The Bruin - March 2020

March 2020

Wadsworth

High School Volume XLV No. 6

CORONAVIRUS

SHOULD WE WORRY? DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFICATION

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Staff Editorial

C o nv e r s a t i o n s c r e a t e c h a n g e

“Black history month in a white school district.” Our school newspaper published an issue with this headline which caused backlash from many parents and community members. The absence of the word “predominantly” caused many families to feel as if our paper and school district were excluding any other races. Our goal was to start the conversation no one else has had and to evoke change to the things that need it most, but we were unaware that our headline would be the conversation starter. However, the intent of the article was to share the experiences of the students of color and what they dealt with.

As we created the cover, we wanted to encapsulate what it was like for these students to attend our high school. The headline “in a white school district” was able to highlight the struggles that students face growing up in a school district with mostly white teachers, administration, coaches and friends.

In the recent article, we reached out to students that found importance in Black History Month. The writer’s goal was to try to understand what everyday life was like at Wadsworth High School for those who are the minority. With only seven percent of our school district being non-white, many shared that they do not always feel welcome. Black History Month was a way to allow students of different races to express their opinions on changes that could better the school.

Initially, we viewed the headline as powerful. We were using our outlet to give minority students a voice. The Bruin class, adviser and administration of Wadsworth High School approved the headline before the issue was printed. Nonetheless, we hoped to start a conversation to promote change for these students. Although controversial, it has stirred up emotions for community members that caused administration to consider bringing changes to the atmosphere of our schools.

Weeks after the publication of our paper, a meeting was held titled, “Is Wadsworth Racist?” The meeting consisted of a panel of diverse members of our community answering questions and generating a solution to the unbalance of culture in our town.

“It was so hard picturing myself becoming someone when I didn’t have the role model to look up to,” said Wadsworth graduate, Jordan Taylor.

She emphasized the importance of having representation in schools.

“Growing up, something that would have helped me, personally, is the representation,” said Taylor. “I don’t think I had a singular black teacher until I got to college.”

The eye-opening conversation held at The Garage allowed for community members to share their stories and open up about why they felt change needed to happen in Wadsworth, both in the school district and the community. Although our headline may have upset people, it was able to create a conversation we would have otherwise not had.

Disappointingly, all of our hard work over the past month had been diminished into one headline. For many readers, this is all that they would see. What some missed was the amazing opportunity that The Bruin had to attend the Iowa Caucus. As reporters, we were able to meet with presidential candidates, attend rallies, work on campaigns and be student advocates for political issues. For many, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity but, sadly, it was overlooked by many readers.

Not only did the seemingly racist headline turn viewers off to our

paper, it was also removed from over twenty locations locally. The papers were removed from local businesses and news stands with the intent to reprint the cover removing the line, “in a white school district.” However, our work was still available on our website. Not only was this disheartening to the staff members but it also raised questions to our first amendment rights. The Akron Beacon Journal later published an article in defense of The Bruin, sharing concerns about the censorship of our newspaper.

Jennifer Pignolet, reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal, wrote that she had spoken to Mike Hiestand, Senior Legal Council for the Student Press Law Center.

“Even a simple change like removing words from a headline can be detrimental when forced by an administration without a legitimate reason, like if the paper committed libel or used hate speech,” Hiestand said to the Beacon Journal.

One thing that alters perception is experience. All of our readers have a different past that shapes the way that they interpret things, and unfortunately none of the students or staff editing our paper were able to see our headline as racist prior to printing. Our intent was never to upset readers or make them feel excluded from Wadsworth. Our goal was to show the community that students of color do not always feel as though they are accepted in a predominantly white town.

In order to better our community, we must start within the school district. We need to place role models in children’s lives, that being teachers, coaches, or administration. Educating students on different cultures and becoming more aware could create a more accepting environment.

Luckily, the conversation has begun and administration hopes to see changes in the near future. As a newspaper, this was a very important lesson. Although our headline was never intended to upset anyone, it truly shows the interpretation of words can vary. Moving forward, this will cause us to become much more cautious when dealing with controversial topics.

Although the conversation was sparked by a controversial headline, we were able to bring light to an issue that has gone unnoticed for far too long. Having these hard conversations is an important part of change in our schools and community. We have been encouraged to continue covering hard topics and hope the Bruin can serve as a safe space for these conversations to be held in the future.

@Wadswor thBr uin

Editor-in-chief

Students of the Month

Mark Adrion

2019-2020

Bruin Staff 625 Broad Street Wadsworth, OH 44281 Editor-in-Chief Halle Shaeffer News Editor Anna Wolfinger Art Editor Emily Thompson Features Editor Morgan Porpora Sports Editor Jillian Cornacchione Online Editor Abby Wichterman Business Manager Logan Egleston

Social Media Manager Sarah Scobee Staff Writers Brianna Becerra Micah Beck Emily Brandyberry Andrew Clark Brian Coote Emily Kurtz Natalie Maher Kate Messam Alex Miller Axel Mueller Lauren Satink Seth Smalley Chris Steele Julie Wellert Adviser Eric Heffinger

Emma Cain

Find more articles written by The Bruin staff members on

WadsworthBruin.com

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

Should we worry about

STORY BY KATE MESSAM

CORONAVIRUS?

CONFIRMED CASES

METHODS OF TRANSMISSION PERSONAL CONTACT

CONTAMINATED OBJECTS

SOURCES: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS; THE CENTER FOR SYSTEMS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY; NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. DATA AS OF 8:45 A.M. E.T., MARCH 6.

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spurred mayhem all over the world, both in the media and in real life, since confirmed cases boomed in China in December 2019. The risk concerning the spread of the pneumonia-like illness is the unpredictability of its effects and the absence of vaccines and treatments.

Medical specialists are not unfamiliar with coronaviruses. The viruses are a variety of strains that can affect both humans and animals. Animal diseases, however, are much more of a cause for worry. Previous coronaviruses, such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), left thousands infected across the globe. COVID-19 presents similarities to MERS and SARS, as all three were first transmitted through the consumption of animals such as bats, camels and cat-like creatures.

Local infection preventionist Michele Messam says the publics current concern should be focused on the hazardous flu season that America faces. During the month of February, over 3,000 Ohioans were hospitalized for the flu according to the Ohio Department of Health.

“The flu is worse than we’ve seen in a couple of years,” said Messam. “Early CDC testing on the flu vaccine shows it’s around 45% effective which is higher than it’s been in recent years, but we’re still seeing a lot more hospitalized patients.”

The CDC originally told U.S. citizens to be on alert throughout the last few months. However, the easy spread has now upped the nation’s status to “high alert.” Eleven deaths caused by COVID-19 have been confirmed in America. Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stated the progressive nature of the virus by warning people of the potential spread throughout the country.

“We expect we will see community spread in this country,” said Messonnier. “It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness.”

Community spread is when the virus spreads from an area of unknown origin. Areas along the west coast have been affected by community spread. Messonnier added that the CDC is not positive if this form will be mild or severe in its spread.

As a response to the CDC’s plan to prepare in the U.S., Medina County Health Department’s Christy Rickbrodt, who works in Health Promotion and Planning Supervisor, and Epidemiologist and Emergency Planner, Brent Styer, assure the public that, in the case of COVID-19 spreading to Medina County, they have a plan of action.

“What this team does 24/7 365 days a year is focused on identification, isolation, diagnosis and contact tracing for more than six dozen diseases,” said Rickbrodt and Styer. “MCHD staff have planned and trained for outbreaks as a regular part of our essential public health function and we have emergency plans in place to respond to any outbreaks that may occur within the county.”

Other than keeping healthy hygiene habits, the health department urges the practice of staying away from those who are ill and to get enough sleep. However, the urgency for facemasks in public is not necessary.

“Facemasks are not recommended for general public use. There is no hard evidence that wearing a mask protects the wearer outside of the healthcare setting,” said Rickbrodt and Styer.

Precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 are being taken all over the world. In the Chinese province of Guangdong, native Dan Chu describes the preventative measures that citizens have taken into their own hands.

“In Hong Kong, people who catch a cold will voluntarily wear face masks just to prevent the spread of viruses because it’s a very dense city,” said Chu. “People here in the Guangdong Province are pretty diligent on how they react in public, so face masks are just to be nice.”

Chu currently lives in the city of Shenzhen where the second largest number of COVID-19 has

GRAPHICS BY ALEX MILLER

TOTAL CASUALTIES

been confirmed. The Chinese government previously allowed the citizens of Shenzhen to leave their homes, but only for short periods of time to retrieve essentials. All work was either halted or continued within homes. As of the end of February, businesses were permitted to bring back their workers.

“When this first broke out everyone was in panic mode, so I was as well, but we quickly learned that it’s sort of like the flu so as long as you take care of yourself you should be safe,” said Chu. According to the World Health Organization’s daily situation report, Guangdong has had seven deaths as of February 25, with 1437 confirmed cases within the province. Guangdong has almost fifty-five million more people than Hubei Province, which is home to Wuhan, the epicenter of COVID-19. Hubei has lost 2,902 citizens from the virus as of March 5. In a province that has double the population than that of its neighbor, Guangdong has managed to control the virus within their limits.

“We are much more confident and comfortable in stopping the virus from spreading than we were in the beginning,” said Chu. “With all the stats coming out, people are believing that it is calming down.”

Although Guangdong has had little to no cases or deaths as the days throughout the month of February, the rest of the world has been significantly affected as of late. South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy have all been devastated by the virus. President Trump’s administration has created travel bans to all four countries, including China.

Wadsworth High School’s travel group, Grizzlies Abroad, has been planning a spring break trip to the European countries of Slovenia, Austria, Czechia, and Italy. However, the group had to change their plans since the recent travel ban to Italy.

“Currently we are looking at countries to the east including Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Also of great importance is choosing alternative locations that can offer us a range of experiences both cultural and historical,” said Wadsworth High School staff Pamela Csaky, who will also be attending the trip.

While abroad, the group will be closely monitoring the increasing spread of COVID-19 and planning their trip accordingly “We certainly will continue to track outbreaks while traveling and making any necessary travel changes if needed,” said Csaky. “While traveling, we will continue to emphasize everyday preventive actions like good hand washing practices, hand sanitizer, staying away from sick people, etcetera.”

The current primary belief of how COVID-19 spreads, according to the Ohio Department of Health, is through people being within six feet of an infected person and coming into contact with their contagious respiratory droplets. The symptoms become evident within two weeks of exposure and those affected experience coughing, fever, and difficulty breathing.

To prevent developing illness from any respiratory viruses this winter, including COVID-19 and the flu, Messam recommends practicing proper respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

“To help prevent getting the flu, get your flu shot. However, washing your hands frequently, coughing into your elbows, and trying not to touch your eyes, mouth and nose without washing your hands, will help protect you and others from many respiratory illnesses.”

The wide range of symptoms, from a minor cold-like illness to severe pneumonia, has impeded organizations like the World Health Organization and the CDC from being able to quickly identify a solution. As more information is obtained from cases, though, health experts will be able to more accurately address COVID-19, and determine how much concern should be focused on the virus.

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Left: Jordan Taylor shares about her experiences with racism in Wadsworth and being mixed.

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Meeting held discussing racism in Wadsworth A public meeting discussing racism in Wadsworth was held on February 25, 2020 at The Garage, a youth ministry for at-risk teenagers. The meeting, which was titled “Is Wadsworth Racist?”, was organized by Laurie Beal, in response to the recent controversy surrounding last month’s cover of The Bruin.

“Once you say ‘Black History Month in a white school district,’ you’re alienating everyone else,” said Laurie. “I would never say our family is a white family.”

Headlining the discussion was a racially diverse panel of residents of Wadsworth.

People in attendance of the meeting included superintendent Andrew Hill, board members Linda Kramer and Julie Batey, principals Steve Moore and Chris Sieber, and many Wadsworth residents.

The meeting began with an “icebreaker” activity using plastic beads and pipe cleaners. Attendees were instructed to use the different colors of beads to represent the diversity of people who have roles in their lives, including people such as their doctors, teachers and pastors. Most people’s beads represented a white majority.

Evan Taylor, a black former Wadsworth resident, members of the panel, spoke about his experience

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Above: Molly Beal shares the results of a poll.

BY MICAH BECK

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Right: A room of diverse members of the community listen to panelists speak.

being a minority in Wadsworth.

“I don’t think I had a single black teacher until I was in college,” said Taylor. “Wadsworth is a white school district. It is what it is.”

Laurie Beal reflected on her experience in Wadsworth with her adopted black son, DaQuan, noting how friends and neighbors were generally accepting. However, Laurie did point out a few instances. She mentioned how in Kindergarten, a white boy in his class thought his face was scary, and the boy’s mother tried to have DaQuan removed from the class, and also mentioned that middle school was a rough time as well.

DaQuan added that “kids [are racist] for a reaction.”

Wilbur Howard, however, thinks the problem goes beyond wanting reactions, saying “I don’t think it’s prejudice, just ignorance.”

When asked about the differences between stereotypes and racism, panelist Tuan Duong mentioned that “racism is discrimination by race that makes the other race feel superior.

Stereotypes are things that you believe about somebody.”

Laurie said she is grateful to have had the discussion; she just felt the headline overshadowed the great work done by Bruin staffers on the article.

Klobuchar

Joe Biden gets much needed boost on Super Tuesday

Buttigieg

BY EMILY BRANDYBERRY

After a surprising victory from former Vice President Joe Biden on Super Tuesday, it is evident that the race for the Democratic nomination will be a two man battle.

The Democratic party has witnessed mayhem over the last month starting with the Iowa Caucus and ending with Super Tuesday. There have been many twists and turns, with Pete Buttigieg winning the Iowa Caucus and then dropping out just days before Super Tuesday, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer. Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar endorsed Biden right after announcing their campaign would end, giving him a much needed push.

Citizens from 14 different states headed to the polls March 3 to vote in their presidential primary. Prior to Super Tuesday, Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina and New Hampshire were the only states that had held their primaries. Out of those four primaries, the nation saw three very different winners.

1,344 of the 3,797 total pledged delegates will be given away on March 3. In order to win the nomination, a hopeful candidate must win 1,991 of the total pledged delegates at the convention. This Super Tuesday was a big one for the candidates because they were fighting for both California and Texas which gave away the most delegates in the

primaries.

“Super Tuesday was really important this year because California was included in the 14 states that hold their primaries on that day,” said government teacher, Mr. Hamilton. “That accounts for about 40% of the U.S. population.”

Going into the day, Senator Bernie Sanders was the front runner; However, by the end, it was Biden that was leading the delegate count.

Biden won 10 of the 14 states and gained 343 more delegates while Sanders only gained 296.

After less than satisfactory results in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Biden surpassed expectations.

On the other end of the scale, Senator Elizabeth Warren walked away with 40 total delegates. While former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg ended the night with a disappointing 38 delegates, the lowest of the night.

After his recent disappointment with Super Tuesday, Bloomberg announced on March 9 that he has pulled out of the presidential race and endorsed Biden.

Ohioans will get their chance to vote in the presidential primary on March 17. Polls are scheduled to open at 6:30 AM and close at 7:30 PM.

Candidates that have dropped out

Warren

Bloomberg

Biden

627 States that voted on Super Tuesday

Delegate count as of Super Tuesday

Sanders

551 * Results as of March 6, 2020

Student athletics outside of WHS should still earn letters

BY SETH SMALLEY

Many students participate in athletics at Wadsworth High School and have the opportunity to earn a varsity letter. Some students, however, participate in competitive sports that are not offered by the school.

Students who participate in a sport that is not offered at WHS should still have the opportunity to earn a varsity letter.

When someone thinks about high school sports, they typically measure individual achievements by whether a student lettered or not. This measure of success is unattainable for students who play sports that are not offered at school. For these students, the lack of a letter can feel as though there is a stigma being placed on their achievements. Athletes take pride in their letterman jackets, but these students are unable to share the same experience.

“I play rugby and it’s not offered at the school, so I play for Walsh’s team. Last year, I met all of the requirements to letter,” said Isaiah Kilker, 12. “I couldn’t get a letter from the team because I don’t go to school there and I also couldn’t get one from Wadsworth because it’s not a school sport. The whole situation kind of sucked because I did all the work and never ended up getting an actual letter.”

PHOTO BY LOGAN EGLESTON

Students that participate in sports at the high school have the chance to earn a variety of letters and pins for their letters. They are then able to display their letters on jackets or sweaters.

Students who participate in outside sports not being able to receive letters feel as though their sport is less valid merely because it is not offered by their school.

Students should not have to feel excluded because they have different interests than their peers. These students should be celebrated the same way any other successful

high school athlete is.

“I think outside sports are just as important as school sports because you are still pushing yourself physically and showcasing a certain talent or skill you may have,” said BMX athlete Shane Corp, 12. “It is still giving time and effort into something you love and it should be admired by others and rewarded in the same way as school sports.”

These students take pride in their athletic accomplishments and are not being adequately recognized for putting in copious amounts of work that is on par with any other varsity athlete. Athletes who play school sports and athletes who play nonschool sports should be equally rewarded for their accomplishments instead of one being valued above the other. They work just as hard as any other athlete.

“It just feels like we are not valued compared to the other athletes and people don’t take us as seriously sometimes just because we can’t get a letter,” said Corp.

Students who play sports not offered at school should be able to earn a legitimate varsity letter for their athletic accomplishments. These students’ commitment should be valued and rewarded in the same manner as any other athlete. These athletes deserve to be valued and treated as equal to their peers instead of being stigmatized.

Importance of stabilization training in high school for athletes

BY NATALIE MAHER

When sports seasons roll around, student athletes often jump right into the season. With this excitement, strength training can easily get overlooked, which ultimately can lead to short and or long term problems that can include missing a season entirely. Sports teams and athletes should be taking time before and during the season that is strictly dedicated to strength training.

At the start of every season, there is a meeting that is held by coaches to give the rundown of what the season will look like. The workout schedule is often introduced during this time, with it mainly consisting of muscle building.

When high school athletes lift, they often spend the most time trying to get stronger and build muscle. This poses many issues for two main reasons. The first is the fact that our bodies are not fully developed. The second being that they are weaker when it comes to stabilization because odds are they did not start lifting until they got to high school.

With teenagers often still growing as they go through high school, lifting with improper technique can cause issues later down the road. Though weightlifting with the goal of mass building in mind is ultimately a healthy and positive thing, if it is not done properly it can cause a variety of problems, including stress injuries.

Due to the fact that teens are still growing, taking the time to stabilize and not just build muscle is crucial.

Without strength training, the constant stress on the body can quickly become problematic. A well known example is any injury to the ACL. This common example can oftentimes be prevented by simply taking the time to develop flexibility and control over the muscles in one’s knee.

Though this is common it is not the only injury athletes face. Junior, Mina Leopold, has struggled with shin splints since middle school. In order to get through the 2020 track season, Leopold began strength training on her own.

“I started strength training in July to get ready for track and I can really tell how much of a difference it has made,” said Leopold.

Through constant time spent focusing on stabilization training, it has helped put this year’s season on the right track.

“Because the training made me stronger a lot of the injuries that I had in previous seasons have really improved,” explained Leopold.

Muscle building is still a very important part of high school sports.

Mr. Thompson is a teacher at Wadsworth High school. He is no stranger to teens lifting as he is the main teacher who stays in after school to monitor the weight room and ensure students are safe.

Mr. Thompson said, “In most sports being bigger,

PHOTO BY NATALIE MAHER

Lifting weights with a track and bar is often used for muscle building. If one is not careful, this is a very easy way to get hurt. Injury can help be prevented by stabilizing the core in hopes of maintaining proper form.

stronger, and faster is the competitive edge over an opponent.”

It has the power to add extra competition to the sport and the people who play it. This competitive spirit often overshadows the importance of strengthening.

Though many sports have begun focusing on strength training, it still is hard to enforce among competitive athletes. It should become part of the team’s training.

Leopold said, “I think it would be beneficial for the whole team to get involved in strength training perseason and be able to continue it during the season.

This way there would be a good balance of hard running workouts and workouts that build us up to make the other ones better.”

Muscle training is important but needs to be balanced out with stabilization. This would help prevent injury for high school athletes.

STABILIZATION TRAINING Below are examples of different exercises that focus mostly on training for stabilization. The first on the right being lunges, focusing on the back, hips and legs. The one of the far left involves an exercise ball. Many types of workouts can be done with a exercise ball, including anything from simple sit ups, to back extensions. The well known side plank is in the top middle and bellow it is a simple plank with an added leg raise.

This helps stabilize the core. With good core stabalization, it can benefit all other exercises, including muscle building.

Engineering Design and Technology The Engineering Design and Technology class is taught by Mr. Shipley in hopes to give students a hands on experience with an engineering career

Megan Moore, 11, talks with ASHRAE about their blueprints.

Alex Dunn, 11, tries out the Microsoft HoloLens Demo Megan Moore, 11, examines the blueprints for the ventilation of a new school.

Rube Goldberg machines were spread throughout the ballroom for spectators to look at.

Left to right, juniors Wyatt Blubaugh, Alex Dunn and Aidan Pappas, pose for a photo in the main room.

Gavin Hahn, 11, holds the SeaPerch before placing it into the YMCA pool.

The SeaPerch is placed underwater in attempt to pick up items from the bottom of the pool.

Teams around at the Goodyear Stem Career Day placed videos of their full working Rube Goldberg Machine.

A speaker was made to make as a non-electric speaker for personal phones, from items found around Mr. Shipley’s classroom.

PAGE BY EMILY THOMPSON

Norton students in the Compact test out their SeaPerch for the first time.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF AXEL MUELLER

Goodyear workers present the inner workings of an MRI machine to the audience

Wyatt Blubaugh , 11, gazes upon the circuit boards of an MRI scanner.

Lacrosse programs to make first appearance in Suburban League

BY JILLIAN CORNACCHIONE

PHOTO BY AXEL MUELLER

Amanda Lutz, 12, refines her stir toss in the weeks leading up to states.

Winter Guard spins into action

BY ANDREW CLARK

Winter Guard’s first performance was on February 2 and with the state competition at the end of March, they had two months to prepare.

Starting in early November, Winter Guard began practices to get ready for their 2020 season. With seven competitions before the state contest, the team stays busy during their short competition season.

“From the beginning of the day, groups perform by class while being judged by five different judges,” said Leigh Hillegass, 12.

“They take all the elements into account and analyze how well the team gets the message of the show across to the audience.”

The judges themselves look at the elements of movement and technique, visual effect, design of the performance, equipment and the general effect of the show. Shows and competitions usually last three to four minutes based on the length of the song.

Before competition season starts, Winter Guard participates in two different types of performances; they are split into shows and premiers. Regular shows are unscored and do not have judges. They serve as a sort of practice for important competitions later on in the season. Premiers are shows that are scored, but they are not scored publicly. No scores will be released or ranked.

“I like the performance aspect of it best,” said Hillegass.

“Spinning is something I love to do, and after working on a show for a few months, being able to share it with other performers is an amazing feeling.”

Each guard is scored out of 100 at each competition, and personal scores usually go up as the season progresses.

“Jess and Vanessa welcome all new members,” said Cooper Greenlees, 11. “I think even if people do not want to commit to a full season of winter guard, if you like to perform and put yourself out there, you definitely should join.”

Coaches Jessica Courson and Vanessa Lloyd hold tryouts in early November every year for anyone who would like to join Winter Guard.

“They are so supportive and work very hard,” said Greenlees. “[Winter guard] is a big time commitment and takes a lot of effort, but I think it’s worth it. This group is so supportive and we love to see the best out of each other.”

Winter guard has recently succeeded in moving up in the rankings due to their stellar performance in past competitions, giving them a good shot at taking home the state title in late March.

With the 2020 spring season underway, the Wadsworth High School lacrosse programs are chasing after an entirely new ambition: the Suburban League Title.

In prior years, lacrosse was not acknowledged as a sport in the Suburban League. It was first introduced to WHS as a club sport in 2012. In 2015, lacrosse was recognized as a partially funded varsity sport at the high school.

Since then, the sport has had a substantial increase in popularity throughout the nation, as well as the state of Ohio.

“Lacrosse has really experienced a boom in growth over the last few years,” said Jeff Kisor, who will be entering his fifth year as the boys’ head varsity coach.

“It takes at least 150 high schools in the state for the OHSAA to consider a sport as a member. Lacrosse, due to its growth, was classified as an emerging sport before there were 150 high schools with lacrosse programs.”

In April 2019, the Wadsworth school board voted to adopt lacrosse as an official school sport. Not only did this mean that WHS lacrosse would be a fully funded varsity sport starting in the 2020 season, but the boys and girls teams will also be participating in the Suburban League, which is recognizing lacrosse as a sport for the very first time.

“This new addition to the Suburban League just goes to show how big lacrosse is becoming in this area,” said Rachel Robinson, 11.

This year, the lacrosse Suburban League will consist

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULI HORVAT

The players are working hard each day at practice to get ready to compete in the Suburban League for the very first time.

of Wadsworth, Hudson, Brecksville, Stow, Revere, Kent and Copley.

“Not every Suburban League school has a lacrosse program,” explained Kisor. “There are only seven schools total in the league.”

Given that Wadsworth lacrosse is a relatively young program, both the boys and girls teams are going to be facing some extremely tough competition.

“The league will be very competitive,” said Karl Yurchiak, who took the role as girls’ head varsity coach this year. “We play some of the top teams in the state of Ohio.”

Overall, the players were very ecstatic upon hearing the news, which led to them greatly anticipating the start of the season.

“I am excited for this opportunity,” said Blake Turano, 12. “We could be the first team to win the Suburban League trophy in the sport of lacrosse, and, for the seniors, it would be an amazing way to leave our legacy behind.”

The players and coaches are viewing this change as an opportunity to show opposing schools in the league the true competitive nature and high potential of the Wadsworth lacrosse program.

They also believe that qualifying for the Suburban League will be a major driving force behind their teams’ work-ethic and motivation throughout the course of the season.

“Being a part of the league can really benefit our team,” explained Turano. “It will give us a goal to set and hopefully make our team work even harder this season because we have something to chase after.”

Yurchiak has a similar outlook on the situation.

“I think that this will make the girls elevate their game because we’re going up against some good competition and now there’s actually something on the line for us to win,” said Yurchiak.

With lacrosse being recognized as a fully funded sport at WHS in the 2020 season, along with the addition of the sport to the Suburban League, the players and coaches are forecasting a successful performance in the conference and are hoping to lay down PHOTO COURTESY OF ELYSE HUZYAK a legacy for future teams at the school.

Seth Lambert, 11, talks to a teammate on the field during the 2019 spring season.

Wadsworth swimmers fly through states taught me the importance of determination and persistence,” said Waldow. “Even when I’m running on just a couple hours of sleep, it’s taught me that I’m the only one who is responsible for how well or how poorly I perform, and that if I expect results, then I have to work for them.”

Waldow’s teammate, Edurese, qualified to swim in both the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle as well. The second qualification bid for the freestyle was something that was unexpected for him.

“I feel very accomplished this year. My goal was to make it in

the 100 fly again, but I ended up earning a spot in the 100 free as well,” said Edurese. “I was really surprised by this, and I am excited to compete against the other qualifying sprint freestylers.”

One of Edurese’s goals was to make it to the podium in the 100 butterfly, but he just missed the mark by placing 17 in the preliminary events. Edurese views the sport as something more than just hard work and long days filled with practice.

“Swimming in high school has led me to making many great friends,” said Edurese. “The team creates such a positive environment where we push each other to be our best in and out of the pool.”

Edurese also thinks

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELYSE WALDOW

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN EDURESE

b e f o r e school.”

1 archick, 1

Mikey Lew

esser, 11

, 10

Logan M Wal sh

Training six days a week with occasional morning practices eal, 12 Mason B is definitely hard work, but the team’s effort is really paying off. With all of their recent victories, things are looking bright as the team heads on to States. h, 10 ason Brug “We’re almost done,” M Hacker says. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and I’m looking forward to it.”

The state tournament takes place in Columbus on March 13-15.

Jake

something promising for the future.

“It was the first time for our program to be in the top four in the state dual championships,” said Wenger.

Following their big finish at States, the team competed at the Sectional tournament at Wadsworth on Saturday, February 29. To be able to advance to districts, the individual wrestlers had to place in the top four. They had 11 wrestlers move on to districts with seven first place finishers, two second place finishers

and two third place finishers. As a team, they came in first out of 10 teams.

On March 6-7, they competed in the District tournament, which had a similar set up.

“This is the last three weeks of our season, and this is kind of the goal, to get to States. Our goal is to finish in the top four and have multiple state champs and finishers, so that is what the next three weeks are focused on,” said Wenger.

With states being the goal, the team is working hard in order to prepare for this meet. Landon Hacker, 11, has been pushing himself in order to make it to the State Tournament in mid-March.

“We have been training six days a week and two to three hours a day to prepare,” said Hacker.

“We do morning practices for 45 minutes on Tuesdays sometimes

T E SY S COUR P H O TO BRUGH O F A LY

Lan

BY JULIE WELLERT

11

Edurese and Waldow have been swimming together as part of the same team since their club years.

W restlers buried their competition After a big win over nationally ranked Brecksville, Wadsworth High School’s wrestling team finished in the final four at the Ohio State Dual Championship on February 16 in Columbus.

Heading into the tournament, the team had a boost in momentum after scoring 350 points at the Grizzly Invitational Tournament on January 20.

Head coach Clay Wenger, saw the fourth place finish as

Elyse waldow faced stiff competition as she went into swimming the 100 breaststroke.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELYSE WALDOW

ker,

John Edurese battled in the 100 butterfly prelims to earn his place at 17.

of swimming as something that has made him more determined.

“The sport itself has made me determined, goal-oriented and optimistic, It’s so much hard work,” said Edurese.

Both athletes see their experiences through swimming as something that has positively affected the rest of their lives outside of the pool.

“Through swimming, I’ve met some of my best friends and they’ve made my swimming experience, my high school experience and my life in general so much better,” Waldow said.

As the two seniors move on into the rest of their lives, their legacies and reputations are to be recognized by many in the years to come.

Hac

Senior swimmers, John Edurese and Elyse Waldow, qualified for the state swim meet on February 21, 2020 at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

As a third year qualifier, Waldow felt at ease this year compared to past state meets.

“Going to this meet as a senior, I feel much more relaxed than previous years,” said Waldow.

She currently holds Wadsworth’s 50 meter breaststroke record. She hoped to break that personal record once again all while enjoying her final meet.

“I know once I finish my race on Saturday, I’m completely done,” said Waldow. “It’s

bittersweet because swimming has been a monumental part of my life for the past six years. I’m just going into this meet ready to race my fastest one last time. The work has definitely paid off and it shows.”

Although Waldow did not meet her biggest goal of breaking her school record, she still accomplished her goal of qualifying for finals on February 22, and she even placed 13th overall in the 100 breaststroke.

Looking back on her past seasons, Waldow appreciates the life skills and lessons that swimming has taught her in the long run.

“Swimming is such an intense sport due to the hours spent training both in the mornings and evenings, but it has

don

BY EMILY KURTZ

The revitalization of

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

What needs improved?

Streetscape

52%

Reconstruction of downtown Wadsworth

BY BRIAN COOTE

Change is coming to Wadsworth as the first steps of a two-year process to revitalize downtown begins. The idea has been in the works for some time now, starting when Wadsworth completed a downtown visioning plan in 2017. The downtown vision plan focuses on updating and making downtown more enjoyable.

The layout and landscape have been a concern for many. In the downtown infrastructure meeting, a survey was taken by citizens where landscape, gathering space and streetscapes were chosen for improvement. Along with changing the utilities and design, downtown drives for more business.

“What people want the most is restaurants and entertainment,” said Jim Gray, Director of Economic Development. “The question is that since we are already fixing utilities, what do we do with the top? So we decided to revitalize downtown and push for more businesses.”

The first step to this change is fixing the outdated utilities and landscape.

“The water, sewer, storm sewer and communication utilities are in need of being updated,” said Robin Laubaugh, Mayor of Wadsworth. “Some of our water and sewer lines are over 100 years old. Replacing these lines is a large undertaking and disruption to our sidewalks and streets will occur. With that in mind, along with the fact that our present streetscape is close to 40 years old, it is an opportune time to examine ways we can improve safety, pedestrian connectivity and vehicular travel.”

The city has gone through an intense process over the past year to help determine the best way to proceed. Consultants with these expertise led efforts to gather data and to come up with several options to consider. Throughout the process, input was received by the Downtown Implementation Committee, building and business owners, and most recently, from a city wide community survey.

The answers to these surveys concluded that downtown should change its design.

“Sidewalks are widened considerably,” said Mayor Laubaugh. “The median on High Street would be eliminated. The area on Broad that is now where our city icons are located would be moved southward, creating a large green space area. The city icons would then be placed on the four corners of the square. The gazebo would be a few feet directly south of where it is today. The Boy with the Leaky Boot would be on the corner where Valley Cafe is. The clock would be on the corner it resides today and then our flag would be on the remaining corner.”

With the project planning on spanning over a few years, there is concern on how traffic and city life will be affected by the construction.

“As we did with the High Street project, we will work very closely with the businesses to maintain access to their businesses and to be mindful when they receive deliveries, etc,” said Laubaugh. “We have found that communication is the key. During a recent downtown waterline project, we had specific work done on Sunday because the business that would have been affected were closed that day.”

While reconstruction is the first part of the plan, the second is to drive more businesses into downtown. Downtown has slowly started to incorporate more restaurants and unique shops. Some of these being Wadsworth Brewery, Dolce at the Strand and Downtown Deli.

Changes will not stop there as new hangout spots and entertainment will also be featured. Blue Tip BBQ and Grill is one of these places.

It is a restaurant that will feature live music and interactive activities.

The timeline for the project is as follows, detailed engineering will take place through 2020 and then construction is planned to begin in 2021 and estimated to take over a year to complete.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Gathering Space

48%

General Landscape

35%

Downtown Infrastructure Project - A Streetscape Unmatched Community Survey

downtown Wadsworth Why do you go downtown?

Restaurants

79%

Shopping

38%

Entertainment

27%

Farmer’s Market

34%

Community Events

56%

Up and coming . . .

BY BRIAN COOTE

Blue Tip sauces up the square Wadsworth is grilling up downtown with a new barbecue and grill restaurant.

Blue Tip BBQ and Grill is planning to make its debut off Lyman Street in the early spring of this year.

The restaurant idea came together from a number of partners originating in the summer of 2019. The main focus of the restaurant is not just to be a barbecue and grill place, but a key point in downtown Wadsworth life.

“Blue Tip BBQ and Grill is essentially a void in the community,” said Steven Gaich, one of four partners in Blue Tip BBQ and Grill. “The goal is to have a gathering spot for families.”

The restaurant will also feature ice cream and live music every weekend will be additions to the dining experience. Beyond grilling, Blue Tip BBQ and Grill will be adding additional activities to make it a hub of downtown.

“We are working with the concept of having an area dedicated to Esports and hosting Madden tournaments and leagues as an example,” said Gaich. “The basement, which won’t be complete and open to the public till 2021, will have an arcade and either escape rooms or VR rooms for family entertainment.”

The idea of a new restaurant and downtown originated when the owners worked with Adrianne Krauss, Director of Main Street Wadsworth, to find a concept that would fill the community needs and fit in the new vision the city had for downtown redevelopment.

Blue Tip Barbecue and Grill looks to open early May.

Meat the new deli The Downtown Deli opened on February 4. It includes a large selection of meat, cheeses, Amish bulk items and sandwiches. The hours include Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

While the store focuses on being a deli bulk items such as homemade popcorn, canned goods, sauces, candies and freshly made sandwiches will be sold. The store will partly fill the void of Hometown Market and is another step in expanding downtown with its plan of being involved with the community, such as Main Street Wadsworth’s First Fridays.

The new delis located on the west side of downtown along Broad Street in a building that was once home to Anytime Fitness and a flooring store.

Also soon to join the downtown According to their Facebook page, Unwined has no official opening date, yet, but they will be opening shop sometime in 2020. The new wine bar and lounge will be located at 132 Main Street, right by the Wadsworth Brewing Company.

Unwined Main Street Wadsworth’s Farmer’s Market will return to the downtown starting on June 20. The Farmer’s Market is located in the CIS parking lot and will run each Saturday until Sept. 26.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

BY BRIANNA BECERRA

“I jus t wa n t t o be a ble t o h ea r.”

-J ona t h a n Zeit ler

The ability to h ea r i s a pr iv i l eg e tha t m a ny overl ook . S ee h ow Jon a t h an Zeit ler l i ves wi t h out t h e ca pa bi l i t y of h ea rin g .

Jonathan Zeitler, a freshman at Wadsworth High School, has been deaf since birth. His hearing difficulties have shaped the course of his life as well as his experiences at school.

“I was one and a half years old when they knew I was deaf,” said Jonathan.

He has never known his life to be any different. He is the only deaf member of his family. Jonathan reports that he has tried to use hearing aids to assist him, but they were unsuccessful. This was a big disappointment for him, as he so badly desires to have the ability to hear.

Jonathan has fortunately received an immense amount of support from his family, as they do their best to accommodate his needs. His older sister Faith Zeitler, says that his deafness has changed their family dynamic.

Not all members of his family can sign, but his grandmother, mother and sister have taken the time to learn. Their goal is to make him feel included by learning sign language and communicating with him via sign.

“We love to do things that involve other deaf children his age so he has kids to relate with,” said Faith.

Even though the Zeitler family focuses on inclusivity in order to make Jonathan feel more comfortable, there have been some struggles along the way. The average form of communication between family members is verbal, but this is not how their family operates.

“It does make things like just yelling for him more difficult,” explained Faith.

In order to communicate with others, Jonathan will often type out messages on his phone. The use of technology in school has allowed him to have a relatively quick form of communication with other students without relying solely on his interpreter. He also utilizes hand motions in an attempt to socialize with others.

In order to make Jonathan feel more included, WHS allows him to visit deaf schools so he can communicate with other teenagers that are like him. He reports that this is always a highlight for him, as he is the only deaf student at the high school.

“We go to the deaf school for a fun time,” said Jonathan.

D

Though Jonathan faces more challenges at school than the usual student due to his hearing difficulties, he has been able to work through it with the help of his sign language interpreter. Sue McWilliams became an interpreter 17 years ago and has been working with the deaf community ever since. She reports that the decision to become an interpreter was not a difficult one.

“I have always had an interest in working with children with speech and hearing difficulties,” said McWilliams. “Learning to communicate with the deaf [and] learning sign language just felt like the right thing to do.”

McWilliams finds great joy in her work, as she is able to assist others with communication. She has always had a passion for sign language and hopes to make a difference for those who are affected by hearing difficulties. Though she is satisfied with her work as an interpreter, this position does not come without its drawbacks.

“My least favorite part is battling the prejudices of what is not known about the deaf and their culture,” reported McWilliams.

Due to her experience as an interpreter, she has been able to recognize that the deaf community is widely misunderstood. Though she acknowledges that teachers have attempted to accommodate the needs of these students, there are certain needs that must be met in order for them to be successful in the classroom. Teachers and classmates must be patient with these students, as they do not have the ability to follow along in class as quickly as other students.

“It needs to be understood that there is [a] little bit of lag time between the interpretation of information and the processing of the information by the deaf or hard of hearing person,” explained McWilliams.

The learning style of deaf or hard of hearing students differs from that of their other classmates, as more resources must be provided for them. They should sit in the front of the classroom so they can easily view their interpreter, as this may be their only line of communication in the room. Group activities provide a whole new set of challenges, as the student and interpreter must collaborate in order to be able to communicate with the other group members.

Not only do these students need easy access to their interpreter, but they also need additional materials provided for them in order to reach the highest level of success.

They are unable to take notes during class, as they have to keep their gaze upon their interpreter in order to understand the teacher. This means that handouts and notes should be given to them, as this would allow them to focus on understanding their interpreter.

Jonathan is very appreciative of everything that his teachers have done in order to accommodate his different learning style.

“They help me so much,” reported Jonathan. “They try to make it easy for me to understand.”

McWilliams does everything in her power to provide the assistance needed by these deaf or hard of hearing students. She hopes that students like Jonathan can be treated as equals in the education system and throughout the world, as their hearing ability does not define who they are.

“The only thing a deaf person cannot do is hear,” said McWilliams. “They are capable of doing anything a hearing person can.”

McWilliams commented that many assume that because Jonathan is deaf, he is not intelligent. She states that this assumption deeply offends the deaf community, as their cognitive abilities are up to par with those who are able to hear. She hopes to take away the stigma of being deaf, as many people simply do not understand the community.

Jonathan reports that he has experienced bullying due to being deaf, as other students can be insensitive to his differences. Though he says that he has been mocked and mean comments have been made about him, he does not let it affect him.

LIVING

“It’s not a big problem,” said Jonathan. “I’m used to it.”

He says that the biggest obstacle he faces is in regards to the social aspect of high school. While Jonathan has many friends at school, he still feels the sting of loneliness and estrangement from other students. His deafness prevents him from participating in many after school activities.

“I only talk to my friends in school,” explained Jonathan. “I go home from school and have nothing to do all night. I just want to be able to hear.”

Faith agrees with McWilliams when it comes to the importance of the deaf community.

She believes that sign language is vital for all people to learn, as this would allow for those who are deaf or hard of hearing to feel more included.

“I wish more people took the time to learn [to] sign,” said Faith.

For some who are affected by hearing difficulties, hearing devices can assist them in their day to day life, whether it be at home or in a learning environment. Amy Young, Wadsworth resident, has dedicated much of her time and energy to providing children with hearing devices. She is the Director of State Coordinators for HIKE, formally known as Hearing Improvement Kids Endowment. HIKE is the philanthropic project of Job’s Daughters International, a leadership organization for young women.

HIKE is a nonprofit charity that gives grants to children who cannot otherwise afford the hearing devices that they need. It was founded in 1985 by Ohio native Emma Tedrick and has raised over $5.7 million since then. 63 children were given grants during the 2018-2019 year, totaling $160,000. Last year, Ohio was a leading state in fundraising.

Young has been involved with HIKE for almost ten years, rising up the ranks to become the Director of State Coordinators. She says that this organization is important to her due to her own personal experiences and family members that are part of the deaf or hard of hearing community.

“Having hereditary hearing loss in my family, I know firsthand how expensive hearing aids are,” said Young.

Young reports that working with HIKE has been a very rewarding experience, as she has been able to support the young ladies of Job’s Daughters as they raise thousands of dollars to help other children. The slogan of HIKE is “kids helping kids”, and Young agrees that this is an important foundation of the nonprofit organization.

Though she finds much joy in assisting the girls in their fundraising, she says that nothing is more rewarding than witnessing a grant being given out to a child.

“A recipient, who was sixteen, told of how the grant helped financially,” said Young.

“Her father had been working two jobs to help pay for the cost of the hearing aids.”

Through her work with HIKE, she has communicated with many children who are affected by hearing difficulties. Young herself has hearing loss, which allows her to relate with the children that are receiving grants.

While the grants are able to help the children gain some level of hearing, this is not the case for everyone. In order to allow for clearer communication between deaf and hearing people, Young proposes that all schools should teach sign language.

“I personally took a class as a young adult and was able to use it while I was a travel agent,” said Young. “It made helping them so much easier, and [they] were grateful that I knew sign language.”

Jonathan agrees with Young, as this would greatly improve communication between him and other students.

“People get confused about what I’m saying,” explained Jonathan. “I want them to learn it so they can understand what I say.”

Though a sign language club made an appearance at Wadsworth Middle School for two years, it did not result in much success due to low attendance. Creating a sign language club or class at WHS may be more successful, as some students and teachers have expressed a desire to learn basic words and phrases in sign language.

The Zeitlers, McWilliams and Young hope to make the world more accepting of the deaf community, and the creation of a sign language club at WHS could be a catalyst for the change that they wish to see.

EAF

IN A LOUD WORLD

Mamma Mia! hits the stage

BY MORGAN PORPORA

The Wadsworth High School drama department will be performing the musical, Mamma Mia, March 26-28 at 7:30 in the Performing Arts Center.

In the play, Donna, the mother, has a past with three different men, who have an equal chance at being Sophie’s father. Sophie’s wedding is approaching and she wants her father to walk her down the isle. Without telling her mother, she invited the three men in hopes of revealing her dad.

The love story takes place on a Greek island in a hotel owned by the mother and daughter dynamic.

Sophie is played by senior Julia Arellano.

“Being the lead is one of the most exciting and most stressful things I have done in my high school career so far,” said Arellano. “It is so cool thinking back to my freshman year in the ensemble, when I didn’t even know if I wanted to be in another musical, to now, taking on a lead role in the musical. I am so grateful and I am excited beyond words.”

The Wadsworth drama is filled with many talented students. From putting on The Little Mermaid last spring, to Bright Star in the fall, they are able to cover a wide range of performances to please their audience.

Senior, Brendan Phillips, takes on the role of Sam Carmichael, one of Sophie’s possible fathers.

Being a senior, Phillips has experience in a wide range of shows.

“My favorite part of the musical is being able to put on a show that is enjoyable for the students and the parents,” said Phillips. “We get to portray characters that are fun and dynamic and sing songs that we and our parents grew up listening to.”

To make sure that the musical is the best it can be, the drama department puts in many hours of work throughout the week.

“We practice from 2:45-5 each day,” said Arellano. “There is never a rehearsal where someone is not doing anything. We run choreography over and over until it is as good as it can get. ” The dedication from students will pay off March 26-28. Students involved in the musical are looking forward to putting on a successful performance.

Where are all the snow days?

See what the administrative process is that determines a snow day.

BY CHRIS STEELE

Nearly every time it snows or is icy out, students complain that there should have been a snow day. However, most students do not truly know how the decision to call off school is made.

At Wadsworth and many other schools, each and every year there is a day that many students would argue that school should have been called off or vice versa, but there are multiple factors that go into having a snow day.

“The main factors are weather, such as possible amounts of snowfall as well as temperature,” said Lorain City Schools Assistant Superintendent Mic Becerra.

“Decisions of other districts may be a part of it as well, many of the superintendents in the area have text message chain where decisions can be made. This may not be the case for all districts but this is how we do things at Lorain City Schools.”

Wadsworth Superintendent Andrew Hill said there is a process he undergoes when there is a potential chance for severe weather that may cause a snow day.

“The first factor I take into consideration is the condition of the roads,” said Hill.

“If there is any question about the conditions, I drive around various parts of our school district early in the morning usually starting between 4 and 5 AM. I look at the forecasts for what is expected during the school day. I consider the wind chill, especially for those that have to walk to school. Overall, I’m looking at factors that help me determine if it is safe for our students and employees.”

In Ohio, the policy used to be that school districts were allowed to have five snow days a year. The policy was then changed in 2014 by the state of Ohio requiring that schools must reach a certain number of hours of being in school that varies amongst grade levels. Under the new policy, students in Kindergarten through grade 6 must reach 910 hours and grades 7 through 12 attaining 1001 hours.

“Most school districts go to school longer than the minimum amount of time, so it builds in that cushion of opportunities in case we have winters like we’ve had in the past,” said Dr. Richard Ross, Ohio Superintendent of Schools.

Before Hill took over as superintendent, many teachers at Wadsworth High School recall a time under former Superintendent Dale Fortner where the district received little to zero snow days during his tenure.

“I feel like our kids now are somewhat spoiled when it comes to snow days,” said World History and Geography teacher Mr. Schrock. “It seemed like we never got snow days and everyone expected that. Now, it seems that every time it snows students think they automatically should receive a day off. It’s definitely a different attitude students have.”

Although the decision is not based solely on this, another somewhat large ingredient that goes into entailing snow days are the decisions of the surrounding schools in the area.

“Generally on days that are in question, I communicate with other superintendents, especially those in Medina County and the Four Cities Compact to see what they are doing,” said Hill. “While we are usually on the same page with what we are seeing, I would not keep our district open or closed solely based upon the decision of other districts. My definitive deciding factor is the conditions in Wadsworth and the safety of all involved in our school district.”

Although some argue that some days throughout the year a snow day is necessary, the final decision comes down to the superintendent of the respective district. According to many superintendents, their main goal is the safety of their students and staff members. If a snow day is required in their opinion, they will indeed cancel school for the day or give a two hour delay.

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WHS PRINCIPALS WHO THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

BY LAUREN SATINK

MR. MOORE

Growing up, Mr. Moore‘s father was a self-employed carpenter, so he worked with him during the summers of his high school and college years. They did several jobs together from building new structures to remodeling.

These experiences taught him leadership qualities as he was able to be a leader of the crew when his dad stepped away from the physical aspect of the job.

“I cherish these times tremendously and wish I could have one more day of doing it with him,” Mr. Moore reflected.

He now likes to tackle home-improvement projects around the house. Mr. Moore remodeled his basement and is currently in the process of building a shuffleboard table that he started over Christmas break.

Mr. Moore also enjoys golfing and has developed a great appreciation for spending time with his family and friends. This time is focused around the various events they have going on. His son, Matt, attends Wittenberg University and plays on its baseball team.

Often times, Mr. Moore and his family will take weekend trips there to watch Matt play.

Mr. Moore’s daughter, Megan, is a junior at Wadsworth high school, and she spends most of her time involved in dance, drama and choir which he also cherishes.

Mr. Moore also appreciates watching a good movie. His family spends time watching comedies and action-packed movies together.

“Dumb and Dumber is my all-time favorite movie. It is a classic that should be shown at the beginning of every school year,” said Mr. Moore. “I like silly and outrageous movies.”

Prior to becoming the WHS principal, Mr. Moore worked as the head basketball coach at the school he attended as a youth and then started teaching math at Highland. He was initially planning on getting his masters degree in math but the superintendent grabbed him by the back of his shirt and told him that he was going to pursue administration.

“So I listened to him,” said Mr. Moore. “It made sense at the time because spending additional money to go back to college to learn more math was not going to benefit me in anyway. Administration was going to help expand my career options.”

This is an important moment for Mr. Moore because it let him down the path he is on today. He was a teacher for six years and athletic director for nine years, assistant principal for six years and he has now been the principal at Wadsworth High School for seven years. Mr. Moore is not working towards any specific goals, but he is focused on simply learning to enjoy life, and he wants to be able to reconnect with high school and college friends.

“I like to live every day and enjoy myself. I firmly believe that if you’re doing something you don’t like that you don’t do it anymore,” Said Mr. Moore. “I look forward to spending quality time outside of a school setting with people I care about.”

It is evident that Mr. Moore loves being the principle of Wadsworth High School as well as spending valuable time with his family and friends.

MR. SEIBER

Mr. Moore, Mr. Berlin and Mr. Seiber have developed a great friendship while working together over the past 5 years as WHS principals.

Outside of school, they have lives filled with family, friends and their favorite pastimes.

Mr. Sieber was a history teacher and a coach at Wadsworth High School for four years before he became a principal. When he was getting his administrative degree the principal at the time told him that it was his favorite job because he gets to help kids that need it.

“He is right,” said Mr. Sieber. “This has always been my favorite job that I’ve ever had because you get to see his kids at graduation that have overcome some difficult times, and it makes you thankful to see them get that diploma.”

Mr. Sieber is not only thankful for his job and the students he works with but he is also thankful for Wadsworth and how there is an emphasis on community. He attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church where he is a Eucharistic minister as well as the person who monitors the 24 hour chapel. He and his wife also go to a nursing home in town to give communion.

In addition to his religious activities, he is a member of the Wadsworth Library Board of Trustees. Mr. Sieber thoroughly enjoys reading, and his absolute favorite book is The Rooster Bar by John Grisham, who also happens to be Mr. Sieber’s favorite author. Apart from reading, Mr. Sieber really enjoys going on dates with his wife, and he loves planning vacations

PHOTO BY LAUREN SATINK

Despite some of the challenges that come with being a principal, Mr. Moore, Mr. Berlin and Mr. Seiber really enjoy working together and they truly love what they do.

for his family. Mr. Sieber often spends time with his kids Hannah, Ryan and Lauren.

“It is so cliche, but my three kids are my greatest accomplishment,” said Mr. Seiber. “Do I think I’m a great parent? No, I think I have a lot to learn but I tell my kids you are a reflection of how you are raised and who raises you. I’m trying to put three good people into the world.”

Ever since Mr. Seiber had weight-loss surgery, he has been working on becoming a better runner. He runs and walks to work every day because one of his goals is to run a road race again which he is doing it in April. Another goal of Mr. Sieber’s is to help re-establish the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Bowling Green State University where he spent his college years.

“I have always enjoyed the experience of being in a fraternity, and what Beta has provided to me is both life long friends and the chance to serve others,” said Sieber. “By providing that for future undergraduates at BGSU would be very rewarding.”

Mr. Sieber prides himself on being a good leader in the community and the school that he loves. He is working towards multiple goals i n his life with his focus on family.

MR. BERLIN Mr. Berlin acknowledges that his priorities have changed throughout the years. He used to be focused on his career goals, but now he puts a huge emphasis on the importance of family.

“Outside of school, for me, is about family as much as possible,” said Berlin. “I enjoy the outdoors. I enjoy boating and fishing. I enjoy those things but now it’s mainly family.”

Mr. Berlin has three grandchildren in Columbus. He loves to travel there on the weekends and spend time with them.

He supports them by going to many of their sporting events, and he enjoys taking the boys hiking and fishing. Sometimes it is as simple as being able to hang out and watch them play video games. Mr. Berlin and his wife go on vacation with their grandchildren each year as well, which is a fun family tradition.

At age 27, Mr. Berlin lost his father, which created a major shift in his life. He is no longer concerned with himself but concentrates on being able to show those that he loves just how much he loves them. His favorite movie is Field of Dreams because at the end of the movie the main character gets to play catch with his father who previously passed away, and this reminds Mr. Berlin of playing catch with his own father.

“I used to be so confident in myself. I thought I knew everything, and now I realize that I don’t have all the answers,” Mr. Berlin. “I am more aware of what’s important, and I’m more aware of myself. I used to look at my limitations as weakness, and now I look at them as knowing where I can make my limitations not so limiting to me.”

Mr. Berlin has been a principal for 23 years. He has worked as the associate principal at Wadsworth High School for five years and before this, he worked at Wadsworth Middle School as the assistant principal for two years. His journey to becoming a principal was a unique one because he had some consequences for his actions that still hinder him today.

“I tell kids all the time that the consequences for your actions can last a lot longer than you’d like them to,” said Berlin. “I try to convince kids, don’t let the mistakes you make at 16, 17, 18,19 years old affect you when you are my age. That’s exactly what I did when I was 18 and 19 years old.”

Mr. Berlin was not a very focused college student, so he ended up dropping out of college after a couple of years to work a job and make money. Eventually, he did get his degree and got a job teaching. An opportunity came up for him to take an administrative position, and that is what got him started on this path. If Mr. Berlin had not dropped out of college, but completed his degree right away, he would have been able to retire this year, but instead he has 11 more years. He believes though that he is better for it, and he was able to be better at his job, since he was more mature.

Mr. Berlin’s main goal is to simply create a difference in the lives of students. He focuses on having good character and being able to have a smile on his face each day to make a positive impact.

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Adoptions

by Gender

Male: 34.6%

Giving ‘family’ a new meaning A personal narrative on the experience of being adopted, with a new outlook on the meaning of family.

BY AXEL MUELLER

Females: 65.4%

Of the more than

400,000 kids currently in foster care, over

100,000 are waiting to be adopted.

The average age of a child when they are adopted is

6.2

Approximately

5 MILLION Americans are adopted

According to Adoption.gov

The majority of children are born into the family that they will most likely be in their entire life. However, for many children, this is not the case. Approximately 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year.

The adoption process is tedious for many and can take a long time ranging from six months to seven years. This process requires paperwork, signatures, documentation and ultimately, patience. One slip up in this process can be very costly, to the point that you may have to do it all over again.

“We messed up the paperwork the first time,” said my adoptive father, Steve Mueller.

“We forgot one signature and that ended up setting us back a whole year. Luckily for us, that slip up allowed us to find you and bring you home from Guatemala in 2003.”

I was adopted from Guatemala City, Guatemala, on December 11, 2003, to the Mueller family. In this process, Steve and Kait Mueller became my parents. Personally, being adopted is not as glorious or as bad as it may seem, especially being a minority.

Knowing I was adopted can be painful especially when I start thinking about being given up, or not feeling important enough for my birth parents to keep. Ultimately, the feeling of being chosen by new parents and being blessed with another chance I may not have had if I grew up in Guatemala prevails. I was brought into a diverse family with 2 brothers who were also adopted. One of my older brothers, Kevin, is from Quinto, Ecuador and another one of my brothers was adopted from Columbus. Along with my adoptive siblings, my adoptive parents have 3 biological children. When I go out to eat with my father, sometimes the waiter will ask if the check is separate or together, like most father-son relationships we will typically ask for one, but from time to time we will have a little fun and ask for a separate check and act as if we are coworkers or friends.

“It is pretty funny when my son and I go out to eat because sometimes, especially more often recently, they will ask if our checks are separate,” said Mueller. “We will usually laugh for a bit of time and will jokingly act as if we are just friends rather than family for the amusement.”

Throughout the years, as adoption has become more popular, most people know of someone who was adopted. However, for those of us who are adopted, it does not always feel like that is the case. Different people were adopted at different points in their lives. For some, they may remember their life before being adopted while others have no recollection. There is a special feeling about being adopted. The feeling of knowing you were given a second chance, that your original parent(s) cared enough about you to give you up hoping you could potentially have a better life elsewhere.

“My mom used to say to me ‘even though you did not grow in my stomach, you grew in my heart,’” said Kyia Frank, 12. “I am so fortunate to have the life I have been given.

I would not trade it for the world.”

Deciding to adopt a child into your family is a choice that should not be taken lightly. In the United States, 428,000 kids were living in a foster home or in foster care, however, only around 135,000 kids ended up being adopted in 2019. The average time it takes to adopt a foster child is roughly six to eighteen months on average. While adopting a newborn can take anywhere from two years to seven years according to the national adoption agency.

Adoption can change a child’s life. For myself and my siblings lives, we have been positively impacted by the opportunists it has brought us.

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PHOTO BY JAKE LOGUIDICE

What’s Trending Pictured is an accessory you can pair with an outfit. The simple lock design is trendy and easy to pair with anything.

Iron-on patches add an extra flair to plain shirts and sweatshirts. You can buy clothes with them already on or you can add them yourself.

Two new albums that have been released recently are Fine Line

by Harry Styles and Changes by Justin Bieber. Both albums are topping the charts right now.

“Harry’s album is a different style of music than most of the other albums out right now,” said Autumn Brown, 9.

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Layering is a big trend in fashion.

Women have been layering t-shirts over turtlenecks and guys have been layering flannels or jerseys over sweatshirts. “It is as comfortable as a sweatshirt but it is more stylish,” said Megan Callahan, 12.

PAGE BY SARAH SCOBEE

PHOTO BY SARAH SCOBEE

A good alternative to jeans are cargo pants. These pants come in a variety of colors and patterns.