This fall sports season has been riddled with the gloomy aura of injury. Almost all teams have been effected by the hardships of injuries, most notably football, soccer and cross country.

Football has seen the worst bouts of injury with many players out for extended periods of time. Several starters have been injured such as senior starters, Jimmy Zazo, LaTroy Lewis, Jordan Cook and Greg McMullen. While some have returned back to the playing field, others still remain on the bench.

    “Being off the field right now with a broken tibia is frustrating because I want nothing more than to be out there contributing with my teammates,” senior linebacker Jimmy Zazo said.

The boys soccer team has also seen losses on the field. Key players have been on the bench due to on-the-field injuries. Sophomore Shane Weidt will be out all season due to a strain on his cranial nerve in his eye which causes him to lose the ability to move his left eye.

“It is very frustrating being out because sports are the one thing I can turn to to forget about all the other stresses in life,” Weidt said.

Other than Weidt, sophmores Ben Easton, Ben Naragon and Kevin Outwater and senior Braden Evans have also missed time this season. The starters’ intermittent injuries create instability for the soccer team and problems for the coach regarding replacements for these key players.

The girls cross country team has also been bitten by the injury bug this season.  Senior Erin Drake has been battling tendinitis in her posterior tibial tendon.

“I get so discouraged everyday because its my last season and I want to do well, which I can’t do if I’m hurt,” Drake said. “I feel like my season is over.”

The past summer had everyone in anticipation for this year’s fall season.  Now deep into the fall season the attitude has changed and students now dread this fall sports curse.

The teams hope they can overcome these trying times and prevail against the worthy opponents that lie ahead. With football games against Walsh and Massillon, soccer games against Padua Fanscican and St. Vincent-St.Mary and cross country meets at Wadsworth and Medina, athletes need to stay healthy in order for their teams to succeed.

Freshman Sarah Carmon isn’t a typical fourteen year old girl. Most girls her age wear headbands, but she prefers a helmet. Most girls spend their weekends shopping; Sarah prefers practicing at the race track.

Carmon has been riding go-karts for almost nine years and because of this dedication is one of the top racers in the nation.

    Carmon fell in love with go-karts one day when her father took her to Cedar Point.

“We rode the go-karts for almost two hours that day,” Carmon said. “It all just started from there.”

    The karts that Carmon now drives are nothing like the ones that she first drove at Cedar Point. The body is custom-made in Italy then brought to the U.S. for competition. Carmon’s father is her wrench and lead mechanic, helping with the motor and putting the whole kart together. When the kart is entirely assembled, it can reach speeds up to 65 mph.
Carmon has also received a number of awards throughout her racing career. She has achieved such honors as Regional Champion and Most Improved on the Florida Tour. Being unfamiliar with racing phrases can cause one to underrate these achievements, but in simpler terms, Carmon is ranked tenth in the nation in the coed 12-16-year-old division.
With such a history of success, Carmon looks to continue this trend in the future.
“I want to attend Skip Barber Racing School in Atlanta, Georgia,” Carmon said. “It is the most well known racing driving school in the country.”

Skip Barber isn’t anything similar to Drive Team or Meyers Driving School. This is where students are taught techniques and strategies by either current or former professional race car drivers. Barber is the most elite driving school that the country has to offer.  In the near future, Carmon is planning on progressing to racing F1600s, which are second only to the engines driven by the professionals.

“My favorite NASCAR driver has to be Jimmy Johnson,” Carmon said. “He is the only five-time defending champion that the sport has ever seen.”

Whether professional or amateur, go-karting provides a thrill for many of its drivers.

“It is a whole lot of fun,” Carmon said. “You are filled with adrenaline before [the race], and during the race, and its just addicting.”

   Every Friday afternoon, Carmon straps on her helmet and practices her driving before racing in the weekend competition. It all begins with a ritual handshake between father and daughter. Then, the race is on.

The main focus on Sundays seems to be changing for most NFL football fans: fantasy football is taking over. Fantasy football is an interactive, virtual competition in which fans manage NFL football players against one another. Before the NFL season starts, a group of people plans out a league and has a live draft in which the goal is to draft the best possible team. The pick order is complete random, therefore the best possible choices are not always available.

         Fantasy football was created in 1962 by Wilfred Winkenbach from Oakland, California. The goal of the game was to compete against others’ teams on a performance-based point system. Although the game of fantasy football did not gain popularity quickly because of the lack of technology, by 1989 there were 100,000 participants. From 1989 to 2011, fantasy football has reached an all-time high of 19 million players according to NBC Sports.
There are several types of leagues with different sponsors that run each league.  ESPN and Yahoo are the two main choice of leagues for fantasy players. There are both public and private leagues. Private leagues are made through a group of people whose members know each other and have live drafts. Public leagues choose users at random and put them in a league already made up.
The storm of fantasy football is growing each year by the thousands and seems to becoming the hot topic of conversation on the weekends.
“I don’t even care about the Browns on Sundays; all I care about is if my fantasy football team wins,” junior Dom Orsini said. “I mean I love the Browns, but my fantasy team is way more interesting each week.”
This seems to be the consensus among NFL fans these days. Even NFL players tweet or post on Facebook about fantasy football.  In preseason, the league’s 2010 rushing leader Arian Foster pulled his hamstring and immediately tweeted about his injury.
“4 those sincerely concerned, I’m doing ok & plan 2 B back by opening day. 4 those worried abt your fantasy team, u ppl are sick,” Foster tweeted.
Fantasy fans are becoming more concerned about the wellbeing of their own virtual teams rather than the actual injury of another human. Fans gather around local bars, restaurants or their own television sets to watch all the NFL games, not just their favorite teams. The bars and restaurants are filled with people on their smart phones or laptops to keep track of their players on their team throughout their game.
“When I heard Mike Vick got a concussion, the first thing I did was go to my fantasy page and tried to find a new quarterback,” junior Sean Merle said. “I’ll be honest; I was more worried about my fantasy for the next week.”
Each team owner has his or her own unique strategy that they use throughout the season. Fantasy owners continue to show their love for football watching every game they can. It has improved ratings of the amount of football watched, making it the most-watched sport in America.
Do not worry Cleveland fans: if the the Browns cannot hang on with the 2-1 start, at least there still is fantasy football.

1. What: Anti-shine primer
Why: Have you ever come home to discover the make up you put on before you left is virtually gone, smudged or overshadowed by oil? Anti-shine primer is a thin liquid which prevents the appearance of oily skin and keeps make-up true-to-color and its place: on your face, not your dress.
Which: We love Sephora Anti-Shine Primer because it works amazingly both on combination and oily skin, feels light and is guaranteed to keep skin shine-free for 8 hours.

2.What: Small, disposable breath-freshening brushes
Why: Unless you have the time and purse space to carry your toothbrush and toothpaste with you to dinner and brush your teeth, you might look for another option to rid your mouth of food particles and food smells. In the last few years many companies have devised single-use products to give that “just brushed” feeling away from home.
Which: The very effective Colgate Wisp Portable Mini-Brush Toothbrush in Spearmint is about three inches long and has both plastic bristles and a toothpick-like end. The bristle head has a tiny freshness ball that bursts while “brushing” that leaves the mouth minty.

3.What: Sunless tanner
Why: A great option for adding a healthy glow is a spray or lotion that gives you all-over color without the risks imposed by tanning beds.
Which: Jergen’s Natural Glow guarantees results within days and lacks the strong odor that most self tanners have. An added bonus: Jergen’s self tanning products are recommended by the Skin Cancer foundation.

4.What: Pore Strips
Why: Pore strips instantly exfoliate skin, removing dirt that clogs the tiny holes leading to skin congestion. Smooth facial skin is the best canvas for makeup, leading to an even, perfect cosmetic result. Pore strips are not just for girls; boys, left few options to improve their complexions without the use of cosmetics, can unclog pores with the sticky, disposable strips.
Which: Biore Pore Strips are very effective in removing skin congestion without irritation if used correctly.

5.What: Double stick fashion tape
Why: Constantly having to pull up a stubborn strapless dress is an unneeded frustration. Double stick fashion tape is meant to adhere fabric to skin without the skin irritation and cloth damage that can result from using craft tape. Fashion tape can also tie down stubborn lapels and fasten bows in place without compromising the integrity of the fabric.
Which: Fashion Girl Clothing tape leaves no residue, does not irritate sensitive skin and remains strong for hours.

In the 50s and 60s, a drive-in the- ater was a popular venue to watch a movie on the big screen, grab a burger or enjoy a date night. With over 4,000 drive-in theaters dotting the na- tion,    these    enter tainment    enterprises became an American classic.
In recent years, however, drive- ins across the nation have become a declining business with more closings each year, especially in Ohio.
Ohio once hosted one of the first 10 drive-in theaters in America, The Starlight Auto Theatre in Akron, which opened June of 1937. Within ten years, Ohio had more than 80 drive-ins and by the late 60s there were over 200 drive-in theaters in operation.
Sadly, in the years since Ohio has witnessed a decline of 80% in the num- ber of drive-ins, according to drivein- movie.com.
What were once popular and bud- ding    sites    for    American    enter tainment, drive-ins are now rare finds which can often    be    found    sitting    deser ted    and forgotten on the side of the road. Own- ers and operators of these “open-air theaters” face a difficult set of obsta- cles in trying to gain a profit.
Drive-ins require a large amount of land in order to run properly which is often hard to find. Ideally, the land
must drain well and be sloped so peo- ple do not block each other’s view. It also must be located close enough to a metropolitan area for customers, but not so close that city lights and traffic interrupt the show.
In Ohio, where the winters are brutal, the drive-in must be able to shut down completely for half the year.
In    an    ef for t    to    stay    afloat,    some drive-ins hosted flea markets and even showed    XXX    rated    movies    to    sur vive in the late 70s early 80s.
However, not all drive-ins are sinking. Locally, Magic City Drive-In in    Barber ton,    Blue    Sky    Drive-In    in Wadsworth and Midway Twin Drive- In in Ravenna stand as the few re- maining drive-ins in the area. These drive-ins continue to attract custom- ers    and    show    special“Features”    ever y weekend. Midway Twin Drive-In is currently showing the popular mov- ies Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Bad Teacher and 30 Minutes or Less.
Many Hoban students, like junior Megan Bennett, still enjoy going to these theaters despite the declining business.
“I love going to drive-ins because they are much more fun than regular movie theaters,” Bennett said. “I hope the ones still standing remain in busi- ness and I encourage people to go!”

For the majority of students, freshman year is one of the most difficult times during adolescence. It can be an extremely un- comfortable year of transition. Once again, they descend to the last rung of the social totem pole. Adapting to high school’s fast-paced routine takes time as students try to do so without em- barrassing themselves in the process. Luckily for this year’s freshmen, seniors are overflowing with helpful advice to help make freshman year a bit less awkward. Hopefully this compilation of words of wisdom from Hoban’s own seniors will serve as a guide for freshman along their exciting and frightening journey through Hoban High. n
“Don’t be intimidated by Mr. Yappel. He
has emotions.”
-Kayla Morris
“Don’t eat stromboli and mushie cookies on the same day… just don’t do it. It’s a
bad idea.”
-Duran Johnson
“Laugh it off when you trip and fall up the stairs. It happens to everyone.”
-Danielle Cincurak
“Avoid the central office at all costs.” -Jake Pelini
“Pickup lines are the best way to intro- duce yourself to your teachers. Exam- ple: ‘Mr. Donatelli, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’”
-Rajat Chadda
“The brothers aren’t actually related.” -Becca Krajewski
“Avoid girls.” “Cheering at a football game doesn’t
-John Paradise
make you uncool.”
-Taylor Droppa
“If you drop your calculator in the middle of the hallway in between classes and it falls apart, don’t panic.” -Taylor Patterson

High school has become the ultimate test in time management skills. While juggling homework, extracurriculars, family and friends is a feat in itself, many Hoban students find themselves augmenting this already complicated balancing act with a part-time job. They accept the risks of increased stress and hectic schedules in order to reap the benefits of an increased feeling of independence, consistent opportunities for growth in maturity and an avenue for income.

One reason that students are put off from the idea of part-time work is the lack of free time associated with having a job. A student employee must organize his time efficiently. This often means sacrificing time in the front of the TV in order to complete school work.   Junior Dan McKeon works 18 hours per week during the school year and has some guidelines for himself in order to keep his schedule organized.

“I have to study and do extra homework on nights when I don’t work,” Dan said.

He also makes time for family and friends when he knows he is off the clock.

According to guidance counselor David Whitehurst, lack of sleep is another negative aspect of the work world.

“I think employers sometimes take advantage of kids there,” Whitehurst said.

Time previously used for sleeping becomes time for catching up on school work after-hours, especially if the student doesn’t consider his schedule and plan accordingly ahead of time.

All this extra scheduling and planning adds a lot of “work stress” to the preexisting “school stress.” Students also worry about co-workers, customers and bosses.

“Costumers can be awful,” senior Molly Carson said about her 25 hours per week at McDonald’s.

However, guidance counselor Katie Haubert believes that a healthy amount of stress from work is an important part of growing up.

“Students need to get out in the world and working is a good way to do this. It’s an eye-opening experience,” Haubert said.

Employers like to see experienced workers, even if that experience comes from a seemingly inconsequential part-time job. Being exposed to any sort of work setting is beneficial and getting a headstart in high school can put possible employees one step ahead when interviewing for competitive jobs in the future.

Another benefit of working is that a part-time job generates a constant income.

“It’s worked for me for the past year,” junior Hallie Poor said of her 8-12 hours of work per week at the Ellet library.

This hard-earned money can pay for football games, movie tickets, school lunches and the like. “Working students begin to learn how to manage money and they gain an understanding of how much life costs,” Haubert said.

Student employees also have opportunities to meet new people, experience a fun, work atmosphere and get involved in the community.

“I definitely enjoy working,” junior Delaney Roulette said of her job at Pure Delite Cupcakes. The trick is finding work that isn’t a chore.

A part-time job is a huge responsibility that might not be for every student.

“Some kids are ready and organized and part-time work might be an addition that benefits them,” Whitehurst said. “For others, the addition might be overwhelming.”

Hordes of college mail have inundated my mailbox over the last six months, all plastered with clearly posed pictures of immaculate green lawns, impossibly blue skies and unbelievably elated students – with a representative from every possible minority, of course. Universities would not want to irreparably offend their prospective students by publicizing a photo in a brochure of—gasp—two white students instead of properly representing the extensive Colombian population.
This concerted effort to ensure diversity and forestall cries of “racist” from the ultrasensitive, let’s-all-just-love-one-another crowd impacts more than just college pamphlets bound for the trashcan—I mean, recycling bin—anyway.
The pursuit of political correctness inhibits our daily speech as well. Anyone who has ever stumbled over identifying an individual in a crowd as “black” can sympathize. Though “Negro” and “colored” were once acceptable descriptive terms, the feel-good liberals of the 1970s eradicated them in favor of “Afro-American” and “black.” Before long, even those terms were deemed hateful and replaced by the modern,  offense-proof “African-American”—unless, of course, the sacred paragon of political correctness is merited—“people of color.”
Never mind that identifying a person in a crowd as “black” is doing nothing more than assisting a friend in locating someone in a crowd.
While this issue may seem petty, political correctness becomes critically damaging when it impacts Americans’ abilities to discuss vital national issues and express their opinions.
When addressing the danger of terrorism, caution must be taken to not refer to the act as “Muslim extremism” or “Islamic radicalism” or the perpetrators as “terrorists,” a name which might offend the fragile souls of the suicide bombers; inspirational terms such as “insurgents” and “freedom fighters” are preferable. These words, however, were still not tolerant enough for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which, when referring to the terrorists who killed 52 and injured 700 in a 2005 bombing of London buses, sympathetically identified them as “misguided criminals.”
Similarly, qualifying people as “illegal aliens” has been deemed offensive and transitioned to “illegal immigrants,” then to “undocumented immigrants” or “guest workers.”
Preoccupation with word choice and the avoidance of anything possibly offensive distorts the truth about crucial issues and inhibits true freedom to express opinions.
This, of course, was the goal when political correctness, named “cultural terrorism” by its inventor, communist George Lukacs, was developed.
The idea was adopted by the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, which was founded in 1923 to investigate the obstacles inhibiting communism from spreading. The institution discovered that Western civilization’s espousal of individual rights was the culprit. To exterminate this harmful mindset, the organization planned to introduce into Western culture the idea that voicing personal opinions is offensive and harmful to society.
The concept was embraced by communist Chinese leader Mao in the 1930s under the title “sensitivity training” and arrived in America when the Institute transferred to New York City in 1935.
While political correctness’ modern-day purpose is certainly unrelated to furthering the communist agenda, its effects are still the same: political correctness limits freedom of speech by dictating which word choices, topics and opinions are socially acceptable and eliminating those which are not.
When people are cautious about expressing their views, particularly ones contrary to left-wing opinions, debate over critical issues is lessened and those with socially acceptable opinions are given complete control over the country. Political correctness is essentially a “thought police,” as named in George Orwell’s 1984, ensuring only certain opinions are permissible.
In order for a democratic society to function, all citizens must be free to voice their opinions, even if they seem offensive to others. People are guaranteed the right to freedom of speech, not the right to not be offended. Most importantly, all people must be able to plainly state the truth without diluting it with vague terms.
I am white. Others are black. Terrorists are horrible. Illegal aliens are criminals. And this is America, where I have the freedom to say what I want, regardless of who is offended.

The year is 1979, and Jimmy Carter is President of the United States. In September of that year, his approval rating is 35%. Due to his failed policies, indecision and the weak economy during his single term as president, Carter is considered to be one of the worst presidents of the modern era. Ironically, the current president’s approval rating at the exact same point in time of his presidency is almost the same as Carter’s.

Barack Obama, unfortunately, is beginning to take on the role as the president who is simply Carter’s second term. According to a number of polling sources, including the Gallup Organization, Obama’s approval rating reached it’s lowest point at 38% this past month, and it only seems to be getting lower.

This is because the president makes lofty promises to the nation but never brings forth results. Since his apparent $800 billion “stimulus” in 2009, the only thing that has risen in the U.S. economy is the unemployment rate. According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans without jobs since the passing of the stimulus bill has surged up to nearly 10% at some times, although as of late it has settled to around 9.1%.That number is not expected to fall any time soon.

On top of Obama’s job troubles, the Dow Jones,the most crucial measure of economic health, dropped below 10,000 points for the first time since the economic collapse of 2009 due to the fears of indecision on the debt ceiling, the federal government’s maximum deficit limit, before defaulting and eventual shutdown of public services.

Granted, all of the issues that are facing our country today cannot be completely blamed on our commander in chief. However, he’s certainly not helping to solve these problems either. It is not so much that Obama has made the wrong decisions, but rather, that he has made none at all at very crucial junctures.

In addition to these financial and economic troubles, the president is also failing miserably on the foreign front. When Libya erupted in revolution, threatening the sovereignty of dictator Muammar Gadaffi, Obama never took an official position on the matter, and American involvement was and still is uncertain. This is not to mention the fact that Obama never kept his promise to the thousands of people during his victory rally that he would remove all U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of these decisions, or lack thereof, have led to a sharp decline in America’s comfort with this political novice as president of the most powerful nation in the world and will almost inevitably lead to a loss of the White House for the man that promised “hope and change.”

With the 2012 presidential election quickly approaching, the necessity for Obama to please more people is at an all time high.  In a recent speech, Obama made a strong statement in response to attempts to pull money from Medicare and Medicaid.  According to the White House fact sheet, “The President will veto any bill that takes one dime from the Medicare benefits seniors rely on without asking the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share.”

Obama’s threat will likely displease many. Though it seems unambiguous, it insinuates that he will accept taking money from the elderly on Medicare as long as the wealthy accept an increased tax.  The statement’s implication will not be looked upon favorably by the president’s supporters. The issue surrounding taking away the Bush tax cuts has been increasingly causing disgruntlement among the Republican party since Obama’s 2008 campaign, and his threat is likely to provoke his opponents even more.

The time for claims of this magnitude has past, and it is far too late to be addressing such a split Congress with threats.  Up until this point in time, Obama’s statements have lacked such a strong position, and because a vast amount of his past threats have never truly come to fruition, he has lost a great deal of credibility.

Obama’s current position is not altogether unlike that of Jimmy Carter at the same point in his term—by the end of his time in office, hardly anyone was willing to believe Carter’s statements regardless of whether or not they held any merit.  Time will only tell, as the 2012 presidential campaign becomes more intense, whether or not Obama’s time in office will mirror Carter’s one term presidency.