Library Summer Programs for Teens

Summer Programs and Events at the Strongsville Library
By Amy Brighter

School is out and suddenly, students have a lot of time on their hands. Luckily for those in Strongsville, the Strongsville Library is offering plenty of events to beat summer boredom.
One of the library’s best known programs has always been the reading race for children each summer. But the library offers several programs for teens as well.
From comics to video games to spa days, there is something for everyone at the library. Unless otherwise noted, most events can be registered for online at cuyahogalibrary.org or by calling the Strongsville Library at (440) 238-5530

Comix Quest
A monthly discussion of graphic novels and comic books held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 4:30. Each month is a different comic or graphic novel. All students from grades 5-12 are invited. Register ahead of time at the library for more information
Summer meeting dates:
June 17, Fantastic Four: Lost Adventures
July 15, Comic TBA

The Book Lounge
A book discussion group for grades 5 and up. You must register in person to sign up and get a copy of the book.
Summer dates:
June 18, 10:30
The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence
July 2, 10:30
The 13th Floor: a Ghost Story by Sid Fleichmann
Parent-Child Session: July 16, 10:30
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Sun Party
Members of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association visit to examine the Sun through a special solar viewing telescope. In case of bad weather, solar-related activities will be offered inside. For all ages.
June 26, 2-3pm

Risky Business
Meet with representatives from the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s office to discuss disease, decay and how behaviors you do now affect your body. Behaviors discussed include drugs, food, alcohol and no exercising Both diseased and healthy organs will be shown as examples. Ages 11-15
July 14, 1:30-2:30

DIY: Spa to Go
Bring a relative or friend to make all-natural beauty products and have a relaxing spa experience. What is made can be brought home and be used. Refreshments are included.
July 19, 7pm

Parrot Hope Rescue
Meet with the volunteers of this organization, which helps rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and neglected parrots. This group helped over 150 parrots in 2009 alone.
July 27, 7-8:30

Young Entrepreneurs Video Game Development Camp
At this two day camp, create a video game while learning to understand gaming design and theory. Participants will make individual levels, goals and characters. After the game is made, find out how to market it. Ages 14-18
August 11-12, 9am-7:30pm

News around the US, 4/20

Yuma Sun: District 1 Reconsiders Salary Cut
Yuma District 1 members voted to remove a retired/return to work pay cut. Originally the plan was to limit returning teachers pay on a scale from 0-12 years of experience, even if the teacher had exceeded 12 years. Before this plan teachers automatically received 80% of their last contract. The district was looking at making some cuts to teaching staff, but they received an extra $300,000 in aid after the state reviewed their attendance records.

The Morning News-Rodgers: Engineer Proposes Repair Plan
A water utility engineer suggested that the city spend $1 million a year over 10 years repairing outdated sewer lines installed 50 years ago. The repairs would be less expensive if done within house instead of hiring a contractor. The consulting company would also take a year to do inspections before beginning work that the Waterworks and Sewer Commission could handle.

Lodi News-Sentinel: A Devastating Blow
On Monday, US announced that two of the top leaders of Al-Qaida in Iraq have been killed. The task was accomplished by an air and ground strike near Saddam Hussein’s hometown. This is considered to be the biggest blow to the terrorist organization since the Iraq invasion began.

Los Angeles Times: Obama Presses for Showdown on Financial Reform.
After the announcement of the Goldman Sachs Democrats are putting greater pressure on passing large financial reforms through the Senate this week. Democrats have accused Republicans of protecting banks in such a way as to cause another financial meltdown.

Watchford County Festival Brings Old and New Cultures Together

The Watchford County fairgrounds have been busy with preparations for this year's county fair. Hosted by the Watchford County Historical Society, this years fair began last Saturday and will run for two weeks, closing on July 16.
The fair involves rides, food, entertainment and competition in multiple categories. A schedule of events is available on watchfordcountyfair.com.
Headlining the fair this year are The Futuristic Bikers, who are well-known for their onstage antics in addition to their hard-rock sound. The Bikers got their start at the fair, first performing in 1999. Since then, their sound, and their crazy rides, have become a staple of the Watchford County Fair.
"We've really expanded our act in the 11 years we've been together." said frontman Mike "Hog" Roberts, "and we appreciate the recognition as the headliner this year."


Futuristic Bikers singer Mike "Hog" Roberts at the wheel

Also playing at this year's fair is The Deadbeats, Ryan High Genius, and a special Battle of the Bands on Saturday, July 9. The Battle of the Bands is a new addition at this year's fair, showcasing 10 of the best local bands. Planners hope that it will become an annual tradition.
"We tried to find the best for this competition, from the competitors to the judges." said Battle planner Jim Harpy.
For the other competitions, the popular baking and sculpture contests will be returning, in addition to the traditional livestock and crop contests.
New this year is two competitions giving nods to Watchford's Native American Heritage. Tribal Dancing and Native Costumes have been added, each with a $500 first place prize.
"We would like to pay homage to the history of Watchford County," said Historical Society President Mary Lassic.
Several local groups have shown interest in these new categories, and it is expected that the dances will be a draw at the opening of the festival.
"We have worked hard to prepare for the competition, and we expect it to be steep." said Sarah Redwood, a member of local dance troop Tribal Waves.


Members of Tribal Waves reherse for the new Tribal Dance competition.

The rides this year are being provided by Carnival Connections, after the disastrous accident last year with the Ferris wheel provided by Attractions Unlimited Inc. Though there were talks of removing rides this year, fears that attendance would greatly drop prevented this move.
Despite the fears, there have been greater steps to ensure the safety of all festival-goers.
"We've made an effort to run every ride through extensive safety inspections and precautions." said Carnival Connections Vice President Andrew Owen.
"We are looking forward to this festival," said County Commissioner Fred Baker. "This is a great opportunity to showcase the best of Watchford County."
Last year's festival brought in over $100,000 to Watchford county after expenses. The majority is donated to various community services including the Watchford Improvement Fund and the Youth Development Commission. Both groups are dedicated to improving life in Watchford now and in the future.

Prom Do's and Don'ts

For most, it happens once in a student’s four year high school career, and it’s a night few want to mess up. Prom has taken on a persona of its own, and a lot of pressure comes with that.
So with the big day approaching, what should seniors be thinking about? Seniors of the class of 2009 weighed in on what this year’s class should know about prom.
First things first: Who to go with?
“I would change waiting till last minute to get a date to go with,” said Lauren.
A date isn’t strictly necessary though.
“Going dateless isn’t as bad as everyone thinks it is.” said Keri.
What is most important is going with friends.
“I wouldn't change the group I went with. I went with my friends and had a lot of fun.” said Lauren.
“Make sure you go with who you want to be with that night because it's your last high school dance,” said Laura. “Don't stress about who is at your table or how many people are in your group. You should expect it to be a good time with the people you care about and will have lasting memories with.”
As for the other details, opinions differed. Some regretted not getting a limo.
“Not saying that being driven to prom by my friend's dad was a bad thing, but trying to fit four girls in poofy dresses in an SUV was a tight squeeze,” said Keri.
Getting one’s hair done caused a lot of disagreement as well.
“I don't regret actually going out to get my hair done, it was worth it; much to my surprise.” said Jessica.
“If I did it again, I would have my aunt do my hair. Salons are overrated because they never actually listen to what you want them to do,” disagrees Annie.
The dress may be the star of the night, but what covers your feet isn’t as important.
“Don't spend too much time or money worrying about shoes; you won't wear them long.” adds Jessica.
There is one important thing to remember, no matter what the plans are; don’t get too caught up in everything.
“Don't have ideas of grandeur!” said Annie. “Prom is another dance, so relax like you would at any other dance. It's more fun, and the stress involved takes the magic away.”
As for the night itself, be prepared for lots of pictures.
“Expect parents to want to take a bunch of pictures at every stage of the prom preparation process,” said Jessica. “Don't expect to take all that many pictures during prom. At the end of the night you should have more photos pre-prom than during prom.”
And be prepared for the food as well, especially if you’re a picky eater.
“Get something to eat before you go.” said Keri.
“The food will not be all that good, don't get your hopes up,” agreed Jessica.
That doesn’t mean all of prom won’t be great.
“I would say the best part about prom is that all the guys are decked out in tuxedos and nothing beats that!” said Laura.
“You spend a night with your class, people you really love,” said Annie, “and it's a wonderful moment of bonding because everyone knows they are leaving and just wants to have a good time to remember high school.”
Everyone agreed on one thing: just enjoy the night.
“I would have not worried about the limo, or where pictures were taken.” says Annie, “None of that matters afterwards and it just takes away from the actual day.”

And the Oscar Goes To... SHS Morning Announcements!

The Lantern is rolling out the red carpet for the first ever SHS Announcement Academy Awards.
These awards are going to students who have displayed extraordinary talent in the field of making entertaining openers.
Openers have become an emblem of Strongsville High, giving students humor and information every day during second period.
Every student has a favorite opener from their four years of high school. These awards highlight recent classics introduced to the student body on the morning announcements.
Each clip is a reminder of the activities, teachers and students that make our school great. From goofy reminders about school policies, to entertaining reminders about upcoming events, openers give students something to look forward to every day.
Openers were rated on a 1-5 scale in two categories: Creativity and execution.
Creativity is based on the uniqueness of material in the opener, especially in writing.
Execution refers to the quality of filming and techniques used.

Best Original Song: “The DECA Song,” Lew, Erik and Chase
Creativity: 5
The DECA song won major points for its creative and catchy lyrics. What a great way to get students interested in DECA.
Execution: 5
The video gives the feeling of a music video, and the setting of the opener in what looks like a recording studio only reinforces that vibe.
Lew- “Some say there comes a time in a man’s life in which he truly feel he did a great job and has finally been appreciated for his work. This is that time. Speaking on behalf of two of the most creative and inspiring musicians of the decade (Chase and Erik), all of the credit for this video goes to us. Erik put together one of the most catchy and informative DECA promotions in history, while Chase produced and played an epic solo. All the credit goes to the group. Thank you.”

Best Documentary: “Senior Finals: True or False” series, Kyle
Creativity: 5
The use of interjections to dispel myths about taking finals senior year is short, sweet and to the point. The true and false type format is catchy and appeals to the short attention spans of groggy students.
Execution: 4
Though the opener used some fun special effects, the use of them is slightly awkward. Overall, the effects resulted in a opener with an impact.

Best Message: “Hike ‘em!,” Alex
Creativity: 5
Funny and inventive, this opener is clearly hammering home its message to pull up your pants. Even guilty parties can’t help but laugh at the unattractiveness of saggy pants.
Execution: 4
While the segment is well-filmed, it lacks some inventiveness in the shots. Even so, it doesn’t take away from the overall effect.
Alex- "I would like to thank all of my supporters, they were instrumental in the making of this film. I promised I wouldn't get emotional... You know I had the idea for this video back in '94, but it was too sophisticated for the times. Everyone said it could never be done, they were only adding fuel to my fire. Fourteen years later, the technology was finally advanced enough to produce the film. It just goes to show you that with a little patience and elbow grease, anything is possible. Thank you."

Best Sports Montage: Wrestling, Clay
Creativity: 4
Though there is a montage for almost every sport at SHS, this opener stood out with its edgy music and eye catching clips.
Execution: 5
Overall, this film was well edited and presented. The entire package is a really great effect, and shows some great skill on Clay’s part.
Clay- “I’d like to thank Ruese for giving me the idea and Alex for the great song. I wanted to honor all the wrestlers and show how hard we work.”

Best Comedy: “Man vs. School,” Steve Gallas
Creativity: 5
As a spoof on the popular “Man vs. Wild” series, Steve perfectly executes his best British accent for a funny take on surviving life at SHS. From the now-defunct ID policy to lunchtime, no piece of high school is left untouched.
Execution: 5
The filming of this opener only reinforces the goals of the series’ humor.

From encouraging school policies, to showing pride in SHS sports and activities, the openers for the morning announcements give every student something to look forward to in the morning.
Keep up the good work SHS filmmakers. We look forward to more of your work in the future.