Wadsworth High School
Newspaper II/III
March 2017
The 1870 - 2017 Wadsworth City Schools: “Celebrating 147 years of Excellence in Education”
Spring Break April 3-7
WadsworthBruin.com
Volume XLII No. 5
625 Broad Street Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
$1.00
Wrestlers represent well at State
fourth and bring back a banner to Wadsworth. This is their first banner since 2011 when they Wadsworth Wrestling has placed third. found success, again. The award“I am really proud of how the winning program is ranked 23 team did. Obviously, I did not get nationally, according to InterMat, the result I wanted, but it just will and has placed in the top ten of the fuel me to push state tournament 14 out of the past for success next 15 years. year,” said Joey Over the weekend of March Baughman. 11, the wrestling team was able to Baughman place fourth in the state of Ohio. will return for The team was lead by state placers his senior year Joey Baughman (second), 11, -Jordan Earnest, 11 as a threeMichael North (third), 10, Luke Baughman (fourth), 10, Jordan that they would take seventh. time returning state-placer. As Earnest (fourth), 11, and Cody Every qualifier wrestled well, a freshman, Baughman placed Surratt (fifth), 12. Also scoring allowing the team to place fifth, only to be followed by two runner-up finishes. Michael North, Luke Baughman, Jordan Earnest, and Jimmy Carmany, also all return next year to bolster a strong lineup that looks likely to win the title. “I am really excited for next year. Being this close to winning fuels me and my teammates to improve over the off-season,” said Michael North. North, a state alternate last year, placed third this year by beating Matt Kazimir of Lakewood St. Edwards. North lost to him in the quarterfinals only to beat him in their placement match. PHOTO BY YEARBOOK STAFF Luke Baughman also defied Joey Baughman looks to secure a takedown against Emil Soehnlen of Massillon expectations. Being a state Perry in the state finals. Baughman lost the match 3-1 in overtime. points for the Grizzlies were Alex Jones, 12, Zain Tittle, 10, and Jimmy Carmany, 9. Each of them won a match and were an integral part to the Grizzlies bringing a banner home. The team defied the expectation
BY AHMED DARWICH
“Guts, grit, and glory --- those were the words running through my mind.”
PHOTO BY YEARBOOK STAFF
Cody Surratt celebrates after defeating the three-time returning state champion Kyle Lawson of Olentangy Liberty to advance to the semifinal.
qualifier last year, Baughman knew how high the stakes were. “Going into the tournament I knew how focused I needed to be to compete at a high level. I was ready to go, thanks to my teammates and coaches, once that first whistle blew,” said Baughman. Another wrestler who spurned predictions was Jordan Earnest. Earnest, who wrestled Varsity B last year at 170, had a growth spurt and became the starting heavyweight this year. Undersized, but never willing to give up a fight, Earnest placed fourth at the tournament and proved many wrong. “Guts, grit, and glory --- those were the words running through
my mind,” said Earnest, as he remembered the team’s motto. Earnest will also return next year for what is looking to be a very strong lineup. Two seniors who will be missed are team captains Cody Surratt and Alex Jones. Surratt placed fifth at the tournament. “I did not accomplish my goal this season, but my teammates showed what it meant to be Grizzlies this year. They battled fatigue and injuries, and I could not be prouder of them,” said Surratt.
competitors, they get to see their competition each week. Beheydt shares that the community is so unique and that each individual on the team receives different experiences from being on the team. Each person watches their competitors’ speeches improve and analyzes their strengths and weaknesses in hopes to put together a performance that stands out to the judges.
“I am excited to see my fellow teammates compete at the national tournament after the massive amount of work and dedication they put into it,” said Beheydt. The 2017 National Speech and Debate will take place in Birmingham, Alabama from June 18 to the 23. The three National qualifiers are very excited and cannot wait to represent Wadsworth High School.
Read more about the Grizzlies’ 25 years of success on Page 10.
Speech and Debate push towards success BY TORI BAKER
The Wadsworth High School Speech and Debate team has pushed through with success from the Ohio High School Speech League State Tournament and has a few students advancing on to Nationals. This year, the WHS Speech and Debate team had nineteen state qualifiers for the OHSSL State Tournament. At the State tournament, Emily Brazier, 12, placed first in Dramatic Interpretation, Garrett Fruend, 12, was a finalist in Congress, placing thirteenth, and Greta Conley, 12, was a semifinalist in
Inside
the
Informative Speaking. Emily Brazier, Natalie Menassa, 12, and Jake Wilkinson, 12, qualified for the National tournament and will represent Wadsworth High School, Eastern Ohio District and the state of Ohio. “I am excited to go to Nationals this year because last year I was first alternate and knowing that all the hard work showed this year when I qualified,” said Wilkinson. Each individual at a speech tournament has to give an oral speech of approximately ten minutes and are judged in many different categories for
Bruin:
INDEX PAGE Editorial.........................................................2 News.............................................................3 Opinion.....................................................4, 6 Ads ...............................................................5 Features......................................................13 Picture Pages ............................................8, 9 Sports.....................................................10,11 Letter to the Editor......................................12 Entertainment..............................................14 Of the Month...............................................15 Speakout.....................................................16
each topic. “I practice three days a week for three to four hours and practice at home when I can. I also stay to watch my teammates. It feels so good to see all the extra work pay off,” said Wilkinson. Connor Beheydt, 11, is an informative speaker and explained that it can be troublesome to make your topic be fully understood without repeating yourself. “It is difficult to speak in a way that you can be understood the first time,” said Beheydt. Every weekend the speech and debate team attends tournaments. Mostly having the same
VALUE OF COLLEGE CONTINUES TO DECLINE –page 4 NUTRITION EDUCATION IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT
–page 6
BEST FOR BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR –page 10 CRIMINAL SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES
–page 13
CHANCE AND FUTURE TAKE ON BLOSSOM –page 14
@WadsworthBruin
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELISE MUHL
This year’s Speech and Debate team had nineteen state qualifiers and three national qualifiers.
@WadsworthBruin
Wadsworth Bruin
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E ditorial
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Acceptance: the new religious right
The Teacher’s Voice:
Promposals nowadays are overrated
enormous amount of pressure to create a scene in order to show your date how worthy you are of their hand. However, I am willing to bet that you can surpass all expectations by crafting a very personal and heartfelt plan that you share with your date face to face. I suggest you challenge yourself to come up with a private way to ask your date to prom, and instead of creating a Vegas show for your “promposal,” you instead create some mystery and intrigue by keeping it private. I believe you will find great joy and fulfillment in sharing a moment with just ONE other person and getting only ONE like.
Patrons 2016-2017 Joann L. Mason The Webb Family Dan Scarrow Angie Snowball Keith E. Lockwood The Potter Family The Sieber Family The Merhar family Steve Moore Heather Errante The Wright Family David Regueiro Jessica Gibson The Gramuglia Family The Carr Family The Fortner Family The Virgin Family The Kline Family Ron Hart The Manix Family Mike and Nana Callow Shelly Rench Laura Lockwood Sam Drown The Jurey Family The Stevens Family Michelle Wellert Tina Steiger Steve and Lisa Marshall Marcie Blackburn The Gabel Family Susan and Jim Kiel Tanya and Don Miksch Mike and Rachel Jones
Sarah Trausch Jason Knapp Larry Kaufman Tamara Carter- Tschannen Paul and Maureen Hardy Barry and Amy Fernholz Andrea Schoolcraft The Mendel Family James Harwich The Logadice Family The Cerino Family The Movsesian Family The Caperon Family John & Karen Baker Shaneen Harris Kilian and Ann Mendel John and Michele Baker Allison Pallija Mike and Traci Gruich Richard J. Studenic Rich and Lisa Studenic The Winkler Family The Recupero Family The Arellano Family Brenda Ashburn Steve and Polly Magyar Ollen and Elaine Caton John and Marijean Donoforio Melanie J. Shaffer Katie Baker Brian and Shelly Shaeffer Michael Toth Larry and Angie Mills Steve and Kelly Gibson
The Jennings Family Brent and Jennifer Shaeffer The Shaffer Family Brian Hagans Joe and Lisa Hanna Family Pete Laikos Doug and Cindy Beeman George and Joan Solti Pat and Dawn Landolph Mary Barnett Jerry Barnett The Witschey Family Linde Stolhman Mrs. Georgia Laikos Brian and Claudia Coote George Laikos Wadsworth Pediatrics Bob and Dawn Crawford Don and Margaret Jones Don and Vicki Dreher The Darwich Family The Whitaker Family Carol and Dennis Blackburn The Chamier Family The Knipl Family Ted and Felicity Wilson Dana and Greg North Alan ans Jill Baughman Lynn Thomas Rebecca Dills Marcie Gordon
Thank You!
Bruin Staff Editor-in-Chief: Maria Regueiro Assistant editor: Emily Andrews Managing Editor: Nick Landolph Front Page: Editor: Emily Andrews Reporters: Ahmed Darwich, Tori Baker Editorial: Editor: Michael Callow Reporter: Macie Carmel Speakout: Editor: Olivia Addis Reporter: Maddie Shaeffer Opinion 1: Editor: Emily Andrews Reporters: Colin Wright, Alex Scarrow Opinion 2: Editor: Olivia Addis Reporters: Quentin Griffin, Jackie Toth Features: Editor: Lauren Whitley Reporters: Josh Hagans, Mitch Pudelski News: Editor: Olivia Chaney Reporters: Nate Barnett, Joe Chamier Picture Pages: Editors: Olivia Chaney Reporters: Alyssa Laikos, Abby Magyar Sports 1: Editor: Nick Landolph Reporters: Matt Studenic, Joey Baughman Sports 2: Editor: Olivia Chaney Reporters: Mitch Blackburn, Christian Szalay Entertainment: Editor: Olivia Addis Reporters: Connor Mendel, Meriem Of The Month: Editor: Lauren Whitley Reporter: Lindsay Carr Ads/Business Manager: Cody Surratt Assistant: Alex Jones Adviser: Eric Heffinger
It is 2017. By this year, people should have abandoned destructive and antiquated ideals of societal norms. Most continue to perpetuate morals of intolerance while citing religion as their defense. The unfair discrimination and misunderstanding of fellow humans for their inherent sexuality, or any other characteristic (such as gender or race,) breeds an injurious culture ruled by prejudice that is not beneficial to any person of any religious or moral creed. This rhetoric has created a problem in high schools about the nation. Although Wadsworth does an exceptional job of removing any form of hate from the school environment, sometimes prejudice still slips through. A homosexual students said that “it seems as if some of my male peers often try to avoid me in order to avoid what they think could be an awkward situation.” Other students encounter this as well. “I have been called a ‘faggot’ online many times because people are much more comfortable giving hate speech when it is anonymous,” said a senior. “Often, people say ‘that is gay’ or call their friends ‘faggot,’ and they do not realize how invalidated it makes some feel.” Religion, especially that of a Christian nature, is often cited as the defense of charged rhetoric on hotbutton topics such as sexuality. But oftentimes, people just regurgitate the idea that the Bible states that homosexuality is a sin without studying and understanding what the Bible truly says. The predominantly cited Biblical passages on the topic are Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. These are the only passages that state homosexuality is a sin. But they also says that eating pork or shellfish, wearing makeup, charging interest on loans and a multitude of other commonplace occurrences are equivalent sins, and those
STAFF EDITORIAL
Spring is in the air at WHS and that can mean only one dreaded thing...promposals! The cringe-worthy ceremonies where boys create elaborate, Pinterest based plans to ask their dates to prom. According to Visa, the average cost of a “promposal” is $324! So, whether it is renting out the Strand marquee, spelling out “P-R-O-M-?” on a pepperoni pizza or stopping the entire lunch room to hold up an incorrectly spelled sign, these practices need to stop! Society has made people believe that in order for a girl to accept a proposal, you need to create an elaborate show.
The once pure and personal proposal to prom has somehow turned into a game of one upmanship, where couples strive to turn their special moment into a celebrity event. The saddest part? The “promposal’s” success can only be measured by social media acceptance. My biggest issue with the “promposal” is the need to create artificial prom excitement for attention and acceptance on social media. I “prompose” to you that you do NOT need to follow societal norms by creating a superficial spectacle in order to find fulfillment in your prom asking experience. I get that there is an
STAFF EDITORIAL
BY CHARLES BERG
EDITORIAL BY EDITOR IN CHIEF MARIA REGUEIRO
who practice them should also receive the death penalty. All of these restrictions are part of the Old Testament, and the New Testament (in Hebrews 8:13) claims that this old law is just that: old and obsolete. So there is no Biblical justification to preach hate on another human being. Despite this, a strong faction still preaches intolerance on the basis of religious beliefs. They often do not even attempt to understand the sexualities of others, as a bisexual student says, “People try to tell me that I can only be straight or only be gay because they don’t understand it. To hear that from your peers everyday really sucks.” One of the major ideals of the Christian Bible, the source most often used to demean and belittle homosexuals, is love and understanding of all people. Even one of the two commandments that Jesus Christ himself says are the most important implores people to “love your neighbor as yourself,” (Mark 12:31). Thus the people who bolster their Christian ideals as the basis of their intolerance of nonheterosexuality must understand that the foundation of their claims does not point in the direction of prejudice, but rather love. For, according to the Bible, homosexuality is not a sin in the eyes of God and Jesus Christ. And the Christian Bible, the very tool that many wrongly use to perpetuate resentment, implores man to not live in the shadows of prejudice, but rather the light of love. Even though our school is a secular school and “loving thy neighbor” is a Christian ideal, it is an ideal that all Wadsworth students (and all people in general) should follow because living in love rather than hate is beneficial to every person. And through this love, we can make the climate of Wadsworth High School even better than it already is. So instead of calling a person a “faggot,” learn to call them a friend. Stop using the word “gay” when you mean to say stupid. And learn to respect the characteristics and opinions of others. Every student has a right to have their opinion respected, as long as their opinion respects the existence of others.
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 April/May issue. The staff will do its best to inform the student body and the community of intra-school, community or national events that affect the student body. This paper provides on-the-job training for the staff members. All decisions are made by the staff members with the advice and suggestions of the adviser. The school administration works closely with the staff to ensure accuracy. We, as the students of journalism, hold the same rights and the same responsibilities as professional journalists as we strive for professional standards. These rights include the right to print any material that is not libelous, obscene or excessively disruptive to the school process. The Bruin will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of religion, color, creed or sex. The staff members accept full responsibility for everything appearing in this publication. The staff strongly encourages students to express their opinions through the letters to the editor column, which is printed every month. The staff also encourages the members of the community to express their opinion as well. Space permitting, all letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit or omit any portion of any letter because the staff accepts the responsibility for the contents of the paper. All letters must be signed, but the name will be withheld upon request.
N EWS
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NASA discovers seven Earth-like planets BY NATE BARNETT
With the surface of the Earth almost completely explored, the human race is looking for a new frontier. Mars, although close, does not have the capability of supporting human life. On February 22, rumors were circulating that NASA was going to hold a press conference on the possibility of sending humans to Mars. Once the conference was under way, it was clear that it was not about Mars. It was not even about our solar system. NASA announced the discovery of seven Earth sized planets revolving around a single sun, all having the possibility that they could have liquid water and therefore, the possibility of life. The distance from this system to ours is estimated to be 40 light years away. A human journey would roughly take 100 to 250 years, depending on a variety of factors. In reference, the distance to Mars is 0.2 light years away and will take six months to a year to travel to. The seven planets are all rock based planets, which are theorized by NASA to have a better chance of harboring life than gas based planets such as Jupiter. This is the first time
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A word from our
principal
Students,
An artists version of what it would be like to stand on the surface of TRAPPIST-1F.
any solar system has been discovered with so many planets that are capable of hosting water and life. Three of the planets are in a zone that gives them the possibility of having vast oceans along the surface of the planet. Another three could have small bodies such as lakes and small seas, and the last planet could have small puddles of water. The cluster of planets are closely packed together and pass so close that the residents could see details on the other planet. The planets rotate around the sun in a short amount of time, so short that a year on those planets would
last only a few weeks. The weather could easily be below zero one day and over sixty a few days later. Co-author of the study, Michaël-Gillon believes that the Hubble Space Telescope will be able to detect methane and water, as well as other chemicals necessary for life on the planets. The star that the planets revolve around is a cool-dwarf sun that has 8% of the mass of our sun and is cool enough to allow the planets to rotate so closely without drying up the planet’s water supply. The seven planets are identified by the letters A through G. Many scientists
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
believe as of right now planet C is the most likely to be lush with the best chance of life and filled with Earth-like oceans. Planet C would also have the mildest weather changes. “It would be hard for me to travel to another solar system, where my home would be so far away. Life would be rough on a newly developed planet,” said Jake Daughbaugh, 11. The planets may be out of reach as of now, but as science continues to improve space travel, these planets may soon be within humanity’s reach. As of right now, Mars seems to be the first step in the exploration of the universe around mankind.
World Madagascar hit with worst storm in 13 years Madagascar recently experienced their worst Tropical Storm, named Cyclone Enawo, which is equal to a Category 4 hurricane.
South Korea overthrows President South Korean Constitutional Court officially voted to remove President Park Geun-hye from office. She was impeached on accounts of corruption and cronyism. PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Nation Republicans unveil Obamacare replacement Republicans have finally revealed their long awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, called the American Health Care Act.
Trump Proposes new travel ban, blocked by judges President Trump has proposed a new travel ban that restricts travelers from six Middle-Eastern countries. PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Local/WHS
It is hard to believe that Spring Break is upon us. It has been a wonderful year to date and I hope that you have enjoyed it so far. I wanted to take this time to THANK YOU for all of your individual efforts so far. Whether it is in the Arts, Athletics or Academics, you all have been such a joy to be around with all of your support for our school this year. I have been thoroughly impressed with your hard work and dedication to the tasks at hand. Spring is an incredibly enjoyable time of year, and hopefully everyone will finish off this great year with excitement and enthusiasm. Finally, students, the spring time brings several different activities that all of you can begin to look forward to, I am sure. We have Junior Banquet, Senior Prom, Spring Break and most importantly, Graduation. While these events are certainly going to be entertaining and memorable to all of you, I want to remind you to make positive decisions in the upcoming months. Please make solid decisions not only for yourself, but for your friends and peers as well. We are all in this together and we all need to look out for one another. Have a great Spring Break, and I look forward to the end of the school year having a positive and productive finish.
Bidinger’s back and better than ever Local ice cream establishment, Bidinger’s, reopened for the season on March 18. Bidinger’s has been a staple and a local hotspot for people of all ages.
Wadsworth senior wins $1,000 scholarship
GO GRIZZLIES
Zachary Batey, 12, won a Medina County Art contest, with a first place prize of a $1,000 art scholarship.
- Mr. Moore PHOTO BY LAUREN KNIPL
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OPINION BY COLIN WRIGHT
For high school students looking to move on to their futures, college may seem like the only option. However, the costs of college are skyrocketing, and the job market is flooded with candidates. For students who are unsure of what they would like to do for a career, college is not a smart option. For students who do decide to go to college, it is vital to gain relevant and valuable experience to ensure success after graduation. College carries many hidden costs. In addition to just tuition, students must also purchase
Debt for colleges is increasing every year.
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Value of college continues to decline books, class materials, and pay for room and board. On top of having spending money, these costs can add up to total tens of thousands of dollars. Scholarships can help alleviate some of the costs, but these are difficult to obtain. The federal government also provides assistance in specific forms. FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is likely the most wellknown form of student aid. Students apply and are selected using need-based criteria. This often excludes students who come from families who are financially stable, but cannot reasonably afford college. “My FAFSA application was really easy to fill out. However, it was way too ‘black and white’ when it came to how much
GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY MOTHER JONES
money I could get. It did not take many things into account when determining my final amount,” said Steven Baughman, 12. Another way to have the government help fund your education is by serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Since 1944, the GI Bill has provided college tuition for U.S. service members. To qualify, one must serve at least 90 days active duty and cannot have been dishonorably discharged. The GI Bill is an excellent way to serve your country and minimize college expenses at the same time. For students who cannot obtain scholarships or governmental assistance, college is a risky choice; taking out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans to earn a degree that does not guarantee a stable job after graduation. According to AfterCollege, only a mere 13% of graduates start jobs in their field straight out of college. Nowadays, a degree only gets you a place in line for a job. The workforce is flooded with educated and qualified candidates who are out of work because there are no openings. If you plan on going to college, planning should start in high school for how you are going to put yourself ahead of the crowd. “It is important to distinguish
PHOTO BY COLIN WRIGHT
The FAFSA application is lengthy, but relatively easy to complete.
yourself from the other candidates when applying for a job. The competition is at an all time high. Everybody has a well-rounded résumé. Everybody has a college degree. What experiences are going to set you apart?” said Roger Wright, Director of the Four Cities Compact. One of the missions of the Four Cities Compact is to build programs that give their students experiences to give them an advantage after graduating. Many career technical students who excel in their programs earn scholarships and internships with major companies. This opens up
a multitude of opportunities after college is finished. “I am in the machining Compact program,” said Max Back, 12. “I have received an internship from SFS Intec, and they are paying for my college. I’ll have a job with them after I graduate college, and will then have experience and knowledge necessary to either stay with them or find a job with another company.” Post-secondary education is changing. Prospective students and graduates must be proactive in their approach, or they risk drowning in debt.
Traveling around the world is a good idea OPINION BY ALEX SCARROW
I am sure that at some point you have heard someone say that they want to travel the world. What good could traveling overseas do? One benefit of traveling is it makes one become cultured; to learn about and experience ways of life outside of our own. Often we will grow up in a certain environment and live there through adulthood. This causes people to automatically assume that others live the exact same lifestyle. If we take that time to travel somewhere, even if it is inside the United States, people will notice differences in the way people interact, speak, and behave. Since the beginning of recorded time, there has been a record of tribes and countries of people who differ from others. Since that was the situation, a case can be made that humans have always been curious about others’ ways of life. So that begs the question, why not us? Why shouldn’t we explore and learn?
Traveling is also a great way to discover who we are and who we want to be. For example, former Nike CEO Phil Knight traveled the world for about a year before launching into the shoe and running market. Had he not traveled the world, he would not have made the connections that he ended up needing later on. He also discovered who he was and learned many valuable life lessons which he put into use in the business world and in his personal life. Adventuring around the globe could also be considered another level of education. We are forced to learn economy, history, politics, geography, and sociology. As an added benefit, there is no written exam at the end! In all seriousness though, it is possible to learn some amazing things that may come in handy later. If someone feels like they are stuck in a rut in their day to day lives, doing a little wayfaring can shake them out of that rut. Suddenly they are forced to do something different, and as a plus , all of these adventures turn into great stories to tell friends and family. If we were to hangout in a foreign country another benefit may make it self prevalent, and that benefit is learning a
language by immersion in the culture. If all that is heard is that foreign language, than eventually the brain will begin picking up bits and pieces. It is how small children learn to speak, so why should we not be able to do it the same way even if we only pick up a few random phrases. When it comes to travel, Mrs. Mathews said,“As a teacher of language, I feel it is so important to experience culture besides the language. It will open your mind to accepting others when you experience first hand food, activities, history, and new friendships in other counties. I highly recommend travel. The Grizzlies Abroad will be traveling to Peru in 2018. What a wonderful opportunity for our students!” Having traveled personally, I can say that it is a major eye opener. Just the process of traveling to the west coast or even down south showed me the difference of cultures. The further south I went, the more I felt like life slowed down and honestly the change of pace was kind of nice. The further west I go the more I feel like everyone was more polite and formal. It just goes to prove that different places have different customs and cultures.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Spanish castle gleams in the sunlight from a sunset.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. MATHEWS
Wadsworth Students toured Europe in the summer of 2016.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
The mountain city of the Incan Empire, Machu Picchu, Peru.
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Nutrition education in need of improvement OPINION BY JACKIE TOTH
In 2015, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey System (YRBSS) proved 29.9% of high school students in the United States to be overweight. Of those students, 46.5% were considered obese. While this is partially due to lack of exercise,
and in less common cases, poor genetics, the main cause is poor nutrition. On the TV show “Food Revolution”, Jamie Oliver traveled to Huntington, West Virginia and reported that every child in the local public elementary school could identify french fries, however, most of them did not know what a potato was. In fact, they could not identify most of the common vegetables they were presented with. This proves there is something completely wrong
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Jamie Oliver visited classrooms in the local public elementary school of Huntington, West Virginia.
with the American education system. Why are kids being taught how to find imaginary numbers and zeros with a quadratic formula, but not the basic fundamentals necessary to live a healthy lifestyle? Our high school is off to a decent start, with the Nutrition and Wellness class it offers students. However, this class only has a duration of one semester and is counted as an elective. Additionally, the class includes instruction on preparing foods such as cake, pizza, macaroni and cheese and other foods that should not be included in a class that is meant to teach nutrition. “The class talked about eating healthy, but I really just learned how to cook common foods,” said Katie Johnson, 11. If children were provided with basic information on the human body and the effect of foods they consume, they would think very differently when making nutritional decisions. “During the time I took the class, I did think more about what I was eating on a daily basis. I noticed that I did need to make a change,” said Johnson. Taking a class about nutrition does inspire and persuade
students to carry the information into their daily lives. If the class was modified to include more information on the basics and specifics of nutrition and less on making unhealthy foods, kids would be more likely to choose a healthy option, in and out of the kitchen. Healthier diets would trigger healthier lifestyles. With a healthier student body, test scores and grades would go up, athletics would improve and creative thinking would be at an all time high. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHASE CENTEA One might say this An egg and English muffin is made by students in would require too the school’s Nutrition and Wellness class. unsafe information much funding and employment. with However, there are already and advertising. It is our to educate plenty of programs and classes responsibility offered by our school system young people so they can that are unnecessary and grow into healthy adults. Kids unappreciated by our student are the future. If we provide body. Nutrition is necessary the newest generation with for survival. It is an important, proper education while they are young, they will grow to pressing issue. The state of this country’s change the nation for the better. health continues to decline, We need to implement this idea as obesity and diabetes rates into every school system. Our increase. Our media is filled country depends on it.
as the NBA Finals, World Series and Super Bowl, a team like the Browns competing for the Super Bowl is historically unheard of. In the NCAA Tournament you have teams like Davidson in 2008, who made a run as a ten seed and pushed Kansas for a Final Four bid. Another great example is Ohio University’s run to the Elite Eight in 2009. All of these are possible because of the 64 team field. Nothing is more American than that true underdog wrecking everyone’s bracket. Finally, you have all time great games. Last season, we were treated to one of the best sporting events of all time. Two miracle shots that lead us to the greatest NCAA March Madness Tournament Final ever. There is no telling how good the tournament will be this year, but one thing is for sure; it will be great as always.
Kris Jenkins, the man who sunk the game winning shot in last Spring’s NCAA title game, attempts a three point shot against Kansas but is fouled.
NCAA Tournament is the premier sporting event
OPINION BY QUENTIN GRIFFIN
Super Bowl. World Series. NBA Finals. All of these are huge American sporting events that conclude major sport seasons, but only one audience can claim that they own a month. The NCAA tournament, March Madness as it is affectionately known, is one of the most amazing sporting events in the world today, captivating millions of participants and fans worldwide. Millions of people participate in ESPN’s Bracketology. According to the American Gaming Association, 40 million Americans will fill
out approximately 70 million brackets. While filling out these brackets, $9 billion will be waged by Americans and they plan for 40 million Americans to fill out one while the majority of people will fill out two. This doubles the American Gaming Association estimated total gambled on the Super Bowl, which was 3.9 billion dollars. Sporting events such as the Super Bowl and NBA Finals are tarnished. They are composed of money driven, ego maniac athletes competing solely for prosperity. The tourney is filled with an average kid who is trying to push his team to the title. A true underdog story is everything this country is founded upon. Our country was founded and won by a group of farmers from the original thirteen colonies who were thought to have absolutely no chance of victory. In sporting events such
What is the most exciting part about the NCAA tournament???
“Filling out that ohso perfect bracket.” -Max Runkle, 9
“Winning Mr. Austin’s succulent, delicious homemade Amish syrup.” -Colleen Fry, 10
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
“Being able to gamble is my favorite part!” -Dominic Boland, 11
“I like that the teams that aren’t as well known get a chance to win it all. That’s nice!” -Wesley Gordon, 9
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a.
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Winter Formal
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR SKUNZA
c.
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d.
e.
f.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA BANIC
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEXI COGLEY
g.
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b.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GRACE BACK
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR BLUBAUGH
h.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY PALACEK
a. Seniors Gabbie Rosenberger, Macie Carmel, Taylor Skunza, Holly Bebout and Alexa Conley pose for a picture in front of formal decorations. b. Juniors Jackie Toth, Julia Horner, Katie Johnson and Maddie Movsesian get together before the dance to take pictures. c. Lexi Cogley, 10, and Gabe Morello, 12, take an adventure under a bridge after the dance. d. Juniors Lindsay Carr and Amanda Banic take a picture together before the Winter Formal dance. e. Siblings Max Back, 12, and Grace Back, 10, pose for a funny picture together after Winter Formal. f. Junior couple Taylor Blubaugh and David Hardy get ready for their second formal together. g. Sophomores Maddie Wilson, Sophie Kalapodis, Riley Riggenbach, Sammie Beddow and Abby Winkler all sit down for a group picture. h. Juniors Peyton Banks, Molly Palacek and Hailey Montgomery pose in front of streamers at the dance.
P icture P age 2
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Will you be a sweet heart,
PHOTO BY MEGAN TYLER
Megan Tyler, 11, asked Matt Peters, 12, to Winter Formal with a cut up cantaloupe and a post it note that says, “Since we ‘can’telope’ how about formal?”
PHOTO BY KATIE JONES
PHOTO BY ALLY HONNALD
Katie Jones, 11, asked Jake Freeman, 12, to Winter Formal by making a heart design that says, “Will you be my sweetheart for the sweetheart dance?”
Ally Honnald, 11, popped her question to Tim Bergan, 9, using a self designed poster board that reads, “If I butter you up with lots of goodies, can I pop a corny question? Winter Formal?”
PHOTO BY HANNAH SEIBER
Hannah Seiber, 11, asked Cameron Stedman, 11, to Winter Formal by creating a video game themed poster board that says, “Defeat or Victory?” PHOTO BY LINDSAY LEATHERMAN
Lindsay Leatherman, 11, scored her date, Logan Groves, 12, by making a sign that reads, “Only three days until formal. I need a date freaky fast.”
PHOTO BY MATTHIAS GRUICH
Matthias Gruich, 11, was asked to Winter Formal by Sierra Roberts, 10. She created a poster that says, “Will you light up my night at formal?”
PHOTO BY RYAN DAMMARELL
Ryan Dammarell, 11, was asked to Winter Formal by his girlfriend, Ying Liann, 10. She designed her board to read, “I’m hooked on asking you this question. So take the bait and be my formal date?”
and go to Formal with me?
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Sports 1
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Boys come back nationally ranked BY MATT STUDENIC
Both the boys and girls indoor track teams have shown that determination and hard work can lead to accomplishing goals that would not be possible without teamwork. States and even Nationals were just previews of this upcoming season. On March 4, the track team had a few individuals invited to participate in OHSSA Indoor States Track and Field at Akron University. It included the 4x800m relay team of Matt Galek, 12, Nick Miller, 11, Gabe Szalay, 11, and Kyle Hibinger, 12. The other relay team was the 4x400m team of Nick Miller, Gabe Szalay, Josiah Sovine, 11, and Matt Galek. Relay teams were not the only ones to be invited. Hailey Montgomery, 11, was the only girl to attend the state meet. Montgomery participated in the shot put event, and her throws throughout the day earned her a 12 place finish out of 16. Also placing individually were Gabe Szalay and Nick Miller in the 800m. Miller placed fourth with a time of 1:58:21, and Szalay placed ninth with a 1:59:89 finish time. With Miller’s finish, he qualified for New Balance Nations in New York City at the Armory.
The success was continued with the 4x400 relay team. This group placed 13 out of 16 other teams. The group posted a 3:30:87, an amazing time for the group that is usually never together on the relay. “Our relay team has been one of the best to ever be together. Even though we haven’t been together that long, we posted a very good time that would earn us All-State honors,” said Sovine. After the success of the 4x400 team, the 4x800 team stole the show. This relay team placed an astonishing second place. This finish qualified them for a spot at nationals in New York. Their time not only reflected the talent of the team, but also the amount of determination it took to win second. The boys’ time was 7:52:67. Miller started the race, and gave the team a headstart with a great two lap time. After Hibinger and Galek kept the pace, Szalay finished the race in a thriller. Not many Wadsworth participants from the track team have had the chance to be an athlete at Nationals, let alone win a race. This reality came true for Miller. He participated in the Emerging Elite Mile with high schoolers from all over the country. Miller posted a time of 4:16:85. This
beat the second place time by a whole second. Miller said, “My time was good, but I definitely know I can cut at least another second off my time, if not more.” With a whole other group of mile runners in the nation, overall, Miller placed ninth with one of his fastest times through his high school career. After Miller’s great run, it was time for the main focus, and the reason the trip happened. The relay team finished 19th in the nation. Even though they did not win or come in the top ten, the boys were happy with how the meet went. Galek said, “Nationals was an incredible experience. It was something I had never witnessed before.” The boys that competed in both states and nationals are the backbone for the team in the upcoming season. These boys will lead the team, and continue the team’s excellence. With indoor over, it is time for outdoor. Everyone is looking forward to continue the trend that is put into place every year. The boys are hoping to make it all the way to states, and either win as a team or win relays. Besides relays and the team, a few individuals hoping to bring home State Titles.
that he had expected. That is when he decided to turn the program around and build from the ground up, establishing one of the finest youth wrestling programs in the state. He wanted to start over and construct a solid foundation to build from. However, success did not happen overnight. It took countless years of hard work, dedication and patience. The legacy all started back in 1990, when G and his staff won their first Suburban League Title. The very next year, the Grizzlies did not bring home the Suburban League Title. Not winning the gold was very short lived, as the
team won in the next year, and the next, and then the next. The Wadsworth wrestling program has won every single Suburban League title since, just recently defeating the nationally ranked Brecksville bees in an epic dual. However, The success of the program did not end there. Coach G’s greatest accomplishment was attained during his 2010 campaign when he led the team to the Division One State Championship. This marked the first school championship since 1942, and just the program’s second championship ever. “This program means everything to me. It was my life
PHOTO BY MR. BERRY
Nick Miller, 11, poses after his fourth place finish in the 800 meter.
PHOTO BY MR. BERRY
The 4X800 meter relay team poses for a picture after its second place finish.
Coach G cements his legacy BY JOEY BAUGHMAN
Coach John Gramuglia (Coach G) has recently added to his list of outstanding accolades this past month, after the Grizzly wrestling team clinched its 25th straight Suburban League Title, as well as another top four finish at the State Wrestling Tournament, his highest finish since 2011. Years and years of exceptional tradition and excellence is responsible for this success. The wrestling program was not always as successful as it is. G’s first couple of years as coach did not turn out the way
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEY BAUGHMAN
Coach G arguing a bad call during a match.
Coach G in the middle of coaching former Wadsworth wrestler Mathias Zollinger.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
purpose to help influence young adults to not only to develop them into great wrestlers, but to grow them into even better people,” said Gramuglia. One of the qualities that separates the Wadsworth wrestling program from other programs around the state is the amount of alumni that come and give back after they realize how much it did for them. Wadsworth wrestling alumnus and three-time state placer for Coach G, Timmy Knipl, said, “I can never repay this program for everything that it did for me. It taught me everything I know and molded me into the person I am today.” Knipl is just one of the many successful alumni who
graduated from the Wadsworth wrestling program. Clay Wenger, now assistant wrestling coach for the grizzlies, said, “Coach G taught me more than just winning in wrestling, he taught me how to win in life.” Wenger was a big part of the historic 2010 state championship team, and was a two-time state champion as well as the drill partner of Wadsworth’s only Walsh Ironman champion, Brad Squire. He wrestled under G for all of his years in high school. There is no question that Coach G will go down with one of the most outstanding Grizzlies as a person, as a coach and as a teacher. He will never be forgotten even after he walks away from our school.
11 Wildest moments of NCAA Tournament S ports 2
BY MITCHELL BLACKBURN
With opening weekend of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in the books, the Sweet Sixteen field is set. With 16 teams left and brackets busted across the country, here is a recap on the top moments so far. 5. Badgers over defending champs Defending champions, Villanova Wildcats, came into this tournament as the number one overall seed and were looking primed for another deep run. Eight-seeded Wisconsin Badgers had something else in mind. Making a 15 point comeback in the closing minutes of the game, the Badgers punched their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen. 4. UK survives scare over Wichita State Kentucky’s freshmen led team was tested by the hot Wichita State Shockers. Freshmen stars De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and Edrice Adebayo came up big down the stretch. With a clutch three by Monk, the Wildcats took the lead. Following that, two defensive stops by Fox and Adebayo sealed the deal for the Cats. 3. Michigan continues magical run Led by senior point guard,
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Derrick Walton, the Big Ten Champs have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Michigan has had victories over Oklahoma St., 92-91, and Louisville, 73-69, therefore John Beilein’s squad was battle tested and set to take on the Oregon Ducks. 2. Xavier’s improbable run With upset wins over Maryland and Florida State, the Musketeers have continued their improbable tournament run. Star player Edmond Sumner went down with a season ending knee injury. Not many predicted the eleventh seeded Musketeers’ to make any noise in the tournament. However, the team has dominated the paint with their size and rebounding ability. Xavier cruised past FSU, 91-66, and looks to continue their Cinderella story against one of the nations top offensive units, the Arizona Wildcats. 1. Duke upset in Round of 32 Millions of brackets were busted when the Duke Blue Devil’s were upset by the South Carolina Gamecocks in shocking fashion. South Carolina native, Sindarius Thornwell, racked up 24 points while dropping five dimes in the upset win. However, SC’s defense was the staple of this victory, holding Luke Kennard, one of the nations top scorers, to just 11 points.
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FINAL FOUR P redictions
Boys basketball’s huge turn around
BY CHRISTIAN SZALAY
Capping off the best regular season record since 2003, the varsity boys basketball team looks to give the Wadsworth’s basketball program a new identity. Coming off of last years 5-18 season, the boys basketball team looked to completely turn around their next season. Returning around 80 percent of scorers from last year, the experience of the young Grizzlies would not be a problem. With only one senior, David Griffin, the Grizzlies showed promise for the upcoming years with a young starting lineup. Winning a total of 17 games this year, which is 12 more than last
year, the Grizzlies could not have asked for a better response to such a disappointing season. Losing seven games this year, it is evident there is definitely room for improvement. With the largest defeat of the season being 13 points, it is clear that the Grizzlies were never really out of a game. With key player Ryan Storad, 11, injured, players needed to step up. “Storad was having a good year before he went down, but I am proud of the way our team responded and stepped up when adversity hit us,” said coach Mike Schmeltzer. The 12 game turn around in wins from last year to this year is the largest turn around in wins for boys basketball by a
The 2016-17 Wadsworth Boys Basketball team posing for a picture on picture day.
team since 1943. In addition, this year against North Royalton, Coach Mike Schmeltzer hit the century mark for wins with his 100 career victory. Making this year a little sweeter, the 16 wins in the regular season was the most regular season wins for Coach Schmeltzer in his coaching career. Not to mention the great year by the Junior Varsity team. Finishing with a 16-6 record and suffering two ACL injuries, they put together a great season. Coming in second in the National Suburban League a year after coming in second to last place, this is a glimpse of what could be coming in the future to these young Grizzlies.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLEN RUTHERFORD
What was your highlight of the season?
Carson Risher, 10: “Watching Beau’s block in the North Royalton game was definitely the highlight of my season.”
Reid Black, 11: “Winning 17 games was the best time of the year, along with the laser tag trip we went on as a team.”
Tony Hewitt, 11: “Completely turning the year around from going 5-18 to 17-7.”
PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN SZALAY
Dennis Schrock: “Definitely beating Stow at our place.”
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Letter to the Editor
THE BRUIN
Letter to the Editor
Correcting misconceptions about Planned Parenthood BY NATHAN TIMMERMAN
Anyone who has ever turned on a news station has likely heard of the ongoing controversy surrounding the reproductive health clinic Planned Parenthood. The debate is largely partisan in nature and centers around only one of the many services offered by the nonprofit: abortion. Due to the nature of this subject, arguments for and against continued funding of this organization are often emotionally-charged, littered with factual inaccuracies and misleading information perpetuated for the sole purpose of advancing a narrative on either side. This increases the frequency of confirmation bias and creates echo chambers on both sides of the dispute, often leaving objective reality far behind. With the debate hotly renewed since the current election cycle, it is more important than ever to be informed before supporting any decision that will influence millions of Americans. Many common misconceptions surround the organization and its role in the abortion debate, as evidenced by the article “Republican Washington promises to defund Planned Parenthood” published in the February edition of the Bruin. The main problem with the February article is a glaring contradiction: the author is in
favor of ceasing federal funding to Planned Parenthood because of its role in providing abortion services, but he himself notes that these funds cannot be used for those services (as it is prohibited by the Hyde amendment, except in cases of rape, incest and endangerment to the life of the mother). Thus, how can Planned Parenthood (PP) be a “government-funded abortion mill” as claimed? One is left to assume this is emotionally-charged propaganda, with its author unconcerned with the veracity of the statement. Reality is based on facts — not feelings. Moreover, PP does not have a place in the federal budget. Its governmental funding comes from two places: the Title X Family Planning Program and Medicaid (both which primarily serve lowerincome individuals). Thus, PP is only reimbursed for the nonabortion healthcare services it provides. The article also incorrectly assumes that community health centers (CHCs) can fill the void of PP. In almost 70% of counties where PP operates, they care for at least half of all women who depend on publicly funded family planning services. Thus, CHCs would need to nearly double their services in these areas. Furthermore, whereas PP specializes in certain services, CHCs must provide general primary care and would not be able to respond only to the specialized
services lost. This scenario assumes that a CHC’s service area covers the zone in which a PP currently functions. CHCs already have staffing gaps and funding shortages, and these unnecessary changes would exacerbate them — not to mention cause the immediate loss of care for millions of individuals. The February article also stated that Planned Parenthood “sell[s] fetal remains.” This claim is completely unsubstantiated and untrue. There have been numerous state and federal investigations into PP’s distribution of fetal tissue, and zero have found any evidence of wrongdoing. The videos released by the Center for Medical Progress that claim to reveal PP officials selling “parts from unborn children” have been debunked countless times. The conspiracy theory that PP profits from distributing fetal tissue to scientists for life-saving research is merely an attempt to undermine abortion rights and decidedly not “pro-life.” In addition, the article claims that “Planned Parenthood hides behind the ‘women’s health’ claim, by saying they provide mammograms… and [exaggerated] prenatal care.” Although others may claim that mammograms are a service performed at PP clinics, PP itself does not make this claim: instead, clinics perform breast
examinations and refer patients to outside clinics for mammograms. Likewise, PP does not claim to offer more prenatal care than it actually does. The vast majority of PP services take the form of STI/STD testing and treatment, contraception, and cancer screenings and prevention — and this reality is maintained by the organization. Furthermore, the statement that “the Pro-Choice movement… has morphed into a stigma-free, government funded abortion, and whenever you want [sic]” is both a mischaracterization and contradicted by the author’s own words. It is a legal right to obtain an abortion. Why should it be stigmatized? The “pro-choice movement” is not a monolith: views are nuanced, with varying positions on when abortion services should be sought and for what reasons. No one is advocating that abortion becomes the norm. The only umbrella description for pro-choice advocates is just that: women should have the right to make choices regarding their own bodies. These are just a few of the “alternative facts” posited in the article: the full article online contains a full refutation of each misconception and misinterpretation of the facts. Conclusively, these misconceptions are an attempt to demonize an organization for
offering a service that is not only completely legal, but necessary in order to maintain the health and rights of women worldwide. They are partisanly and religiously charged with no regard for facts. Draconian abortion laws that outlaw critical reproductive care are detrimental to the health of women. Studies have shown that such laws do not lead to a reduction in abortion rates but instead force women to take drastic measures to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Complications from unsafe abortions kill nearly 50,000 women worldwide each year (according to the World Health Organization). Although the number of unsafe abortions in the United States is currently small, with the passing of bills that single out abortion providers for restrictive laws and place heavy burdens on an individual to obtain an abortion, more and more women will be left with few legal (and safe) methods to end their pregnancies. Is it “prolife” to give an unborn collection of cells rights that trump that of a human adult? In order to read Joe Chamier’s original article that this is in response to, go to WadsworthBruin.com All future letters to the editor can be sent to
WadsworthBruin@gmail.com
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Features
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Criminal Science Technologies provides experience BY JOSH HAGANS
The Criminal Science Technologies course offers many unique things that no ordinary class can offer. Students have the opportunity to sign up for a ride along with a police officer and the student gets to go along with a police officer to work their shift with them. They get the opportunity to see everything an officer does on a daily basis. Wadsworth student Shawn Moody, 11, while on his ride along responded to a call of a robbery at Walmart. “We were in the middle of getting food when he got the call about the robbery. My officer then told the people to hurry up with our food because we had to leave right then and then we took off running to the car,” said Moody. When they arrived at the store his officer took off into the store, Moody could hear everything that was going on in store from his officer’s radio in the car. He heard his officer asking the man a lot of questions and heard him arresting the man for possession of crystal meth, marijuana and for robbery. When they got back to the station, they got to help train the stations new K9, Zoro, by hiding drugs in the office and having him sniff them out and
find them. The class also offers all the students in the class to have the opportunity to be tased and maced at Barberton High School. In January, most of the students in the class took part in being tased and in the upcoming month, they will have the same opportunity in being maced. “It was one of the worst pains I have ever felt. It only hurts for five to ten seconds,
in the classroom. While they were there they went into the different pods and got to go into an empty cell and had the opportunity talk to some of the people that work there. Their classroom is set up as a lab with three individual rooms, a revolving crime scene room and a complete mini crime lab where they can conduct analysis of forensic evidence. They also have the ability to conduct unarmed self
PHOTO COURTESY OF TORI KESSLER
Tori Kessler getting tased at Barberton High School.
but during that time, you have no control over your body,” said Tori Kessler,11. In the middle of the year, the class gets the chance to take a trip to Summit County Jail after learning about corrections and practicing cell extractions
defense and weapons training. They learn things about forensic science such as DNA analysis and fingerprinting. Criminal Science Technologies is one of the many career tech classes the Four Cities Compact offers.
The class is a two year program that takes place at Barberton High School. The class trains and prepares students for entrylevel positions in the specific areas of criminal justice, forensic science, homeland security, and other public safety fields. The class offers state and national certifications and college credits. During the students’ junior year, student activities include classes in American criminal justice system, Ohio court system, corrections and rehabilitation, and self-defense tactics. They also learn how to engage in foot, bike and vehicle control. The class hopes to get to practice on cars to learn hands on to engage in vehicle patrol. They also engage in training to meet the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy standards. Juniors get to gain their CPRAED-First Aid certification. Senior year provides more in forensic science and offers the opportunity to do more in crime scene investigation. Students have the opportunity to get their 911 certification through learning communications and emergency telecommunications. “If you have any interest in any military or law enforcement it is definitely worth your time. It is not only fun but you learn a ton,” said Kessler.
EDT students use class freedom, 3D printers to make battle-bots BY MITCHELL PUDELSKI
Engineering Design and Technology, or EDT, is a Career Tech Program here at WHS through the Four Cities Compact program that combines technical training with college prep academics that could lead to an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree with postsecondary education. The goal of the Compact programs is to prepare students and help them advance towards their goals. “The class motto is that we are engineering the future,” said Joseph Wallace, 12. “Students in the EDT class
use state of the art professional hardware and software to design 3D models and technical documentation.” They also learn computer-aided design, robotics, electronics and the manufacturing processes. “My favorite part of the class would probably be programming,” said Derek Dunn, 12. 3D printing is the process used to make a three-dimensional object when layers of materials are formed under computer control. “We use the 3D printer to make anything we want really,” said Dunn, 12. They most recently used the printer to make a part
PHOTO BY MITCHELL PUDELSKI
Pictured above is a 3D printer that the EDT students use at the Wadsworth High School.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Pictured above are two robots playing “Velocity Vortex” at a robotics competition.
for their robot, which they enter into the national robotics challenge every year. This year, the competition will take place in Marion, Ohio from April 6 to 8. “Both of the teachers of this class just give you a goal and let you reach it however you want to, so there’s a lot of freedom in this class and you have to work
on your own and with peers to solve your problems,” said Wallace. The students have to design and build their robots to do a variety of things. They also have to program them to work while being controlled by the students and while on its own.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters: changing lives BY JOSH HAGANS AND MITCHELL PUDELSKI
The Big Brothers and Big Sisters program is providing children facing adversity with a one-on-one relationship that they hope will change their lives forever. “Based on feedback from students, parents and teachers, we feel we are making a difference, and parents have complimented the program for the positive effects it has had on their children,” said Emily Quitter, a Site Based Specialist from the program. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are volunteers that want to form a relationship with children and be a positive role model in their lives. Through the program, they attempt to increase the child’s self confidence and support them. “The piece of our program that really makes us unique is that we focus on building a one-on-one relationship between the Big and Little. Children who might not otherwise get undivided attention are the sole focus of their Big for the length of the program each week,” said Quitter. There are 36 mentors from the Wadsworth area that are currently helping 172 children in Medina County and the program continues to grow each year. Big Brothers and Big Sisters works with The United Way of Medina County, and they determined there was a need to improve in elementary assessment scores in reading and math. “Our volunteers encourage their friends to get involved, and Littles with siblings often get their whole families involved with the program,” said Quitter. This is one of the reasons they see their program grow every year. “It’s a great way for students to get involved, especially for students that might not have a place in athletics or other extracurricular activities. It is a rewarding experience to know that you are positively impacting the life of a child,” said Quitter. They also offer volunteer credits and references, but you have to be 18 years or older to join the program as a big. To become a big or if you are looking for more information, you can look into the mentoring program further by searching mentorwithme.org.
PHOTO COURTESY MCT CAMPUS
The Big Brother Big Sister logo is pictured above.
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Entertainment
Chance, Future take on Blossom in May BY CONNOR MENDEL
This May, Blossom Music Center is going to be bumping. Chance the Rapper and Future are both hitting the stage only eight days apart. There is a bunch of talk about these guys coming to Blossom and everyone is getting hyped up. Chance The Rapper and Future’s “Nobody Safe Tour” featuring Future, Migos, Tory
Lanez, Kodak Black and Zoey Dollaz are all coming to Blossom this May. On May 19 at 8 pm, Chance the Rapper is bringing the hype to his fans by starting off with his recent album “Coloring Book.” Future gets to own the stage May 27 at 7 pm, kicking off with Migos and their new song “Bad and Boujee,” then followed by Tory Lanez and Kodak Black
with his brand new release of “Tunnel Vision.” Last but not least, Zoey Dollaz. Kodak Black was incarcerated February 28, for a probation violation. As of now, there is no bond set for him, and he has already postponed his “Back and Better” tour. Chance the Rapper is coming to this concert after a huge night at the 59 Annual Grammy Awards, winning
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Chance the Rapper pictured above, clapping along with his fans.
best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album. His album “Coloring Book,” released in May 2016, is still hot with a lot top chart songs. Tickets for Chance the Rapper were going for $30 all the way up to $405, depending on where seats were. However, the May 17 concert is now currently sold out, although VIP upgrades are still available. “I am excited to go to the Future concert with my friends because it is a different type of concert rather than a country one,” said Katie Johnson, 11. Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, also known as Chance the Rapper, is not signed to a major label and gives most of his music away for free, via downloads. Chance the Rapper rose to stardom very quickly after the release of his May 2016 album, “Coloring Book.” The other major artist coming to Blossom Music Center is Future. Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, also known as Future, was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Future signed a major record label deal with Epic Records and A1 Recordings in
2010-11. Future’s latest works include his self-titled fifth studio album, “Future”, released on February 17. A week later, he released his sixth studio album, “HNDRXX.” These two albums then went to number one consecutively. His tour for this sixth album, the “Nobody Safe” tour, is coming to Blossom Music Center on May 27. Tickets can be found online at http:// freebandz.com/ ranging from $28 to $384. Both of these artists, especially up-and-coming Chance the Rapper, are making many Wadsworth students very excited. “It is going to be fun with lots of other Wadsworth kids going. I also plan on going to lots of concerts this summer and Chance is one of the artists I like, so once I heard he was coming to Blossom, I knew I had to get tickets,” said Drew Doepker, 11. There is a multitude of concerts coming to Blossom this spring and summer, including these two favorites, that are guaranteed to bring enjoyment to many students.
Tony award winning Broadway musical takes over P.A.C. BY MERIEM NEJJAR
The world renowned Elton John and Tim Rice musical “Aida” made an appearance on March 23, 24 and 25 in the Performance Arts Center and was performed by Wadsworth High’s drama department. Auditions for this spring’s musical were held before Christmas and soon after, it was decided that the cast included Evan Goebel, 12, as Radames, an Egyptian captain, Rachael Herman, 12, as Aida, the Nubian princess, Macy Shaeffer, 11, as Amneris, the Egyptian princess, and Michael Juscak, 11, as Zoser, Radames’ father, alongside many more characters. The high school’s re-enactment of the Broadway musical is directed by Mrs. Csaky, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Lake. “There are so many elements to a musical that must come together. Acting, singing, dancing, musicians, set, props, lighting, costumes, sound... every element is important,” said Mrs. Csaky when asked about
the most challenging thing about bringing the play to life. “Aida” is about the timeless love story between Radames, an Egyptian captain who is to marry the daughter of the Pharaoh, and Aida, an enslaved Nubian princess that was brought back by the captain’s army to work at the palace. Their tale is of forbidden love, pride and torment between the heart’s desire and a leader’s responsibility towards his/her people. Everything and everyone, including Radames’ father, his betrothed; Amneris, and the Pharaoh, is against their happiness. It is based on an Italian opera and the book written by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang. “This show is a favorite of both myself and Mrs. Davis. It has an intriguing story and great music by Elton John and Tim Rice,” said Mrs. Csaky. Elton John and Tim Rice previously composed for many hit movies and musicals such as
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLEN RUTHERFORD
Macy Shaeffer played Amneris, an Egyptian princess in the play.
“The Lion King”. The original piece has been nominated for five Tony awards, which really puts the pressure on our high school’s cast. However, the students are enjoying their time, and are taking pleasure in performing their favorite part, the spiritual song of “The Gods Love Nubia”. Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday were show time for the cast who had spent months practicing and perfecting their acts. This performance is the last high school play for some members of the cast including Evan Goebel, Ryan Presson and Dominic Boni. Their performance was certainly one to remember and their acting and singing skills will set the bar for their peers and any upcoming Wadsworth thespian. This performance may even lead the WHS drama department to a Dazzle Award nomination. The Dazzle Awards are Playhouse Square’s awards to honor excellence in musical theatre in Northeast Ohio. 23 schools from Cuyahoga and the surrounding counties will compete in 13 different categories culminating in a Tony Awards-style production on the Connor Palace stage on May 20. The next upcoming WHS Drama production is “The Clumsy Custard Horror Show.” This will be the last play of the year and will be a comedy performed on April 27 and 28. It stars Maria Regueiro, 12 and Joel Wichterman, 11 as the leads.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLEN RUTHERFORD
Rachael Herman sang her heart out as the title character in the musical “Aida”.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLEN RUTHERFORD
Radames, played by Evan Goebel, falls in love with a Nubian slave, Aida, played by Rachael Herman.
O F THE MONTH
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Junk of the Month Gabe Szalay, 11, drives a 1998 Audi A6 named Vanessa. The car was wrecked three times and the trunk has been replaced and painted over in an off-color matte. Vanessa’s black leather interior is completely destroyed, worn out and permanently smells of black ice. The rearview mirror has been super glued twice and the cassette player has been jammed for six years.
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Netflix Series of the Month Shameless
This hit series has been sweeping the student body and is at the top of everyone’s watch list. PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Drink of the Month Shamrock Shake McDonald’s minty shake is a limited time offer and goes best with salty french fries. PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
PHOTO BY LINDSAY CARR
Twitter Names of the Month
Dog of the Month Grizzly, the dog of Camdyn Brady, 11, is an 11 year old Newfoundland Lab mix. He loves laying on blankets and sleeping while his family watches TV. His favorite snacks are graham crackers, bacon treats and cheese. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMDYN BRADY
Song of the Month That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars This hit has been at the top of the charts BY LINDSAY CARR for the entirePHOTO month of March.
@w_efloatsurbode Rachel Bode
@ursushorriblis Joey Fernholz
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TWITTER
Career Tech Students of the Month Logan Hillyard
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Students of the Month Emily Andrews
Nick Timmerman
Lauren Thompson PHOTOS BY LINDSAY CARR
Throwback of the Month Siblings Kenzie Grice, 11, and Jack Grice, 9, cheese with their new sunglasses nine years ago.
PHOTOS BY LINDSAY CARR PHOTO COURTESY OF KENZIE GRICE
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M arch 2017
THE BRUIN
S peakout
What are your plans for this Spring Break?
“Watch more Bob Ross and paint with him.” ~ Mr. Recupero
“To stay away from WHS.” ~ Mr. Yaggi “Going to North Carolina to fish.” ~ Ryan Dammarell, 11
“To have some bonding time with my bed and ice cream.” ~ Avery Erbland, 11
“Stay in Wadsworth and hang with friends.” ~ Dakota Shoemaker, 10
“Nothing. I’m going to rest.” ~ Mrs. Beavers “I plan to travel to Vegas, hang out with Elvis, and win a million dollars. Not sure how that will happen as I don’t gamble.” ~ Mrs. Mathews “Baseball, eating and sleeping.” ~ Anthony Gannon, 11