Visor Issue 5

Archbishop hobAn high school ◆ one holy cross blvd. ◆ Akron, ohio 44306 ◆ issue no. 5 ◆ november 12, 2009

Photo by Jessica Contrera

Fair TradeBringing

to Hoban

Also in this Issue:Oliver Twist, pg 4Paranormal Activity, pg 8Cross Country State Results, pg 12

The visor ◆ november 12, 2009�

Copyright © 2008

• CSPA Gold Medalist • NSPA All-American

• Quill & Scroll Int’l First Place • OSMA First Place

Online: www.hobanvisor.com E-mail: [email protected] Voice: 330-773-6658 ext. 249

Fax: 330-773-9100

School site: www.hoban.org

The Visor subscribes to the ASNE/MCT Campus news service and to APStylebook.com.

Signed letters for publication are welcome. Mailbox is in the main office. Unsigned editori-als represent the consensus of the editorial board. Signed opinion represents the views of the writer only.

Editor-in-chief Joseph C. Easton

Managing Editor Jessica Contrera

Features Editor Nikki Bowser

Media Editor Victoria Grieshammer

Sports Editor Evan Luse

Exchange Editor Danielle Hale

Copy Editor Marie Hofer

Photo Editor Julian Smith

Staff Reporters Jules Libertin, Ryland Parnell,

Alex Salamon, Evan Shaub, Amy Yakubowski, Johanna Breiding, Peter DelMedico, Ben Edwards, Jay Hillery, Lindsay Huth, Allison Jackson, Nick

Pelini, Carmine Sberna

Adviser T. K. Griffith

◆ Staff Editorials

On the cover

Fans branch out to support all fall sports

Casinos could quickly monopolize Ohio

Fan spirit is crucial. It encourages players to do their best and shows other fans that our students are supportive of their

classmates.In years past, fan spirit has been high

for mostly football, but this year it has been surprisingly high for all sports. Even the traditionally minor sports are receiving the credit they deserve. For the first time, many students attended minor sporting events like cross country meets.

One reason fan attendance has increased is many of the teams were good this year. With winning records and competitive play, all teams this season showed dedication and heart.

For example, cross country isn’t the typical spectator sport, but many people found them-selves at the meets for the first time. The boys made it to the state tournament at Scioto Downs for the first time in 30 years and that is exciting for the Hoban student body.

This year, five out of nine teams made it past the first round of the playoffs; but, state-ranked teams isn’t the only reason we should

support our programs.Fans were present this season when the

girls soccer team moved up to a new division due to enrollment. People knew it would be challenging, but fans never lost faith– even in the last game against North Royalton.

During the boys soccer playoff game against St. Vincent-St. Mary, students created a sign reading, “You will never walk alone.”

This sign speaks volumes about the Hoban family and the way in which we support each other here.

Fall sports are almost over and winter sports are starting soon. Let’s keep the fan spirit high as the seasons change. u

Gamblers in Ohio were given an early Christmas present from the state leg-islature last Tuesday. As of Nov. 3,

2009, the government of Ohio has officially legalized the construction of four casinos to provide Las Vegas-style gambling games with-in the state boundaries. The passage of the “Four Casinos Initiative,” commonly known on this year’s ballot as Issue 3, will spur both financial and social changes within Ohio.

Basically, Issue 3 mandates that four separate casinos will be constructed in four different corners of Ohio: Toledo, Cincinnati, Columbus and nearby Cleveland. The casinos are able to conduct all games, from bingo to craps, as long as they are also allowed in casinos of Ohio’s bordering states. All four casinos will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Supporters of the Four Casino Initiative had their arguments backed in numbers, but their numbers may not have been as solid as they imagined. True, with the passage of Is-sue 3 comes an availability of nearly 34,000 jobs. However, tens of thousands of said jobs are merely construction positions for the casinos, and those construction jobs will fade away after the casino is built. Also, remember

that the casinos are open at all hours of the day. Half of the casino employees will have to run the games through the night at odd hours every day.

True, the casinos will return 33% of their rev-enues to be distributed among all 88 Ohio coun-ties and school districts. However, a majority of the money earned by the casinos does not come from millionaires like in Las Vegas, but from local residents that are gambling with their paychecks and savings. The gains in taxes will be offset by the widening gap between the rich and poor as lower-wage citizens look to "win big."

The economic and social results of Issue 3 will quickly become an issue themselves. Sup-porters of Issue 3 promised that money would be distributed back into the counties, but that does not mean that Ohio’s economy will be stimulated. Casinos have the ability to quickly swoop up millions and millions of dollars, and in Ohio's case, they are only legally obliged to return one third of their revenues.

Fortunately, there is no clause in Issue 3 stating that gambling is now mandatory for any Ohioan. It is in the best hopes of potential gamblers to weigh the consequences of spend-ing their money on the possibility of slots, or the assurance of food and shelter. u

u Fair Trade merchandise is available at the Market Path in Highland Square. Handbags are popular items.

The visor ◆ november 12, 2009 �

It wasn’t his Australian accent that made us feel like the recent all school assembly speaker was the farthest thing from our

“mate.”Matthew Kelly caused a great deal of con-

troversy last week concerning his actions and overall attitude during his speech to the Hoban student body. Kelly is a New York Times best selling author and a well known motivational speaker He heads his own foundation, The Matthew Kelly Foundation, and has authored ten books on ranging topics that mostly center on finding happiness in life. His renown would lead anyone to believe that his words of advice are likely worthwhile.

I enjoyed many aspects of the context of Kelly’s speech. If you were able to get past the copious fluff that surrounded it, such as the ex-planation of the entire Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie, Kelly made meaningful points about planning for life, finding true happiness and understanding yourself.

However, being a well known speaker, even one who has good advice, does not give a person permission to be rude. Matthew Kelly was certainly rude and disregarded a basic “com-mon courtesy” that he insinuated the students of Hoban lack.

While it is unfortunate that high school students, myself included, are often unable to sit

still and be silent during an hour-long assembly, that type of action is bound to take place when over 900 teenagers gather. In fact, I am sure that in comparison to most high schools, Hoban students are extremely well behaved and respect-ful of speakers.

Hoban hired Kelly as a speaker, not an administrator. In addition to his obvious lack of enthusiasm, he crossed his boundaries by punishing talking students in the middle of his speech. He made students change seats, kicked them out of the gym and even openly called one an idiot. These actions then detracted from Kelly’s performance. Students were paying more attention to who was getting in trouble than the potentially valuable information in Kelly’s words.

Some defended Kelly, arguing that Hoban was his fourth high school talk that day. While I’m sure that his demanding schedule is exhaust-ing, perhaps Kelly should not schedule talks to high school groups if he will not allow anything but silence while he speaks. He arrived for the speech as we were sitting down and left before we were out of the gym, like a referee who knows he will be heckled by the fans for his bad calls.

It may have been just an off day for Kelly, whose major charitable effort is “The Schools Project” in which more than 50,000 students will receive complimentary copies of one of

Kelly’s books after hearing him speak at their school. Hoban students, as part of this project, received Kelly’s The Shepherd, a Modern Par-able about Our Search for Happiness. Upon receiving and reading this “novel,” I wondered why a three minute short story which reads like a chain e-mail was turned into a hardback, 81 page book.

But what bothered me most about the book and The Schools Project was not this disturb-ing waste of good trees. The Matthew Kelly Foundation web site boasts that Kelly said this about his work with high school students: “Their hearts are free. All we need to do is give them the courage to follow their hearts. If we give them a life-directing message right now, we may save them from needing a life-changing message ten, twenty or thirty years from now.”

I guess Kelly felt that those students who were talking while he was talking didn’t have hearts that were “free” enough to deserve a life-directing message. u

◆ Opinion & Commentary

Speaker Matthew Kelly out of line during school assembly

Penn State football out of bowl contention, but in hearts of fans

Played for the glory and not for monetary gain, college football is an emotional game. My family has been Penn State

season ticket holders for 25 years and I have been to more games than I can count. I am addicted to Penn State football in every sense of the word.

Like any other addiction, Penn State football quickly took over my short life. Eight Saturdays each fall, I make the four-hour drive to State Col-lege with my dad, often before the sun has risen. I have stuck with my Nittany Lions through thick and thin– even through the 2000-2004 period when we lost considerably more games than we won.

In 2002 (the only winning season those 4 years), I watched Larry Johnson break the school record when he rushed for over 2,000 yards. In 2005, I watched running back-turned-QB Michael Robinson lead the comeback kids to a Big Ten Championship, and I cried when Chad Henne and Mario Manningham broke my

heart and crushed my dreams of an undefeated season.

Penn State football completely dictates my emotions. My weekly mood is totally dependent on how the team does Saturday. You don’t have to tell me that this is irrational and ridiculous. I already know and I’ll be the first to tell you: I am literally crazy about this football team.

This year I sat through unrelenting rain and tears as I watched the Iowa Hawkeyes ruin a perfect season for the second consecutive year. A couple weeks later I sat on nine inches of snow in the middle of October (Al Gore tells me the globe is too warm) and saw the offense play like a new team against Minnesota, rekindling hopes of a Big Ten Championship.

After Lake Catholic graduate Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes made it obvious early on that Penn State would not be unbeaten once again, I quickly took a strong disliking to him. It’s nothing personal– I just despise Stanzi. How can someone so big and slow gain so many

yards? It’s truly a wonder. Let’s just say I didn’t cry when Stanzi left the game last Saturday when Northwestern handed the Hawkeyes their first loss.

But now that Terrelle Pryor has made it pain-fully clear not only to Penn State but to the entire nation that he can win games and destroy teams if Jim Tressel allows him to run, I am praying that Stanzi makes a speedy recovery and comes back in time to beat the Buckeyes on Saturday. After weeks of fighting it, I am now cheering for the Hawkeyes. It would be much less painful for me to watch the unheralded Stanzi win out than to see Pryor get the Rose Bowl bid. u


◆ School News

Oliver Twist entertains Hoban community and foster families

Stage Crew ensures success of Oliver Twist, along with all thespian productions

Photo courtesy of Mary Anne D

eCenzo

by Allison JAckson

They’re neither seen nor heard. They lurk in the background directing, mov-ing, painting and prepping. They rarely

receive acknowledgement and never see the light of the stage. They are Hoban’s stage crew.

“We build and paint everything you end up seeing on stage,” junior stage manager Johanna Breiding said of the 23 dedicated stage crew-members. From the streets of London to the orphanage, stage crew constructed the entire set viewed by play patrons.

Stage crew met every Thursday after school from 3-6 P.M. to construct and paint the set over the past few months.

“The most challenging part of stage crew is trying to build a set,” junior Emily Bulgrin said.

Not only do the sets have to look appeal-ing, but they also have to be safe for the actors as they are performing. In order to ensure the safety of the actors, stage crew test the sets themselves.

“We provide extra support for the things that actors walk on and we secure everything on stage,” Breiding said.

The set transformed Hoban’s stage into the dismal, dirty streets of 19th century London.

“The set creates the allusion of being in a dif-ferent place,” junior actress Maria Rizzo said.

Stage crew is also responsible for changing the sets during scene changes. Their agility at this task keeps the show running smoothly and prevents audiences from waiting long periods of time between scenes.

Despite all of the hard work and effort stage

crew puts in they still manage to have fun. This can be seen through their motto, which is: “We’ll fix it later.”

“At the end of the day despite the danger, the adventure or the fact that you’re covered in sawdust we get the job done,” Breiding said.

Through all of the time that stage crew spends together it is no surprise that many of the members have become so close– giving each other clever nicknames.

“Working on the set is so much fun. Stage crew provides such a relaxed environment,” junior and three-year stage crew member Rachel Volcheck said.

To many stage crew members, watching the sets come to life and seeing the reaction of the audience as the curtain is raised makes all of the toil worth it. u

by lindsAy huTh

From lonely orphans and thieves to mur-der and happiness, the Hoban Trouba-dours’ play Oliver Twist had it all. The

audience was captivated by the collaborative effort of the cast, crew and directors that made the production a success.

“It’s been a great production and got better each night it was performed,” director Russell Kwitkowski said. “I couldn’t be more pleased.”

The story, originally written by Charles Dickens, begins with a young orphan named Oliver who escapes from a corrupt workhouse and makes his way to London. There, he becomes involved with a group of thieves which causes him to be caught pick-pocketing a man named Mr. Brownlow, who takes pity on him and welcomes him into his family. A mysterious plot of the leaders of the thieves

and the mystifying Miss Monks leads Oliver to be kidnapped after Nancy, who tries to protect him, is murdered.

“My favorite part of the play was the death scene because it was so intense,” said freshman Matt Kannel who played Oliver Twist.

The story concludes with Oliver’s final res-cue and reception into a real family.

In this production, Kannel had the unique opportunity to be the lead even though he is only a freshman. Though he admits the experience was daunting, it turned out to be worthwhile.

“It was kind of stressful but was a really good experience for me,” Kannel said.

Kannel’s stunning performance contributed heavily to the success of the play, just as the other actors’ talents and dedication did. Sopho-more Maggie Brown, who played, Mrs. Corney, thoroughly enjoyed her experience and also dreams of a future in theater.

“We were very pleased with the outcome,” Brown said. “I would love to continue in theater when I grow up.”

The entire cast’s performance was accen-tuated by the detailed, well-designed set– the product of weeks of hard work from the stage crew under the direction of art teacher Micah Kraus. It portrayed intricate English buildings as well as a bookstore and thieves’ hideout and even included a platform.

“This has been the best set,” Kwitkowski said. “The platform gave us new ways to cho-

reograph the scenes.”It took many weeks of preparation for

everyone involved, and Hoban’s Oliver Twist benefited both the school and Summit County Children Services. Since the show sheds light on the trials of orphan life, the production began the Oliver Twist Initiative to celebrate adoption. The cast sold bracelets to benefit the Beds for Kids program and gave free tickets to the production to foster families.

“It was fun performing in the play and entertaining others and at the same time it was gratifying to know that our performance helped kids in need,” said sophomore Colleen McCarron, who played a thief.

Icing on the cake was received when the entire production learned they qualified for states and will perform their show in front of more people by bringing it off the Hoban stage and to Ashland University on Mar. 19-21. u

Underclassmen provide quality acting and plot gives insight into orphan life

Phot

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u Senior David Breen, junior Emily Bulgrin, senior Bill Darby, and freshman Matt Kannel.

u Kannel, who played Oliver Twist, appears onstage alongside senior David Breen.


◆ FeaturesC

ompiled by N

ikki Bowser

Bulletin Board Thanksgiving Break from Nov. 25 to 27THE ALUMNI PHONATHON is taking place through Monday, Nov. 23, in the Hoban Advancement Office. u

KAIROS RETREAT is Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 15 in Painesville. u

HOBAN IS OFFERING the Placement Test Saturday, Nov. 14, from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM for prospective Hoban students. u

GIRLS SOCCER, GIRLS VOLLEYBALL AND CROSS COUNTRY athletes will attend the Fall Sports Banquet Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 PM in Foley Commons. u

GIRLS TENNIS, BOYS SOCCER AND BOYS AND GIRLS GOLF athletes wi l l attend the Fall Sports Banquet Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 PM in Foley Commons.

THE CANNED FOOD DRIVE ENDS Mon-day, Nov. 23. Don't forget to keep bringing in your cans! u

THE PEACE AND JUSTICE CLUB is spon-soring a Fair Trade Show Tuesday, Nov. 24, in the library. u

NO CLASSES Wednesday , Nov . 25 , through Friday, Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving break. The building will be closed. u

THANKSGIVING is Thursday, Nov. 26. Happy Thanksgiving! u

THE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC portion of the Fine Arts Festival is Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 6:00 PM in the Barry Gym. u

THE VOCAL MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS portion of the Fine Arts Festival is Thursday, Dec. 2, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM in the Showers Activity Center and the Barry Gym. u

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAST OF OLIVER TWIST for advancing their pro-duction to the state competition, held at Ashland University in March. u

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CROSS COUNTRY team for placing eleventh in the state competition. Well done, boys! u

THE FOOTBALL TEAM ADVANCES in the state playoffs to the second round af-ter defeating Padua Franciscan at home. The Knights will take on Poland Seminary on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 PM at Lake High School in Uniontown.

Space Invadersby ben edwArds

It’s a personal invisible force field which naturally differs from person to person, culture to culture and gender to gender.

No, it’s not new space age technology; it is your personal space. Your personal space is most likely given as much thought as breathing or blinking; it’s something people naturally do. Personal space is something wired into our brains since birth.

It is easy to picture your personal space as a bubble or a force field that envelopes your body. This bubble expands and shrinks depending on cultures, genders and status of relationship. Our personal space bubble is dynamic because it changes on a case to case situation.

For example, your bubble is going to expand when talking to a stranger because you naturally want to keep a comfortable amount of space, but your bubble shrinks when talking to a close friend, family mem-ber or perhaps a romantic attraction because we are more comfortable with these types of people. Interestingly, men tend to have a larger personal space bubble than woman.

The personal space bubble changes from culture to culture as well. For example, Japanese people have a larger personal space bubble, and Italian people tend to be a more up close and personal people– capice?

Paying attention to someone’s space bubble can tell you a good bit of informa-tion. For instance, when there is not room for Jesus between two people, you might conclude they are in a relationship... or if there is a larger gap between two people you could conclude they are meeting for the first time. The small details tell everything

Now the fun part: take two people, one with the normal American personal space bubble and let the other person invade it (this is where I come in) and see what happens.

My experiment was simply to walk up to a person, strike up a everyday conversation, but take the extra step forward to invade their space and observe the reaction.

Different people have different reactions when their space is invaded, but most com-monly the initial reaction was an awkward giggle followed by a step back. Playing my part as the person would step back I would step forward and this process of stepping back and forward would continue making us do a unique type of space-invaded waltz

around the hallways of Hoban.Another common trait when space was

invaded was the phrase started by the most idiotic three letters put together in the Eng-lish vocabulary– “uhh.” Add on the rest of the phrase, “What are you doing” and it equals “Uhh… what are you doing?” After the awkward giggles and step backs, it was always the “uhh… what are you doing?”

The last observation that was com-monly done– the elbow jab. At the point where I clearly crossed that person’s line, before I knew it, their elbow was in my side jabbing at my kidney. The ultimate sign of "back off."

I found when invading a girl’s space they seemed more comfortable than guys until a point. Usually, with girls they will not question the space invasion until you are right in their face. There’s a fine line with a woman’s personal space and if you cross it you’ll know it. With guys, it seems that the more basic instincts come out as we become immediately territorial of our personal space.

Personal space is a changing natural instinct of every person. Tweaking your bubble can be a fun and awkward way to uplift the load society can bear down on us. If you ever want to be different, make someone uncomfortable or just make an unforgettable first impression all you have to do is invade someone's space. u

�

◆ Cover Story

The visor ◆ november 12, 2009

What It's All Aboutby Amy yAkubowski

Suppliers get paid for the products they make. This is how our economy works. But what happens to the people who

are being taken advantage of for what they produce? This is where Fair Trade steps in.

Fair Trade is a system of exchange that respects producers, communities, consumers and the environment.

“It’s ensuring that the person who pro-duces the product is provided a fair wage so that they might better their community,” said World Cultures teacher and Peace and Justice Club moderator Greg Milo.

Fair Trade is a trading partnership that seeks greater equity in international trades. It helps producers develop knowledge, skills and resources to improve their lives. Fair Trade provides equal opportunities for all people, especially to the disadvantaged.

Started to reduce poverty and promote development that might have been lost though trade, Fair Trade has been one of the most powerful responses to the t roubles of producers in develop-ing countries who are be-ing excluded f r o m t h e b e n e f i t s o f internat ional trade. It gives consumers the chance to help out the poor. Mil-lions of people in the poorest coun-tries are being left behind to suffer because of unfair trade practices that only help the wealthy.

Many organizations are involved with Fair Trade, including the Fair Trade Federation and

the World Fair Trade Organization. "Fair Trade is about more than

just paying a fair wage. It means that trading partnerships are based on reciprocal benefits and mutual respect; that prices paid to produc-ers reflect the work they do; that workers have the right to organize; that national health, safety and wage laws are enforced; and that products are environmentally sustainable and conserve natural resources," said the Fair Trade Resource Network.

Products of Fair Trade vary from clothing and jewlery to home decorations and even food such as the well-known Fair Trade chocolate and coffee.

Where To Find Itby vicToriA greishAmmer

Northeast Ohio is known as one of the most prominent Fair Trade strongholds in the United States. It has recently

made its way to Akron via The Market Path. The Market Path can be found in High-

land Square, 833 West Market Street, only a short 15 minutes from Hoban. This unique shop features local artists and, of course, Fair Trade items. In fact, it sells only Fair Trade products and has approximately 60-70 Fair Trade sup-pliers from all around the world.

“We want to pro-mote local art while helping the world, and I really think we’ve ac-

complished that goal,” Market Path employee Michelle Cinsky said. “We have people come in telling us that we’ve inspired them to buy nothing but Fair Trade.”

The store itself is run through First Grace United Church of Christ as a part of its outreach program. This program was designed to teach about the vast cultures throughout the globe and simultaneously help the surrounding community.

The Market Path features a variety of unique products: jewelry, clothing, purses and other accessories. Not to mention food such as beans, rice, coffee and much more. Much of the food is vegetarian.

“We really try to provide all sorts of products. Our selection attracts so many different customers which essentially spreads awareness and provides funding for the outreach program,” Cinsky said. “The Mar-ket Path is solely nonprofit, any ex-tra money goes to help and promote

social justice throughout the world and in our community

u A Fair Trade worker uses rubber to make tennis shoes that are Fair Trade certified, meaning she was paid fairly for her labor.

u The Market Path, a purely Fair Trade store, is located in Akron's Highland Square.

“As consumers, it’s easy to shop carelessly without considering the work that went into picking the beans for a cup of coffee or embroidering a t-shirt. Fair Trade is unique because it promotes just treatment and wages for the people who make the products.”

- Sophomore Julianna Blischak

Fair Trade

�The visor ◆ november 12, 2009

social justice throughout the world and in our communityorganizations around Akron, such as Haven for Rest. We truly are out to make a difference.”

The Market Path is not the only place to find Fair Trade products throughout Akron and surrounding areas. There are approximately

20 Fair Trade providers around Ohio which mainly feature products such as coffee and wine. The products themselves can be found at grocers and restaurants as well. Some of the more famous include Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops, Bruegger’s Bagels, Dunkin Donuts, Costco, Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart.

Other Fair Trade stores such as Ten Thou-sand Villages and Revive Store can be found in Cleveland. As a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, Ten Thousand Villages is known as one of the best specialty stores in Cleveland. Both stores sell purely Fair Trade items.

Fair Trade at Hobanby lindsAy huTh

Fair Trade has reached far beyond distant countries and into the Hoban commu-nity. The Peace and Justice Club has

participated in numerous Fair Trade events and now is preparing to host its own Fair Trade show in the library on Nov. 24.

“I’ve volunteered for Fair Trade shows for a long time so I thought I would bring one to Hoban,” Milo said. “I want to get people edu-cated and interested and teach them where to buy things for social justice.”

The club has recent-ly taken part in local diversity and Fair Trade events including the Ohio Fair Trade Expo at John Carroll Univer-

sity. In preparation for the show, the club will travel to Fair Trade store Ten Thousand Villages to choose the merchandise.

“We’ll go to Ten Thou-sand Villages the day be-fore and run through how to do a self-directed sale,” Milo said. “We will select what we want to sell, pile it in the van and organize it on the sale tables.”

On the day of the show, Peace and Jus-tice Club members will help set up and run the sale.

“ I ’m go ing t o b e he lp ing as a cash ie r and explaining what Fair Trade is and what countries the different items are from,” se-nior Isabella Cardina said.

Some items for sale will include t-shirts, scarves, hats, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, crafts, chocolate, Christ-m a s o r n a m e n t s a n d bags. The group em-phasizes, however, that the purpose of the show is more than to sel l clothes and crafts– it is to educate people about social justice.

“As consumers, it’s easy to shop carelessly wi thout cons ide r ing the work tha t went into picking the beans for a cup of coffee or embroidering a t-shirt,” sophomore Julianna Blis-chak said. “Fair Trade is unique because it pro-motes just treatment and

wages for the people who make the prod-ucts.”

To take a stand for workers and promote justice and equality, students can shop at the Peace and Justice fair trade show during the school day on Nov. 24. u

u These bowls are made completely out of recycled magazines. Fair Trade certifies a variety of items from clothes to coffee.

u The script on the inside of many Fair Trade products such as this bag signifies the idea behind the merchandise's mission.

“As consumers, it’s easy to shop carelessly without considering the work that went into picking the beans for a cup of coffee or embroidering a t-shirt. Fair Trade is unique because it promotes just treatment and wages for the people who make the products.”

- Sophomore Julianna Blischak

Fair Trade


Paranormal Activity provides screams

◆ Entertainment

Akron Art Museum cultures the Rubber City

Phot

o by

Allis

on J

acks

on

Hoban's neighborhood under development

by JohAnnA breiding

Bloodcurdling screams, gory deaths, a blood- stained meat cleaver, a young women running for her life down an

empty suburban street at night– ahh the horror film. These are the typical symbols that rule horror films and is admittedly how I get my scary movie fix. However, whether or not the nation can be genuinely scared without a bucket of blood and a knife needs to be asked.

The man willing to take on this challenge is Oren Peli, the director, writer, producer and editor of the independent film Paranormal Activity. Comparable to the Blair Witch Project, the low budget indie film uses the same mockumentary, home video style of filming and was shot in Peli’s own home with a total of five credited actors.

The story goes that a young couple moves into a home and soon realizes that they are not alone, especially at night.

After only seven days of shooting, Peli submit-ted the film to Screamfest, a boutique festival for homemade horror movies. People everywhere soon demanded Paranormal Activity. Only be-ing shown in select theaters, fans could log onto paranormalmovie.com and click on the yellow ‘Demand It’ button, requesting the film to be played in a theater near them. I clicked the ‘Demand It’ button as did many in hopes that I wouldn’t have to drive to Cleveland to see the movie.

Prayers were answered as the horror flick became nationwide on Oct.15. Now it can be seen just about anywhere.

Popular movie review websites such as Rot-tonTomatoes.com and MovieWeb.com have given Paranormal Activity a four out of five stars rating and a 90% approval rate.

This moviegoer was generally happy and convinced that the movie did its job. However, some are less than impressed.

There are a few sites and blogs who have voiced the opinion that it does not live up to the hype. These negative critics probably can’t be impressed unless someone loses a head by means of a rusty blade.

All in all, Paranormal Activity receives posi-tive reviews and has been dubbed by the public one of the best horror films of our time. HHHH

Visit www.hobanvisor.com to hear an audio link of a

screaming audience at the horrors of Paranormal Activity.

by Allison JAckson

Art enthusiasts don’t have to travel to Rome or Paris to view great art. Just take a trip to One South High, Akron,

Ohio and view the masterpieces at the Akron Art Museum.

The history of the Akron Art Museum is as colorful as its art. Opened on Feb. 1, 1922 as the Akron Art Institute it at first only occu-pied two borrowed rooms in the basement of the public library. From those two rooms the museum has expanded in to an 84,300 square

foot facility.“The Akron Art Museum offers a rich collec-

tion of art from 1850 to the present from around the world and brings it to Akron,” Director of Curatorial Affairs Barbara Tannenbaum said.

The building is a work of art in itself. The contemporary architecture and steel and glass framework earned the building the American Architecture Award from the Chicago Ath-enaeum in 2005.

Inside the museum confines, classical and contemporary art mingle. Sculptures and paintings adorn the museum’s galleries. The art evokes emotion and makes one think. With over 4,000 pieces of art in the museum, there is something to appease the taste of every art patron.

The museum not only features local art but also pieces from all over North America and as far away as Africa. The museum organizes and takes exhibits from other museums from around the world and brings them to Akron.

The Akron Art Museum not only provides an outlet for artists and art enthusiasts, but it also beautifies and enriches the culture of Akron– one canvas at a time. u

u The Akron Art Museum's award-winning design is on display for all Akronites to see.

by peTer delmedico

Driving down Inman St. early in the morning, the dim lit, stately Dowed Field is briefly seen and then engulfed

by a host of worn-out homes. As drivers round the corner and proceed up the hill, the rising sun illuminates a renewed side of the neighborhood that precedes the entrance of 1 Holy Cross Blvd.

Hoban has been making visual upgrades as well as property extensions since its existence. Many years ago Hoban purchased and tore down several dilapidated houses that expanded the upper parking lots. This same approach was used down by the stadium to make room for exterior lots on either side. A major player to Hoban’s development has been physical plan manager, Mike Considine. For years he has been a key part of the demolition and recon-struction of these grounds.

“We have not actively gone up and down the streets looking for houses,” said Mike Con-sidine. “One of these houses was empty and bought at a low price. The other was given as a donation to Hoban.”

Though their investments and construction

have been successful for the school, Hoban administrators are not playing monopoly with the neighborhood.

“We will buy more of these properties when the prices are appropriate and the purchases will better the schools appearance and facilities,” President Brother Ken said.

Plans for more than just parking lots around the stadium are set in place.

“We would like to make a circular drop off and a nice, grassy area adjacent to the stadium,” Brother Ken said. “Our main goals are to make Hoban more accessible and appealing.”

Rumors have been circulating about the land behind the science wing, often called “Hader’s Hill.” Talk of tennis courts or possibly a field house has surfaced. Plans for this con-struction brighten the future view of Hoban’s campus even more.

“I can’t believe how different it is driving up to the hill,” 1999 graduate Rob Treichel said. “I can confidently say it’s the best looking school in Akron."

Though remarkable improvements have been made, the restoration of the campus is an ongoing project. u


◆ Entertainment

Friday the 13th superstition rooted in chilling historical truths

Voices in the Crowd

A: "I avoid ladders at all costs."

— Stephanie Nelson, '11

A: "I haven't changed my gameday underwear since freshman year."

— Jon Sanchez, '10

A: "I knock on wood for good luck."

— Alexandra Ingersoll, '12

A: "I sleep with my golf clubs the night before every tournament, and I kiss them before each shot."

— Thomas Arison, '10

Q: What superstitions do you follow?

Com

piled by Nikki Bow

ser

Halloween night may be gone, but for many the scariest day on our calendar remains: Friday the 13th.

But where does all this superstition come from about this chilling day? Does it come from a blockbuster movie titled Friday the 13th with a mask-wearing murderer named Jason? Oh no my friends, this day traces its history back thousands of years to ancient Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi is known by many as a ty-rannical emperor of ancient Babylonia who composed one of the first lists of written laws around 1700 BC. However, did you know that in his code of 252 laws, he omitted the 13th law? Hammurabi, like many people today, had an unexplained fear of the num-ber and this fear, called triskaidekaphobia, is worth further exploration.

In August of 2004, National Geographic printed a story interviewing Thomas Fern-sler, a numerologist at the University in Delaware, who claimed that the number 13 suffers because it is positioned after the number 12. According to Fernsler and other numerologists, 12 is considered the “complete” number; there are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 gods of Olympus and 12 apostles of Jesus.

What’s more, Fernsler claims that more than 80 percent of high-rise buildings don’t have a 13th floor, most airports skip the 13th gate, most hospitals don’t have a room

numbered 13 and most major cities skip 13th Street.

To boot, Fernsler maintains that on streets in Florence, Italy, the houses between 12 and 14 are identified as 12 and a half. Also, one of the biggest meltdowns in NASA’s history occurred with the near disaster of Apollo 13 in 1970, which launched at 13:13 CST. Houston we have a problem. To put icing on the proverbial cake, at the Last Supper Judas the traitor was the 13th guest.

Got chills? If you don’t, just gander at this list of infamous people with 13 letters in their name: Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo.

However, not everyone considers 13 to be unlucky. The Chinese and ancient Egyptians actually viewed the number as lucky. The Egyptians invested great stock in the afterlife, but also at viewing life in stages. For them, 12 stages occurred in this life and one beyond: the 13th. This 13th stage was a time of glory and honor, as seen by the elaborate burial rituals common to the culture.

Flash forward a few thousand years and Boston stockbroker Thomas Lawson publishes a book titled Friday the 13th in 1907, detailing the ill fortune of the gloomy day. This publication gained widespread press and may be the root of modern super-stition, but there is more to the eeriness of Friday than an old book written more than

a century ago.One theory provided by author Katha-

rine Kurtz in Tales of the Knights Templar is that Friday the 13th became so infamous because it was the day in which King Phillip IV of France ordered a mass arrest of several thousand members of the Knights Templar, a secret society formed during the crusades. This idea is reinforced as historical fact in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

According to myth, Friday is apparently the day that many major evil dealings un-fold in the Bible. The list includes the day that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit, the beginning of the Great Flood, God’s wrath on the builders of the Tower of Babel and the destruction of the Temple of Solo-mon. Did I mention that Jesus was crucified on a Friday? In pagan Rome, Friday was execution day.

Well Hoban, tomorrow is the last of three Friday the 13ths in 2009. If you happen to see a man named Jason wearing a bloody mask with a machete in hand, don’t be surprised, just tell him Evan James Luse (13 letters) says hello. u

The visor ◆ november 12, 200910

Girls basketball look to continue success◆ Sports

Romero and Veillette lead a ferocious defense

Nation's top team to host MAC tournament

by evAn luse

The hoops have been lowered, the nets have been hung and the Nike’s have been laced– it’s time for girls basketball. With the

first game of the season looming at the end of this month, the squad looks to continue the success achieved last season. The Knights have big shoes to fill, coming off a 20-3 season last year and an OHSAA Sectional Championship.

The squad will lose three main contributors from last season in NCL MVP Rachel Tecca, 1st Team NCL Nikki D’Amico and 2nd Team NCL Brit-tany Brown. But despite these losses, head coach Tracy Miller feels the team will not miss a beat.

“We are losing three great players from last year,” Miller said. “But our goals remain the same– to win the NCL and make a deep run in the tournament.”

Last season, the team went undefeated in the NCL and won its fourth consecutive league championship. Along the way, the squad strung

together a school record 17 consecutive wins. With last season’s success behind them, the girls will turn to the leadership of returning players to guide them to success.

“Krissy Sokol, Taneka Lewis and Emily Orsini will be leaders for us on and off the court,” Miller said.

Certainly one of the biggest challenges to be faced is an issue with physical size. The team will be undersized compared to previous years, but Sokol feels that they can overcome this obstacle by adapting a new style of play.

“We are by no means a big team so we will have to out run teams that are bigger,” Sokol said..

Over the weekend, the girls looked strong in a scrimmage against Manchester, winning two of three quarters.

The team will tangle with North Canton Hoover this Saturday at 10 AM at Hoover High School. u

by evAn shAub

Sometimes the best player on a team is the one with the least amount of recognition. The Knights have not only one, but two

players who fit that profile. That dedication has some people calling them the unsung heroes of the football team, even though they tend to disagree. Those two players are Matt Romero and Steve Veillette.

“My job on the defensive line is to make ev-eryone else look good while I take up two or three blockers.” Romero said. “The way I see it, as long as I have taken two blockers I have done my job, making a tackle is just a bonus for me,”

If that’s the case then Matt has certainly earned a lot of bonus points this year because he is second on the team in tackles.

Both Romero and Veillette have been wait-ing to play under the Friday night lights since childhood and, for both of them, this is their last year.

“I have been playing football since the fifth grade,” Veillette said. “I started out at offensive line and switched to linebacker when I got to Hoban.”

Romero has been playing football for even longer.

“I have played football since the third grade, three years for Green youth, three years for St. Paul’s, and four years for Hoban,” Romero said.

All those years of experience seem to be pay-ing dividends for both players, experience they will use heading into round two of the playoffs tomorrow night.

“Poland Seminary is a very good team, and I don’t think the score of the game against St. V’s really reflected how well St. V played against them, but regardless we’re going to have to play really well this week,” Veillette said.

Even if they don’t put points on the board, the Knights, led by Romero and Veillette, will have a strong defense to keep them in the game. u

u Seniors Matt Romero (left) and Steve Veillette (right) combine for a punishing tackle against Padua.

by nick pelini

A 5-0 record against Big 10 opponents, 13 shutouts, an 18-0 record and a na-tional number one ranking are some

of the reasons Akron men’s soccer team is gaining national attention. Though soccer in the United States generally is overshadowed by football season, Akron’s accomplishments demand recognition especially as the soccer team has outshined their football team despite the unveiling of InfoCision Stadium.

The Zips have clinched a fifth straight MAC championship and a number one seed in the MAC Tournament this weekend. They also will serve as the host of the tournament tomorrow, Friday Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 15 at Lee Jackson Field.

A conference tournament championship would assure the Zips an NCAA tournament berth, though they would most likely earn one anyway. Akron will also most likely be one of 16 teams to earn a first round bye out of the 48-team field. This year the team is working towards a first-ever national championship.

Forward Teal Bunbury leads the offensive attack with 15 goals, a team best. Those 15 goals have propelled Akron’s streak to 53 games since they have trailed at half-time, broken by Hartwick last Friday. True freshmen goalie David Meves has also been a standout player, allowing only six goals this season, with only three coming in the first half. Finally, senior co-captain Ben Zemanski is one of the team’s leaders on the field at midfield. Zemanski graduated from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy as an All-American and last season was selected to All-MAC Second Team. This year, he has provided a career-high 10 assists, eight of which have set up game-winning goals.

The Akron Zips will head into this week-end favored in their semifinal game against Western Michigan and with a win will play the winner of Hartwick and Northern Il-linois.

The NCAA Tournament is just on the horizon and Akron has a chance to score a deep run to the title game and make school history. u

Photo courtesy of Matt R

omero

The visor ◆ november 12, 2009 11

Sport: FootballYear: SeniorData: Three-yearletterwinner,two-yearstarterQuote:"Ifwewanttogotothedanceweneedtobringour

dancingshoes."

Sport: BoysSoccerYear: SeniorData: Two-yearstarterandletterwinner,AllNCL2nd

TeamandAllDistrict2ndTeam,DefensivePlayeroftheYearforHoban

Quote:"Mysenioryearwasanunforgettableexperience."

◆ Sports

Sports Spotlight

Pat Kramer successfully walks on to Notre Dame football teamby evAn shAub

I f in his freshman year at Hoban someone had said that Patrick Kramer was going to be playing football at Notre Dame,

they might have received some confused looks.

Kramer started at Hoban as a punter and 2nd string wide receiver on the fresh-man team, but sophomore year he moved almost exclusively to punting– starting for the first time in the fifth game of the season that year.

Now, in an ironic twist of deja vu, Kramer is again competing for the job of punter at a Holy Cross school, this time as a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Unlike most other members of the team, Pat isn’t at ND on a football scholarship. This chemistry major is there based purely on his abilities in the classroom, and he made the football team as a walk-on when he arrived there. But just because he is a

walk-on doesn’t mean he does less work then the other members of the team. Actu-ally, he feels it’s the opposite.

“Almost every player on the team is at the school to play football. They are the best of the best. So if I want to keep up, I have to work that much harder to do so,” Kramer said.

Playing at Notre Dame has also led Pat to have some opportunities he wouldn’t have otherwise.

“The most famous person I’ve met so far since I’ve been here was Vince Vaughn, he came up for the Michigan State game. I shook his hand and we talked for like 30 seconds,” Kramer said.

Along with Vince Vaughn, other celeb-rities who have shown up at practices and games include Regis Philbin and Taylor Swift.

“When word got out that Taylor was on campus, the whole student body basically

left their classes and started looking for her,” Kramer said. “She’s really tall.”

But according to Pat the most special ex-perience he’s had didn’t come when he met Vince Vaughn or when he’s talked to Jimmy Clausen in the locker room, it came during the pep rally before the USC game.

“The pep rally before the USC game was really special, “Rocket” Ishmael (a former ND wide receiver and the 75th ranked great-est college football player of all time) came and talked to us, and (he) got the crowd pumped up, we all understood what a big responsibility playing well in the game was,” Kramer said.

Pat never saw the field in the USC game. In fact, he may never see any playing time, but he doesn’t think of it that way.

“If you don’t believe in yourself,” Kramer said, “no one will.”

With the Hoban family behind him, Pat has found all the believers he needs. u

Norman Jesser

Alec Hyde


by Jules liberTin

There is a time to let things happen and there is a time to make things happen, that time is now.” This quote sums up

the boys cross country season. Since their freshman year when former head coach Tim McGrath told them they could do anything they put their minds to, the senior class of Jake Frego, Ryan Spear, Jason Green, Jake Craine and Chris Alto wanted nothing less than to make it to the state cross country meet. After three long seasons of not making it out of districts, the team finally accomplished the dream this season.

“It is the best ending possible. We put so much time, effort and work into accomplishing it. I cannot put into words how it feels,” senior captain Spear said.

Even though their goal started way back in their freshman year, the mission truly did not start until last year when the team did not make it out of districts for the third time in a row.

“Ever since the team did not make it out as a whole last season I have seen a difference in all their work efforts. They are a great group of guys, who have worked so hard this past year,” head coach Andrea Hoffman said.

While the majority of teams train only during the season and pre-season, the Hoban cross country team has trained all year. In the winter, some of runners ran and weightlifted daily to get the extra edge. They would run between 20-30 miles a week in the inclement weather outside.

In the spring, all of runners ran track. Coach Hoffman made intense workouts in-creasing the boys mileage to around 44 miles a week. The difficult workouts helped prepare them physically for the upcoming season in cross country. Once the

track season was over, the boys took only two weeks off before start-ing pre-season conditioning. Their summer was filled with running, running and more running. They ran between 50-55 miles a week while weightlifting.

“I did not want to end my senior year at districts and I wanted to get to states,” Alto said. "The workload has been hard, especially in the summer. It has all paid off."

When the season began, the boys knew it was time to make their name known and feared across the state. They accomplished this by upsetting rival St.Vincent-St. Mary, placing an outstanding eighth place at the tough All-Catholic Invitational, placing fourth overall at the North Coast League meet while improving their times throughout the season. After all their accomplishments, the Knights entered the state tournament ranked 14th in Ohio.

"This season has been very exciting, es-pecially for the seniors," Frego said. "All the seniors knew what we wanted to do, and we wanted to do it together. What we did this season proved how hard we worked and when the state tournament district meet ar-rived the team was mentally and physically prepared to tear up the course."

“We wanted to get to states and getting second at the district meet showed us that we could do it,” Spear said.

The Knights raced the following weekend at Boardman’s regional meet. They placed fourth– advancing them to the state meet. They finally accomplished their long-awaited goal.

“It was the best feel-

ing in the world. I kept saying ‘We did it!’ I knew I was a state champion no matter what happened at the meet,” Green said.

With excitement and confidence, the team packed their bags for the state meet and headed down to Columbus. They all could hardly contain their excitement.

“The night before, all I wanted to do was just run,” Craine said. "I was so thrilled we made it the state meet."

Finally, the moment came. The boys headed to the state cross country meet course, Scioto Downs, in the morning. As they walked into the stadium, they were welcomed by over 10,000 fans – equal to the amount of spectators at the Mum Day football game.

“I saw all the teams, banners and fans. It was intimidating, but exciting. I cannot describe how amazing it was to see,” Frego said. “I wanted to go out and run the best I could. I knew it was our last race.”

The race was at a blistering fast pace, but that did not affect the team. They finished in 11th place. Leading the team was senior Jason Green who finished 47th out of the 146 top runners in Ohio. He was followed

by Jake Frego (75th), Chris Alto (88th), Jake Craine (90th), Max Moore (113th), Ryan Spear (116th) and Max Straus (125th).

“It has been 33 years since a Hoban cross country team has gone to states.

We were ranked 11th and got 11th which is great. I could not be a prouder coach,” Hoffman said. “I am so honored to have

coached them.” u

Boys cross country seniors finish career as 11th in the state◆ Sports

u Senior captain Ryan Spear sprints to the finish line. His team competed in the state competition last Saturday.

Photos courtesy of Dr. Kevin Spear

Visor Issue 5

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