The Bruin - February 2021

THE BRUIN CONTENTS

MARSHALL COMMITS D1 WANDAVISION

INSIDE THE

WADSWORTH HIRES NEW STRENGTH COACH

BRUIN

DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WRESTLER

WHS ALUMNI TEACHERS NOTABLE WHS ALUMNI AVA KNIGHT MODELS

BRUIN STAFF

NEWS EDITOR Natalie Maher

625 Broad Street Wadsworth, OH 44281 ART & LAYOUT EDITOR

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Brianna Becerra Brian Coote

2 FEBRUARY 2021

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER & VIDEOGRAPHER Micah Beck

Alex Miller

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT

FEATURES & IN DEPTH EDITOR

ADVISOR

Emily Brandyberry

Grace Pantalone Eric Heffinger

STAFF WRITERS Ashley Allwood Julia Blake Laney Corell Elisabeth Gromofsky Dylan Heppert Michael Jira Janae Joachim Haylee Joy Ari Kaser Jackson Kerley Kade Miros Chloe Porter Kayla Ross Hailey Smith Julia Swain LAYOUT BY ARI KASER

EDITORIAL THE BRUIN

Editorial: Wadsworth curriculum needs diversity Since elementary school, Wadsworth students have been taught about Black History Month. Learning about and appreciating black history and culture should not just be exclusive to February, though.

Students are not exposed to black literature at a young enough age. I had gone through three years of high school with a very limited understanding of the realities of racism until I was required to read black literature, and reading Their Eyes Were Watching God opened my eyes to a whole new world of understanding.

Most sophomores read To Kill a Mockingbird. This piece is not written by a black author and does not depict racism from the perspective of a black person.

For many students, this is as close as they will get to reading about the black experience before graduating.

I chose to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings this year by my own free will, and it was an absolute wake up call.

Though there are mature ideas present,

such as rape and teen pregnancy, it is an authentic story that depicts the realities of growing up as a black girl. Students are missing out on an essential stage of worldly understanding if they are not introduced to these ideas before graduating. Sheltering them from these scenarios is not helpful to them, but instead detrimental to their understanding of the black experience.

Some students have expressed an interest in specialized literature courses, such as an elective course focused on the study of black literature. This would offer students another opportunity to educate themselves about the importance of black history while also appreciating the work of authors of color.

Because the idea of a black literature elective may only be attractive to a small demographic of students, black literature must be prevalent in every ELA classroom.

There are so many opportunities to include this literature in the classroom, but these opportunities are not frequently taken.

Short stories and poetry are a great

starting point. More brief pieces of writing can introduce the topic and integrate it into class discussions. Instead of placing a focus on almost exclusively white authors, students should be introduced to Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Langston Hughes and many more.

It is not only the English department that has the opportunity to educate students on black culture and experiences, but the history department as well. All students are required to take United States History and Government before graduating, and these are two classes that are perfect candidates for discussing the harsh realities of racial oppression and tensions.

Students at Wadsworth High School are not taught about the Tulsa Race Massacre, the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, or the Black Panthers. If students want to learn about these things, they are required to do it on their own time. It is clear that more time needs to be spent on these topics in order

to prepare students for the world outside of Wadsworth.

The New York Times released the 1619 Project in 2019, which created curriculum for teachers to more accurately teach about the history of slavery and racism in the United States. This curriculum has been debated by educators all over the country, but it accurately depicts black history in America without toning it down.

It is the responsibility of history teachers to present black history without avoiding the topics or events that are hard to swallow, as they are essential to the time line and experiences of the black community.

Black culture is not something that can simply be “understood” by white people, as we will not live through those same experiences. It is our responsibility as citizens of a diverse nation to educate ourselves on the history of racism in our country in order to put a stop to it.

I SCREWED UP SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO

ADVICE FROM GRACE STAFF WRITER Hi, I am Grace and this is the Bruin’s advice column based on the mistakes I have already made. I am hoping that somehow what I have to say will help you. But if I screw up the advice I give, well… just add it to the list!

Dear Grace, Should I buy a dress for Junior Banquet or Prom?

- Dress Disaster I would hold off on buying a dress for either right now. The last thing you

Students of the month

want is to buy an expensive dress and then not wear it. I have had a red dress in my closet since my sophomore winter formal because I thought I would wear it. Then I bought another one, saying that the red dress could be worn for my junior homecoming. Clearly I did not wear the dress because there was no homecoming this year, but now I do not really think I even want to wear it at all.

So hold off on buying a dress right now.

Everything is still up in the air about the school dances and you would not want to waste money on a dress that might go out of style or might not even get worn by you.

Dear Grace, How do you turn around a bad day?

- Bad Day Blues Recently, I managed to leave my lunch

Follow the Bruin on all platforms @Wadswor thBruin

Lauren Claxton, 12 C A R E E R

T E C H Jena Cashner, 12

at home, which was the very start of my bad day. I did not think it was going to be a bad day because the day before I had not even gone to school. I had my outfit picked out the night before and my lunch was packed and on the counter. I think my day went wrong at 6:50 after I had hit snooze on my alarm clock multiple times.

I would recommend trying to get up early and to have everything ready for the day beforehand to prevent a bad day. When you are starting to just feel stressed out from a bad day I would just take a step back and do something that relaxes you.

What I would not do is put off doing your homework or class work because the last time I did that I had to work twice as hard to get my algebra grade up.

Need some advice?

Contact Grace Pantalone 22gpantalone@ wadsworthschools.org

@graciepantalone on Instagram

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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.

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NEWS THE BRUIN

HOW OTHER SCHOOLS ARE HANDLING COVID

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BY GRACE PANTALONE STAFF WRITER

he 2020-2021 school year has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 virus and different schools have been handling it differently.

The way schools hold their school days differs from school to school.

Wadsworth has tried to stay in school by having certain protocols in place, such as limiting who is near who at lunch, keeping masks over noses and keeping space between the desks in the classrooms. But at other schools, schedules are looking a little different.

“We have to wear masks and at lunch we can only have four people at a table,” said Matt Dinan, a student at Coventry.

This is different from Wadsworth, where only two or three people are able to sit by each other at lunch.

Similar to Wadsworth, Copley has their cafeteria set up where students can only sit with one person

and in assigned seats.

After Thanksgiving break, Wadsworth had the students on an online school program. Medina had their students on a similar schedule that included four days of online schooling.

Nadia Bettle, a student at Medina, explained that they had, “10 minute breaks between 40 minute classes with study halls and lunch offline.”

On January 14, Medina students found out what the plan would be for the next portion of their year. It had been decided that students would continue with their hybrid schedule for the next two weeks and there is a possibility that everyone will come back full time on February first.

Along with everyday changes, each school is also experiencing changes to their sports seasons.

Each school has made their own decisions, with some sports having game cancellations or postponements.

At Wadsworth, most of the winter sports teams are having practices and games with COVID-19 protocols in place.

“Over time at Chippewa they have

PERFECT MATCH DECOR MOVES DOWNTOWN

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BY KAYLA ROSS STAFF WRITER

owntown Wadsworth has a new addition to the businesses on Broad Street. Perfect Match Decor is an antique and furniture store that recently opened a new location in the town square.

In December of 2020, Sharon Underwood and Wayne Yoders moved their store from the corner of south Main Street and State Street to a location on Broad Street. Their new location sits next to the Marathon and Dolce.

Perfect Match Decor sells a variety of products.

“It’s an eclectic mix of old and new: used things, refurbished things, furniture, antiques, just an eclectic mix,” said Underwood.

They sell their own antiques and refurbished furniture, but they also allow some small businesses from the community to sell products there.

“We have 14 vendors local to the area that have booths in the store,” said Underwood. “When you patron Perfect Match Decor, you’re also buying from local sellers, makers and artists.”

One of the main focuses of the store is their furniture.

“My husband Wayne is very involved; he works on everything behind the scenes,” said Underwood. “We deliver furniture, we repair furniture, we paint furniture, and we really do offer a lot of services and want the community to know that.”

Underwood and her husband often give antique furniture a new life with fresh paint, hardware, and upholstery.

Underwood and Yoders enjoy the support their new location offers as well.

“We really wanted to be involved in the downtown square, getting involved with the community there,” said Underwood.

“We thank the community for patroning us, working with us, and all the good feedback we’ve gotten.”

Perfect Match Decor’s store address is 129 Broad Street, with the entrance behind the Marathon facing South Lyman Street. The store is open Wednesday through Friday from 11:00AM- 5:00PM, and Saturday from 10:00AM-4:00PM.

Sharon Underwood smiles behind the front desk at her and her husband’s store, Perfect Match Decor. It is now located between Dolce and Marathon. PHOTO BY KAYLA ROSS

slowly allowed more people to come watch home games but strict protocol still applies in 2021,” said a Chippewa student, Brandon Irwin. “This includes mask wearing, and social distancing.”

Wadsworth has similar protocols put in place for their sporting events.

These protocols have been in place since the beginning of the school year.

Wadsworth has their athletes wear their masks when not playing also and if there are spectators, they must wear their masks at all times and stay socially distanced.

Similarly, Norton students are experiencing some of the same protocols.

“Athletes wear masks when not playing to prevent the spread,” said Seth Dyer, a student at Norton.

Even though schools are allowing students to continue to participate in sports and other specific extracurricular activities, other activities such as school

dances, have been canceled.

So far, Wadsworth has put grade specific events such as, Junior Banquet, on the calendar but most will either be canceled or not held in the traditional manner.

Even though most schools follow the basic guidelines of social distancing and mask wearing, each school has adopted their own based on what best fits their school.

A lot of desks are empty in Mr. Schoonover’s AP Seminar Homeroom. The class is small because five out of eight of his students are on the Wadsworth Wired program. PHOTO BY GRACE PANTALONE

THE JUNK STORE OPENS IN WADSWORTH

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BY JACKSON KERLEY STAFF WRITER

he Junk store sells overstocked and goods with damaged boxes for an extreme discount of retail price.

They opened where Hometown Market used to be off of State Route 94.

“We’ve built our whole model around buying Amazon, Home Depot or Lowes container loads of either overstock or goods with damaged boxes,” said Nick Kukta, the co-owner of the store.

Kukta did not start the store by himself; he opened it with his friend Rob Coviak.

“We sell everything from forty to sixty percent off the regular prices,” said Kukta.

The company sells all kinds of goods and does not limit themselves to specific types of products.

“We have everything from bicycles to furniture, mirrors, clocks, snack food,

Playstations,” said Kukta.

“We also have hunting stuff as well.”

Kukta also plans to open an online store, where people will be able to order their stock online and have it shipped straight to their door.

“Everything we have in our store will be available online and be able to be shipped to your house,” said Kukta.

Even though the store has only been open a short amount of time they are already looking to open another.

“We’re looking to open another one here in the next six months,” said Kukta.

The Junk Store is located at 115 State Street in Wadsworth Ohio.

The Junk Store’s building stands during closed hours. The building is located at 115 State Street, Wadsworth Ohio. PHOTO BY JACKSON KERLEY

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 5

THE BRUIN NEWS

TWO SOLAR PLANTS IN WADSWORTH WADSWORTH JOINS JUUL LAWSUIT

BY ARI KASER AND CHLOE PORTER STAFF WRITERS

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COURTESY

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WIKIMEDIA

In 2020, Wadsworth completed the installation of two solar plants. The city plans to use the plants to increase the output of renewable energy in electricity. It will also help reduce the high transmission and capacity costs. The power plants are put onto tracking systems that will allow them to move with the sun during the day in order to maximize the energy that is produced. The plants are located on Seville Road and Rittman Road and were both put into commercial use in 2020.

BIDEN AND HARRIS SWORN IN

LAYOUT BY ARI KASER

Wadsworth City Schools has joined in on the lawsuit against the vape manufacturer, Juul Labs Inc. The lawsuit is a mass action lawsuit that requires no evidence from the school board or financial commitment from the district.

According to Dr. Andrew Hill, the goal is to be a part of the settlement to help better the drug education programs in the schools in hopes to try and change teens’ habits and beliefs towards vaping and smoking.

WADSWORTH SCHOOLS CLOSE FEBRUARY 4 FOR TEACHER VACCINATION Wadsworth City Schools superintendent, Dr. Andrew Hill, announced that all school employees will be able to receive their first Coronavirus vaccine on February 4, 2021. Wadsworth schools will be closed on that day while the teachers and staff are getting vaccinated.

“While canceling a day of school is never desired, allowing our employees to have access to the COVID-19 vaccine is another step in helping us to keep our students in school,” said Hill.

Scheduling for the vaccines will begin on Friday, January 29 and will close on Sunday, January 31. The start time to get vaccines will be as early as 7:00 am and the entire district will be assigned to a certain clinic. In December, many employees had already expressed interest in receiving the new vaccine.

RIOTS AND IMPEACHMENT

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On January 20, Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States.The previous president, Donald Trump, did not take part in the tradition of attending the inauguration. Instead, Trump held his own event at a separate venue and then left before Biden could be sworn in. Vice President Kamala Harris was also sworn in on January 20th and made history as the first female, first South Asian, and first black vice president.

6 FEBRUARY 2021

On January 6, 2021, violence erupted as protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol building. The chaos started midday after President Trump incited his supporters to march on Capitol Hill. Members of the riot climbed over barricades and entered the building, smashing windows and destroying property. In the end, 5 people were dead, included one Capitol Hill police officer.

Following the events in the capitol, the U.S. House impeached Trump, which made him the first president in US history to be impeached twice. Even though Trump is no longer president, a trial will begin in the US Senate on February 8. For Trump to be found guilty, Democrats will need 17 Republican Senators to side with them.

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FREE LUNCHES LEAD TO INCREASED FOOD WASTE

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OPINION BY NATALIE MAHER NEWS EDITOR

adsworth High school is facing bigger problems in the school cafeteria than the traditional “mystery meat.” Because of the free school lunches this year due to COVID, there has been an increase of wasted and thrown out food in the cafeteria.

On October 19 of last year, the Ohio Department of Education released the statement that they got approval for free lunches to carry over into the 2020-2021 school year. While this is a good thing, it has led to a lot of wasted food in the cafeteria.

“I’ve seen a bunch of kids in my lunch throw away their lunch,” said sophomore Nathan Hurrle. “They legit throw their whole tray in the trash can.”

Any student is now able to get a free lunch provided by the school, but in order to get this free lunch, they are required to get the whole lunch. They are not able to ask for only the french fries, only the milk or only the pizza.

In order to be considered a lunch, the meal must include an entree, side and drink. If they do only get one item, even if it is included in that day’s lunch, they have to pay for that singular item.

Students are now getting entire lunches for one singular item. The rest of the lunch gets merely thrown out by the student. This is a problem.

In years past, lunches were wasted but not to this extent. It is natural for some students to

be less reluctant to throw out certain parts of a lunch because they needed to pay for it. Now, it is free. That respect for the money put in is gone because it is not their own.

“Personally, I have never seen someone get a lunch for one item and throw the rest away, but I’m sure it happens,” said junior Sydney Goodson. “I think people are definitely more careless with their food now than they were when they had to pay for it.”

Trash cans are now getting almost completely full in one lunch period. While this may not seem to be an uncommon occurrence, it must be taken into account that due to COVID, students are spaced out with only three max to a table.

Some students are taking advantage of the free lunches by getting it and actually finishing it in its entirety.

“I’ve seen a lot more people buying lunches [and] I’ve seen people eat the whole lunch,” said junior Celia Lambert.

A way this problem could be solved is by limiting the amount of times each student can go through the line once, and then only get one portion of the item free, which would help cut down on the amount of wasted food getting thrown out.

Ensuring every student eats during the school day is very important, but the free lunch program and the way that it is set up is doing more harm than good because of the rules surrounding the program.

760,000

TONS OF FOOD WASTE IN THE COUNTRY IS PRODUCED BY SCHOOLS EACH YEAR

INFOGRAPHICS BY MICAH BECK

OPINION THE BRUIN

SOURCE: RTS.COM STUDY

MILLION STUDENTS BUY LUNCH EACH DAY

SOURCE: SCHOOLNUTRITION.ORG

SOURCE: FEEDINGAMERICA.ORG

already finished college and are pursuing their careers. “[If] stimulus checks are meant to ease the financial hardships that the pandemic has onset, I don’t see any reason why college students wouldn’t fit the criteria,” says senior Trent Beeman. “If anything, the pandemic has only made college students more financially unstable.”

will be the most likely group to spend it immediately; other groups might just put it in savings or save it for later. Therefore, since it is likely that college students are going to spend it immediately, and could really use the money, they should be included. This gives them the opportunity to spend it on things like food, living costs, transportation, and other basic necessities that may already be hard to afford for some. Especially, in a time where lots of jobs are in awkward and uncertain states.

By not including more groups of people in the two stimulus packages that have been passed so far, Congress has failed to take full advantage of their deals meant to stimulate the economy.

Furthermore, the college-age constituents for which Congress represents are only left forgotten and neglected as they fail to include dependents. Representatives on all sides are more interested in bickering and arguing than they are in assisting their constituents in these times, only further contributing to our government’s overall mistreatment of the seriousness of the pandemic.

The fact that students are still not eligible recipients of stimulus funds, even after multiple congressional bill rewrites and proposals, is a failure on Congress’ part to take full advantage of the solution they proposed to stimulate the economy.

COLLEGE STUDENTS SHOULD GET THE STIMULUS CHECK OPINION BY MICAH BECK

PROMOTIONAL MARKETING EDITOR This past December, Congress finally reached a deal on a stimulus package that gives a direct $600 payment to Americans. This was after months of bickering and arguments from both sides, including a presidential veto, which Congress overrode. However, not everyone is eligible for the stimulus; aside from

Even after 2 stimulus package bills, most college students still remain ineligible for the extra funds.

PHOTO BY MICAH BECK

a bunch of exclusions based on legal mumbo jumbo involving gross annual income and taxes, individuals claimed as dependents on their parent’s tax returns are ineligible. I find this to be an aggravating restriction on the stimulus package.

The stimulus package was meant as a solution to help stimulate the economy, hence the name. Back in late March 2020, when the original stimulus package was introduced, our economy had entered a recession and was heavily floundering, due to fears of the coronavirus pandemic. Basic economic theory explains that recessions do not fix themselves, and increased government spending can make up for the decrease of private spending.

Of course, citizens can spend the stimulus money on whatever they want, and it will contribute to the recovery of the economy either way. So, the idea is that they spend it in places that are in more need of support such as small businesses.

This is why I fail to understand why students who work and contribute to the economy already via taxes are not eligible for the stimulus check, solely because of their parent’s tax status. If the stimulus check is meant for people to spend it to boost the economy, why so heavily limit who can spend it? You can be classified as a dependent up to age 24, and at that point a lot of people have

“If stimulus checks are meant to ease the financial hardships that the pandemic has onset, I don’t see any reason why college students wouldn’t fit the criteria.”

-TRENTON BEEMAN SENIOR

That is not the only reason I believe students should get it. According to a survey of over 86,000 college students performed by researchers at Temple University, 45 percent of college students felt food insecure. Meaning, they did not feel confident in their ability to afford nutritious food, and were unsure about where their next meal would come from.

Or if they would be able to meet three meals a day. If college students are living with this, that would make them a pretty good candidate for a stimulus check. They

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 7

THE BRUIN NEWS

DIVERSITY DISCUSSION CONTINUES

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BY JULIA SWAIN STAFF WRITER

“

lot of the time the racism does not even come from hate and it does not come from bad intent, it’s mainly just ignorance and lack of knowing what they’re doing is hurtful,” said Jordan Taylor, a speaker at the “Is Wadsworth Racist?” panel that took place almost exactly a year ago. This panel, or this conversation rather, caused the citizens of Wadsworth to take a deeper look into how race impacts the lives of Wadsworth students.

Following The Bruin article last February, conversations began locally about race issues in Wadsworth, leading to a brand new diversity and inclusion committee. Then national became local, and with Black Lives Matter dominating the headlines, Wadsworth citizens began participating in protests downtown in support of the cause.

Jayden Taylor and Ollena Arnold are two of the students that took part in the interview last year and offered to participate in it again.

Arnold explained that she would like to see a number of things changed, but most importantly, that minorities will have the courage to speak up without feeling alienated.

“I think that in the next five years, what I want to see changed is the minorities of the school being able to speak up without feeling threatened, or [without feeling that] ‘if I speak out, I am not going to have friends anymore,’” said Arnold.

Taylor shared through her personal

experiences that she hopes that if minority students are “put on the spot” in the future, that it will be in a positive light.

“I think for me, minority students are always put on the spot,” said Taylor. “If we are going to be constantly looked at and stared at, maybe in a positive way,” Both Taylor and Arnold expressed concerns about the direction that the school is going as far as race is concerned, both stating that they feel that the situation has actually gotten worse, not better due to the fact that conversation has stopped since last year about any changes that need to be made at least from students.

“The main issue is definitely that no one cares enough to make it [racial inequality] an issue really,” said Arnold.

However, both had positive opinions of the new Diversity Committee, saying that they believe that it is a step in the right direction.

“It kind of sucks that it is just now happening now that we are seniors and we have had problems since freshman year, but [the Diversity Committee] is still a positive step towards trying to do something,” said Taylor.

Arnold shared similar sentiments.

“I think it [the Diversity Committee] is a good step we are taking as a school,” said Arnold. “I heard them talking about it last year so to hear that it has happened, that actually makes me a little bit happier.”

Dr. Andrew Hill, Superintendent of Wadsworth City Schools, took the time to respond to these quotes.

“I would welcome a meeting with

the students and Mr. Moore to help us learn more about their concerns and suggestions,” said Hill.

Layla Norris, a freshman at Wadsworth High School, is a part of a group of students that are working together to help Wadsworth High School celebrate Black History Month. She voiced her hopes for this project, stating what she would like to see from this project.

“The point of doing our Black History Month [project] is so that we can bring Black History into all the Wadsworth schools so that people can learn about African Americans and what they deal with,” said Norris.

Norris also explained some of the

activities that Wadsworth will be doing during Black History Month. Some of these events include a poster board, bulletin board and a trivia game. The point of these events, according to Norris, is for Wadsworth students to learn more about Black History Month.

“We are also going to do a trivia game so that [information about Black History Month] will be right in front of them so that they can research and win prizes,” said Norris.

Hill acknowledged that change takes time, so while all of these things that are being done all seem to be good steps in the right direction, they are not going to have instant results.

Layla Norris and Kayla Ross created this bulletin board next to the main office to celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month begins on February 1st. PHOTO BY BRIANNA BECERRA

BOARD OF EDUCATION CREATES DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

BY KAYLA ROSS STAFF WRITER

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he startup of the Diversity Committee was in a year like no other; however, this has not changed the course of action for the committee. There have been monthly meetings throughout the school year via Google Meet.

“I think [COVID-19] presents challenges, but what we’ve learned since March is that those are challenges we can easily overcome, so that the important work that the committee needs to do won’t get held up,” said Dr. Andrew Hill.

The Diversity Committee was created with the start of the 2020-2021 school year to embrace diversity and increase awareness of differences inside and outside of our community.

The committee is composed of teachers, administrators, parents and a few students, totaling about forty members.

So far, the committee has discussed the importance of recognizing diversity in our schools, which begins with embracing diversity among students. Students and teachers in the committee have spoken out against the ignorance that is witnessed

8 FEBRUARY 2021

throughout the school day. simply to race,” said Rosenberger. “It’s Anne Rosenberger, an English teacher about religion, sexual orientation, students at Wadsworth High School and an active with learning disabilities, and anyone who member of the Diversity Committee, stands out as a minority in our school explains that this initiative is important in building. This committee is designed to more ways than one. serve all of those people. This is not a “I believe this committee is important political agenda, this is a human agenda.” because as the world grows and changes, The lack of diversity reaches past the so must we,” says Rosenberger. “There are school district. Rosenberger hopes that constantly new perspectives that are being this committee will also educate the introduced that we need to be respectful community, of and be aware of. We live in a fabulous “This committee is not just for the school, community and there is no but for the community,” says where else I would rather live or “THIS IS NOT Rosenberger. “I hope that teach, but this is an issue here. this community will serve as A POLITICAL There is not a lot of diversity.” a catalyst for some sort of Wadsworth High School is 93 AGENDA, THIS change. I think the ultimate percent white, with 7 percent IS A HUMAN goal is to educate and to inform of students being one or more people, and for them to respect AGENDA.” other races. and welcome diversity in our This is far lower than the -ANNE ROSENBERGER community.”

WHS ENGLISH TEACHER state average for minority Hill explained that the enrollment, which is 30 percent committee was started to begin according to the Public School the discussion about diversity in Review. our schools.

Although Wadsworth lacks racial diversity “It is our Board of Educations’s intention specifically, this committee can also be to create a committee that can look at the used to focus on all forms of diversity. different practices within our school district “The diversity committee does not apply to figure out ways to better diversify and

make everyone feel included,” said Hill.

“That’s the goal. This is an open discussion on [diversity]. The actions that come out of this will be driven by the people that are part of the discussions.”

The committee strives to see positive changes in the behavior of anyone involved in the school district.

“I would ultimately like to see to make sure that the practices, procedures, and policies we have in place here work to make everyone here feel included,” said Hill. “We have a student body with demographics that continue to change. We need to make sure that what we do represents the diversity that we have and that everyone here feels like the things we do are inclusive to them as well.”

Students and teachers that are not currently members of the committee are welcome to join.

“If there are other students who are interested in being apart of this committee, it is an open invitation,” said Hill.

The Board of Education’s Diversity Committee will continue to meet monthly to discuss the issues regarding diversity within the community and school district and hope to create change throughout the school and community of Wadsworth.

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THE BRUIN FEATURE

FROM STUDENT TO TEACHER

BY BRIAN COOTE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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panning over many generations, Wadsworth has had a consistent trend of teachers once being students. Currently, 18 Wadsworth High School teachers are alumni themselves.

With each generation, Wadsworth High School adapts to new technology, population, and ways of life, but some things do not change about this town.

The biggest change for current students would be the building itself. The current high school was built in 2012. The previous one which most alumni teachers went to was built in 1960.

“The old building was a piece of crap,” said Mrs. Trausch, an alumnus from 1995.

“There were leaky faucets and mold in the ceiling, but the courtyard was really nice.

We could take our classes outside, but it was only nice for a couple of months. The rest of the time the doors to the courtyard were chain shut because it would snow and then water would leak through the doors onto the hallway floors.”

Everyday classes have rapidly changed.

In the late 90s, AP classes were just starting to appear in classrooms and even then there were few options.

“They had an AP class for English and AP calculus and that’s it,” said Mrs. Parson, an alumnus from 1999. “That was the extent of the AP classes” College credit plus classes are also a semi-recent addition to Wadsworth’s curriculum.

A staple of Wadsworth High School has always been Friday night football games.

Students have always packed into the stadium to support their grizzlies. From blackouts to beach-themed, the student

section has always brought energy to the game.

“Football was a big deal,” said Mrs. Trausch. “Everyone went to the games and I didn’t even like football but it was just what you did. It was fun. From fall to winter we always went to sports games. It was just what everyone did.”

As for pep assemblies and general school spirit, some things have changed.

“When I went to school here, there was so much school pride and spirit,” said Mr. Callaghan, an alumnus from 1987.

“Everyone loved being a Wadsworth Grizzly.

We had a pep rally every Friday before every football game. We had a theme for every pep really carried over to the game. The majority of the student body went to the games and after-game dances. Another big change is we had so much spirit and pride.

Today it’s not cool to back your school, but

back in the day, it wasn’t about being cool.

Everyone broke down barriers and that is how we formed a community. It didn’t matter the activity or who you were. That’s a big change from today.”

The overall town of Wadsworth has also changed. Before Great Oaks Trail was constructed, that was as far north as the town went. Over the years Wadsworth’s population has grown and more people have moved in and out. Even Downtown, which has iconic landmarks like the Gazebo and the old blue tip match stick factory, has changed. New business and building have been rapidly popping up.

Due to COVID-19, plans have been on hold, but Wadsworth is revitalizing downtown so even in current student’s lives the town is changing.

More interviews with teacher alumni are located on page 12.

Mr. Michael Recupero Class of 1985

Mr. Mark Postak Class of 1987

Mr. Scott Callaghan Class of 1987

Mrs. Sandy Kurt Class of 1987

Mr. Larry Kaufman Class of 1990

Mr. Jason Knapp Class of 1994

Mrs. Sarah Trausch Class of 1995

Mr. Mike Schmeltzer Class of 1997

Mr. Mark Schoonover Class of 1998

Mr. Jason Jurey Class of 1999

Mrs. Allison Parsons Class of 1999

Mr. Nate Singleton Class of 2000

Mrs. Brianne Pernod Class of 2003

Mr. DJ Schrock Class of 2003

Mrs. Kalyn Davis Class of 2005

10 FEBRUARY 2021

LAYOUT BY ARI KASER

FEATURE THE BRUIN

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Ms. Allison Pallija Class of 2007

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Mr. AJ Hanna Class of 2011

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1. Mrs. Pernod argues with an armless man in a dramatic performance of the play “1984”.

2. Miss Virgin poses for her senior picture for basketball.

3. Mr. Jurey enjoys time with his friends at a barbecue.

4. Mr. Schmeltzer was on the golf team during his high school years.

5. Lifelong friends Mr. Callaghan and Mr. Postak on their senior year basketball team.

6. Mrs. Pernod poses with one of her classmates.

7. Mr. Recupero dances at prom in 1987, his senior year. He was crowned prom king.

8. Mr. Schrock embraces his brother, Ben. 9. Mr. Knapp was always a baller.

10. Mrs. Davis sings “Puff the Magic Dragon” in the play “John Lennon & Me”.

LAYOUT BY ARI KASER

Ms. Aubrey Virgin Class of 2015

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11. Mr. Schoonover poses with a friend.

12. Mrs. Trausch and her gymnastic team is ready to flip into the new season.

13. Mr. Hanna poses for the best dancer award.

14. Mrs. Trausch spring into action during her senior year of gymnastics.

15. Mr. Postak and Mr. Callaghan strike a pose with a friend in the courtyard.

16. Mr. Shmeltzer and his baseball buddy were a hit during high school.

17. Mr. Hanna poses with his tennis team.

18. Miss Virgin’s date is falling for her at prom.

19. Mr. Schrock and his team are ready to dominate the basketball season.

20. Mrs. Parson with her friends at a cross country meet.

21. Mrs. Kurt gets ready to cheer on the Wadsworth Grizzlies with her cheer squad.

22. Mr. Callaghan is too cool for school as he walks the halls in 1999.

ALL ALUMNI PHOTOS COME FROM THE WHISPERER, WADSWORTH HIGH’S YEARBOOK

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 11

THE BRUIN FEATURE

A Q&A WITH WHS ALUMNI WHAT’S CHANGED AND WHAT’S THE SAME Mrs. Trausch - ‘95

What is the craziest thing that happened at school?

“When I was in school you didn’t want to be sent to the teacher’s lounge. If you were an office worker you would reak of smoke when you came out because teachers would just sit in there and smoke cigarettes.”

What was the English department like when you went to school?

“The English department was brutal. There used to be a teacher that was such a hard grader. She took off three points for every grammatical error and she didn’t stop at zero. You could get your paper back and get negative points. We all went to college very prepared.”

Mr. Jurey - ‘99

What was a day like at Wadsworth?

“Our senior commons was great because we could socialize, play cards, grab a can of pop and snacks. The study hall aids were nice. We use to have free run of the school. People didn’t care as much as they do now about what you did. If you were really good friends with the aids you could go workout. I would go lift weights during my senior common times.”

What was it like having co workers as teachers?

“Mr. Burton was one of my mentor teachers. He was one of my favorite teachers in highschool and I couldn’t bring myself to call him John for the first three years I worked here. It just felt disrespectful not to call him Mr. Burton. Finally he sat me down one day and said, “ Jason you have to call me John. you can’t keep calling me Mr. Burton it’s very weird.”

Ms. Virgin - ‘15

Did people Juul in the bathrooms like they do today?

“People vaped once in a while, but they were bigger ones back then that were very obvious. They would also try and vape into their sweatshirts, but everyone would get caught. It wasn’t as big as it is now. At least as I could tell.

I wasn’t around that type of group, but I can definitely see more today. You go by a bathroom and always see it.”

What’s something crazy that use to happen?

“My freshman year we had fight weeks. It was all out brawls. Girls would go after girls, guys would go after guys. Any corner you turned, hallways cafeterias.

Everyone knew about it and everyone was there. Even the teachers knew about it. It was probably more like fight weeks. It was just a crazy time. There are alway fights in highschool but the amount during those weeks

Mrs. Parsons - ‘99 What technology did you use in high school?

“I had a computer at my house, but it was dial-up internet that was so slow and if I wanted to use it, no one in my house could use the phone. I couldn’t use the internet for help so I would use study groups. I think it helped for college as I was comfortable reaching out to people and working with them.”

What was school safety like?

“We did tornado and fire drills, that was it. When we left school we had to sign in and out but there was no locked door. In the old high school, the attendance office was in the middle of the school. You had to walk through it to check-in. Columbine happened when I was in high school. That was a big thing that I remember. I felt like I couldn’t breathe when I found out that happened in a high school. After that is when school safety came to the forefront. It was nice not to have to worry about it before.

I hate that kindergarteners have to practice what could happen if there was a school shooting.”

What is something that is not around anymore?

“For homecoming to announce who’s on the homecoming court, there would be a bonfire behind the high school. Also for homecoming, we would have a parade and each class would decorate a float. We had a homecoming court for each class. The homecoming court would ride from central to the stadium.”

Mr. Recupero - ‘85 Is Wadsworth more strict now?

“I don’t think so. Things that we are strict about now are like cell phones and dress code. Dress code was never an issue back in my day. That was one thing that was influenced by society. We now have to worry about it, but it wasn’t a big thing back then.”

How have students changed?

“I think that Wadsworth kids are still Wadsworth kids.

Societal things are what effect people. Back in high school we didn’t have cell phones and the social media.

For the most part it’s detrimental for teenagers. I think it’s a big challenge and influence on these kids. Social media pressure and the pressure of AP and honors classes. Back when I was here, we barley had honors, but physics was physics, chemistry was chemistry. There was no AP. It’s good if they want to push themselves but they overload trying to please everyone. Kids todays are

BY BRIAN COOTE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mr. Callaghan - ‘87 How have teachers changed?

“Teachers had larger than life personalities.

They owned their classrooms. Every room was like walking into a different world. Education has greatly changed. Freedom and independence given to great teachers thirty to twenty years ago doesn’t really exist anymore today. Education has become testing base and honestly, it seems like at the national and state level, they want teachers to sound alike, look alike and think alike. I think that is incredibly detrimental to education. It doesn’t inspire learning or allow for creativity. It doesn’t energize students. Students are already bored enough with traditional schedule we stick to, they don’t need to be bored by their teachers.’

What’s it like having former students as coworkers?

“It’s really cool. Mr. Schoonover is the head of the English department. I was his eighth grade basketball coach and 10th grade honors English teacher and technically he’s like my boss. I think that’s awesome, but there are a large number of former students that are now teaching here. I think they were great students and they are really really good teachers. It’s a winning formula.”

Mr. Singleton- ‘00 What is your favorite memory of high school?

“When I was a freshman and I was fourteen, I was crazy for this girl and wanted to ask her out to homecoming. I never asked a girl out before, so I was petrified. I worked up the courage, I was sweating buckets, my mouth was cotton dry and my knees were shaking. I go in the middle of all of her friends, caught her off guard and asked her to homecoming. She said let me think about it. I didn’t know what that meant so I went back to my friends and was high fiving them.

Later that day she said no, so I was pretty heartbroken.

I asked another girl out a few weeks later and she said yes. We go to the dance together and in the middle of one of the slow dance songs, one of the original girl’s friends came up to me. She told me how the girl that rejected me wanted to dance with me. The next slow dance I’m dancing with the girl I’m crazy for. I’m loving every second of it and she said she wished she would of went with me, because I looked like I was a lot of fun and her date was horrible. That was the greatest moment of my high school experience.”

under a lot more stress.”

were insane.”

12 FEBRUARY 2021

LAYOUT BY ARI KASER

FEATURE THE BRUIN

WHS ALUMNI MAKE IT BIG

BY ELISABETH GROMOFSKY STAFF WRITER

RACHEL DEMITA GRADUATED: 2008

Rachel DeMita graduated from WHS in 2008.

She played college basketball at Old Dominion University. In 2014, she became the host of NBA 2KTV. She began to grow on social media and now has 1.2 million followers on Instagram. She also has a YouTube channel where she has 265 thousand subscribers. In 2017, DeMita became an Adidas spokesperson, regularly endorsing products on top of her 2K responsibilities. DeMita regularly plays in celebrity basketball games and interviews some of the biggest names of basketball like Kevin Durant.

STEVEN CHAMBERLAIN

GRADUATED: 1983

Steven Chamberlain, best known as Steven Sweet, graduated in 1983 from WHS. He is most famously known for his drumming and being in the band Warrant. Previous to joining Warrant, he was a part of the band Plain Jane.

He is currently based out of Los Angeles, California.

SAVANNAH BROWN

NICK SEME

GRADUATED: 2013

GRADUATED: 2014

Nick Seme graduated from WHS in 2013. After originally enrolling at Ashland University to play football, he transferred to Ohio State and became a walk-on football player for the Buckeyes. He made the team and was a defensive end. In 2018, Seme participated in the Browns and the Bengals mini camps. Unfortunately, playing in the NFL has not worked out for Seme thus far. He now attends the University of Dayton and is in school to become a Physical Therapist.

MICHAEL FOREMAN

ANDY SONNANSTINE

Savannah Brown has published many books and pieces of poetry.

She graduated from WHS in 2014.

Brown has most recently published a book called “Sweetdark’’. She has many collections of poetry on her website. Brown also posts videos on YouTube, where she has 497 thousand subscribers. She currently lives in London.

ROBIN LAUBAUGH GRADUATED: 1979

Robin Laubaugh graduated from WHS in 1979.

Mayor Laubaugh is serving her third, four-term as the mayor of Wadsworth. She attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Laubaugh held her first governmental position in 1998 when she became the Council At Large for Wadsworth City Council.

She was elected President of Council from 20042007. In 2008, she was elected as the first female mayor of Wadsworth. She has been given many awards around the community and was awarded Ohio Mother of the Year in 2018 by American Mothers. She has 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

CARA CLARK

GRADUATED: 2002

Cara Clark graduated from WHS in 2002.

Clark is the owner and primary Certified Nutritionist of the well known Cara Clark Nutrition. She is a Certified Sports and Clinical Nutritionist specializing in weight loss, diabetes, prenatal, post partum and sports nutrition. She was based out of Orange County, California for many years, but she recently moved just outside of Nashville. She is married and has 4 kids.

She recently published a cookbook, adding to the collection of ones she has published in the past. She has worked with many famous people, including the OC Housewives, Christina El Moussa (formally known as Christina Anstead), many Olympic athletes, and players from the NBA and MLB.

GRADUATED: 1975

Michael Foreman is a retired U.S. Navy Pilot and NASA Astronaut. He graduated in 1975 from Wadsworth High School. While with NASA, Foreman was part of a mission that delivered the Japanese Experiment Module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station. He and his wife have three children. As a retired astronaut, Foreman is the mayor of Friendswood, Texas.

GRADUATED: 2001

Andy Sonnanstine graduated from WHS in 2001. He attended Kent State University and also pitched for the Sanford Mainers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He is a former MLB player and started his career in 2007 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He picked up his first MLB win against the Tampa Marlins in June of 2007. He also signed a one year contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2011.

KYLE CLEM

GRADUATED: 2007

Kyle Clem graduated from WHS in 2007. He attended Ohio University where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in meteorology. He now has his PhD and is a postdoctoral researcher. Clem is most famously known for leading a study on the Antarctic and how it is heating up due to climate change. He lives in New Zealand and is doing his research at Victoria University of Wellington. He is the son of Mrs. Clem who teaches here at WHS.

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 13

THE BRUIN FEATURE

AVA KNIGHT KICKSTARTS A MODELING CAREER

BY DYLAN HEPPERT STAFF WRITER

J

unior Ava Knight has recently started modeling as a pastime, and hopes to turn it into a job in the near future.

Knight has thought about trying modeling for a long time, but started last September with a family friend and has been shooting with them since.

“The group that I shot with is a friend of my family so we just both agreed that I would do well there, but some brands have contacted me to work with them,” said Knight.

According to Knight, an average modeling session could last anywhere between two and eight hours. During each session, Knight mainly just poses for the camera, while other people control her makeup and hair. She says that it can sometimes be stressful trying to balance school and modeling.

“I don’t have control over myself as everyone else fixes my hair or makeup and I just pose. It can be a little stressful with timing and trying to fit in all the looks that are planned,” said Knight.

As of now Knight does not make any money from modeling. According to her, it takes time before major names and brands

will notice you. She says that one does not really make money until they complete multiple jobs with these companies.

“As of right now I do not [get paid] because as a starting model you get jobs to get publicity and get your name spread.

Usually it takes a few big name jobs before you get paid.”

Knight’s goal is to turn modeling into a job, rather than just doing it as a hobby.

She hopes to earn money soon, and then continue modeling through high school and even into college.

[TOP LEFT]A close up shot like this one is considered a commercial look. Commercial looks tend to appeal to the general population and are mainly used to sell products. PHOTO BY THEBNJMNS [TOP RIGHT]During photo sessions, Knight’s hair style and makeup is controlled by someone else.

Knight plans to do modeling as a side job, until all of her schooling is over. PHOTOS BY THEBNJMNS [LEFT]Zoomed out pictures with urban features in the background are considered urban looks. Urban looks depict an average street appearance rather than one from a lead designer. PHOTO BY THEBNJMNS

WHS STUDENTS WHO BEN KISSINGER’S ALTERNATIVE MEDIA HAVE BEEN VACCINATED

B

BY DYLAN HEPPERT STAFF WRITER

enjamin Kissinger, a junior at Wadsworth High School, runs a political Instagram account named The Kissinger Report. He created the account last year after multiple requests from different people.

“I started posting about politics and social issues on my [Instagram] story for a little while, and people started asking for the account, so I delivered,” said Kissinger.

On his Instagram account, Kissinger discusses relevant news in politics or social issues. But he has also turned his page into a way of communicating news through his followers. After noticing recent bias in the mainstream media, Kissinger attempted to make his account into an alternative news source. “[I wanted] to create something with media that people like to consume just as an alternative to corrupt, biased mainstream media,” said Kissinger. It’s just a little bit more useful information and not just journalists building their own narrative.”

A usual post consists of a picture of an event and a caption summarizing what is taking place. He will give his opinion and then discuss it with others in the comments of the post. Kissinger edits his posts with Google Drawings before uploading them to Instagram, highlighting key quotes and texts that the picture is involved with.

“With a good majority of my posts I

14 FEBRUARY 2021

put a question at the bottom for people to respond to in the comments. People respond most of the time and I get very alternative perspectives to mine that we have good conversations out of,” said Kissinger. “I’ve had a couple really good conversations with people who have had opinions that are different then mine and we are both just trying to argue our point there and I think that that is really healthy for a functioning, political landscape.”

Kissinger’s overall goal for his account is to create an accurate and interactive alternative to the mainstream media.

BY ASHLEY ALLWOOD STAFF WRITER

Shana Sisouphanh junior at Wadsworth high school- “I have worked at The Inn at Coalridge for about 3 months and I wanted to get the vaccine because I wanted this dreadful pandemic to be over. After getting the Pfizer vaccine, my arm was aching all day the next day. I didn’t expect the side effects to be that bad!”

Shana Sisouphanh, junior at Wadsworth High School, takes a selfie at home while dealing with her side effects of getting the vaccine. PHOTO BY SHANA SISOUPHANH

Zach Swinehart- “I chose to take the Pfizer vaccine because my doctor told me if I have the chance to get it this early to take it, because it won’t be available for my age group for a while. My thoughts are hopeful that it works so things can go back to normal.”

Zach Swinehart, on the left, is a senior at Wadsworth High School. He has been working at the Inn at Coalridge for about a year and received the Pfizer vaccine on January 21, 2020.

PHOTO BY ZACH SWINEHART.

With each post on Instagram Kissinger provides a picture with highlighted quotes on other slides. Kissinger’s main goal for this account is to create an alternative form of news. PHOTO BY BEN KISSINGER

You can follow The Kissinger Report @thekissingerreport

Zoe Farson- “I choose to get the Pfizer vaccine because I have many people in my family that are at high risk. I also work at The Inn at Coalridge for about a year and it’s been really upsetting to see the residents not be able to see their family members, so I’d thought I would do my part to get them one step closer to them seeing their family members. I’m glad that I got the vaccine because it makes me feel safer being in public.”

Zoe Farson holds a sticker that says “I got the COVID-19 vaccine” after receiving her vaccine shot at The Inn at Coalrdige.

PHOTO BY ZOE FARSON

shall

Carst o n Mar

SPORTS THE BRUIN

Carston Marshall, outside lineman for Wadsworth, makes a tackle against Avon Lake. They later lost the game 7-30 despite their efforts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARSTON MARSHALL

BY CHLOE PORTER STAFF WRITER Wadsworth High School has produced multiple division one college athletes, including senior Carston Marshall.

Marshall has officially committed to Iowa State which, as of 2020, was ranked number one in the Big 12 conference.

In April 2019, one of Iowa State’s recruiting coaches reached out to Marshall. The linebacker coach, Tyson Veidt, offered him a full ride for his four to five years at the school.

Although this was not his first choice before receiving the offer, he quickly realized that this was the school he wanted to attend.

“They were giving me an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up on,” said Carston Marshall.

Many other schools offered him a full ride scholarship for four to five years including Akron, Army, Toledo, Western Michigan, Buffalo and Princeton. At first he was debating on going to either Toledo or Buffalo, but after receiving Iowa’s offer, he knew that was where he would have the most success.

Recruitment during the pandemic was a challenge for Marshall. Deciding on a college was a difficult decision at first, considering he could not visit any of the schools. He and his family had to schedule many Zoom meetings to learn more about the campuses before committing to a school.

“Iowa State made it easy with virtual visits and Zoom meetings with me and my family,” said Marshall.

Due to how easy Iowa made the process, he committed there by the end of April. He found that it would be a perfect fit considering at Wadsworth he had a 3-3 lineup and Iowa runs the same set up. This would

make his transition from high school to college football a little easier.

“I think it’s a perfect fit,” said Jason Knapp, former coach.

Jason Knapp is Wadsworth High School’s defensive coach, so he worked a lot with Marshall throughout his high school football career. Marshall has proven that he can do almost anything that the coaches asked of him.

Knapp described him as a very detail oriented player.

This characteristic will help him majorly in his college career in order to memorize all of his plays and play his best game.

“He’s very flexible as far as positions he can play,” said Knapp.

Marshall has been a very versatile player, which Knapp said is probably why Iowa decided to recruit him.

As an outside defensive lineman, his coach expressed that he can do a lot of things, including how he can play the run, play the pass, he can tackle, he can cover manto-man and he can get up on the line of scrimmage and rush the passer. Throughout his career he has proved that he can be a versatile asset to his team, which is what Iowa seemed to notice as well.

“Carston’s the kind of kid that I think will be able to fit in anywhere,” said Knapp.

He has proven that after being scouted by so many schools, he can play for almost any team and any lineup.

Marshall will not be playing his first year because he has to wait until after his first year of wearing a red shirt to play. Once he has completed that year, he can start competing for a starting spot on the team.

Before he ends his high school career, he wants to thank all of his teammates and coaching staff for helping to get him to where he is today.

SUPER BOWL LV PREDICTION OPINION BY MICHAEL JIRA STAFF WRITER

Kansas City Chiefs Pts Per Game (Offense) Pts Per Game (Defense)

29.6 Pts

22.6 Pts

Total Yards (Offense)

6653 Yds

Total Yards (Defense)

5733 Yds

Points Allowed

362 Pts

Total Points

473 Pts

Rushing Yards

1799 Yds

In 2020, COVID-19 took many things away from us. However, the National Football League (NFL) continued to have their season. As always, the NFL season ends when a team is crowned national champion after winning the Super Bowl.

The game is set between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and will be taking place on February 7 with kickoff being at 6:30p.m.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl champions. They beat the San Francisco 49ers last year in Super LlV, they won 31-20, scoring 21 points in the 4th quarter in a comeback. This year they are taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV (55).

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2019 season were 7-9 and did not make playoffs. This year they went 11-5 and got the 5 seed. This is largely due to Tom Brady’s contract with the New England Patriots ending and him signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This game will be a rematch of a game between the two in week 12. The Chiefs and Buccaneers played at Raymond James Stadium, the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this game, the Kansas City Chiefs won 27-24.

They scored 17 points in the 1st quarter and let the Buccaneers almost pull a comeback with them scoring 14 in the 4th quarter.

This game is going to be an offensive showdown. The Chiefs need to capitalize on the Buccaneers defense. They have the 4th highest completion percentage, and with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs WR’s and TE’s this should be pretty easy.

The Buccaneers need to do an equal amount of running the ball and passing the ball. Leonard Fournette has recently stepped up as a top tier running back, which should allow the Buccaneers to step up their run game, giving Fournette and Ronald Jones II carries.

Based on recent events, I think the final score will be 31-28 Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers are becoming a very serious threat to teams recently, with the amount of receiving talent they have. However, the Chiefs have not been able to close games well recently considering they almost lost to both the Browns and the Bills in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pts Per Game (Offense) Pts Per Game (Defense)

25.6 Pts

22.2 Pts

Total Yards (Offense)

6145 Yds

Total Yards (Defense)

5234 Yds

Points Allowed

355 Pts

Total Points

492 Pts

Rushing Yards

1519 Yds

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 15

THE BRUIN SPORTS

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WRESTLER

BY ASHLEY ALLWOOD STAFF WRITER here is no set schedule when it comes to a student wrestler.

Each wrestler has a different story about how their day goes.

Senior wrestler, Jazz Jackson, shares what a normal day looks like during wrestling season. Each wrestler is a little different because some of them are put on different diets to gain or cut weight.

“For me I don’t have to cut weight so I usually just eat my normal diet but for the guys who do they usually won’t drink anything but water at all during the week,” said Jackson. “They can eat what they want to eat, they just have to make sure it doesn’t put them over weight.”

Although Jackson does not have to cut weight, some of the other wrestlers cut weight to fit in their weight class.

They are required to keep that weight class for the whole season.

T

“I normally have to eat the lightest foods with low salts and low carbs to give myself nutrients,” said sophomore Nick Humphrys. “I also have to run with many layers on and use steam baths to cut weight.”

Starting mid-January, the team started two-a-days, which means the student athletes go to practice at 5:30 in the morning, shower at school and then go to school. After school, the team returns back to the wrestling room to start the second practice of the day. Jackson shared that the team would meet in the wrestling room around 3pm to start warm ups.

On match days, Jackson says that the athletes do everything as a team.

They will all come in an hour before the match to weigh in before the match.

Once they weigh in, they are allowed to eat. The team will eat together at a table before warm ups.

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“The team will have a 25 minute warm up which basically is a really condensed practice to get the heart rate up before we wrestle,” said Jackson.

This year, there are seven seniors on the team. Three of them were state placers last year. These coaches like to do everything as a team, in and out of season. The Wadsworth High School Wrestling team likes to focus on teamwork. This way everyone has the same mentality on a day to day basis.

“The team is great, along the summer and throughout the season we have formed an amazing bond and it’s shown up to this point,” said Mikey Lewarchic, senior wrestler at Wadsworth High School.

The team is working hard in every match they can get

during COVID times so they can make it to states again. So far the team has competed in about 16 matches and are just trying to get what practice they can.

“It is a lot different than I ever expected but it’s not too bad,” said Lewarchic. “Matches are strange having to wear a mask 24/7 and not having as many fans come to our events.”

Like other Wadsworth sports teams during these COVID times, the wrestling team is doing everything they can to keep the season as normal as possible.

They are following regulations to keep the season going as long as they can.

Jackson has been wrestlin g since he was in fi rst grade. H e a lso plays footba ll fo and is comm r the high school itted to Mou nt Union to play after graduating . He did not want to commit to w restling in college. H e chose to go to Mount Union becau se two of his best friends are p laying ther e as well.

Jazz Jackson a Wrestler at Wadsworth High School wrestles in a match against Brecksvillle at Wadsworth . Jazz become frustrated with a match. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAZZ JACKSON

Nick Humph rys, sophom ore High School , waits for th at Wadsworth e re the match.

PHOTO COUR feree to start YOUNG TESY OF OLI VIA

Mikey Lewarchic, on the left, senio wrestles a comp r at Wadsworth etitor from Perry High School . The double me Wadsworth High et took place at School. PHOTO CO URTESY OF OLIVIA YOUNG

16 FEBRUARY 2021

uble from Perry. The do tles a competitor es wr t, lef OF e th SY TE on Jazz Jackson, ol. PHOTO COUR dsworth High Scho Wa at ce pla k match too OLIVIA YOUNG

SPORTS THE BRUIN

ER RA DEKEMP URTESY LAU PHOTOS CO

H C A O C H T G N E R T S W

E N S E R I H H T R O W S D WA

BY LANEY CORELL STAFF WRITER

Wadsworth has always been a powerhouse when it comes to sports, they frequently send athletes to participate in Division 1 State competitions, and many athletes compete at Division 1 colleges.

Their strong force in athletics can catch the attention of many, but what stood out the most to Laura Dekemper, a fitness instructor, is the absence of a strength and agility coach compared to many other competitive schools.

Dekemper took this as a perfect opportunity to bring her knowledge, encouragement, and dedication to the Wadsworth weight room. In early January of 2020, she was hired through Wadsworth City

Schools, but with the many obstacles and cancellations COVID-19 created, the program was not fully able to get up and running until the fall of 2020.

Before creating the Grizzly Strong Program at Wadsworth, Dekemper opened her own gym located in Brunswick OH, Relentless Academy. Where she was a fitness instructor for all ages, she later devoted all of her focus to younger athletes, and now spends most of her time working with student athletes at WHS, and her athletes at Relentless Academy.

Dekemper said she uses her coaching platform at both of these places to, “encourage kids athletically while also teaching them life skills, resilience, and bouncing back from adversity.”

Her tough but motivating training tactics sets her apart from other coaches. The

training schedule for athletes consists of similar workouts throughout the week that attack different muscle groups. The training consists of a warm up, and then a continual workout that creates a resilient mentality that emulates an athletic competition. Finally a “finisher” which typically consists of a core workout.

Michaela Davis, a senior athlete, says, “She helps us to not only physically build strength, but she builds us up mentally.

She is a hard coach, and will never let anyone slack out, but her encouragement, motivation, and rigor are what make her a phenomenal coach.”

Friday, however, is a very different workout from the earlier days of the week. It is called “Four Hundred Rep Friday.” It consists of multiple reps of many different workouts, which total to 400. A clock is started at the beginning of the workout, and athletes

compete to be the first one to finish 400 reps.

Davis expressed, “400 Rep Friday is a very hard workout, but personally I believe it builds accountability and grit because the only person who is keeping you accountable through the workout is yourself.”

Dekemper included this in her training with athletes because, “It is a unique way to bring in a competitive nature, and recognize those who give it their all,” she explained.

Every athlete works with different weights, so it is not an even playing field for all, however it creates a motivating, competitive atmosphere in the gym where athletes are able to compete against not only each other, but themselves as well.

This program is not reserved for specific sports, or specific athletes, but more one big family of kids who all work together to motivate and workout. Dekemper strives for her athletes to build a foundation of strength, and character all while building a better fitness foundation.

VARSITY BASKETBALL UPDATES

BY LANEY CORELL STAFF WRITER

Wadsworth boys basketball have started their season with a record of 7-5, with wins over competitive teams such as Hudson and North Royalton.

This year the varsity team obtained a new freshman that has proved to be a valuable asset, Maxx Bosley.

Bosley has continued to be a contribution to the team as a young, competitive player. His experience playing varsity as a freshman has helped set him up to become a successful player and leader for his future years.

“I’m getting invaluable experience now even though sometimes it’s painful, I’m learning things now that will make me grow as a player and a person,” Bosley said.

The varsity team will compete in a few more competitive games leading up to the suburban league tournament.

Bosley believes the key to the rest of the season is, “to stay focused everyday in practice as well as work hard and believe we can win the suburban league title.”

Their last regular season game will be against Brecksville High School who is currently 7-2 overall, with an undefeated record in their league.

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL REMAINING GAMES

1/26/21 Aurora 1/29/21 North Royalton 1/30/21 KenmoreGardield 2/2/21 Akron North 2/12/21 Twinsburg 2/16/21 Highland 2/19/21 Brecksville

In a non conference game against Coventry High School, Wadsworth came out with a win and a score of 68-56, outscoring them in both the second and third quarter. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY SAMS

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL REMAINING GAMES

1/27/21 Cuyahoga Falls 1/30/21 North Royalton 2/1/21 Stow-Monroe Falls 2/3/21 Twinsburg 2/5/21 BrecksvilleBroadview Heights 2/10/21 Solon

Team huddles during games are used to help slow the game down, review plays, or come up with a new one. PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGGIE LONG *DATES BASED ON TIME PAPER WAS SENT

BY NATALIE MAHER NEWS EDITOR

Girls varsity basketball starts up their season with a 6-6 overall record and a 2-1 record in the conference.

The leading scorer for the team this year is senior, Maggie Long.

The Wadsworth girls are heading into the postseason having defeated Medina 55-34 and Hudson 50-31. Their plans are to continue to dominate.

“Our goals this season as a team are to win the suburban League and make a good tournament run,” said Long.

During this time while facing postponed games and multiple players on the team getting quarantined, there strategies to compete has stayed the same.

“We have stayed focused by staying competitive in practices and games and pushing each other to get better,” Long explained. “Also, with our constantly changing games, we have played every game like it’s our last and cherished every moment we get to play.”

It is this mentality that has lead to wins against multiple competitive teams.

They will face North Royalton 1/30, Stow Munroe Falls 2/1, and Solon 2/10 to finish out their regular season while they currently sit 4th in the Suburban League.

WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 17

ENTERTAINMENT THE BRUIN

WHAT’S TRENDING IN....

T.V. WANDAVISION GAINS POPULARITY ON DISNEY PLUS make efforts to meet their neighbors.

M

BY JULIA BLAKE STAFF WRITER

arvel launched a new series on Disney Plus on January 15 called Wandavision. The series features Wanda Maximoff and her husband, Vision. Wanda and Vision are seen in together in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Avengers: Endgame.

The first episode opens with Wanda and Vision getting married and moving into their new home in a small town named Westview. They settle into their home and Vision starts a new job. When Vision’s boss and his boss’s wife come over to Wanda and Vision’s home for dinner, things go awry as Wanda scrambles to make a meal for the four of them without her powers.

Dinner between Wanda, Vision, Mr. Hart and Mrs. Hart went like normal until Mr. Hart choked on his food. Wanda and Vision knew that the only way they could help him is by using their superpowers.

With the snap of her fingers, she makes Mr. and Mrs. Hart forget everything that happened during dinner and they left quickly. Wanda and Vision soon realized that hiding their powers would be a lot more difficult than they imagined.

In the second episode, Wanda and Vision

Wanda goes to the planning committee meeting for Westview’s talent show, and Vision went to the neighborhood watch meeting at the library. Wanda is introduced to Dottie, who is the trophy housewife in the neighborhood. She catches onto Wanda’s odd behavior and she makes it clear to Wanda that she knows about her and Vision. As Wanda assures her that whatever she has heard is false, something came through the radio that was sitting on the table that caught my attention. An unknown voice cut off the song that was playing and said, “Wanda, who’s doing this to you, Wanda?” This might be a clue that Wanda and Vision are in some sort of danger and that someone might be watching them.

The third episode had the most clues about Wanda and Vision’s safety and what kind of place Westview really is.

We are introduced to another neighbor named Monica. After Wanda opens up to her about her twin brother, Pietro. Monica reveals that she knew Pietro, which was an immediate giveaway that she knows who Wanda and Vision really are. Wanda realizes that their secret is out and that there is something bigger going on than what they know of. Episode three has a lot of important details that set up the plot for the remainder of the series.

games

NEW BACHELOR SEASON, SAME DRAMA

BY JULIA BLAKE STAFF WRITER

T

he twenty fifth season of The Bachelor is underway and things are heating up. Matt James is the first African American bachelor to star on ABC’s popular reality television series.

On the first night, Matt met 30 women who are trying to win his heart. The women made their first impressions on him and Matt is starting to take interest in a few of the women. He gave his first impression rose to Abigail Heringer. Abigail Heringer is 25 years old. What makes her stand out is the fact that she is the first deaf bachelorette to appear on the show. She quickly became a fan favorite because of her personality. Senior Ally Tyler believes that Abigail will make it far in the show; she is confident that she will be one of Matt’s favorites.

“The second I saw Abigail come out of the limo and introduce herself, I knew that Matt really liked her,” Tyler said. “There’s just something about her that makes her really special.”

Along with Abigail, a few fan favorites are Bri, and Brittany. Brittany joined the show later on in the season when five new women were brought onto the show.

Matt chose Bri as his first one on one date. They had immediate chemistry and conversation came naturally. Bri opened up about how she feels about relationships and what family means to her. She was very honest and Matt appreciated that quality. Macy Mellon, 12, saw Bri’s and

music

“Ticket to Ride is fairly simple yet really strategic game.

It has means of sabotage with the other players which makes it entertaining when playing with family, especially when they are as competitive as me.”

Sophia Anderson, 12

“Clue is such a fun and innovative game! It is one of my favorites and I love playing it with my family whenever we have the chance. The game uses a lot of strategy!”

-Allison Pfeister, 11

drivers license

BY KADE MIROS STAFF WRITER

skin “Uno is such a great family game because it is pretty easy to understand it and there is a lot of different strategies you can use to win!”

Dominic Lobello, 10

18 FEBRUARY 2021

Matt’s immediate connections.

“I’m a really big fan of Bri,” Mellon said. “She is gorgeous and she knows exactly what she wants in a relationship.

Matt and she look really good together and I think they will last for a while.”

Bachelor Nation fans love Abigail and Bri, but collectively they have a least favorite girl in the group. Victoria Larson is a contestant who has been causing a lot of drama and tension in the Bachelor house. She is not afraid to call other girls out for their actions and fans have disliked her since the first night The Bachelor aired.

“As soon as Victoria introduced herself to Matt, there was something off about her,” Mellon said. “She called herself a queen when clearly she is nowhere near that. Her personality is toxic and I hope Matt realizes that soon.”

There has been a large amount of drama between the women throughout the past three episodes. In week three, Sarah Trott doubted her ability to pursue her relationship with Matt. She revealed to Matt that her father was diagnosed with ALS and that she is a caretaker for him. She explained that it was really hard for her to leave her family and she felt that she needed to be home with her family. Her actions caused a lot of tension between the other women in the house because they thought she was putting on an act for Matt, when they were unaware of her situation at home.

Ultimately, she left the show to be with her family.

To start off 2021, Olivia Rodrigo, who is known for playing Nini in the Disney+ original, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, came out with a new song called ‘drivers license.” This song was blown up and has quickly become number one on the Billboard top 100. There has also been some talk about a couple of lyrics in the song that reference her ex- boyfriend, Joshua Bassett.

Sabrina Carpenter released “skin” two weeks after Olivia Rodrigo released “drivers license.”

Many fans found Sabrina’s song distasteful, especially since it included the lyrics, “maybe blonde was the only rhyme,” which seems to be a diss at Olivia’s song, which contains the lyrics, “you’re probably with that blonde girl...”.

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WADSWORTHBRUIN.COM 19

THE BRUIN VALENTINE’S DAY

SURVIVAL GUIDE

BY ALEX MILLER

ART & LAYOUT EDITOR

F

or couples, Valentine’s Day marks a time for celebration – full of flowers, chocolates, teddy bears and all that gushy nonsense. In reality, many do not get to partake in this day of love. According to the US Census Bureau, approximately 47.3% of US residents age 18 or older are single Valentine’s Day each year. If you are part of this population, you are not alone.

Being single on Valentine’s Day does not have to weigh you down. Use these tips to not just survive, but to thrive in the single life. If all else fails, cut out the Valentine cards on this page and give them to your friends (or a special someone).

are u a sharpie? bc ur ultra fine

Look on the bright side. Valentine’s Day gifts and dinners are EXPENSIVE. As a single and free individual, you are already saving money! Treat yourself to something special, whether it is a fancy drink at Starbucks, a nice lunch or something you have been waiting to splurge on forever.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day by creating a confidence-boosting playlist! Forget the lovesick ballads. Instead, fill this playlist with songs of liberation and uplifting music from your favorite artists. Need help getting started? Try Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” or “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus.

SECRET CUPID

GAME NIGHT

Love is more than a significant other or the typical TV romance. The love you share with friends and family is truly special. Spread the love by setting up a “Secret Cupid” gift exchange! You can exchange home-made baked goods, candy, self-care products, or whatever else will make your friends smile.

Tired of all the sweets and treats? Host a game night! Break out the classics or try something new. If you are celebrating virtually, there are plenty of fun games to play online, such as Trickster Euchre and Jackbox games. Either way, encourage your guests to show up in their coziest pajamas, ready for a good time.

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i donut want to spend another day without u

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my heart berns for u

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MAKE A PLAYLIST

will u be my radio rebel?

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TREAT YOURSELF

ur the powerhouse of my LIFE

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is ur name wifi? cuz i’m feelin a connection

can i get a pizza yo heart?

let’s take things slow

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u rock my world

i love u moore than ever to: from:

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u make my heart race to:

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FEBRUARY 2021 20