By Marissa Toney
Tiger Town Times Staff Writer Massillon Washington High school is home to one of the top Career Technical Education Programs in the state of Ohio. With a wide variety of programs available to students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have an opportunity to take a glimpse into a career path that may interest them. Some of these programs include Nursing, Manufacturing and Engineering, Cosmetology, and Accounting. There are also nine other programs to add to the list of those offered. All of the CTE programs offer different certifications, College Credit Plus courses, shadowing, internships, and field experience opportunities throughout the 2-to-3 years of class that the students will experience in their specific program. As senior nursing student Gabby Skyllas stated, “The nursing CTE is important to me because it helps me get much closer to the career path I have chosen for my future. I am also given the opportunity to learn this type of information a lot sooner than most people can. This CTE is a privilege, that I am so grateful to be a part of.” The CTE program is a great way for Massillon students to get a head start in the career path that they would like to pursue.
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I am not here to tell you about how much of a Gamer Girl™ I am. I am not here to stand on a pedestal and preach at you. I play video games, and I am a girl. Over the years, it’s become a part of who I am, it brings me and my friends together, and it’s a way I relieve stress and have fun. So… Why do people expect me not to play? Video games have a certain stigma around them. There’s some sort of thought that some people don't expect girls to play them, or they’re surprised when they do. Girls are supposed to play Cooking Mama and Animal Crossing instead of the newest Call of Duty. Creative games or games with cutesie characters is what's expected, but, in reality, guys play these games too. I know boys that enjoy cute cooking games and I know girls that love first person shooters. Gender roles and stereotypes are what make the gaming community toxic for anyone that strays away from them. The only reason boys are expected to love video games and girls aren’t supposed to is because of a marketing plan when games first started becoming popular. Though actually, at first, video games were meant to be played as a family and bring people together, but once they became popular, companies started putting out any game they could, filling the market with games that weren't worth playing. In 1983, when Nintendo was marketing its first console, they decided to sell them in the toy section instead of electronics to market to a different demographic. But at this point, toy aisles were separated by gender, so Nintendo had to pick one or the other. They chose boy, and ended up marketing to them to an extreme. Other companies copied this tactic, and here we are today. This stereotype is still around after so long and it’s because of a marketing plan by Nintendo in the 80’s. Although this stereotype exists, according to the Entertainment Software Association in 2015, more adult females play video games than males under the age of 18. I hope this has provided a new outlook on video games and their history. No matter your gender or age, I wish you happy gaming!
Many of my points were learned from this excerpt from Adam Ruins Everything on truTV. Mornings are very hectic, especially when not everyone tends to be a morning person. There is a countless amount of teenagers these days that run on very little sleep throughout the school week. From extracurricular activities, to simply just going to school, many students are given a very little opportunity to get their full amount of rest that is recommended by doctors. It is hard for students to understand why they are so tired all of the time. Teenagers seem to think that they can run on little to no sleep and get through the day while fully functioning when that actually is not the case in this situation. Teenagers are encouraged to such an extent that it can get very annoying persay, to join multiple, countless amounts of extracurriculars. Extracurriculars such as band, choir, clubs, sports, and many others that different schools offer. This definitely affects amounts of sleep for young teens. There has been massive, even extended, amounts of research that many different doctors, scientists, and even teachers have done on the topic of how going to school early drastically affects students. For example, “American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students the opportunity to get the amount of sleep they need…” (“CDC Features, “2017). This is due to the fact that many teenagers do not go to bed until a decently late time due to the mounds of tests they need to study for, homework, extracurricular activities, and even just the normal teenage mindset of going to bed late. It is a natural thing for teens to go to bed at a later time at night. It is shown that 42 states in the U.S. start before the recommended time of 8:30. As you can see, that is basically little to none. This creates a huge problem for teens, as they are most likely not reaching their full potential in school, due to the fact that they are basically sleep deprived. It is recommended that teens get 8 ½ - 9 ½ hours of sleep every night to get the maximum capacity of sleep that they need to go on throughout the day with their full amount of energy. “Carskadon’s team found that students showed up for morning classes seriously sleep-deprived and that the 7:20 a.m. start time required them to be awake during hours that ran contrary to their internal clocks.” (Richmond, 2015). There are multiple risks that can occur from students not receiving the amount of rest that they need. These risks include, “higher rates of obesity and depression and motor-vehicle accidents among teens as well as an overall lower quality of life.” (Richmond, 2015). It is shown that students do not reach their full potential when it comes to school if they do not get the amount of sleep that is recommended. Sleep plays a very important factor into the everyday teens health. This is another reason why schools should reevaluate when school should begin in the morning. “Studies have cited benefits ranging from mood and alertness to fewer automobile accidents and less engagement in high-risk behavior among middle and high school students who get more sleep.” (Erde, 2013). One cannot simply simply begin to comprehend how the schools around the U.S. have either seen these studies and have not done anything about them, and/or have not seen these at all. In the following article, studies have shown that if students reach their full amount of sleep that they need, it could reduce the amount of teen car crash accidents, fight breakouts, and other high-risk behavior. At my school alone, fights break out at least 2 or 3 times a week. This used to be an everyday recurring issue, until we got more security at the school. I plan on interviewing our principal at the school and asking him if he believes that the reason the number of fights have been reduced, is because of the amount of security the school now has. If he says yes, (which I am very confident in), I then plan on presenting the research that I have already discovered about starting school later. Although I am a senior, I still want the students below me to reach their full potential in the years to come. There are many negative factors that come along with students not being able to receive their full amount of sleep needed. “...poor communication, decreased concentration and cognitive performance, unintended sleeps, decreased motor performance, increased risk taking and changes in mood pattern, specifically depression." (Kimpara & Iwamoto, 2013). I myself, let alone any other middle or high school student, to comprehend how the staff within the school district does not know (or they do know, but are simply ignoring this research), about the many side effects that can occur from school starting earlier than recommended, which again, is 8:30 a.m. Students can not possibly reach their full potential with all of these possible side effects just from waking up early. Students also have many other things going on in their lives outside of school. I have confidence that most students could reach their full potential to go above and beyond in school if, they were given what they needed to succeed. One of the things we as students need more of, is simply more rest. While many teachers, principals, and other staff of the school system seem to think that they can bring students to their full academic potential by reducing class size, they are wrong. They are wrong for the most part at least. This may work for very few students, but this idea simply does not work as well as if the start times of middle and high schools were to be changed.“...my results from Wake County suggest that later start times have the potential to be a more cost-effective method of increasing student achievement than other common educational interventions such as reducing class size.” As you can see, getting the full amount of rest needed to reach a student's full potential is very important, both mentally and physically. We as students should try our hardest to change the start times for schools around the nation so that we all reach our full potential. By: Madison Alt
Scholarships can be hard to obtain, but there is multiple ones you can get a scholarship just for being left handed. There are over 20 different scholarships for left handed people. Here are 10 quick weird scholarships that you can obtain. There are a lot of weird scholarships that you can obtain! There is one called the John gatlin scholarship. To get this scholarship, you just have to have the surname Gatlin or Gatling. You must attend North Carolina State University. Only few people can take advantage of this scholarship also to live in North Carolina. This scholarship is worth $10k a year for state residents, or $15k for non-residents. It's renewable for up to four years. Weird, right? Another odd one is the flavor of the month scholarship. It’s very simple; you write an essay on if you were ice cream, which flavor you would be, and why. The essay must be 250 words or more and you will get $1,500! Ever heard of a scholarship for being short? No? Well, if you’re under 4’11, you can get a scholarship for it! This is called the Little People of America assistance program. There are several scholarships with these requirements, but this one is called Paula Nieto scholarship! All you have to do is have a twin or triplet! All of the siblings must enroll in the same college. Each twin will get a small part or a full scholarship, depending on which college they enroll in. This scholarship goes from anywhere from $100 to $1000. The Doodle 4 Google Scholarship! Do you enjoy doodling? Well, you can win a college scholarship by submitting a doodle of your own to the Doodle 4 Google scholarship competition. You can get a total of $30,000! Making a greeting card is easy, right? Well, if it’s easy to you, the create a greeting card scholarship is perfect for you! You can make $10,000 with a good greeting card. They are a panel of judges that judge the card and decide if you win the scholarship. Mycological Society of America Scholarships kind of a strange scholarship. You can get up to $10,000, which is available to students with various specialties who study mycology, the study of fungi, so if you like nasty stuff you should go sign up for that scholarship! Rolex scholarship is a scholarship you can get $25,000. Not that kind of Rolex, though! If your college studies bring you underwater at all, whether it's for research, photography, even underwater welding, you might be eligible for this scholarship and it doesn't require a specific school! The Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest is a scholarship if you're good at duck calling. Take your skills to this classic contest, named for legendary duck callers and duck call makers. This scholarship will give you a good $2,000. There is even a scholarship for if you are a redhead. You can get a quick $500. You’ll need to prove with a picture from your childhood, just in case you try to get a quick buck for college! You'll also need to create something that represents you and show that you're a true redhead. https://www.collegexpress.com/lists/list/60-of-the-weirdest-college-scholarships/1000/ By: Anthony Alexander
Featuring- Alex Berbari, A.K.A Fuzz (VI Captain), Caleb Busson (“Fat boy”) Zane Maier (“Stupid junior”) Q: How are you nominated to be a Village Idiot? Alex Berbari: There is usually 9 seniors and a junior and the junior is responsible for picking his own seniors the next year and another junior to carry on the tradition. Q: How do you pick the themes for each week? Caleb Busson: It’s pretty much like throwing a dart at a dartboard with a bunch of random pictures on it. A few are set ideas; like the girl theme and Massillon attire every year week 1 and 10. We google costume ideas sometimes and that’s how we got the oompa loompa idea. Q: What is your main purpose as a Village Idiot and does that purpose succeed? Alex Berbari: To spread school spirit. Does it work? No absolutely not. When we do Massillon attire on friday of McKinley week we’re obviously gonna be the most enthusiastic people, but nobody else ever really tries to go all out like us. Q: Any specific traditions we should know about? Caleb Busson: Every friday we wake up around 4:30 AM and go to the Cameo Grill. I wake up like a zombie drooling all over my bed. After Cameo we get to the school around 6:30, get a couple rounds of cornhole in and start getting hyped to Eye of the Tiger and wait for everyone to get here. Q: What do you say to the people who thinks being a Village Idiot is easy? Caleb and Alex: No, not even close. It takes so much time and effort along with the tons of money we spend every week on Paint and Powder also the costumes that are around $50 each week. This is where the “Stupid Junior” is interviewed! Q: Do you get harassed since you’re the junior? Stupid Junior: Yeah, they tried to beat me up for my birthday and they taze me often during friday mornings. Q: What are some special plans you have for next year as the captain? Pointless Junior: The RV is already taken care of and with that being done and over with. The paint job for the RV is going to look great. Q: Do you guys have meetings often? Irrelevant Junior: We had a lot during the beginning of the year to paint signs for McKinley week and discuss themes for the whole season. Q: Is being the captain next year a lot of pressure with all the responsibility. Useless Junior: No not really, I enjoy leading and being the one with all the power and responsibility. Q: Are the upcoming idiots on the squad idiots as well or are they more controlled? Nobody Cares Junior: There’s definitely a few off their rocker but mostly everyone is good students. We all for sure know to have fun though so expect a great time next year. By: Brandon Sand
The Season of Fall is a very special time of the year. It’s the time where it’s not too cold and it’s not not too hot; it’s a time for all kinds of fun and exciting activities that everyone can enjoy. Some of these activities could be a hayride, apple picking, or just hanging out with some friends and family to play two-hand-touch football. All kinds of fun and outgoing activities for friends and family to get together and enjoy the beautiful season. Autumn has always been a time for football and the play-offs for baseball, and even the start of basketball again as well, which is exciting for the basketball lovers! The seasons of Autumn also means Halloween and all the fun and games the holiday brings. Every year it's always a beautiful season, the time for when leaves change colors and the break between summer and winter where everything just starts to change all at once. it’s is still great for even walking still the nice chilly breeze with hoodies and sweatshirts. Autumn is the breaking point before snow falls right before it starts to get really chilly, it’s a great time to get out and enjoy the last few months before snow. Other activities could be for the great season is just getting lost in a corn maze, or jumping into piles of leaves, all the great games and things you can do with this great season, and it's a long three months and a fun three months, so enjoy the beauties of Autumn! It is a shame it can’t last longer, but it’s still a wonderful three months of the year! By: Jared Kotema
Entering high school is a very big step in life. When you enter high school! It’s when many new opportunities come into play. One of these opportunities is receiving your driver's license. This can be a lengthy process, but we’re here to help! Here are a few steps that can help you get on the road! Before you can even think about taking your driver's test, you have to take a test and pass to receive your temporary instruction permit. You may know also know this as your “temps”. You have to be 15½ and have your original (copies of these identifications are not accepted), birth certificate, social security card, and your parent or legal guardian with you.You can take this test at your local driver's license exam station.There are practice tests that you can take online that will help you succeed in passing this test. When driving with your temps, you have to have your parent, guardian, or your licensed driving teacher seated in the front passenger seat until you turn 16 years old. After you are 16 years old, you may be accompanied by a licenced driver that is 21 years or older. Below are just two of many links that offer practice tests that are completely free! https://driving-tests.org/ohio/ohio-permit-practice-test/ www.epermittest.com/ohio/oh-practice-permit-test The next step to getting your license is driving school. According to Myers Driving school, “State law requires students to complete 24 hours of classroom instruction, and 8 hours of in-car driving with a certified instructor.” The 24 hours is broken down into different class periods. This is where you will learn, in detail, the many different rules of driving on the road and how to be safe. After completing the class, you must take a written test and pass with an 80% or higher. I highly recommend bringing a notebook to class and writing down key components that will most likely end up on your written exam. It is different for every driving school on when you can schedule for your in cars, but they will be broken up into 4 different 2 hour time periods. You will spend one on one time with an instructor who will teach you about maneuverability and how to succeed when the time comes to take your drivers test. In Massillon, the local driving schools are “AAA” and “Myers Driving School”. The address for AAA is 1972 Wales Ave NW, Massillon, OH 44646, and their phone number is 330-833-1084. You can give them a call from 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday, 9AM to 12PM on Saturday. They are closed on Sundays. Myers driving schools address is, 414 Lake Ave NE, Massillon, OH 44646 and their phone number is, 330-837-3058. Their hours of operation are, 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. They are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Prices vary between the two, so keep that in mind. When you turn 16 and have had your temps for 6 months, it is finally time to take your drivers test! When taking your test, you must have your temps, certification of successfully completing driving school, and proof of your in-car sessions (this also includes proof from your parent or guardian that you drove 50 hours outside of your in-cars), and your parent or guardian with you to sign. There are multiple places to take your test. It is as simple as calling or going online to schedule your test. Make sure you practice and are prepared for the test. Also, remember, whenever you’re driving, make sure to always have your temps or license on you at all times! This is a lengthy process, but I assure you, it is worth it in the end. By: Madison Alt
“I didn’t think it was real”: Houstonians fear for what will come next in Hurricane Harvey8/31/2017 Imagine this: You are inside of your home as the hurricane outside billows through your state with no mercy. You expect the hurricane and its’ aftermath to be over within a two or three days. But after the hurricane dies down, rain comes; and lots of it. Storm drains get backed up, bayous are filled to the limit, next come the streets, then your home.
What do you do? This is the situation thousands of Texans are in. With streets flooded with water, there is no exit. The only choice? To stay inside of your home as water approaches your front porch with no intention of stopping. Among the havoc, Texas officials report at least 35 people have died in the flooding chaos, including a family of 6, and the death toll is expected to rise. Thousands have been displaced, their homes destroyed along with their belongings. I decided to contact a friend of mine, Eve Estes-Laflamme, to ask her about her experience in the hurricane. We spoke with one another through FaceTime. Eve lives right outside of Houston, Texas in Cypress County. I have known Eve since I was 12. I used to live in Houston and grew up there as well before moving to Ohio in 2014, so this story truly hits home for me. “I didn’t think it was real. I was joking about it with everyone. Everybody was joking before it happened,” Eve Estes-Laflamme told Tiger Town Times. Eve is stranded in her own house as water continues to rise further towards her home in Cypress, Texas. “We can’t even get into the street. We’d need a boat,” She said with a lighthearted chuckle. She has not left the house since Thursday, August 24th. Eve is currently still remaining in her home with her sister, mother, and three pets until the flooding in her neighborhood dies down. When it comes to natural disasters such as this one, any kind of help counts. Donations of food, water, money, and other important things have flooded into Texas from all around the country by people wanting to help in any way they can. Famous stars like Ellen Degeneres, Kevin Hart, and J.J Watt of Texas’ own official football team have opened their hearts to disaster relief for the victims of Harvey. The help doesn't just stop there, though; Hundreds of people have offered to volunteer at shelters and rescue missions. Volunteers who own boats have gone out on their own throughout dangerous waters to rescue civilians trapped in their homes. Over 10,000 people have been saved from the flash floods, and the number will only rise from there. Usually referred to as AP Lit, this class is taught by Jonathan Sorensen in room D217. Sorensen splits the class into four sections that correspond with each quarter. In the first quarter, he teaches the class how to properly analyze short stories. In the second quarter, he teaches how to read and understand drama (plays). In the third quarter, he teaches all of the basics of poetry as well as how to analyze it. In the fourth quarter he focuses on preparing the class for the upcoming AP exam. Although the class focuses mainly on literature, Sorensen has an excess of extra knowledge to share. He teaches about other subjects that not only will help students to better grasp literature, but are extremely important in understanding literature. These subjects include religion, history, and a plethora of random facts that come up during lectures and reading. This class is difficult, as “AP” would suggest, but entirely worth it. Not only do you have a chance for college credit; but you will exit the class with a surplus of knowledge and intellectuality.
Coming up on the final days of senior year is very stressful but relaxing, I never thought that 13 years of my life could end so abruptly, but so bittersweet. When I first started high school I thought it was going to be way different than I was used to, it was not at all. It was the same thing every day, over and over again, but it gets comfortable and predictable. It went by fast, like really really fast but I can't fight it so I might as well embrace it. Closing in on graduation while writing this has made me realize that high school shapes you as a person, not just what you like but what your character is. I don't regret anything I've ever done through high school, that includes relationships, clubs, events, and dances. So this is goodbye… - Race Gardiner |
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