In a League of Their Own
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In a League of Their Own Vol. 89, No.5 • February 2010 • Lakewood High School • 14100 Franklin Blvd. • Lakewood, OH • 44107 Staff Sophomore Julia Houska and Junior Fiza Shah take a break from editing. Advisor Karen Ballash helps Greg O’Connor with InDesign. Left: A poster popular in the Times room. Below: Junior Greg O’Connor loosly hugs his fellow board members. All photos by Hallah Amawi. The Lakewood Times 2009-2010 Editorial Board Newest editorial board member, senior Matt Snyder, cooks up new stories for the paper. Fiza Shah Editor in Chief Deven Middleton Design & Focus Editor Al Rodriguez News Editor Hey LHS, Julia Houska Opinion Editor In this issue of the Times, we decided to focus on a team that Sam Cross Co-Lakewood Life Editor has been, for too long, ignored. The Rugby team has been to na- Greg O’Connor Co-Lakewood Life Editor tionals several times, but aren’t recognized for their hard work. Lisa Kowalski Co-Sports Editor Also, look through to find out why some students are choos- ing to delete their facebook acount, and why some girls choose Andrew O’Connor Co-Sports Editor to wear the hijaab. Do you know how the Lakewood Project Grant Graves Co-Sports Editor began? Flip through to find out. Jessica Paoli Graphic Designer And, as always, the Times is interested in new members. If Katy Eberl Advertising & Business Manager you are interested in helping to produce this award-winning pa- Lindsay Allamon Editorial Board Member per, stop by room B207. Hallah Amawi Editorial Board Member Haley McGinty Editorial Board Member Fiza Shah Matt Snyder Editorial Board Member Karen Ballash Adviser 2 The Lakewood Times Contents Focus 4 – Brewer leads Lady Ruggers to victory 6 – Practice makes perfect in Rugby 8 – A driven team builds towards future 9 – Road trip to South Africa 1 2 News 11 – News Briefs 12 – Students run Ranger Cafe 14 – Fighting against Facebook Advisor Karen Ballash helps Greg O’Connor with InDesign. Opinion 15 – Rollin’ with Ritter 16 – Silly Principal, hall sweeps are for kids 17 – Democrats losing power? Life lessons from Law & Order 18 – The battle over grades or extracurriculars 19 – Choosing life Lakewood Life 20 – Letter to the editor Cheers & Jeers 21 – Three guys and a restaurant 22 – Cuckoo cast tells all 24 – Hello from Francais 25 – Raving reviews 26 – Lakewood Project gives good vibrations 28 – Hidden behind the hijab 3 Sports 30 – Tracks dividing line 31 – New hoops bring hope The Grid 4 5 Pictured on the cover are Lexi Getx and Princess Bednarski. Cover photo and design by Lisa Kowalski February 2010 3 Focus Focus CoachAndre Bruwer By Haley McGinty, Editorial Board Member Moving to the U.S. was the very first look at you strange,” says Bruwer. “It’s not just step to Andre Bruwer’s big adventure. a sport for me, it’s a hobby… when I came over “My wife was [recruited by the] Cleve- here, [I had] to bring it with me.” land Clinic, as a registered nurse “I pretty much haven’t missed a beat of rug- from South Africa,” explains Bru- by!” says Bruwer. “We went to a restaurant our wer. “The deal was, they would pay first night here, and I was wearing a rugby shirt. half the air [fare], they would put us A random stranger came up to me and asked up in a hotel, and they’d help us get es- if I knew anything about rugby, so we got talk- tablished. And it came with a green card. ing and he happened to play for the local men’s So we packed everything up and came team, the Cleveland Rovers. On my third night over in 2003.” here, I was at rugby practice.” “We were originally on a two year con- Then, in 2004, Bruwer became involved tract, and things just worked out well for with LHS’ girl’s rugby team. “I didn’t even us,” says Bruwer. “[I didn’t] know if I know there was girls’ rugby until I got here.” made the wrong decision for a long time, Bruwer said. “Alison Breckel got me involved. because my son is now two and a half, but All I did was help reform a program that was all of his blood relatives are in South Af- already running. rica.” Coming to America as a South African When Bruwer began his new life in teacher was anything but easy. Bruwer learned America, he had no idea what was in store that our math is broken down. Each class fo- for him and his family. But, after living in cuses on one area of math from algebra 1 to the Cleveland area, Bruwer knew he would advanced calculus. The South African, schools never move back. teach a little bit of everything in each class. “I visit once every two to three years, “I was a teacher, and taught 7 years before [but] would not move back,” said Bruwer. I came here. It was frustrating, because when “The crime rates is one of their biggest I came here, I had to redo my teaching classes problems... almost every house has burglar even though I had already done [them].” guards on the windows. You guys would Starting as a sub in the elementary schools, think you’re in prison, [but] it’s normal for Bruwer worked his way to a high school Alge- me. I grew up with it.” bra 1 teacher. “As a sub, they put you wherever “For the sake of my family [I will] abso- they need you. I never said ‘No’… and [eventu- lutely not move back.” ally] came to the high school,” said Bruwer. In South Africa, it is not common for Coming to a whole different world of teach- kids to walk or ride bikes to their friend’s ing, Bruwer dealt with many new methods, and houses. Kids don’t go out alone, and rarely classes of teaching. “I’ve [taught] kindergarten hangout in certain areas without any su- gym, probably the hardest class I have ever pervision. taught in my life!” Schools and sports were the kids’ safe Brewer has never worked in any other school haven in South Africa. system, other than Lakewood. “[Rugby] was huge. Probably like your “I just enjoyed what I found in Lakewood.” footballers.” said Bruwer. As a teacher and coach for 6 years, Bruwer Children begin playing rugby from a has been to Nationals four times. “We have young age. Growing up with it was just in- won division 2, which then bumped us to divi- evitable. “Without anyone saying it, it’s al- sion 1. For the last two years running we have most mandatory in an all boys school that finished second.” you will play rugby. If you don’t, people 4 The Lakewood Times Focus Focus Coach Andre Bruwer stands tall along with Lady Ruggers Divine Savior, Lady Ruggers’ sworn nem- training you’re not just in South Af- esis, has won Nationals 5 years running. “We training for your [posi- rica. come in second simply [because of] depth. It tion], you’re training for “ [ T h e movie] was is a varsity sport at their school. They have the the girls on either side g a r b a g e as far as pick of all the girls in the school. If Lakewood of you.” Bruwer makes the rug- by is con- had pick of all the girls in our school, we’d win this clear to all his girls c e r n e d . But the it easily,” says Bruwer. “We out scrum them, at practice. S o u t h A f r i c a n out ruck them, out play, but get tired. [When “In South Africa you side of it was inter- the other team] gets tired, they make changes; have to take classes and e s t i n g for me. fresh legs on the field. We can’t make changes. learn how to coach. The I grew up when And there’s nothing we can do about that until physical side I think Man- dela be- we have 40 to 50 girls strong.” anybody can do. The c a m e president, Starting with over 100 girls, rugby’s season mental side of it is actu- a n d there are begins in October and continues until July. ally making them believe j u s t s o m e During winter many girls find themselves leav- that -- number 1, they can things you never ing the team, due to harsh practices, and weath- do it, and number 2, they s e e . T h e er conditions. are the best at doing it,” movie showed “Things that make our practices tough is the said Bruwer. This strat- the oth- er side season. We train right through winter. Those egy becomes very im- of it.” are the tough practices, [and that’s when] we portant during a game. Bruwer recalls see-ing the real game lose a lot of our girls. The hardest part is com- “Last year, the first 40 as a kid. “It was exciting for me, having mitment.” minutes of the [Nationals] game, we were been at that main game.” But with a smaller number of girls, Bruwer winning.” Although the movie is about the political still has high hopes for the this season. “We One team building activity the girls partic- side of the game, rugby is becoming known graduated a whole team. It’s going to be hard to ipated in was attending “Invictus,” a recently as a professional sport around the world.