March2 Berea High Focus

T h e B e r e a H i g h S c h o o l F o c u s The Focus Staff Adviser: Mrs. Marcia Roach

Cover by: Jake EdwardsEditor-in-Chief: Marlon Robertson

Free clip art courtesy of:

Staff: Alexis Adkins, Sydney Altenhof, Val Arko, Ronald Bates, D’Shane Dailey, Brandon Dones, Jacob Edwards, Jasmine Gheith, Josh Kaye, Jake Kehl, Justin Kincaid, Elise Kouris, Meghan Krzys, James Mason, Celeste Novak, McKenzie Powell, Marlon Robertson, Dominic Settonni, Kristen Thompson, Derek Thorpe, Henry T.J. Wade, Kailie Whiteman Freelance Writer: Kayla Schleimer

Berea High School 165 East Bagley Rd. Berea, OH 44017

E d i t o r i a l P o l i c y The purpose of the Berea Focus is to protect and promote free speech by creating a forum for student expression and a positive educational environment for students. Con-tent of The Focus reflects only the views of the student staff and individual students and not school officials. Therefore, The Focus will not be reviewed or restrained prior to pub-lication. An editorial board made up of students on the staff of The Focus will make all decisions of content for each issue. The role of the adviser is to educate the students about journalism, including laws, ethics, and practices, as well as to guide students toward publication. The adviser is not a decision maker. The students will not publish any material that falls under the category of unprotected speech, and the adviser will help the students to recognize unprotected speech. These areas include libel, unwarranted invasion of privacy, ob-scenity, copyright violations, and a material or substantial disruption of the school day. To find a complete explana-

tion of these refer to the Student Press Law Center website at www.splc.org. Students are able to publish and report any topic within the bounds of protected speech (so long as the re-porters do it in a way that accurately, thoroughly and completely covers the story.) In case of conflict between adminis-tration, adviser and students, students may use the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) for legal help. Any photo manipulation that could not feasibly be done in a dark room must be marked as a photo illustration. Students on The Focus staff reserve the right to accept or reject any ad-vertising.

5Apri l

3 News

The possibility of the Senate Bill 5 passing is causing worry and panic for Union workers, especially teachers. This original worry only recently became panic because of previous political statements being restated, the proximity of it being in effect, and lack of knowledge. Some of these political statements lead Union workers to believe it would help balance the budget, although BHS teachers, like Mr. Watt, are wondering how it is supposed to do so. Kasich made this budget plan to reorganize Ohio’s education, tax, prisons, medicade, and other systems that have caused the $8 billion shortfall. His overall goal, besides cutting the budget, is to have lower taxes and fewer regulations.

“This specific provision has absolutely nothing to do with any cost-saving measures whatsoever,” Mrs. Hostelley said. Many Union workers are trying to find the facts to support their claim of helping the budget, but with no results, end up finding themselves having the same opinion as Hostelley. There are many surprising rumors going around about the Senate Bill 5, such as “it is not an attack on education or the middle class,” “the Conservative leader of the Senate replaced someone on the committee so the bill would pass,” and “our representative and BHS alumnus, Mike Davilla, voted for it,” according to Watt. With these rumors going around, BHS teachers cannot help but panic and worry about their future, their family’s future, and even their students’ future. Now that the Bill has passed, students may not take their education seriously, especially if the rumored larger classes become their reality. They might even be worried about attending college to become a teacher, police officer, or any other job that conventionally falls under Union jobs. “I am very scared that due to my continuing health issues, I may not have a job anymore and I will lose my health insurance and end up on disability,” Hostelley said. Many school boards have been considerate to their teachers if they have had personal health issues, but with the loss of the Union protections, teachers will not have the same sympathy; just more restrictions. “Teachers would lose their say in important decisions regarding school,” Mrs. Viebranz said, “It

will affect the amount of money I bring home because I will have to pay more for health care and I’m not sure if we will get raises.” Because the Bill has passed and Ohio’s only option to get rid of its laws is to wait for the next election ballot in the fall, teachers and other Union workers have no other choice but to, “hope for the best,” Viebranz said. Watt is planning to sign the petition for a referendum and make sure to educate others on the dangers this bill is imposing on education and the middle class. “Talking to people, posting things on-line, and door to door literature drops,” Watt said about plans of action until the fall. Although, if the Bill stays in effect, teachers who lose their job may not have any other choice but to find a new career. “I continue to improve my skills that can be transferable to other careers. I also look for other potential opportunities in other fields so if I need to make a change, I will,” Hostelley said. Throughout the entire waiting season of finding out whether the Bill would pass or not, Union workers and even non-Union workers have been attending protests. “I attended a protest in Columbus at the State house. I was encouraged by the widespread support from other Unions and non-Union workers who oppose SB5,” Watt said about his experience. Even just by watching a protest you can tell how important not letting this Bill pass is to Ohio citizens. Although citizens do not like the bill, Kasich says that it is not meant to be an attack on union workers. “People are really trying to get the word out about how this bill will negatively affect families, also is seems there are a lot of people against it,” Viebranz said. Teachers and students are all shocked that with all the possible negative outcomes from this Bill, politicians still voted for it. If this bill stays in effect, Union workers will find themselves drowning in stress; stress from losing their job, finding a new career, and getting used to not having the benefits they have been working with for so long. Ohio’s teachers, firefighters, policemen, and other State employees can only try their hardest to get other people educated on what the Senate Bill 5 could force upon Union workers and hope for the best next fall.

“It brings tears to my eyes thinking that I might need to leave a field that I truly enjoy; the students whom I genuinely enjoy teaching, the collegues with whom I collaborate, and the community for who I serve,” Mrs. Hostelley said.

Senate Bill 5 Hits Home. . .

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Kristen ThompsonStaff Writer

Apri l 4 News

BRAVES DAY!!Braves Day, The most amazing most spectacular

day ever at BHS!! It's impossible not to have fun on this wonderful day filled with awesome events that will keep you on your feet! Be prepared to enjoy the whole day: Braves Day will not let you down.

Braves Day first debuted in the 2009-2010 school year at BHS. This fun day is only one day out of the year that is strictly for school spirit. The day before, all the grade levels decorate their hallways to make them the most amazing and spectacular. Each area of the main gym is sectioned off to each grade level. Mr. Rice was the founder of Braves Day. He experienced it at his high school and though it would be a great idea for BHS.

To get involved in the events you have to sign up for the event list. Seniors can talk to Bree Svigelj , Juniors Gabby Perry, Sophomores Nicole Edwards, freshman Ardita Ropaj.

Some Events that were held last year was Scooter Relay, Box Stacker, Running Relays. Knockout, Tug of war, and many others. Some new events are Ring toss, Corn hole, Bounce. Bounce is a game with trash bins and a ball. The trash bins are set up like a pyramid, and you have to bounce the ball and try to get it in the trash bins. The further the trash bin is away, the more the points.

Also each grade level can get points by how loudly they cheer and support their grade. Braves Day is going to be held on April 21st, 2011. The school is going to have a pm sip period and all the events will be held during sip.

“I absolutely cannot wait to do the scooter relay again and hopefully come out with the win,” Emily Szramowski said.

So far Braves Day has only been at BHS one year. The juniors of 2009-10 (this years seniors) won Braves Day last year.

Julie Kehl said “we have to win. It’s our senior year and we’re the best; we dominated last year and

it’s time to win again” For the most part on Braves Day a lot of teachers dedicate their class to school spirit. Not all but some. For example Mrs. Kawiecki math class all we did was make T shirts.

“My favorite part of Braves Day was before all the events I would walk through all the amazing hallways and also in my classes make shirts for Braves Day,” Chris Horner said. Braves Day is set out to make everybody enjoy the day while showing school spirit but also being good sports to each other.

“I cannot wait till Braves day! Senior Brian Yusko said “Seniors are going to win for sure, and it should be a great day”. Everybody should be in school April 21st, 2011. It’s a great experience and loads of fun. So do not miss it.

Staff writerJacob Kehl

APRIL 21,2011

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5 News

recent incident at Roehm Middle School, involving the abuse of multiple pills, has become the source of numerous rumors and speculation. While it seems shocking that these actions are occurring at such a young age and so close to home, the fact of the matter is using drugs is a common practice of teenagers and young children. Last month, 16 students were involved in a harmful situation where multiple pills were dispersed among the 7th grade class at RMS. The drugs are suspected to have been brought to the school by one individual, where they were then sold, consumed, and spread through a small amount of the student body. Over-the-counter pills, along with Mucinex D, and two prescription anti-depressants were the drugs of choice by these 16 children.

Anti-depressants, in particular, can be a cause of suicidal thoughts, heart palpations, and even anxiety, Mr. Nigro said. In response to the decisions made by these students, few were expelled, while the rest received a 10 day suspension.In an effort to help the students who were involved, the administration encouraged them to partake in drug and alcohol risk assessments. As far as the rest of RMS goes, there will be some healthy decision making and drug awareness assemblies planned in an attempt to raise awareness.“There will also be an extra address, particularly to the 7th grade, along with continuing the quarterly meetings to help prevent problems and revisit expectations,” Mr. Russ Krivak, RMS assistant principle, states.Although hard to believe, there are many issues throughout the

Teens DeFfIance Toward Dangerous Drugs

country regarding pills, alcohol, marijuana, and many more drugs in which teens use wrongfully.All the way in Redmond, Washington, almost a dozen students were caught and arrested due to a drug bust involving marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA, and various prescription medications. The students who were implicated consisted of two 15-year olds, six 16-year olds and three 17-year olds. (http://www.seattlepi.com)While drug abuse is such a common practice among teens, making it seem like an unfixable problem, there are still many things that can be done in order to correct the dilemma. Here at BHS, Students Against Destructive Decisions is held in order to bring awareness, predominantly to drugs and alcohol. In each meeting different ways to avoid and prevent harmful actions are discussed, according to Jasmine Gheith, a S.A.D.D. member. Some events attended and held by S.A.D.D. are the senior mock crash, and Red Ribbon Week.“I also am a part of the school’s “Insight Group” which is a program held for kids who got busted by either being drunk, high, or using any sort of drug by the school,” Miss Sarah Kolis, BHS counselor and advisor of both S.A.D.D. and the Insight Group, said. BHS’s Nurse Lynn believes that peer pressure can be avoided if parents would just obtain a larger role in their children’s lives.“What I always tell people is to “hug your children, question their choices, and then hug them again,” she said. Drugs and abuse are a way of life, not only for teens, but also adults. While they can never be fully avoided, it is important for communication and drug education to be a fraction of not only a teen’s school life, but also at home. As confirmed by Mr. Krivak,

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“The problem with teenagers taking drugs is that the drugs will have a much stronger affect. This can lead to liver problems, possibly death, and of course, legal problems,” Mr. Ryan Nigro, BHS health teacher, informs.

“If you have to think about it, then you probably should not do it.”

McKenzie Powell and T.J. WadeStaff Writers

Apri l 6 Opinion

“An’ he said: “I went sky diving, I went Rocky Mountain climbing, I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu. And I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter, And I gave forgiveness I’d been denying. An’ he said: someday I hope you get the chance, To live like you were dyin’.” This song by Tim Mcgraw is about a man who finds out he has cancer and has a limited time to live. He tells his story and explains that when he thought he was dying, he learned how to live. This song makes one of the boldest statements that I have ever heard; it makes me want to live like I am dying. The Bucket list is a movie with Jack Nichlson and Morgan Freeman. In the movie the two characters that have cancer get sick of being stuck in the hospital, they both realize that they have a limited time to live and a lot that they want to do before they “kick the bucket”. They escape the hospital, leave everything behind and take on their bucket lists. Life is so short. Mrs. Roach told me a story about her friend Sarah. Every year this girl made a list of things she wanted to do. At age twenty seven she was swept into the Mediterranean Sea. But in her short

27 years, she lived a full life without regrets. When I am on my deathbed, I want to be able to look back on the things that I have done and be able to say “I had a blast, and I lived to the fullest”. My biggest fear in life is that someday I will regret not the things I have done but the things I did not do and wish I did. Making a bucket list is a great way to avoid that feeling. A bucket list is just a list of things one would like to accomplish before they “kick the bucket.” There are no set parameters for what should or should not be on a bucket list. Some recommendations for a bucket list include the following: Kelly Knyszek said that jumping off a cliff into water is a must, Mr. Geer said that white water rafting will change your life, and Mr. Ruggerio said that everyone should take some time to travel and or study out of the country, it will broaden your horizon and make you look at life differently. Bucket lists are not required and I am not telling you that it is necessary to run and write down everything you want to accomplish right now. Just think about it, life is shorter than most people think; live it to the fullest and do things that you will never forget.

Bucket List Josh Kaye

Staff Writer

7 Feature

Ever since the beginning of the cellular age, the world has been different. Society is slowly becoming more and more dependent upon technology, and people are also losing the capability to be patient.

Today people no longer need to wait to get their news, talk to someone, shop, and so much more. People also do not have to worry about organization, their cell phone can do it all for them whether its keeping track of time, remembering and reminding of your schedule, and anything else that keeps someone organized.

It was just about thirty years ago that the world was introduced to the cell phone. It started off as a giant brick of a phone, bigger than phones used in households, that had nothing but giant buttons and a tiny screen that displayed numbers and could only make calls. Today the cell phone is small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket, and can do thousands of things; some new phones are even 3D touch screens.

“I remember when phones had black and white screens; now they’re HD and 3D,” senior Brandon Asher said.

The cell phone today has become a second brain to many people. This new dependency on cell phones is commonly viewed as laziness, but others may view it as human advancement, as something that makes humans capable of accomplishing things much more efficiently than ever possible without the cell phone.

“I would die without my phone,” Krista Edwards says.

The cell phone today is much more than just a device for communication but an all-in-one device.

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Slowly more and more gets added to the cell phone like video cameras, alarm clocks, Internet browsers. People don’t need to buy a whole bunch of electronics anymore because now when they get a cell phone they get it all.

“My phone can do as much as my computer,” senior Ryan Sauernheimer said.

Sometime in the near future electronics like the camera, video camera, laptop, and much more may all be replaced by a tiny hand-held cell phone.

Who knew the cell phone would one day become this all-in-one super device that almost everyone in the world owns.

PAGE ME

Jake EdwardsStaff Writer

What would we do without technology? That is a question that I am sure people ask themselves all the time. Online banking, social networking, GPS sys-tems, and practically robotic phones have changed the world forever. In 2010 alone, there was a 14 percent increase of Internet users and 100,000,000 new Twitter accounts, as found on www.loveoftech-nology.wordpress.com. That has to say something. Everything from books to home telephones are slowly but surely being overtaken by technology. Google Docs can now digitalize 1,000 pages of a regular book in one hour, said the same site listed previously. In the last 2 months more video was uploaded to YouTube than if all the major US broadcasters had been broad-casting 24hrs a day, 365 days a week, since 1948. If that is not enough proof, In February of 2008 John McCain attended fund raising events for his presi-dential campaign and raised $11 million. In the same time, Barack Obama attended no fundraising events. In-stead his campaign team used social networks to raise $55 million in 29 days. It is unbelievable, in 2007 Dell claimed to have earned $3 million from Twitter posts. Before technology progressed so much, people used to see each other much more, and weigh much less.

Research says that approximately 10 percent of preschool age children and 15 percent of teens can be considered overweight said www.livestrong .com. Many people be-lieve this is the effect of kids constantly watching televi-sion, and playing computer or video games instead of maybe playing outside like they would have many years ago. Seventy-five percent of American people in house-holds play computer and video games on a dailybasis. Practically everything that would have to be done in your daily life, can now be done using technolo-gy. New settings added to washers, dryers, refrigerators, and other household items can replace humans entirely. The computer that once filled a building now fits in your pocket, and in about 25 years from now will be small enough to fit in a blood cell. Technology cannot go backwards, it seems like it can only progress. By 2020 the cell phone is thought to be the primary device for accessing the Internet, especially because the computer embedded in your mobile phone is a million times cheap-er, a thousand times more powerful and a hundred thou-sand times smaller than the one owned by MIT in 1965

Technology in Our Future

Kailie WhitemanStaff Writers

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Apri l9 Feature

People are predicting many struggles for the world-wide web. With the rise of the smart phone, paired with the addition of applications, the world-wide-web is beginning to show its weaknesses. Perhaps somewhere in the near future, the web will cease to exist, replaced by a world full of instant satisfaction. Before we continue, let’s clear the air—the web and the Internet are two completely different things. The Internet is the force that allows us to go online, and powers the web, apps, and many other devices. The web itself is browsers like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox. These are used to navigate websites on the Internet. Keeping that in mind, there may be a possibility the web has become outdated. Applications on the smart phone and tablet portable devices allow swift access to a certain website, which is usually a cleaner, more user friendly experience than its browser counterpart. The web has struggled to keep up with the efficiency of the application. The web has its own advantages, however. Creating an application is relatively difficult. There is a long process, and it is a lot of work. But a web page can be created by anybody, anywhere, with no registration process or excess work. The web may be clunky, but there is a lot of freedom. You can browse at a whim. Applications have one specific purpose, and it takes away from the gathering of information just from surfing the web. The use of apps also requires you to have a smart phone or a tablet, and many people still do not have such. Torre Lott, a freshman with a regular cell phone, defended the web. “I use the web for all kinds of stuff. I social network on more than just Facebook, I listen to different music on it, and if I need to do research, I would use nothing besides the web.” Many people would quickly replace freedom of search for efficiency and style. Joseph Sefik, a fanatic application user, is quick to ditch his computer for his phone. “More efficient, smoother, and quicker. What more do you want? All I have to do is take out my phone, press a button, and in seconds I’m staring at the latest news feed. I’m not patient enough to wait for a page to load or in

The Web is Dead...Or Is It?

most cases, not load at all. Applications are the future of the Internet!” One majorly deciding factor in the argument comes down to finances. The web is free. Perhaps a monthly service fee is required, but the user has the ability to go anywhere on the Internet free of charge. With the application, most need to be paid for. And they aren’t cheap if you add them up. The user then has to decide if the fees, when added up, are worth the reward. An article by Slate.com, “The Future of the Internet” comes to a conclusion. Sooner or later, the two should balance out into a happy medium. Neither conquers the other, simply because both have advantages and disadvantages. Not everybody will be willing to sacrifice freedom for style, but many will. In the end, there may be a stalemate, and everyone will be content. Whether you use a smart phone or a desktop PC, a tablet or a laptop, the web or applications, there is no clearly predictable winner. For now, everyone will have to make a choice and be happy with the results. In the future we may live in an App dominated world, but for now, only time will tell.

Marlon RobertsonEditor-In-Chief

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10 Feature

Stand Up and Speak - Why So Afraid?

Do you suffer from Glossophobia? At one point or another, we have all had to speak in front of a group of people. This can include anything from a group of a small pack of close friends to a large community. Public speaking is a very common phobia, most gen-erally associated with social anxiety. According to speech-topics.com, speaking in public is the number one global fear. In fact, as speech-topics continues to say, people would rather choose death than present-ing a speech in front of strangers.But why are we so afraid? “Because they do not like the judgment of others,” Eva Delashmitt grade 12 said. This is true in most cases because people do not like to be judged. Being up in front of a crowd makes people seem like they are more vulnerable and exposed as opposed to being in the crowd and listening to another speaker.

“Some people are apprehensive when it comes to criticism when you’re in front of a crowd, you cannot avoid making some errors and you also can’t avoid people being critical about your mistakes,” Frances Ramones grade 11 said.Other reasons, according to Ezinearticals.com, says that some of the reasons include anywhere from the fear of failure, self doubt, afraid of people judging you, or even perfectionism.Should we be afraid? The answer to this question is no. “You’re just talking,” Kelly Knyszek grade 12 said. In a survey around BHS students responded regarding the fear of speaking in front of others.

alexis adkins :]

Staff Writer

You’re just talking

Photo Credit to alexis adkins :]

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11 Feature

“There’s no reason for people to be scared of speaking in public because there will be a time where one has to speak up, express their own opinion and/or stand up for themselves,” Frances Ramones said. What do we do when the big day arrives? First, do not panic. Begin by telling yourself that everyone makes mistakes, and most likely no one will notice if you don’t stop and linger on it. “If it’s something for class, I read whatever I need to present a couple of times. You have to know it bet-ter than your audience so just in case someone’s got a question, you could give them one solid answer,” Frances Ramones said. Practice by standing in the mirror and saying a few lines to get started. “Study and research materials,” Moses Cox grade 12 said.

Later, when you arrive to the presentation location, remind yourself that the audience wants to hear what you want to speak about, not about what you look like or another aspect of yourself. When the presentation beings, remember to keep hands out of your pockets and retain a good posture (as in do not shake your leg rapidly) so your audience focuses on your speech rather than your hands or legs. Lastly, during the speech, remember verbal ticks can become quite irritating to the audience. Instead of saying ‘uhm’ or ‘like’, pause. This gives the brain a moment to recollect its thoughts and allows your listeners to soak in what you just have said.“Just remind yourself that they are just people just like yourself,” Eva Delashmitt said. If you ever have any lingering fears about yourself in a pre-sentation, according to articlesbase.com, focusing on what you are presenting rather than who you are presenting can help keep your mind off of all of those unwanted negative thoughts. “It’s only human to be nervous, and no matter the outcome, someone will be influenced or enlightened,” Makayla Williams grade 11 said.

Just remind yourself that they are just people just like yourself

Photo Credit to alexis adkins :]

12 Feature

Phobias:The inside scoop Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two. Some get nervous at the thought of needles. Others shriek at the sight of a mouse. Still others get woozy when they look down from tall buildings. For most people, these fears are minor. But for some, these fears are so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with normal day-to-day life. So, what is a phobia? A “phobia,” by definition, is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger. Common phobias and fears include closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects, snakes, and needles. However, we as humans can develop a phobia of virtually anything. (helpguide.org) Mary Nedbalski, a freshman here at Berea High, has Bambakophobia – the fear of cotton balls. Her fear started at the age of 8, maybe younger. “My fear gets worse by the year,” she says. “I can’t even touch them.” According to helpguide.com, people with pho-bias experience many anxiety-related symptoms when they’re exposed to the object or situation they fear. The symptoms are both emotional and physical. The symp-toms of anxiety and fear can range from mild feelings of apprehension to a full-blown panic attack. Typically, the closer you are to the thing you’re afraid of, the greater your fear will be. “I don’t really care about seeing feet,” fresh-man Samantha Miller admits, “but if they touch me, I feel nauseous and feel like puking.” Samantha has had Podo-

phobia for as long as she can remember, and since then, she’s only got-ten used to one person’s feet – her best friend’s. The only reason she’s overcome her fear of feet with her friend is because she used Exposure Therapy to help her. Some people think her fear is weird and unreason-able, but she has a pretty good reason – it’s because you don’t really know what’s on a person’s foot, or where their feet have been. She finds feet repulsive and disgusting. Freshman Courtney Dohman is terrified of clowns – though not many people may know it. This abnormal fear originated when she was 5 years old, when a clown snuck up behind her and grabbed her. “I didn’t know who it was and I freaked out.” She says that she doesn’t get made fun of for her Coulrophobia, but that’s only because she doesn’t tell anyone about it. “On a scale from one to ten on the terrifying scale,” she said, “clowns are probably at 15.” Junior Alexis Adkins has Agyrophobia, the fear of streets or crossing streets. She’s never been teased for it, though a lot of people think it’s strange and irrational. “I almost got hit by a truck because he didn’t stop for the light,” Alexis said. She’s had her phobia since the 8th grade, when she almost got hit. She’s also been in a car accident, when she was three. “It was just a repressed memory I guess.” Phobias vary in severity among individuals. Some individuals can simply avoid the subject of their fear and suffer relatively mild anxiety over that fear. Others suffer full-fledged panic attacks with all the associated disabling symptoms. Most individuals understand that they are suffering from an irrational fear, but they are powerless to override their initial panic reaction. Others, on the other hand, are able to overcome their fear, and even be able to live around it with no alarm. So, the real question is, what are you afraid of?

Celeste NovakStaff Writer

AprilPhoto credit:Celeste Novak

Home Sweet Home!Or all alone..

Home Schooling is becoming very popular in today’s society; more and more parents are keep-ing their children home to learn. Homeschoolviews.com states that the benefits of home schooling are almost countless, but all of them revolve around your child’s happiness, health, safety, and over-all being. Home schooling gives you freedom; it can be taken as a privilege, with that comes much responsibility, but home schooling does not give you the proper structure you need. Public Schooling gives you a structure from a social standpoint, and responsibility.

Peter Harmon is a Berea High student who was homeschooled until he reached high school. He feels high school has helped him to learn more, become more outspoken, become a better leader, and decide what he wants to do in his future. For Peter, public Schooling gave him the proper struc-ture he needed, from being on your own in school, to a social aspect of meeting new people. School-ing prepares you for the real world, and there is much more in schooling then just learning in modern day.

Mrs. Scriven is a librarian at Berea High; she has a master’s degree and has only had public schooling, she feels it has affected her in a very positive way, and has made her very comfortable in a public environment, stating “public schoolings all I know”.

Ian Dalton says he is “the most fun you will come by”. Ian is a very outgoing person in school and outside of school. He has been in public schooling his whole life and said it has helped him make friends, do activities, have fun, and overall become more social. High school has structured his life by helping him decide what he wants in life. Also Ashley Boozer feels schooling has made her slightly more social, and has helped her gain new friends.

Derek ThorpeStaff Writer

(http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Donny_(The_De-barted))

(http://fuffer.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/home-schooling/)

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Apri l 14 feature

Inspiration of musicD’Shane DaileyStaff Writer

Music is like a universal theme: it speaks to all. Music can have such an inspiration on people, throughout history and all over the world. Sometimes it can be bad and sometimes good, good in a way that it causes people to have courage and pump someone up, bad in a way that it can cause anger and aggression. Music is sort of like the soul of America. It can be heard in cars, homes, on an ipod or radio. Music is different in many different cultures such as in the United States it could be rock, pop, rap, R&B, jazz, and country music. Music has been heard everywhere for years. The list can go on and on from amazing artists such as Michael Jackson, Kris Kros, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Wiz Khalifa, Jimmy Hendrix, Bobby Brown and so many other good artists. “I usually listen to Drake, Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, and Nicki Minaj,” Amanda Arnette, a freshman, said. “Music has an inspiration to me because it helps me get through things,” she said. Music can help people get through hard times, and it can also just be entertaining.

According to the source oppapers.com “music is an inspiration to a life, it has brought unity, smiles, culture, tears, and much more”.

The impact of music is powerful. Some may listen to the beats and the rhythm of the song and may just like it without listening to the lyrics, and live their life by good morals and respect. But when some listen to the lyrics, which may not be good, they eventually live their life by those lyrics, such as degrading women and saying nasty things.

Music has brought smiles all around the world. It can help when one is sad, confused, or even just frustrated. Its impression that it has on people is amazing.

“Music makes me happy and gives me inspiration,” Marlon Robertson a freshmen says. Music has an effect on the society.

Usually when someone listens to music it can have a bad inspiration on them because the artist they are to listening either has a bad life or just raps about it, and eventually the person that listens to the artist either picks that lifestyle up that the artist is rapping about or portrays anger and aggression.

Such as artists wearing certain clothing and then everybody else in the society doing the same exact thing.

“Prominent figures in society influence society itself. Therefore, if rappers, who are prominent figures in society, act a certain way, so too will society,,” Marlon Robertson said. “Some may say music is sometimes stupid because all the artists talk about is money, jewelry, cars and other such things. I think artists talk about real life topics and life lessons,” Jimmy Arnold a freshmen said. I also think music does portray bad things and has a bad inspiration on

you because if you listen to music that isn’t portraying good things all the time and that’s all you hear, then yes it can also have bad inspirational effects on you,” Jimmy said. When someone listens to music that either talks about drugs, degrades women, and talks about sex it has an impact. Some may say it does, and some may say it doesn’t. But overall it does. For example if someone was an outstanding student and lived their life in a positive way, but then started listening to artists that say negative things and that’s all that person hears, then yes they are going to either live their life in a not so good way or the music is going to have a negative impact, that may hurt them in the long run. Music has been sometimes good or bad depending on artists. In the late 1980’s the group named N.W.A was according to society one of the greatest groups ever, including two of the biggest stars Eazy E and Dr. J. Their music inspired everyone from all different cultures. But their music degrading women and police got them in a heap of trouble and people stopped buying their records and had campaigns and strikes on their music. Most of all, children were living their life by N.W.A’s music. “I don’t think music has a bad inspiration on you unless you’re just stupid”, Adam Fellner a ninth grader said. Kid Cudi inspires me in a good way because he raps about real life stuff and his music makes sense and speaks the truth. Music is technically sounds put together to make a tune. Oppapers.com writes that from the beginning of time, human kind has been motivated by the sounds our world has to give from the source oppapers.com. “Some may also think that music does portray bad things. I think music portrays bad things because it can sometimes be degrading to women and young girls,” Shemya Sawyer a senior from Horizon Science Academy said. Most children who either watch bad things or listen to music that isn’t positive aren’t always going to live their life by what they hear or see. The parents are the ones who counts in this situation because they let children know that they shouldn’t always have to live their lives by what they hear or see. Basically music can have good impressions, and sometimes not-so-good impressions. Music can be inspirational but every good thing has a negative undertone. So choose wisely, and bask in the glory that is music.

Apri l

15 Feature

James Mason

Staff Writer

Classic Muscle CarsAccording to the June 1967 issue of Road Test magazine, a “muscle car” is “exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder’s philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in It. How did they come to be? When American Automotive Companies wanted to define an era with a fast and light

weight car, two words came to mind, muscle car. When asked what makes a muscle car a muscle

car, Josh Delaney grade 12 has this to say “When you look at a muscle car, it gives off, a sort of powerful and strong aura, if you will. The paint job compliments the body style of strength, you can tell by the sleek design, which is for cool kids only. Plus when you look at it, you can tell the thing has

an engine built for a train.” Muscle cars have always been special machines

to people. The magic ingredients have always included a large engine and a light weight body. When the American auto builders mixed these two ingredients, the results were

legendary. What the heck is a muscle car and where did the

term come from? The idea of having a car for more than basic transportation has been with us for a long time. Since the first car was produced, someone was trying to think of a way to make it more powerful and faster. That art was fine tuned in

the late 60’s by the major car companies themselves. Lead by the 64 1/2 Mustang GT, the balance of that

period saw some truly awesome American cars. As the car company’s one upped the competition, the cars became more powerful. Thus the era of the American Muscle Cars was

born. Pure American in so many ways, the 60’s muscle cars defined more than just a period in car history. Those cars are so unique; they are still sought over thirty years later. The term Muscle Car brings to mind the big block cars like the 426 Hemi Cuda, the Boss 429 Mustang, the Shelby 427 Cobra, or the 440 Roadrunner. Josh Delaney has to say this when asked about his favorite moldy oldie, “I would have to say my favorite muscle car would have to be the AMC

Javelin, very rare, yet very fast.” And it should, but the term also includes other

performance cars of the time with smaller motors like the 351 Mustang Mach 1, the 302 Z28 Camaro, the Corvettes, the

Boss 302 Mustang, and the 340 Duster, to name a few. The steps into restoring a muscle car include the following the tear down process, buying new/discontinued parts, building from scratch, and then putting on the finished touches. Both 12th graders Josh Delaney & Dakota Massaro have excellent

explanations on how to restore a historic car,

Delaney says “In order to fully restore a “moldy oldie”, you must have a lot of patience and really have motivation to complete the project. I’d love to do it myself.” Massaro bellows “ It takes knowledge of what you are working on, having fun with it, time and dedication.

Apri l

16 Feature

Thinking back on my own years of attending school, I remember at least 5 kids talking about their medication or talking about the fact that they have ADD/ADHD and whether or not they are on medication.

Two such students, Jessie Cooper (senior) was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 6 and Jordan Natinivio (junior) at the age of 15. Copper went through years of taking different medications and the ups and downs it comes with while Jordan only took medication for about a month and had a tough time.

Natinivio believes medication isn’t the only choice for those with ADHD/ADD.

“Yes, only with some people, “ Natinivio said about whether medication should be given.

For years I remember obediently taking my meds every morning before school, oblivious to the way it was affecting my body, my mind and the way I interacted with people. As I matured, I was able to recognize the positive and negative effects of taking medication. I would be jumpy and my mind would race from one thought to the next, causing me to become very frustrated. As my thoughts raced and the elections in my brain became overworked, I’d barely pay attention to my appetite and my personality was almost non-existent. I would spend all day running around not knowing what I was doing half the time, causing myself to fall into a fit of anxiety. By the time my medication wore off at the end of the day, I felt depressed.

Jessie Cooper has also taken medication for many years and has had trying experiences with it.

“When I was 8, I tried Adderall for four weeks. At the end of the four weeks, my metabolism was so high, that I weighed 30 lbs.”

Despite the negative effects methamphetamines can have, they also have positive effects. In most cases, students are diagnosed while they are attending school. This is the case because it is easy to tell who has ADHD/ADD and who

doesn’t from observing kids sitting in a classroom for hours on end. Medication can help a child with ADHD/ADD focus and concentrate in class and school, complete tasks bestowed to them, and help them organize and use their time better.

Lauren Vanek (junior) believes that people diagnosed with ADHD/ADD should be on medication and that it helps them with their disorder.

There might be an alternative to giving your child methamphetamines. There is a type of drug called a benzodiazepine that could help people diagnosed with ADHD/ADD. This drug actually has the opposite symptoms of what you would get by taking methamphetamines. Taking low doses of a benzodiazepine for a fixed period of time could probably improve the problem of ADHD/ADD symptoms because it is a relaxant. Benzodiazepines are safe and effective but, like any drug you put into your body, can have negative effects.

“Depending on the severity of the disorder and their coping mechanisms, it is hard for kids to focus for 3 seconds.” Ms. Roetzer says as she chuckles.

All in all, giving your kid medication is a touchy subject for many people and should be looked at with an open mind. We must keep in mind the child’s say in the matter and ask them what they want and always keep their health as top priority.

Medication and ADHD

Sydney Altenhof Staff Writer

free-clipart.net

Apri l 17 Feature

Prom Dresses Prom is one of the most important and exciting nights in a girl’s high school career. Many look forward to Prom all high school, especially throughout their senior year. Prom is taking place on May 21st at Michaud’s and will be here before we know it. Many senior and a few underclassman girls are thinking about their dresses, hair, and other accessories. “I don’t have a specific budget for my dress, but I won’t buy one that’s unreasonably priced,” senior Corey Waldron said. Dresses can come from anywhere! Prom dresses can range anywhere from 80-500 dollars depending on where you shop. There are many different stores throughout Ohio where girls are shopping. Most stores register dresses so nobody will end up with the same dress. Depending on the brand and type of dress you are looking for, your possibilities for dresses are endless. “I’m going this week to Pennsylvania to look for my dress,” senior Sarah James said. “I’m going to a store called The Winner,” James continued. Popular stores for Prom dress shopping include various department stores, The Winner in Pennsylvania, Bridal shops and other little boutiques around Ohio. “I will probably end up buying my dress the night before because I procrastinate and I am always late,” junior Danielle Stewart said. When looking for a size in your dress, be sure to have an idea of your measurements so you know which size is best for you. Many dress shops try to have you order a larger size so you are required to have alterations, which results in more business for them. If you know your size and can order your dress without having to get alterations made, you can save a great amount of money. If alterations are required, you need to be sure you are wearing the shoes you will be wearing on

Val Arko and Meghan KrzysStaff Writers

Prom night. This will make sure that your dress is the right length and will not be sagging on the ground. Many girls started their dress shopping online. “I have been looking online for my prom dress, and I’ve found some that I like so far,” junior Ascia Hancock-Phillips said. Looking for your Prom dress online is a very risky move. Many of the websites do not accept returns, or if they do, you get a gift card to that website and plus extra restocking fees. Prom dresses come in all different sizes. Most of the time, you will not know your dress size until you try on the actual dress. Prom dresses run differently for each designer. “Looking online has just been giving me ideas of what I want, I don’t think I will order online,” junior Becky Kushman stated. Ordering your dress offline is not recommended, but if you do end up finding your dress online, and it works out, you are in luck! “I ordered my dress online, and I just got it in the mail,” senior Kayla Haney said. “It’s the wrong size, and in my opinion, it’s ugly,” Haney continued. “I want my dress to be long, have an open back and be tighter in the butt,” junior Lauren Scheerer said. “I think it’s called a mermaid style,” Scheerer continued. The different types and styles of Prom dresses are endless. Dresses range from plain and simple to a huge, gaudy ball gown. “I want a long strapless dress, but I’m okay with anything really,” senior Amanda Brandt said. The dresses that are in style and trendy this year seem to be floral prints, along with animal prints. “I’ve been looking at different prints on dresses, I think they’re cute,” senior Ally Gargiulo said. Prom is one of the most highly anticipated nights in high school. It is one of the most memorable, and one of the last nights together as a senior class. Prom will definitely be a night to remember for all.

2011

18Apri l

Entertainment

Perks of the Five People

You Meet in Heaven

Often, high school students rant and rave about all the awful books that their English teachers make them read. The simple fact of the matter is that those books are chosen for our age group for certain reasons. A lot of times they teach life lessons that help to shape us as young adults going into the world. Anyone can make reading a good experience even if your book is for school.

“Whenever I get a really good book I get engrossed by it, and I love that feeling,” Brianna Zahir a sophomore at Berea High School said. “My favorite book is Prey by Michael Chrichton. I absolutely love SciFi and Chrichton was an extremely talented author who never failed to captivate his audience. Extremely suspenseful, exciting, and very scientific,” Oliver Reyes a sophomore at Berea High School said.

Oliver knows the importance of being well-read. Although he does not love the books he is assigned at school, he still loves to read when it’s his own choice.

Being well-read is good if you wish to have a fulfilling career.

“The educational careers of 25% to 40% of American children are imperiled because they don’t read well enough, quickly enough, or easily enough,” A statistic taken from www.readfaster.com/education.

Finding the right book is always the problem for many people. When you finally grasp your favorite genre or favorite author, the sky is the limit. Reading is vital for future generations, especially in finding careers.

“A lot of kids today only want to play videogames or watch television. I know kids can read, they just don’t want to,” Nick Mihalek a junior at Berea High School said. High school students have a tendency to be bored with the genre of books given out at school. Often times, the books we are assigned in school reflect the

growth of youth or the coming of age of teenagers.

Lexi Tulcewicz, a senior at Berea High School, said a lot of the books we are assigned at school are very dry, but she liked Perks of Being a Wall Flower and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Both of which are part of the Senior Seminar class, currently taught by Mr. Watt and Ms. Papakonstantinou. Perks of Being a Wall Flower is a phenomenal read. It is a story told through dated letters from an anonymous teenage boy from which there is no return address. He informs the reader of the letters that his name and everyone’s name that he mentions will be changed so that he can maintain his full anonymity. The boy simply wants to know that at least one person in the world is listening to everything he has to say. As the story progresses the reader becomes part of the boy’s struggles and relationships. He is a very emotional young man with all the right reasons to be, but you will not know those reasons unless you pick up this book. This book is highly recommended to high school aged students, especially juniors and seniors. The Catcher in the Rye is another coming of age novel with similar meaning and undertones to The Perks of Being a Wall Flower. It’s a story about a young man named Holden Caulfield. He is extremely intelligent but he has been expelled from many different high level prep schools. This book takes you on a journey with Holden through an evening in New York City. The way he thinks

and analyzes the people he encounters is astounding. You will feel as if he has the thought process of a grumpy old man, considering his ability to just walk right into any bar he pleases. Not to mention his cigarette addiction. This book will make you happy, sad, angry, and maybe even a little bit confused. Overall it will not let you down. All it takes is finding a good book, a comfortable seat, and good lighting and you can indulge into a seemingly endless current of words. Along with Perks of Being a Wall Flower and The Catcher in the Rye there are many books assigned by schools that are phenomenal. The simple fact of the matter is that knowledge is the key to happiness and power. And books are the doorway to all knowledge.

Dominic SettonniStaff Writer

- Perks of Being a Wall Flower

Apri l 19 Entertainment

Children stars have always been around, and will continue to be around. When you listen to the boy group Mindless Behavior, you may think they are much older than 14 years old. That is quite the contrary. Mindless Behavior consists of four 14 year old boys.

Miss Karri Roetzer said “I don’t think its right for kids to be big stars at this age. They don’t have a chance for much of a childhood.” Growing up I never thought of it that way, when I listened to Aaron Carter, Back Street Boys, and Dream Street. Children stars have always been around, and will continue to be around. “When I first heard the song “My Girl” by Mindless Behavior, it reminded me of when I used to plug in my personal CD player, put on my huge head phones, and listen to the Jackson 5 CD my mother bought me.” explained Moses Cox.

Mindless Behavior is a very upbeat group that sings mostly about love songs. Their voices are almost at the same pitch as the Jackson 5 when they first started. Mindless Behavior’s group members are Prodigy, Roc Royal,

Ray Ray and Princeton. They all have a very sleek style of fashion and dancing. They have opened up for the Backstreet Boys in 2010, and first opened up for their community high school in Los Angles California. As well as The Jackson 5, Mindless Behavior has been compared to New Addition and N’SYNC. Sixth grader Diana Walter enjoys Mindless Behavior. She said “I love them so much! I want to meet them one day!” Freshman Lauren Walter was asked how she felt about young stars, and said “It’s not that I don’t like their songs, because they’re very catchy, I just don’t think they are old enough to be singing about love and girls.”

When I listened to the LP self titled “Mindless Behavior”, I felt that they might be too young to be singing about love. On the other hand, some people like to say that younger people know what love really is.

From the song that I heard called “My Girl” I would have to say I see this group becoming bigger and better than they probably imagined. Their smooth voices and pretty smiles will get them very far in life. I would have to rate the Mindless Behavior LP a 9 out of 10 stars.

ARE YOU MINDLESS ENOUGH?Photo C

redit: Jasmine G

heith

Mindless Behavior CD coverJasmine GheithStaff Writer