LETS GO BRAVES!!!

VOLUME 82 ISSUE 2 Jasmine Ghieth & Sam Stockhausen The Berea High School Focus Berea High School 165 East Bagley Rd. Berea, OH 44017 The Focus Staff Staff: Cody Anderson, Kiya Boyd, Matthew Coleman, Lucas Crom- Adviser: Mrs. Marcia Roach well, Jasmine Gheith, Joshua Goforth, Peter Harmon, Torrelle How- ard, Joseph Kaye, Shawn Lowrie, Andrew Magee, Shavon McGhee, Cover by: Jasmine Gheith and Zachary Mog, Asia Nagy, Brittany Porter, Lorenzo Reed, Ian Rob- Samantha Stockhausen ertson, Lauren Scheerer, Brendon Scullen, Ashley Secotte, Skye Ste- Editor-in-Chief: Ian Robertson Co - Editor: Cosmo phenson, Danielle Stewart Samantha Stockhausen, Cosmo, Brandon Trsek

Editorial Policy

The purpose of the Berea Focus is to protect and promote tion of these refer to the Student Press free speech by creating a forum for student expression Law website at www.splc.org. and a positive educational environment for students. Con- Students are able to publish and tent of The Focus reflects only the views of the student staff report any topic within the bounds of and individual students and not school officials. Therefore, protected speech (so long as the re- The Focus will not be reviewed or restrained prior to pub- porters do it in a way that accurately, lication. thoroughly and completely covers the An editorial board made up of students on the staff of story.) The Focus will make all decisions of content for each issue. In case of conflict between adminis- The role of the adviser is to educate the students about tration, adviser and students, students journalism, including laws, ethics, and practices, as well as may use the Student Press Law Center to guide students toward publication. The adviser is not a (SPLC) for legal help. decision maker. Any photo manipulation that could The students will not publish any material that falls under not feasibly be done in a dark room the category of unprotected speech, and the adviser will must be marked as a photo illustration. help the students to recognize unprotected speech. These Students on The Focus staff reserve areas include libel, unwarranted invasion of privacy, ob- the right to accept or reject any ad- scenity, copyright violations, and a material or substantial vertising. disruption of the school day. To find a complete explana- November 2 Berea High Focus right turn

by: brittany elizabeth porter:)

Since there are no turn signals in these four lights, The Tressel Street, Road intersection would Maple Avenue and Bagley Road intersection, is so congested around the time be a, “great idea.” “Just imagine what’ll happen once the schools combine,” she said. Berea High School gets in and lets out. If a turn signal gets into the lights at that intersection they wouldn’t have to be on full time. In- Many students and staff members deal with this problem every stead of full time turn signals it would be good for day, unlike Sam Stockhausen, senior at BHS. Sam luckily does not deal with them to be turned on forty-five minutes before school, the left turn signal problem since she turns right. However, the majority of so between six forty-five till seven thirty. And the BHS student drivers are not as fortunate as Stockhausen. turn signal to be set to only go on after school for ten Morgan Peppers, junior at BHS, sometimes deals with this problem. minutes before schools lets out for the parents who “It depends on the time,” she said. She luckily hasn’t ever been late to school pick up their children till two fifty, twenty minutes af- because of this traffic problem. ter school is let out. Forrest Billings, junior at BHS, quickly responded, “Yes!” “Ninety percent of students unload at the same spot causing this congestion,” The sophomores and freshmen will be very Billings said. Unfortunately Forrest has been late to school because of this line. He also thinks that putting a turn signal there will not help since there impacted on this subject. Since they will be the ones are the dividers in the road already. Xavier Augustine, Junior at BHS does not get stopped at this light in who are driving into school once the schools become the morning, “luckily.” Xavier and many others at Berea High School think that putting a combined they will be the most impacted. What’s go- turn light signal at all four of those lights at that intersection would help. Plus most of the students who drive to school would definitely sign to get a light ing to happen then? for anytime. Rebecca Corrigan agrees that putting a turning arrow at the Tres- sel Street, Maple Avenue and Bagley

November 3 News Thanksgiving Travels Josh Goforth Staff Writer

How do you spend Thanksgiving? Is it with family and friends? Its said that over ninety percent of people in the U.S. eat turkey on thanksgiving and Christmas. Accord- ing to History.com, Thanksgiving originated from a mix or European and Native traditions. Festivals were held before and after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a good harvest, and to rejoice together after much hard work with the rest of the community. The earliest known feast was in Massachusetts in 1621.

Since Family’s around the U.S. cant afford to fly there family down to there destination for the holidays there saying that there just going to have a giant skype session. Skype is a website that al- lows an individual to broadcast themselves over a phone or a computer. And since there will be less large gatherings of people, there wont be as many food sales for the grocery stores. Theresa Straub, a former Berea Resident who often travels for the holi- days because most of her family is out of state says “unfortunately Skyping for thanksgiving this year is not an option, all of my family will be in so I have to suck up the plane ticket cost and go, I mean its only once a year”. Another option of travel that may not be as bad on your wallet is car rentals. The only problem is the long distances of travel and the price of gas be- Traveling to go see family this year may be cause it will most likely go up for the holidays. Daikel very expensive. This year Airfare prices are sky rocket- Holton, a former Polaris student from Olmsted Falls ing. Just since last year fares are up between four and who’s family usually goes to his Aunts house every twenty percent. The reason for this dramatic increase year for thanksgiving says “When we go there we is because Airlines have cut capacity since last year. usually stay for awhile, last year we stayed for a Fewer planes in the air means fewer seats, which means week, my parents say that gas prices are usually Airlines can charge more for each seat. Plus the price of jet fuel is up more than thirty percent since last year. down about three days after thanksgiving”. Don Owens, a Middleburg resident and Grandpa of four, that usually Holds a family get together for the holidays says “ I only have one daughter that lives close enough to drive, my other kids live more than 12 hours away, I’d rather they just stay home and enjoy thanks- giving with there family and not worry about driving. here”. Andrew Magee Staff Writer

Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with Another senior, Chloe Fadenholz, is planning to major physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to in Exercise Science at Cleveland State University. Fadenholz sports and exercise. From this field of study, the behind the scenes would like to major in this field because she wants to be able to heroes emerge. help people recuperate from injury and get moving again. At BHS, being able to work with a licensed Athletic Train- “I wish I would have been a part of the experience er is a perk for the students who wish to learn more about the with Beau because it would have been good for me and also field, especially if they are planning to major in Sports Medicine/ given me a leg up on my career,” Fadenholz said. She stated Athletic Training. that she wouldn’t necessarily feel behind, but if she applies her- The Athletic Trainer of eleven years for BHS is Beau Kin- self then she will be ok. nard, and from the alumni and current participants in the pro- All in all, Kinnard has become a respectable man at gram, he has been a positive influence on have worked BHS while healing athletes and training his apprentices for with him. what is to come. Amanda Homandy, an alumnus of the BHS athletic train- ing program is one of the many students who are still pursuing a career in that field. She is now attending Ohio University, and she thanks Kinnard for everything that he taught her. “Working with Beau was the best thing I’ve ever done because my freshman year was like a review to me.” Homandy said, “He always pushed me to learn more and now its proving to be extremely beneficial in the long run.” Homandy also said that she would encourage anybody at BHS with the slightest interest in the field of Athletic Training to go work with Beau, and they would fall in love with it. A current apprentice of the program with Kinnard is Shannonrachel Taylor. “Beau is a great teacher and a great guy,” Taylor said, “It was truly worthwhile getting to know him.” Taylor has been a part of the BHS Sports Medicine program for three years and has enjoyed every minute of it. She added that being able to work with the school’s athletes one on one was her favorite things about her experience with Kinnard. Taylor is now planning to pursue a career in Sports Med- icine at the University of Cincinnati. John Yost is also a senior who worked with Kinnard and Taylor in the BHS Sports Medicine program. Yost is currently a senior, and plans to become an Arson Investigator (better known as a firefighter or paramedic/E.M.T.). “I don’t plan to major in Sports Medicine at college, but the experience with Beau was worth the time.” John Yost said. Ac- cording to Yost, the best part of the Beau Kinnard experience was being able to work hands on with the athletes.

November 5 Feature Ian Robertson co-editor Does Help or Hurt the High School Experience?

There's no doubt that Facebook has had a real-life conflicts." Zach had an interesting solution that Facebook could use to huge impact on our daily lives over the past few years. solve this problem. It changes the way we communicate, interact, and live, "There could be a "tutorial" for when you sign up with the site, to in- but it's also changed the high school experience for form users about how the things you say stay out there forever," Zach said. better and for worse. Berea senior, Will Weston, is a very active Facebook user, but has a On Facebook, students are notified of upcom- problem with the security aspect of it all. ing events, they can view each other's profile, and they "Although Facebook makes it able to communicate with friends easily, can see what everyone is up too. Students can also see there are some negatives," Will said, "The thing I dislike about Facebook is that what they have in common, when people's birthdays it archives everything you say. So now I have to watch what I say." are, or even what the final score of the Berea game `Facebook also serves as a distraction when trying to get work done was.Also, when seniors graduate and move on, they can or study for tests. It'salso an addiction, students intend to go on for a few min- remain in contact for as long as they desire. utes, but end up spending an hour or two. BHS senior, Zach Sullivan, says it's affected his Berea High senior, Chelsea Kovalsick, loves Facebook, but it has af- life in many ways. Zach goes on Facebook more than a fected her high school career both positively and negatively. few times a day, and he loves the new level of sociabil- "I love how I can keep in contact with new and old friends, organize ity it brings to the the table. events, and relieve stress on the computer," Chelsea said, "But, I always get "It's now incredibly easy to talk to current, and distracted and stay on much longer than intended. It has made me lose a lot of even old friends," Zach said, "Every friend from your sleep, and negatively impacted my school work." past and present are just a friend request away." BHS Spanish teacher, Mrs. Holly Viebranz, is actually an avid Face- There are also negatives to the social network book user, but is thankful she didn't have it back when she was in school. site. Students feel more protected when they talk bad "I'm glad I didn't have it back in high school," said Mrs. Viebranz, to another student through the cloak of the site and not "There's just a lot more drama, because students [in a sense] are all together all confronting them personally. This allows people to do it the time, rather than just during school. It also serves as a distraction! Students more, causing a lot more drama and fighting. can be doing homework or spending time with their family instead. “ "I can't even begin to count the number of Mrs. Viebranz is actually thankful she has it now, because she can keep overly dramatic Facebook posts I see almost daily," up with past students and old friends. Zach said, "Unfortunately, that often translates into November 6 Feature The SWC after theBraves merge with Midpark

Torrelle Howard

Staff Writer

While the opinions about BHS and Midpark High School “The SWC has considered a number of schools to join our (MHS) schools merging are different among the students, league. This is a very difficult process as schools have a people are forgetting to ask one key question, what strong allegiance to the league in which they play now. about the Southwestern Conference? Hopefully it will be resolved soon” He said.

For those who do not know the Southwestern Conference Another group of people who would be involved in (aka the SWC) is the conference that the Berea Braves the merging schools and how the SWC will react to the and the Midpark Meteors are a part of for their athlet- merge are the coaches, one coach in particular Coach ics. They are 2 of the 8 teams in this conference along Mark Riley is pretty concerned with the change in the with the Amherst Comets, the Avon Lake Shoremen, the SWC as well. Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees, the North Olmsted Eagles, the Olmsted Falls Bulldogs and the Westlake De- “I think the merger will be a good thing for both schools mons. as it will re-establish us as a Division 1 school in all sports, definitely a plus” Coach Riley said. The problem is that if MHS and BHS merge that will bring the SWC down to 7 teams instead of 8, this will through Coach Riley agreed with Cistolo on the fact that the a lot of sports teams’ schedules out of balance. The solu- merge of the schools would make our school more com- tion that most people have come up with is adding a new petitive overall, Riley also talked about the changes that team to the SWC. The question is what school should be would be needed in the SWC. added to the SWC, so far I have only heard talk about the Avon Eagles and the North Ridgeville Rangers being “I know that several schools have been asked and as added to the SWC, but it is unlikely the only possible of now, no one is interested. I think, due in part to the schools that could join the SWC. strength of Olmsted Falls, Avon Lake and Brecksville”.

The person who is the most involved with getting every- One question in most of the coaches minds is if they will one situated in the SWC after the merge is probably the continue coaching after the schools merge. Athletic Director Bob Cistolo. “I certainly want to continue to coach, but owning to the “I believe the merging of our two high schools will allow fact that I am not a teacher in the district, I fear that I our athletic teams to become stronger and more competi- will be replaced by a person or persons in the district tive” Cistolo said. since they have the first “dibs” on the coaching positions, before any “outsider” is hired”. Riley said “In recent years our school’s population has decreased which has had a major impact on our participation num- “Certainly I want to continue to serve my school and the bers, especially in football. There was a time in our his- kids I have come to love. Plus I love coaching the game”. tory when our football team had 60-65 players on the varsity (11-12) and 35 on the JV team, which was just Justin Harris will be one of the first people to experience sophomores. The freshman would have 60 -70 players as the merge between the schools and will have to get used well. Our numbers haven’t been in that range for a num- to the change in the SWC as well. ber of years as our school population has decreased” Cistolo said. “I’m excited to be on a sports team when we merge be- He also talked about how SWC play would be changed cause I’m excited to see the progression of the team,” after BHS and MHS merge, Harris said. College Applications A Short, By Cosmo

College is just a few steps away for some seniors, applying for college.” Amber Rosado, a senior at BHS said. and by now students should be just waiting on the ac- Being introduced to many choices, such as FAFSA (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/), ceptance letter that will grant them entrance to the Federal Pell Grants and many different choices of scholarships gives the incom- university of their choice, many BHS students are not ing college student a “sigh of relief” when it comes to paying for college. This yet prepared for what lies ahead. is the number one worry for the average college student. (http://onlineathens. Students who apply to only a few colleges risk not com/stories/042111/nat_817869169.shtml) having options to choose from if a select situation Once money issues, budgets and financial plans have been estab- would occur. lished, choosing a degree and a profession that the student wishes to learn and “When I was applying to Ohio State, I also sent in succeed in is the next important step in the college process. several other applications to Kent State and Ohio Though the process is tantalizing, many students chose not to go to col- University,” Sara Weber said. lege. The payoff however, is grand in its own way. It is important to apply the universities of the deep- “[I’m] not ready at all [for college], because I’m not going...” Brittany Porter, a est interest, but over-applying can lead to no accep- junior at BHS said. tance. Over 17 million students along with Brittany chose not to attend a college “Admission officers want students who really want or university. (http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/why-did-17-million-stu- to attend their college, not those who are unlikely to dents-go-to-college/27634) attend if they are accepted.” (http://www.college- However, if students chose not to attend a university, their average income board.com/student/apply/the-application/151680. after high school will suffer. The average salary of a high school graduate html) is $23,000 compared to average 4 year, Bachelor’s Degree program, which Entrance requirements have risen in the last several on average is $52,200 a year. (http://www.earnmydegree.com/online-educa- years. There are now fewer open admission colleges tion/learning-center/education-value.html) then there were several years ago. (https://www. collegetoolkit.com/colleges/browse/selectivity/ ohio/39/results/selectivity/5.aspx) “It’s really hard to get into the “PharmD” program this year [at the University of Toledo]; they only take 108 students…” Sara Weber, a senior at BHS said. Along with increasingly competitive entrance require- ments, money issues and tight budgets add stress to the high school senior hoping to get into the univer- sity they wish to attend. (http://www.petersons.com/ college-search/college-admission-requirements-com- petitive.aspx) “Money was the first thing on my checklist when I was November 8 Feature “Homework” too much?

Lauren Scheerer Staff Writer

Many students have ques- Many seniors say the same thing, tions about homework. How much is toothat when they were freshman they would much? Should students be given home-have used it to do homework but to socialize work every single night? Does home-as well, being that they can’t do it outside of work really help a student in the end? school with all the homework that there is to do. “I don’t think there should be a number of hours or minutes. I think Regarding if her freshman and it should be until the student can dem-sophomores should be required to have at onstrate a level of proficiency” mathleast one study hall during their day to be teacher, Mrs. Rice, said. successful, Mrs. Rice says “No, a study skills course would be more beneficial”. Many kids work really hard on homework each night and end up This brings up a good point, if fresh- spending almost three hours on it. man and sophomores were to be required to have one study skills course per semester, “I think its okay, it would bethey might be able to have a better school nice to have less but for 5 classes 3experience as well as not missing out on the hours isn’t too bad, I expected more”things that are fun outside of school. senior, Britney Lopez, said. “Those students who would benefit On top of having three hoursfrom the study hall are the ones who are most of homework for seniors, there is also likely to get their work done at home anyway, having to do college applications, ex-so they really don’t need to require a study tra-curricular activities, or even havinghall” chemistry teacher, Ms. Myers, said. a social life. This also brings up a good point, Undoubtedly seniors are han-that students who would want a study hall to dling a lot of stress caused by home-get work done, probably get it done at home work but this stress is also being felt by on a regular basis. their peers. If homework were an issue for in- “If I have a lot of homework then coming freshman, it could be solved by man- I stay home and don’t hang out with my aging their time better. If they start early, friends” freshman, Payton Babb, said.then their high school experience will only get Most freshmen do not have abetter from here forward. study hall at Berea high, and are load- ed with homework each night.

“We weren’t allowed to have study halls as freshman but I probably would have used it for homework and socializing if I did” senior, Gabriela Perry, said. November 9 Feature TeenStress Kiya Boyd and Skye Stephonson

Stress in general is caused by the one of the five issues. Financial Problems, Workplace/School Stress, Personal Relationships, Health, and Ir- ritants. The BHS psychology teacher Mrs. Hostelley, ex- plains that there are good and bad stresses. Mr. Nigro BHS stress management teacher, explained that we need stress in our life or else life would be boring, we would never have the urge to thrive. Good stress would make people thrive for what they want. Good stress can help people do well on a test. Good and bad stress makes people who they are. Without stress people wouldn’t study for a test and try to get an A. People would not work hard to play in a sport. People would try to make a good impression on a job interview. No one would want to do anything. Teens can stress over academic pres- sure. Eunice Gaddis a BHS Senior says about her stress management class “It adds on to my stress, another class to get in an A in.” A Junior Alison Kopea talks about her stress management class “Its relaxing but some of the stuff you really don’t want to do.” Situations that are stressful Even a Stress Management can cause makes a lot of people more stressed. teens stress. Telling people if they have stress They feel like they cannot do anything. can be different from person to person. Anna Render an underclassman said what Ashly Germani a sophomore in BHS says stress makes a situation stressful is not being makes her unhappy. able to do it, or fearing you won’t do An underclassman Jala Fulton said stress makes well. her tired. Dealing with stress a lot of peo- Christine Weston Another underclassman says ple don’t know what to do. Some people stress makes her both tired and unhappy. do physical activities. An underclassman But a lot of people say they deal with Peyton Kranz says they deal with stress by stress by listening to music. Mr. Nigro Says “peo- sleeping or swimming. ple can deal with stress by listen to music, going People can easily deal with for a run, walking, or even talking to someone.” stress just by taking a few deep breaths. There are bad ways to deal with stress too like drugs or alcohol. Anything that can physically harm the body. No matter what people do stress is in life. Whether its school, work, family, religion or sports. Stress is needed in life. It makes a person who they are and who they become.

10 Feature Reality Check For Teens

Teenagers can watch something on the television and immediately react to it. Violence on the television can make a teenager’s response to act in a negative or in a better more positive way. Some things, from watching violence on the “It’s sad that there is so much violence in the world today.” said Mary television can lead to an impact on the teen’s life. Lou, she is a senior citizen that lives in Berea. Lou thinks that a lot has changed in the violence media, especially the high tech and special effects. There can be long term effects from watching something on the television. Watching “People in this world need to listen more, help more, and do more. movies with more violence and crime increases a We should be building each other up, not tearing each other down.” Mary Lou teenager’s action. The teen might get into responded. Also Lou has thoughts on how teenagers watch T.V. and that would more violence, or the teenager is more likely to want to copy or react things that they might give some children bad ideas. commit violence. www.ehow.com Media devices like the television, video games and many others that include violence; would be called “Violence does not solve anything in fact it can cause things to become media violence. worse.” Lou said.

Some of the media violence teenagers Samantha Stergar is a fourteen-year-old freshman, her perspectives watch or see can make a teen have aggressive on media violence response is “If there wasn’t violence in movies and other me- behavior. A teenager can be in difficult or a very dia resources then they wouldn’t get as much viewings, because violence is what painful situation and what the teenager saw on you see in everyday life.” the television can reflect on how they react to a situation. Parents should be precautious on what There is also violence on smaller children’s’ shows, “I think if your ten their teenagers are really watching and should years old, you can occasionally watch a few bad movies that include violence.” take more consideration on how a teenager’s be- Says Stergar. Violent shows could or couldn’t influence violent behavior, “No, not havior will respond to the media. Teens’ behavior if the child was raised right.” Stergar commented. can also conflict on their friends actions and can lead into a change in affect. More information on media violence on www.foxnews.com .

Ashley Secotte Staff Writer

November 11 Feature Brakeing News By: Matt Coleman

Have you ever been driving, and your brakes aren’t as responsive as you’d want them to be? Polaris Career Center Automotive teacher Dave Yor- ko says in the easiest way to understand how brakes work is that “hydraulics in the car increase pressure in your leg to make friction to stop the vehicle.” Fix- Dave Yorko says that “You know you need to change, bleed or ad- ing and adjusting brakes is a very important skill to just your brakes when the brake pedal feels low, soft, or spongy.” He says that know because it can insure safety, and save your own “Bleeding the brakes let the air out of the system to help function the brake pedal time and money. There are 2 ways to improve your properly.” A full front and rear brake overhaul costs about $210.00 at a shop brake’s performance which is bleeding them to make and takes about an hour and a half. them more responsive, and adjusting or removing and replacing. BHS student Brandon Hansen used to be in Automotive at Polaris, but had to withdraw due to credit issues, when asked what he still remembers about Bleeding brakes is when you open up the brake changes he said that he didn’t remember all that much, but he knows the bleeder screw next to the caliper and rotor or drum different types of brakes, disc and drum. He knows when you need to bleed or brake(depending on if you are doing the front or adjust, but the process is a blur to him unless he was doing it again hands on. rear), then pumped the brake pedal until the pedal is more stiff, then you close the bleeder screw and To change your brake pads on your car you would have to first, get a repeat with the other three. jack and jackstand, and jack up your car. Next, use an air gun with an impact socket or a breaker bar to remove the lug nuts holding on the tire and then re- In other scenarios, bleeding may not be the move the caliper by taking off the bolts holding it onto the rotor, next remove answer, sometimes you have to take apart the brakes the old brake pads with a flathead screwdriver. after the first brake pads are and either put them back on, or completely remove removed put on the new ones and push down the tab to hold them into place. Put and replace the brakes. back on the tire and tighten down the lugnuts. November 12 Feature

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PPersonallizedersonallized

PPresentsresents

The temperature is dropping, coats and boots are being moved out of storage, Good Housekeeping has also made a list and the first snowflakes are starting to fall, which can only mean one thing; the of gifts that are expected to sell well dur- holidays are right around the corner! ing the holiday season. They have found Face-off Fun, which is an air hockey table, With the holidays come presents, and finding the right present can be quite a difficult task. Teens can be even more difficult to buy for because everyone the iCade, an arcade system that lets you wants a different gifts that changes from person to person based on their age, play classic arcade games such as Asteroid gender, personality, and interests. whenever you connect an iPad, and Make- up sets from Benefits, Sephora, and Tarte. Gift.com, “a premier online gift recommendation service” that helps you pick out the perfect present based on occasion, gender, hobbies, and age, has come up with gift that are tailored to suit each person. BHS student Tori Brehin wants gift cards to Pacsun, money, and “Marilyn Monroe Gift.com has gifts for Geeks (Teen Guy or Girl), Athletes (Teen Guy or Girl), stuff.” Another BHS student, Casey Cor- Creative Thinker (Teen Guy or Girl), Trendinista’s (Teen Girl), and many, many reia, wants a laptop, and an iPhone 4, while others. The Gifts in these categories can range from Water powered alarm Dillon Hansen wants videogames, clothes clocks to Educational Shower Curtains. and gift cards to Best Buy.

The website, which was started in 2005 and run by “gift gurus” who each have expertise in a specific area of gifts, also has gifts for Academic Achievers, such as Pen Scanners, Book-of-the-Month Sets, and USB Wristband Flash

Drives. Other presents include Hello Kitty Cosmetic Sets, Pick Your Sign As- trology Jewelry, and Eco-friendly Sun Glasses for “Trendanista’s”.

Electronic gifts for “geeks” are also expected to be popular, and on the top of those lists are video games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Earmuff Headphones.

BHS students are just as diverse when it comes to what they want for the holidays. In a small survey the gifts students are asking for range from dye rotors, to cameras, to baseball bats, to a new hair straightener. Gift ideas are so diverse, in fact, that only three gifts were repeated at all, Uggs for women, gift cards to ANSgear.com for men, and clothes for both.

November 13 Feature Guitars ; Who pulls the better string? By: Brandon Trsek

The Guitar, an instrument imbedded in musi- cal fame and history. Throughout the ages this ma- chine of Rock N’ Roll has transformed, inspiring the popular age of Guitar Hero, and the infamous age of Air Guitar. Showing itself for the first time in 1265, The Guitar has roots in Spain. The very first Guitar was rough, and bad sounding but less than 800 years lat- er it has given life and fame to such legends as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Slash. Starting with the invention of the Electric Guitar in the 1930’s, Guitar players started to be- come a predominant factor in Bands, boasting entic- ing solos and mind blowing riffs. Their eventual fame and shows of pure tal- ent left then in history as “Gods, simply amazing art- ists.” said Jeremy Runyon, a rock enthusiast. Enter the age of electronics and the inven- tion of Guitar Hero, a single or multiplayer game in which players use smaller, plastic guitars as control- lers to complete songs of increasing difficulty. Although some ‘real’ Guitar players slam this game as a rip off of talent, there is no doubt that it takes “Massive skill and effort to become a Guitar Hero God,” said Brandon Baciak, “It’s no joke, it may just be more serious then the Mordor invasion!” Most infamous of all is perhaps the legend- ary Air Guitar. This also has roots in Spain, and has traveled the world with the Guitar, leaving its influ- ence wherever artists have traveled. When records started to be produced the Air Guitar Frenzy really start, according to Jeremy Gasper, “People anywhere could be rock stars just by closing their eyes, listening to music and moving your fingers!” “I just love them all!”Austin Paytosh said, “They each have their up’s and down’s but if I had to choose one I would choose Guitar Hero, it allows us, average people, to pick up a Guitar and play until our heads hurt and our fingers are sore.”

“It’s no joke, it may just be more serious then the Mordor invasion!” 14 Feature to wear earrings. The popular band “The beats” (Beatles) BHS Students Like 90’s had now broken up. The show ended in ‘99, but reruns are played on various channels of . Seven year old Michelle Walter said “I love the Nick Better Than Now! show “iCarly” because Carly is so funny, and I love her best friend Sam!” Walter has never seen the show “Catdog” a fa- vorite of seven year olds a decade ago. “That show sounds really silly!” Walter went on to say that she loves the Disney Channel. “I like Phinius and Ferb, and even a show called Fish Hooks!” Walter said. BHS Senior John Yost said “None of the shows on Nickelodeon are good anymore.” He went on to say that he preferred Disney Channel over Nickelodeon. Disney Channel was created in ‘83, and is still run- ning today. From ‘97-’02 Disney Channel split into different segments called “Zoog, Vault, and Playhouse Disney”. Now Nickelodeon shows like “Hey Arnold”, on The Disney Channel (changed to “Disney”) there are shows “Catdog”, “Angry Beavers”, and “” like: “Hannah Montana, Sonny with a Chance, and Shake it were all made in the ‘90s. Now there are shows Up”. These three segments on “Disney” showcase singing and like “iCarly”, “”, and “True Jackson dancing talents, and also boast about popularity. VP”. As an example “Hannah Montana” is about teen- No doubt shows on Nickelodeon have age pop sensation Hannah Montana who is trying to conceal changed in the past 19 years; though it always her identity by living a double life as a normal teenage girl, kept its slime. A shows called “Brain Surge” is Miley Cyrus. Miley’s best friends Oliver and Lilly are the only a spin off an of old Nickelodeon show “Double kids who know about her alter ego. Even though she tries to Dare”. live a normal life, her popularity keeps her famous. Although “” was introduced in the new shows seem to be very popular, older students seem to year ‘86 to Nickelodeon, after being on CBS in prefer older shows. ‘78. Mark Summers was the host of this Nickel- Senior Emily Hoover said “I’ve never wanted to be odeon version, and hosted the CBS in a Nickelodeon show, but I’ve always loved them.”Rocket version. Teams of friends, family, or complete Power” is probably one of my favorite older shows!” strangers would compete for prizes. When a I’ll always remember the old Nickelodeon shows team would win, they would get the “Sliming like “Doug”, “Ren and Stimpy”, “Angry Beavers”, and “Ru- of a life time”. grats” but those shows are long gone. BHS junior Sean Payne said “I liked BHS students have said all the best shows were “Avatar” because of that action that was in it”. played in the ‘90’s, and I would have to agree. “I watch “Spongebob SquarePants” because it’s the only thing I like on Nickelodeon” Payne continued. “Spongebob Square pants” has been on the air since ‘99 and is the only cartoon from that time period to still be running. Spongebob is a sponge that lives under the sea, and lives in a pineapple. Though the thought is very silly, people seem to love the zany fry cook. There have been 310 episodes, with a total of 161 shows. This show is one of the longest running shows on Nickelodeon. The cartoon comedy “Doug” aired from ‘91-’94, and then again from ‘96-’99. From ‘96-’99 Disney Channel picked up the cartoon, changing many things in the series. The main character Doug now has nine hairs instead of eight, and he’s now 12 years old in- stead of 11. His best friend Patty Mayonnaise Jasmine Gheith now had a darker skin color, and she started November 15 Feature My little pony, is friendship magic?

"Cult" TV hit "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" is taking the Internet and many people into "The Herd". Many of the people who watch "My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic" (MLP FIM) are adult males who show their allegiance to the show over the internet. watching the show. (http://life.icrontic.com/article/why-grown-ass- "I enjoy it because the animation is good, the art is impressive, the character men-love-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-so- development is very good for a 22 minute cartoon, and the characters have their much/ )MLP FIM aired its first episode on October own personalities that make it interesting," Thomas said. 10, 2010 on the Hub. The creative director and Cadale believes that the reason that people watch the show is "Because they are executive producer until recently, Lauren Faust, is drawn in by the colors of the show, and the characters really make people want responsible for the current show. She has currently to keep watching," stepped down, and is now the consulting producer. Kai Stewart, who lives in England, also presented his reasoning. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony:_ "The characters are what drew me in. My favorite Pony is Rainbow Dash because Friendship_Is_Magic ) she is fun and a show off," Stewart said. Dillon Anderson has the story about how the show Kai expects that the reason people watch the show is "Because the characters are made its beginnings in the Internet world to start well developed and it is very colorful," the cult. Despite being a hit with many people, there are some who do not find the show "When MLP FIM aired, there were people on an quite as amusing. image board site, known as 4chan that began to Cosmo watched the first episode, and decided that he did not wish to see any watch the show and post pictures of the ponies," more. Anderson said. "Many of the people on the site "It’s a children's show, a cartoon! And the plot reminds me of the Powerpuff rejected the people watching and the idea of ever Girls," Cosmo said. In spite of his disdain for the show, he manages to provide it watching the show, however some began to side with one compliment. "The characters are fantastic; the rest of the show just isn’t with the people posting, now calling themselves worth watching," bronies, and try the show. From there it simply To explain the current fan base, Cosmo feels that "Many of the males watching spread from person to person creating the cult sen- have fond memories of watching cartoons," sation that it is today," The internet fans jumped to explain the reasons that they watch the show and Cadale Thomas provided his reasons behind attempt to explain the phenomena that is rising on the internet. Shadow_Rider89 rose to explain his long time fandom of MLP. "To be honest I have been a fan of my little pony all my life I grew up on it. I watched it all the time when I was little before it was big on the internet," said Shadow_Rider89. Videogame9 gives a very easy to understand explanation about why the show is liked. "Heard about it, watched it liked it. Simple."

November 16 Feature the Powerpuff Girls," Cosmo said. In spite of his disdain for the show, he manages to provide it with one compliment. "The characters are fantastic; the rest of the show just isn’t worth watching," To explain the current fan base, Cosmo feels that "Many of the males watching have fond memories of watching cartoons," The internet fans jumped to explain the reasons that they watch the show and attempt to explain the phenomena that is rising on the internet. Shad- ow_Rider89 rose to explain his long time fandom of MLP. "To be honest I have been a fan of my little pony all my life I grew up on it. I watched it all the time when I was little before it was big on the internet," said Shadow_Rider89. Dash says she favorites "Rainbow Dash because she/he can relate to her the Videogame9 gives a very easy to understand most out of all." explanation about why the show is liked. "Heard The various users feelings about the ponies was somewhat similar, all of them about it, watched it liked it. Simple." agreeing "How could you dislike any pony?" A user by the name of Anndead A user on this site by the name of Beowulf says "I agrees but says "I don't really dislike any pony, though twilight can be a bit completely enjoy the atmosphere despite it being boring...I love her though don't get me wrong, she just doesn't get any fun parts built for young girls. The characters, specifically written for her." the Mane 6, are very well developed, have very So all and all this show is about friendship and no matter the differences no one distinct personalities and very distinct thoughts should EVER judge someone for who they are, what show they like. Friendship about the world around them," added in their ex- forever and Friendship is magic. planations was their own favorite ponies, and why. The favorites of the crowd were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. A user by the name of Rainbow

Staff Writers Asia Nagy&Cody Anderson

November 17 Feature John Marshall high school graduate Jeff Reed has been a fan of the Cavaliers for History 30+ years. He has seen them go from bad to Lorenzo Reed good to bad to great to bad to phenomenal and back down to terrible. He thought that Mike Staff Writer Brown was a good coach and that Lebron was the best player that they have ever had. Lebron has won the most awards for a player in cava- lier history. He won player of the month thirteen “Your Clevelaaaaaand Cavalieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers” as said by times and four of them were consecutive. He said the best team that they’ve ever had was Joe Tait; the best announcer in Cavalier history, hands down. “Who are the the 2009 roster. During this year Lebron won Cleveland Cavaliers? In previous years they’ve always had a team with all MVP, All-NBA first team, NBA All-Defensive first solid players that were well-known around the league. To name a few Lebron team, and Player of the month 5 times. Mike James, Shaq, Ben Wallace, Carlos Boozer, Big Z, Drew Gooden, and many Brown also won coach of the year, and was the eastern coach for the all star game. How was more.” Although last year had to be an exception when they had no choice the Cavaliers draft last year? but to go for rookies and D leaguers that no one has ever heard of; A few of these people are Manny Harris, Samardo Samuels, Alonzo Gee, and Senior Manny Deherrera during the Christian Eyenga. At least they went out and got one veteran player which draft said “with the number 1 pick they should take Arizona forward Derrick Williams, and was Baron Davis. with the fourth pick they should take either BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, UK guard Brandon Senior Brendon Scullen said that the best Cavaliers team of all time Knight, or Duke guard Kyrie Irving.” who we was the 2007 roster, “because they ended up going to the Finals, for the first ended up taking first. Manny continued “If we time in history.” Brendon continued “Why did Coach Mike Brown sit some of would have taken Williams first, then we would have a better forward than . the people on the team that had a huge impact on the outcome of the finals?” (Maybe even a replacement for Lebron). Then During the 2007 Finals Mike Brown sat Devin Brown, Damon Jones, and Eric the Cavs still could’ve got a really good point Snow. They kept Eric Snow solely for the playoffs and then he didn’t even guard; maybe even who we took first. (Kyrie Ir- play. “Going into the series Devin Brown did good for them and was a factor ving). Manny continued “I think the Cavs had a good draft; Kyrie will do good, and Thompson of how they made it.” Brendon continued, “I still have hope for the Cavaliers, is working on his game every day to be the best especially if there is no season this year because then in the next year’s draft that he can be.” What about the core of the we will get another lottery pick. (Early pick for teams that didn’t make the team in the past? playoffs). What is the worst memory of the cavaliers? Senior Patrick Peters brought up the Cavaliers core guys during most of the 1980’s. “Jordan cranks back, shot over Ehlo and Ohhhhh, the Bulls win, Bulls “Craig Ehlo, who is most, remembered for de- win.” This quote was during the unbelievable shot (aka ) in the first fending “The Shot” aka Jordan over Ehlo.” He round of the playoffs in 1989. It was game 5 (the last was a guard that could shoot, pass, and re- game) with the series tied 2-2. The Cavs were winning by 1, but as time ex- bound. Patrick continued “, who was not only in the first dunk contest but who won the pired Jordan put up a shot while fading back at the line, right in first dunk contest, and was most re- Craig Ehlo’s face and he sank it to win the game and progress to the second membered for his shooting; Price won two three- round. This is the Cavaliers worst memory because it crushed their hopes of point contests in his career, and he became the winning the NBA Finals. The Detroit Pistons ended up sweeping the Lakers in second player ever to join the 50-40-90 club. (Shoot at least 50% from the field, at least 40% the Finals that year. Who is the best Cavalier player in history? from three-point, and at least 90% from the free throw line). Larry Bird was the person who started the club, and is the only other member.

November 18 Sports OF THE BATTLE

Joseph Kaye GRINDSTONE

Every year since the early sixties two teams “Crush them!” play for not only the grindstone (a trophy given to the winning team) but for pride and bragging rights for the year. “They deserve Berea and Midpark High School’s foot- ball teams play each year as the biggest rivalry it.” of their years! Every year the game is played at both schools home stadium located at Finny stadium on Bagley road in Berea Ohio. sphere with great anticipation and many people pay “I have been involved in the Midpark attention to it. Alumni always talk about it and send game since 1973,» «To me it is all about school, letters so you want to do your best.» Coach Willson community and pride. Winning the grindstone is head coach at BHS said. This game is not only im- a lifelong athletic accomplishment, Former player portant to the players and coaching staff it is also a and coaches talk about it years after the game.” very important game for the Alumni of both schools. Mr. Cistolo BHS director said. The Grindstone is a These people that grew up going to these schools symbol of pride for all players and coaches of the and live in the area still want to see their high school two schools. win against their biggest rivals. When the rivalry first started it was a game The students that don’t play football also take between two neighboring school where all of the this game as a big deal. Most kids that attend the students knew each other and were friends. two different schools are friends but when it comes Over the years the competition grew and time for the Berea Midpark game hatred grows. the rivalry became much more intense. The rivalry “Midpark needs to go down, not only in was at its peak in the eighties and nineties because football but in every sport bera should beat them in the game frequently decided which one of these everything.» Ferris Sadek senior student at BHS said. two teams would win the conference championship. This intense rivalry has been going on since Ever since then the two teams have slight- the early sixties but is soon coming to an end. The ly dwindled but the intensity of the rivalry has not. two separate high schools will be combining in the “The game means a lot so of course I near future to create one larger high school. This want to win badly I want to win every game but means that the rivalry will come to an end and only the Midpark game is a whole different game.” Ty- the memory of this fierce game will live on. Midpark ler Mullins senior football player at BHS said. is ahead by one win over Berea so next year is a “It’s the last game of our season Vs. our rival must win for BHS if they want to tie the record of the (who is in our school district). It is a great atmo- Grindstone. November 19 Sports It’s All That Matters

For forty-nine years the two high schools in the Berea Berea Vall records beingMidpark only a one game difference. Plus we City School District have played the final game of all know each other because we grew up so close to- each football season with one goal, to destroy each gether,” Sullivan said about the rivalry other! Senior kicker Andy Magee has also started The players of this game leave it all out on the field varsity since sophomore year and shared the same for bragging rights; for seniors it is a way to insure feelings as Zach on beating Midpark stating on the they will always be remembered and for the whole field after the big win” I can’t describe how good this program, it is to bring home the greatest prize feels right now….it’s just awesome” around, the Grindstone. Magee had a reason to be speechless, along with Coach Mark Riley said it best “As a Berea grad and beating his rival he went 7-7 on his extra points in the now coach, this game means more to me than ever. I process. understand the history and I understand the impor- Everyone has to be credited for the win, from the play- tance of the game not only from a “bragging rights” ers and coaches, to the cheerleaders and fans. But standpoint, but from a community and school spirit most importantly to the players are the ones who keep aspect as well.” them on the field, the training staff. Berea and Midpark athlete you instantly Shannon Taylor is a senior and began being an assis- have one goal in mind, beating their rival. “There is tant trainer sophomore year and gave her take on the nothing in life like beating your rival, and it is a mo- rivalry as “As a beautiful thing” she went on to say “I ment to be savored forever.” Riley went on to say. find myself proud to be part of one of the biggest ri- For the 2011-2012 seniors on the team, valries in northeast Ohio aside from St. Eds. Vs Ignatius. they began their campaign for the Grindstone fresh- I’m sad to know that there is only going to be one more man year after watching the Varsity team that year year of it left before the schools combine” beat Midpark 17-14. Though that game was a close Shannon brought up a good point. With only one year one, pride was still felt. So you can believe that when left, one game left as rivals Midpark leads the all time the 2011 Braves won 49-27 on October 28th there rivalry by one game. Next year with a win, the Braves was no way Finnie stadium would be able to hold the can cement the unity of the schools by tying up the re- excitement. cord for good, but also Braves from past and present Senior and starting left tackle Zach Sullivan started can gain the ultimate bragging rights by being able to on varsity since sophomore year and put his feelings say they won the last game, they were the last to say on the win in three words “Greatest feeling ever” loud and proud “Berea Got The Grindstone OOOH “I’ve always viewed the Berea-Midpark as AHHH!” one of the fiercest in high school because of the close proximity of the schools and the closeness of the over-

November Shawn Lowrie 20 Sports Feature Staff Writer Varsity Boys Sets Goals High

By Peter Harmon The Berea High School (BHS) varsity bas- “The team has great talent; we just need to form ketball team is pumped up for their season good team chemistry and we will be successful,” this year. The players and coaches are feel- Joe Vazquez said. Vazquez is a varsity player, ing positive about the season and they are and he expects the team to get farther in the play- expecting another successful campaign. Last offs, but only if they gain good team chemistry. year the team advanced very far in the play- Neumann Posey, a prospective varsity basketball offs and the team is expecting to get even far- player also feels very positively about the season. ther this year. “We can definitely have another good run in the BHS social studies teacher and var- playoffs, but only if we can work together as a sity basketball coach, Mr. Collins, is anxious team,” Posey said. to get the season started. Team Chemistry is always important for a team, “What we did last year was pretty special….. but Coach Collins does not believe that this is a Our goal is to do even better this year,” Col- major issue. lins said. Coach Collins is confident in the “Most of these players have been playing to- team this year, and he thinks it will be a good gether for years…..Our biggest obstacle is over- season. looking teams. The players tend to look ahead too Collins expects the season to be very much,” Collins said. competitive. Last year the BHS varsity basketball team won “The schedule is a lot tougher, and teams are four straight playoff games and then lost to the looking out for us now because they know Mentor Cardinals. This playoff run was a surprise we’re good,” Collins said. to most people. The Braves goal for this year is to With a tough schedule and good competition, do even better in the playoffs. everyone should expect a lot of close and in- BHS student Jake Fischer feels optimistic about tense games. the season but does not think that the Braves will The players are very confident about this have another playoff run. year, but they believe that they need to form “That run was magical; magic does not happen good team chemistry if they want to be suc- all the time,” Fischer said. cessful. The Braves first game is on December 3rd at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The Braves are facing Revere and the players expect it to be a close and intense game.

“What we did last year was pretty special.”

November 21 Sports OHIO STATE VS MICHIGAN

Brendon Scullen PREVIEW Staff writer

Scarlet and Gray, Blue and Maize: Ask almost adjustment issues” Salata said. anyone what those colors represent and they While Ohio State has struggled, Michigan on the will most likely say Ohio State and Michigan. other hand has looked to improve from last sea- These two teams clash once a year in one son. of the biggest rivalries in college football. “Denard Robinson is more of a “wildcat” only People from Michigan and Ohio talk trash to quarterback, but UM is making it work out each other right after the last whistle of the nicely.” Magee said.”Good play calling on the game till the first whistle of the game a year coaches behalf.” later. Neumann Posey, a senior at BHS and recently Well the first whistle to the game is approach- converted Michigan fan believes that “better ing. coaching” is the reason for the Wolverines suc- Ohio State has not lost to Michigan since cess this season. 2003. This year the trend could very easily Cris Mcmanus an avid Michigan fan says be snapped. “their defense has more experience”. As of right now Ohio State is unranked with Andy Magee predicts Ohio State will be leaving a 6-4 record (3-3 in conference play) and Ann Arbor this year with a “W” with the final Michigan is ranked #24 in the BCS with a 8-2 score being “14-13: OSU defense holds UM to record (4-2 in conference play). 1 touchdown and 2 field goals and the offense This year Ohio State has had many issues pulls through for 2 rushing touchdowns from Mill- especially on offense. There has been a er; don’t look to see much of a passing game quarterback controversy between Freshman from OSU.” Quarterback Braxton Miller and the fifth Neumann Posey sees things going just a bit dif- year senior Joe Bauserman. Ohio State alum- ferently predicting that the U of M will get their ni Charles Salata feels very strongly about first “W” over the Buckeyes in 8 years with the this. final score being “35-14”. “Braxton Miller should start the game.” Salata Mcmanus is taking Michigan 28-24 said. “Joe Bauserman should not play again “Ohio State will win the game this year. They are this year unless all other quarterbacks in the starting to play better and their defense will shut greater Columbus area become injured.” down Robinson and crew….28-17 Ohio State” Salata said Salata said. Ohio State has without a doubt not had the Regardless of whether you are a Buckeyes fan season they were hoping to have coming off or a Wolverines fan this will be a game that you of all of the controversy this past offseason. will not want to miss. Former Berea Braves Kicker Andy Magee had this to say “It’s not entirely the whole, team, but more of an offensive struggle. They don’t have a truly solid WR, or tailback like years past. Fickell is not to blame.” Magee “Joe Bauserman should not said. play again this year unless Salata offered another reason for all other quarterbacks in the the Buckeyes lack of success this season. greater Columbus area be- “They had several players suspended at the come injured.” beginning of the year. They also lost play- ers to the NFL draft that may have stayed had the coach not left. That, coupled with the presence, of a new head coach, has caused

November 22 Sports Swimmers Anticipate Season Ahead Zach Mog Staff Writer "We are more competitive this year than last year, the guys should win more this year and the girls will stay a dominant force," Ferris Sadek, Berea High School swimmer said about the upcoming season. The past years the swim teams have been very successful and are striving to work even harder this season to go farther than past swim teams. In the past many individuals have qualified for districts and made it to regionals. The swimmers this year are trying to work harder as a team and make it farther together instead of moving on as just individuals. "The main goal of the team this year is 'spirit'; we're all looking forward to getting behind everyone," senior swimmer Caroline Buehl said about the team's main goals this season. Because swimming is also an individual sport, each individual wants to strive and make it farther than districts this year; but they also want to work together as a team. Swimming is very similar to the way golf is played in how an athlete would qualify for each sport. They both have the opportunity to have individuals qualify, but on the other hand the team can also make it to the next level. "Swimming all year round for a USA swim team called swim strong and running as much as possible while lifting weights," Katy Bauer mentioned about her preparation this summer to get ready both physically and men- tally for the upcoming swim season. Most of the swimmers, both on the boys and the girls' team swim with programs and summer teams to stay fit physically for each new season at the school. Peyton Kranz who is a junior has had prior success and hopes to be a leader for the upcoming season and set the bar high for the younger swimmers. "Hopefully I can make it to states this year because I missed it by one spot last year, and it has been the first year I swam all year round, so I hope it pays off," She is praised by some of older swimmers on the team and is highly recognized by her coaches. "I have been eating healthy and going to the Recreation Center three times a week to build up my muscle," Sadek said because he has other priorities and was unable to swim and compete over the summer. The swim coach Rob Salisbury works year round to help his team succeed when the winter rolls around. He works on different strategies to practice and finds different ways to shorten kids' times and help them succeed. Mr. Salisbury is hoping for another successful season and ultimately he wants the whole team to strive for districts but also hopes to have some of his kids qualify individually.

November 23 Sports