that the cast of the movie seems wonderful and

recent movies have been really good. Blue Beetle will be the 14th film added to the DC Universe. The live action “The Little Mermaid,” will come out on May 26, 2023 in theaters. Along with other live action Disney films, the movie will be a parallel to the original. Like the original, Ariel, the daughter of Triton, wants to see what life is like on land and eventually falls in love with a human, Prince Eric. Though she has to make a deal with Ursula to be able to live on land.

“Personally I love live action remakes of classic movies; I look forward to seeing a modern take on such a classic,” said Elijah Winkfield, a WHS Freshman

The five Grammy nominee, Halle Bailey, will be playing Ariel. Bailey is known for her 2020 album, “Ungodly Hour,” that she made with her sister, Chloe Bailey. Alongside Bailey, Melissa McCarthy will be playing Ursula and Jonah Hauer-King will be playing Prince Eric.

Winkfield said that he is excited to see representation of African Americans in a well-known film such as “The Little Mermaid” for younger audiences.

“It is a really good role model for little girls and boys to see,” Winkfield said.

The second, “Spiderman Into The Spider Verse,” will come out June 2 in theaters. It is an animated sequel to the first movie.

“I really liked the last one and the new one looks so good,” Vujas said.

STUDENTS PLAN FOR SUMMER BREAK

BY ANGEL JONES

WHS is excited for the start of summer. After a long year, summer is a nice thing for the students at WHS to look forward to.

Some of the WHS students go on vacations for their summer break, while others look for jobs and hang out with friends.

Aidan Valentine, a junior at Wadsworth High School, is going to try working at a job most of the summer.

“I would like to apply to a few places to make my options bigger,” Valentine said.

Valentine wants to apply somewhere simple and easy to just get experience.

Emma Watson, also a junior at WHS, is going to Washington D.C.

“We’re going down to Washington D.C. for about a week,” Watson said. “My little brother Brad Watson and I never got to experience the D.C. trip in our 8th grade year; so my dad wanted to let us be able to see everything there.”

Watson can’t wait to be able to see all the places she was not able to see her 8th grade year.

“I am really excited To be able to sleep in and go and do things I don’t really do.” said sophomore Brianna Becerra.

Students keep planning and are excited for the school year to end.

Emma

excited for cross country and all the fun things that happen in the summer.

Milah Knouse is a sophomore at WHS. Over the summer, Knouse is planning on going to New York. “I am going to be staying in a cabin in St. Regis Falls,” Knouse said. She is going to be visiting family. When school ends, she is most excited to be able to sleep in.

Aidan Valetine is a junior at WHS. Over the summer Valentine plans on getting a job. “I’d like to just apply somewhere easy as of right now to get experience,” Valentine said. When school ends he will miss being able to see his friends that he does not see outside of school. Photo by Angel Jones.

Watson is a junior at WHS. Over the summer, Watson plans on going to Washington D.C. for a family trip. “My brother really wants to go see the Holocaust museum, so that is going to be one of our big stops,” Watson said. Watson is most

Photo by Angel Jones.

Photo by Angel Jones.

Danielle Merced is a junior at WHS. Over the summer, Merced plans on going on a bunch of retreats and summer camps with her church. When school ends she will miss all of the seniors. “We made really close bonds and I think it will be harder to do the next school year with out them,” Merced said. Photo by Angel Jones.

Blue Beetle will be out August 18 on HBO Max. Blue Beetle will be played by Xolo Mariduena. Photo courtesy of Fair Use.

Natalia Vujas is a freshman at WHS. Over the summer, Vujas and her family are going to Alabama (Gilf Shores). “When summer break starts, I am excited to be able to see my friends more, and it’ll be nice to just relax whenever,” Vujas said. The thing that she is not excited for is the heat. Photo courtesy of Natalia Vujas.

Brianna Becerra is a sophomore at WHS. Over the summer, she is going to Tennessee for her little brothers travel baseball team. “We are also going to Columbus for my birthday shopping,” Becerra said. One thing that she is excited for over the summer is her birthday because she will finally be able to drive. Photo by Angel Jones.

Spiderman Into The Spider Verse 2 will come out June 2. Shameik Moore will voice Miles Morales. Photo courtesy of Fair Use.

The Little Mermaid will come out May 26 in theaters. Halle Bailey will be playing Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. Photo courtesy of Fair Use.

The Barbie movie will come out July 21 in theaters. The movie will star Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Photo courtesy of Fair Use.

FINAL EXAMS ARE NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY

OPINION BY CLAIRE FERGUSON

Although final exams are a widespread way to test student’s knowledge, they should not be required for students who have already taken an EOC (end of course test) or AP test.

Final exams are clustered together into what is known as “finals week”. This week is filled with stress and a lot of effort is put into studying during this time. Students that have been required to prepare for EOC and AP tests already have had to deal with that sort of stress, and should not be put through the stress again.

A high percentage of students have already taken AP tests.

According to the Class of 2021 data from College Board, 34.9% of U.S. public high school graduates took one or more AP tests in 2021. This is a considerable amount of students, and they should not be forced to demonstrate their knowledge a second time. There is little value in making students

TikTok

OPINION BY AVERY NICHOLSON

TikTok has become a danger to the American people and the country as a whole, for the app is giving personal information to the Chinese government. Congress needs to take the next step forward and ban TikTok to protect the privacy and safety of the US.

“We must protect Ohioans’ personal information from the Chinese Communist Party,” said Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown to WTOL 11 on March 24, 2023. “I have serious concerns with this company’s ties to the Chinese government, and will continue to work with members of both parties to look at how we can best protect Ohioans’ privacy and our national security.”

The communist government in China has all control over their citizens and their personal information. There are currently concerns that the Chinese government is going to bypass American safeguards and gain important information about over 150 million American users.

The American public needs to be informed if their information is at risk of being exposed to the Chinese government, yet Americans are being kept in the dark on the situation. Many politicians refuse to even comment on the matter.

Regardless of the party of the politician, the TikTok cyber threat is seen as a concerning issue. Republican Ohio Representative Max Miller took a strong stance on the matter in an email response to the Bruin.

“Having TikTok is like welcoming the Chinese Communist Party into your house, asking them to dig through all your stuff, and letting them take whatever they want,” said Max Miller. “The Chinese communists are stealing our data and poisoning our culture.

study and stress about an additional test in each subject when they have already proved themselves in the past.

In addition to the AP tests, many EOC tests are given each year. Sophomores take an especially high amount of EOC tests, and many are expected to take an EOC in a majority of their main classes. The performance on these EOC tests already show a student’s success within the class.

Sophomore Elle Baughman, as she studies for her final exams, said “Due to EOC’s, AP tests, and several other tests, teachers should diversify the ways they challenge what we know at the end of the year.”

Some may say that the extra tests and stress of finals week is a good experience for kids because it will prepare them for college final exams. However, in recent years, the amount of final exams in college seem to be on a downward slope.

Former dean of undergraduate education at Harvard University, Jay M. Harris, told faculty and stated in Harvard’s Magazine that only 23% of undergraduate

courses and 3% of graduate classes gave a final exam. This shows that finals in college could possibly become less of a concern as time goes on.

Even after the AP and EOC tests, some teachers still prefer to get some sort of final grade in the grade book. These teachers should assign some sort of final project. The project would take away the stress of an actual test, while still requiring students to put in some more work before their summer break.

When Scott Callaghan, a teacher at

student and teacher alike. The student would be able to avoid the stress of trying to prove themselves twice through the final test. In addition to this, The teacher would be able to see how a student is able to apply the content of the class.

When Callaghan was asked to recommend an alternative to a final exam, he said “I think maybe like a project based evaluation that meets both the curriculum outlined in the class and state standard. I think then you could bring in a real sense of learning with also real life applications.”

There are many possibilities for teachers when considering different ways to get a final grade in for AP students and ones who have taken EOC tests.

“I feel that there are other ways to review the material over the year other than a traditional test,” said Baughman.

Harvard dean Jay M. Harris reports to Harvard Newspaper that the college is starting to shy away from final exams. 23% of undergrad classes had final exams and 3% of grad classes had final exams.

Wadsworth High School, was asked how he feels about the final exam, said they should be an, “applications of standards.”

The final project would benefit both

After taking EOC and AP tests, teachers should not force students to go through the stress and annoyance of taking another final test. They have already proved their knowledge with their previous test, so there is no need for them to take one again.

should not be banned in the United States

OPINION BY REAGAN RIGGENBACH

The recent hearing showed that it isn’t safe for Americans to use it. Banning TikTok only makes sense.”

Confronting the issues with China is a current FBI top priority because the government is scared that China will start feeding anti-Democratic thoughts into the minds of young Americans. According to the Pew Research Center, 95% of American teens use TikTok. This shows that young users can be frequently exposed to Chinese influenced ideas which could be anything they decide to incorporate into the app’s algorithm.

The state of Montana took action against the harmfulness of this app on April 14, 2023. The bill received a majority vote and is now being challenged in the Supreme Court. If approved, the ban will take effect in January of 2024.

“TikTok’s stealing our information and data from users and its ability to share that data with the Chinese Communist Party unacceptably infringes on Montana’s right to privacy,” reads the bill now being sent to Governor Gianforte for approval.

Montana is taking a stance against the cyber security threat and the rest of the country must follow. The TikTok ban is essential to protecting the cyber security of Americans and needs to be put into effect immediately.

Banning TikTok will not solve the problems presented by several American legislatures. TikTok is a popular app among people of all ages. It lets its users’ explore and learn many new things. Despite its recent boost in popularity, many individuals are striving for a ban on the controversial app.

TikTok is run by China, one of America’s greatest adversaries, which is the root of intent to get it banned.

According to the Washington Post, 65% of Americans believe the Chinese government is likely collecting personal information on their American users. However, when looking deeper into the problem, it is clear that the prohibition on the app will not solve these socalled security risks.

The ban has become an extremely diversified debate, due to misinformation being spread. There is evidence that banning TikTok could take away the opportunities of many American business endeavors to promote their brands and further their careers. A statement by the Electronic Frontier Foundation states, “A TikTok ban would cause further harm. It would

undermine information security if, for example, legacy TikTok users could not receive updates to patch vulnerabilities. A ban would further entrench the social media market share of a small number of massive companies.”

Banning competition could lead to social media monopolies while simultaneously being detrimental to American small businesses who rely on the app’s advanced algorithm to advertise and promote. A study from Business Wire states that about 78% of small businesses say TikTok ads drive them profit and help boost their activity for their business.

Not only can TikTok’s influence help on the business side, but it also has been shown to be a stress reliever in teens’ personal lives. Influence.Digital states “The experience while using the app can have a positive effect on the user’s mood.”

Students in Wadsworth also share a similar viewpoint, Zane Rouch a sophomore at WHS stated his stance on the topic.

“TikTok releases stress for me at least” Rouch said. “It gives me something fun and entertaining to do if I need a distraction or I’m just bored.”

“DUE TO EOC’S, AP TESTS, AND SEVERAL OTHER TESTS, TEACHERS SHOULD DEFINITELY DIVERSIFY THE WAYS THEY CHALLENGE WHAT WE KNOW

-ELLE BAUGHMAN, SOPHOMORE AT WADSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 19

TikTok

WADSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR BANQUET

BY SYDNEY BLAKE, LAYOUT BY HALEY REEDY & KATIE ALLEN

Wadsworth High School held its Junior Banquet at The Galaxy this weekend on Saturday, April 22. The Class of 2024 was able to eat, dance, and have a fun night with each other.

Tickets could only be purchased online and cost $40. This covered the dance and dinner cost.

The doors of the Galaxy opened at 6:45, and closed at 10. Juniors were allowed to leave at 9:30. The junior class was able to pick their own tables, and even got in a little pre-dinner dance on the dance floor.

The Galaxy set out a delicious spread of rolls, salad, three types of pasta, chicken, cookies, and brownies. Waiters came around with water and lemonade.

The DJ only played songs that were requested by the students. By doing this,

almost everyone enjoyed the music and there were genres for everyone to enjoy, like rap, country, line dancing, and pop music.

“I’m glad the DJ took requests,” said Avery Nicholson. “He even played my favorite song which made the night so much better.”

Unlike the other WHS dances, the attire is all over the place for Junior Banquet. The girls, like normal, dress up in beautiful, long dresses. The boys, however, switch it up a bit. This includes big fur jackets, matching sweat suits, and crazy hats and sunglasses.

“It’s nice to switch it up and do something different then just dress up like every other dance,” said Luke Ryder, who’s outfit matched with Caden Shriver.

The Junior Banquet had a great turnout with every table filled up. It was a great way to end the year and it was a great way to start the senior year excitement for the Class of 2024.

Throughout the night, many of the songs

Juniors get on the dance floor and dance along to all the songs they requested and the DJ played. Just before the dancing started, juniors ate a meal of salad, pasta, and chicken provided by the Galaxy.

Back row: Left to right, Sydney Daily, Avery Nicholson, Tatum Mendel, Molly List, Kendall Smith, Lotus Lemp, Kyleigh Johnson, Jazmyn Zola, and Katie Dallas. Front row: Left to right, Brena Nagy and Bri Perkins. The group gathered for a picture inside the Galaxy, where the dance was held.

Left to right, Ella Quade, Kenzie Shaffer, and Ava Ross. Juniors can be seen dancing to the song Cotten Eye Joe, one of the few line dance songs played that night.

Left to right, Will Stack, Kyle Figuray, Ivan Rains, and Parker Ross. For Junior Banquet the boys typically dress in group themes rather than dress formally like the girls.

Left to right, Kaitlynn Hartley, Stella Breuers, Jordan Zakikian, Morgan Craig, and Reese Pluskota.

A group of juniors gather around in a dance circle on the dance floor.

played by the DJ were taken from a paper full of requests from the juniors.

All photos courtesy of Cavanaugh Photography