The Bruin - October 2022

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SOCIAL MEDIA ALGORITHMS CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD

In

this issue, we explore how social media algorithms push extremist content in order to keep users engaged. If the algorithm is built toward fear-mongering and anger, it hurts our ability to know the truth. Social media has become a main source of news for many. These types of algorithms are invasive, and they take away what little privacy is left on social media. Despite the benefits that they provide companies, we believe that too much information is taken from individuals. Although personalized content can make it easier to explore ideas, it limits one exclusively to what they already know. As proven by our social media story, it only takes around five days to be shown extremist messages. This can change a person’s outlook on certain issues. For example, the 2020 election was heavily influenced by personal posts that either glorified a certain party’s message, or talked down on the other party. Social media is a place for people to express themselves, but companies should keep track of unethical use of algorithms. Users need to be more informed about how to recognize harmful content. Some indicators include racial/ gender/ sexuality bias, fear-mongering, wild claims without evidence, and generalization of certain groups. It is unethical for companies to program their algorithms to only look for a reaction, but there is not much that will be done. Instead, we as users should take precautions when using social media. We must pay attention to how certain media affects our emotions. Then decide whether or not to engage. If there is something that is harmful on our feed, it is necessary to report it.

WADSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL’S HOMECOMING APPROACHES

BY BRI PERKINS

Homecoming weekend holds many school activities that have been disrupted in previous years due to COVID-19. The high school will be holding a pep rally during 8th period on Friday the 7th, there will be a football game at Art Wright Stadium that same night, and finally a homecoming dance in the main gym of the high school on Saturday night.

To kick off homecoming weekend, Student Council will be hosting a pep rally. This will be the first pep rally held since the 19-20 school year, making it the first pep rally for the Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior classes. There will be prizes included, like a TV, a JBL speaker, and two $50 gift cards. Alongside these prizes, Fall sports will play and compete in different games and competitions with students from the student body. Aspen Schaller, a senior at Wadsworth High school is a participant in the upcoming pep rally.

“I am most looking forward to the

competition of the pep rally because I am super competitive,” Schaller said. “I expect the pep rally to be fun this year because I have seen how hard the student council is trying to make this year more fun and I think it’s paying off.”

Student Council has been working to plan this pep rally since August 23. The head of the pep committee, Julia Fortner, met with administration, students, and council members to organize and coordinate this pep rally for the student body. With the help of all of these people she is hoping that everyone will have a good time and get pumped up for the homecoming weekend.

Students are encouraged to participate and have lots of fun as pep rallies are brought back to WHS.

That following night, the football game will be held at Art Wright Stadium at 7:00. The Wadsworth Football team will be playing Austintown Fitch, who the team lost to last year 38-28. During this game the homecoming court will walk across the field at half time and

the king and queen will be announced.

A disco themed homecoming dance will take place on Saturday, October 8 in WHS’s main gym. Snacks and drinks will be sold at the dance.

Tickets will be sold online and the dance will start at 8:00. Students can access these tickets in an email sent out by Dr. Suber using

their student ID numbers as the access code. All students going to homecoming must be in good standing to attend and purchase a ticket.

“I want to have a good time and make some memories with all my friends,” Lauren List, WHS freshman said.

Students excitedly await the return of many WHS traditions for homecoming weekend.

CEDAR POINT’S HALLOWEEKENDS RETURNS WITH NEW ATTRACTIONS

BY OLIVIA BENNER

Cedar Point is back for the 153 year of operation and 25 anniversary of their Halloweekends celebration. This year the Halloween festivities last from September 15 all the way to October 30.

The park will still feature all 17 world-class roller coasters and three family sections that are available during the normal season, with the exception of a fan favorite, Top Thrill Dragster, which has been permanently closed.

This year’s Halloweekends attractions consist of six scare zones and five haunted houses.

These additions to the park are the first big changes since the COVID-19 slowed down the entirety of Halloweekends during the 2021 season. The haunted houses consist of several grueling scars, such as Banished, Blood on the Bayou, and Corn Stalkers 2.0 along with other maze style scares.

These houses feature scare actors that will get your blood pumping as you walk through with a number of jump scares.

For younger kids, there are three kiddie zones that are available during a full season along with six ‘scare zones’. These scare zones include character meet and greets with the peanuts, carnival

THE BRUIN USES GRANT TO BUILD PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

style games, costume contests, along with many other kid friendly activities.

Senior Owen Lane had the opportunity to experience the festival opening weekend and says that the changes they made are prominent.

“The new houses fit in with the rest of them and they were very well designed,” Lane said. “In my opinion they weren’t very scary but it makes it a bit better for younger kids.”

While Halloweekends may not leave its customers terrified, it provides a Halloween tradition for customers to get themselves in the holiday spirit.

MYLES GARRETT CAR CRASH

Halloweekends lights up Millennium Force for one of the first times since the park began staying open late. The coaster stays running until 12 AM when the park closes. Photo courtesy of Owen Lane.

WADSWORTH PTO BAKE SALE

Barnesville, Ohio held their 58 annual pumpkin festival September 22 through the 26. The festival is most famously known for the pumpkin contest that is held each year. The largest pumpkin is crowned the ‘king pumpkin’ and is then sold to the highest bidder. This year’s king pumpkin is the largest grown in the world so far weighing 2,405 pounds. It was grown by Pennsylvania resident Erik Gunstrom who has been participating in the festival for a number of years.

The Wadsworth High School’s newspaper received a grant from the Wadsworth Grizzlies Community Foundation. The grant allowed for the team to purchase over $3,000 worth of photography equipment to aid in making the newspaper more professional. Some of the equipment purchased included a green screen, hightech lighting, and photography cameras. These new tools will allow the Bruin staff to produce higher quality images.

Late 90’s rapper Artis Leon Jr., better known as Coolio died suddenly on Sep 28, 2022 of cardiac arrest. Paramedics were called to his house around 4 PM where he was dead at the scene. He is most famously known for his song ‘Gangsters Paradise’ that was released in 1995 but lives on through his 10 children.

Myles Garrett suffered in a car crash Monday, September 26 after driving 65 MPH in an area with a 45 MPH speed limit. There were no fatalities or serious injury to Garrett or his passenger. Garrett only suffers from a shoulder sprain, biceps sprain, minor lacerations, and minor cuts and bruises. The female passenger in the vehicle was taken to the hospital with Garrett after the crash. She also suffered no serious injury. It is said that Garrett’s Porsche went off the road in Sharon Township, near Ridgewood Road after leaving the Browns practice facility in Berea at around 3:00 PM. The car flipped multiple times before settling off the road in a grass field. Garrett was cited by the Ohio State Patrol for “failure to control his motor vehicle” but is expected to make a quick recovery.

10-19-2022 through 11-2-2022

This is the largest fundraiser for the High School PTO.

Instead of going to the store, buying ingredients, making something yummy, and spending your time to volunteer to sell said yummy treats. We have cut all those steps out!!!! Simply donate to PTO what you would spend in ingredients and time to continue to help us fund Technology programs, Educational Materials, Positive Behavior Incentives, Freshman Orientation, Bloodmobile Drive, Senior Leaf Raking Day, and Teacher Requests.

Venmo your donation to @WHS-PTO625 (please put BBS in subject line) or make checks payable to WHS PTO with BBS included on the memo line and mail to: Wadsworth High School, c/o WHS PTO, 625 Broad Street, Wadsworth, Ohio 44281

As students pass, the hallways are decorated with painted posters to promote spirit week and homecoming weekend. These posters were made by student council to spread awareness of what is happening in these upcoming weeks. Photo by Bri Perkins

BY AIDEN BROWN

Sweets On Main is projected to set up shop next to Opal Dragonfly in October of this year. Until then, shop owner Lillian Turano and her daughter WHS sophomore Gianna Turano have been working hard whenever they can and using their Tik Tok account to build up potential traffic for the shop.

The idea originated when Lillian Turano bought a freeze dryer and freeze dried skittles for her family.

“I did a little pop up shop in

downtown Wadsworth and I did it for four days, almost everyday we sold out of everything,” Lillian Turano said.

A freeze dryer dehydrates food items by cryodesiccation or lyophilization. Lyophilization is the process of freezing a product, then lowering the pressure and raising temperature in order to let the water sublimate or transfer out of the food item. The result of this process is a sweeter version of these foods, because the concentration of sugars is much higher as a result of the water’s sublimation.

“We are going to be opening just without freeze dried candy, because we are still waiting for the okay to sell that.” Gianna Turano said.

“In order to product or have food in bulk containers or make your own food... they require you to have a certain amount of sinks and hand washing stations,” said Lillian Turano.

For one to open a business in

Wadsworth they must take into account the food laws and regulations that they must abide by. Gianna

always replies with that phrase. The Turano family does not want Sweets On High to just be another run of the mills candy store.

Lillian and Gianna both take pride in their collection of candies that they will sell once they open.

Eccomerse has grown to be an essential part of an establishment’s success more so than ever. Companies and shops around the world have taken advantage of social media to further the reach of their brand.

“[We thought] why don’t we start our own [TikTok] account to mark our progress and show everyone we’re opening a candy shop, people always like videos like that,” Gianna Turano said.

Three of the Turano family’s shelfs that hold various candies. The Turano family has worked hard for the last few months to decorate the shop. Photo courtesy of Gianna Turano.

and Lillian both remarked about the lengthy processes.

“Our candy isn’t the stuff you find at the gas station or Giant Eagle,” said Lillian Turano.

Whenever Lillian is asked what products will be sold at her store she

THERAPY DOGS COME TO WHS

BY ALEX BANKS & CARLEY SORRENT

Every Tuesday, Mrs. Beth Beal and one of her service dogs spend the day at Wadsworth High School.

Beal’s first service dog, Abbie, is a Goldendoodle. They adopted her as a puppy and started training her at around six months old and it took them about seven months to train her. Dogs can not take the test to be therapy dogs until they are at least one year old.

“I was a school counselor, and I saw the benefit in therapy dog programs,” Beal said. “So, my husband and I made the decision.”

When looking for dogs to adopt, the Beal Family went to a breeder that specializes in training dogs to become therapy dogs.

“She was bred to be hypoallergenic and to be the size that fits hospital beds,” Beal said.

When training her, Beal took Abbie to places like nursing homes. However, since she officially became a service dog, she usually does not have enough time to go to places other than schools. Abbie has been so busy, in fact, that the Beal Family has since adopted a second therapy dog, a Black Bernedoodle named Sophie.

Both dogs come to the high school, however, only one of them comes at a time.

“They both have the same training disposition - they both come to school,” Beal said.

Beal works throughout the Wadsworth School District. In addition to the high school, she also has to go to Wadsworth’s five elementary schools, the Central Intermediate School, and the middle school.

“I am only in the building on Tuesdays. The dogs go with

me every day, but I am a district prevention specialist,” said Beal.

To get approval to have her service dogs in the school, Beal had to discuss with Dr. Hill and get the board’s approval.

“I did have to talk to Dr. Hill and I had to present all the certifications and explain the program and what my goals were for having Abbie come to school with me,” Beal said.

Training and certifying a dog to be a service dog can be expensive, however, the Beal family funded Abbie’s training.

“She’s our dog,” said Beal. “The district doesn’t have to support any of [the funds].”

There are many benefits to having therapy dogs, with one of the biggest ones being the dog’s ability to neutralize situations. They can also help students feel more comfortable when talking to a counselor in general.

Both Lillian and Gianna Turano have used Facebook and Tiktok to spread awareness of their candy store.

Turano believes it is important that anyone that comes in her shop will be able to find something they enjoy. She hopes that young children and adults will all discover a new favorite candy at Sweets On High.

Ultimately, the Turano family wants to become another staple of downtown Wadsworth.

Abbie poses on her favorite chair in Mrs. Beal’s office. She can hardly sit still because she wants to be pet. Photo by Carley Sorrent.

“The dogs are really great for deescalation,” said Beal. “They have a nice calming technique about them, sometimes it’s better for you to be distracted and talk to the dogs so you don’t have to make eye contact.”

There is no specific age for how long therapy dogs can be in service. However,

if they begin to get too tired from their job, their trainers might have to consider retiring them. In general, going to school all day can be really tiring for them.

If students want to see the dogs, students can either contact Beal or if they see the dogs in the hallway, they can stop and say hello.

“To schedule time with the dogs, the students would have to have time with me. They can email me at bbeal@ wadsworthschools.org,” said Beal.

In addition to coming to the school, the dogs attend other events too. They walk in the Blue Tip Parade, go to pep rallies, and all sorts of things that can help show their Grizzly spirit.

Sophie lays on the floor, hoping to get some attention from Mrs. Beal. Photo courtesy of Beth Beal.

Shipments of candies that will soon be sold at Sweets On Main. Later these candies will be shelved and put into display. Photo courtesy of Gianna Turano.

TIP CULTURE RISES: CASHIERS SHOULD NOT BE TIPPED

OPINION BY LILY CHESBRO & LUKE HOUSER

As of the past few years many places such as Robeks and Panera suggest you tip the cashier as you pay for your food item. Sit down restaurants that require a waiter or waitress to wait on you request a tip because they are waiting on you and serving your food, whereas other places are suggesting a tip even though the meal is already paid for and all that was done was order taking at a register or over the phone. Places that do not require someone to wait on you should not request a tip.

Kara Moore, senior at WHS, works at Robeks, a place where the tip is an option before completing a transaction.

“I think companies have started adding this because it’s an easy and quick way for the customer to give a tip while they are just completing their transaction,” Moore said.

Servers who serve at sit down restaurants are paid half of minimum wage because they receive tips and also share those tips with the hostess depending on the situation. Workers at places such as Panera or Robeks get paid minimum wage or more and are suggesting customers to tip the worker

on top of that.

“I don’t think it’s really fair for employees that aren’t really waiting on anyone to suggest tips because we are not really putting too much time or effort to get you [the customer] your product unlike an actual waiter at a restaurant who could be with you for over an hour and is always checking in on you and getting you things you need,” Moore said.

Moore agrees that waiters who are actually waiting on the customer are the ones that should be getting tips rather than suggesting it to customers where nobody is really waiting on them.

“Also, at a place like Robeks we ask for a tip before the customer even gets the product, lets say there’s something wasn’t right with it or it took a long time. Well they would probably take their tip back if they could,” Moore said.

This being said, some customers probably would not tip as often, if at all, if asked to tip after receiving their product for reasons such as this.

Moore explains that she has heard of tip culture controversy but really has not put much thought into it.

“People who work the register- no,” said Brad Bomgardner, junior, at WHS. “I mean if you really think that it was

good service and you liked having a conversation with them about what you want to eat, then I guess.”

Bomgardner is explaining that unless there was a good conversation between him and the worker there would not necessarily be a reason to tip.

“No, because I don’t think about it,” said Sean Martinez, junior at WHS. “No one thinks about it.”

Tipping has long been a part of American culture and for better or worse it is going to stay. However, the new trend in having quick service restaurants and food chains ask for tips is a shift not everyone is comfortable with. Many people wonder why this service has even been added in the

first place, and most of it stems back to the COVID-19 era. Due to most people transferring over to a take-out style of food, restaurants began offering tips to those employees as an incentive to earn more money during that stressful time However, despite the world having moved beyond the days and fears of COVID-19, this practice has not been disbanded by most restaurants that had previously used it. But now that COVID-19 is over, takeout tips need to also come to an end. A system that at one point offered employees taking risks to serve people during hard times has weaved its way back into normal society. It expects customers to pay more when there is just no reason to. The system itself is not inherently bad, but it is an option that should no longer exist and yet, seems to be growing all over the country.

BRING BACK FREE SCHOOL LUNCHES

District.

As of 2022, Ohio no longer funds school lunches for students. This needs to change.

According to the Food Research and Action Center. It shows that receiving free or reduced-price school lunches reduces food insecurity, obesity rated and poor health. In addition, the new school mean nutrition standards are having selection and consumption, especially for fruits and vegetables.

Wadsworth City Schools was provided with free lunches for the past two years, supported by the United States Department of Agriculture due to the pandemic.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

provided the funding of food free lunches in 2020, along with the Keep Kids Fed Act who funded in 2021.

The reason free lunches were stopped is because the bill that supported the money from Congress was not being renewed.

Free lunches were not completely stopped; some students still get free lunches. The bill should have been renewed. There are many people struggling to keep up with the economy, especially after the pandemic.

After the pandemic people are still effected and still are being hurt with money being tight. Bills can go up and parents should not be worried about making sure there child is being fed at school.

Kelly Gnap is in charge of Food Service Supervisor in the Wadsworth City School

“Having the fund impacted the kitchen that provides our school lunches in a great way,” Gnap said. “We were able to see more than half of the students participating with us, we were pumping out a lot of food the last couple of years. It was nice to see all the new faces.”

Now today without the free lunches Gnap is Serving about half as much as she was the past couple of years.

“You can see this as a negative view, but also we are bringing in less supplies and less food into the kitchen,” Gnap said.

This means there is a little less work for the food staff.

In Wadsworth High School, more kids are packing their lunches then to buy now. Over half of Wadsworth High School students bought lunches the past two years and now it is about a quarter of students.

“We are still receiving some funding from the United States Department of Agriculture for more fruits and vegetables,” Gnap said.

Wadsworth City Schools are still getting funded but just not as much to support free lunches. Students can request for free and reduced lunches in the main office of Wadsworth High School.

Many students feel the impact of the change.

“I like the school lunches,” said Gavin Jundzilo, sophomore. “It was nice that the school used to provide them.”

Despite the disappointment, a lot of students feel no change. Many pack their

These

the requirements that the USDA has for how much of each food group should be included in school lunches. With these guidelines students are receiving the proper amount of nutrients each day. Graphic by Angel Jones.

lunches rather than buy anything the school provides.

“I like being able to pick the food I eat and food that I like,” said Chris Fox, sophomore.

Although this change does not affect everyone in the schools, so many students still see a difference.

“I think that all students should be able to be provided free lunches, and I believe that they should come back,” Fox said.

Ohio school lunches should be paid for–these schools are public and government funded, so I see no reason why lunch should not also be provided.

This is a typical lunch for WHS students. In the lunch is fries a turkey and cheese wrap, cinnamon apple sauce and lastly chocolate milk. While it would have been free last year, students have to pay this year. Photo by Angel Jones.

The tip amount is often asked at places that are not sit down restaurants. Customers are asked this before the service of getting their food item is done, so the tip is not really given based on service. Graphic by Lily Chesbro.

OPINION BY ANGEL JONES

WHS ATHLETES COMMIT TO D1 UNIVERSITIES

BY SYDNEY BLAKE

Solomon Callaghan, a Wadsworth basketball player, officially committed to Wright State University before the start of his senior year.

Callaghan has been a three year letter winner for Wadsworth and was the first junior in Wadsworth High School history to score 1,000 points.

Callaghan received 10 offers, including D1 offers from University of Akron and Youngstown State University.

In the summer, Callaghan narrowed his decision down to five colleges: Hillsdale College, University of Akron, Wright State University, Nova Southeastern University and Indiana Wesleyan University.

“I took a lot of visits to narrow down my options,” Callaghan said. “I talked to my family

and did a bunch of research. I got to know the people that are on the team that I would be around for the next four years.”

Callaghan showed interest in Wright State because of their successful program and their appearance in the 2022 NCAA tournament. Callaghan said that unlike other universities, Wright State focuses on recruiting high school athletes and connecting with their players.

Coach Moser, the Wadsworth High School varsity boys basketball coach, has coached Callaghan for all three years of his high school basketball career. Coach Moser helped Callaghan throughout his recruiting process.

“As Solomon’s coach, I tried to assist in the recruiting process as much as possible,” Moser said. “We sent out film, emails and made several phone calls to college coaches throughout the process.”

During Callaghan’s three years at Wadsworth, he has heavily impacted his teammates, coaches, and his supporters.

“Solomon is a kid who sets the standard for hard work both on and off the court,” Moser said. “He has high expectations of himself, and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to work with him. I’ve also watched him work with our youth program. He impacts kids at camps and games and he is absolutely leaving a legacy. It brings me great joy to watch him grow and succeed during his career.”

JACKSON HERBERT TO AKRON UNIVERSITY

BY JOSEPH DAVIS

Jackson Herbet, a committed soccer player to the University of Akron, is ready to take his next step in playing college soccer.

Coach Johnson has been closest to him throughout his soccer career as a kid. He has helped him the most by staying connected with good schools and coaches to help him become more known in the recruiting process.

“Coach Johnson has been with me since I was seven years old. It has been a while,” Herbert said.

Jackson is most excited to improve on his technical ability.

“I definitely think I am ready to step up to the next stage,” Herbert said. “There is just a lot technically I think I need to improve on.”

Herbert says that he never really knew he was going to be a soccer player. It was always something he just gravitated towards, even though his parents never played soccer. He was the first in his family to play the sport which he has been playing since he was four. A lot of his inspiration to play soccer came from his parents. There have been some times where he has felt off about soccer but they always motivated him to keep moving forward.

The most important thing about soccer for him is his team and his friends.

“If you’re not in a very good place with

them, nothing is going to go well,” Herbert said.

Herbert thought that being recruited was a great experience, since it was something he wanted since he was a little kid. Akron has been his dream school for soccer since a young age.

“When going through the whole recruitment process, it was like a dream come true,” said Herbert.

He sees the professional soccer players and believes this is something within his reach. Herbert and his coaches from Akron have been talking about that possibility, and they said that if he keeps developing the way his coaches think he should, that is definitely an option for him.

WRESTLERS CHASING DREAMS MAKE A PIT STOP IN WADSWORTH

BY LAUREN BALL

Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW) brought the action to Wadsworth community members of all ages during Rumble on Main Street, a professional wrestling show, on September 10. The wrestlers put their talents

skills sharp for performances.

Wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson touched on the behind the scenes work it takes to make it in the wrestling business.

“I’m sure everyone in that audience, if you took a poll, they think, just like we all thought before we got into it, that you have like a genie and just blink yourself to the town and you’re there,” Anderson said. “But it’s a tough business, you know, it’s a tough business.”

Dominic Garinni, a wrestler for AIW who is also a head trainer, mentioned that the lengthy schedule that the athletes abide by in order to achieve greatness is not one for the

“Life as an indie wrestler is very busy if you’re trying to do it at a high level, because you have to balance work, you have to balance training, you have to balance your bookings,” Garinni said. “Being an independent wrestler

Before coming to Wadsworth to wrestle in Rumble on Main Street, he competed in New Jersey the night before, then woke up at five in

Since wrestlers like Garinni are independent, or “indie”, it means that they are not signed to a particular wrestling company, and do not make a fixed salary because of that, which is

But for wrestlers like Anderson and Garinni, their love of the sport makes the late nights, long drives, and unpromised pay worth it.

“The actual part of wrestling itself, the match, the adrenaline from the fans you get when you’re in the ring, that’s the best part,”

said Garinni.

Similarly, Anderson attributed the experiences gained from 40 years in the business as the most fulfilling part.

“I’ve traveled the world, I’ve gotten to see a lot of interesting places,” said Anderson. “I’ve been in the business going on 40 years, so I’ve gotten to see different generations and the evolution of the business from where it was when I started to what it is now. I’ve been around a long time and witnessed a lot of change, some for the better, some not.”

One of these interesting places was Wadsworth. The show was very communityoriented from start to finish, creating a fun atmosphere for locals.

Prior to the show, AIW and the Wadsworth wrestling team partnered in a fundraiser for the team and recognized them for their accomplishments during the 2021-2022 season.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of the match came during a four-man match

starring Chase Oliver, the local fan favorite, who emerged from backstage in a Wadsworth Grizzlies shirt.

But before it was over, Wadsworth superintendent Dr. Andrew Hill snuck into the ring and hit one of Oliver’s opponents, and the pair proceeded to win the match, much to the delight of the crowd.

Rumble on Main Street was a success for both the community and entertainers. For the wrestlers, they will continue to perform elsewhere in hopes of making it big in the wrestling business, but for locals in attendance, this will be a day they will remember for a long time whenever they think of professional wrestling.

Wadsworth superintendent Dr. Andrew Hill celebrates with Chase Oliver after Oliver’s victory during Rumble on Main Street. Throughout the night, the show highlighted the community and brought the sport of professional wrestling to Wadsworth. Photo by Lauren Ball.

Solomon Callaghan during his visit to University of Akron. The University of Akron is a Division I school. Photo courtesy of Scott Callaghan.

Josh Bishop is AIW’s Absolute Champion as of September 29. During Rumble on Main Street, he defeated Eric Taylor to retain the championship, much to the delight of the young fans cheering at ringside. Photo by Lauren Ball.

Scan the QR code to read the full story on wadsworthbruin. com.

Jackson Herbert will be playing next year for the University of Akron. Photo courtesy of Jackson Herbert.

BY KATIE ALLEN, DREW BOWERMAN, & LEZLIE TINNEY

THE RACE TO THE BRUIN TESTS SOCIAL

With increasing personalization of social media feeds, social media platforms are pushing forward one-sided perspectives onto users. This one-sided perspective is pushed in many different topics but it is shown in the extremes in political topics and views. Through social media, political posts, whether truthful or not, are shared, liked, and commented on by their supporters and even nonsupporters. The more users interact with a political posts, the more the algorithm starts to boost and send the post to multiple other people using an algorithm.

In a March 2021 Bruin interview with Netflix’s The Social Dilemma co-producer, Daniel Wright, he said, “I think this has been a big test for democracy in the past few years, and I think social media has been a stresser on all of that for sure,” Wright said. “The film isn’t anti-tech or anti-social media, we’ve said along the thesis of the film being the problem lies in the business model. I think so long as that’s the business model, we are going to have issues. It’s the business model that’s this attention economy that is always trying to keep us more engaged and by doing so it is feeding us and sending us down these rabbit holes.”

A social media algorithm is used to support posts that are based off of the user’s interaction with them. The possible downside to the algorithm is radicalism. By Oxford Language definition radicalism is, “the beliefs or actions of people who advocate thorough or complete political or social reform.”

In other words, radicalism comes from those with extreme ideas and beliefs. The way that politicians campaign has changed with the ever-growing presence of social media. Social media provides a way for politicians to reach mass groups of people, from wherever and whenever.

“These news feeds and our platforms have been so personalized to each and every one of us that it’s keeping us engaged in the best way that the algorithm knows how to. I think what happened at the capital and the riots of January 6 were kind of the boiling point of these issues, where people haven’t been able to see another perspective for a long time,” Wright said. “We are at a point where we are starting to refuse to understand and listen to the other perspectives, and when tensions are high like an election year, and polarization is at its peak I think it was a byproduct of these platforms.”

To test this algorithm, the Bruin has created four fake social media accounts to demonstrate the way that the algorithm pushes these posts to users. The person that was created to represent the Republican side of the spectrum was “Morgan Smith”, who followed and interacted with Republican or right leaning political content. The person that was created to represent the Democratic side of the spectrum was “Rebecca Thompson”, who followed and interacted with Democratic and left leaning political content.

On day one we made identical accounts for Morgan and

Rebecca on both Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, Morgan and Rebecca had both followed Main Street Wadsworth, Wadsworth Grizzlies Football, Wadsworth City Schools, Valley Cafe, and Cleveland Browns, for the reason of keeping some of their feed local. Then to begin the differentiation of the two accounts, Morgan had followed both Fox News and former President Donald Trump. Conversely, Rebecca followed CNN International and President Joe Biden. Finishing day one, Morgan liked five posts from Trump and Rebecca liked five posts from Biden.

On Twitter, Morgan and Rebecca had both followed Valley Cafe, Wadsworth City Schools, Main Street Wadsworth, Wadsworth City Schools, and Cleveland Browns. Like on Facebook, they followed differing political sides. Morgan followed former President Trump’s archive account, Fox News, and Fox News Politics. Rebecca followed CNN, and President Joe Biden. Then Morgan liked five posts from Fox News and Rebecca liked five posts from Biden.

Between day one and three not much had shown on Morgan and Rebecca’s feeds. They continued to like at least five posts a day and interact with posts toward their political views.

By day four, we began to see more targeted media highlighted comment recommended to Rebecca on Facebook, responding to an article called “House Oversight Committee asks Archives if Trump still possesses presidential

RADICALISM

MEDIA ALGORITHMS

records.” This comment was highlighted because of the algorithm that social media uses to push news to users.

day four for Morgan lots of different political cartoons or gags used to mock the other side of the political spectrum were shown on his feed.

Day five, was when we began to start getting extremely targeted media. On Rebecca’s Facebook feed, an account was recommended by an account called “The Anti-Trump” and the post indirectly calls Trump supporters a ‘cult’ (see Day 5) was recommended first on her feed. For Morgan, a Trump supporter fan-account was recommended early on Morgan’s feed. Very similar posts were also recommended on both Facebook and Twitter on this day.

On day six we saw very different results between Rebecca and Morgan. On Rebecca’s Facebook and Twitter feed she was getting a lot more recommended posts and accounts . For example Rebecca was reccomeneded an account called, “I Am a Liberal ‘Til My Dying Day.” For Morgan, both Facebook and Twitter had no new recommended posts and only accounts Morgan followed were shown on his feed.

On day seven, Facebook continued the trend the algorithm had created for both Rebecca and Morgan. Rebecca’s feed had recommended posts like the one shown (Day 6) by “Never Trump.” While Morgans showed posts like the one shown (see Day 6) by “Rise Of The American Conservative.” Both accounts interacted with those posts and the similar

ones also shown on their feed. Rebecca’s Twitter had shown no new recommended posts while Morgan’s had. Day eight was eventful for both accounts on both platforms. Both Facebook and Twitter had recommended Rebecca posts similar to the past, but for the first time on Twitter a post was recommended that was aimed at convincing our user to physically participate in democratic voting. Then on both of Morgan’s feeds he was shown more recommended posts similar to what he is usually recommended. Day nine was the last day of daily interactions. Both accounts continued to see recommended posts on their feed. On Facebook Rebecca saw a recommended post from “United Communities Against Trump’s America” (see

picture). Similar posts were also being recommended on Twitter. Morgan’s Twitter feed also pushed a recommended tweet from Ted Cruz (see picture) onto his feed which Morgan continued to interact with. Along with more recommended posts on Facebook matching the daily feed.

POLITICALLY RIGHT

Day

Day 5, a Trump supporter fan-account was recommended to Morgan’s feed. Very similar posts were also recommended on both Facebook and Twitter on this day. On this specific post, Morgan liked comments that were under this post. Any other post like this, Morgan also liked and interacted with.

Day 7 Day 9

Day 7, Morgans’ showed posts like the one shown (see pic) by “Rise Of The American Conservative”. Both accounts interacted with those posts and the similar ones also shown on their feed. Rebecca’s Twitter had shown no new recommended posts while Morgan’s had.

LAYOUT BY HALEY REEDY

FOLLOWING THE LIFE OF WHS FOOTBALL PLAYERS

BY BRENDEN BARLETT & CARSON BERNARD

Monday consisted of a sunfilled afternoon when the Grizzlies made their way out to the practice field after watching their film. Coming off a 56-0 win over the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees, the Grizzlies were determined for their upcoming conference game against the undefeated (4-0) Hudson Explorers.

Senior and Varsity Team Captain Thomas Arnold spent the majority of Monday drilling his pass routes and working hard to improve his timing for key lead blocks and supporting blocks for other plays. As the starting tight end (TE) for the Grizzlies, his blocks can be crucial in the process of creating an effective offensive play.

Meanwhile, while Arnold spent the majority of the practice with his focus directed towards pass routes and blocking, Junior, and current quarterback (QB) for the Grizzlies, William Stack, focused heavily on passing to his receivers, backs, and tight-ends, determining when he should pass or run the ball, and leading the offense. Stack’s role as the quarterback is crucial because the quarterback is the player tasked with telling the rest of the team what play they are supposed to

execute on offense.

Arnold and Stack are just two of the Grizzlies’ players who put in a great deal of work on and off the field while still balancing their school life and potentially their job as well. Like most of their teammates, they dedicate a portion of their time outside of practice to watching films of their roles in previous games and practices in order to critique or credit themselves when due and to learn from previous mistakes.

“We practice and run plays for about two hours Monday through Thursday, and then we watch ‘film’ and just study the defense,” Stack said. “Coach Todd does all the work looking for film and chopping it up, then it’s on us to actually watch it on our own time like when we get home from school.”

Stack mentioned that it took a lot of additional time to prepare and study for Hudson’s defense specifically and that apart from watching game film, they also film and watch parts of their own practices. On top of watching ‘film,’ Stack said that specific game plans could take

a lot of studying, which can add up when he has homework to finish as well.

“I always have to have a study hall at some point during the day, which is where I get most of my homework done,” Stack said. ”But after practice, I go home and finish any homework I haven’t done. Some gameplans you really have to study for a while, though, so along with nights of homework, you really have to buckle down and get to work.”

Despite the amount of time they have to dedicate to football outside of practice, Stack only feels slightly overwhelmed, while Arnold said that he honestly does not feel overwhelmed.

“It isn’t really hard to balance everything since a lot of it goes hand in hand,” Arnold said. “Balancing school can be tedious at times, but it’s really not too hard, and despite how difficult it is, I chose this for myself, and I made the commitment to football, so I stay true to that and just get things done.”

While Arnold at worst sees balancing his workload as tedious, Stack mentioned that he personally avoids having a job during the Football season because he feels that if he were to have one, it could become overwhelming. Even though Arnold does not feel overwhelmed, he does possess the additional responsibility of being a team captain for the Grizzlies.

“Being a captain doesn’t add any additional stress,” Arnold said. “It’s an honor to be considered a leader by my teammates, guys I’ve played football with my whole

life and grown up with. It’s an amazing feeling to know they look at me as a leader.”

Arnold said that the most important thing about being a team captain is being a leader for his teammates and making the right decisions both on and off the field.

“To me, being captain just means being a leader and representing the team the right way on and off the field,” Arnold said, “and being someone that your teammates can count on and that knows cares about them and will be there for them when they need it.”

Arnold also mentioned that even if they go through a tough week of practice, it is worth it, as his favorite thing about football is, come Friday night when he and his teammates get to ‘go out and battle for four quarters and leave everything on the field.’ Arnold has played football for 11 years now and hopes to continue his football career post-high school.

Stack also made a point about Fridays and said that he loves the atmosphere during “pre-game” and spending time hanging out with friends after their game.

“Seeing everyone focused and locked in,” Stack said about why he loves pregame, “it’s nerve-wracking though because you’re nervous about playing but also excited and ready. It’s super fun, though, because I’ve been going to the games since I was a kid, and finally getting to play in them with all your friends is super fun.”

As for the way the season has gone so far, both Arnold and Stack said they feel very confident about the rest of their season and the direction that the team is going in.

“I think before the season started, everyone was a little unsure of how things

Nathan Metzger (11), Will Stack (11) and Tommy Arnold (12) running a play during practice. The team practices the interior and exterior playbook Monday through Wednesday working on old and new plays. Photo by Jade Wilcox.

“I’ve learned a lot about how we are as a team and despite the outcome of games, it’s back to work the next morning.”

-Tommy Arnold, Senior- Team-Captain and Starting TE.

would go,” Arnold said, “but through success and failure, I’ve learned a lot about how we are as a team, and despite the outcome of games, it’s back to work the next morning, so I’m definitely more confident because I feel like no matter what you can’t count us out cause we’ll always keep fighting.”

Stack added that he felt confident with the season and with having started with a 3-1 record, though he mentioned that the narrow loss to the Medina Bees in a 35-45 point game was extremely tough. Despite their loss to the Medina Bees, both Arnold and Stack explained that the goal was to win the Suburban League.

“The goal is the suburban league,” Arnold said, “and of course, I think everyone would love another shot at Medina.”

On Friday night (September 16), the Wadsworth Grizzlies faced off and lost in an extremely close conference

home game at the Art Wright Stadium against the Hudson Explorers. An early mistake saw the Explorers gain a 7-0 lead over the Grizzlies in the First Quarter, and while the Grizzlies’ offense saw some success in later quarters, the story of the game was defense, and the Grizzlies lost 17-7, enduring their second loss of the season, again at home and again by just ten points.

“I think we played our hardest,” Stack said. “We did everything we could, but that was a really good Hudson Team, and we definitely missed some opportunities with a few mistakes we missed out on.”

Arnold also agreed that the Grizzlies put in a lot of effort against the Explorers but expressed how crucial the loss was.

“We fought hard but couldn’t capitalize ya know,” Arnold said, “you gotta play better ya know, you have to win games like that, against teams like that, it was a huge game. Everyone obviously is disappointed, but everyone fought hard. That’s a given. When you play here, you always play hard. We have to go back on Monday and get ready to play hard.”

Even though they came up short against the Explorers, Stack felt that he learned that every one of his teammates would fight hard no matter what the score was or how the game was going.

“I think that game is going to make us a better team moving forward because we know how to fight until the end,” Stack said, “and we have been tested, and not a lot of teams have had that yet.”

As for Arnold, he felt that the game

helped him realize that whether they win or lose as a team, they will all keep pushing forward.

“I think a big thing for me was after we lost to Medina, I was thinking how are we gonna come back as a team ya know, are we going to let it affect the team or are we going to keep moving forward.” Arnold said, “I was worried how the team would take another loss like this, but everyone came back Saturday morning and put in the work. That stood out to me because no matter what, win or lose, you always have to come back.”

Despite the Grizzlies’ narrow loss to the Explorers, they quickly bounced back on September 23 against the Nordonia Knights.

Tasked with facing another undefeated (5-0) team in a conference game at home, the Grizzlies came up big with a 41-14 victory over the Knights, solidifying the Grizzlies in second place in the Suburban League.

“It’s never over–we’re going to keep fighting no matter what.” Arnold said, “Our goal is to win games, and that never changes. Our goal is to win the league.”

Fueled by a successful first half of their season, the Grizzlies are prepared to take on the challenge of the AustintownFitch Falcons this Friday, October 7, for Wadsworth’s Homecoming game. Win or lose, Arnold and Stack both believe that the goal will remain the same: that being to win the Suburban League and prepare to fight during the playoffs.

“We take the season week by week,”

Arnold said, “but if I’m still playing with the same team, then I’m always confident. I think we can take on anyone in the state.”

Kickoff for the Varsity Football Homecoming game will be at 7 pm at Art Wright Stadium. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.

Tommy Arnold (12) awaiting a kickoff return at Friday’s game. Arnold is a team captain for Wadsworth. Photo by Jade Wilcox.

Tommy Arnold (12) poses catching the football. Arnold is a tight end for Wadsworth. Outside of football Arnold works on weekends.

Photo by Brenden Barlett.

“The game is like a battle with your best friends defending your school.”

-William Stack, Junior and Starting QB.

Will Stack (11) posing with the football. Stack is the current starting quarterback for Wadsworth.

Outside of football Stack also enjoys running track in the winter.

Photo by Carson Bernard.

Go Grizzles

FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS TRAVEL TO WADSWORTH FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BY GRACE BARRETT

Annarosa Gatti is 17 years old and from Salice Terme Pavia, Italy. She is an active student at Wadsworth High School, playing on the girls tennis team. In addition to this, Gatti is looking forward to participating in the art club.

She chose to be a foreign exchange student to help her improve her English skills.

Gatti explained how seriously education is taken in Italy.

“We don’t have clubs or sports in Italy,” Gatti said. “We have to study a lot. We have a lot more free time here.”

Gatti feels that she has adjusted to America well, quickly making friends and building relationships with members of her host family, particularly her host sister.

Out of the many culture shocks Gatti has encountered since moving to the United States, the American sense of style has surprised her the most.

“People can wear whatever they want and there is no [judgment],” Gatti said.

While in America, Gatti is looking forward to going to New York, and would like to visit Niagara Falls.

Vivien Willing , a 17 year old student from Braunschweig-Hannover, Germany, has wanted to be a foreign exchange student ever since she was young.

“In Germany we always saw these Disney movies with the American dream,” Willing said.

According to Willing, a noticeable characteristic of the United States is the American spirit and the school spirit that surrounds her.

“The people are just like a big society,” Willing said. “You just feel so safe and happy.”

Willing believes her host family turned out to be a perfect match. She was picked based on her ability to use and interpret American Sign Language, as her host father is deaf.

While in America, Willing would like to attend football games and visit the Grand Canyon.

Izaro Negueruela, a 15 year old from Bilbao, Spain, was inspired to become a foreign exchange student by her friend, who participated in an exchange program a few years ago. According to Negueruela, her friend told her about her experience in America, which convinced her to sign up for the program as soon as she was old enough.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with English,” Negueruela said. “I was excited for the new life, new experiences, and the culture here.”

Since moving to Wadsworth, Negueruela has joined cross country, and she plans on participating in track and field during the spring semester. As well as this, she enjoys listening to music, and hanging out with friends.

According to Negueruela, Wadsworth High School is very united, using the student section at football games as an example of this.

“I’ve grown up seeing these films, and when I got here it was just like [them],” Negueruela said.

While in the United States, Negueruela would like to visit New York City in the winter time, and has already traveled to Mexico with her host family.

Alejandro San Segundo Marquez is 17 years old and is from Madrid, Spain. He became a foreign exchange student to immerse himself in American culture and the English language. Although he was excited to meet new people, San Segundo Marquez found it challenging to adjust, especially with the language barrier.

Some differences between Spain and the United States that San Segundo Marquez noticed include the cars, the size of the school, and how people interact with each other.

According to him, one of the hardest parts about moving to America was leaving his friends behind in Madrid.

“We always stay together,” San Segundo Marquez said. “We go to the same school and do everything there together.”

Playing football has been a big change in his life, as he mostly boxes and goes to the gym in Spain.

“I don’t know if I am going to continue with boxing, or start playing football [once] I get back to Spain”, San Segundo Marquez said.

While in America, San Segundo Marquez would like to visit Philadelphia and Washington D.C..

“Since I’m from an Eastern country and America is a Western country, we have different history and beliefs,” Wu said, describing the culture shock she experienced when first arriving in America.

Furthermore, Wu explained how Wadsworth is structured very differently than most cities in China.

“Most of us in China [live downtown], so skyscrapers and the river of traffic are always around us,” Wu said. “Here, the land is covered with endless fields and forests, which make me feel like I’m escaping from a crowded and busy life.”

One of the most challenging things Wu experienced was adjusting to a new home with a language barrier. She stated how she often misses her family, friends, and the food back in China.

In her spare time, Wu enjoys playing the piano, drawing, and watching musicals.

While in America, Wu is excited to visit many places with her host family, as they enjoy traveling.

Aaron Kienlein is a 16 year old foreign exchange student from Frankfurt, Germany. He decided to become a foreign exchange student for many reasons. He stated that he wanted to experience something completely different, and make new friends all over the world.

“I wanted to see the ‘real’ high school life,” Kienlein said.

Kienlein described how difficult his transition into the new school district was, talking about the stress that comes with having homework for every subject each night, and going to all of the same classes every day. As well as this, it was difficult for him to adjust to a smaller town where you must have your own car to get around, rather than living in a larger city and being able to rely on public transportation.

“Transportation wise I miss my public transportation that gets me nearly every I want to go,” Kienlein said.

Since moving to America, Kienlein has joined Wadsworth High School’s soccer team, and plans on running track in the spring.

While here, Kienlein would like to visit Austin, Texas with his host family.

Louise Chauvin-Mascart , who is from Beauvois-en-Cambrésis, France, is 18 years old. She is excited to discover more about American culture during her time as a foreign exchange student at Wadsworth. Furthermore, she wants to improve her English to help in her studies.

Chauvin-Mascart explained how grueling education is in France, describing her ten hour school days.

“School is everyday from 8 AM to 6 PM,” Chauvin-Mascart said. “We have breaks after every two hours of class, but here you do everything and then you are done.”

While attending Wadsworth High, Chauvin-Mascart will participate in the international club and enjoys watching football and baseball games.

“We don’t have any clubs or activities after school [in France], so [while in America] I want to discover everything about Wadsworth,” Chauvin-Mascart said.

One place she wants to visit is Covington Georgia, where her favorite show, The Vampire Diaries , was filmed.

Leyi Wu, a 17 year old from Qingdao, China decided to become a foreign exchange student at the beginning of the year with the goal of improving her English skills. She also wanted to experience a different culture.

NICU WALK RETURNS AFTER A TWO YEAR COVID-19 SHUTDOWN

BY LILY LOVE

This September, Akron’s Walk for Babies event returns after two years. The walk was postponed due to COVID-19, and will return full scale at the Akron Zoo, where it was originally held. This year the walk was held on September 18.

Founded in 2007 by Sam and Shelby Snellenberger, Walk for Babies is an annually held event that allows NICU, (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) families to come out and show support for each other by participating in a one mile walk each year. The walk was initially started as a way to give back to the doctors and nurses working in the NICU, and to support other NICU families.

“We just wanted people that are actually in the NICU to be able to participate in an event,” Snellenberger said. “So we did a noncompetitive one mile walk.”

Along with supporting NICU families, the walk also raises awareness and money for the NICU and hospital itself. This includes the doctors and nurses who work there to help families throughout their stay.

All of the profits that the walk makes comes from donations, shirts sold raffle baskets, team registration and team donations. Since it is a nonprofit foundation, all of the money that is raised goes directly towards helping the NICU families and staff.

“For the families, we provide small things like parking passes, meals, and dining cards.” Snellenberger said. “For the hospital staff, we donate bigger things like Kangaroo chairs, video cameras, and other equipment.”

Recently, using the money raised from the walk, the NICU was able to buy new video cameras for each baby’s room. These cameras connect to parents’ phones and allow them to see their babies when they are away from the NICU.

For the first time since the walk started, the event is now being hosted by the NICU and hospital staff.

Two of these staff members are Kim Firestone and Jennifer Grow. They have been involved with the walk since the beginning, and have helped the event grow each year. Dr. Grow and Dr. Firestone have helped many of the families that attend the walk every year, and for them it feels less like a fundraiser and more like a

big family reunion.

Dr. Firestone and Dr. Grow help behind the scenes of the walk, helping to brainstorm different ways the money can be used each year. The amount that is raised each year determines what kind of things the hospital can purchase.

Dr. Grow and Dr. Firestone make decisions based on what the hospital needs, and what will make the families more comfortable during their time in the NICU. This especially helps families who have had experience in the NICU, but also helps first experience families better understand what the NICU does.

Dr. Firestone and Dr. Grow have two important jobs, in addition to helping with Walk for Babies. Their jobs are important because they each help the NICU run the way that it does smoothly.

Dr. Grow is a neonatologist. This means that she takes care of babies who are not well enough to stay with their families, or need extra support. Dr. Grow is also in charge of and helps run the NICU. Her job here includes monitoring patents, looking into treatment and care plans, and helping train other nurses for the job

Dr. Firestone’s job looks a little different. She is a Respiratory Therapist, meaning she takes care of babies who need any sort of respiratory support. In most cases, NICU babies need some sort of respiratory care or support.

One of the highlights of the event is walking with all the teams. Teams include

family and friends of the NICU grad that is walking.

Since walking is the main event, many of the teams like to customize their own shirts and come up with team names to add to the fun of the event.

The Walk is such a big event for people because they are able to come together with others who have similar experiences and stories as they do. Every year there is a new NICU family speaker who talks about their NICU experiences, and what the Walk means to them. They speak right before the walk starts, allowing everyone to connect and see people at the event that they might only see once a year.

Grant Keep, NICU graduate, has been with the walk since the start.

“My favorite part of the walk is the people. Coming back every year and seeing you guys, Sam and Shelby, and just everyone in general each year means a lot,” Keep said. “Knowing that I’ve been there since the beginning means a lot as well.”

Traci Lee, whose daughter was in the NICU, has been involved since the beginning, and has shown support for the event since the start.

“My favorite part is getting to reconnect with the nurses and families we were in the hospital with, and how they are doing now,” Lee said. “I also love hearing stories from other NICU families.”

On September 18, the walk took place at the Akron Zoo, and teams participated in a number of fun activities. All teams were able to complete the one mile walk around the zoo, and in doing so received a medal. Teams received tickets to ride the carousel, as well as face painting. This year’s speakers opened the event by announcing that the walk is now a hospital run event.

Many teams came to the event in support of the NICU and in total was over one-hundred people. The hospital is planning to host the event next year and is looking forward to hosting the event in years to come.

Valley View teacher Mrs. Love and her team walk in support of her daughter Lily’s time in the NICU. The team named “The Lily Love League” won the award for biggest team in September 2007. Photo courtesy of Mark Bishop

The Love family attends the fifteenth annual Walk for Babies in support of Lily Love, sophomore at WHS. The team had just finished their one mile walk. Photo courtesy of Joy Love.

WHS sophomore Lily Love stands by the Walk for Babies logo. A NICU Grad herself, Love and her family participate in the event every year. Photo courtesy of Joy Love.

WHS sophomore Lily Love Stands with Dr. Feick, a NICU doctor at Akron. Dr. Feick was someone who took care of Love during her NICU stay. Photo courtesy of Joy Love.

Walk for Babies fifteenth year shirts for NICU families. This year’s teams also received a medal after completing the walk. Photo courtesy of Joy Love.

JON BYERS BALANCES BAND AND FOOTBALL AT THE SAME TIME

BY JADE WILCOX

Even though most students have the opportunity to take a break in between extracurriculars at WHS, some have no chances to get from one extracurricular activity to the next with a period of time to breathe.

Jon Byers, junior at Wadsworth High School, participates in both band and football. These two activities clash together on Friday nights. For the average home game, the WHS Marching Band warms up in the band room at promptly 4:30 PM. The football team assembles in the locker room and weight room right after school in order to “talk game plan…[and] warm up a little bit.” Byers travels with the football team in order to get to wherever the game is.

the time,” Byers said.

Byers has been playing football since he was seven years old. He is number 68 on the Wadsworth High School field, playing as the center, the person that snaps the ball back to the quarterback.

“I’ve played center since youth,” Byers said.

Football practices are from three to five, which has affected Jon positively. He’s happy hanging around his friends.

“THOUGH PEOPLE MAY FROWN UPON ME PLAYING FOOTBALL AND BEING IN THE -JON BYERS, JUNIOR

After the second quarter, Byers finds his dad on the field, who has his trombone. He does not have time to change uniforms before the halftime performance, marching in his football wear.

“My brother had experience before me, he was also number 68. [He] marched in the band, [and] he played football, so I took a lot of inspiration from him as well as just asking him for pointers on how to manage

“I’ve known the senior class and my class since we were probably seven, eight years old.”

Apart from barreling into people on grass or turf, Byers also plays trombone in the Wadsworth Band. As a Marching Grizzly, Byers is a section leader, which is someone who keeps the rest of the section on track. Byers says the hardest thing about this position is that he must constantly, “balance helping out freshmen,” as well as “know when to stop goofing around… [especially] when it comes to football games.”

Being second chair in wind ensemble, another elite position, also makes his life harder due to the fact that he must work

incredibly hard in order to provide a good example to the rest of the trombone section and the band. Wind ensemble practice is fourth period during each school day, however marching band practices are from six to eight every Tuesday and Thursday night. This does not include trombone sectionals, which are Thursdays from five to six.

“Though people may frown upon me playing football and being in the band, I love it. I love doing it. I have friends on both sides and both sides have become a family,” Byer said.

Members of Wadsworth High School have many opportunities to do a multitude of different activities; from the front lines of the football team to acting onstage in the P.A.C. Jon Byers is not the only student at WHS to balance multiple activities that overlap. Several students of Wadsworth High School have the same dilemma. For example, Speech and Debate sometimes overlaps with the Drama Department, and the Newspaper occasionally overlaps with Student Council. Being a member of these activities can get hard at times, or even all of the time; however, there are times when students can get assistance from the peers and instructors around them.

Most teachers, coaches, and directors understand this predicament. Occasionally, some of these people will allow students to

Jon Byers in his uniform with his trombone. During halftime he must march in his football uniform, due to the fact that he cannot change between second quarter and halftime.

Photo courtesy of Jon Byers.

come later in order to have time to eat.

Dana Hire, the WHS band director says, “The band directors have always worked with students involved in multiple fall activities to be able to successfully participate in those activities. We believe well-rounded students should be involved in [both] the arts and athletics [like Jon Byers].”

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS KEEP WHS SAFE

BY KATIE GRIFFIN

Police officers Dan Shonk and Ben Smith work as School Resource Officers (SRO’s) in the Wadsworth City School district.

Shonk came to the district in 2018 due to public demand for more of a police presence in Wadsworth City Schools after the Stoneman Douglas shooting in Florida.

“At the time we only had Officer Innocenti, so the school approached the police department and said ‘Hey, we’d like to have a second School Resource Officer if you can give us one’,” Shonk said.

Shonk focuses on the security and police education programs within the elementary and middle schools, as well as the Sacred Heart building.

“I go in and read to kindergarten classes a book about school resource officers and explain to them why there is a police officer in [their] school,” Shonk said. “I teach a lot in middle school, we do a drug class,

alcohol class, I do a social studies class talking about the amendments and the rights that people have.”

Smith began working as an SRO once Innocenti left the position to pursue detective work. At a high school level, the School Resource Officers fixate primarily on safety within the building, and less at an educational level.

“Having a police presence at the school is a natural deterrent for anybody that would want to cause us harm,” Smith said. “If somebody is looking at coming into the school and doing harm, and they see a police officer or know a police officer is there, that might cause a second thought and maybe it will stop them from doing something like that altogether.”

The SRO’s have responsibilities outside of the building as well.

“We do a lot,” Shonk said. “It’s not always necessarily stuff that people see.

Yes, we’re building security, going around making sure doors are locked, making sure that the schools are as safe as possible and that’s the main mission. But we also help with welfare checks if kids haven’t been to school and they haven’t been called off, we’ll go out and knock on the door and make sure the student is okay.”

When school is not in session, Shonk and Smith perform just as any other officer.

“I work 7-3 which is basically the same as [the student’s] school day, and then I’m off after that, I don’t have to go back out on the road and work patrol,” Smith said. “During the summer when you guys aren’t in school, that’s when I’m out on the road doing normal patrol operations and stuff like that.”

One of the biggest struggles that the SRO’s have dealt with is forming connections with students that have a negative perspective toward police officers already.

“There have been students that have had negative experiences with law enforcement in the past that they don’t trust me, which I totally understand, but its my goal to build that trust and help them see that we are not here to just get people in trouble, we are not just here to arrest your parent or you,” Shonk said. “We’re here to help and support and encourage you, and some of the programs we do, I do think help with that.”

The School Resource Officers want students to know that they should not be

afraid to reach out for help if they need it.

“I can talk to anyone about anything and I’m not gonna throw your business everywhere so if anybody has any issues or trouble at home, or they see something that they think is not safe, or its weird, I hope the kids aren’t afraid to approach me.“ Smith said.

Both Shonk and Smith plan to continue with School Resource Officer positions for the next few years. Shonk plans to work through the new Central Intermediate School building being built, and Smith will continue with the position for as long as he is able to.

Officer Smith poses with a student. This photo was taken at a Cops & Kids event a few years ago. Photo courtesy of Ben Smith.

Ben Smith poses for a head shot. He spends every day at Wadsworth High School, while Dan Shonk patrols the other schools in the district. Photo by Katie Griffin.

HURRICANE IAN STRIKES, LEAVING TERRIBLE DAMAGE

BY LEZLIE TINNEY AND ALEX BANKS

H

urricane Ian struck West Florida on September 28, flooding and damaging a large area. Many people have, or continue to evacuate.

Dylan Joseph, a junior, who went to Wadsworth High School up until his freshman year, now is living in Punta Gorda, Florida. Joseph was there when Hurricane Ian hit. Fortunately for Joseph, he and his family made it out securely.

“We are all safe,” Joseph said. “My dad is actually in Ohio visiting family and me, and my mom evacuated more inland. My brother ended up staying at the house but didn’t get hurt at all.”

Joseph thinks that no one knew how hard the hurricane would hit them until it was too late. Ian’s path was hard to predict and it was

constantly changing. Joseph and his mother evacuated to a hotel, which ended up flooding; they have lost power during the last two days.

“We’ve had to conserve water and our phone batteries as much as we could,” Joseph said. “It’s been very boring. Fortunately, the place we evacuated to didn’t face much damage. But that can’t be said for my town.”

Punta Gorda faced the eye of the hurricane, which is the strongest part of the storm.

“We had to board the whole house up with storm shutters which protected it until winds reached 80 mph,” Joseph said. “That’s when our covered porch flew off and hit the front of our house, shattering all the clay shingles.”

After the porch flew away, the wind was able to rip off the storm shutters. Then, the doors began to fall off due to the hurricane. By the time this happened, winds were up to 110 miles per hour and Joseph’s house was shaking violently.

“Since there was no barrication, all that wind and rain was getting inside the house,” Joseph said.

His house began to flood, leaving his brother’s room as the only safe spot.

“[My brother] had to grab our dog and barricade himself and it was okay,” Joseph said.

because the whole system needs to be redone because it was all destroyed.”

According to Joseph, everyone’s home has faced around the same amount of damage that his has, and many people are struggling greatly.

“There’s not really many resources out there right now because every one is in dire need,” Joseph said.

Worsening the situation, his town had already been experiencing bad inflation.

everyone’s homes got destroyed.”

In addition, many people’s cars were destroyed. He does not think that there are any trees left standing in his area because they have all fallen over due to the disaster.

People in his area will be out of their homes for at least six months. Joseph and many others are incredibly shaken up by what they have been through, and they are anxiously awaiting for things to be back to normal, although that may be a long way away.

The homes of people in his county were extreme ly damaged. This is just a fraction of the damage in all of Florida.

The majority of people who the hurricane has hit are without power. The damages for the whole county were very intense. Across the state of Florida, it is being estimated that there is over $40 billion in damages.

“My whole county has only four percent of it with electricity,” Joseph said. “We’re not going to be able to get electricity for at least a week

“A really bad thing about our area right now is that ever since COVID has happened, inflation has been really strong here,” Joseph said. “Everyone has been coming in and there has been a material shortage. So before all the damage was done here, to get new windows, to get new doors, it was already six months out, but now everyone needs them, because

Scan the QR code to read more and see video footage of the damage from Hurrican Ian

Photo courtesy of Dylan Joseph

Not only were the structures destroyed, but household interiors were permanently damaged. It will be very difficult for people to afford rebuilding their homes.

Photo courtesy of Dylan Joseph

NAN

ELECTION 2022: WHO WILL LEAD OHIO?

SPEAKS

BY ALEX BANKS, CARLEY SORRENT, & LUKE HOUSER

In order to keep up with the Ohio Gubernatorial Race, The Bruin interviewed Democratic candidate Nan Whaley. The goal was to shed light on how she was as a high school student, and why students now should be involved.

Whaley is a politicion and former mayor of Dayton, Ohio. Before winning the 2013 election for Mayor, she was elected to the Dayton City Commission. She won reelection for Mayor in 2017 after running unopposed.

Whaley went to an all girls Catholic boarding school for her high school experience in Oldenburg, Indiana. She graduated with only fortyfour other girls and went to Oldenburg Academy.

During her freshman, sophomore, and junior years she was the president of her student class. She was the vice president of the student body during her senior year.

“I think it’s important to stand up for what you believe in no matter where you are, and I think that’s something I learned particularly in high school and college,” Whaley said.

Going to an all girls school instituted a lot of the feminism that Whaley has today. Having only women in the school gave women the opportunities to be leaders, inspiring her to do the same.

“I don’t think I thought about [Roe vs. Wade] a lot in high school, I don’t think it was a big conversation because Roe was the law of the land, but certainly, when I went to university and I went to a Catholic university, it did affect me there,” Whaley said. “And, the anti-choice group tried to kick the college Democrats off campus. We had constant fights around abortion issues on campus.”

Currently, in Ohio, there is a ban for abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which was enacted by Mike Dewine. One of Whaley’s priorities is to overturn this.

“We gotta overturn the six-week abortion ban,” Whaley said. “One of things we’ll do first, after being elected, is to put it on the ballot to codify Roe, so Roe vs. Wade is the law of the land in the state and in the Ohio Constitution, and it can never be taken away no matter what extremist

gets in office.”

BRUIN ABOUT

She also wants to make sure that public education is not privatized. Whaley wants to make sure that charters have the same regulations that public schools have.

One concern that students going into the workforce have is minimum wage and being paid fairly. The current minimum wage is federally $7.25. One of the first things that Nan Whaley’s campaign announced is raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour.

“People are getting paid too little and still having to go to the food bank to provide for their kids,” Whaley said. “It is un-American and unOhioan. We need to make sure that the reason why people work is to have dignity in work and to be able to provide for their families.”

Currently, most places are paying close to Whaley’s goal for minimum wage, but she wants to get every business to that level.

“It is unsustainable for us to expect people to work for so low of a wage and provide for themselves, much less their kids,” Whaley said.

To help citizens deal with the recent inflation, she wants to issue an inflation rebate. This would give $350 to every person that is working class.

She also wants to suspend the gas tax for six months, which is about 38.5 cents per gallon. She also intends to go after price gouging.

“Right now, in Ohio, under Mike Dewine, it’s legal for corporations to gouge consumers with no repercussions,” Whaley said. “We’re one of the few states where that is legal and what we’ve seen in the statehouse and with this governor is that, basically, big business and big pharma and utilities, they basically bankroll Mike Dewine’s campaign. So in return, he doesn’t pay any attention to what workers and families need.”

Intel, a semiconductor chip manufacturer, is coming to Columbus, which will give many job opportunities to people in Ohio. Whaley is in favor

of Intel workers unionizing.

“The whole reason why we have a middle class is because of organized labor,” Whaley said. “Keep in mind, corporations don’t just do things out of generosity. And, workers’ abilities to use their voice collectively is really key.”

Whaley is also prioritizing making Ohio a place where students want to stay after they graduate.

“I have so many friends that would have loved to stay in Ohio, but couldn’t find a good job to be able to do that,” Whaley said. “And that’s really important- we can’t have all the good jobs just be in one metro and in the Columbus metro, they have to be all across the state… that’s what our ‘one good job’ pledge is about.”

CAMPAIGN IN OHIO

She is also hoping to increase gun safety in Ohio. In 2019, during her time as the mayor of Dayton, it underwent a mass shooting that killed nine people and injured 29 in the span of 32 seconds.

“I’ve been pushing hard for two things: universal background checks, which nine out of ten Ohioans support, and what’s called extreme risk protection orders, or red flag laws,” Whaley said. “Extreme risk protection orders particularly cut down on mass shootings because when someone’s not acting mentally right, their family and loved ones can make sure that they don’t have access to deadly weapons, which when anyone is involved in a mass shooting, they’re not in their right mind. No one normal would do that. That extreme risk protection orders has saved hundreds of lives in places like Florida and Indiana, and we don’t have that because the gun lobby and gun makers own Mike DeWine.

Mental health is another issue that has great importance to Whaley and she believes that it needs more funding.

“The state has dramatically cut mental health services over the past 10 years,” Whaley said. “So, not only is it really hard to find a mental health provider in your community, but it’s not offered in the schools either. And if it is offered in the schools, particularly that’s usually locally funded. We can do that pretty easily by cutting loopholes for the wealthy who pay the same amount of taxes I pay as a middle class person.”

In addition, she wants to help make Ohio a more inclusive and accepting place for people to live in.

“Young people aren’t really interested in a place where women don’t have say or freedom over their bodies and the LGBT community is not respected or even able to rent a house without being discriminated against,” Whaley said. “And right now in Ohio that is legal. It is legal as an LGBT person for a landlord to kick you out just because you’re gay. So we’ve been trying for like ten years to change that, and your generation is an inclusive and open-minded and progressive generation frankly on these social issues and the state legislature and government here are way out of step, and it’s gonna be the key to growth.”

MIKE DEWINE AND HIS POLICIES OVER THE YEARS

Governor Mike DeWine is the 70th governor of Ohio and is running for a second term. He was raised in Yellow Springs, OH by his parents, Jean Ruth and Richard Lee Dewine.

He attended Ohio Northern University: College of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1972.

Soon after receiving his degree, he began working as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Greene County. In 1976, he was elected County Prosecutor, where he served four years. Afterwards, in 1980, he served one term in the Ohio State Senate. In 1982, he was elected U.S. Representative of Ohio’s seventh congressional district, where he was reelected three times. In 1990, he gave up his seat and was elected lieutenant governor of Ohio under George Vionovich.

He was unsuccessful against John Glenn in the senate race. However, in 1994, he won a senate seat.

Decades later, after moving his way up through the political ranks of Ohio, he decided to run for Governor in 2018. Here he selected Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted as his running mate. He won the position with 59.8% of the vote and is still Ohio’s Governor today.

He is currently running against Nan Whaley in the race for Governor.

DeWine is hoping to be reelected for his second consecutive term.

DeWine supports the “Fetal Heartbeat Law’.

He has previously given funding to organizations that support adolescent

pregnancies, as well as single parent families.

DeWine started a Water project called H2Ohio in 2019. The project used a surplus in budget dollars to start dealing with issues such as poor infrastructure and old septic tanks, in hopes to avoid water contamination.

DeWine asked for millions of dollars to be put towards school funding for the 2022-23 school year. The money was to go to making sure that all students were getting fed in all communities.

He created the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, to hopefully address the problems the state is dealing with in the opioid crisis. Since its creation, it has branched into a hotline as well as finding involvement in criminal investigations.

After the mass shooting in Dayton in 2019, DeWine suggested increasing punishments for gun crimes and forming a background check system for firearm sales, but in 2021 he signed the “Stand Your Ground Law”, a law that eliminated concealed carry permits in 2022.

In addition to mental health, she also wants to address and solve the opioid epidemic. The epidemic impacted Ohio so badly that it is considered “ground zero”.

“I’m in Dayton-- Dayton was the tip of the spear from the opioid epidemic in 2017, we led the country in accidental overdose deaths,” Whaley said. “We were able, because the local community came together to cut accidental deaths in half and we’ve kept them down even when other communities have seen an increase in opioid addiction deaths and it’s because we are constant around funding mental health services.”

Whaley is excited at the possibilities if she is successful in her election, and looks forward to involving Ohio’s youth into her plans.

Scan Here to Watch the Full Interview with Nan Whaley

The Bruin reached out to DeWine’s office but has not been able to schedule an interview by the time of printing.

CURRENT GUBERNATORIAL POLLS

TO FiveThirtyEight.com

MIKE DEWINE

NAN WHALEY

Mike Dewine is the current governor of Ohio. Recently, he has refused any public debates with his opponent. Photo courtesy of fair use.

Nan Whaley speaks with three Bruin students on a Google Meet to discuss her high school experience. She reflected on how her education led to her current career. Photo by Carley Sorrent

NEW STAFF SPOTLIGHT

BY LIZZY EDWARDS AND KATIE BASINGER

Mrs. Amanda Reid

Position: Diversified Medical Technologies

Teaching Experience: First year teaching

About Mrs. Reid:

Mrs. Reid is teaching Diversified Medical Technologies at WHS this year, which is a program with the Four Cities Compact. The class is designed for students who want to work in the healthcare field right after high school. Reid was born and raised in Wadsworth, and currently lives here with her husband and two kids. As a student at WHS, she was involved in the nursing program of the Compact. Reid’s positive experience as a student in the Compact made her want to share this experience with other students. This is her first year teaching. She has also been a registered nurse for 14 years. Reid is excited to share knowledge and opportunities with her students that they have never been exposed to. “Getting to see the light bulb click when they learn something new-- that’s what I’m most looking forward to,” Reid said.

Mr. Paul Taylor

Position: Media and Communications Compact

Teaching Experience: First Year Teaching

About Mr. Taylor:

Mr. Taylor is one of the newest compact instructors to be hired for Wadsworth High School. He teaches the Media and Communications compact. Before getting employed through the high school, He worked for the Cleveland Browns. He was hired right out of college and worked his way up through the positions and job rankings until he was the media department head. He worked for the Browns until the beginning of the year. He began looking for a new job with more flexibility after the pandemic. Taylor says that he loved being able to watch his daughter grow up during isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after welcoming a son into the world just a couple weeks ago, he is excited to do the same with him. “Around May I started thinking about if I could find a job that would allow me to spend more time with them as they grow up, that was super important to me,” Taylor said.

Taylor is excited to get involved with the compact program because after attending a similar program at Hoover High School, he was influenced to pursue his passion for media and digital work. He hopes that after completing the compact, his students leave with the tools necessary to start a career or excel their college careers

Mrs. Keri Hamsher

Mrs. Hamsher is the tenth and eleventh grade principal at WHS this year. She moved to Wadsworth after being the principal at Rittman for eleven years. Hamsher graduated from Marshall University. She got her master’s degree at the Citadel in South Carolina, and her principal’s license from Ashland University. Outside of school, Hamsher works as a realtor and coaches volleyball. Her family also breeds puppies. Hamsher is looking forward to building relationships with the students of WHS this year.

Miss Marlaina Kurt

Position: Math

Teaching Experience: First year teaching

About Miss Kurt:

Miss Kurt teaches Algebra 1, Honors Algebra 1, and Geometry at WHS this year. Kurt graduated from the University of Akron in May. This is her first year teaching.

Prior to teaching at Wadsworth, Kurt student-taught at Ellet High School in Akron, where she gained valuable teaching experience. Kurt’s mom, Mrs. Sandy Kurt, also teaches math at Wadsworth, so Kurt has spent a lot of time at the school over the years. While she was nervous to teach in her own classroom for the first time, her familiarity with the rest of the staff made the transition much easier. Kurt’s desire to be a teacher sprung from her love of helping people. In her first year as a teacher, she hopes to get to know the way each of her students learn in order to give them the best experience possible.

“Being here was like a second home.” Kurt said. “I already know most of the teachers and administration, so it definitely felt like a good fit,”

Mrs. Mindy Workman

Mrs. Workman is the high schools new attendance secretary. Before working for the schools, Workman worked a human resources job for a company that had five locations across the country. Working full time at the Wadsworth has brought her back to her old high school. She has lived in Wadsworth her entire life and has three children that are in the schools now as well. After quitting her job, she moved onto subbing in the district for four years. She subbed for every secretarial position that was available. After having the opportunity to try out every position that she could, it was a matter of timing for a position to open up. At the end of the 2021-22 school year, Mrs. Wallet retired and Mrs. Workman got the job. “I am excited to be here and so far the experience has been awesome, the kids here are awesome,” Workman said.

Photo by Lizzy Edwards.

Photo by Lizzy Edwards.

Photo courtesy of Paul Taylor.

Photo courtesy of Keri Hamsher.

Photo courtesy of Mindy Workman.

WADSWORTH ATHLETES HOPE FOR MORE BUS DRIVERS

BY KATIE BASINGER

In recent years, schools across the country have been affected by a lack of bus drivers, and Wadsworth City Schools is no exception.

Jessy Widmer, the school district’s transportation supervisor, explains that the schools have just enough bus drivers to handle the day-to-day bus routes in the morning and in the afternoon; however, the

WHS

issue lies after those hours.

“We have enough drivers to cover all of our standard routes, getting kids from home to school every day. What we don’t have enough drivers for is the athletic trips. So we struggle to get those filled, we have to do a lot of consolidation on athletic trips. Like taking part of cross country and coming back to get the other part,” Widmer said.

The lack of bus drivers is affecting the attendance of many extracurriculars.

Zoe Parrish (12) is on the track

team and says that the lack of bus drivers has affected lots of school districts and is even getting in the way of completing their matches.

“So basically we will not have enough buses and then we have to wait and ride with the middle schoolers, but either they are too early or too late, which affects me racing because of the stressful timing situation,” Parish said. “It also affects the other teams because when we don’t get there in time, they have to wait around for us to get there and then we have to wait to warm up and wait to race, so it’s affecting them just as much as it affects us.”

Looking further into why the district has the bus driver shortage, it is apparent that it is not a sought after position.

“Just talking to drivers, it’s the weird hours,” Widmer says. “They start between 6-6:30 AM in our district because of the tiered system and then they are done a little after 9 AM, then they have this big gap and then come back at 2 PM and then they are done at 5 PM. It just makes for a really weird schedule. Prior to last year they were never eligible for benefits, unless they had a career tech route.”

At the beginning of the school year, the bus garage was able to hire a floater. A

MARK POSTAK IS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME

BY NOELLE ALLEN

This year, 18 individuals were inducted into the WHS Sports Hall of Fame. Mark Postak, WHS athlete, teacher, and coach, was one of the inductees on September 10 at the Galaxy Banquet Hall.

The Athletic Hall of Fame association is a non-profit organization that occurs biannually and aims to recognize the achievements of alumni and former staff members, along with the task to provide role models and

encouragement for young athletes.

Larry Kaufman, teacher at WHS, is currently a member of the Hall of Fame Committee. He was involved in the process of choosing who to induct, along with arranging the ceremony this year.

Potential inductees are either nominated by someone from the WHS community, or chosen by members of the Hall of Fame committee itself.

In order for athletes to be inducted, Kaufman explained, nominees must fulfill a number of criteria achieved throughout their athletic career. After the committee accepts all nominations, members have the responsibility of checking the eligibility of each nominee and therefore choose who will be inducted.

Mark Postak, one of the inductees this year, graduated from WHS in 1987. He played basketball and soccer throughout his high school career, and assisted both teams in attaining a number of awards and titles, including the first place suburban league title for both teams.

He has extended his athletic involvement throughout his teaching career by coaching girls soccer for nine years, and girls basketball for 32.

“I look back and it is staggering sometimes that I have done this for 32 years,” Postak said.

When he first began teaching at WHS,

floater is a person that is equipped with the skills to take over a bus route if any of the drivers need to call off or if any emergencies occur.

“It’s a timely process, and it’s not cheap to become a bus driver. To become a bus driver you need to attend a mandatory training class in Ohio. It’s only a week long, but it’s eighty five dollars. They have to pay for that, they also have to pay for their background check with the district and that’s fifty dollars. And then you have to spend a minimum of twelve hours, but in reality it is 2 or 3 months of training with one of our current trainers, and we don’t pay you for that time,” Widmer said. “Fortunately, Wadsworth is one of the higher pay districts in Medina County for bus drivers. Plus we now offer an option for employees to get health benefits, so we are a desirable district to work in.”

An entry level bus driver for the district makes a little over twenty dollars an hour. After one has his or her class B CDL(Commercial Drivers License), with a school bus and a passenger endorsement, then he or she is allowed to drive a school bus. After one has received that, certified bus drivers can have their pick of where they want to work due to the high demand.

This slide was presented during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony to recognize Mark Postak and his accomplishments. Each inductee had a slide similar to this one that was displayed while each inductee received his or her recognition.

Postak wanted to coach the boys’ basketball team. However, the boys’ team was not in need of a coach at the time and Postak was asked to temporarily assist in coaching girls’ basketball. Postak has been coaching the lady grizzlies ever since then.

“Growing up with two brothers and no sisters, it kind of was a big awakening coaching girls initially, but I really enjoy doing it,” Postak said.

Postak currently teaches AP Statistics, Honors Calculus, and Honors Algebra II Trig, while continuing his position as an assistant coach on the girls’ basketball team.

Postak is respected and appreciated by many of the students, teachers, and alumni at

WHS.

“He wants what is best for his students, and it shows in his teaching,” Senior, Rose Short said.

Postak says he is honored to be given this recognition in the hall of fame.

“I am very humbled that they chose me, and I am excited about it,” Postak said.

“It’s neat to see Mr. Postak come back and coach for 32 years and give back [to the school] like that, that’s pretty outstanding.” Kaufman said.

Postak plans to continue teaching and coaching here at Wadsworth as long as the opportunity is available. He will continue to act as a positive role model to the students and athletes of WHS.

Photo courtesy of Larry Kaufman

The athletic hall of fame is located outside of the main gym at WHS. Mark Postak and all the other inductees’ athletic achievement plaques are now hung on the wall for all to admire.

Photo by Noelle Allen.

Photo by Katie Basinger.

The districts bus garage is located at Isham Elementary. The district provides busing to students that live further than a mile away

The school district has a total of thirty four buses. Twenty four of them are used for shuttling to and from school.

Photo by Katie Basinger.

PAGE BY NOELLE ALLEN AND MALLORY GERSCHUTZ

Starbucks Brings Back Seasonal Drinks

Starbucks’ “Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato,” as well as a few other classic seasonal drinks, makes a return this fall. This macchiato is perfect for this time of year, as it contains sweet and familiar tastes of apple, cinnamon, oats, and brown sugar. The macchiato is great for a chilly autumn night spent on the couch underneath a cozy blanket. The other seasonal drinks available include the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Cream cold brew.

Students of WHS voted on their favorite treats to enjoy on Halloween and throughout the fall season! Here are the foods and drinks they voted on, which you can try at home throughout this season!

Halloween Treats

Truth or Dare (Not Rated):

This 2017 film, directed by Nick Symon, follows a group of 8 college students who unknowingly plan a weekend getaway in a haunted house. The house was infamous for mysteriously “killing” a group of kids like themselves, though no one knew what had actually happened. When one night the group decide to play a classic game of “truth or dare”, they quickly realize the dares are far from careless and silly. Instead, cards written by an unknown being contain horrific and inhumane tasks for the individuals to complete. We recommend this film for thrillseeking teenagers looking for a somewhat disturbing but intriguing late-night scare.

Pinterest Shuffles

Pinterest recently released a new app called “Shuffles,” where users can create their own boards. After downloading the app you will either sign into your current Pinterest account or create a new one. You will be put on a wait list before having access to the app. However, any user who has already been accepted is given a code that they can share with up to three other people to override the wait list. On this platform you can use images from Pinterest’s extensive library or anything you have taken yourself to create collages. You can create and post your own Shuffles and view public collage on the ‘For you.’

Apples

Scream (R):

Scream, a known favorite to many, was directed by Wes Craven in 1996. This film follows the victims of an unknown killer who targets his victims through frequent anonymous phone calls. The killer’s target for the majority of the film is teen girl Sidney Prescott. Sidney endures multiple attacks and an outburst of panic from her town as she tries to uncover the identity of her killer, and put an end to the madness. Scream is suspenseful, intriguing, and leaves the audience on edge.

Hocus Pocus (PG): This 2003

classic returns to screens every Halloween, as the movie never fails to entertain families during this season. In the film, the teen protagonist Max Dennison moves to Salem, a town recognized for its Halloween spirit. Dennison, his sister Dani, and their new friend Allison explore an abandoned house on Halloween night. Ignoring a chilling tale cautioned by Allison, Dennison frees a trio of evil witches. The kids then attempt to steal the witches’ book of spells to prevent them from becoming immortal and cursing the town. Hocus Pocus is a funny but spooky film, perfect for all ages to enjoy this October.

Photo by Noelle Allen

Pillsbury Halloween Cookies

Rolls

Spice latte

Cider