NEWSPAPER II/III
The
WADSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL December 2018
Volume XLIV No. 3
BRUIN
Girls Lacrosse Pg. 5 Technology rules Pg. 6 Sports Preview Pg. 7 Junior Spotlight Pg. 12 Food and Moore Pg. 15
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E ditorial 3
THE BRUIN
D ecember 2018
A letter from the editor BY MARRAYA YOUNGBLOOD
625 Broad Street Wadsworth, OH 44281
Bruin Staff Editor-in-Chief Marraya Youngblood News Editor Anna Bowling Art Editor Jacob Brown Features Editor Olivia Porpora Sports Editor Jacob McDermitt Online Editor Kaitlyn Setera Business Manager Jacob Loguidice
Earbud Issues By Riley Aldman
5
8
7
Inside the Bruin 11 13
15 19
Pictured on the Front:
Nate Boulter, 9 (left) Abe Haprian, 11. Bottom portrays the cruel yet merry death of Pyramus in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Photo Courtesy of Pam Csaky
Comic courtesy of the WMS Grizzle
Editorial Policy
Alexandra Zuder, 12
Eric Auffenberg, 12
December Students of the Month
Social Media Manager Kylee Baranek Staff Writers Stanley Bingham Brooke Burton Patrick Chamier Lauren Conley Jillian Cornacchione Richie Dietrich Logan Egleston Kyia Frank Jessica Hermann Hannah Hines TJ Lockwood Matt Moore Morgan Porpora Halle Schaeffer Seth Smalley Emily Thompson Abby Witcherman Anna Wolfinger Adviser Eric Heffinger
As the month of December is well underway, Wadsworth High School has been immersed in the season of giving. While the majority of us are living comfortably this holiday season, it is important to remember that this is not the case for everyone. According to the United States Census Bureau, 6.5% of Medina County residents and 6.8% of Wadsworth residents live in poverty. 20.7% of our students are at an economic disadvantage, meaning they meet state requirements for either free or fee reduced lunches. Many of us work hard for what we have, but only a few of us have extra to give. Sure, saving for your own future is important, but what about those who do not have the opportunity to save? It is our moral obligation to give back when given the opportunity. There is no greater harm to our future than to ignore the present. As a student body, we should step up and take responsibility for others. It is fact that people will respond to incentives, but the spirit
of giving should expand beyond bribery. There is no shame in accepting bonus points or wanting to watch a movie, like those offered in our food drive, but our motives to donate should be more than that. According to their website, the Salvation Army provides 56 million meals a year and 156,000 meals every single day. There are multiple ways to support this worldwide organization, but our canned food drive was the first step in the right direction. Clubs at our school such as Key Club, Interact, and Student Council sponsor multiple service projects throughout the year. For those looking to get involved in our school, these clubs are open to the whole student body and are an easy way to get involved. Outside of school, charity organizations are everywhere and are desperate for volunteers. From food banks and soup kitchens to material donations, there is no excuse for apathy. So, while the season for giving back continues, remember those who are not as privileged as you and inspire others to do the same.
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.
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4 N ews
D ecember 2018 THE BRUIN Girls’ lacrosse turning to helmets for upcoming 2019 season BY JILLIAN CORNACCHIONE
is allowed more physical contact than girls’. But, in reality, the rules of girls’ lacrosse do not cease the extensive amount of injuries occurring throughout the nation. A girls’ lacrosse game can get extremely intense and become very competitive. As a result, the possibility of injury increases for the players. “I saw first hand last year, head injuries can occur at all levels and from different events. From an inadvertent stick to the head, a collision at full speed head to head, or just a ball striking the head from a shot or a pass. Girls’ lacrosse is a fast moving sport,” said Yurchiak. Because of the risks, there has been a lot of discussion throughout the past few years
we saw on all levels last season. Although head injuries can not be completely ruled out, if we can greatly reduce the chance or effects, then I am fully for it.” Many other coaches, not just Yurchiak, believe that this action is extremely beneficial and will help improve the safety of the players participating in the sport. They see wearing helmets as an evident proposal that would affect the players in a positive way. However, some coaches disagree with the action of making helmets a requirement. Popular arguments against wearing helmets include that they are a threat to a team’s performance and a distractions to the players. They also believe it will make players more aggressive, and that they are not necessary given that current rules restrict most contact. There is also not a lot of data on them because they have not been out in the market for very long. For these reasons, making helmets mandatory is still a nationwide discussion. After countless months of in-depth debating, the girls program has taken the initiative to follow in the footsteps of other girls’ lacrosse programs throughout the country. Wadsworth now requires all girl players at all levels to wear helmets. This is in the hope that it will greatly reduce the number of concussions in the upcoming season. “I am looking forward to a great season this year,” said Kaitlyn Kittle, 11, a member of the team. “I think wearing helmets will contribute to this in the sense that it will protect us from severe head injuries and allow us to play to our greatest potentials.”
With the amount of severe injuries increasing in recent years, the Wadsworth girls lacrosse program has turned to helmets for the upcoming 2019 season. Concerns regarding head injuries have continued to grow with each passing year. Throughout last season, spring of 2018, the Wadsworth girls lacrosse program faced an alarming amount of injuries, the most prominent of which was concussions. Many of these resulted in countless players sitting out for part of the season or, in some cases, the entire season. Concussions are not just subjected to the high school level. There were a handful of concussions across the high school, middle “If we are offered the school and youth opportunity to protect programs. our student athletes, Lacrosse has one of the highest concussion why not [do so]?” ratings among sports -Karl Yurchiak in the United States. whether protective According to USA Today, over lacrosse trails only football in headgear for girls should no terms of concussion risk, with longer be merely an option, but 6.9 reported for every 10,000 a requirement. Helmets have been mandatory athletic exposures. As these numbers continue in boys’ lacrosse for years. to rise each year, parents and Although it is not mandated by coaches have begun to address US Lacrosse or OHSAA, there the problem. Through the are several states and programs search for a way to limit these that have already instituted a injuries, many have come to the helmet program for girls’ as well. “If we are afforded the conclusion that better protective opportunity to protect our headgear is the best solution. “I was part of the committee student-athletes, why not [do that really looked into the so]?” said Yurchiak. “We wear feasibility of going with helmets mouthpieces to protect our teeth across all of the Wadsworth and goggles for the eyes and part girls lacrosse program,” said of the face, why not protect our Karl Yurchiak, one of the High heads? I truly believe that it is School Girls’ Lacrosse coaches. in our safest interest to move “It was a combination of the to helmets, based on the head different levels of coaches and injuries and concussions that administrators of the program but also, it had a lot to do with the feedback from players and parents. It was not an overnight decision, but discussions that started early last season.” Although both boys and girls lacrosse players are required to wear some form of protection during games and practices, girls do not have nearly as much safety equipment as the boys Boys wear mouth guards, elbow and shoulder pads and helmets with face masks. Girls are just required to wear PHOTO BY JILLIAN CORNACCHIONE mouth guards, along with The girls’ lacrosse helmets are a different style as compared to the boys’ helmets. eye protection goggles. The Girls’ helmets end before the mouth while boys’ helmets cover the whole head and reasoning is that boys’ lacrosse face.
PHOTO BY JILLIAN CORNACCHIONE
Anna Callow, 12, one of the girls who got a concussion last season, tries on a helmet. Although the helmets provide the girls with much better protection, they are not popular among the team.
WHS wraps up annual food drive BY ANNA BOWLING
Each year, students at Wadsworth help give back to the community by participating in the annual canned food drive. The school works with The Salvation Army each year to help provide food for the residents in the area during the holiday season. This year the canned food drive ran from Tuesday, November 27 to Tuesday, December 4. This annual drive helps provide meals for those in the community who might struggle to make ends meet. While incentives are given by some teachers to encourage student participation, many
donate on their own in an effort to give back to their community. “I knew that I needed to take leadership and make a difference in the school, said Leah McNutt, 12. “Our community does so much for us more than people know and this was a great chance for me to give back to them.” In last years drive, the student body brought in over 8,000 cans across the four classes. This year, the student body improved on that number and raised 9,750 cans, with seniors raising the most. All cans donated will go to benefit local food pantries and then directly to Medina County residents.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA CALLOW
Mrs. Gunselman and a few of her students help to organize cans at the end of the drive. After sorting, other students helped take the cans to the office and took waste and recyclables to the bins.
FIRST PLACE
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
FOURTH PLACE
Seniors- 5988 Items
Sophomores- 1557 Items
Juniors- 1976 Items
Freshman- 442 Items
N ews 5
THE BRUIN
D ecember 2018
Remembering George H.W. Bush and his presidency Saying goodbye to Urban Meyer the promise to continue on the success of Reagan’s presidency. Our country is currently The United States has learned mourning the loss of America’s a lot from not only Bush’s time in 41st President. George H.W. office, but his influence before his Bush passed away on November presidency. 30 at the age of 94 in his home in “As with anyone, I believe they Houston, Texas. will learn from his mistakes and President Bush served as try to replicate his successes,” president during a turbulent time Jurey continued. “I think he truly in American History. From the wanted to put the needs of our Exxon Oil Spill, to the invasion country ahead of his own agenda of Kuwait by and that cost Iraq, or the him political American with points with Disabilities his party.” Act, President His funeral Bush was there was held at to support and The National protect the Cathedral on Americans December 5 at home and and all of the abroad. living U.S. M a n y Presidents Americans attended. have been He was g r e a t l y buried at his affected by his Presidential presidency and PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDINASQUARE.ORG library at On October 7, 1988, Vice President, George H. W. Bush during his campaign for his legacy. Texas A&M “I believe President of the United States as the Republican Candidate, addressed a large University. crowd of Medina residents from the steps of the Medina Court House. BY EMILY THOMPSON
two of his biggest legacies were the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War,” Jason Jurey said. “He also fought in WWII to preserve our freedoms.” President Bush entered the Oval Office being one of the most qualified candidates. He had eight years of experience as vice president. With a long career in both domestic and foreign affairs, Bush entered the presidency with
BY EMILY THOMPSON
Urban Meyer has been the head coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes for seven years. Meyer’s is set to retire after the Rose Bowl game against Washington University on January 1st. Ryan Day, who is currently the Offensive Coordinator for the team, will assume the position of head coach following the Rose Bowl. “It has been an honor to represent for the last seven years this football, my home state of Ohio, this university and he community I care deeply about,” Meyer told the NCAA.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOGAN EGLESTON
Urban Meyer and Mason Egleston in Columbus, Ohio at the 2017 OSU spring football game at The Shoe.
Meyer has led the team to seven victories over their longtime rival Michigan University.
How do you feel about Urban Meyer resigning?
“Well I am a Michigan fan and I think he should’ve been fired a couple months ago,” Allie Nixon, 11.
“I saw it coming, but we’re still going to beat Washington by 50,” Jared Justice, 11.
Wadsworth City School District welcomes new resource officer BY MATT MOORE
Wadsworth City Schools has put a greater emphasis on school safety this year than in previous years. With the vast number of students in the district, Wadsworth Schools decided to employ another school resource officer. Officer Dan Shonk is a nine year veteran of the Wadsworth Police Department, which is the only department he has ever worked for. Last summer, he was asked to become the second resource officer for the entire school district. He officially started his new job this past
September. Shonk is stationed at Central Intermediate School, but his job requires him to float between all of the elementary schools and the middle school. “I am in charge of security at eight buildings,” said Shonk. “There is only one of me so I try to get around to all the buildings throughout the day.” Being a school resource officer requires a certain degree of skill and strategy. Officer Shonk makes sure that he is doing everything he can to protect the students and staff. “It is important to me to be unpredictable so I am not on the
PHOTO BY MATT MOORE
Officer Shonk used handouts to help with his lesson about school safety. He walked the room to help those who had questions about it. This student had more questions about his job as a police officer.
same schedule every day,” said Shonk. “I need to be available throughout the day in case something comes up.” With so many activities taking place at Wadsworth High School alone, only having one officer for the entire district is demanding. The current resource officer, Officer Innocenti, spends most of his time patrolling the high school. “It was hard to get to all the schools in the district alone,” said Innocenti. The addition of another officer helps the other schools get equal attention that the high school does when it comes to the safety of students. “I pop in and out at the high school every now and then, but there’s always something to do and somewhere to be,” said Shonk. Shonk also teaches classes about drugs and alcohol to middle school students. He hopes to speak in government classes on the laws of search and seizure and the rights of citizens. It is important for students to know that officers can help with anything and answer any question they might have. “Anything anyone needs that an officer can help with, they can come to me,” said Shonk. “We’re not the big, bad police officers that
PHOTO BY MATT MOORE
Officer Shonk introduced himself to third grade students at Lincoln Elementary School while teaching a school safety lesson.
scare people. I’m here and I want to help.” According to the Crime and Safety Surveys Program, in 2015 about 3% of students ranging from ages twelve to eighteen reported that they were afraid of attack or harm at school during the year. Students are frightened because of the multiple threats schools can receive during the year. During the 2015-16 school year, 79% of public schools recorded that one or more incidents of violence, theft or other crimes taking place, resulting in 1.4 million crimes total. After the Parkland shooting, schools across the nation hired multiple temporary resource
officers to deal with the fear from students and the countless false threats. After the week of chaos, schools strengthened their safety precautions even further, WHS being one of them. Wadsworth City Schools decided it was time to hire another hand to protect all of the schools and the thousands of students they are trusted to keep safe. “Having two people working has made the district much safer,” Innocenti stated. While the high school does not always directly interact with Officer Shonk, the school district looks to benefit from his skill set in the months and years to come.
6 O pinion
THE BRUIN
D ecember 2018
Technology negatively affects students in the classroom
OPINION BY MORGAN PORPORA
With many technological advancements being made and the addiction many teens have, technology has affected the way students learn in a negative way. Many teachers implement the idea of a “red zone” cell phone policy, but few students follow or respect that rule. To help end this behavior, some teachers have their students place their devices in a caddy. In doing so, the teachers put themselves in a position to be liable for the phones because students are giving up their control for the device. “I hate the whole caddy system because I feel like I forget my phone all the time,” said Brendan Phillips, 11. “I wish there was a more efficient way of keeping
our phones from distracting us, without using the caddy.” The caddy system has its positives though because some teachers give bonus points to the students that utilize it. The use of devices is beneficial and it is a quick easy resource, but many students lack the self control and use it for other purposes. It is an easy way, when chromebooks are not available, to type an essay. Many science students have the app called ‘Sparkvue’, which is an app that uses bluetooth connection to graph the way velocity in cars are shown. The app contains many other features, but having it available is a great resource. “Technology is a quick and fast resource,” said Riley Shriver, 10. “Being able to use our phones in chemistry is important. When the chromebooks aren’t working, we have used them in labs before to see how energy transfers. It is really cool to see and without the use of technology it would have been a lot harder.” It is also a good way to keep students quiet and occupied while in study hall, if they have no other homework. Do the positives of
devices outweigh the negatives? Technology is not affecting only the students. Many students find themselves distracted in class, but the problem cannot fall solely on the students. Sometimes the phone that is going off in class, belongs to the teachers. In the 2018-2019 school year, Wadsworth High School has made some changes in the way they approach the technology issue. In August, they started by prohibiting the use of earbuds. With many students disappointed, how much longer will this last? “We wrote a legislation to bring earbuds back,” said Student Council Vice President, Alexandra Zuder, 12. “We understand they were a problem, but so many kids use them for various things to help with their studies. We believe in bringing them back, but accept that they should never be used in the hallways.” In the beginning of November WHS also updated their policy on the use of WiFi. When connecting to the WiFi, you are allowing your phone to be monitored. On Monday, November 19 the new WiFi policy was supposed to be
set in place, yet many students said their WiFi was still working without downloading the new software. “My WiFi still works and I never even read the email,” said Alexis Berentz, 10. School is for learning, we should keep it that way. Because technology
that ends at 10 p.m. This bill could be hitting the streets as soon as December if passed. However, if the bill fails to pass, teen drivers are still not in the clear. The bill may be reintroduced after the new year. “I really hope that this change will not hurt my chances of getting my license at sixteen. Hopefully this change happens after I get my license or the bill just doesn’t pass,” said Lauren Claxton, 11. Claxton has already received her temporary license, but fears that this bill will hinder her chances of driving freely. Regardless of age or driving status, many teens seem to be opposed to this potential law. “People that are immature but are able to drive make my life and driving a lot harder. I still think sixteen is a good age to start driving because that’s how it’s always been,” said Sam Eggleton, 12. Eggleton has been driving for over a year, but this doesn’t stop him from sympathizing with those younger than him. The tradition of driving at the age of sixteen is one passed through generations of
teens. Changing the status quo is something that many teens find hard to do. In general, driving instructors, who teach these teens and have been involved in the process of the proposal, are feeling conflicted. If the bill passes, the change will mean they will deal with more mature students. On the other hand, changing the age by only six months may not have a drastic impact on their maturity. I think that the extra six months with a temporary license will not make a huge difference in the teens ability to drive. Even though
the bill shows that the outcome will be proactive, it is hard to see how these results will actually play out. By forcing kids to wait the extra six months, there is the potential that more will just wait until they are eighteen to avoid drivers ed. If adults are worried about the maturity of teen drivers, new drivers education rules should be imposed instead. Enforcing items such as the 50 hour minimum of driving experience and forcing students to take drivers education with an instructor rather than through
is a big part of academics today, the use of chromebooks are an easy solution to the phones being a distraction. With eliminating phones, and allowing us to use chromebooks, the school would need better WiFi to efficiently make this possible.
Does technology affect the way students focus in a classroom?
“No it does not affect them anymore “It doesn’t affect our focus, but it does allow for us to get our homethan their own imaginations do.” ~ Max Runkle, 11. work done easier.” ~ Allison Merhar, 11.
“No because students know how to control themselves in the classroom.” ~ Carston Marshall, 10.
“Yes, I am on my phone the whole time.” ~Allie Kidd, 11.
Stop the bill to change legal driving age
OPINION BY LAUREN CONLEY
For many students, one of the greatest things about growing up is getting their driver’s license. Just about every teen counts down the days until they are granted this new freedom. Recently in Ohio, the state government has set forth a bill that will change the required age to get a driver’s license. If the bill passes, teens would be required to have their temporary license for twelve months before getting an official one. This law would also restrict the curfew placed on younger drivers. The hours that young drivers are allowed to be on the streets without a parent or guardian currently is from 6 a.m.-12 p.m. The bill suggests a new curfew
• 75% of teens learning to drive practiced above the required hours with parents in the car
an app could potentially help and improve the ability of teen drivers. Even if teens still elect to get the temporary permit at fifteen and a half, there are still drivers of that age on the street. This is why I do not think the bill will decrease accidents like those imposing it hope. Teens are still going to be on the road at a young and pivotal age. Just because they are forced to wait an extra six months before they drive without their parents does not mean that they will be better drivers.
Teen Driving Statistics • Only 7% of parents think that students should not be able to drive after dark
• 81% of teens say they • 1/10 teens are distracted wear a seat belt every while driving. This has gone time they drive down from 3/10 in the early 2000s
S ports
THE BRUIN
D ecember 2018
Winter sports preview
7
BY JACOB MCDERMITT
BOYS BASKETBALL
GIRLS BASKETBALL
GYMNASTICS
BOYS SWIM & DIVE
GIRLS SWIM & DIVE
The Grizzlies boys’ basketball team has a new head coach and three returning players with varsity experience. Mike Moser, Wadsworth Middle School gym teacher and three-year assistant coach, took over and is excited for his first season at the reigns.
The girls’ basketball team lost five seniors from last year’s state semifinal team. However, they return multiple players with experience, including 1st Team All-Gazette and Second Team All-Suburban League member Kacie Evans, 12, and two-year starter Taylor Leatherman, 11.
The gymnastics team is coming off of a league championship and only lost two seniors. “We’re really excited for this season,” said head coach Rachel Urbanic. “We are excited to see what else they are made of because we know they have even more to offer.”
The boys’ swim team returns three 1st Team All-Gazette members: Gabe Currens, 12, Timmy Edwards, 11, and John Edurese, 11. Currens is looking to return to states for a third straight year. He finished 17th overall in 2017 in diving.
Elyse Waldow, 11, qualified for states and finished 18th overall in the 100 breaststroke in 2017. After an offseason of training, she is confident that the new faces can help the team. “We have a bunch of new people so I think we will be good,” said Waldow.
Last season:
Last season:
Last season:
Last season:
Record: 14-10 Accomplishments: They made it to the quarterfinals of the district tournament losing to StowMonroe Falls.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN VERDE
The seniors of the boys varsity team pose with senior team manager Kevin Mueller after taking team photos.
Record: 24-4 Accomplishments: They won the Suburban League and made it to the state final four but lost in the semifinal to Solon.
Last season:
Record: 8-1 Accomplishments: They won the Northeast Ohio Gymnastics Conference and finished 6th overall at sectionals.
Record: 1-7 Accomplishments: They had six swimmers qualify for districts and sent Gabe Currens, 12, to state.
Record: 2-5-1 Accomplishments: They sent six swimmers to the district meet and had one, Elyse Waldow, 11, qualify for state.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WHS OFFICE
PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH DAULBAUGH
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL PORPORA
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARGOT ZEMBAS
The girls varsity team huddles together following their victory against the Nordonia Knights.
The gymnastics team huddles as they prepare for a big meet against Wooster last season.
J.D. Webb, 11, in the Grizzlies first swim meet of the season at home against Nordonia.
Elyse Waldow, 11, reaches out in her breaststroke at the State Championship Preliminaries last season.
Wrestling looks to continue success with new coach, new faces BY STANLEY BINGHAM
Following the departure of legendary coach John Gramuglia, the Wadsworth wrestling team will be led by Clay Wenger and looks to continue their long-standing success. Wenger has been preparing for this moment for his entire life, even as a child.
“I walked into the Wadsworth wrestling room at the age of four and since then I have loved wrestling,” said Wenger. Wenger was a captain of the 2010 state championship team, wrestled at Kent State for four years, worked under Coach G for three years and was also the head coach of the Wadsworth Wrestling Club. These roles have all brought him to this
PHOTO BY STANLEY BINGHAM
New head coach Clay Wenger gets the attention of his wrestlers and moves them on to then next drill in an intense practice.
moment. He realizes that filling the seemingly larger-than-life shoes Gramuglia left behind will come with pressure. “There is always pressure following a National Hall of Fame Coach that has grown this program to a nationally ranked team year in and year out,” Wenger said. “I embrace the pressure. I look at it as a challenge that our team and coaching staff can accept.” Coaching is not the only position that will have new faces stepping up for the 2018-2019 season. Returning wrestlers and incoming freshmen will be tasked with filling the void left behind by experienced senior, Joey Baughman, and state champion, Jordan Earnest. “Joey and Jordan were two big pieces of our team last year and they will be missed,” remarked Luke Baughman, 12, who finished as the state runner-up at 138 pounds in 2017. “However, we have a good, young core ready to step up and make
PHOTO BY STANLEY BINGHAM
Wrestlers break into pairs in this portion of practice to work on their skills and form in preparation for upcoming matches that will take place later in the season.
some noise down at the state tournament this year.” The prestige and consistency of the program has set high expectations for the upcoming season. Because of this, the Grizzlies were catapulted into state and national rankings. “We will start the season ranked 4th in Division I in Ohio, and 25th in the country,” Baughman said. “We expect to
be top ranked in the top fifteen in the country by the end of the year and finish as state champions.” The advent of new leadership in the program will create a dynamic which wrestlers at Wadsworth have not experienced in nearly three decades. With Wenger now at the helm, he will have to adapt to his new role in the program.
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D ecember 2018
S E N I O R L EA F R A K I N G Every year at Wadsworth High School, seniors get a day off to go around Wadsworth and rake yards for those unable to do so. Each group has around twenty students and has between eight to ten houses to rake. The weather this year was some of the worst it had ever been, with heavy snow starting to fall just as the seniors started. Nevertheless, they continued to rake and help those who needed it.
Noah Porter and
Benji House, Connor Pletcher, and Jacob Elsass carry a tarp full of leaves (below).
Melina Melik and Mr. Heffinger carry a tarp of leaves together (above).
Kai Wagner lean on their rakes to take a break after an especially hard yard. (right).
Henning Elsass and Madelyn Huzyak help each other carry a pile of leaves on a tarp (left ).
Jake Petty stands with his leaf blower before starting the yard (right).
Owen Porpora poses for the camera in the middle of raking. (right).
Julia Bahle works to remove a large pile of leaves. (left).
Charlotte Lewis, Erin Lynn, Melina Mellik, Madelyn Huzyak, Melissa Corbett, and Secilia Ho pose with their rakes in the snow. (left)
D ecember 2018
A
P icture 9
THE BRUIN Demetrius, portrayed by Brendan Phillips, 11, and Hermia portrayed by Hannah Saylor, 12, argued over the marriage proposal between them. (below)
Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Robin Goodfellow, portrayed by Ali Scalera, 11, and Oberon, king of the Faires, portrayed by Isaac Machar, 10, were discussing a spell to put on the lovers that were fleeing to the woods.
Nick Bottom portrayed by Abe Haprian, 11 has been transformed by Robin Goodfellow into a donkey. (above)
Demetrius portrayed by Brendan Phillips,11 is one of the star crossed lovers. (Below)
Scalera closed the play with a heartwarming monologue to the audience. She encouraged them to come to the next showing.
Evi Gobel,11, portrayed Helena, and Carter Fraser, 12, portrayed Lysander, join Phillips and Saylor on stage to fight for their true love.
Nate Boulter, 9, mimicked the moon in a play called “Pyramus and Thisbe” (left) Haprian, Julia Arellano, 11, and Alex Miller, 10, practice lines for the Mechanical’s play.
Egeus, Hippolyta, and Theseus, portrayed by Henry MacLaren, 12, Alyssa Aey, 10, and Aaron Uhl, 12, listen to Philostrate, portrayed by Diego Costa, 12, who has prepared selections for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MRS. CSAKY
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D ecember 2018 Shop from our new and used inventory sold at “Rock bottom” prices
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THE BRUIN
D ecember 2018
Boys bowling hopes to reach states once again BY T.J. LOCKWOOD
The bowling team finished in fourth place at the state tournament last season and the three highest-scoring starters return and look to make serious noise this season. The Grizzlies are currently ranked fifth in the state of Ohio according to MaxPreps, their highest ranking to date. The team has made a name for itself within the community. Just four years ago, the bowling team was not even considered a sports team at Wadsworth High; it was a club. It did not have many participants and a push was required for it to become a varsity school sport. Now, since becoming an official school sport, the number of students involved has skyrocketed. The number of the participants has dramatically increased each year and does not look to slow down anytime
in the near future. This season is just the fourth year since it made the jump from a club sport into a school sport and many may see that the team lacks experience. Despite this, the members of the team believe that there is no limit to their potential. “We all have the mindset to win and this is the best team chemistry we’ve ever had. I think we can win the state championship,” said junior captain and first team AllSuburban League member Chris Steele. The 2017 bowling season was a historic one for the Grizzlies. It was the first year in school history that the team won sectionals and districts in the same season. They also placed second in the Suburban League behind the eventual state runner-up to StowMunroe Falls. This was the highest league finish in school
history. The team’s top bowler, Steele, was an All-Medina County player and was also named Bowler of the Year by The Post. Although last season was full of broken records and big accomplishments for the team, the 2018-2019 season looks to be even better. Led by senior captains Eric Auffenberg, 12,
and Cooper Wrobel, 12, they have confidence from the work they have put in since the conclusion of last season. “We have been working so hard and we believe in ourselves. It is important for us to learn from our past mistakes and improve as a team,” said Wrobel. In order to ensure that the
team reaches their full potential this season, these bowlers have been working on not only their skills but also their togetherness and team unity. “We are working hard everyday, telling each other what we need to work on and what strategies we need to execute to win the next match or tournament,” said Steele.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS STEELE
The varsity bowling team celebrated their first place win at districts, the first in school history. They then went on to place fourth at States. From this incredible run, the team has gained the experience and confidence needed for this season.
Historic Grizzly football season: going 10-0 and reaching regional finals said Justin Todd, head coach of the Wadsworth football team, The Wadsworth football team “No matter what, they never went undefeated for the second feel like they are out of a game straight regular season and won and I believe that it is because a pair of playoff games before of the adverse situations that we falling a game short of the state [the coaches] put them in during final four. Despite falling to practice, summer conditioning Massillon in the regional finals and more.” on November 16, many of the From the hard work in battles and obstacles that the practice, the team made huge team overcame during the 2018 strides throughout the season season helped them to even in their ability to play on third reach that game. down, according to Todd. This was a weakness for him and the team throughout “People only get regular season, nervous when they are the but not going into the unprepared.” postseason. In their first playoff - Coach Todd game, the regional In their first game of the quarterfinals, the Grizzlies season, Wadsworth toppled once again faced Wooster. Firestone 63-0. This hot start However, the rematch would allowed the team to step into not be at Wooster, but rather on the season with confidence in the Grizzlies home turf at Art their abilities and each other. Wright Stadium. The Grizzlies However, they only won their fell behind by 17 points early second game of the season by on and were also down top one touchdown, a 37-31 road wide receiver Carson Risher, victory over Wooster. These two 12, who had suffered a seasonwins could not have been more ending injury only a couple of different. Winning in drastically games before. While down, the different ways gave them the football team was not out. The belief in one another and that for Wadsworth offense eventually the rest of the season they would took the lead, 42-38, before leave everything on the field. the defense came up with four “We have a group of guys that straight stops from the six yard have a ‘never-quit’ attitude,” line to close the game out. BY RICHIE DIETRICH
With this victory, the Grizzlies advanced to the regional semifinal against Dresden TriValley. While the Grizzlies 2017 season ended in the regional semifinals, things would be different this time. Students, fans, and the community grew nervous for the upcoming game, but Todd and his team felt otherwise. The players and coaches turned their nerves into excitement. “People only get nervous when they are unprepared,” said Todd. “In a game like this, you can never hold anything back. If you have a trick play, run it;
you do not leave a game like this with a, ‘I wish I would have tried that’.” This confidence helped as Wadsworth once again faced an early game deficit, but defeated Dresden Tri-Valley and moved on to the regionals finals against heavily favored Massillon. At this point, the community was on their toes and Todd and his team were in the process of preparing for their biggest game in years. The Grizzlies hung around in the first half of the game, but fell short and lost 4119 to Massillon. “Some things are God given and you just can not coach them;
speed is one of those things,” said Trey Schaffer, 11. “I feel like there were situations where we could not capitalize and that is why we lost--not because of Massillon’s speed.” While the Grizzlies had their ups and downs throughout the 2018 season, they have a lot to hang their hat on. According to Schaffer, the team is losing a lot of their starters going into next year. Their goal, however, remains to be the best team they can be. “[We have] to build around the starters we have returning to get the team to where it needs to be,” said Schaffer on next year.
Todd and his team discuss their season while in preparation for the finals against Massillon.
PHOTO BY RICHIE DIETRICH
12 F eatures
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D ecember 2018
Junior
Shane Corp: BMX BY KYIA FRANK
Shane Corp is a BMX racer. For those that do not know, BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross. Corp has been racing for the past nine years. He has won a multitude of awards and been recognized by many racers and mentors for his talent. “It takes a lot more endurance and athleticism than people think. It’s not an easy sport,” said Corp During the week, Corp practices at the Akron BMX tracks, which opens in April
and closes at the end of October. Practices last two hours, but at nationals you are only given 30 minutes to practice before you race. “Only being given 30 minutes to prepare for such a big race is nerve racking,” said Corp. BMX races are sprint races on purpose. The tracks are built off road and a single lap. The track usually consists of a starting gate for a maximum of eight racers, a groomed, serpentine, dirt race course with various jumps and rollers and the finish line. “I have been BMX racing for nine years and I knew from
the beginning that this is what I wanted to do and that this is what I love,” exclaimed Corp. He is ranked fourth in the Northeast Region of the United States and is the 2018 state champ in the 17-20 Expert Class, which is the most advanced class.. “To win states it took a lot of training. I trained by doing sprints outside and working out in the gym to prepare myself,” said Corp. USA BMX hosts Nationals every weekend starting in January until the Grand National tournament in November where all of the rewards from the season are presented to the racers “I was recently invited to the Race of Champions which took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma over Thanksgiving,” said Corp. Corp ended up going to the
Race of Champions but crashed in the semi race making it impossible to make it to the main race. He competed against 55 racers and only 8 make the main race. “I have also been given the privilege to be sponsored by Havok Bike and Real Time BMX,” said Corp. Hovak Bikes manufactures their own products such as bike parts. They sponsor racers to represent their products at races so they can gain exposure. The other company, Real Time, is a bike shop in Illinois that is also a part of Hovak Bikes. The two companies work to promote Corp. “Going into this year I have very high expectations because of having such a great year last year. I plan on working even harder to win states again,” said Corp.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANE CORP
Shane Corp is awarded first for winning at states.
Logan Freund: Cheerleading BY KYIA FRANK
Logan Freund is a level five competitive cheerleader at Ohio Cheer Explosions in Brunswick and is also on the Wadsworth varsity cheer team. Cheerleading has always been a big part of his life and it has given him many unique opportunities to do what he loves “Being the only male cheerleader on the varsity cheerleading team activates many different opinions but cheer is what I love to do,” said Freund.
Freund puts in around 14 hours a week at the gym, which is hard for him to handle on top of school. “It gets very stressful and overwhelming at times, but it’s all worth it in the end,” said Freund. Freund and his team practice 3 times a week in order to prepare for the 9 competitions throughout the season. Some of these competitions can span over two full days. Depending on how well they do, they have the possibility to compete in extra competitions. “Cheerleading has given my teammates and I an abundant
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOGAN FREUND
Ohio Cheer Explosions prepares for their performance in the warm up room before hitting the floor.
amount of opportunities that many people do not have the chance to experience on an everyday basis,” said Freund. Last year they were given the opportunity to go to Worlds, which is the biggest cheerleading competition in the world, hence the name. Every year in April the best teams from all over the world travel to compete against one another in Orlando, Florida. In order to go to this tournament, a team must have a bid, which is money given to a team, or in other words, a ‘ticket. It can either be a full bid or a half bid. To get a bid you must have a perfect routine that the judges love and. Meaning, zero deductions and receiving high scores in all categories on the scoring sheet. Last year Freund’s team was offered a half bid to Worlds in March at Universal Cheer Association in Orlando, Florida. After they were offered the bid, they had to put in double the effort in order to succeed at the compeition. “We knew we were going to
have to put in ten times the work, but we were all willing to do it because this was our dream,” said Freund. In order to pull off a perfect routine, practices were scheduled every day. Freund began putting around 20 hours a week at the gym in order to learn a whole new routine. The team even traveled all the way to Atlanta, Georgia to practice their routine and further prepare for Worlds. “It was an anxiety overload,” said Freund. At Worlds, Freund’s team had a perfect routine, which meant that there were no mistakes or deductions. Freund states that he cried when they hit zero deductions. “It was the best feeling ever being out there with my team and I would do anything to go back to the experience,” said Freund. After Worlds, the team had a month off, but when practice started up again, Freund’s team was given a brand new routine, much to their disliking. They practiced this routine for about two months but they came to
the conclusion that this new routine was not going to work for them. In order to get a new routine their gym paid Varsity $4,000 for a whole new start. They have been practicing this routine e v e r since, and their first competition of this year was held on December 2, at American Cheerpower located in Columbus, Ohio. They ended up placing first. With this new routine, Freund and his teammates hope to make it to Worlds in 2019. “I believe in our team and I believe we are capable to make it to Worlds again and do even better than last year,” said Freund.
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D ecember 2018
F eatures 13
SPOTLIGHT
Aniya Harris: Taekwondo
Taekwondo consists of three South Korea this past summer to events during tournaments. The compete in the 2018 Jeju World first is a sparring match, where Taekwondo Aniya Harris is a third degree two players spar off in a padded Hanmadang black belt in Taekwondo, and ring. Both players wear either blue Tournament. has been doing it for eight years. or red padded gear, depending on “There She has even traveled across their team, to protect themselves. were people the world to compete against “Any skill is legal and can earn all the way from people from countless countries that player a certain amount of Mexico, and cultures. Competing in the China, points,” explained Harris. “Each Taipei, India, Russia and three events- form, breaking of the two rounds are a minute more,” said Harris. and sparring- she has developed long with a 30 second break in a multitude of skills over the Out of the 16 teams between.” years while simultaneously competing in Jeju, Harris’ The second event is breaking, team placed 12th. gaining unforgettable personal where points are rewarded experiences. “All of it was absolutely depending on the amount of amazing,” said Harris. Harris has been involved in boards, the size “Granted, the weather was of the boards hot and we did a lot of and the types of walking, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.” skills used. After the tournament, Harris The third event is form, and her teammates traveled all where a number over the peninsula of South Korea, of judges embracing the Korean culture. d e t e r m i n e They visited the capital city of which of the Seoul and went to Kukkiwon, the two players main headquarters for Taekwondo. was better, by Her team visited the Namsan either gesturing Tower, engulfed themselves in the their hand to busy city and shopping centers and either side, or also climbed peaking mountains averaging the that overlooked the city. “We climbed mountains that points. H a r r i s were so far up I could barely see PHOTO BY ANNA WOLFINGER traveled to the the city skylines through the fog,” Aniya Harris performs a split and balances in between two chairs. She holds her hands up in the typical island of Jeju, said Harris. Taekwondo defensive form. BY ANNA WOLFINGER
Taekwondo since she was a kid. As a child, she would often wrestle with her cousins and struggled with getting the upper hand. Her parents decided to channel that feistiness and decided to sign her up for Taekwondo. “I wanted to learn how to defend myself, and I honestly just wanted to break cement,” said Harris. Training at the World Champion Martial Arts dojang, she has advanced through the rank of belts, starting with white, and ending in the third and final level of black belt, in just eight years.
While Taekwondo is seen mainly as a Korean sport, tournaments are actually hosted all over the world, taking place at anytime in any country. In Ohio alone, there are countless tournaments a n d opportunities to join Taekwondo. There are even Ohio State Championship tournaments. Taekwondo has had a major impact on Harris. “Without this sport, I would not be the same person I am today,” said Harris. “Taekwondo will be a part of me for the rest of my life.” “My physical, mental and emotional health have all changed for the better,” said Harris. “I am around people who want to improve others to the best of their ability. Now, I am the one to help out others to become their best selves possible.” Throughout her many years of mastering this skill, she has gained a new mentality and an experience she will carry out her entire life. “I have gained a second family and an experience I may never get again,” said Harris.
Joe Muhl: Music BY ANNA WOLFINGER
Joe Muhl has been engulfed in music since he was six years old. Picking up four different instruments--the piano, the French horn, the trumpet and the guitar--Joe has mastered the skills of these instruments through his inherited sense of music, and the support behind his musically-inclined family. “Music is one of the largest ways to connect all people,” said Muhl. “Whether it is listening, talking about, performing or just playing around for fun, everyone enjoys music.” Joe started taking piano lessons when he was just six years old, when his mother, a
piano player herself, noticed his musical talent. “Playing the piano, it is very easy to get caught up in the music,” said Muhl. “But for me, the audience is the most important part of playing. A great pianist feels out their audience while they play.” When Muhl was in the fifth grade, he took up the trumpet. However, he disliked the amount of other trumpet players there ended up being in the school band. In his sixth grade year, he decided to switch to the French horn. He already had a familiarity with the instrument since his mother was also a former French horn player. “Playing the horn felt unique and specialized for me,” said Muhl. “Plus, I had a natural
inclination for the sound and tone music together. Muhl visits his of the horn.” aunt and uncle’s house to play This past summer, Muhl started around with instruments and to learn the guitar. Since the music with his cousins. Muhl guitar strongly resembles what it plays the keyboard, his cousin is like to play the piano, learning plays the guitar while other the expertise of this acoustic family members attempt to join in instrument was not very difficult for Muhl. “The essence of what music means to me can be found in my family jam sessions,” said Muhl. The Muhl f a m i l y frequently gets together to play PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE MUHL
whenever they can. “There is a tangible spirit of togetherness, warmth, energy, fun and love all brought about by the music we play,” said Muhl. Muhl hopes to continue playing music throughout his life, and plans to study music further when attending college. Whatever is ahead in his future, he knows music will be incorporated somehow. “It is hard to picture what an average week would look like for me without music,” said Muhl. “It is what I look forward to when I get to school, and what I love to do when I am home.”
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2018
A year in review January February On February 4th, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
July
May
March
June
April On April 5, a women opened fire at the Youtube Headquarters, wounding 3 people and then killing herself.
On June 8th, The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals, with a 4-0 record.
Best albums of 2018 b&B
This album had 132 million listens within the first 24 hours on Spotify and 170 million on Apple Music.
The Greatest The Showman soundtrack hits Greatest No. 1 in its fourth Showman Travis Scott’s week. Astroworld sits at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart.
Kate
Spade
John McCa in
Wildfires in California have caused more than $2.975 billion in damages and $1.366 billion in fire suppression costs.
November September August October December On August 12th, NASA launched a new solar probe towards the sun.
On October 4th, Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice after his FBI investigation regarding sexual misconduct.
The 41st president, George H. W. Bush, passed away on November 30th, and had his funeral on December 5th.
Best movies of 2018
Scorpion
Post Malone sold 461,000 copies within its first week.
Astroworld
On July 4, a woman climbed the base of the Statue of On September Liberty to 12th, Apple protest the released the separation iPhone XS and XS of migrant max. families.
On May 23rd, the NFL announced that teams would be fined for kneeling players. These individuals are now expected to stay in the locker room during the anthem.
On March 23rd, the #Neveragain movement began, protesting guns.
On January 29th, the Cleveland Indians removed their logo “Chief Wahoo” for the 2019 season.
E ntertainment 15
THE BRUIN
D ecember 2018
Inc
re
Black
dib
les
Panther
2
Survey taken from 128 students across all grades
Avengers
lts resu from e com ken ll ta a po dents tu by s
ad
p 2 ool
in
InfInity Wars
Stars that have left us in 2018 Mac Miller
De
n
io XXXTentac
Aretha
Frankl
Steven ng i k w Ha Page by Halle Shaeffer
REVIEW BY MATT MOORE
Food and Moore
This month, I took to the streets of Wadsworth to find the best bang for your buck within city limits. Tailgators Sports Bar and Grill is located just west of beautiful downtown Wadsworth on College Street. They are known for having decent bar food that is not incredibly expensive, and they have over twenty televisions to watch your favorite sports teams play. Normally, the bar scene, like the one at Tailgators, is reserved for the young adult crowd. But there are two nights out of the week that teenagers need to be aware of. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Tailgators offers 59 cent chicken wings. These wings are top-of-the-line pieces of meat, cooked to perfection and doused in one of 21 sauce options. My personal favorite is the Erie Island smoke dry rub, which is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. A great compliment to the wings is a basket of loaded “Gator Tots,” - more commonly known as tater tots. These golden fried potatoes, covered in chili, cheese and onions, are easily the best appetizer in the city. If wings and tots are not your fancy, there is always the option of burgers, sandwiches or even seafood to fulfill your appetite. Students who are looking for a great deal on a weeknight need to check out Tailgators. I give this deal five out of five paws.
PHOTO BY MATT MOORE
16
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D ecember 2018
What is your favorite Holiday tradition?
“Decorating my family christmas tree with my kids.” ~Mrs. Davis
“Playing monopoly with my whole family.”
~Diego Costa, 12
“Sledding with my friends.”
“Making gingerbread houses with my family.”
~Dylan Weinreich, 10
“Reading ‘Twas
the Night Before Christmas with my family.”
~Chris Steele, 11
“Going to my “Shopping until there is “Making piles of grandparents nothing left in my bank wrapping paper and account.” throwing them at house on Christmas and eating monkey each other.” bread.” ~Jacob Sega, 11 ~Brendan Phillips, 11
~Emily Cingle, 12
“Putting up decorations around my house.”
~Emma Larj, 10
“Watching all of the Christmas movies with my family.”
“Hunting for the perfect Alexander family Christmas tree.”
“Putting up my Christmas tree with my family.”
“Eating brunch with my family on Christmas.”
“Watching The Christmas Story twenty million times.”
~Allie McCall, 9
~Mary Taylor, 9
~Sam Arnold, 10
~Ava Snowball, 10
~Mr. Alexander
~Robby Kellener, 10
“Watching “It’s a “Going out to Wonderful Life” dinner and a movie with my family on while decorating the tree.” Christmas Eve.”
~Mason Burton, 9
“Making Christmas cookies with my Grandma.”
~Hannah Saylor, 12
“My siblings and I have a running competition to see who has the most photos up. every year I get my grandma another picture of myself just to make sure that I am winning.”
~Sylvia Reynolds, 11
“Waking up at six on Christmas morning.”
~Julia Arellano, 11
“Not spending money on pictures of myself.” ~Sam Hanna, 12
~Mr. Hanna
PAGE BY BROOKE BURTON