The Bruin- February 2006

Page 1

Wadsworth High School

Newspaper II/III

February 2006

The

1870 - 2005 Wadsworth City Schools: “Celebrating 135 years of Excellence in Education”

Volume XXXI No. 5

BRUIN

Spring Fling is on March 18 from 811 p.m. The cost of tickets is $10 per person. $1.00

625 Broad Street Wadsworth, Ohio 44281

MySpace becomes playground for trouble BY CLAIRE DAVIS

When MySpace creator Tom first designed the popular website, he had no intention of it becoming home to danger and disadvantages. Besides the obvious risk of meeting sexual predators, teenagers submitting too much information may experience the negative consequences later down the road. Millions of users log on to MySpace each day to check profiles and exchange comments. Surprisingly, what most users do not know is that employers also access these web sites to do a background check on their future employees. Anything found on MySpace can be used as a record or resume. In the future, companies will still be able to access an old MySpace account and see what their future and former employees were up to. Having a bad MySpace image can be cause for deferral; companies do not want employees who could give them a bad name.

When employers see provocative photos, intimate conversations, and wild stories in user profiles, they may seriously reconsider whether an employee is worth hiring or keeping. As MySpace becomes more popular, users may want to think about how much information they give out on their MySpace. Landing a job can A survey concernng MySpace was filled out by 200 randomly selected students. Each survery included be competitive, and the following questions: “Do you have a MySpace account?” and “What is one thing that you don’t like no one would want about MySpace?” All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. a setback like a bad “MySpace is fun to keep up about their social life, they can web image to be the reason for with when I’m bored, but I’m simply log on to MySpace and not getting a job. careful what I put on there be- find out the information for themMySpace has also caused cause I know that it can be viewed selves. Blogs, revealing photos, problems on the high school and by anyone and everyone, and I and user profiles create somewhat collegiate levels. Recently, at a don’t want to portray a bad image of a resume for employers. Catholic high school in Sparta, of myself,” said junior Corbin Normal background checks New Jersey, the principal ordered Frazee. can take time, but checking out a schoolwide ban on the usage of Although employers are not al- free online information takes less MySpace and Xanga websites. lowed to ask employees questions than five minutes. The principal said that it was not

a breach of the students’ rights, but rather a protection against derogatory comments about school officials and other students. “I don’t see this as censorship; I believe we are teaching common civility, courtesy, and respect,” said the school’s principal, Reverend Kieran McHugh. Parents also receive a shock after checking out their children’s MySpace accounts for the first time. Parental disapproval continues to rise as parents realize that the revealing photos and conversations are continually viewed by everyone. With so many people having a MySpace account, the risk of danger is spread out. Various news stations and radio talk shows have exposed MySpace horror stories, warning users of the risks of submitting too much information and meeting up with their potential MySpace friends. Cases of stalking, harrasment, and even murder have arised from the misuse of MySpace. Clearly, users need to be aware of how they act when using the popular website.

AP History creates new curriculum options for juniors, seniors BY MICHELLE MCCUNE

Rigorous course loads are common at Wadsworth High School, and beginning next year, they could become even more challenging for those willing to take them on. Taking an Advanced Placement class is a great opportunity for high school students, but only those who are willing to do the extra work should sign up. AP History, the latest in a series of curriculum changes at the high school, allows students to study at a college level and possibly test out of a course. If a student passes the AP exam in May, they may be able to save money by earning the credit for a course before college. Seniors have access to all AP courses with a recommendation from a teacher. Traditionally juniors have only been able to take AP Government, but beginning with the class of 2008, students will be required to take academic government and economics be-

fore taking AP. They will also have the option of taking AP History. AP History will be taught by Mr. Knapp, who also teaches freshman World History. “I’m really excited about it,” said Mr. Knapp. He looks forward to “a class full of kids who love history, who love a challenge.” He was quick to caution about the amount of work that will be required, however. No homework grades, independent study, and a research paper every nine weeks characterize the course. “There will be extremely rigorous reading,” he said. The summer reading required for the course consists of four books with a lot of colonial emphasis. Since there is only a year to cover from the Revolutionary War to present day, less emphasis will be placed on colonial times during the school year. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with the pace. Much like col-

lege, there is no way of covering everything in class. This means that students will have to take initiative and read nightly, even if something isn’t assigned. Although dates, names, and facts are essential to history, he also plans on stressing ideas. “History is all about argument, taking a stand,” he said. He intends to teach skills about observing history in different lights. Learning about different schools of thought will be stressed. He stated that he wants students to decide what ideas they agree or disagree with, and why. Furthermore, critically analyzing documents will be vital to the course. He stressed that it will be very “in-depth on the student’s part.” Requirements for the course include a teacher recommendation as well as straight A’s in past history courses. As with most AP courses, there will most likely be only one class. A meeting will be held in April

for the incoming juniors and seniors who signed up for the course. A syllabus will be handed out, and the summer reading books will be assigned. This will give students an idea of whether or not they wish to take the course.

Despite the challenge, a large number of students who take AP courses believe that the money saved through course fees, along with being one jump ahead of the rest of the class, prove the old saying that hard work pays off.

Thanks to the cooperation of members of Wadsworth High School, recently stolen items have been recovered and are being returned to their owners. If you have something missing, the administration has requested that you make a description of your missing item and turn it in to the main office. Staff will compare it to the recovered items, and the items will then be returned to their rightful owners. Tips to avoid theft: 1. Put yourself in the place of a thief. If you have the opportunity to steal something, so does the offender.* 2. Pay attention to items with

value, including calculators, ipods, cell phones. Frequent use of expensive items often causes the user to forget their value.* 3. Don’t share combinations to lockers, and remember to lock away all belongings when they are not in use. 4. Don’t have unnecessary cash or ID at school. 5. Mark your name on your property, or write down the serial number so you can identify it later should it get stolen. 6. Don’t leave calculators or cell phones in the top of your locker; many of the tops do not close, or are easily opened. *www.sofweb.vic.edu.au

Stolen items recovered

Features Page 6

Picture Page 9

Arts and Clubs Page 13

Sports Page 14

Read the review for the new Cleats restaurant

See all of the couples on the Valentine’s Day Picture Page

Learn about the upcoming National Honors Society blood drive.

Read about the boys swim team’s outstanding season.


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