Mrs. Sagaert: Feature Teacher and wildlife volunteer

Written by: Jessica Allen '13

            Mrs. Sagaert has been teaching for 26 years, ten of which have been at ERHS. She worked in an elementary school in Ionia, Greyhound Intermediate, and the Eaton Rapids Middle School. Sagaert has been working with Special Education for 20 years.

            She attended Grand Valley for her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in teaching. Sagaert knew she was going to be a teacher at age five, “When I was in the basement with all of my friends, I was always the kid at the blackboard being the teacher.” Many people in her family were teachers as well. Her grandfather was a professor and her aunt was a teacher, which helped show her that she could do it also if she wanted.

Her favorite part about teaching is seeing the growth of her students over the four-year period she gets to spend with them and her favorite class to teach is math. Students know that she is very loud and ‘out there’ about everything. She shares her stories with anyone who will listen because she hopes that someday it will help someone.

She decided to work in the Special Education program when she helped out during high school. She worked one summer in a program for mentally challenged children and continued going back every summer after that.

            Mrs. Sagaert’s grandmother and mother gave her the love she has for animals and taught her about making a commitment to something. Her mother has been a nurse for 50 years, and is still going strong in her profession. Her mother plans on continuing nursing until the day she dies and Sagaert says, “I’ll probably be a teacher until I pass as well!”

Sagaert always had a strong love for animals and had she not become a teacher, she would have been a veterinarian. When asked about it, Mrs. Sagaert said, “I do sometimes wonder what it would have been like to be a veterinarian, but when I was little no one told me that I could be a vet, I thought it was only a job for males. At age 30, I thought about going back to vet school, but decided that with my career already started and my wildlife rescue it would be too much.”

Her hobbies include taking care of wildlife and her pets and hanging out with her house full of animals. She owns 12 indoor cats and has three dogs as well. Sagaert was in Florida recently for an international wildlife conference. It was two days long and she learned oil spill training and disaster planning. She plans on attending the trip to Costa Rica with Mrs. Nutt and Mrs. Brantley in the summer of 2012 to experience some of the other wildlife around the world.

Sagaert is known for her love of animals, along with her willingness to help anyone, or anything that needs it. As a result, she runs a wildlife rescue in Eaton Rapids three miles south of town called Wildside Rehabilitation, which admits around 1,000 animals every year. The rescue opened 16 years ago on the corner Bellevue Hwy. and Houston Rd. and now has three rooms to house animals in. There is a mammal, songbird, and raptor room. The rescue currently has eight non-releasable animals that are used for education. These include a horned owl, a red-tailed hawk, a short-eared owl, a screech owl, a North American beaver, and a woodchuck that only has bottom teeth and hangs out with cats.

There are many colorful animals with big personalities at the rescue, many of which are present just long enough to get healthy and be adopted or released back into the wild. The rescue is fully funded by donations and veterinarian bills are paid out-of pocket by Sagaert and her volunteers. Student volunteers are accepted, but it is a large commitment and a big responsibility.

Sagaert has much dedication to her students and her wildlife. She is a great teacher and mentor. Mrs. Sagaert will continue her teaching career for many more years at ERHS.

Where are they now: Scott Smith

Written by: Elizabeth Prieskorn '14

          We all know “Old” Mr. Smith and “Young” Mr. Smith. They’re some of the friendly faces we see in the hallways and classrooms at our school every day. If you’re lucky you have or have had one or both of them as your teacher. But, what about the other Mr. Smith? Where’s Scooter?

          He used to walk the halls of Eaton Rapids High School as many of us do today. Just like most of us have and will, Scooter made many great memories here at ERHS. One event that he will never forget includes his track squad winning the Regional Championship in 2003.

          He liked all of his teachers here, but his favorite would have to be his Dad, Old Mr. Smith. “He made economics exciting and digestible for a 9th grade audience.  His teaching inspired me to pursue a business degree”, says Scooter. Some of his favorite classes were Economics, Retail Marketing, Global Issues and Spanish.

          Scooter thoroughly enjoyed high school here at ERHS. Some of his best friends in high school are still his best friends today. Though most all of them have moved away from Eaton Rapids, they still keep in touch and try to see each other whenever possible. Scooter graduated from ERHS in 2003 and later attended Michigan State University. He majored in marketing and obtained his undergraduate college degree in 2007 and then his MBA in 2011, also from MSU.

         After graduating college Scooter worked at Hormel Foods as a sales representative. While working at Hormel he was presented with many opportunities and new life experiences. He was able to live in two major US cities, Atlanta, GA, as well as, Minneapolis.

         Scooter saw his time employed at Hormel well spent and a great life experience and learning opportunity. After gaining work experience at Hormel Foods, he is now currently the Associate Product Manager at Arden Companies.  In his role at Arden he is in charge of managing the product portfolio for their new business division. Scooter’s job is going extremely well and he loves that he is constantly learning and continually improving while being put in situations to succeed.

         Scooter loves spending time with his wife and going out socializing to local places with his friends. He also enjoys watching Michigan State athletics and visiting new places. Scooter is still unsure exactly what his future holds, but is looking forward to finding out what it does hold.

         He seems to view all aspects of his life as an adventure and embrace the experience, whether professional or personal.  Some advice that Scooter would like to give to us, high school students, would be, “What you know today, is less than you know tomorrow and what you know tomorrow pales in comparison to what you will know a year from now.  In order to succeed, you should never become complacent.  You should always aspire to learn more and improve as a person.”  This is profound advice, which will hopefully resonate with all of us for years to come.

Mayan Calander raises questions for 2012

Written by: Isaiah Bellville '12

          A civilization that has astounded anthropologists for years due to their unexplained disappearance in history is now instilling more confusion in fear into people around the world. How can a civilization that made their grand exit so long ago have such a tight grip on today’s culture?

        The Mayan calendar was a complex system, based on mathematics and astronomical calculations. The calendar was complex, with cycles upon cycles with the largest unit of time measurement being a “ba’ak’tun”, set at 394 years. The end of every 13 ba’ak’tuns culminates a “new world”, making people believe that on December 21, 2012, the world will end; December 21, 2012 being the end of the current “world”. However, scientists argue that nowhere in Mayan scripture is there any indication that the end of 13 ba’ak’tuns would be an

apocalypse. In fact, some scientists argue that it may have been a cause for celebration.

The misconception may lie in the interpretation of Mayan literature, seeing as

records have become distorted and hard to read. Michael Coe wrote in 1966 in “The Maya” “there is a suggestion ... that Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world and all creation on the

          The idea of an apocalyptic prophecy seems to be just an invention of over active minds in a time where people see peril in the most insignificant places.

final day of the 13th (ba’ak’tun). Thus ... our present universe (would) be annihilated (in December 2012) when the Great Cycle of the Long Count reaches completion.” Mark Van Stone, a scholar who specializes in Mayans, said “The notion of a ‘Great Cycle’ coming to an end is completely a modern invention.”

Christmas traditions and celebrations celebrated worldwide

Written by: Mariah Rochester '12           

            Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated worldwide and in a number of different ways. The traditions in different places around the world give each culture its own definition of Christmas.

            The Christmas season in the United States begins in the end of November and ends in the beginning of January, but Christmas is celebrated in December 25. The traditions in the U.S. are similar to those in England.

During the Christmas season, the weeks leading up to Christmas, the exterior and interior of homes is decorated with lights, Nativity scenes and other various decorations, and a Christmas tree. The tree can be real or artificial and is decorate with lights, garland, and ornaments. The Yule log in a firebox has remained a tradition for some time.

            On Christmas Eve, stockings are usually hung and children are sometimes allowed to open a few gifts from their family. Santa Clause is said to visit homes while children are sleeping on Christmas Eve. It is a tradition to leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk out for Santa and carrots or oats for Santa’s reindeer. Gifts from Santa are opened on Christmas day.

            The traditional Christmas dinner is made up of turkey, ham, or roast beef, and Yorkshire pudding. A variety of sweet pastries and egg nog is commonly served for dessert. Christmas dinner can be held on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, depending on when families wish to have it.

            Other Christmas traditions include a special church service the Sunday before Christmas and Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. A re-enactment of the Nativity of Jesus sometimes takes place at different churches.

            Local radio stations may temporarily play Christmas music, and many family Christmas movies are aired on television, as well.

            In Nigeria, Christmas is celebrated on December 25. Various festivals of singing and dancing take place, including masquerades. Gift giving in Nigeria often involves money and the flow of gifts is typically from the rich to the poor. Sometimes money is thrown into the air to be grabbed or stuck on sweaty foreheads of dancers.

            Rather than sweets, Nigerians tend to prepare different kinds of meat in large quantities. In the South, Jollof rice is served with stews of various meats, boiled beans, and fried plantains. In the North, rice pudding is served with various meat stews. Mainly alcoholic drinks are served and children and women are served locally-made soft-drink equivalents.

            Christmas in Ethiopia is celebrated in January 7 rather than December 25, and is called Ganna. On Christmas Eve, Christian priests carry a procession through town carrying decorated umbrellas, and the procession ends at local churches where Mass is held.

            On Christmas morning, gifts are opened and outdoors sports are played to celebrate. Typically the wealthy share a feast with the poor.

            Bangladesh celebrates Christmas on December 25, and it is called Borodin, or Great Day. The day celebrated in remembrance of Jesus’ birth. People greet their family and friends by saying, “Shubho Boro Din,” or “Greetings of the great day”. Traditional sweets are offered, also.

            Homes are decorated in a variety of different ways, and artificial stars are hung on rooftops to signify the Star of Bethlehem. Various festivities are held throughout the day to celebrate Christmas.

            In the People’s Republic of China, December 25 is not a legal holiday. It is designated as a public holiday in China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

            In the mainland, a small percent of Christians, usually unofficially or privately, observe Christmas, while others who don’t consider themselves Christians celebrate Christmas-like festivities.

            Sending cards, exchanging gifts, and hanging stockings are some of the traditions for Christmas. In Hong Kong, many buildings facing the Victoria Harbour are decorated in Christmas lights.

            Israel is a Jewish state with strong emphasis on religious freedom. Jewish Israelis do not celebrate Christmas, but instead celebrate Hanukkah, which falls approximately at the same time. Israeli Arabs are Muslim and also do not celebrate Christmas.

            A minority of Christian Israeli Arabs celebrate Christmas. Some celebrate with Western churches on December 25, while others celebrate with Eastern churches on January 7. The pattern of Christmas observance by Palestinians is similar to that of Israeli Arabs.

            Christmas is important in both areas due to the region’s significance as a place where Jesus lived. Bethlehem lies in the West Bank, with the Church of the Nativity being a prominent symbol for both Christian and Muslim Palestinians.

            Jerusalem is associated with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus and tends to focus pilgrimage towards Eastertide.

            Christmas is recognized as a national holiday in South Korea. Christian and non-Christian Koreans celebrate some holiday customs such as gift-giving, sending cards, and setting up decorated trees in their homes. Children have embraced Santa Clause, whom they call Santa Halabuji, or Grandfather Santa.

             Local radio stations play Christmas music and television stations play Christmas films and cartoons popular in Western countries.

            Churches hold Christmas pageants and conduct special services on Christmas Eve, as well as Christmas day.

            In Central Europe, the main celebration date for Christmas is on Christmas Eve, December 24. Christmas Eve is a fasting day and children are told that if they fast until after dinner they will see a golden pig. When evening comes, preparation for Christmas dinner begins.

            Some dinners have up to twelve dishes. After dinner, gifts are opened and gifts are commonly attributed to Christkind. Many people go to Midnight Mass celebration on Christmas Eve, after gifts have been opened.

            In most areas, Santa Clause does not come for Christmas. Instead, he visits families earlier, on the dawn of St. Nicholas on December 6. He leaves gifts and candy bags in the polished shoes of well-behaved children. Santa is usually accompanied by a servant named Krampusz who gives birches to badly-behaved children. All children get gifts and birches, no matter how they behaved.

            Christmas in Russia is a mainly religious event that is celebrated on January 7 and is a national holiday. On Christmas Eve there are several long services.

            Royal Hours and Vespers are combined with the Divine Liturgy. After these services, families return home for the “Holy Supper”.

            The dinner consists of twelve dishes; one to honor each of the Twelve Apostles. Devout families then return to the church for the All Night Vigil and again on Christmas morning for the Divine Liturgy of the Nativity.

            In Italy, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 is a national holiday. December 8 is the day that Christmas decorations and the three are put up. Christmas is celebrated similar to Western European countries with a strong emphasis to Christian meaning and celebration by the Catholic Church. It is common for people to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

            Not eating meat is a practiced custom on Christmas. Dinner traditionally consists of seafood with the Feats of the Seven Fishes followed by typical Italian Christmas sweets.

            Christmas on December 25 is celebrated with a family lunch. An ancient festival called Ndocciata is celebrated on Christmas Eve in Molise with a parade of torches leading up to the “Bonfire of Brotherhood”.

            December 26 is a public holiday is Italy, and festivities extend to the end of the year, then to Epiphany on January 6.

            On January 6, decorations are taken down and in some areas female puppets are burned to symbolize the end of the Christmas period and the death of the old year and beginning of a new one.

            Christmas day in New Zealand is a statutory holiday. A mix of United Kingdom and North American traditions are practiced.

            The traditional Christmas tree is a standard in New Zealand, along with traditional symbols of holly and ivy that are sometimes replaced by the Pohutukawa tree. The Pohutukawa tree is often called the “New Zealand Christmas tree”.

            Winter-styled hot food is served for Christmas dinner, and Christmas desserts are served after. House decorations are common and there are several Christmas-themed parades. The most popular Christmas parade is Auckland’s Santa Parade.

            In Venezuela, Christmas is celebrated as a religious occasion. Presents are brought by “El Nino Jesus,” or Baby Jesus instead of “Papa Noel”.

            The unofficial start of Christmas festivities is after the celebration of “Feris de la Chinita”, in the second half of November.

            In many cities, neighborhoods get together for “patinatas” night festivals. The festivals are usually sponsored by the local churches. Children write request letters to Baby Jesus. Gifts are sent by Baby Jesus at midnight and most people have parties that go until sunrise.

Head2Head - The world will NOT be ending in 2012

specific theory the planets core will not heat up and explode.

        Since the beginning of time there has been superstitions and civilizations that have predicted the end of the world numerous times, yet here we are. But so many still believe these consipiracy theories. Why would citizens honestly believe the Mayans and that our society, our world, will end this year when we have already survived so many dates they already predicted that we wouldn’t?

         There are numerous assumptions made about 2012 being the end for the human race. These assumptions come greatly from the Mayans Calendar. Since the calendar ended on December 21, 2012 people now believe that it really will be our last day on earth. What they don’t realize is that how would the Mayans keep a calendar going if they died off? They simply can’t.

        The reason why the calendar ended is because they didn’t continue it when there religion all died off. In 2000 and 2003 the Mayans also predicted that our world as we know it was going to end and the human race would die. So why would you believe this calendar? Something as miniscule as a calendar can’t predict something as big as life as we know it ending.

        Movies have a great factor in why people begin to believe that we will die in 2012. The movie 2012 states that there will be increased solar activity and it will heat up the planets

core with neutrinos.

        Despite the fact that neutrinos pass through the earth everyday but wont interact with anything. Scientist even put detectors underground to detect any reaction of the neutrinos, but nothing came of it. So in this

         The world ending in 2012 has become too much of a hype and people continue to talk about the situation and what may or may not happen. As many try to convince others it will end, people begin to believe the very unlikely scenario. Rumors about why the world will end are becoming far fetched, and exaggerated beyond belief.

        People tend to also believe everything they are told, read online, see in magazines, and on T.V. If you want to believe the world will end read about it, don’t hear about it. You will see it is all just a superstition, and theory was created because of the Mayans calendar abrupt end.

         2012 being are last date alive is all just a conspiracy. Many people, like the Mayans, try to predict turning points for the future so that those in the future can prepare for them. People like to believe it’s true just because of the past recorded extinctions, like the dinosaurs.

         There will no doubt always be crazy people who believe the world will end. I believe that we will not being dying December 21, 2012 and am looking forward to December 22, 2012.

Head2Head - The world WILL be ending in 2012

Written by Kaylee Heinz '12
            5 reasons the world will end in 2012: Scientific experts from around the world are genuinely predicting that five years from now, all life on earth could be well finish. Some are saying it’ll be humans that set it off and others believe that a natural incident will be the cause. The religious persons are saying it’ll be God himself who presses the stop button. We may never know until that day comes.

My first reason is the Mayan Calendar. The first mob to predict 2012 as the end of the world were the Mayans, a bloodthirsty race that were good at two things: Building highly accurate astrological equipment out of stone and Sacrificing Virgins. Thousands of years ago they managed to calculate the length of the lunar moon as 329.53020 days, only 34 seconds out. The Mayan calendar predicts that the Earth will end on December 21, 2012. Given that they were pretty close to the mark with the lunar cycle, it’s likely they’ve got the end of the world right as well.

Another reason is sun storms. Solar experts from around the world monitoring the sun have made a startling discovery: our sun is in a bit of trouble. The energy output of the sun is, like most things in nature, cyclic, and it’s supposed to be in the middle of a period of relative stability. However, recent solar storms have been bombarding the Earth with so much radiation energy. It’s been knocking out power grids and destroying satellites. This activity is predicted to get worse, and calculations suggest it’ll reach its deadly peak sometime around 2012.         

A Third reason is the atom smasher. Scientists in Europe have been building the world’s largest particle accelerator. Mainly it’s a 27km tunnel designed to smash atoms together to find out what makes the universe tick. They’re predicting all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is fired up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be crushed into a super-dense blob the size of a basketball.

The Bible says, if having scientists warning us about the end of the world isn’t bad enough, religious people are getting in on the act as well. Interpretations of the Christian Bible reveal that the date for Armageddon, the final battle between Good an Evil, has been set down for 2012. The I Ching, also known as the Chinese book of Changes, says the same thing, as do various sections of the Hindu teachings.

My fifth reason is the super volcano in Yellowstone national park in the United States. The reason for this is simple.. It’s sitting on top of the world’s biggest volcano, and geological experts are beginning to get worried. The Yellowstone volcano has a pattern of erupting every 650,000 years or so, and we’re many years overdue for an explosion that will fill the atmosphere with ash, blocking the sun and plunging the Earth into a frozen winter that could last up to 15,000 years. The pressure under the Yellowstone is building steadily, and geologists have set 2012 as a likely date for the big bang.

NBA work stoppage ends

Written by: Travis Spitzley '13

        After 149 days the NBA lockout has finally ended. The owners and the players agreed to terms on a new deal, and the first games of the season will be played on Christmas day, which is historically one of the most competitive days of play during the regular season.

        The normal 83 game schedule will be shortened to only 66 games this year, the first coming on Christmas. Players will only miss about two pay checks, and shouldn’t suffer much financially. Getting back on the court is what most players have been looking forward to during the lockout. Some players have played overseas, while others like LeBron James and Kevin Durant have played a number of street league games in their hometowns and across the country.

       Many players signed overseas to play during the lockout, and most of them should have no problem getting back to their NBA teams and out of their contracts with non-NBA teams. However, some players that signed contracts with Chinese teams will have a little more trouble, but should be able to get back to training camp on-time.

       The NBA is hoping that they haven’t lost fan support after a successful last season. TV ratings from last season were some of the highest the league has ever seen. Part of this is due to the large number of superstars in the NBA right now, ranging from Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, both of whom were vocal about getting a deal done during the lockout.

        The Christmas day schedule includes some of the best teams across the country going head-to-head from coast to coast. The marquee matchup would have to be the NBA Finals rematch from a year ago, as the Miami Heat try to beat the defending champions of last year, the Dallas Mavericks. Another game with big names is the Chicago Bulls against the Los Angeles Lakers. Two of the top MVP candidates from last year, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose - the winner of the award - will face off in L.A. The Boston Celtics look for another good start to the season as the face the emerging New York Knicks. The Oklahoma City Thunder play the Orlando Magic, a game that will feature last years scoring champ and defensive player of the year in Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard respectively. The last matchup is the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors, in a game of in-state rivals.

Coach K becomes all-time wins leader

Written by: Travis Spitzley '13

This year college football had a new Coach take over the top spot as all-time wins leader, and now, so has college basketball.  On November 15, Coach Mike Krzyzewski beat Michigan State to win his 903^rd game, moving him past his former Coach and mentor, Bob Knight.  Coach K is in his 37^th year as a head Coach, winning 830 games at Duke, and another 73 with Army. 

Coached by Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski was a point guard at Army, but was always meant to be a Coach.  He’s always had a great knowledge of the game and once he got his chance at Coaching he took complete advantage of it.  Now, after winning game number 903, he passed his mentor and former Coach.  Coach Knight was announcing the game and mentioned that he wouldn’t be more honored to be replaced by anyone else as the winningest Coach in NCAA men’s basketball.  After the game the two met by the scorer’s table and shared a few words and a hug.  Both men display an obvious respect for each other as Coaches, as well as people.

As head Coach of Duke he has won four national titles and has gone to eleven final fours.  He has 79 tournament victories, which is also a record, and was elected to the Hall of Fame after the 2001 season.  One of his other impressive accomplishments was as Coach of the 2008 Olympic team, where he led them to a gold medal.  He was an assistant Coach on the 1992 “dream team” which also won a gold medal.  With all of his accomplishments, Coach K’s greatest feat may have come after passing his former Coach and friend Bob Knight for the most career wins.

Greyhound swimmers excited for upcoming season

Written by: Sean Mills '12

After finishing 3^rd at the league meet last year the boy’s swim team is hopeful that this year will be much better.  “Many of the guys have done club swimming in the off season,” says Coach Jackson, and team captains believe improvement can already be seen.  “I think this season’s going to be good, we’ll have a much better chance of succeeding due to the new league,” says Austin Doolittle. 

Swimming has one of the longest seasons of all the sports offered in high school going from November to March, plus with three hour practices all season, things can seem to drag on for the team.  “Three hours is long and tiring, but it’s the only way we’ll get better,” says Mitch Poyer.

As with every sport, each year teammates must say goodbye to graduating seniors.  “We lost some depth last year when Robert Baker and Andrew Benkovsky graduated,” says Doolittle, “but we’re also gaining new swimmers that already have some swimming experience, which will bring more opportunity for victories.”  The team is welcoming a new diving coach as well, Lena Wileczek, who will help the team gain pivotal points throughout the season, giving them a better chance for success.  With two returning divers that attended the regional meet last year, things area already looking bright for them.

Fewer people have come out for the team this year however, which worries a lot of the boys because in previous years there have always been too many on the team, this year there will be trouble finding people to fill every event.  “We’re going to have the best times in a while,” says Jackson, “with more ‘A’ level swimmers this year, we’re just going to have to wait and see what the new league brings us.  I’m even changing my coaching style this season, making it tougher”

The boy’s team is optimistic that they will succeed.  With the help from the new coach and returning members, this season has the potential to be very rewarding.

Boys basketball is ready for a successful season

Written by: Jacob VanVliet '13

December has finally come around the corner and now it is time for the Eaton Rapids varsity basketball team to undergo a long and wintery season. The boys have been working hard all year long for this time. The team participated in the summer ball league and the fall ball league hosted at Lansing Eastern field house and Aim High. They played many tough teams throughout the two seasons, along with practice through June, and workouts during the fall.

With all they have done in preparation for the 2011-12 season, expectations are high.  Second year head Coach Luke Brown said, “I expect the boys to win and compete at a high level in every game we play.” Goals that the team and Coach Brown have are high but attainable for this year’s season. “Compete in the league and make a good run in districts” says Jacob Masteller about his goals for the year. Another senior Craig Wells simply says “prove all the haters wrong.” As we all know it is easier said than done, but Coach Brown says he feels good about this year’s team and that they surprisingly may be better than last years team when they had senior point guard Travis Wells, leading all there games in points and many other stats as well.

Returning varsity forward and junior Ta’Ron Gentry says, “A goal that I want our team to accomplish this season is to make a name for our program by winning at all cost.”  The 2011-12 season will have a lot in store for them, and they are striving to accomplish goals and get better every day. Come out and support you’re Guys Varsity basketball team this season. Winter fest is January 2^nd versus our rivals the Charlotte Orioles.

ER Wrestling: A tradition of excellence

Written by: Kanon McVicker '12

            For many years, Eaton Rapids has been well known for a skilled wrestling program. In November 2011, the wrestling team began practice in preparation for another fantastic season, coming off of a district title last year.

            Key returners this year expect to be significantly improved. In an interview, Jacob Stewart claims, “I believe my skills and work ethic have improved in the past year. My varsity experience helped me to find the things I needed to work on in the off-season, and I have become a lot better.” There are few seniors on the team. However, what they lack in numbers they make up for in skill. Jacob Epling is projected to have another successful season as a Greyhound wrestler.

            Needless to say, Mr. Warriner and his wrestling team hope to reclaim the district title, as well as the regional title. He says that in order to do this, the team will need to “work hard, be tenacious, and believe in themselves.” This wrestling season is expected to be an exciting one, so come out and support the Hounds!

The World According To Blake



Click photo to enlarge.



10 things you DIDN'T know about Mrs. Trudgeon

1. I was engaged my senior year of High School, got married 3 months after graduation at the age of 18, and have been married 26 years.

2. I have lost 157 pounds.

3. I learned a lesson at an early age not to play in the road Easter Sunday. When I was 4 I was hit by a car. I was in the hospital for 30 days and then came home in a body cast for 6 weeks. They were not sure I would walk again but I proved them wrong.

4. I am one of 6 kids, I have 2 older sisters and 3 younger brothers.

5. I graduated from Waverly High School in 1985.

6. I spent most of my summers as a kid  on Torch Lake, the 3rd most beautiful lake in the world.

7. I have been to Hawaii.

8. I have been on 2 mission trips to rural Kentucky.

9. I don't like to cook. I'm really good at ordering out and making reservations.

10. My grandparents are from italy, They came to the USA through Ellis Islands.

Guess the Senior

1. What mock awards do you think you could win?
"Biggest blonde, Humorous, Spontaneous, Serious, and Ambitious."

2. What do you miss most about your childhood?
"Amusement of the littlest things."

3. What are some future plans?
"Succeeding in a degree. Therapist, and Dietition."

4.What do you enjoy most about high school?
"Failing, whether it's a teest or a class. You learn the hard way and see it as a benefit to yourself."

5. Favorite high school memory:
"Falling over a picnic table at Earth Day

Find the answer in the December Issue of The Bark!