The Bruin - January 2009

Wadsworth High School

Newspaper II/III

January 2009

The

1870 - 2009 Wadsworth City Schools: “Celebrating 138 years of Excellence in Education”

Volume XXXIV No. 4

BRUIN 625 Broad Street Wadsworth, Ohio 44281

Snow Ball: Candyland February 14 8-11p.m. $1.00

Change already in effect under Obama on Jan. 20 as the 44th President of the United States.

With the economy being the In the presence of an estimated main focus of problems facing 1.4 million Americans, President the country, President Obama has Obama gave a powerful Inaugural already begun to make changes.

Address heard by people around In an effort to slow the economthe globe. His address left many ic recession, Obama petitioned for with a sense of hope that has Congress to pass a stimulus plan. been missing. Evan Dammarell The bill calls for Washington to witnessed the historic moment in release taxpayer dollars into the Washington D.C..

“I feel like I am a part of his- sinking U.S. economy. Although tory, even a hundred years from it has not been confirmed, it is now when people are still talk- estimated that Obama’s stimuing about this moment I will be lus would cost somewhere in the able to say that I was there,” Evan range of $850 billion.

Unlike former President George Dammarell stated.

W. Bush’s stimulus plan, Obama Dammarell expressed the feelwill return money to American ing of unity that spread across citizens in smaller amounts more Washington’s National Mall durfrequently. ing the historic “I feel like I am a part The forinauguration mer Bush that cost 140 of history and even a adminismillion dolhundred years from tration relars. now when people are imbursed During the still talking about this Americans historic inaumoment, I will be with one guration ceremony, it was able to say that I was final paycheck. acknowledged there to witness it.”

“Only how far the -Evan Dammarell, 10 getting a United States little money at a time might help has come in the 146 years since Abraham Lincoln signed the people use the money in a better sense,” Wadsworth economics Emancipation Proclamation.

“This is the meaning of lib- teacher Mr. John Johnson comerty and our creed--why men and mented on the policy.

President Obama made a prewomen and children of every race Inaugural trip to Bedford Heights, and every faith can join in celebraOhio on Jan. 14 to tour the Cardition across this magnificent mall, nal Fastener & Specialty Compaand why a man whose father, less ny, which produces parts for wind than 60 years ago, might not have turbines.

He is trying to set into been served at a local restaurant motion the “American Recovery can now stand before you to take and Reinvestment plan.” a most sacred oath,” Obama statAt the beginning of this month, ed during his address.

Obama nominated retired Navy As the United States enters a Admiral Dennis Blair as direcnew year, many changes will take tor of national intelligence. The place under the new leadership of president already made plans that Barack Obama. Staying true to differ from the previous administradition, Obama was inaugurated

BY ALI MCNUTT

PHOTO BY CHUCK KENNEDY/MCT

President Barack Obama takes the oath as the 44th U.S. President with his wife, Michelle, by his side at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.

tration.

“Under my administration, the United States does not torture. We will abide by the Geneva Conventions. We will uphold our highest values and ideals,” Obama stated.

Within his first week in office, President Obama closed the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. The closing of the prison is predicted to take about a year.

Obama spoke of plans to eliminate Bush’s tax cuts on the wealthy during his campaign, but the dire situation of the economy

will postpone the repeal until 2011.

While Obama tackles the economy his Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, calls for the use of “smart power” in the Middle East. Clinton plans to concentrate on the escalating conditions between Palestine and Israel and Iran’s nuclear weapon program.

Under Obama’s leadership, Clinton wants to strengthen U.S. alliances around the world.

“America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve

them without America” Clinton stated at her Senate Confirmation earlier this month.

Although the economy is first priority, Obama plans to end the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy which forbids military recruiters or authorities from asking someone about his or her sexual preference.

As President Barack Obama and family embark on their first term as America’s first family, the whole world is watching and hoping for the new President to build trust and peace among nations.

HUMAN RIGHTS have come so far 1862- The Emancipation Proclamation was signed freeing all slaves in the United States.

1963- The “I have a dream” speech was given by Martin Luther King Jr. to fuel the Civil Rights Movement.

1984- Jesse Jackson was the first African American man to win a U.S. presidential primary/caucus.

1955- Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man which sparked the Montgomery bus boycott.

1964- Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment.

2009- Barack Obama became the first African American President.

INSIDE THE BRUIN VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST A sudden outbreak of violence on the Gaza Strip leaves thousands dead.

– page 3

Q&A WITH CHELSEA RAY A genetic disease changes the life of one of Wadsworth’s own high school students.

– page 17

BOND VS. BOURNE James Bond with the gadgets and gizmos versus Jason Bourne with intellect and stealth--who wins?

– page 7

WRESTLING The Grizzlies defeated nationally and state ranked St. Edward and Massillon Perry to win – page 15 the State Dual tournament.

INDEX

PAGE

News..................................................................... 3 Opinion .............................................................. 4,5 Ads ...................................................... 6,11,13, 16 Entertainment ...................................................... 7 Picture Pages .................................................. 8, 9 Features ............................................................ 10 Of the Month ....................................................... 12 Sports ............................................................ 14,15 Health ................................................................. 17 Speakout ............................................................ 18

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January 2009

E DITORIAL

THE BRUIN

Editor... the to Letters Live in moment Editorial

With the closing of 2008 and the building anticipation of 2009, it is natural to spend time reflecting on memories and to start making preparations for the future. Especially while monotonous school days melt together, it is relieving to set sights ahead to warmer days of spring break, exciting summer vacations, and for some, the long-awaited for graduation day. However, as the days slowly draw near, it is easy to fall into a rut of routine; wake up, school, practice and errands, homework, bed. We at The Bruin feel that each day should be seen as a gift (even if the day is mindnumbingly cold and incredibly boring).

There are unlimited options when it comes to making a day new and exciting, and most are not really too difficult to achieve. One of the most obvious yet overlooked choices is to try something new. Whether it is trying sushi for the first time (bonus points for chop sticks), having an epic Steven Spielberg movie marathon, embarking on a cemetery adventure or simply trying to cook a new dish, there are easy and simple ways to add interest to monotonous days.

Although the phrase is cliché and overused, the four years of high school do pass quickly. Some say that these are the best years of our lives, while many beg to differ. Whether high school is something you want to remember or forget, it will always be a part of life. Make the most of every day, not necessarily by being a perfect student or the highest scoring athlete on the court, but by doing what truly makes you happy.

Live in the moment. Take risks, make mistakes, do big things and remember that when you look back on high school, your biggest disappointment will be the chances you did not take.

Dear Editor, I don’t see any reason why the seniors don’t have their senior banner in the commons. The senior banner is a Wadsworth High School tradition that should not be broken. I hate that this tradition was broken my senior year, and I want to let everyone know the seniors want their banner back.

Amanda Sandridge, 12 Dear Editor, Whenever there is a little bit of snow or slush on the road, students complain that we didn’t have a snow day. There is no need to complain; you’re here so get over it! When you make it to school without wrecking then there is nothing to complain about. I like snow days too, but don’t complain when you’re here; it’s just annoying. It takes up to two hours for one swipe across Wadsworth for the snow plows.

Not every road will be perfect, but the most-traveled ones will be.

Dustin Carver, 12

During class, cell phones are disruptive and are a hindrance to the learning process.

However, during lunch, there is no reason a student should not be allowed to use his or her cell phone.

During that half hour that students are given to eat their food, one should feel free to relax and eat and maybe buy an Arizona Tea if he or she wants. In addition to this, cell phone use should be allowed.

Using a cell phone during lunch is not interfering with any learning process, and it is not hurting a student’s chance to learn something. Plus, the added freedom of using cell phones during lunch would make students less likely to try using them during class. Students could just wait to use their cell phones during lunch to text instead of sneaking their phones past teachers during the rest of the day. A change in this rule would be a great compromise that would let the administration give the students more freedom while allowing the students to feel more complacent following the rules during the rest of the school day.

THE

YES

BY JOEL HLAVATY

BR EW I N ’ DE BAT E

SHOULD CELL PHONES BE ALLOWED DURING LUNCH? NO

BY ALAN MCPEEK

I personally have had enough with students complaining about not being able to use their cell phones during school. It is not that hard of a concept to understand; cell phone use is not allowed during school hours. It takes away from the student’s ability to focus on classes, and it only makes it easier for students to cheat and tell each other answers to questions in a class. Also, during lunch, students should not be worried about texting their friends, they should be focused on the task at hand: eating with friends.

Students cannot be worrying about using their cell phone at all during school. It only makes them want to use it during the rest of the day. If students are texing during lunch, are they not texting other students who are in class? To students this may be irrational, but to me it makes perfect sense. I have been at this high school for four years now, and cell phones have never been allowed. Therefore, I think it is only fair that students should suffer the same way that I had to throughout my high school career.

Bruin Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ALYSSA ROBERTS ASSISTANT EDITOR: MORGAN DUTA COPY EDITOR: ALYSSA HENRY MARKETING EDITOR: DAVID KAUFFMAN EDITORIAL: PAGE EDITOR: BROOKE BERGER FRONT: PAGE EDITOR: ALI MCNUTT REPORTER: LUKE WILLIAMS SPEAKOUT: PAGE EDITOR: MORGANN PRIEST REPORTERS: MADDIE GABROSEK AND BRANDON HOUSE OPINION 1: PAGE EDITOR: KRISTIN MAPLE REPORTER: ZACH WATTS OPINION 2: PAGE EDITOR: DANNY FOORE REPORTER: EMILY HANNA FEATURES: PAGE EDITOR: ALLISON PALLIJA REPORTER: JACKIE LOWDERMILK NEWS: PAGE EDITOR: KAT SAUNDERS REPORTER: JEFF GAHAN PICTURE PAGES: MATT O’NEIL AND KATEY TOLLETT SPORTS 1: PAGE EDITOR: TYLER JACK REPORTERS: ANTHONY LORUBBIO AND ANTHONY SHROCK SPORTS 2: PAGE EDITOR: DAN MUELLER REPORTER: MIKE CARPS HEALTH: PAGE EDITOR: JOE VARGO REPORTERS: LISA KAUFMAN AND CHELSEA RAY OF THE MONTH: PAGE EDITOR: SARAH FORTNER REPORTER: ALYSSA POWELL ENTERTAINMENT: PAGE EDITOR: LOGAN KILBRIDE REPORTER: KYLE DAVIS ADS/BUSINESS MANAGER: ALAN MCPEEK ASSISTANT MANAGER: JOEL HLAVATY ADVISER: JOHN GRAMUGLIA

Dear Editor, I cannot stand the traffic between the middle school and the high school in the morning. There has to be a more simple and yet effective way to get cars in and out faster. If I drop off my brother at the middle school every morning before 7:20, why is it always after 7:30 that I’m sprinting into the high school to get to my locker and homeroom on time? I could crawl between the middle school and high school five times in the time it takes me to get into the high school parking lot. Could we somehow have a better system of traffic control and bus control?

One solution is we could change the traffic light timer at the main entrance to have more traffic flow so you are not sitting and waiting for minutes on end.

Dan Hayes, 11 Dear Editor, I am on the high school gymnastics team, and I have a very strong opinion on how the school thinks of us. We have gone to state; maybe not this year, but the gymnastics team has just as much potential as any other sport. The basketball team gets all of the gyms, and we have to get pushed into the little weight room area.

Tell me how that is fair. Our floor routines get us the best scores, and if we had a floor set up in the small gym and the ability to actually practice our routines, we could get even better scores. It is a burden to put up and take down the floor every time we have a meet. Also, the volleyball, football and basketball teams get free shirts all the time. Tell the team why we have to pay for absolutely everything. Tell the team why we are treated like we are less than every other sport.

Emma Webb, 10

Dear Editor, I have grown sick and tired of listening to Wadsworth students’ complaints. First period, I listen needlessly to complaints about there not being a snow day. Then second period students complain about the complexity of their Honors Chemistry lab practical.

Third period is math class. The complaints vary from the weath-

er to math not being applicable to future life. My fourth period class is Honors English, and this is by far the worst. No matter how small of a mistake my teacher makes certain students feel the absolute need to whine about how hard it will make the course for them. During sixth period, A.P. Economics, students actually have the ignorance to believe that they are smarter than the teacher.

This leads to valuable time being wasted as the teacher explains the particular student’s incompetence. The main problem is that the complaints show an extreme lack of respect towards teachers.

Why are these disrespectful students not being punished for their actions?

Kevin Fitzgerald, 11 Dear Editor, I’ve noticed throughout this week during mid-terms that teachers aren’t giving us enough time to finish the tests. It would be much easier to have a couple days set aside to do all of the midterms like we do in finals week.

We would be able to prepare for all of the tests and get them done in four days if we took two tests a day. When you have 25 questions left and 20 minutes to go, you start to rush and start to hurt your results. Having more time to do the tests would result in better grades among the students.

Dominic Owens, 10 Dear Editor, I am very happy to say that our wrestling team did something no public school has done in 30 years. They defeated the dynasty of St. Edward in the DI state dual meet on Jan. 11. This great feat is only the beginning for the Grizzly wrestling team. They will wrestle St. Edward sometime in the near future and also wrestle Perry and Eds again at the state tournament.

Good luck Grizzlies!

Cory Jones, 11 Dear Editor, The wrestling match at the state duals was a great and exciting thing to watch. I hope our school can do more things like this in the near future.

Tyler Bennett, 10

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.

Because the staff accepts the responsibility for the contents of the paper, we must reserve the right to edit or omit any portion of any letter. All letters must be signed, but the name will be withheld upon request.

N EWS From your principal

I hope everyone is off to a great start in 2009. For some, the new year will involve setting new goals, and for others, it may be just refocusing on old goals. I encourage you to keep trying to accomplish your goals – striving to be the best! Our wrestling team followed that concept just recently when they competed in the State Dual held at Wadsworth High School. The wrestling team defeated Perry (ranked #1 in the state) and Lakewood St. Edward.

This is a great accomplishment for our athletes, coaches, and community. Congratulations, wrestlers!

With the start of a new year comes the start of the scheduling process for the next school year. In late January and early February, there is a great amount of information provided to students and parents regarding the curriculum and the scheduling process. The decisions made in the coming weeks are very important. For some, the process is easy; for others, it will be a challenge. There are many decisions to make ranging from “how difficult of a schedule” to “what level of a course” a student should take for next year. Our counselors hold meetings to assist students with these and other important decisions. In addition, your teachers are an excellent and valuable resource when selecting the most appropriate choices and levels for next school year. I encourage you to take this process seriously and work with the staff of Wadsworth High School to assist you in making scheduling decisions.

Until the next issue, Go Grizzlies!

Mr. Magnacca

Millions of songs downloaded on iTunes are now no longer limited only to iPods. Purchased tracks will be able to be transferred freely due to Apple dropping their copy protection that is attached to all files on iTunes.

The plans were revealed at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, CA, in early January.

The copy protection made it so that songs bought on iTunes could not be used on anything but an iPod. Once Apple drops the copy protection, all purchased songs can be transferred to any music player including non-Apple devices.

Junior Luke Currens voiced his opinion on the subject: “I am glad that iTunes dropped the copy protection. I like the way iTunes is set up, but I do not have an iPod. Now I can use it and transfer my songs to my mp3 player.”

This change in the way iTunes works brings in mixed emotions.

It could better the way the industry works by allowing people without iPods to use the iTunes network to buy their music, or it could tear down the industry by allowing people to transfer songs to others computers.

“I think iTunes is making a big mistake,” said sophomore Dustin Likens. “They are going to lose millions of dollars by allowing people to transfer songs whenever they want.”

Not only will iTunes be drop-

ping the copy protection on purchased songs, they will be introducing tiered pricing. Older songs will be available at a cheaper price than newer smash hit songs. This could spur people to buy older songs that they would not have bought had they still been at the original price of 99 cents.

While new buyers might be happy about this change, longtime users of iTunes will be disappointed to hear that the music they already own will cost 30 cents a song to change it to unprotected content or 30% of the overall price for certain albums and movies.

Freshman Jack Snowball believes he deserves to keep his already purchased music with the copy protection without having to pay more for them.

Senior Craig Snyder agreed.

“I’m upset about iTunes making me pay more just to get my music that I already bought. I paid for it so I should be able to do what I want with it.”

Even though they are the most popular digital music store, the competition has been faster to offer songs without copy protection. Amazon.com started selling songs without copy protection in 2007. iTunes finally decided that before the end of the year, all 10 million songs on iTunes will be available without copy protection.

Senior Jessica Grant believes that the change iTunes is making will not affect her. “I have an iPod

Despite cease-fire in Gaza, thousands in need of aid

BY KAT SAUNDERS

Three weeks after a bloody conflict erupted between Israelis and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a cease-fire has been declared. The violence began on Dec. 27 with airstrikes carried out

by Israel, under the code name Operation Cast Lead.

Events after the initial attack have left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead. Though tension in the Middle East is not an unfamiliar occurrence, the recent escalation began as a treaty between the two nations expired on Dec. 19.

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Apple’s copy protection decision to affect millions

BY JEFF GAHAN

Welcome to 2009!

January 2009

THE BRUIN

Hamas’ retaliation was due to the fact that Israel had not lifted the Gaza Strip Blockade, which limits access to the borders. In addition to the air raid, combat was waged on land, and Gaza City was attacked by Israeli invaders. The cease-fire ended the three weeks of fighting.

In a statement following the cease-fire, Hamas demanded all troops to withdraw, leaving the borders open for aid and goods. Israel began to execute a swift withdrawal from Gaza, with the Israeli government spokesperson stating that all troops would be out in a

PHOTO BY NATI SHOHAT/FLASH 90/MCT

Qassam rockets are seen fired toward Israel from the Gaza strip, Jan. 2, 2009.

After a relatively quiet night in southern Israel, the onslaught of Palestinian rockets resumed Friday, with two salvoes of Grad rockets hitting Ashkelon. A home in the southern city sustained a direct hit, and one person, in an adjacent house, suffered shrapnel wounds.

matter of days. The withdrawal was officially completed Jan. 21.

Despite the withdrawal, many Palestinians still live in peril, desperate for food, goods and other relief. With more than 5,000 Palestinian homes left destroyed and 20,000 more severely damaged, aid workers have been unable to reach out to the needy civilians.

What supplies are available do not appear to be enough to help the displaced individuals needing items such as infant formula, toilet paper and nonperishable food.

Aid workers have expressed frustration due to the fact that journalists have been able to come and go with ease, but only 20 trucks of supplies a day have been allowed to enter Gaza.

Cassandra Nelson, a relief worker from Mercy Corps, voices her exasperation: “It is hard to understand why international aid workers are being denied access, while journalists and others are being allowed to enter.”

Nelson’s views reflect those of others vying to bring relief to the countless Palestinians left without power and running water. These aid agencies are battling to meet the urgent needs of tens of thousands of displaced, homeless and injured people in Gaza.

PHOTO BY ROMAIN BLANQUART/DETROIT FREE PRESS/MCT

Apple has recently made the decision to drop the copy protection which will allow songs to be used on other mp3 players, as opposed to just the Apple products.

and I like iTunes,” she stated.

While it may not affect some people, this switch could change the lives of many employees. By dropping the copy protection and adding the tiered pricing, iTunes

is hoping to bring in more revenue in 2009 than they did in 2008.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs predicted that these changes will be in effect by the end of the year.

News Briefs •

Fire crews responded to a fire at PCM Inc., a company which produces aluminum casting. Wadsworth Fire Department was aided by Rittman and Seville Fire Departments. No one was harmed as a result of the blaze and the cause remains unknown.

•

A female graduate student at Virginia Tech was killed the night of Jan. 21 when a man she knew attacked her with a knife and decapitated her, a school spokesman said.

This killing was the first on the campus since April 16, 2007, when a shooter killed 32 people before turning a gun on himself.

•

U.S. Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River on Jan. 15 after multiple impacts from wildlife.

All 155 passengers survived.

•

President Obama issued an executive order on Jan. 22 requiring that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility be closed within a year.

•

Ohio is now offering a service which notifies citizens of Amber Alerts via cell phone. Visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org for more information.

•

Although final approval of cloned animal byproducts for the food market is months away, the FDA has issued a statement saying that the food from such animals is safe to consume.

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January 2009

2008 Z Z U B

WORTHY WORDS

TOPLESS MEETING TOPLESS MEETING

a place where electronic devices such as cell phones and lap tops are not allowed to be used

TWEET TWEET

a short message that lets friends, family or anyone who cares know what is going on in your life

FAIL FAIL

a noun used to indicate a great failure, often used in conjunction with the word epic, as in “Her dress was an epic fail”

RICKROLLED RICKROLLED

an action that results from a misleading web link that leads to a video of Rick Astley’s 1987 pop hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”

O PINION 1

THE BRUIN

Ten point scale made history Collegeboard. com lists four reasons for participating in an Advanced Placem e n t course: KRISTIN to gain OPINION STAFF an edge in college preparation, to broaden your intellectual horizons, to stand out in the college admissions process, and to emphasize your commitment to academic excellence.

To me, there is no greater symbol of that academic excellence than an A. It even says so on the report card sent home every nine weeks.

So why has Wadsworth’s social studies department decided to make this achievement even more difficult by implementing a seven point grading scale?

Most are aware that the majority of classes in our high school go by a ten point grading scale.

Even the academic classes are given the extra three-point leeway. My question is, why are the academically challenging courses like A.P. Economics not given this same freedom? The curriculum itself is already harder. Is it necessary to make the grading scale harder too?

“It is not fair. The A.P. classes are already tough, and we have already put forth the effort, so we deserve a break!” asserts junior Jenna Gallagher.

I can understand teachers wanting to make their non-honors courses slightly more challenging with a harder grading scale; after all, Hoover High School’s academic classes go by a seven point scale. The difference between our school and their’s, however, is

“By taking A.P. courses we are already going the extra mile.”

-Megan Stafford,11 that their A.P. courses are all on the ten point scale. That is a system that makes sense.

It is bad enough Wadsworth does not have a weighted GPA for A.P. and honors courses except for class rank, but now someone getting a 90% in academic English would get a higher GPA than someone with a 92% in A.P. Government.

It could be argued that A.P. courses are meant to be more challenging, but a 92% in such an advanced course should be rewarded with the value of an A. When competition for college acceptance and scholarships is exponentially increasing, every accomplishment makes a difference. It would be beneficial for Wadsworth students to have a scale comparable to other schools in the area.

Megan Stafford, a junior taking A.P. Government and A.P. U.S. History, sees the situation like this: “By taking A.P. courses we

are already going the extra mile.

With this grading scale, though, it is like asking us to do another mile on top of that.”

Mr. Tudor, A.P. Economics teacher, rebuttals arguments that this scale is asking too much of students.

“As teachers, it is not our job to make it easy,” explains Tudor. “In our department, we wanted to increase expectations of our students and raise the integrity of the system.”

While the concept of changing the grading scale is not entirely inappropriate, I still feel the social studies department did not think of exactly how much this could affect students in the long run. I do not think the department is giving enough credit to the students who take the initiative to participate in the numerous A.P. courses offered at our school, and I most definitely do not like that my 92% is no longer considered an A. Now that the social studies department has taken the first step towards change, will other departments soon follow suit? Will A.P. Calculus, A.P. Chemistry, or the soon-to-be offered A.P. Biology classes feel the system’s integrity needs to be raised as well? Maybe even the academic and honors courses will see this change as a necessary step in improving the credentials of Wadsworth High School.

All I can say is that I certainly hope none of this changes anytime in the near future.

A B C D F

93-100% 85-92% 77-84% 69-76% 0-68%

HOCKEY MOM 2009 class loses senior benefits HOCKEY MOM

a term vice president candidate Sarah Palin labeled herself to describe the way she understands everyday problems

FIST BUMP FIST BUMP

the knocking of fists together as a greeting or celebratory action, said to have been replacing high fives all across America

MAVERICK MAVERICK

someone who refuses to play by the rules, a person who defies conformity, used long ago to describe an unbranded cow that never ran with the pack **BASED OFF ARTICLES SUBMITTED BY WADSWORTH STUDENT ERIC RHODES, AND NYTIMES.COM

As the end of our time at Wadsworth H i g h School is quickly dwindling, seniors cannot help ZACH but recall OPINION STAFF our fondest memories and feel like we missed out on major privileges that previous senior classes pocketed with no worries of them ever disappearing. What happened to those advantages that so many seniors sought to obtain? Most of the rewards departed over the years, in just enough time for us to miss out on them. For example: no senior banner, no trip to Six Flags and a new high school waving farewell to the seniors.

It started back when I was a kid at All-Conference basketball camp

eight years ago. I remember seeing that senior banner hanging in the glorious realm of the rafters in the senior commons when a feeling of anticipation overcame me.

I could not wait to climb the ladder of education to that last rung and be handed a Sharpie to sign my John Hancock and leave my legacy hanging in the commons.

All this anticipation compiled until I reached 12th grade only to be shot down and told that a senior banner would not be in the budget this year. To our dismay, they did not realize how much sentimental value that banner was to students who had hoped to sign it but were never given the chance.

In middle school, Homework Honor Roll was established for the elite and the studious, and there was a reward in it for you if you were able to complete every homework assignment. Six Flags, which is not around anymore, stood for a common goal of students during their middle school years. The trip to Six Flags for Homework Honor Roll was terminated just in time for us to miss out on both years, depleting our motivation to complete assignments. I could basically smell the stench that permeates from the polluted water resting below the Serial Thriller, but Six Flags escaped our grasp without warning.

A sad sequel to that letdown

comes in the form of mass amounts of unnecessary writing.

After the Class of 2009 graduated from biology, a day that should have been one of celebration, turned into a swindled feeling of dismay once the decision was made to put a stop to orals. The

compared to other classes does not sit well with us. Especially when we saw the opportunities and benefits given to anteceding classes and the Seniors of 2009 being overlooked one too many times.

Despite the Class of 2009 frowning upon the “It is not fair to grant experience of our adolescent educaprivileges based on the tion years, much behavior of other classes; that like the mood of an should not determine the unlucky gambler in a Vegas casino, benefits received by others” we remain thank-Olivia Kormushoff,12 ful for the opporjunior class lucked out while the tunities that we did receive. The seniors felt like mice in an experi- senior commons is still available ment being conducted by a mad for frequent use among the sescientist. niors, equipped with microwaves, As we supposedly entered the plasma televisions and the freebest four years of our lives, I dom to relax and enjoy the finer think I found the solution to our liberties Wadsworth High School problem about the lack of school has to offer. The senior class can spirit, but I discovered a new still agree that these have been the problem in the process. A piece best days of our lives, graduating of the puzzle was lost throughout with an immense feeling of gratithe years, the trust and belief in tude towards Wadsworth High the student body by authority. School for developing the Class “Missing out on Six Flags for of 2009 into a brilliant body of blow-up toys in seventh grade is successful minds. one thing, but being a senior in Walking down the aisle, dihigh school and still getting the ploma in hand, anxiously awaitshort end of the stick is worse,” ing the next chapter of our lives, states senior Olivia Kormushoff, seniors will comfortably ignore demonstrating her despair on the feeling of walking down the missing out on activities. Being Vegas strip without a penny. treated and rewarded differently

O PINION 2

THE BRUIN

January 2009

Facebook takes personal encounters to virtual level

EMILY OPINION STAFF

If you’re r e a d ing this you’re probably one of the teenage Americans with a Facebook or Myspace

page.

According to the Washington Post, 50% of teenagers with access to the Internet are part of a social network. A site that was once created for people to keep in touch and share simple personal things has turned into its own world. It seems these social network sites are taking fights, relationships and overall communication to the next level. People no longer want their personal lives to be private and most are more than comfortable letting complete strangers know personal information.

For everyone who is not familiar with the popularly growing trend, it is practically a site made to stalk others without having to make face to face contact. One can friend request anyone, view profiles to find out personal information such as: favorite books, movies, quotes, and my ultimate favorite: sort through numerous amounts of picture either taken by a “friend” or a picture they are in.

Senior Lindsay Tenyak said, “Facebook is like being sucked into a fantasy world.”

In my experience with Facebook, I have found that apparently a relationship is not real until it is deemed, “FBO”, Facebook Official. Relationships include numerous amounts of statuses: In a relationship, Complicated, Single, Engaged, Married, Open, leaving out the key relationship,

“In a long distance disaster.”

There are also the couples that break up every other day and will change their Facebook status immediately and come to school only to say, “We are back together.”

What really gets me is when people will revamp their whole page because their crush just added them as a friend. Seriously, what is the point? If a person likes you, they like you, not because of your profile picture. And what happens when

“Facebook is like being sucked into a fantasy world.”

-Lindsay Tenyak ,12

you have to tell all your friends you met your significant other via Facebook? Well, it is almost as bad as telling your parents you are going out with a guy/girl who could possibly be a forty-five year old terrorist.

“I think it is pretty funny when people who do not know each other at all start a relationship via Facebook,” said Senior Dom Oddo.

Facebook fights are a whole new world. People will write on other people’s walls, displaying information no one should know about, and no one wants to know about, other than those intrigued because of their lack of a social life.

Nasty posts will be left on pictures just to get a response. Sometimes, fights will linger back and forth for months on end. Then, if the fight cannot be resolved, one may be forced to delete this person as a friend. Some people think by deleting one as a friend on Facebook you no longer exist—for all of you that think this, it is not true. You are still going to see these “frenemies” around the school halls.

I think I have more friends on Facebook than I have in real life.

On this site, you friend request

a person you met the other night and the next thing you know you are being reconnected with your kindergarten crush. Many will friend request people if they look interesting, have a neat profile picture, look like a familiar person or are curious to find out juicy details about their life. Because of this virtual site, you don’t actually have to hang out with someone or even meet them to become friends with them.

One knows they are really cool when your friends make a Facebook group just about you. People will make groups because they have nothing better to do—why not do something worth while? Go fly a kite or something. Get outside and get some sun. It is funny to see that more people will join that group, among other groups, than the amount of people involved in political groups in the community.

There really is not much of a point to the groups either, 95% of them are just there so one can say that they are in a group.

There are those who check their Facebook a numerous amount of times in a day, just in case something new has happened. I know many people that will check their Facebook before they will check their mail to see if they have received their college acceptance letter. They think that if the world is going to end, Facebook will be the first to tell them. A lot of people would call them a “Facebook Creeper.” These “creepers” will be on Facebook all the time and somehow find the time to virtually stalk all of their Facebook friends.

Facebook is a phenomenon attracting teens left and right. It is the new Internet blog creating another reason to ignore face-toface contact with others. Before we know it, nothing will be personal anymore.

PHOTO BY EMILY HANNA

A conversation that would once be personal has been turned virtual because of Facebook.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Weight loss tips and secret books are a big hit in the month of January.

New Year’s resolutions consumed by crazy diets

It is that time of year again, when you think, discuss and debate about w h a t DANNY your New OPINION STAFF Ye a r ’ s resolution is going to be. Every year it seems as if the resolution of weight loss is discussed more and more.

This can be a good or a bad thing.

America, as we know, is already the most obese country in the world, so it is nice to hear that people are thinking about diets and weight loss tips. However, there is one big problem with all of this diet talk: a lot of the time people will procrastinate and end up going back to their old ways.

It does not help when in many magazines, catalogues, and on TV you see nothing but advertisements of gym memberships.

You will also find bargains on workout equipment and scales.

This is turning into a year by year routine. The only resolution being discussed is losing weight.

Junior Brad Squire‘s New Year’s resolution wasn’t to lose weight.

“I want to eat healthier and focus on my grades in school more,” said Squire.

Senior Dustin Carver, on the other hand added “My New Years resolution is to not make one, so I can’t break it.

Resolutions are either kept or broken. The main factor is the basic will power and discipline of the individual to accomplish their resolution, but that is the problem with our society today. Most individuals lack that discipline it takes to accomplish personal goals, such as a diet. When something gets too tough on someone, they have two options; either fight it or flight it.

Fight through the tough times and do what ever it takes to succeed in that goal. The other option of flight

is to simply just giving up. Flighting is another way of quitting, which we see too much now-a-days.

What has happened to the basic New Year’s resolutions? Those that included, watching less TV, complimenting one person daily or even simply being more organized. It is sad that we have come to the point where, people will just say that their New Years resolution is to lose ten pounds.

Mr. John Yaggi agrees commenting, “Why wait until January 1 if it is something that needs to happen now?”

Top 5 Most Common Resolutions

1. Diet or

Weight loss.

2. Spending

more time with family.

3. Budget

money better.

4. Quit smoking or drinking.

5. Stop cursing.

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January 2009

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A DS

E NTERTAINMENT

January 2009

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Bond vs.

Bourne: The Showdown Two super-spy characters and their legacies are analyzed in a heated debate OPINION BY LOGAN KILBRIDE AND KYLE DAVIS

American entertainment has been captured by high-paced, edge-of-your-seat, jaw-dropping action throughout the last century. However, few films have portrayed the epitome of adrenaline like spy movies. Out of these spy movies, two names emerged: James Bond and Jason Bourne.

These two characters have lit up Hollywood with their unparalleled performances, and we are here to decide which character may claim the role of the “ultimate spy.”

• •

•

Bond Facts

22 Bond films dating back to 1962 6 actors have played the role of James Bond Story created in 1953 by author Ian Fleming

•

Based on an actual character who is an ornithologist

•

MI6 Commander known as 007

•

Possesses a license to kill

•

Speaks Danish, Italian, Spanish and other Oriental languages

Kyle Davis: How can this even be a debate? James Bond is the better spy hands down! He has been around for over 50 years.

Logan Kilbride: This may be so, but Bourne is a man of the present. Bond is outdated and cannot relate to the new-age viewers like Bourne can.

KD: But Bond has been rebooted, he uses new techniques and new gadgets to destroy his enemies. You can not ever say that Bond is outdated!

LK: Ok, well has Bond ever blown up a building with a broken gas-line, a magazine and a toast-

er? I do not think so. Bourne’s lateral thinking has never been epitomized.

KD: Yeah, Bond is just as good at blowing stuff up, as he continually wrecks his brand new Aston Martins. And has Bourne ever fallen out of a plane and lived to tell about it? No he has not!

KD: “Bourne-esque?” How can you even say that? There would not even be spy movies if it were not for James Bond.

Actually, every spy after him is “Bond-esque.”

LK: First off, I would like to say that wrecking an Aston Martin is a crime in itself. And to answer your second point, Bourne may not have fallen out of an airplane, but he has jumped off a skyscraper into the East River and swam away unharmed.

LK: Haha, ok, enough with the past; Bourne is a man of the future! Sure, Bourne’s qualities may resemble some of Bond’s, but he has single-handedly transformed the way we view spies.

KD: Ok, I will give you that.

The Bourne Ultimatum has a great ending. But let us move on to a topic in which Bond has no competition whatsoever. James Bond’s sexual prowess is unmatched. He gets all the ladies!

KD: On the contrary, the way we all view spies is unchanged. When one person thinks of a spy movie, you hear a confident man introducing himself as “Bond, James Bond” and ordering a “Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.”

Bond’s idiosyncrancies will never be forgotten or replaced.

LK: Ok, not many can compete with Bond and his manhood, but give Bourne some credit. He is not a bad looking man himself, and I bet Bond would not be so successful with the ladies if he was suffering from amnesia!

KD: Let us put the ladies aside and get into the real nitty-gritty.

You mentioned earlier about Bourne’s superior intellect, but how can you say Bond is not brilliant. He escapes and eludes MI6 in Bond’s newest film, Quantum of Solace. How many people can do that?

LK: I will admit, Bond is very “Bourne-esque” and sly in many of his films. I am just saying that Bourne’s resourcefulness, quickthinking, moral righteousness and all-encompassing knowledge are hard to emulate.

LK: Ok, I cannot take anything away from Bond. He is the man, but Bourne is making quite a name for himself. Bourne’s stunning wit associated with most of his sarcasm is unbelievable at times. How about when he is perched up in a building adjacent from the CIA headquarters spying in on them, on the phone with them? He has the “cohunes” to let them know he is within sight when he says, “Get some rest, Pam. You look tired.”

KD: Yeah, he is pretty funny in The Bourne Supremacy, but Bond is a bit of a sarcastic genius himself. In Casino Royale, Bond is faced with death, and returns to the card table only to exclaim,“That last hand nearly killed me,” after Le Chiffre poisoned his martini.

LK: I will admit it-- that line gave me a few chuckles, but let us move on to bigger and better things. Bourne endures more beating and physical abuse in three movies than Bond does in all twenty-two.

KD: There is no way that you can say that. No character gets blown up more than James Bond. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, each Bond has lived through countless death-defying stunts and situations. Take the classic Bond film Goldeneye for example; Pierce Brosnan lives through PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS Bourne pauses to out-wit his enemies. certain death as his plane crashes

orders and complete missions.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCTCAMPUS

Bond aims to shoot in his latest movie The Quantum of Solace.

at full-force into the Cuban jungle.

LK: That was an impressive stunt.

However, Jason Bourne proves that he is quite tough, as well, throughout his movies. To become the contract assassin he was deprived of sleep and abused for weeks. He also survived countless hand-to-hand battles and a major car crash in The Bourne Supremacy.

KD: Bourne has proven himself as a tough guy, I will give you that. But there is one thing that James Bond will always have over Jason Bourne, and that is the ability to finish the job, no matter what it takes. Bond shows that his country comes first, and he will do what is necessary to complete his mission.

LK: Bond’s country?! He is not even an American. Jason Bourne not only epitomizes American patriotism and pride, but moral consciousness as well. At the conclusion of The Bourne Ultimatum, it is clear that Bourne realizes the immorality of the Treadstone operation and stands for the moral good of all Americans.

KD: The thing is, you cannot have a moral conscience when you are a spy. You need to be able to accomplish your orders, even if it requires killing the target. Bond shows this dedication and relentlessness in Quantum of Solace as he eliminates everything in his path in order to get the job done.

Jason Bourne cannot compare to James Bond.

LK: As I said earlier, Bourne realized that killing the man would be wrong. His stand for right verses wrong sets him apart from other spies that merely follow

KD: Bourne’s existence is largely due to his inability to complete the task at hand. In The Bourne Identity, he was shot after fleeing the yacht of his intended target. If Bourne had completed his mission in the first place, like James Bond would have, there would be no reason for him to search for his true identity. In order to be a spy, one cannot decide

Box of Bourne •

Bourne 4 will premier in 2010

•

Series based on 3 books by Robert Ludlum and 4 by Eric Van Lustbader

•

Speaks English, French, Russian, Dutch, German, Swedish and Spanish fluently

•

Contract assassin

•

Real name is David Webb

•

Known as Delta One

•

Suffers from amnesia

between right and wrong. A spy must be obedient.

LK: Bourne identifies with the new-age American who searches for morality and their true identity. Bond may be a great spy of the past, and his legacy rolls on, but he cannot keep up with the modern era of Bourne.

BOTH: Whether you like the new age, fast-paced style of the Jason Bourne movies or the classic thrills that the James Bond movies provide, anyone and everyone can enjoy a great spy movie. Although the two are different in many ways, there is no denying each character’s ability to entertain their viewers.

Different Living performs at Tri-C High School

Who: Logan Ramsey, Zack Nelson, Alex Gnap and Tony Becker What: The final round of a contest hosted by 92.3 to determine the top high school band in the area Where: The House of Blues, Cleveland, Ohio When: January 31, 7:00 p.m. (subject to change) Why: Support an up-and-coming local band of fellow classmates, $10 for entry

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January 2009

THE BRUIN

P ICTURE

The Real Princess and the Pea

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MRS. CSAKY

Intramural Basketball

PHOTOS BY MATT O’NEIL

Every year starting in early December, high school students group together to form their own basketball teams coached, organized and ran by students. These teams square off against each other every Saturday morning to see who is the best of the student body. The league is split into two different divisions. The freshman and sophomore teams face one another, and the junior and senior teams battle it out. Games are full of great, and not so great game play, but everyone has fun. In the end, the intramurals are an excellent way for the student body to get active, have fun and be competitive.

P AGE

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January 2009

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The Real Princess and the Pea, a children’s play, was presented on the weekend of January 17-19 by the WHS Drama Department. There were performers ranging from age 8 to 18, making it a unique and successful play.

An excited audience packed the seats of O.J. Work Auditorium on all three nights. The play was enjoyed by all, and the actors’ hard work paid off.

Congratulations to everyone who was a part of this performance!

Swim Team Swimmers are among the top athletes in the school. They train for months to achieve some of the highest titles in the league.

This year alone, several records were broken.

Besides trying to be named the weekly “workhorse,” swimmers also manage to have fun with splash parties, team meals and temporary tattoos. All this has contributed to their undefeated Suburban League record.

PHOTOS BY KATEY TOLLETT

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January 2009

F EATURES

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Athletes of the Month Amanda

PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. CSAKY

Senior Andrea , as Madame Bombazine, and her princesses make their entrance on a stroll through the park.

REVIEW BY ALLISON PALLIJA

As children, many grow up hearing fairy tales. One of these stories might have been The Princess and the Pea. This fairy tale story has love, sorrow, and of course a happy ending. The Wadsworth High School Drama Department performed The Real Princess and the Pea, a variation of the original tale, on Jan. 17-19 at O.J. Work Auditorium.

Different from the fall drama, this play was intended especially for younger audiences. Fittingly, the age range of the actors was extensive. From seniors like Tiffany Schleigh to Mrs. Baxley’s daughter Alyssa, age nine, all characters had active roles in the play. Each actor brought a little something to the play, contributing to its success. Not only did the audience members enjoy the play but the cast members did as well.

“For being such a big cast we all got along really well. All the time we spent together was one of my favorite parts. I will miss everyone dearly, since that was most likely my last play,” said senior Emily Murray.

From all the scenery on the stage to the acting by the cast members the play had a large impact on audience members.

“I thought it was really funny and cute. The best part was

watching Andrea Jones be mean,” vocalized senior Chelsie Palecek.

The younger children were entertaining to the audience as well.

Each little child brought something different to the show, from the two soldiers who played the toughest soldiers ever seen to the little princesses who played the roles of being snotty very well.

All the cast members were exquisite to watch.

In the end, the drama department gave the community yet

another amazing show. The Real Princess and the Pea expressed every little kid’s fairy tale story and so much more.

“Andrea Jones, Emily Murray, and the rest of the cast were outstanding,” said senior Logan Ware.

The high school’s children’s play performance of The Real Princess and the Pea not only captured every child’s imagination but the imaginations of the rest of the audience as well.

lauren steidel

Fairy tale captures imaginations

PHOTO BY KATEY TOLLETT

Pallija has broken the school record in the 200-IM four times. She is a good leader and a very hard worker in and out of the pool.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WADSWORTH WRESTLING TEAM

Kagan

PHOTO COURTESY BY MRS. CSAKY

Squire’s overall record is 24-4, and his record in the league is 5-0. He placed 6th in the Ironman Tournament, 2nd at the Brecksville Holiday Tournament and 1st in the Bedford Tournament.

Senior Tiffany and sophomore Jon contribute to the play with the romantic love of their characters.

Previous year lavished with crazy mishaps, bizarre tales

SUBMITTED BY MARIA FORTNER AND NATE MOSKOWITZ EDITED BY JACKIE LOWDERMILK

The dictionary defines an oddball as a person or thing that is atypical, bizarre, eccentric or nonconforming, especially one having beliefs that are unusual but harmless. The year of 2008 was filled with oddball news stories that shocked America and the world.

Ian Usher, 44, decided to take an extreme step after his wife divorced him: he sold his life on eBay. As a package, he put up his house, computer, car, jet ski, furniture, an introduction to his friends and his sales job. The bids went up and Usher ended up collecting around $380,000.

Although odd, the story of a man selling his life on the Internet is not as outrageous as others. Rick Dyer and Matt Whitton seemed sure that they had

found the real Bigfoot. In northern Georgia, the two claimed in a news conference that they had the corpse in a freezer and it was currently thawing. The truth was later revealed that it was a rubber gorilla suit stuffed with road kill. Dyer and Whitton later announced they knew about this stunt and went along with the joke the whole time. Dyer told CNN, “Everyone knew we were lying.”

Both were fired from their jobs.

Another crazy story includes breast milk ice cream. This ice cream was suggested by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They wrote a letter to Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream company, urging them to swap the milk used in their products for human breast milk. They argued that cow’s milk causes obesity, heart disease and allergies.

You would think an advocacy group would have a problem with the next story. Fish pedicures

are the new way to get beautiful feet. Originating in Asia, the new trend of dead-skin-cell-eating fish has become popular in America.

Sophomore Elaine Zollinger commented on this new trend: “I would love to try a fish pedicure!

It sounds like a neat way to get a pedicure because I hate when people have to touch my feet.”

When doctors examined a 9year-old Greek girl complaining of a stomachache, they were startled to discover the cause: an embryonic twin the girl had absorbed while in the womb. The fetus inside the girl was two inches and had no formed brain but had hair and eyes. This condition is called “Vanishing Twin Syndrome.”

An investigation in Texas led to even morbid discovery. A teen and two friends robbed a grave of a deceased 11-year-old. The oddness comes from what they used the skull for: a homemade marijuana bong.

PHOTO BY PETER ANDREW BOSCH/MIAMI HERALD/MCT

Old-fashioned pedicures may become a thing of the past. In 2008, $35 fish pedicures were introduced in the United States at a spa in northern Virginia.

The weirdest story comes in the form of a pregnant man. Thomas Beatie, a trans-gendered man who was born a woman, took the world by great surprise when he announced that he was pregnant.

Beatie underwent insemination using a sperm donor. He had a healthy baby girl with his wife.

Sources say that another child is

on the way.

These outrageous events helped give 2008 a lasting legacy.

Whether it was a story about skull bongs or pregnant men, the year was full of crazy and shocking events. As the new year continues, fresh oddball occurrences are sure to spring up, making for thought-provoking news.

A DS

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PIZZA BASH “All You Can Eat” Before the Copley & Wadsworth Boys Basketball Game

Friday, February 20, 2009

Clothes, coats, shoes, formals, suits & much more!

5:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. Wadsworth Senior High School

50% OFF

Student Pre-Sale -- $5.00 · Student Day of Event -- $5.00

Select items!

Adult Pre-Sale -- $7.00 · Adult Day of Event -- $7.00

www.dejavuwadsworth.com

330-336-8439

11

Wadsworth Rotary Grizzly Scholarship

We carry name-brand consignments!

131 College St., Wadsworth

January 2009

Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-4

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January 2009

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

CURTIS

FUTURE: GO TO COLLEGE AND

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MAJOR WITH ARABIC STUDIES FAVORITE QUOTE: “TAKE A.P. ENGLISH”

T e c h

Kaycee FUTURE: GOING TO AKRON FOR SCHOOL AND PREPARING TO BECOME A WEDDING PLANNER

MAJOR IN EDUCATION

FAVORITE QUOTE: “WORK HARD

AND BECOME A LEADER; BE LAZY AND NEVER SUCCEED”

f i n e a r t s

Tim FUTURE: MARINE CORPS

PHOTO BY ALYSSA POWELL

Jordan stands on his car, proud to be driving it despite its imperfections.

BY ALYSSA POWELL

Tiffany FUTURE: TO GO TO COLLEGE IN

NEW YORK TO STUDY MEDIA COMMUNI-

CATIONS AND THEATRE

Andy FUTURE: HORTICULTURAL SCIENTIST

TEACHER FEATURE OF THE MONTH

MR. BILL GODDARD

BY SARAH FORTNER

“Do you know a good vet?...

Because these pythons are sick.”

Is that familiar? That is probably because it is one of Mr. Goddard’s silly jokes that makes students and staff giggle everyday. Mr. Goddard has been chosen for our feature teacher of the month, because he is a fun teacher, a smart coach and a wonderful friend to all.

“It is hard to pass Mr. Goddard with out having a smile on your face!” stated senior BrittanyArvay.

Every day Mr. Goddard walks down the halls of WHS with a smile on his face; he absolutely loves his job. He states that during his teaching career every single day is different, and he loves to work with students and help them become a better all-around person.

“I have always admired Mr. Goddard ever since he hit grand slams with my dad”, said senior Olivia Kormushoff.

Throughout the years, Goddard has been very proud of raising five children. Three have already graduated from Wadsworth, with a sophomore and his only daughter, an eighth grader at Wadsworth Middle School, remaining. He is very happy to know

Junk of the Month

MARIA

FUTURE: MOST LIKELY, OSU,

C a r e e r

O F THE M ONTH

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his children will all follow in the footsteps of he and his wife as Wadsworth High School Alumni.

From the moment Andy Sonnanstine played the hidden ball trick on Youngstown Boardman, to the last-second shot to beat Cuyahoga Falls in basketball, Goddard has amazing memories throughout his 27 years of teaching and coaching.

For now, Goddard is eagerly happy to go to work every day.

He enjoys seeing students and staff with whom he has become very close. Like most, he is anxiously awaiting the time when the warm summer sun comes out and his family heads up to Sandusky Bay to fish, jet ski and play in the sun at his summer home.

Is it better to have no wheels or to have a sense of humor about the wheels that you do have?

Senior Jordan Doyle can easily answer this question. He is the proud driver of his brother’s ‘92 Honda Civic. Although his car is not in the best shape, it gets him from point A to point B, and that is all that matters to him.

Although Doyle has driven the car for two years now, his brother feels the need to add gold to it wherever he sees it may fit as if it were his signature. The one windshield wiper known as the uniwiper, as Doyle called it, is painted gold.

With the weather being the way it is, Doyle is smart and stays inside of Wadsworth due to his bald tires and lone windshield wiper.

“I don’t drive outside of Wadsworth due to fear of breaking down,” said Doyle.

The 17-year-old car has had its share of hardships and helped make fond memories for Doyle.

One of his most admired memories with this car would be almost sliding out onto Hartman Road, proceeding to hit the curb and barely missing the traffic surrounding him.

Dealing with the car’s imperfections is sometimes a chore; however, since it does what he needs, he stays uplifted about driving the car. It will not be much longer until Doyle is able to buy the SUV he has been thinking about. Getting the SUV would

hopefully solve his ‘uniwiper’ issues and allow him to not worry whether or not the speedometer is going to work. New cars mean new tires which also would take care of his bald tire problem, and the new brakes would not squeal as these do.

When asked to be “The junk of the month,” Doyle simply laughed and said “yes” with much enthusiasm to share with everyone about how unique is car truly is. The sense of humor that is had about the old, gold and never surprising vehicle is a nice thing that he can have.

No matter how sad it may look, Doyle is able to get to OfficeMax and back.

As many students drive around in the new “hot” cars, remember that Doyle is out there with a sense of humor as his radio shifts from side to side as other’s are blaring their bass.

Green Tip Whether it is summer or winter, ceiling fans and roof turbines can save you energy--that is good for you and good for the environment.

FORWARD PAYPAY ITITFORWARD

BY ALYSSA POWELL PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. GODDARD

Mr. Goddard attended the University of Akron and played baseball for the Zips.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. GODDARD

Mr. Goddard, along with three of his sons, Sam, Nick and Joe and his wife.

There are a myriad of things that an individual can do to better his or her community.

Senior Matt O’Neil is a prime example of one who reaches out and takes these opportunities.

O’Neil lends his intelligent mind by being a peer tutor.

He even managed to help one of his students earn an A after having a D in the class.

O’Neil tutors hours on end and helps students who are having a difficult time in a class whenever he can.

Thanks to O’Neil, students’ grades are becoming better than they were before.

He pays it forward by donating his time and intelligence.

What have you done to help your community lately?

PHOTO BY BRUIN STAFF

A DS

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January 2009

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Patrons 2008-2009 Al and Donna Whitacre Allison Parsons Amy Lamonica Amy Broadhurst Andy and Lori Watts Barbara McConnel The Barlow Family The Barnett Family The Baxley Family Bev Valentine The Benya Family The Berg Family The Berger Family Bill and Jean Mosier Bill and Sharon Powell Bob Davis Brad and Sue Fisher Brian Madigan The Booth Family Carl Lorubbio Carolynn Jackson Crystal Ake The Casalinova Family The Croyle Family The Csaky Family Dammarell Family Dave and Nancie Smith Debbie Britton Debbie and Gary Lake Denise Russo The Dennison Family Doug and Kathy Maple Drs. Joseph and Susan Arpad Dwain Kibler The Duckworth Family The Duta Family Elizabeth Khoury Eric and Diane Smith The Fortner Family The Gahan Family The Goddard Family

The Hanna Family The Hamilton Family The Henry Family The Hlavaty Family J. Teringo Jeff and Kathy Priest Jim and Addie O’Neil Jim and Julie Winkleman Joe Gabrosek Joe and Phyllis Berger Joe and Wendy Gains John and Juliee Saunders Joyce and Walter Henschel Joyce Bock Julia Ozbolt The Jack Family The Kauffman Family Karen and Chuck Powell Kathie and Bob Engler Kathy Bergen Kim and Jim Perkins The Keener Family Leslie North Lloyd and Betsy Yoder The Lumsden Family The Lance Family The Lanson Family M. Tognett Marie Lowdermilk Mark and Faith Williams Mark Schoonover Matt and Kristin Hutchinson Melissa Eaton Michelle Farr Michelle DeAngelis Mike and Katie Recupero Mike Schmeltzer Sr. Miss Reagan Dr. and Mrs. Manning Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Frank Vargo The Kaufman Family

The Magnacca Family The McIlvaine Family The McPeek Family Mr. Shepherd Mrs. Nedoh The Pallija Family Patricia Bathurst Peggy Browning The Prechtel Family Peggy Browning Randy and Robin Kilbride Rebecca Dills Rich Berlin Robinson Eco-Water Systems The Roberts Family Robert and Ruth McGough Rod and Wendy Kaufman The Snodgrass Family The Stitzel Family Shawn VanDyke Sra. Mateos Steve Moore Tammy and Dwight Foore Tammi House The Tenyak Family Thompson Excavating Tim and Judi McNutt The Tollett Family Tom and Tracy Penrose Tom and Beth Gaborcik Tom Evans Trish and Dave Swanson

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January 2009

S PORTS 1

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Maybe next year Cleveland SPORTS OPINION

BY TYLER JACK

“Maybe next year.” A little three word phrase that many Ohioans are familiar with. The familiar saying has turned into more of a joke than a believable phrase. It is not that Cleveland fans think that we actually have a chance of winning the championship next year, but is because most Cleveland fans know that next year will be the exact same as the previous year, if not worse.

Growing up with Cleveland sports is a love-hate relationship for many. Our fans can be living life thinking, “This is the year, there is no stopping us now,” and then get their legs taken out from under them. Year after year, the “Cleveland Curse” strikes back and continues the inevitable cycle. How this curse was brought upon Cleveland is unknown, many have their opinions, but the truth may never be known.

People are die hard fans and stick with these teams through the drought.

Mr. Postak said, “Loving anything in life involves unconditional loving support. If I were to only support the teams during good times and dump them in bad times, that would be more of a fair weather fan. I was born and raised a Cleveland fan, and it was because of more than the record.

It’s easy to support a team that wins all the time, but true fans show support even when times are tough.”

One would think that if a team has not won a championship in 45 years it would not be worth the

TOP TEN HIGHEST PAID ATHLETES OF 2008 1. TIGER WOODS $127,902,706 2. PHIL MICKELSON $63,372,685 3. LEBRON JAMES $40,455,000 4. FLOYD MAYWEATHER $40,250,000 5. KOBE BRYANT $35,490,625 6. SHAQUILLE O’NEAL $35,005,000 7. ALEX RODRIGUEZ $35,000,000 8. KEVIN GARNETT $31,000,000 9. PEYTON MANNING $30,500,000 10. DEREK JETER $30,000,000

stress and tears. It would be easy to see why people would give up and start to cheer for a different team. Not die-hard Cleveland fans though.

Many people from different cities think they have it bad when their team loses in the championship game, or even has a bad year.

They should attempt to live the life of a Cleveland fan. We have been in some important games and even a recent championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but every year is the same old story.

“Cleveland fans are not fair weather fans. We are true to Cleveland. We have made commitment to Cleveland teams, you have to honor that commitment,” said senior Craig Snyder.

No matter how close we get each year, or how promising each season looks, fans are left with a bad taste in their mouth.

When asked when Cleveland will bring in their next championship, Mr. Yaggi said, “Not in my lifetime.” Mr. Postak, on the other hand, believes it will be soon.

Mr. Postak may not be all that wrong. This season’s Cavaliers have been off to an amazing start with a hunger to return to the NBA finals. Who knows, maybe the word champions will be associated with a Cleveland sport.

It is hard to think of any better fans than the ones that cheer for Cleveland. They have been through the hardest times and seen some of the most heartbreaking games in the history of sports.

We continue on and hope for the best, always thinking in the back of our minds, “maybe next year Cleveland.”

PHOTO BY TYLER JACK

- 4 NFL championships, none since 1964 - The Drive- 1987 AFC Championship; Elway and Broncos conduct 98 yard offensive drive with 5:02 left in game; Denver wins in OT - The Fumble- 1988 AFC Championship; Earnest Byner fumbled ball going into the endzone to win the game - 07-08 missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record

-1976- last division title - 1976- lost to Boston in Eastern Conference Championship - The Shot- Michael Jordan’s game-winning shot over Craig Elo - 2006- made it to the NBA Finals, but got shut out by Spurs - 2008- lost game 7 of the Eastern Conference Championship to Boston

- 1948- last world series championship - 1995- lost to Atlanta Braves in World Series - 1997- lost game 7 of the World Series to Florida Marlins - 1999- upset by Seattle Mariners in first round of playoffs - 2007- blew 3-1 lead over Boston to lose the American League Championship

Indoor track season sprints into action

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

The indoor state track meet for both the girls and guys track team will be held at Akron University’s indoor facility on March 21, 2009.

BY ANTHONY SCHROCK

Along with the new year kicking off, many track athletes are anxiously awaiting the gun to sound, signaling the start of their indoor track season.

Indoor track, is in many ways, different from outdoor. The same philosophy is involved with several of the same events, but the main difference comes from the fact that it is indoor.

Many things that affect outdoor track do not come into effect with indoor. Weather, a main factor in outdoor, does not come into play, along with the size of the track.

Because of this difference, all of the running events are shortened by 40 meters from the outdoor events.

“The best thing about indoor track is that the races are shorter than outdoor,” stated junior Luke Currens.

When you approach an outdoor event, you have the wind factoring in; along with rain, snow, and hail. Everything can come into play.

Senior track athlete Brett Currens commented, “The environment is always the same with indoor track. You do not have to worry about the temperature or

the wind or anything that can affect your race.”

Along with the advantages of indoor track come the disadvantages. One major disadvantage is the atmosphere surrounding indoor track.

All athletes tend to do better in anything when you have support from fans cheering you on to win.

With indoor track there are still fans, people still cheer you on, but it is not the same as the atmosphere of outdoor.

At outdoor meets there is more room for fans, more teammates cheering for you, more fans from the opponent cheering.

What makes the atmosphere even better is that in outdoor track you start league play. Every meet you are competing for the league title, competing for your team to

be the best in the league.

Defending state runner-up in the 100 meters women’s outdoor track, Jessica Grant stated, “There is no comparison between the state championship in outdoor to indoor track. Outdoor states is crazy, and the atmosphere is great.”

The atmosphere plays a huge role for all athletes in any sport.

An athlete will tend to perform their best with the best atmosphere surrounding them.

The indoor state track meet will take place on March 21, at Akron University for both the girls and guys track team.

To catch the girls track team’s first indoor meet you can see them on Jan. 24, at Akron University.

To see the boys kick off their season you can watch them on Jan. 31, at Kent State University.

S PORTS 2

By The Numbers

20 15 7 12 Number of consecutive home wins by the Cavs

National ranking of the Wadsworth wrestling team

15

2008 sports moments not to be forgotten

BY TATE MOORE EDITED BY DAN MUELLER

Wadsworth athletics have always been viewed as something special.

From fall sports like football and volleyball to spring events like baseball and track, teams throughout the Suburban League thrive off “the big game” against the Grizzlies.

Each year, our amazing athletes give us memories we will never forget. Although there have been numerous spectacular sports moments in 2008, these 10 stood out above the rest.

10. Brandon House received All-Ohio second team: The junior soccer captain and first team All-League and All-District start-

ed all seventeen games this past season, posting an unbelievable eight shutouts.

9. Dennis Finneran makes regionals: The senior golfer carded an 86 at the Pine Hills Golf Club in the regional tournament, missing state by only a few strokes.

Junior Nathan Moskowitz said of Dennis, “You know he’s a great role model and his skills come through in the clutch. He deserved nothing less than to move on.”

8. Boys basketball beats Barberton in playoffs: Although the basketball team did not fare well in last year’s regular season, they beat Barberton in an incredible playoff game; for the second straight year, they knocked their rival out of the playoffs early.

Superbowl spread: Steelers over Cardinals

Number of full-time head coaches the Cleveland Browns have hired

January 2009

THE BRUIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. TERiNGO

The varsity football team dominated Medina on FSN this past season. The thrilling game made it all the way to number six on the top ten best sports moments.

7. Coach Johnson claims 200th win: With an 8-5-4 season, soccer coach John Johnson picked up his 200th career win.

This milestone is remarkable for any coach at the high school level, and no one deserved it more than he did.

6. Football team beats Medina on FSN: The 2008 Grizzly football season was full of excitement. This primetime game showed viewers Wadsworth has a great program not to be reckoned with. Junior wide-receiver Louden Gorden said, “It was fun playing on television, especially because we played so well and won the game. We showed everyone watching how good we can be.”

5. Girls basketball wins Suburban League title: For the 17th time in 18 years, the girl’s basketball team walked out on top of the league. The girls finished the year with a record of 16-6, an outstanding feat for any team.

4. Paige Szabat, 9, and Nicole Cargill, 11, receive All-Ohio: The cross country one-two punch finished 21st and 25th in the state respectively in their race at Scioto Downs in Columbus. Cargill said, “I wish we could’ve taken the whole team to state, but going with Paige was still really fun!”

3. Sophomore super squad; Brad Squire places 2nd at state, Ben Buzzelli places 4th: Last year’s super sophomore wres-

tling duo walked out of the state tournament with their heads held high. Along with his second place finish, Squire came away with an Ironman championship win.

2. Girls 4x100 relay team state runner-up: The four girl relay team of Jessica Grant, 11, Amanda Pallija, 10, Brittani Peltz, 12, and Kristen Bennet, 11, ran their final race of the season in 47.70 seconds, missing the state title by just .17 seconds behind Cleveland Heights.

1. Wrestling team wins Suburban League, again for the 16th in a row: The 2008 version of the Wadsworth wrestling team was not a new sight for the other 7 teams in the Suburban League.

Although some new faces were present, the results were still the same. League champions included Danny Foore, 11, Brad Squire, 10, and Ben Buzzelli, 10. The outstanding group of athletes totaled 205 points, 27 more points than the second team placers from Highland.

Now that 2008 is now complete, Grizzly fans should be ready for yet another spectacular year of sporting events. It is time for new athletes to emerge in the spotlight, and teams to step up their game.

We will never forget what took place in 2008 sports history, but who knows what 2009 will bring.

Wrestlers pin competition, earn national ranking

BY MIKE CARPS

The glory and prestige of Lakewood St. Edward’s wrestling program that has ruled the state and nation for the last twenty-five years was overthrown Sunday, Jan. 11 at the 15th State Dual Wrestling Championships.

The host-team Wadsworth Grizzlies now also occupies the state throne after knocking down rival powerhouse St. Edward, in addition to the state’s No. 1 ranked team, Massillon Perry.

The Grizzlies earned the dual meet state crown after defeating the Eagles of St. Edward 27-25.

Wadsworth had momentum going into this match after upsetting

top-ranked Perry Panthers 28-23, in the semifinals.

“This is truly one of the greatest moments of Wadsworth wrestling,” said junior Ben Buzzelli, who managed to pin all three of his opponents at the meet.

St. Edward has won the Division 1 state dual meet eleven years in a row. By beating the Eagles, Wadsworth made public school history. The Grizzlies were the first Div. I public school team to beat St. Edward in the last thirty years. In addition, Wadsworth was the first public school to claim first place in the state dual meet’s fifteen-year history.

“It’s amazing to think that our team has made some incredible

PHOTO COURTESY OF WRESTLING

The Wadsworth wrestling team, coached by John Gramuglia (bottom right), poses for a quick picture after conquering the 15th State Dual Wrestling Championships. The Grizzlies wrestling team is the 2008 Division I State Dual Champions.

history,” claimed junior Caleb Busson, who won his matches against both Perry and St. Edward, including a pin against his opponent from the Eagles.

Wadsworth started off slow against the Eagles, who won seven of the first eight matches and led, 25-3.

“We didn’t start as well we would have liked to,” sophomore Alfredo Grey expressed.

The Grizzlies fought back with key efforts from Louden Gordon and Alex Gray, who nearly defeated state champion, Jamie Clark. After Bart Randolph won his match, Busson and freshman Nick Tavanello followed suit with wins.

A key pin by Buzzelli, one of the top-ranked heavyweight grapplers in the nation, would put the victory in sight for the Grizzlies. It all came down to freshman Kagan

Squire, brother of junior wrestler and state champion Brad Squire, who was out with an injury.

The younger Squire was set to face off with junior defending state champion Gus Sako.

“I was very nervous, and I felt a lot of pressure on me,” Squire stated. “Being a freshman and not being as experienced in these situations adds that much more pressure.”

Squire handled the pressure like a senior as he won an early scramble and jumped to a lead of 4-0. Although Sako refused to go down easy, the freshman Squire held on and reigned victorious, 6-5 “It was a great feeling, but being the younger brother of Brad, I have some pretty big shoes to fill,” Squire said modestly in regard to his clutch victory.

Wadsworth’s complete team

effort in the State Dual Meet has propelled them to an elite national status.

After the Grizzlies defeated Perry and nationally ranked St. Edward, Amateur Wrestling News ranked Wadsworth 15th in the nation.

“Being one of the top teams in the country is definitely something very special,” senior wrestling captain and state place-winner Danny Foore commented, “and we have the potential to make even greater strides as the year goes on.”

“No doubt, this is a historical point in Wadsworth wrestling tradition and the state of Ohio,” Coach John Gramuglia stated earnestly.

“We need to use this as momentum for the upcoming Sectional, District, and State tournaments.”

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January 2009

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17

Addictions tough to conquer Cravings tempt us

BY LISA KAUFMAN

No matter what the addiction, when the New Year rolls around, there is no better time to set goals to break unhealthy habits and addictions. With the recent economic crisis, studies shown that more and more people are developing addictions to many unhealthy items to deal with economic stress.

Many people struggle with a variety of different addictions.

Some of other most common addictions include smoking, alcoholism, gambling, drugs (controlled substances), over/under eating, computer or caffeine.

Addictions can lead to health problems and can impair daily routines. The underlying reasons for many addictions usually fall into the category of stress and anxiety. Recently on one of Dr. Phil’s television programs, he posed this question to his audience: “What purpose does the behavior [of the addiction] serve you?

If you’re an alcoholic, you’re not just drinking because you’re thirsty. Admit to yourself: I’m medicating myself for anxiety,

depression and pain. It numbs me to life.”

“If someone is serious about overcoming an addiction, certain things must be done to conquer the craving,” says junior Dedee Dingess.

The first and most important step to breaking any addiction is admitting that one indeed has the addiction, along with announcing a desire to eliminate it. If this step is not initiated, the addiction will most likely continue.

Secondly, the addict must develop the willpower to follow through with their desire to kick the addiction. This may include denying oneself of carrying cash necessary to purchase cigarettes or eliminating oneself from jeopardizing situations where alcohol will be in abundance. Also, removing those items that are habit forming from one’s home will increase the level of difficulty in gaining access to them.

Finally, rewards can play a role in the elimination of addictions. We all have certain things we like to treat ourselves to, and what better way than to reward ourselves with these treats when we work at eliminating our addic-

tion? Will-power and rewarding can be more easily generated and sustained through the support of family and friends. Family and friends can support the addict and encourage him or her to stay the course when kicking the habit becomes tough.

Specific techniques to help eliminate the addition require the understanding of why the addictions began in the first place. As previously mentioned, stress and anxiety are often the reasons for the development of addictions. If the addict is able to reduce stress and anxiety by substituting the reliance on negative habit-forming substances for healthy alternatives, then success can be more easily achieved.

Examples include the use of relaxation techniques and breathing exercises which help with stressrelated problems. Studies have shown that relaxation CDs help people in the ways they respond to different stressful situations.

Overcoming addictions may be very challenging, but it can be done. With self motivation and support from loved ones, the breaking process will become much easier.

THE TOP 10 MOST COMMON ADDICTIONS Though it seems like addiction is a far away idea, it may be closer than you think. Check out these top 10 addictions according to http://brainz.org/10-most-common-addictions/. Do you need to break the habit?

6. Video Game Addiction 7. Internet Addiction 2. Smoking Addiction 8. Sex Addiction 3. Drug Addiction 1.Alcohol Addiction

4. Gambling Addiction 5. Food Addiction

9. Shopping Addiction 10. Work

Addiction

You know the term by the contentment it brings, but by the book, comfort food is defined as ‘food simply prepared that gives a sense of wellbeing’. It provides something familiar and safe. It is to this simplicity that we go to relieve our stress.

If you are like Mrs. Barbara Jensen, you go for the chocolate chip cookies. Or in Junior Nick May and Ryan Fink’s case, pizza is a source of relaxation. There is always the case of the sweet tooth, like Junior Kelly Gaffney who is a chocoholic. But what is behind the cravings?

According to studies by the University of California, San Francisco, “Comfort food applies the brakes on a key element of chronic stress.

“Evolutionarily, the drive to eat comfort foods makes sense…

In the animal kingdom, it’s an eat or be eaten world, and a body under constant, or chronic, stress may preferentially eat high-energy foods to stay in the game.”

Why pizza? one might ask.

No fear, other studies confirm reasons as to why some people choose certain foods.

In another article experimented by the University of Illinois, “40 percent of the foods cited as bringing comfort to the eater did not fall into the expected category of “taste good” processed snack foods.”

Instead, the study showed that most people turn to homemade foods, such as soups and main dishes.

For those who fancy their sweet/salty taste for comfort foods, or carb-cravers like myself, resorting to healthier ways has

become vital. Companies around the nation have to manufacture caskets three inches wider than the usual size, as obesity grows.

However, a study at Cornell University shows that more people with a sweet tooth are turning to fruits.

It is a well known fact that comfort foods and weight gain are two peas-in-a-pod. At Tufts University, researchers found a common ground with the two.

In the study, “91% of the participants reported having food cravings… but the results of this study indicate that they are so normal that nobody needs to feel they are unusual in this respect.”

The results of the study have shown that in the end, “cravings are for calories, not carbohydrates, as is widely assumed.

What is commonly called carbohydrate addiction should probably be relabeled as calorie addiction.”

But can one get more than comfort out of these foods? One suggestion is to add seasonings to make some of the choice comfort foods tastier rather than saltier.

An easy trick is to eat smaller portions throughout the day, and, of course, exercise.

A fifteen minute walk, for example, can reduce chocolate cravings. The University of Exeter found that walking helps, “people manage dependencies on nicotine and other drugs previously... For the first time, newly published research shows that the same may be true for food cravings.”

All in all, the sweet taste of simple comfort has been studied and analyzed to give answers to some of craving’s questions.

was a different one almost every day/night, but I was familiar with most of their names!

How has your life changed since the liver transplant?

Though I still take part in physical therapy at Weylan Family Physical Therapy and am prescribed multiple drugs, for the most part, its gone back to normal.

Every once in a while I go back to Cincinnati for a check up.

Do you still keep in touch with your residents and nurses from the hospital?

I keep in contact with several of my nurses via Facebook.

Do you think you will do something medical related for a career when you are older?

I don’t know. Its not so much that I don’t think I could handle the lifestyle, but my idea of contentment is less dramatic. In all seriousness, I have not visited any colleges, let alone consider any specific occupation. I have considered that path though.

What have you learned from

these events?

Other than that grapefruit messes with medications and what narcotics are like, I’ve learned a lot about people. By the time I left Cincinnati, I had accumulated a giant amount of get-well cards and come home soon posters.

And I received all the prayers and thoughts, and saw pictures from the spaghetti dinner. For those involved, I can honestly say that they helped me get through it all.

I learned who my friends are.

I met many other patients and learned their stories. I learned how to clean a pick line. I learned what kind of medications to ask for, and why each one is taken. I learned tricks of the trade for taking and giving shots. I learned what things to look out for when it comes to germs.

Mostly, I learned how people are affected by big events and how they react. I learned who I want to be and who I want to be around. And I learned that some things are just fate.

BY CHELSEA RAY

Ray’s transplant brings back life

BY JOE VARGO

In the last weeks of school, most students and staff members are excited for the coming summer break. Last year, then-sophomore Chelsea Ray not only missed out

on the last few weeks of school, but she spent her summer in the hospital recovering from a liver transplant. This is what she had to say about the experience: Chelsea, can you explain exactly what happened?

PHOTO BY COURTNEY RAY

During the summer of 2008, family and friends of Ray gathered at the Masonic Temple to raise money with a spaghetti dinner.

I was diagnosed with a genetic disease, Wilson’s disease. I was admitted to Akron Children’s, then life flighted to Cincinnati Children’s (the third best transplant hospital in the country) where I was given a liver transplant.

How long were you in the hospital?

I spent a month in the ICU and a month and a half in the B5WEST wing and two weeks at the Ronald McDonald House. I left May 29 and came back August 26.

Did you meet any interesting people?

All my doctors were awesome, I had two main surgeons whom I knew as Maria Alonzo and Tiao (tee-ow). Alonzo scaled the Appalachian Mountains in negative degree weather, and competed in crazy, awesome sports.

I also had awesome nurses that let me have jello and soup when I was N.P.O. [not allowed to eat] and let me watch Pride and Prejudice and Sleeping Beauty. There

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January 2009

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TEACHERS:

If you could relive one year of your life, when would it be and why?

1.

ause I c e b e fiv I was ook naps and n e h W , day, t l l a leaned c d , e d y e a l k p o all the ople co e d i p a r p e h nd ot hores a c e h t did r me. o f s l l i b 2.

3.

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nes -Mr. Jo

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-Mrs. Ake 1.

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2.

1993 was a ed at u d ra g I great year. d spent the sum an e eg ll co m o fr paudying, eating mer in Spain st ig out on the Med ella and hangin es. terranean beach

5.

3.

-Mr. Lee 6.

4. resol I quit w ch o h c s h ig r in h e coa senior yea nuary. Th My junior/ illness in late Ja during lunch in to ff tling due to turn in my stu you know, once e , m n e th as oach asked y friends the quitter. The c ver m ll a f o front for o beled you are la was out of school stle my you quit re I not to w are that did not c So then I decided ish I would have s. w two week I look back and proven everyone r. a d e n y a r r senio r yea my senio wrestled wrong.

5. ley -Mr. Ship

Definitely a year in my adult would reli ve this las life. I t year. My and I are h usband fortunate enough to our parents still have and close relatives w healthy, a nd ho are post-teen a our children are be tween nd pre-tee n. In fact, few years the next should be awesome!

-Mrs. Van Dyke

6.

STUDENTS: What do you hope to accomplish in 2009? ll start ’ I . d l r o rule the w in outfit and o t t n a w I ah Pal r a S a g n how and S h a by buyi r p on the O for me as e t o then get v o t people persuade e World. f th Queen o -Emily

I wan t ing re to continu e la some tionship w my amazi boyfr iend! th my awe -Emil y

I hope to finish out the school year strong and do well on my finals. This summer I hope to get a good job and have a lot of fun with my friends and family.

-Nate

1.

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2.

For D if win t ferent Liv in h Off a e Tri-City g to nd m ake a Rock dollar millio s! n -Loga

3.

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rade To pass 11th g now it’s not because right ell! looking too sw -Sam

-Emily

5.

6.

6.

ALL PHOTOS BY BRUIN STAFF

5.

To not waste tinated way time. I procras y ar, so hopefull e y t s la h c u m too to use my le b a e b l il w I r this yea ely. time more wis