The Leprechaun Gold St. Vincent-St. Mary HigH ScHool * VoluMe Xli * iSSue 3 * noVeMber 2011

Medal ceremony

Sam Kirk and Shea O’Brien

Annie Davis

Amanda Sollenberger

Marissa Rossetti

Julia Mendiola

Tessa Weigand

For the third consecutive year, the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams qualified for state after winning both Districts and Regionals. The 2011 State Tournament was the first race to ever be run at the National Trail Raceway in Hebron. Senior Tessa Weigand said, “The course was okay, but I definitely preferred the old course [Scioto Downs].” The girls finished in 1st place with junior Marissa Rossetti finishing 8th overall and senior Tessa Weigand finishing 18th. Finishing the scoring for the Lady Irish were sophomore Julia Mendiola, junior Amanda Sollenberger, and senior Annie Davis. Freshman Shea O’Brien and senior Samantha Kirk also raced for the Irish. Rossetti said, “It was a great season and we had great senior leadership on both the boys and girls teams.” The boys’ State Runner-Up team was led by senior Patrick O’Brien who finished on the podium in 8th place. Behind him was junior Mick Iacofa-no in 23rd, senior Michael Hurley, senior Sean Poholski, and junior Matt Oswald rounded out the scoring. Freshman Nick Campbell and sophomore Jack Hurley rounded out the team. Senior Sean Poholski reflected back on the season and said, “It’s hard to be disappointed because it was such a great season.” And O’Brien describes the team as “just a great bunch of guys and gals!” Head Coach Dan Lancianese said, “The final chapter for the 2011 season has been written. I am incredibly proud of everything the boys and girls have accomplished this year.”

2 November 2011

Commentary Leprechaun Gold

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School15 North Maple Street

Akron, Ohio 44303On the Web: www.stvm.com

Leprechaun Gold

Kelly LauckSTAFF RePORTeR

AN IRISH PRAYeRMay the road rise ever to meet youMay the wind be ever at your backMay the sun shine warm upon your faceMay the rain fall soft upon your fieldsAnd until we meet again, May God hold you in the Palm of His hand.

The Leprechaun Gold is published throughout the year for the students of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. There is no charge for the paper but donations are accepted and appreciated. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus of the editorial board. Letters to the editor are encouraged, provided they do not contain material disruptive to the educational process and that they are signed. The Leprechaun Gold reserves the right to edit submitted material for length.

AdvisorMrs. Maureen Harrigal

AssistantMrs. Barbara WoodCo-Editors-in-Chief

Meghan Dannemiller Jackson Ewing Staff Reporters

Ian EdgleyConnor Wallace

Brianna McVickerErica Bratton

Kristen BrattonKelly LauchErin Farrell

Mandy Sollenberger

PhotosMrs. Dolan

Mrs. BurdonConnor Wallace

Jackson EwingCO-eDITOR-IN-CHIeF

Go Green for Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a holiday when Americans give thanks for what they have, but many are too busy to slow down and appreciate the environ-ment. Thanksgiving is a holiday that has many potential ways to be environmentally friendly if the right actions are taken. A key area of waste concerns the large variety of foods that is present. Composting food is a simple way to reduce this waste and Thanksgiving is a convenient day to start a compost pile or add to one. Another way to use eco-friendly food options for Thanksgiving involves buying the least amount of food possible. Using food that is already owned is a less-wasteful and cheaper way to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Also, buying locally is a good way to reduce pollution. Buying locally prepared food reduces the fuel used to transport food from other places. The smaller the distance the food is transported, the less pollution is emitted from vehicles. Preparing environmentally friendly courses is another way to “go green” on Thanksgiving. Vegetarian dishes are much more environmen-tally friendly than non-vegetarian. Livestock

requires large amounts of land and food in order to be raised. This places a great strain on the environment. Dishes like vegetarian stuffing and vegetarian gravy serve as simple eco-friendly substitutes for regular stuffing or gravy. Vegetarian dishes are environmen-tally friendly and can provide variety to any Thanksgiving dinner. There are other simple ways to “go green”

on Thanksgiving besides using environmentally friendly food. Staying close to home is a good way to cut back on fuel. and reduce the pollution caused by traveling. When decorating for Thanksgiving, try using environmentally friendly decorations.

Using candles to illuminate a room is much more environmentally friendly than tradi-tional lightbulbs or other light sources. Using natural decorations from nature is a good way to reduce waste and inorganic items. Thanksgiving is one of the most conve-nient days of the year to cut back on waste. With some extra preparations, Thanksgiving can be a very environmentally friendly holi-day for everyone involved.

election results are in The media was bombarded with advertise-ments on Issue 2. Advertisements seemed to be all over- on Web pages, in newspapers, and on billboards. Signs urging voters to vote yes or no on certain bills and issues seemed to be staked into every lawn in the Northeast Ohio area. On Tuesday, November 8, voters flocked to the booths to make sure their tallies were counted. Some results were surprising, others anticipated. Northeast Ohio voted, as follows:State Issue 1:Judicial age amendment- defeatedState Issue 2:To ratify Senate Bill 5- defeatedState Issue 3:Health-care amendment- approvedAkron Mayor:Don PlusquellicCanton Mayor:William J. Healy IIStark Sales Tax:ApprovedSchools levies:Akron: failedAurora: approvedBarberton: failed

Canton: approvedCloverlead: failedCopley-Fairlawn: approvedCrestwood: approvedField: failedLake: failedMedina: failedNordonia Hills: approvedNorton: approvedOsnaburg: failedSandy Valley: approvedStow-Monroe Falls: approvedStreetsboro: approvedWadsworth: approvedWaterloo: failedWoodridge: failed

November 2011 3

Shamrock AlleyFeatureLeprechaun Gold

NHS inducts new members

Christmas concerts will take place in December

Brianna McVicker STAFF RePORTeR

Meghan DannemillerCO-eDITOR-IN-CHIeF

Theater Guild presents Arsenic and Old Lace Arsenic and Old Lace is a comedy about two sisters, Martha and Abby Brewster. In their old age, the Brewster sisters have embraced a frightening hobby of poisoning old, lonely men in order to put them out of their misery. The sisters have three nephews, one named Teddy who lives with them. Teddy believes that he is Theodore Roosevelt, and he unknowingly aids his aunts by burying the bodies in the base-ment, which he refers to as the Panama Canal. Mortimer, Teddy’s brother and also Abby and Martha’s nephew, comes to visit. While visiting, he becomes engaged to the Brewster sisters’ neighbor, elaine. While visiting, Mor-timer finds a dead gentleman in the window seat. After a little sleuthing, Mortimer discovers that his aunts are the murderers. As he franti-cally tries to cover up the murder, another brother, Jonathan, returns home with his friend

Dr. einstein. Jonathan is covered in scars and looks nothing like he used to. It is soon discov-ered that Jonathan is scarred from a botched plastic surgery that Dr. einstein performed. As the chaos unfolds, Jonathan and Dr. einstein’s murderous past is revealed and they make plans to murder Mortimer. The police soon arrive as the body count gets higher. Leading this year’s fall play are seniors Kevin Murphy as Mortimer Brewster; Kather-ine Paydo as Abby Brewster; Hannah Roberts as Martha Brewster; and Nyk Pamboukis as Mr. Witherspoon. Juniors include Josh Vellequette as Dr. einstein and Christopher esker as Mr. Gibbs. The sophomores in the play are JC Portis as Teddy; Brady Costigan as Jonathan; Brianna Machuga as elaine Harper; and Andrew Trecaso as Officer Brophy. Begin-ning their first show at STVM are freshmen Christian Perkowski as Officer O’Hara; Devin Garrett as Reverend Harper; James Baskerville as Officer Klein; and Will Horn as Lt. Rooney.

On Monday, November 21, fifty-two stu-dents were inducted into the National Honor Society. eligible candidates include students who have a minimum of a 3.5 GPA and pos-sess good character, as well as good leader-ship and service skills. Senior Megan Tomei was inducted along with juniors emily Baker, Colette Barrett, Madison Beskitt, erica Bratton, Amanda Burke, Meredith Cabe, Robert Dam-brot, Christopher esker, Andrew Farrell, Zack-ery Frazier, Amanda Getz, Stephany Gomez, Hannah Green, Celeste Hall, Stephen Hall, Christen Hoffman, Katelyn Holaday, Kirsten Linnen, Ryan Loney, Teanna McDaniel, Shan-non Moloney, Nicholas Neill, Bennett Nelson, Carol Nicholas, Michelle Noethen, Mary Margaret Ondack, Alyssa Pagni, Catherine Pamer, Thomas Paolucci, Alissa Peeples, Noah Pettry, Vincent Piccoli, Dena Pierog, eliza-beth Ringer, Gregory Rybka, elinor Schuck, Patrick Schuerger, Maria Skora, Amanda Sollenberger, Bailey Spinner, RosaLia Stadler, Joseph Stavale, Stefan Subich, Marissa Tomin, Jason VanDevere, Vincenzo Volpe, Catherine Walsh, Joseph Weber, Jordan Weisensell, Mark Wysocki, and elizabeth Yerman.

STVM will be hosting the annual Christmas Choir Concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Decem-ber 8. The Band Concert will be held Decem-ber 13 in the gym and the Student Center from 7-9 p.m.

Twenty seniors participated in the Kairos 14 retreat at Loyola of the Lakes Retreat House from Monday, October 24 until Thursday, October 27. The Kairos leaders included Nikki Almenar, Abbey Bashor, Meghan Dannemiller, Kaitlin Heard, Clairissa Hurst, elijah Justice, Alex Pianalto, and Megan Tomei. Students participants were Maria Alvord, Cassidy Colarik, Joe Coughlin, Sierrah Kaalima, Sasha Kovalchick, Mallory Ballard, Sarah Baumer, Chelsea Christian, Gloria Ferguson, Ryan Gaffney, Rachel Nasrrallah, Mary Neugebauer, Jaimee Jones, Shanise Omar, Rebecca Sear, Allison Sly, Dakota Brugeman, John Johen-ning, Ashley Smith, Michael Williams, Tori Zelch, and Katie Roberts.

Seniors attend Kairos 14

The annual Christmas party for all foreign language clubs, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese, will take place Thursday, December 8 after school in the LRC.

Foreign Language Clubs celebrate Christmas

4 November 2011

Leprechaun GoldNews

Ian EdgleySTAFF RePORTeR

Country of the Month: TurkeyMeghan DannemillerCO-eDITOR-IN-CHIeF

Location: Turkey is a eurasian country located in Western Asia and Southeastern europe. It is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.Climate: The diverse regions have different climates. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool and rainy winters and hot and dry sum-mers. The Black Sea coast receives the highest amount of precipitation annually. Population: 11,372,613Capital: AnkaraMajor Cities: Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, and AnkaraReligion: Turkey has no official religion. With Islam as the major reli-gion, over 90% of the population is registered as Muslim, mostly Sunni. Other religions include various Christian denominations and Judaism. Currency: The Turkish Lira is the official currency of turkey. Nine Lira is equivalent to one US dollar. Government:Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy with Abdullah Gül as President of the Republic.Economy: Turkey, a newly industrialized country, is considered one of the leading producers of agricultural products, textiles, ships, motor

vehicles, construction equiptment, consumer electronics and appliances,Traditional Food: Turkish food includes many different stews consist-ing of vegetables and meat, primarily beef and lamb, Interesting facts: -The most popular sport in Turkey is soccer. The Turkish soccer team placed 3rd in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Other popular sports include basket-ball and volleyball.-All fit Turkish males are required to serve in the military for some period of time. Depending on a person’s education, this time can be three weeks or 15 months. -Cars drive on the right hand side of the road in Turkey.-Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey.-The first church ever built by man was St. Peter’s Church in Antioch, Turkey.

Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales increase

Thanksgiving is a holiday abundant with traditions. It is a day when families come together to stuff themselves with turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. One tradition that has become very popular among American families is spending Thanks-giving morning watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has taken place in New York City every year since 1926. This year, the Macy’s Parade will consist of 15 char-acter balloons, including Snoopy, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Spongebob Squarepants. The parade will have 24 floats with themes such as a Sesame Street extrava-ganza, Christmas in Central Park, and local heroes who help people every day. Also participating in the parade will be 1,600 cheerleaders, dancers, and members of performance groups, such as the

Rockettes, 800 clowns, and 11 marching bands from all over the country. Several entertainers have also announced that they will be performing in the parade, including Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Michael Feinstein,

Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne, and American Idol’s Scotty McCreery. The parade traditionally closes with the Santa’s sleigh float, and this year will be no exception. The parade begins at the intersection of 77th Street and Central Park West, makes its way to Columbus Circle, turns on to Central Park South and continues down 7th Avenue to 42nd Street, heads towards the Avenue of the Americas and down to 34th Street where the parade ends in front of Macy’s Herald Square. Tune into NBC at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning

to see the parade. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with family is a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving holiday.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade still a favorite

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, millions of Americans drag them-selves out of bed in the wee hours of the morning on a mission. They line their wallets with money and drive out to the nearest mall where a coali-tion of thrifty shoppers soon gathers outside the doors, bent on finding the best bargains. When the doors are opened, a stampede of customers runs inside. Men and women sprint up and down the aisles putting TV’s, cameras, and other normally expensive items into their shopping carts. The term “Black Friday” originates from a retailer’s desire to turn a profit during the holiday season. When accounting records were kept by hand, an accountant used red ink to indicate financial loss and black ink to indicate profit. This coined the popular fiscal terms of being “in the red,” (losing money) or “in the black” (turning a profit). Today, retailers still turn major profits in the first 24 hours after Thanksgiving. Last year between 128 million and 135 million people shopped on Black Friday. At the end of the day, it was estimated that Americans spent $45 billion. “Cyber Monday” has become increasingly popular as shoppers enjoy

shopping from the comfort of their homes. Last year, $648 million in merchandise was purchased online. There were so many online transac-tions that some servers crashed because of increased cyber traffic. Retailers cut prices on a variety of items including kitchenware, clothes, and household appliances. Yet, electronics are by far the hottest commodity. Last year, Zu Zu Pets, plush robotic hamster toys, were in such high demand that the 8 ounce toy sold for $70. This year shoppers can get a headstart on the Black Friday deals by looking at retailers sneak peeks. The site www.savings.com allows shop-pers to plan their Black Friday and Cyber Monday road maps. Prices listed online and those in stores will be the same on both days. Shop-pers should sign up for online newsletters from stores such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Walmart is slashing prices on their digital cameras by as much as 50 percent. Target is cutting prices on most electronics, selling normally $1200 plasma screen TV’s for $499. Stores want to move as many goods as possible and will drastically cut prices. Whether you decide to take advantage of these bargains by browsing online while sitting in your pajamas or camping out in a Target parking lot is entirely up to you.

Erica BrattonSTAFF RePORTeR

SiblingsLeprechaun Gold

November 2011 5

Amanda SollenbergerSTAFF RePORTeR

Match the siblings STVM has always been a school with an emphasis on tradition. Many of our upper classmen have siblings who have followed in their footsteps and are freshman this year. See if you can match them up.

KeY on page 12

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6 November 2011

Leprechaun GoldNewsCountries celebrate their own Thanksgiving traditions Kelly LauckSTAFF RePORTeR

Waking up to the smell of the turkey roasting away, curling up on the couch to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, eating a delicious meal, and spending the day with family and friends seems like the perfect way for the world to celebrate Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, Thanksgiving as we know it, is celebrated only in Canada and the United States. By now, it is no surprise that the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621. However, Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanks-giving was to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. However, other countries have their own unique way of celebrating a harvest or thanking God for what they have been blessed with. On August 15 in Korea, Chu-Sok, meaning “Fall evening,” is celebrated. Families gather in the moon-light to remember their lost loved ones. Koreans make a dish called ‘Songpyon’ consisting of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chesnuts. Children dress in long robes and perform a traditional dance that symbolizes asking for blessings. In Southern India, the popular harvest festival is called Pongal. Named after a sweet rice dish, the festivities begin on January 14 of each year. On the first day of the celebration, Pongal is given to the rain gods and the sun is offered Pongal on the second day. Family cows are honored for their hard work plowing the fields and are cleaned and decorated with flowers, bells, and color powder. Additional festivities differ from region to region, but the central event involves the whole community. Farmers and their families gather and have a feast to celebrate their hard work. The Chinese version of Thanksgiving is called the August Moon Fes-tival. It is held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, also known as August 15. According to Chinese legends, the moon is the brightest and fullest on this day, which is the perfect time to renew and make friendships or have a romantic rendezvous. The festival is also known as the Women’s

Festival because the moon is said to represent grace and beauty. On the night of the festival, children can see a woman’s face in the moon. When they make a wish to her, the wish will come true. Instead of Grandma’s apple pie, the Chinese snack on mooncakes, a traditional cookie-like pastry. African-Americans celebrate their own “Thanksgiving,” Kwanzaa. Beginning in the 1960’s as a part of the Black Nationalist Movement, Kwanzaa is the first African-American holiday so that they can get in touch with their African roots. The celebration takes place over seven days, and families celebrate one of the seven Swahili principles each

day. Unity is on the first day, self-determination on the second, collective work and responsibility on the third, family on the fourth, purpose on the fifth, creativity on the sixth, and faith on the seventh. The Yam Festival is celebrated at the beginning of August every year in Ghana and Nigeria. Yams are the first crop to be harvested and are considered the supreme crop in the region. People offer yams to gods and ancestors before giving them to friends and family. By doing this, the Ghanans and Nigerians are

giving thanks to the spirits above. The autumn harvest celebration in Vietnam is called Tet-Trung-Thu, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Children’s Festival. Ac-cording to Vietnamese folklore, farmers left their children behind while working to prepare the autumn harvest. To make up for lost time spent in the fields, parents planned this special day around their children. Parents tell their children Vietnamese stories, serve mooncakes, and enter their children in traditional dance competitions that can win them prizes and scholarships. This holiday is meant to bring families closer together and create a strong bond between parents and children. Although Thanksgiving itself is as American as baseball and apple pie, the concept of the holiday is very diverse. No matter what part of the world you are in, each country has its own way of celebrating and giving thanks.

Recently, the world population reached a milestone of seven billion people which is either a cause for celebration or concern. Some are celebrating the achievement be-cause it shows how much the human race has grown over the years. The world population was two billion in 1927, and by 1998, it was six billion. The popula-tion grows by about 80 million people each year which poses environmental concerns. The water table is falling, soil erosion is harming farmland productiv-ity, glaciers are melting because of the rising world temperatures, and the fish stock is vanishing. Close to a billion people go hungry each day, and with the population growth, the number of hungry is expected to double. The developing nations want to help themselves out of poverty and industrial-ize like the Western nations. Part of the reason for the population growth is the medical advances be-ing made. Life expectancy has increased and the 893 million people over the age of 60 support the claim. Approximately 1.8 billion women in the

world are in their child-bearing years. The amount of people under the age of 25 makes up 43 percent of the world population. experts expect some major population growth from Africa in this century. Asia is cur-rently the most populous continent, but Africa is expected to overtake

Asia in terms of population. Africa’s current popula-tion is one billion, but by the end of the century, the population is expected to be 3.6 billion people on the continent. A statement from a United Nations spokesperson believes that, “A world of seven billion can have thriving, sustainable cities, productive labor forces that can fuel economic growth, youth populations that contribute to the well-being of economies and societ-ies, and a generation of older people who are healthy

and actively engaged in the social and economic affairs of their communities.” This outlook from United Nations gives some optimism for the pending environmental, economic, political, and social concerns that come with a growing population. At the current growth rate, experts expect the population to continue to increase dramatically. By 2025, the population is expected to hit eight billion. In 2083, 10 billion is the expected world population.

World population increasing to seven billionErin FarrellSTAFF RePORTeR

“

The fear of a really long word that is hard to pronounce.

-sophomore Walter Gibson

INDIANS SNOW DAySDate: November 25, 2011-January 16, 2012Location: Progressive Field, ClevelandPrice:$5.00Other: 10-lane snow tubing hill on top of Toyota Home Run Porch in left field stretching over 200 feet to the field.The Frozen Mile (Ice Skating) Ice skating track around the outfield, the first non-symmetrical ice skating path in the United States. The Frozen Diamond (Ice Skating) Regulation-sized (200’ x 85’) ice skating rink on the infield at Progressive Field, covering home plate and stretching down the first base line. The Rookie Rink (Ice Skating) Small rink (60’ x 32’) for beginning skaters adjacent to The Frozen Mile in left field.

FIRST NIGHT AKRONDate:December 31, 2011Time: 5:00Location: Downtown AkronPrice: $10Other: First Night Akron is a family-friendly, New Year’s eve celebration that features music, art, dance, and fireworks. Held at various venues in downtown Akron

The awkward moment when a unicorn sneezes at the sight of a butterfly.-freshman Zach Hutson

The fear of getting jelly beans and Easter eggs at Christmas time. -sophomore Justin Blanks

The fear of a pack of spiders coming into your house and making a nest in your favor-ite sandwich.-sophomore Alec Bianchi

Leprechaun Gold HolidayFamilies enjoy Christmas holiday events

November 2011 7

Connor WallaceSTAFF RePORTeR

THE REAL DEFINITION: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth

What is Arachibutyrophobia?Erica BrattonSTAFF RePORTeR

LOCK 3 ICE SKATINGDate: November 20, 2011, to January 30, 2012Time: Thursdays, 11a.m. to 9 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving) Fridays and Saturdays, 11a.m. to 11p.m., Sundays, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.Location: Lock 3 downtown AkronPrice: Free ( $3 for skate rental )Other: Lock 3’s most popular winter feature is the 10,000-square-foot outdoor ice skating rink.

STAN HyWET HALL & GARDENSDate: Dec. 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 21-23, 26-30, 2011Time: 5-8 p.mLocation: Stan Hywet Hall & GardensPrice: $16, house and grounds tour; $10, gardens and grounds only; $5, youth and college students with I.D.

TREE LIGHTING AT PuBLIC SquAREDate: December 3, 2011Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Public Square in ClevelandPrice: FreeOther: Over 50,000 people attend the event each year. The light display is kept up until after New Year’s Day and is usually televised.

HOLIDAy TREE FESTIVALDate: November 19-27, 2011Time: Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sundays: 11a.m.-6 p.m. Thanksgiving: 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Location: John S. Knight Center 77 e Mill St.Price: FreeOther: All of the displays are for sale. Proceeds benefit patient care programs, education, and research at Akron Children’s Hospital.

THE POLAR ExPRESS Date: November 17 – December 20Location: Akron Northside station Time: 7 – 9 p.m.Price: Varies Other: Magical journey to the North Pole and back. All pas-sengers will enjoy hot cocoa and a cookie. elves will read the story on the way to the North Pole .

COREy BRyANTWhat are you most thank-ful for in your life? I am most thankful for my friends and family. Does your family have any unusual Thanksgiving traditions? every year my family has two Thanksgiv-ing dinners, one dinner with each side of the family.What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? I take two slices of bread and put a bit of every Thanksgiving food possible on it and make a sandwich.

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? The whole family is together and I get to eat large amounts of food.What is your Black Friday shopping routine? I stay in the safety of my house. What do you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? I slowly eat them over the course of the next week.How soon after Thanksgiving do you put up your Christmas decora-tions? By the beginning of December, 25 Days of Christmas!What fall sports did you support this year by attending an event? I attended football games and all the soccer games because I am a member of the team.

MADISON BuZEKWhat are you most thank-ful for in your life? I am most thankful for my family and my amazing friends.Does your family have any unusual Thanksgiving traditions? Not really, my grandparents and aunt just come over to eat dinner at our house.What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Mashed potatoes because they taste so amazingly good.How does your family Thanksgiving compare

to the original Thanksgiving? My family all gathers around the table together and prays, and then we eat and eat and eat.What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? eating all the delicious food and spending time with my family.What is your Black Friday shopping routine? I go later in the day because it isn’t so crowded.How soon after Thanksgiving do you put up your Christmas decora-tions? We put up our Christmas decorations in December, a week or two before Christmas.What do you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? We eat Thanks-giving leftovers for the next couple days.What fall sports did you support this year by attending an event? I ran cross country this fall and supported the cross country team. They are amazing people and I love them all. What part of Christmas are you most looking forward to? Spending time with all of my family and getting presents.What is at the top of your Christmas list? I really want a new cell phone because mine is ReALLLYYYY old.

MARIA SKORAWhat are you most thank-ful for in your life? I am most thankful for my family.Does your family have any unusual Thanksgiving tra-ditions? We make stuffing from scratch- toast bread, break it apart, mix every-thing together, and cook.What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Pump-kin pie! What is your Black Friday shopping routine? I go to stores later in the day to avoid the crowds.

What fall sports did you support this year by attending an event? I went to football games and I played volleyball.What do you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? eAT THeM!!How soon after Thanksgiving do you put up your Christmas decora-tions? We put them up in the beginning of December or once Christmas music starts playing.What part of Christmas are you most looking forward to? I am really looking forward to Christmas movies and Christmas songs.What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? I love the food and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.What is at the top of your Christmas list? Vera Bradley stuff and new earrings.

GERRy PuHALLAWhat are you most thank-ful for in your life? I am most thankful for my family.Does your family have any unusual Thanksgiv-ing traditions? No, we go traditional. Thanksgiving parade, dinner at Grandma’s, and football.What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Stuff-ing. I eat so much stuffing there’s no room for anything else.What is your Black Friday shopping routine? I don’t

participate in this event.What fall sports did you support this year by attending an event? I only supported football. I wanted to attend cross country districts but unfortunately I did not make it. What do you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? We eat Thanks-giving food for every meal after until they are completely gone.How soon after Thanksgiving do you put up your Christmas decora-tions? We put up our Christmas decorations on the second Sunday of Advent. What is at the top of your Christmas list? Probably a gaming headset like Turtlebeaches.What part of Christmas are you most looking forward to? I love all the great food my family makes at Christmas, and I will enjoy all the time off school to play video games.

8 November 2011

Leprechaun GoldFaces in the CrowdJunior “Faces in the crowd”Amanda SollenbergerSTAFF RePORTeR

The jury deliberation of the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray began Friday, November 4. He was charged with the involuntary manslaughter in the death

of Michael Jackson. Over the 23 day long trial, the jury heard from 49 witnesses, including Murray’s girlfriends and patients, Jackson’s former employees, inves-tigators, and medical experts from both sides. Prosecutor David Walgren claimed that the evidence of Jackson’s death being caused by Murray was “overwhelming and abundantly clear.” The defense lawyer ed Chernoff claimed that Murray was only a small part of the cause, blaming both other doctors and Jackson himself. Jackson’s death was caused by acute propofol intoxication. Walgren attacked the defense for trying to find a way to blame Jackson for his own death. Dr. Paul

White, a witness for the defense, claimed that the levels of propofol in Jackson showed that he clearly had administered the drug by himself, which led to his death. The jury deliberation for the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray has finally come to a conclusion after 10 hours by a jury of seven men and five women Dr. Murray was found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. It is required by California law for all jurors to agree before a guilty verdict is reached. Dr. Murray could face up to 4 years in prison; however, several factors could contribute to a different sentence. Overcrowded prisons and budgetary concerns in California prisons could lead to Dr. Murray to serve his sentence on house arrest. The end of the trial does not mark the end of Dr. Murray’s struggle. Joe Jackson, the father of Michael Jackson, is pursuing a wrongful death suit against Dr. Murray. The fate of Dr. Murray’s medical license is also questionable.

No charges filed on death of Hinckley mother No charges will be brought against the driver who struck and killed Diane Plumlee, a Hinck-ley mother who stood in the road to help her children’s school bus back onto a busy road.

Plumlee died on October 18 shortly after being struck in Hinckley Township. She was a widowed mother of two girls and a boy. Her husband, Gustavo Plumlee, died in August after suffering a heart attack. Plumlee’s two oldest children were on the bus while her youngest child was still in the house. Police and Medina city prosecutors investigated the accident. Based on reviews of the crash, they did not press charges against the man whose pickup truck struck Plumlee.

Bangkok, Thailand FloodingBangkok, the capital of Thailand, faces some of its worst flooding in history. The water is already at its highest levels yet and it is expected to become higher. The residents are urged to evacuate and a five-day holiday has

been declared in Thailand to encourage evacuations. The floods have killed 373 people and have impacted 9.5 million people nationwide. According to government officials, this is the worst flooding in Thailand in 50 years and in some areas, it will take more than a month for flood waters to recede.

Greece’s debt dealThe prime minister of Greece and the leader of the conservative opposition met to form an interim government to help Greece out of its recent political

turmoil. Prime Minister George Papandreou will step down half way through his term. The opposition head, Antonis Samaras, and the prime minister are to meet and discuss who the new prime minster will be and the Cabinet’s members. They hope to quickly pass the european rescue package to save the euro.

Earthquake strikes TurkeyA 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey and killed at least 534 people. It caused many buildings to collapse into rubble. The hardest hit city was ercis, a city of 75,000 that lies in Turkey’s most earthquake prone zone. Since many people were trapped under the

rubble, the death toll is likely to rise, but the rescue efforts are underway. Up to ten hours after the earthquake, there were more than 100 aftershocks recorded. One aftershock had a magnitude of 6.0. The last major earthquake to strike the country was in 1999, and that earthquake killed 18,000.

November 2011 9

Leprechaun Gold ThanksgivingLeprechaun Gold

3.

The Heart of it All

Sea to Shining Sea

Around the Globe

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Kristen BrattonSTAFF RePORTeR

Erin FarrellSTAFF RePORTeR

Blossom land added to Cuyahoga Valley National Park On Monday, November 14, 2011, officials in Cuyahoga County signed a deed allowing for the transfer of 578 undeveloped acres from Blossom Music Center to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The land purchase took six years and $9.247 million in federal funds to com-

plete. This massive transfer of land will prevent future suburban housing on the Blossom property, a major threat to the 33,000 acre park. The entire Blossom property is one of the largest remaining naturally forested areas in the Cuyahoga Valley, adding to its appeal to the park service. Funding for this contract was provided by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund from offshore oil leases.

Next will join Highland Square Chipotle and Georgio’s are about to get a fashion makeover. A trendy store called Next will be joining these popular food chains in the spot

between Chipotle and Georgio’s in Akron’s Highland Square. The Next store will sell high-end, hip clothing and sneakers geared toward teens and the 20’s. Other possible plans for Highland Square in the future include a grocery store in a vacant building next to the Chipotle strip.

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Jackson EwingCO-eDITOR-IN-CHIeF

Dr. Conrad Murray found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

News in brief Leprechaun Gold

10 November 2011

Athletic UpdateBoys’ Cross CountryAmanda SollenbergerSTAFF RePORTeR

State Runner-up

Along with capturing the titles of State Champions and State Runner-Up, the girls’ and boys’ cross country teams broke the state record of Academic All-Ohio awards received. Never before in the history of OHSAA athletics has an entire boys’ and girls’ team received this award. To receive this award, an athlete must qualify to states and have a minimum GPA of 3.5. Twelve out of 14 members of the boys’

Cross country runners break state Academic All-Ohio recordand girls’ varsity recieved this award, and the two who did not were freshman who were not eligible because they had not completed a full semester of high school. The seniors who received this award are Sean Pholoski, Patrick O’Brien, Michael Hurley, Tessa Weigand, An-nie Davis, and Samantha Kirk; juniors Mick Iacofano, Matt Oswald, Marissa Rossetti, and Amanda Sollenberger; and sophomores Jack Hurley and Julia Mendiola.

All-Ohio--Patrick O’Brien

Sean Poholski

Mick Iacofano

Michael Hurley

Coaches

Nick CampbellJack Hurley

Matt Oswald

November 2011 11

Leprechaun Gold Sports

Athletic Update

Wrestling

Girls’ Bowling

Boys’ Bowling

Boys’ Basketball

Girls’ BasketballKristen Bratton

STAFF RePORTeR

Erin FarrellSTAFF RePORTeR

Erica BrattonSTAFF RePORTeR

Cheerleading

Trainers

Kelly LauckSTAFF RePORTeR

Kristen BrattonSTAFF RePORTeR

Ian EdgleySTAFF RePORTeR

Head Coach: Joe JakubickCoach’s Experience: Joe Jakubick is in his 8th year coaching the girls’ basketball team. He also coached the ellet girls’ team for 5 years before coming to STVM. Jakubick holds the all-time scoring record for the mens’ basketball program at The University of Akron. Assistant Coaches: Carley Whitney, Kara Murphy, Mike MayReturning Letter Winners: Seniors Taja Dave, Andrea Hubbard, Katlin May; junior erica Bratton; sophomores Kiley May, Shan-non Jack, Jordan Korinek, Cassie JakubickLast Season Record: 15-9Coach’s Comments: We have a young team this year; we will be starting four sophomores. However, we have a very talented team top to bottom, and our goal is to make it to the district final and win!

Coach: Whitney Cleland assisted by Joe Neal and Angela SutterCaptains: seniors Chelsea Christian, Gloria Ferguson, Rachel Nasrallah, Katherine Paydo, Alex Pianalto and Taylor SeikelAdditional varsity: juniors Kayla Keathley, Mary-Margaret Ondack, Katie Pamer, Alex Matejczyk, and Rachel Schlosser; sophomores Marie Hammer, elle Leonardi, Audrey Maloy, Maddie Mazzola, and Meghan McCullough.

Head Coach: Dru JoyceAssistant Coaches: Dave LanhamReturning Letter Winners: Seniors Lorenzo Cugini, Treyvon Crater, DJ Blanks; juniors Nic Wells, Jordan Hargrove, Franshon Bick-ley; and sophomore Victor Dorsey.Last Season Record: 2011 State ChampionCoach’s Experience: Coach Dru has coached at STVM for 13 years, and this year will be his 11th year as the head coach.

Head Coach: Anthony GaryAssistant Coaches: Jared Viller, John Tomp-kins, Vince Magestro, Ryan HurleyCoach’s Experience: 15 yearsCoach’s Comments: “STVM Wrestling is on the rise to the top. Last year, we were 5th in the state in Division II. Walter Gibson quali-fied for state, Ryan Skonieczny placed 8th, Ray Stone and Aaron Adkins placed 6th, and Mike Rix was the State champion.”Promising Prospects: Drek Brumley, Garret Carter, John Chell, Matt Chu, Shawn Sovocool Returning Letter Winners: Mike Rix, Ray Stone, Walt Gibson, Aaron Adkins, Ryan Skonieczny, Sal Ferrise, Mike McBride, Jason BivinsWhat do you expect from your team this year? “My expectations are quite high for this season. We have a lot of talent, and we have-some seasoned veterans. I expect STVM to place high in all tournament competitions. We will battle to place in the top 3 in the state. We have a young team, with a lot of wrestling ex-perience. STVM wrestling will have a strong finish this year.”Are you anticipating any more state titles this year?: “We have a number of great kids who have the potential to win a state title this year. Anything can happen in this sport. It is too hard to predict who will be a state cham-pion. The odds are good for us to produce at least one state champ this season.”

Meghan DannemillerCO-eDITOR-IN-CHIeF

Head Athletic Trainer: Brian KnightStudent Trainers: Senior Rachel Daily, junior Will Landers, freshman Tony WheelerTeam Doctor: Mike Magoline, M.D.

Winter sports’ previeW

Head Coach- Ron WinerAssistant Coach- Tony NinniReturning Letter Winners- Jessa Blanken-ship, Jasmine Gao, Tashay Pringle, Sarah Brown, Kimi Gough, Celeste Hall, Macee Miller, and Sylvia FallucoLast Season’s Record- 10-2Coach’s Experience- He was a member of the Professional Bowling Association for 20 years. He bowled on the Pro Tour in 1971 and he is a part-owner of Stonehenge Bowling Lanes in Akron, Ohio.Coach’s Comments/Expectations- “There are lots of new people on the bowling team and it’s going to be a good season.”

2011-2012 season

Head Coach: ed Swejk, 1st seasonReturning Letter Winners: evan Hofacker, Nick Balaj, Spencer Poulos, Logan WilkinsonOther Returning Players: Nick Letdara, Zach SwejkOutlook: “The boys bowling team is looking to continue to build on the program that has made a lot of progress the past two seasons. With a solid core of returning members to the team this year, the season looks to be promising.”

Sports Leprechaun Gold

Athletic Update

November 201112

Football PLAyOFFS:REGIONAL quARTER FINALuNIVERSITy SCHOOL W 27-14FG Manfut 33 yds.Fitzgerald 1 run (Manfut kick)FG Manfut 21yds.Bickley 40 yd. pass from Besser (Manfut kick)Besser 5yd. run (Manfut kick)

Brianna McVickerSTAFF RePORTeR

Happy Thanksgiving from the Leprechaun Gold staff

Mrs. WoodMrs. Harrigal

Erica Bratton

Amanda Sollenberger

Kristen Bratton

Jackson Ewing

Erin Farrell

Brianna McVicker

Kelly Lauck

Connor Wallace

Ian Edgley

Meghan Dannemiller

NBA lockout and what it means for Cleveland The NBA lockout keeps eating away at the regular season. Regular season games were scheduled to start at the beginning of November. Now all November games have been canceled. Contrary to belief, it won’t do major damage to local economies. Many people say that the NBA lockout is bad news not only for basketball fans, but for all of us — another snag on our already suffering economy. The 21,000 fans hanging around downtown Cleveland on a cold fall or winter night is great for business. With each game lost, that means millions of dollars are not being spent in the city. however, according to multiple studies, lockouts have very little to no impact on the economy. Instead of spending a fortune at the NBA arena, fans may go out to dinner, a movie, or a bowling alley, providing additional income for other local workers and business owners. Spending gets redistributed within a city during a work stoppage, but overall levels

remain the same. Also without NBA games to obsess over, people will actually do their jobs. If workers spend time discussing the outcome of last night’s game rather than devoting this time to job-related activi-

ties, then those workers will be less productive. Less output will be produced, and less income generated. Fewer such opportunities exist during sports strikes. Therefore, other things being equal, during these strikes one would observe higher productivity, pro-duction, and income. Let’s be clear, the lockout will do some damage. Arena support staff – the vendors, the concession-stand operators, the security guards, the ticket takers – will be out of work, at a time when low-skill workers are having trouble finding other em-ployment. The burger joints and bars near the arenas

will take a hit. These adverse effects are very real, and should not be marginalized. Select individuals will suffer and will have to scramble. But cities will overcome this obstacle and still be able to survive.

Connor WallaceSTAFF RePORTeR

PLAyOFFS:REGIONAL SEMI-FINALMENTOR LAKE CATHOLIC W 31-14Hargrove caught 63 yard pass from Besser for a touchdown (Manfut kicked extra point)Hargrove caught 7 yard pass from Besser for a touchdown (Manfut kicked extra point)Matuska ran 31 yards for a touchdown (Manfut kicked extra point)Manfut kicked 25 yard field goal for 3 points

Answers to sibling match-upA: 3 B: 11 C: 6 D: 1 e: 12 F: 7G: 2 H: 4 I: 10J: 8 K: 5 L: 9

PLAyOFFS: REGIONAL FINALCHAGRIN FALLS L 30-12

Mrs. Richardson

Fitzgerald 78 run (Manfut kick)Safety, snap out of the end zoneField goal Manfut 27