The Hilltop Echo Chardon High School News

Issue 4, Volume LXXII December 17, 2010

In this issue:News

• ChardonstudentsareenjoyingthepopularbandAll Time Low

Editorial• IsAfterPromtrulynecessary?Echo writerBrianVadakinexplorestheissue

• EchowriterHold-enPahrtakesacloserlookat“TheDecision”

Entertainment• Chardonstudentsinvolvedinyouthsymphony

Feature• WanttolearnaboutZumba,anewexer-cisecraze?Checkoutpage3!

• MariaVrenkocontinuesdevelopinghersingingcareer

• Echo writerMadelineVanscoyocinterviewsKJMillerabouthisyo-yoexperience.

• Chardonartstudentsdoverywellinlocalcompetition

Sports• Chardongirlsbasket-ballisgearingupforagoodseason

• Echo writerAndrewReberarecapsthebocceballseason

• Learnwhatcoach-eslookforinaHilltopperathlete

• LearnaboutindoortrackatChardonHighSchool

It’s A Wonderful Life showingonChardonsquareGeauga Lyric Theatre Guild presents an excellent production of a Christmas classic

Chardon freshmen send cards to soldiersBy Megan Whitney This Christmas around 90,000 men and women will be in Afghanistan fighting the war. The students of Chardon High decided to show their support for the U.S. military by sending these brave men and women Christmas cards. They will be delivered by Mrs. Grantham’s daughter on Christmas to make the soldier feel like they are back home. Many of the Freshman Mentoring classes have made letters to send to the soldiers that will be away from home this Christmas season. Some Chardon High students like freshman Alex Zver, actually has a loved one in the military. Alex’s cousin has been in the military for a while. “He was an intelligence agent in Korea and now he is a Lieutenant in Afghanistan,” says Alex Zver. Alex’s cousin was home for Thanksgiving. Alex feels gratitude for our American troops saying, “They are doing a great job. [They are] making us proud.” Freshman Joy

Shaffer also made a card, and even though she doesn’t have a loved one in the military she wanted the soldiers to feel appreciated. She wanted them to know “that our life is really good here and what they are doing is worthwhile.” The letters will be delivered by Mrs. Ann Grantham’s daughter, Amber, who works as a medic in the U.S. Air Force. This Christmas, Amber will be in Afghanistan and will be giving out the cards made by the Chardon High School students. Amber has been in the military since 2006. “Education, to see the world, and because I didn’t know what to do,” Amber said was the reason she first joined the air force. When she first told her mother she wanted to be a nurse for the military, Mrs. Grantham felt conflicted. “As a social studies teacher, I strongly support our military, but as a mother, I was worried,” said Mrs. Grantham.

See ‘Cards’ page 6

Students show off skills in CHS talent showBy Laura Louden On December 3rd, 2010, Chardon High School held a tropical-themed tal-ent show at Park Elementary School, hosted by alumnus Brandon Karcic and senior Kirstyn Nyegard. In charge of the event was English teach-er Mrs. Monaco. “I head the event because I’m the advisor of the Thespian Troupe for Chardon,” she explained. “The talent show is our fundraiser for the year.” Some attributes of potential performers, such as confidence, stage presence, and comfort level performing in front of a group, are looked for during auditions. “There are very talented students here,” Mrs. Monaco praised. “The most popular act is singing, but there has been a mix over the years. We’ve had Irish dancing, beat box-ing, baton, dancing, guitar, yo-yo; it really runs the gamut.” The talent show is a great way to let people know people what you do. Past competitor and alumnus Brandon Karcic agrees. “I’ve

always loved doing the tal-ent show,” he explained. “It’s my chance to show the mu-sic that I practice so much to the rest of the student body.” Since the talent show draws similar acts, it can also help make connections to other people in that field. “Also, I’ve met a few fellow musicians of whom I now call myself a fan, like Lea Marra and Ma-ria Vrenko.” Sometimes the idea of performing on stage can make peoples’ legs turn to Jell-O, but Brandon em-braces it. “I get a rush being in the spotlight; it’s where I feel most at home. I find per-forming onstage to be the most fun thing in the world,” he gushed. “Afterward, it’s great to track down all my friends from other acts and let them know they did a kickin’ job!” Singer Maria Vrenko has been performing in the talent show since her sophomore year; last year she sang “My Sweet Song” by Toby Lightman, accompa-nied by Jimmy Borsi on guitar.

See ‘Talent’ page 6

By Brooke Bender On December 3 – 19, the Geauga Lyric Theater Guild on the square is presenting the live play It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s a Wonderful Life is a classic Christmas story about a man named George Bailey, who lives in Bedford Falls. George spends his childhood dreaming of leaving Bedford Falls and making a big difference in the world, but when his father suddenly dies, George decides to help his Uncle Billy run their bank. He spends his adulthood trying to help the residents of Bedford Falls and keep the selfish Mr. Potter from taking over the town. George has a wife named Mary, four children, and many friends. When Uncle Billy loses eight thousand dollars and the bank faces being closed, George beings to wonder if he is worth more dead than alive. In response to the prayers of the people who love George, God sends him an angel-in-training named Clarence to show him how

important his life truly was. GLTG’s version of the play, directed by Patty Osredkar, began unexpectedly with a Children’s Chorus singing popular Christmas carols. Although it made the play seem as if it was starting off slowly, the children did a

wonderful job. They were adorable and made the audience smile and laugh, especially when they sang funny songs like “I’m Getting Nuttin’ for Christmas,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.”

The action began in a scene where G e o r g e Bailey, played by talented Nathan Early, contemplated jumping off a bridge, which swiftly set the play into motion. His guardian angel C l a r e n c e appeared, and showed him why his life was important t h roughou t the play. The cast included people of all ages, which

made the play very realistic. Mrs. Sorine, the Guidance Office Secretary, enjoyed the play because it put her in the Christmas spirit and thought that all of the actors were really good. Jessica Fowle, a sophomore at CHS, thought the cast “did a good job portraying their parts.” “I thought it was a very touching story,” Jessica said. Although It’s a Wonderful Life originally came out as a movie in 1946, its meaning and significance has not declined. Mrs. Sorine thought it taught how important it is “to appreciate life and what you have.” It conveys the message that every single life touches other lives, which is still relatable to audiences today. Jessica would recommend that people go see the play if they enjoyed the movie. Truly, though, anyone who enjoys a deep, compassionate story that makes them think about the meaning of life and why it is important would appreciate the show.

NewsThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010

2All Time Low popular with studentsBy Karli Sensibello Baltimore-raised, pop-punk band All Time Low is no stranger to the alternative music scene. Their first album, The Party Scene, stormed across and onto the pop-punk spotlight five years ago, and they have no signs of slowing down. Their music videos for songs such as “Weightless” and “Dear Maria, Count Me In” have gotten millions of views on YouTube, and they’ve been featured in tours such as Warped and The Bamboozle Roadshow. They’ve headlined several of their own tours, the most recent being the My Small Package tour featuring bands like A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Junior Garret Szalay says, “I first heard about them through Google’s recommendations.” The boys of the band—lead singer and guitarist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist and backup vocals Zack Merrick, and drums Rian Dawson—are often known for their funny personalities and well-done hair. The band as a whole are known for their deep, insightful,

and thought out lyrics, and they also have beats that will stay repeating in your head for days. Freshman Alex Karr says, “I absolutely love their lyrics and sound.”

In 2005, they finally hit the big break they were

looking for upon signing with Hopeless Records, and soon after they were sent out on their first tour and haven’t stopped touring since. All Time Low released their first studio album, The Party Scene. Before they graduated from high school in 2006, they had already signed a contract with Hopeless Records and recorded their successful EP, Put Up or Shut Up. In 2007,

the boys released their next success, So Wrong It’s Right, which took spot number 62 in the Billboard 200. Following that, they were chosen as Alternative Press Magazine’s Band of The Year for 2008. Their next feat involved

collaborating with Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus for their 2009 album, Nothing Personal, which debuted as number 4 on the Billboard 200. Recently, the band has confirmed that their upcoming album will be called Dirty Works, and is set to be released in January 2011. “I will definitely be buying this album. I’ve been anticipating it since Nothing Personal’s release,” freshman Olivia Phillips says. Lead singer and guitarist Alex

Gaskarth posted on his blog, earthtoalex.com, a demo called “Actors” for their eager fans to hear. “Even though they’re not extremely well known, they’re on their way,” Phillips says, “they’re definitely worth your time.” You can buy almost all their albums on iTunes to date, and in January 2011, you can buy your own download of Dirty Works.

By Brian Vadakin Chardon Local School District has been unable to pass a levy for two consecu-tive elections; the high school is already beginning to feel the effects of the budget cuts. In the spring, the district is likely to try and pass another levy. In the meantime, however, the high school must focus on cre-ative ways to save money so that the quality of education is not affected over the next two years. During his time at Chardon High School, Maple Elementary School principal Scott May organized a tech-nology fund using monies ob-tained from Chardon’s summer school program. We should be trying to come up with more ideas like this to save money for the students who will at-tend CHS in coming years. A Chardon parent has come up with one idea, although it is slightly contro-versial: get rid of After Prom. The parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, was very concerned with the amount of money spent on the event, among other things. Accord-ing to Coco Griffis, the chair-person for 2011 After Prom, $18,000 is spent each year, although that includes the cost of fundraising. The parent believes the money could be spent more wisely, saying, “Tell me what academic group gets $20K to support their group EACH year. The Chardon Schools Foundation just gave out $4,300 in teacher grants to make learning fun and excit-ing. What could they do with $20K?” Griffis understands some parent’s concerns about the money, but said that in the scheme of the budget of an en-tire school system, the money spent on After Prom wouldn’t make much of a difference. Though the amount of money spent on After Prom is large, and some might argue ex-cessive, it is not simply “given” to the organization. The group built the two concession stands when the football stadium was built, and they are manned en-tirely by After Prom volunteers. Most of the 400+ stu-dents who attend After Prom every year would agree that it is an enjoyable event. With the extensive decorations, blow-up games, and prize give-aways, it is difficult not to have a good time. Many parents do-

nate money and time to plan and run the party. “After Prom is one of those unique activi-ties where all parents can get involved,” said Griffis, who has personally been involved with the event for six years. Still, Griffis says that $12,000 is spent annually on prizes. One is left to wonder if all the prizes are truly nec-essary. Do they attract stu-dents to the event, or are they simply an added bonus to at-tendees? If half of that money was donated to Chardon Lo-cal School District, it could be used to buy approximately 100 new textbooks or eight new LCD projectors. In an effort to give out prizes more rel-evant to high school seniors, the committee plans to give out two $1,000 scholarships to Chardon High School se-niors. Applying for the schol-arships will be easy – students will use the common applica-tion used for most Chardon scholarships. With tuition costs continually rising, this money will be extremely helpful to the students who receive it. The parent I inter-viewed expressed concern with the principle of After Prom, asking, “Is it the school’s responsibility to provide a massive party at the end of the student’s high school year?” It makes one think: shouldn’t par-ents be more involved in the learning aspect of a student’s education than the social as-pect? Griffis points out that while After Prom “is not a class-room learning experience, it is a nice experience for the stu-dents to have.” Plus, many par-ents are involved in After Prom as well as to their students aca-demic activities. This balance of activities may be a good thing; after all, high school itself is a time in which students mature both socially and academically. When all is said and done, I believe the Char-don High School After Prom should remain. It may not be perfect, but it provides high school juniors and seniors with a fun night to socialize responsibly with their friends and classmates. We must keep in mind, though, that if the fi-nancial situation of Chardon Local School District wors-ens, forgoing After Prom for a year is certainly a way to raise money for the schools.

After Prom is costly but integral part of student experience

Editorial

Chardon art students place well in showBy Gabby Hollowell Six of Chardon High’s very own seniors (Anna Luckay, Emery Allen, Dina Farone, Emily Witosky, Devon Beckwith, and Rachel Lane) are all Mr. Chuck Zitko’s Art IV students who won awards and had their artwork featured in the Cleveland Clinic eXpressions art show. Interpretation, presentation, creativity, and initiative were four decisive factors in choosing the best artwork for the show.

EXpressions is a program that uses creativity to captivate students in high school into the world of scientific research. The program gives students opportunities to earn college credits from colleges in Northeastern Ohio. Submissions include a collection of paintings, poems, sculptures, videos, essays, and short stories.

More than 800 entries were submitted to the art show. Awards were presented for the best artwork in the order of Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon, White Ribbon, and Honorable Mention. The winners of a Blue Ribbon will get a $100 gift card, Red Ribbon, $75, White Ribbon, $50, and each Honorable Mention will receive $25. The judges also pick a Best in Show. Each teacher will get a $100 educational grant. Emery Allen won a Red

Ribbon Award for her piece titled “Guardian Angel.” She began creating the angel at the end of October and it took her about a month and a half to complete. Emery’s inspiration came from the research she did on the eXpressions website. “My assignment had to do with faith, hope, and forgiveness. Those three words are what really got me thinking about doing an angel.” Emery said she is really proud that her piece won an award. “Out of 800 who entered the contest, only 53 got accepted, six of those being the people from our school. It’s a big accomplishment.” Emery plans to pursue a career in art and she plans on attending the Cleveland Institute of Art. Red Ribbon winner Dina Farone submitted a sculpture titled “Inside Out.” She began her project in November and spent lots of time after school working on it. When Dina found out she won an award in the art show, she couldn’t believe it. “Sometimes the judges surprise you because the person you think is going to win a prize doesn’t win at all.” Dina plans to take her art skills into the field of architecture hopefully at the University of Cincinnati. White Ribbon award winner Emily Witosky took home honors for her piece titled “Faith.” The piece took

her about three weeks to complete. “It’s pretty cool that my art got chosen to win an award out of so many pieces, but the best part about the award is the $50.” Emily would like to major in art and hopes to attend Kenyon College or the College of Wooster. Devon Beckwith won an Honorable Mention Award for her piece “Time Is of the Essence.” It took her about two months to finish the piece. For this work of art, Devon focused her artwork on the medical field because the Cleveland Clinic presented the show. “I am super proud,” she said. “I put a lot of time and effort into it, so I’m very pleased that my hard work paid off.” Devon plans to attend Purdue University and major in photography and related media. Anna Luckay won a blue ribbon award for her piece titled “Unzipped,” and Rachel Lane won an honorable mention for her composition titled “Clean green.” The girls’ artwork will be displayed at the 2011 eXpressions Art and Language eXhibition at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on January 27th, 2011. There will be a formal dedication and reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Go check it out and congratulate the girls for their awards, time, hard work, and creativity.

FeatureThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010

3

By Chris SkibaSince the beginning

of time (or the beginning of clothing style), the clothes people wear have always symbolized who they are. When America started to grow and cities began to be built, certain types of clothing were worn by the people. The way someone dressed told everyone what country they were from. Personal style wasn’t really heard of because all women dressed alike and all men dressed alike. However, over time people started to develop personal styles in hopes of finding a style that fit their personality. The clothes a person wears usually gives off the first impression during this day and age, especially in school around your peers. Although personal style is a positive way for a person to express themselves, it also serves as an unfair way to judge people. Judging someone on their clothes does not tell you what kind of person they are. It doesn’t tell you their likes, dislikes, or what they have accomplished in life. Most of the time a person wears aW certain kind of clothing because they like it, not because they want to be seen as a blood-sucking, straightened-hair freak or a rich, stuck up, athletic prep. A first impression should not be made based off the clothes a person is wearing. If you took the time to know someone your first assumption of their lifestyle would most likely be different. Senior Dan “Patio” Price says, “people judge other people off of what they wear to feel accepted by their friends.” This is something that I have learned throughout my life from being friends with all types of people. “The clothes a person wears

Style as a first impression

Maria Vrenko: living the dreamBy Kristen Morgan Chardon High School is filled with many talented singers. Many of these gifted students strive to follow their dreams and become performers after high school. Maria Vrenko is one in par-ticular who is already on her way to fame. Maria has been singing since she was in second grade. “I was in the play An-nie and I had a solo,” Maria reminisced. She has been doing differ-ent singing gigs since then. From singing in coffee shops to sing-ing on television, Ma-ria has been striving to be discovered as the “next big thing.” She has sung at many local events including two Cavs games, an Indians game, and few Relay for Life’s. At the Relay for Life in Middlefield, Maria and Senior Lea Marra had the chance to perform to-gether. “It was really fun sing-ing with Maria. Our voices are very different but we harmo-nize well together,” explained Lea. Maria has even appeared on a few local T.V. shows. Ma-ria’s most recent performance

was on the Rob Simone Show. She had the honor of sing-ing since she competed on Cleveland’s Top Talent. Aside from performing outside of school, Maria is very involved

in Women’s Choir and Cham-ber Ensemble. “Maria has a wonderful, rich tone that is timeless and interesting to lis-ten to,” Mr. Streiff explained. “She is also a strong alto sing-er and we have utilized her talents by making her a soloist for many concerts,” he added. Maria’s biggest ac-

complishment so far was au-ditioning for America’s Got Talent. “It was such an expe-rience!” explained Maria. “My mom sent them videos and they called back saying how

they wanted me to audition.” She flew to Chicago that week to try out. “We waited seven hours in line! Then once it was my turn, five other people and I went into a room and sang in front of the producers.” For her song choice, it was no surprise that Maria chose “At Last” by Aretha Franklin. “I think it’s what I sing best,” she added. Many would agree, consid-ering that she sang it when she won Char-don Idol three years ago. In March, Maria will find out if she will be on the show. Maria has accom-

plished so much already. Af-ter high school, Maria hopes to attend Berklee College in Boston for music. She plans on studying there to im-prove her singing and even-tually become a performer. If she continues to work hard and stay determined, she is sure to fulfill her dreams.

Zumba: join the partyBy Seanna Sicher It’s the mid-90’s in Cali, Columbia, and Beto Perez, a celebrity fitness trainer, realiz-es that he forgot his music for his aerobics class. Grabbing the only tapes he had with him, he improvised the entire class to Latin salsa and meringue music. This was the start of a revolu-tionary fitness that was soon to sweep the world: Zumba. Monday, November 29th, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I was going to attend my first ever Zumba class. I had seen the infomer-

cials a few times while channel-surfing, and I had been curious. When I discovered that my gym, Lifetime Fitness, offered a weekly class, I figured I might as well give it a go. I was never too enthusiastic about going to the gym and working out because I am more the type of person to sit on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. I walked into a room full of about 40 women of all ages (and maybe one or two very brave men). Latin music was blaring from the speak-ers and a petite brunette was standing on a platform at the

front of the room. She began to clap her hands and instantly had the whole room’s atten-tion. The attitude in the room was infectious and it was impossible not to smile as the hip-shaking Latin-rhythms pulsed through the room. Al-though it was hard for me to keep up at first (I didn’t exactly know all the moves), I wasn’t em-barrassed in the slight-est. People of all ages, shapes, and sizes were

there. It wasn’t about doing it right or even looking good do-ing it, everyone was just there to have a good time while get-ting a work out. And a work out it was, I found myself out of breath and dripping sweat at the end of each song. Surprisingly enough, I am not alone in my new found love for Zumba. It turns out, Chardon high school chemis-try teacher, Mrs. Rohr, is also quite the fan. Like me, Mrs. Rohr finds herself hating ex-ercising, especially in the win-ter when it is cold and icy. She claimed that, “Zumba is a vigor-ous workout, but it is also fun, and you don’t end up freezing or slipping and falling on all the ice. It burns a lot of calories in a small amount of time, but it is a fun, enjoyable way to exercise.” Mrs. Rohr attends a class on Tuesday afternoons at the Maple Elementary School. The class is at 4:15pm with a private instructor and everyone is welcome. The cost is five dollars per class, but you must sign up for a full month which is 20 dol-lars. Maybe if you are lucky you will run into Mrs. Rohr.

Editorialcan sometimes tell you the type of music they like,” says Chardon graduate Victoria Fedor. Victoria’s statement is very true, but the music people listen to is also another unfair way to judge someone. This is another important thing that I have learned through being a musician. A song might sound uplifting but the lyrics could have a bad message behind it just like the people who wear nice clothing could be a very bad person.

“I think style shows the person you are inside,” says Elliot Bocchierri. “Everything you want to be is reflected off of what you wear.” It all comes down to the old saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Although this is a commonly used saying that we hear often, do we all really know what it means? To judge a book by its cover means that you are basing your opinion on what is on the front of the book. How many good stories have you passed up just because the picture on the front of the book didn’t appeal to you? You’ll probably never know. You may also never know how many kind, intelligent, creative, and loving people you have stayed away from just because of their appearance. If we took the time to talk to people instead of judging them off their appearance I am sure the majority of us would be surprised. A person with jewelry in their face or tattoos on their body does not automatically make them a drug addict or a murderer. Just as a person with nice shoes and an expensive shirt doesn’t make them a kind person. To truly understand someone you have to talk to their face, not behind their backs.

SNOWBALL SLAM SURVEY! Chardon High School’s Student Council Association is a well rounded club that has about sixty members representing all four grades. We all work very hard to support and represent our student body. If you have any questions or comments please contact Mrs. Weaver or any of the officers. Applications for next year will be available in the spring.

Officers:Allyson Craddock, Alyssa Nedrow, Sarah Soulsby, and Ally Harley

Student Council would like to get the school’s opinion on this year’s snow ball slam dance.

Please circle one of the following options: 1. I would like the snowball slam dance to be a semi-formal dance (this would mean the dance would be held in the gym on a Saturday). 2. I would like the snow ball slam to be an informal dance that takes place after a Friday night basketball game.

**Please return survey to student services**

EditorialThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010

4‘Tis the seasonA closer look at

“The Decision” By Holden Pahr The most hated Cleveland sports figure in the history of our city? Many have raised this question about our once beloved sports icon. LeBron James made the big-gest sports free agency deci-sion thus far in the history of basketball, and it did not lack in controversy. Immediately af-ter he announced to “take his talents to south beach” fans in Cleveland were found burning LeBron’s jersey and making “Quitness” tee-shirts. People made claims about LeBron be-ing a traitor. Dan Gilbert, the Cavs majority owner, wrote a sinister letter to Cav’s fans about his commitment to the team. The Cleveland fans had a right to be upset that their favorite sports figure left in free agency, but let’s take a closer look at how absurd we are being. First off, remember that everyone makes mistakes. Imagine people scrutinizing every one of your moves. For this reason alone, we should cut the guy some slack. Many people questioned the way LeBron handled the television special called “The Decision” and they should. But remem-ber that LeBron raised three millions dollars for the Boys and Girls Club of America with the special. Even with this fact, LeBron admits that if he could go back, he would have handled the decision dif-ferently. LeBron never said he was going to stay in Cleveland once free agency arrived. In 2009, he even told us, “I am going to keep my options open. It’s going to be interest-ing.” If he never committed, how can he be a traitor? Let’s look back to the past at our last superstar to play in Cleve-land: Carlos Boozer. He told Cleveland that he was coming back to stay with the team. He ended up leaving the Cavs to play for the Utah Jazz. This is an act of betraying us. What LeBron did was completely different than that. He never lied. People believe that just because they buy the su-perstar’s basketball shoes, they have a personal connection. This is not the case. He had every right to make the best decision for himself, his friends, and family. He believed Miami would be the best situation for himself. He shouldn’t have to listen to outside influence. Everyone who has an opinion about LeBron’s deci-sion should ask themselves this question: If I had the chance to move to a beauti-ful tropical city and work with my best friends would I do it?

This is the question LeBron faced. Only an arrogant per-son would completely ignore this offer. Many people believe that no matter what James does in Miami, in terms of winning, he will not have the same legacy as he did before. Before we jump to that con-clusion, look at the other all-time great players. Larry Bird is considered to be one of the greatest players ever. He had Robert Parrish on his team. For those that don’t know who this is, he is considered to be one of the top 50 great-est players of all time. Next Magic Johnson, probably the greatest point guard ever, al-ways had another great player alongside him. This includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest centers of all time. A current player that has played alongside other great players is Kobe Bryant. He had Shaq for three of his four NBA championships. His other championship was won with future Hall-of-Famer Pau Gasol. Finally there’s Michael Jordan, the greatest basket-ball player of all time. Even this legend had hall of famer Scottie Pippen on his side for all of his Championships. As you can see, almost all of the greats played with other elite players. A few years ago, re-member Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce request-ed a trade from their respec-tive teams to come together and play in Boston creating the first “big three” of our generation. When this hap-pened, people loved it. They said these guys are heroes for making personal sacrifice to make a great team. How come we aren’t getting this re-sponse for LeBron? LeBron James has a huge ego. Everyone knows this. He loves being in the spotlight and being the cen-ter of attention. He loves racking up triple doubles and having big nights scoring. He loves throwing down mon-ster dunks that make people want to worship him. When LeBron decided to leave for Miami, he was taking a hit to his ego. LeBron would no longer be scoring 30 points a night. He knew his beloved stats would go down. For someone like LeBron who has such a big ego, this is a huge sacrifice, and before you judge him even more, consider how much LeBron’s ego took a hit. Now that the Cavs have played the Heat, let’s move on with being Cavs fans. Not LeBron haters.

By Kelly Bergenstein You’ve been count-ing down the days for months now. You’re still panicking about whether or not you’ve bought gifts for all the people that matter most to you, and you’re secretly wondering whether or not you’ll get that sparkling new something-or-other from your parents. It’s the holiday sea-son—time to give, reflect, and overeat. No matter what your religious affiliation is, come the end of the year, you can’t help but feel a little bit more spir-ited, and a lot more bloated. We spend our winter break decorat-ing, stringing lights, clean-ing the house, and planning a dinner that’s basically iden-tical to every other holi-day. Your wal-let is getting thinner, and your home-made sweater is holding back a few more calories this time of year, but no matter how terrible the weather is, or how obnoxious your younger cousins can be, this is what you’ve waited all year for. Your smile is no lon-ger the pained, family-photo grin, but a real smile that takes up your wind-whipped face. Even with the associated, For Chardonians wait-ing on that one day of Christ-mas bliss, which, let’s face it, is

the majority of us, we spend our days making Christmas cook-ies, vacation plans, and weeding through Black Friday ads. Well, children, heinous reindeer sweaters and gifts aside, some people tend to forget how much this holiday means to a good chunk of the human race, so let’s not take advantage of it. Throughout our childhood, we associate Christmas with shiny, wrapped presents, but the birth of a religious focal point should be higher up on our list of priorities for us. Consider-ing the number of people living

and dying in the world for their savior, Jesus Christ, we could take a little more time out of our wish-list writing phase to be thankful. This is not to say that every kid in this country has their nose in the air dur-ing this time of year. One way we can make sure that we stay humble is to help give a great holiday to those who may not have the means of celebrating it. Our school collects money annually for Jeremy’s Kids, but

this is not the only way to be-come involved. Donations to the Salvation Army are always accepted, no matter how big or the small the amount may be. Places such as churches, com-munity centers, and schools also participate in fundraisers and drives to collect gifts of household items, and toys to help the underprivileged peo-ple in our community. This time of giving, however, is not limited to those of the Christian faith. Many other religious groups, such as members of the Jewish faith, and people that consider

themselves non-denominational also take the time at the close of the year to celebrate. Hanuk-kah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, and Ashura also take place in the month of Decem-ber. Feasts, the ex-change of gifts, and parties are all apart of the celebration of these holidays. Even if we do not take part in the

celebrations of other religions, we must accept their tradi-tions, regardless of whether or not we fully embrace them. There is always room for dis-agreement, but there should never be space for hostility, es-pecially during this time of year. As the snow starts piling up, and the decorations are placed, we must remember that this is the season to be jolly. Keep the stress at a minimum, and take a dive into some holiday spirit.

By Justin Tager There are a lot of stu-dent in Chardon High School who are doing sports or ex-tracurricular activities because they want to follow the foot-step of their parents. However, they could be doing it because they are being pressured by their parents. The more extra-curricular activities and sports

you do, the better it looks for your college and resumes. Par-ents could be using that as an excuse to “pressure” their kids into doing these school activi-ties. In my opinion, it isn’t right to make your kid do a school activity if it doesn’t fit his or her interest. Since the age eleven, my parents have been trying to get me into doing

sports and other activi-ties. They always use to say, “If you take a sport for school, you could enjoy school more or make more friends.” Af-ter they convinced me, I started playing basketball in middle school, soccer, and track in freshman year. Later I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my time. If your parents are trying to get you to do a sport or other activity such as Interact, clubs, or year-book, you should decide for yourself if you really want to do it and if its for you. Sophomore Nathan

Strimbu says, “My mom has been trying to get me to do an extracurricular activity just be-cause it looks good for colleg-es. I’m going to get involved in Interact and I don’t even want to.” Nathan shouldn’t have to do Interact Club if it’s not for him. He is a prime example for how parents can make their kids get involved. Another thing that could be a problem is if a kid is doing a sport because they were pressured from their par-ents, and they want to quit be-cause they’re just not enjoying it or whatever the reason, they wouldn’t want to upset the guardian that pressured them into it. If their parents were strict, it could upset them that they would want to quit, espe-cially if they want their kid to follow in their footsteps. Don’t let your parents make you do an activity to do with school if you don’t want to. It may look good for schools or jobs, but they are made to have more fun with school and be involved.

Parents continue to pressure children

EntertainmentThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010 5

Cleveland comedy group gaining popularity

Chardon students play in prestigious youth symphony

T.I. struggles with addiction

By Rachel Teuscher The Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony (CYWS) is a prestigious orchestra program with some of the top high school musicians in Northeast Ohio and Chardon High School is lucky enough to have ten students participat-ing this year. The re-nowned symphony was founded by Dr. Gary M. Ciepluch and Robert McAllester in 1989 and is sponsored by Case Western Reserve Uni-versity and the Cleve-land Institute of Music. Freshman Han-nah Bena; Sophomores Hannah Previty, An-drew Ferris, Ryan Gillespie, Jacob Hamblen, and Connor Ingram; juniors Brittain Els-wick and Paige Smearman; and seniors Kirsten Nye-gard and Janna Parker all rep-resent Chardon in CYWS. About 450 high school students from around North-east Ohio audition for the fall season in May to get into the two possible ensembles (group I and II). “They’re very intimi-dating, you have to play two so-los, one fast, one slow, and you play in front of Dr. Ciepluch, the director of group one and the music director at Cleveland Institute of Music,” says sopho-more Hannah Previty. The stu-

who are as serious about per-forming as they are,” she says. CYWS performs at a number of venues each year, including the well-known Sev-erance Hall. “We have around five performances, the places

vary for each group but we go to Men-tor and Medina High Schools, Severance Hall, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, CSU, and the OMEA State Convention,” says Previty. However, they have performed inter-nationally as well. In the past, they have traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Australia.

CYWS’s next per-formance in the Cleveland area is at Severance Hall on Sunday, February 20 at 3:00 p.m. and tickets are available online or at the Severance Hall Box Office. For more performance dates go to CY-WS’s website: www.cyws.org. When asked about her students, band teacher Mrs. Lichtler said, “I am very proud of the Chardon repre-sentation that we have in the Cleveland Youth Wind Sym-phony. It says a lot about the talent of Chardon students as well as their dedication to get up early on Saturday morn-ings and drive to Cleveland!”

dents who audition do not find out if they got into the pro-gram until summer, making it a “nerve-racking experience.” Every Saturday morning, all the young musicians rehearse at Case Western, allowing the

students to play the music together on a weekly basis. Group 1 is conducted by Dr. Gary M. Ciepluch, the direc-tor of bands and an associate professor at Case Western. Group II is conducted by Char-don High School’s very own band director, Melissa Lichtler.Mrs. Lichtler claims the stu-dents become much better musicians.” They have the op-portunity to play more ad-vanced music than they would normally get in school and are expected to learn it in just a few rehearsals before they have a performance. It’s a great ex-perience for them to perform with other student musicians

By Andrew Blackley They’re big fish in a small pond, local Clevelanders, and extremely funny people. Last Call Cleveland has re-leased the schedule for their new ‘tour’ called “Last Call Cleveland Saves Cleveland.” Best known for their “Hast-ily Made Cleveland Tourism Promotional Videos,” Last Call Cleveland also performs live, as a sketch comedy group. Last Call Cleveland consists of Mike Polk, Aaron McBride, Matt Zitelli, and Mark McKenzie, whose come-dic talents have made them Cleveland celebrities. Aaron said he and Mike met at Kent State, working on the campus news station. Mike and James, a former cast member, created a show on the campus station and eventually asked Aaron to help out with the show. They eventually met Mark and Matt doing comedy in Cleveland; Matt and Mark were in two separate comedy troupes be-fore, but both studied under Second City. Aaron and Mike eventually asked them to join their troupe. When asked about Cleveland and how it’s been after their success, Aaron modestly said that he doesn’t think Cleveland knows they exist, though Matt said it has been great. They said their first gig went well, but look-ing back, Aaron claimed it to be a weak show. Mark and Matt had studied at Second

City and said stage wasn’t any-thing new for them, though Aaron said he didn’t have the guts or the confidence to do comedy until he met Mike. Last Call Cleveland has been doing shows in Cleveland for years, and have a following, but their “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Vid-eo,” which has been featured on several Cleveland channels and shows like Tosh.0, has re-ally boosted their following. Their latest show, “Last Call Saves Cleveland,” started back in September, but they still have many more showings coming up. They have shows on January 14, 15, 28 & 29, and April 1 & 2 at Playhouse Square at 7:30. For tickets call 216-241-6000. They were vot-ed 2009’s best Live Comedy on FOX 8’s Hot List. Though they are named Last Call Cleveland, they still perform all over the US and even Can-ada, in cities like New York, LA, Chicago and Toronto. “I think they’re hilarious,” sophomore Danny Parmertor says. “It feels like they can change peo-ple’s thoughts on Cleveland.” For some great lo-cal comedy, definitely try out Last Call Cleveland. They’re spreading the love of Forbe’s “Most Miserable City,” Cleve-land, all over America. On top of that, they’re extremely funny, and as their Cleve-land tourism video says, “at least we’re not Detroit!”

By Nate Kooy One of the best rap-pers out there, T.I., says that he has a drug problem! T.I. told VIBE about his addiction and how it all started after his dental surgery. “I had a lot of work done to my teeth,” T.I. explained. “Oral surgery, extract ions , six, seven, eight root canals”. He also said that while he was in jail last year, he had fillings fall out of his mouth, which were redone and he received pain killers (oxycontin and hy-drocodone) if he ever needed them. “Then I get these pills and I start taking them for the pain at first,” he explained to the publication. “And then I’m like, wait this makes me feel good. And it’s legal”.

He continued using the pain killers even when he was 100% recovered from his surgeries, he admitted. He was asked how he knew he was ad-dicted. His response was “Ba-

sically if you put yourself in harm’s way... if you risk that, you’ve got to assume that there is s o m e t h i n g fundamentally wrong with your thought process.” T.I. is now saying how he wants to change his life or by making good choices in

some of his songs. Well, that needs to apply to him out-side of rapping. Two months later he got busted again. The rapper T.I. and his wife are both going to jail be-cause of possession of mari-juana in their car one Wednes-

day night during traffic stop. It was 10:30 p.m. at 9255 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, Cali-fornia September 2nd. Dur-ing the traffic stop, the offi-cer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car. The statement from the officer said, “A narcotics in-vestigation ensued,” during which T.I. and his wife “were found to be in possession of a controlled substance.” They both were taken to the

West Hollywood sheriff ’s sta-tion where they would be charged on drug possession. This isn’t surprising to me at all. One rapper after another is doing things like this. Some people have posted things about T.I.’s arrest. Posted by SWEAT “Some people just don’t learn…” another said by Philip “Love T.I. and Tinay but this is unacceptable. Just a few weeks ago, I saw T.I. on a talk show talking about taking re-

sponsibility for his life and be-ing a role model to his children. T.I. is just a really big hypocrite saying all these things you should do in life, whether that’s hanging in there when things get tough or making the right choices. It’s just sad that a rapper who’s saying that in his lyrics for his songs don’t apply that to himself, but most of all to his kids that he is sup-pose to be a role model for.

JumpThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010

6‘Cards’ continued from page 1Amber Grantham was work-ing as a medic for the Air Force prior to this Christmas, but will now be working at a hospital in Afghanistan. The cards first started when Am-ber was stationed in Germany. That year the letters were made by today’s senior class and mailed to her camp. On Christmas she would hand out the letters. Amber says that the cards do help. In fact, she stated, “Every time you have reminder [that] some is thinking about you, it makes your job that much easier.” “[The letters] would brighten the soldiers’ day, and [that would] make her happy,” said Mrs. Gratham. Also while at the hospital Amber will help the injured soldiers who can not write for themselves by writing and sending Christmas cards to there families. “There is nothing better to say than thank you,” says Amber both out to students who wrote

the cards and to the soldiers themselves who are serving. “I love my job,” Amber said with-out hesitation. She doesn’t regret her decision and tells high school students, “You can dream about the future, what you want to be, where you want to go, but don’t lose focus on what your doing be-cause this is your foundation.This Christmas the Granthams will be celebrating Christ-mas during Thanksgiving when Amber is home with them. In past Christmases, they have used Skype so they could be together, virtually at least, and Amber could watch the children open presents. Our letters are worth-while just as the work the sol-diers are doing is worthwhile. Even though the soldiers can’t be home for the holiday, we at Chardon High School can send them a piece of home, so they will know we are think-ing about them this Christmas.

‘Talent’ continued from page 1“Last year it was really nice to be able to perform with Jimmy; all of my friends were really supportive, and it’s a cool way to have fun.” As a senior, she wanted to do the talent show this year as a way of wrap-ping up her performance at CHS. “I definitely recommend for all grades to try out next year. It’s so much fun and you won’t forget the experience.” This year’s talent show cons i s ted of 29 per-f o r m e r s and 18 acts. To start the show off, The Spi-dey Duo of Sean Casa-mento and Joe Linksy ( featuring Alex Phillips) performed a clever untitled rap followed by other various vocal acts, such as Devon Beckwith singing a medley of various popular pop, country and rap songs, accom-panied by Andrew Rebera. The band The Way, consisting of singers Logan Karr and Elliot Bocchieri, performed their original songs “In the Evening” and “Freedom for Two.” There were also several songs when a group of performers would sing together or provide ac-

companiment for one singer. Many singers also performed their own original songs; Lea Marra, Jimmy Borsi and Sara Jurgens, who sang while also playing the piano, offered the crowd creative and well-played melodies. Steering away from the vocal path was KJ Miller, wowing the crowd with his yo-yo tricks to the song “In the Middle” by Jimmy Eat

W o r l d . Alex Phil-ips, Cody A d a m s and Cal-vin Bru-e n i n g s h o w e d off their beat-box-ing skill in the acts “Bea t s .” The show e n d e d

with the a cappella, song mash-up act “Music and Stuff” consisting of Brandon Karcic, Mark Arbogast, Mike Lada, Ryan Scull, Anna Turbett, Ash-ley Karcic, KJ Miller, Maddy Mc-Cluskey and Elliot Bocchieri and music teacher Mr. Streiff. The CHS Talent Show really proves how talented the students at Chardon are; be sure to go to next year’s if you missed this one!

Gymnastics team continues training and competing at West Geauga By Melissa Trykowski This season, eight girls have been working hard to continue with gymnastics at Chardon High School. Seniors Cailey Hilnovsky, Jessica Hanson, Kirstyn Nyegard, Maria Monarchino, freshmen Selena Haverlock, Briana Patrick, Joanna Baird, and junior Carita Haverlock have been coming together to condition and practice harder than they have before. The team is representing Chardon against Chagrin Falls, Orange, NDCL, and West Geauga. They will compete in four events including Floor, Beam, Bars, and Vault. Although they are competing against West Geauga, they are also practicing with them because of the lack of equipment and coaches. This past summer Denise Prout, the girl’s old coach, passed away. She coached Chardon gymnastics for 27 years and was a gymnast her whole life. “Denise was an inspirational woman and very devoted to the gymnastics team…no one could ever

replace a woman like her,” says senior team member Maria Monarchino. “We all love her and miss her.” Senior Jessica Hanson remarked, “I dedicate this year in her memory by working hard and working hard as a team throughout the season. The coaches we have this year are great people as well. They have knowledge of the sport and keep us working hard to improve.” Maria was at first against moving to practice at West G. However, she has begun to appreciate the move since the team has been provided better equipment, more coaches, and more room to practice. “The only bad thing would be the 25 minute commute every day,” she says. As far as practicing with West G, she says, “I feel we are all forming a unique bond. We may all be from different schools, but we are all one team coming together to accomplish a common goal. To master the sport of gymnastics.” Jessica is also very

happy about the move, besides the fact that “the gas money definitely adds up quick!” “It’s been very beneficial to the team as a whole,” she comments, “we get to work with some amazing coaches who are well experienced in the sport and truly care about each gymnast regardless of their skill level. We also get to practice with top-notch equipment which definitely benefits training for competitions.” These girls have just started competing and won their first meet against West G. She has high expectations this season and hopes to make it to districts or even further this year. Gymnastics may require a lot of different skills than many other sports, but some of the lessons that a gymnast learns are very similar to many other sports. “It’s most definitely a sport that you need a lot of mental strength as well as physical strength,” says Hanson. “You can’t hold yourself back because of fear or let yourself get down due to frustration.”

Chardon sophomore has unique talentBy Madeline Vanscoyoc Chardon High school sophomore KJ Miller has created a lot of attention for himself through his eye-catching hobby, yo-yoing. KJ has been yo-yoing for about two- and –a- half years now. He stumbled upon the hobby, through a common typo in the search bar on YouTube. He was brought to a yo-yo video and that was when his love for the sport began. KJ said he idolizes world fa-mous yo-yoer Augie Fash. Augie Fash is currently the world’s fastest yo-yoer and holds many speed records. KJ hopes to be like him one day. He bought one of his favorite yo-yo’s, the Team Edition 401k,

off of Augie Flashes’ website. KJ said that this particular yo-yo is worth $300, but he only paid $80 for it. Still, the expense was worth getting it. KJ said he always carries a yo-yo with him anywhere he goes. Whenever he can, he practices his amazing tricks like Buddha’s Revenge, Split the Atom, or Gyroscopic Flop. Sophomore Gabby Hollowell has seen KJ’s talents and was very im-pressed. She said she first wit-nessed KJ’s yo-yoing last year during freshman mentoring. Gabby said KJ would always keep the class entertained by unexpectedly getting up and performing a mind-blowing trick. Gabby also said, “KJ’s tal-ent is so original, I would never

be able to learn how to yo-yo as well as him.” When asked what KJ plans to do with yo-yoing in the future he replied, “I hope to get sponsors one day for my yo-yoing, but I don’t want to make it my career.” Even though he doesn’t plan to make a living off of his hobby, his goal is to possibly make it to the world yo-yo competition, where there are thousands of competitors. KJ suggests that others take up this fun hobby. He said that yo-yoing helps a lot with hand eye coordination and makes you focus more. So next time you see KJ Miller, ask him to show you his outstanding and amazing talent of yo-yoing.

Want to advertise with The Hilltop Echo?

For information and rates, contact Mr. Doug Snyder at Doug.Snyder@chardonschools.org

OR(440) 285-4057

“tHE CHS TALENT SHOW REALLY PROVES

HOW TALENTED THE STUDENTS AT

cHARDON ARE.”

SportsThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010

7Runners prepare for spring in indoor track

By Adam Benjamin For dedicated ath-letes, there is no off-season. Track athletes train all year round, even in the winter. Don’t let the name fool you: indoor track does not take place completely indoors. Ev-eryday after school, runners brave the cold weather, snow, and bitter wind to better their athletic endurance with runs that are usually six miles or longer. They aren’t running for the recognition or the awards. Although there are meets that take place in Geneva, indoor track is not technically a high school sport. That means no letter and no Chardon Crazies

cheering for you. However, all this running pays off. With track season just around the corner for these athletes, get-ting in shape now is important. “Without indoor track, I would still be getting in shape for track season when it began. Now I am going to be in top shape when track sea-son comes,” says sophomore distance runner Steven Shaker. His least favorite part of indoor track is the snow. On the contrary, Alec Bost, also a sophomore distance runner, actually enjoys running in the snow, naming long runs in the snow as his favorite part. All runners seem to

share a hatred of the place fondly referred to as “Hernia Hill,” located near the chalet. With visits twice a week to this dreaded location and the added factor of the snow, it is not a surprise that this is not a fun time for these runners. Meets for the runners are similar to track meets in the spring. However, unlike a typical track that measures 400 meters per lap, these in-door tracks are normally a distance of only 200 meters. Runners aren’t a fan of this format – they now have to travel around the track twice as many times, making for a seemingly longer distance. Distance, coached by Mr. Shafer, is not the only discipline featured in indoor track. Sprinting is also featured, coached by Mr. Bartley. Joe Lad-auto, a sprinter who is part of the team that holds the record for fastest 4x100 at the middle school, says sprinters, obvi-ously, do lots of speed train-ing including accelerations and blocks. They also concentrate on core and lift weights. Joe says his least favorite part is a series of core exercises known as “Thirty minutes of Hell.”

Bocce ball season recapBy Andrew Rebera The past few months have been very intense here at Chardon High School as the Bocce Ball Club’s teams participated in multiple tour-naments. The first tournament had been held at Kenston High School for eight years. It was held on the school’s football practice field with profession-ally designated areas to begin play. There were two brackets in which Chardon teams and Kenston teams were mixed in. Both brackets played within themselves until one team from each bracket remained, sending those two teams to the championship round. The Chardon teams understood that they had a very decent amount of competition, but seemed prepared. Brett Zupon

said, “I am more than ready for the games, and we goin’ to the ‘ship.” And so they did. Before the tourna-ment began, all four teams from Chardon and the four teams from Kenston practiced. The team Space Jam, consist-ing of Brett Zupon, Andrew Rebera, Alex Cobb, and Sam Forstyk, had their work cut out for them. The team had only been together for three weeks prior to the tourna-ment and had only practiced three times together. Even though they remained unde-feated in practice, the team knew that they would have to play their best in these next few matches in order to quali-fy for the championship game. Going into the first game, Space Jam was a little cocky because they were paired up against a fellow Chardon team that they had previously beaten before in practice. They were unaware that the team had come ready to play which resulted in a close game un-til the end. After a long game, Space Jam emerged victorious after a two-ball score bringing the score to 13-10. The next game was against a Kenston team. Space Jam played better this round, ending in a score of 13-9. The third game was a different story. Space Jam was definitely slacking this game against the team “Small Chil-

dren” as they were down 8-0 in the very beginning of the game. After some pep talk from teammate Alex Cobb, Space Jam decided to go as hard as they could and outscored the rival team 12-2 in a four round go-around, coming out with a 13-10 win. The final game was only minutes away and Space Jam prepared to take the title from the undefeated Kenston team, “Off.” The game started off well for Space Jam with a 4-0 lead. Off fought right back, though, eventually bringing the score to 10-9 with Space Jam still in the lead. It was Space Jam’s turn to throw, and with an amazing shot by teammate Brett Zupon, three of Space Jam’s balls counted for points, giving them the 13-9 win. A couple months

passed before the bocce ball club had another opportu-nity to play in a tournament. Chardon wanted to play Ken-ston’s bocce ball teams again in order to win their way to the top. Returning champion, Space Jam, was incredibly ex-cited for the tournament, but there were a few set backs. A few players on the team were not able to practice up until the day of the tournament and one of their players, Alex Cobb, was unable to attend the tour-nament. These circumstances set the tone early, giving a bad vibe to the players. There was good news, though. It hap-pened to be that the Kenston teams did not want to play in the tournament because of the cold and snow, so the tourna-ment was over before it began. The sad ending was that only two teams partici-pated in the tournament for the December circuit tro-phy: Space Jam and the Bocce Ballers. Space Jam was miss-ing Alex Cobb, the opener for the team. After a very intense game, Space Jam emerged victorious with a 13-10 win, winning the trophy for their team. The team is undoubtedly ready for the next tourna-ment against Kenston, where hopefully Kenston will show up. The exact date of the Janu-ary tournament is currently undecided. See you then!

What coaches look for in a HilltopperBy Roger Davis Sports play a big part in the lives of many students at Chardon High School. A pleth-ora of great athletes can be seen at the fall sports awards, which put in perspective just how many student athletes we have here at CHS. Many great attributes are needed to combine to make a good ath-lete, and while natural ath-leticism is great, it is not a necessity to be a great player in whatever sport a person is in. Mr. Frank Hall is the defensive coordinator of the CHS football team. What does he look for in an athlete? It is simple. “Character. Character. When it is the fourth quarter I want to know that I have guys I can count on in there.” A trait that is even more important than being naturally gifted is a good work ethic and charac-ter. No matter how talented you are, without hard work and dedication, it will not mat-ter. Coach Hall agrees saying, “Hard work is the key word. In the history of Chardon football hard work has been the corner stone of it all.” He added, “A lack of natural tal-ent or athletic ability can be

overcome with hard work and reliability. It is to be someone that the coaches can trust and your teammates can trust.” Coaches love to see players who hustle and work hard in practice. Obviously there is no downside to hav-ing a good work ethic because not only will your coaches like you and it will make you a bet-

ter player, but it will make you a better person in the future. A good work ethic will trans-late into your life when it is time to get a job or to do your school work. Having a good atti-tude is another necessity that coaches look for in their ath-letes. They want to see play-ers who do not make excuses and put all their effort into practice. The Chardon foot-

ball coaches ingrain the words, “yes sir. No sir. No excuses” into the heads of their play-ers from the time that they are in middle school. Not only will this mentality make you a better player in your sport of choice but it will make your coaches like and respect you. Confidence is an-other key aspect to being a

great player. Whether it is taking the open shot or making the big play, believ-ing in yourself and being aggressive is imperative to succeeding. Coaches want to see confident and aggressive players no mat-ter what sport they play. Being timid is never a good thing and it will only hinder your performance. Many times at football practice coaches could be heard saying, “It is better

to make an aggressive mistake than do nothing at all.” So in review, to im-press your coaches and im-prove your playing in your sport you need to have a good work ethic, a good attitude, and confidence in yourself. With these simple concepts anyone can become a great player regardless of their natu-ral athleticism.

Coach Hall during sports practice.

SportsThe Hilltop Echo December 17, 2010

8By Graham Zimmermann When the snow and cold returns to Chardon, Ohio every year, Alpine Valley Ski area is the place you can find the winter fun. Although it isn’t as big or attractive a place as resorts like Holiday Valley or Peek ‘n Peak, Alpine has its charms. Located close by in Chesterland, Ohio, it is an easy drive during the harsh and snowy winters that normally plague this part of Northeast Ohio. These rough winters are another advantage Alpine has going for it. Other ski ar-eas in the state don’t receive nearly as much snowfall Alpine does. The large amounts of natural snow received at Al-pine allows the resort to save money on making and blow-ing its own man-made snow. The money saved here translates to lower prices on things like begin-ner ski packages, which Alpine offers at around $40. These packages include a lift ticket, rental equipment, and even a lesson. With deals like this, it is no wonder countless ski-ers and snowboarders from around this area are prod-ucts of the Alpine Valley ski school. Not only does the ski area cater to those just starting out, but also to the more advanced park riders. Years ago the area gained recognition for having the longest “permanent” half-pipe in the state. However, after a few winters of mea-ger snowfalls, this entire hill was put out of commission up until about two seasons ago. The hill, known as the “Ar-

rowhead,” which is marked as a black diamond meaning most difficult, has become a terrain park. This means things such as rails, boxes, and jumps are built and placed on this hill for park riders and skiers to go off of and do tricks on. “The new terrain park at Al-pine is definitely the best thing to happen there in a while”, says Cody Adams a snowboarder and senior at Chardon High School.With Alpine adding this hill to its arsenal, it really broadened up the variety of things for its guests to do. A few winters ago, the old rental barn at a Al-pine collapsed due to an ex-cess of snow and ice buildup on its roof. While this was an incredibly unfortunate event, it opened up the door for im-provements to be made to the facility and resulted in the con-struction of an entirely new rental barn that gave Alpine a more up-to-date feel. Since this building has been built, operations have been running much smoother. Not only does this building house the typical rental equipment, but it is also home to a few of the offices as well as the ticket counter. Although often looked upon as a boring, out-of-style ski area, Alpine Valley offers the citizens of Chesterland, Char-don, and the surrounding ar-eas a unique opportunity. Not many communities are lucky enough to have somewhere to ski and have fun so close to home. For as much criticism as it takes we should appre-ciate what we have in Alpine.

Alpine Valley Resort draws in many Chardon students

Chardon girls basketball in full swingBy Dan Belliveau As fall sports come to an end, it’s time for a new group of athletes to step up and make a name for themselves. With the start of the season right around the corner, the Lady Toppers are hard at work. The girls are facing a tough challenge due to the absence of the senior laden team from a year ago. Three of their five starters graduated leaving big spots to fill. Among the returning starters are junior Halle Her ingshaw, senior Kristen Liggett, and senior Steph Bartol. Junior Halle Hering-shaw is also the team’s captain. When asked about the team this year, she quickly responded with, “I think we have a lot of potential this year, we have all the parts to be a very good team. I know that we lost a lot of good payers from last year, but we have girls ready to jump in and fill those spots.” The girls started the tryouts on October 29 and five days later the team was set. The roster consists of four seniors, seven juniors, and one sophomore. The team stepped into action for the first time against a much un-derrated Kirtland team who gave the Lady Toppers a scare to start. The girls picked it up

and came out with a solid win, but more importantly, they played well down the stretch when it really mattered. When asked about finally being back on the court, the girls were very enthusiastic but admitted a lot of work still had to be done. Next on the schedule was a very impressive Euclid team. After a long and hard fought game, the Lady Top-pers once again came out on top in a close 69 to 63 game.

After Lady Toppers had built some confidence and bonded together as a team, they played a Hudson team with a couple of divi-sion one players in the making and a well-respected coach. The Hudson Explorers over-matched the Toppers and sent them back to the drawing board. “It’s always hard to lose but we know it is still very ear-ly and we have to use this as motivation to get better every practice,” said junior Rachel Hatridge. Also back in action for the Hilltoppers was senior Megan Keppler after a bad knee injury that kept her out

of most of the season last year. “With the scrimmag-es out of the way it is now the time to step up and play good when it really counts” said Halle. The toppers open their regular season on No-vember 27 away at Normandy, and play their first home game on December 4 against Trinity. The girls play in the P.A.C. and compete against quality oppo-nents throughout the entire

twenty game sched-ule. “If we put in the time and effort, with our new coaches, I believe that we can be a very competi-tive team and do some really special things,” Tricia Nor-ris said when asked about how deep the team can go this year. One year ago, Chardon was a game away from

the P.A.C. championship, but Geneva came in and took it away. The girls still have very hard feelings about the game and cannot wait to play Ge-neva’s squad this year. The two teams will meet twice during the regular season, the first on December 22 at Geneva, and the second on February 5 at Chardon High School. The ladies also look forward to playing the Madi-son Blue Streaks away where they have not won in three years. The season ends with a home game against the Berk-shire Badgers on February 19.