The Leprechaun Gold ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY HIGH SCHOOL * VOLUME XL * ISSUE 3 * NOVEMBER 2010 Medal ceremony Coach Lancianese Coach Miloscia All-Ohio All-Ohio Finish Line Fans Commentary Leprechaun Gold Leprechaun Gold St. Vincent-St. Mary High School Concussions escalate yearly 15 North Maple Street Oliver Hildebrandt But what about the other 50,000 cases of Akron, Ohio 44303 Staff reporter concussions? (Nationwide Childrens). STVM cheerleader junior Rachel Nasrallah has been On the Web: www.stvm.com Senior football player Freeland Oliverio is diagnosed with two concussions after hitting Advisor very familiar with concussions and the mental her head and physical tolls they have taken on his body. Mrs. Maureen Harrigal on the ground. Unfortunately, the last concus- Oliverio has been diagnosed with three concus- Assistant sions she experienced forced her to miss one sions throughout his football career. Last year, week of school. Mrs. Barbara Wood Oliverio received multiple concussions. Kara Murphy, ‘07 graduate of STVM and Editor-in-Chief “After experiencing my worst concussion, basketball player at the University of Akron, I blacked out for ten minutes. Because I was Maria Arnone has extensive experience with serious concus- severely concussed, I could not play for two Staff Reporters sions. As she was attempting a lay-up during weeks,” said Oliverio. a playoff game in high school, she suffered a Meghan Dannemiller More importantly, Oliverio also experienced hit, causing her head to Ian Edgley struggles in the hit the court. Before Jackson Ewing classroom. she could get up, an- “It was hard to Katy Fox other player inadver- focus in class. I Oliver Hildebrandt tently landed on her, was frustrated be- driving her head back Matt Karipides cause I had a hard into the hardwood. Erin Layne time remembering Kara was diagnosed certain things.” Mandy Sollenberger with a spinal cord con- Contrary to Rosalia Stadler cussion and a grade 3 popular belief, concussion. Over the Tessa Weigand a concussion is ensuing months, Kara Photos not a bruise to (l to r) JOHN FRIESS, Rachel Nasrallah, and worked with various Ms. Harmon the brain caused Freeland Oliverio have all suffered concussions specialists to help her by hitting a hard Mrs. Burdon while in high school. rehabilitate both men- surface. When tally and phsyically. the head acceler- Now a senior, Kara is in her final season ates rapidly and then stops, or is spun rapidly, it of basketball for the Zips. Against all odds, experiences heavy trauma. As a result, brain cells Kara has played every game in her three years AN IRISH PRAYER become depolarized and fire all their neurotrans- at Akron, and became the youngest player to mitters at once, flooding the brain with unhealthy reach 1,000 points. Kara’s father, Mr. Mark May the road rise ever chemicals. These chemicals cause a deadening of Murphy, defensive coordinator for the Irish, certain receptors linked to learning and memory, to meet you knows first hand the struggles that Kara’s con- causing confusion, memory loss, nausea, and oth- cussion posed. A former NFL player, Mark May the wind be er symptoms. After experiencing heavy trama suffered almost two concussions per season. to the head, the brain becomes more susceptible Mrs. Pam Murphy, mother of Kara and wife ever at your back to concussions. As a result, the likelihood of a of Mark Murphy said, “I remember the first person to experience a second concussion after a May the sun shine NFL game I watched Mark play in. He drilled prior concussion increases dramatically. someone on the kickoff and got up very slow- warm upon your face Junior John Friess received his latest concus- ly. He came to the sideline and tried to walk it sion in the summer of 2009. Friess was forced to off...and then fell down. This was the first of May the rain fall make a heartwrenching decision--to quit football nearly two dozen concussions he had over a in order to protect himself from permanent soft upon your fields 12 year career. The common term at the time brain damage. Friess’s predicament, although was ‘Oh, he got his bell rung,’ when he would And until we meet again, uncommon, is exemplary of the danger posed by lose his vision for awhile or not even know consecutive concussions. the plays to call. I remember a time when we May God hold you in the According to Dr. Eric Coris, the head medical went to Children’s Hospital after a game and team physician for the University of Southern Palm of His hand. a neurologist came up and introduced himself, Florida, about 300,000 athletes experience a con- and said he was watching the game and saw cussion every year. To put this into perspective, The Leprechaun Gold is published throughout a hit that Mark gave, and said ‘You should one out of every four athletes age 18 or under the year for the students of St. Vincent-St. Mary never have been allowed to go back in the will experience some sort of a concussion this High School. There is no charge for the paper game after a hit like that!’ They tried several year. More than 250,000 sports-related concus- but donations are accepted and appreciated. things to prevent his concussions, like a new sions were linked to football. Like Friess and Unsigned editorials represent the consensus helmet, mouthguard theory, neck roll, etc. Oliverio, 20 percent of high school football play- of the editorial board. Letters to the editor Twenty years ago concussions were not a big ers experience a concussion each year (Hughston are encouraged, provided they do not contain deal but now things have changed drastically. Health Alert). material disruptive to the educational process We still get information from the NFL about Quite frankly, athletes playing a contact and that they are signed. The Leprechaun Gold warnings, and new research for players who sport are 81 percent more likely to receive a reserves the right to edit submitted material have had repeated head trauma.” concussion than athletes in a non-contact sport. for length. 2 November 2010 Leprechaun Gold Feature Shamrock Alley Ballet is a lifelong passion Tessa Weigand Ian Edgely staff reporter limits by your teachers.” Staff reporter We all have passions, whether it be soccer, Christine began her dancing career at the NHS inducts new members football, or Mock Trial. Hard work and commit- age of three inspired by her mother, who was ment is required to excel at any passion. This also a dancer. “She would always show me The ceremony for the new members of could be by practicing at home, working out, some steps. She signed me up for classes and National Honor Society was November 22, or reciting that speech just one more time. Few I loved it.” Throughout her life she danced 2010. The inductees included: seniors Simon work harder than Junior in many productions, the Beskitt, Matthew Jost, Maria Lingle, Annie Christine Howe. She prac- majority of those being ballet. Nañez, Kelly Schuerger, Erin Thrower, Ashley tices ballet for 30 hours a However, she also enjoys the Unrue, Chelsea Whitely, Kylie Woyat; juniors week, every week of the genres of modern, contem- Nicole Almenar, Maria Alvord, Abigail Bashor, year. All of that work adds porary, jazz, and ballroom. Tyler Bischof, Jessica Blankenship, Abigail up to 1560 hours annually. Just recently, Christine starred Burke, Trevor Chopko, Chelsea Christian, Han- On schooldays, she leaves as the lead role in the ballet, nah Comeriato, Lorenzo Cugini, Justin Dages, after seventh period and The Snow Maiden. After high Meghan Dannemiller, Samantha Daughterty, drives to the University school Christine plans to join Anne Davis, Ian Edgley, Salvatore Faetanini, of Akron Dance Institute. the Paul Taylor Dance Com- Erin Farrell, Audrey Fliegel, Katherine Fox, There she practices for pany. This world renowned John Freiss, Ryan Gaffney, Jasmine Gao, five hours before return- company founded by Paul McKenzie Gerzanics, Kathryn Graff, Kait- ing home at 8:30. “There’s Taylor, one of America’s lin Heard, Kyle Hochevar, Christine Howe, not a day when I go home foremost choreographers, is Michael Hurley, Rachel Hutson, Johnathan without aching muscles extremely competitive taking Johenning, Elijah Justice, Samantha Kirk, Rose and of course swollen only the best. When asked Klein, Sasha Kovalchick, Scott Leonard, Aus- feet,” says Christine. about dance, Christine said, tin Manna, Rachel Martin, Matthew Matuska, Amazingly, Christine takes “It might sound cliché, but Alexander McGrew, Andrew Menich, Ashley dance is my life. It is the only all A.P. classes, and main- CHRISTINE HOWE is dancing Miesle, Michael Muzilla, Mary Neugebauer, way I can truly feel free and tains a 4.1 GPA, despite in the Snow Maiden Noah Nicholas, Patrick O’Brien, Katherine the limited time she has express myself. It is definitely Paydo, Matthew Perry, Alexandra Pianalto, to study. She says,”Dance an emotional experience when Sean Poholski, Lydia Presper, Alexandra Press- is the hardest thing I have ever done. Always the curtain closes, but it is a man, Mitchell Ratliff, Hannah Roberts, Taylor striving for perfection and being pushed to your dream come true.” Seikel, Daniel Shisler, Hannah Sims, Ashley Smith, Stewart Smith-Thomas, Alexander Stav- roff, Jasmine Thompson, Tessa Weigand, Gavin Wilcox, Miranda Yeaton. Country of the Month: Greece Katy Fox Christmas concerts will take staff reporter Location and geography: Greece is located in south- place in December eastern Europe and is on the southern end of the Balkan Christmas concerts for the Concert Choir, Peninsula. Greece combines the towering mountains of the Symphonic Choir, Women’s Ensemble, and mainland with over 6,000 islands, the largest of which is Irish Melodies will be during the “Fa La La Crete, and only 227 of the others are inhabited.