Monthly Archives: January 2016

Feature, Front/Home

Looking into popular blocked websites

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     Many students at Stow-Munroe Falls High School become frustrated over the wifi and why they cannot use their favorite apps and go on certain websites. These students go through the constant struggle of having to get on and off wifi to use these apps.

    The person who updates the web filter for the high school is Sean Fitch, and he works for the school district’s tech department.

    Some students realize some of their favorite apps on their devices are blocked and want to know what other websites and apps are blocked, and why they are blocked.

    “The website we block generally speaking fall into two categories things that are inappropriate and things that are a distraction. Things that are considered inappropriate would be porn, blood and gore, online gambling, information on weapons, and other things of an R-rated nature that is not considered educational. Things that are a distraction would be online games, social media and video search engines; however, there are exceptions such as youtube [that] is unblocked due to the large amounts of educational content available,” Fitch said.

    The technicians that work for the school district update the websites as often as they get a request.

    “We get more requests to unblock sites than to block them,” Fitch said.

    The filter is setup by an outside company called neonet. The filter system has categories and terms it chooses what to block based on what the company decided is irrelevant for students.

    “Beyond what the program decides is inappropriate for students, teachers, principals, and administrative staff can ask us to block or unblock sites that the filter missed or blocked on a faulty premise. If we are unsure if a request is reasonable, it will get escalated up the chain of command,” Fitch said.

    The technicians have the capability to block sites themselves as well as the ability to block search terms.

    “The three of us techs do it by ourselves. Whoever gets the ticket first does it unless they feel the need to ask whether a site should be blocked or not. If we have to escalate the request it goes to our boss the temp Tech Director Jim Gotshall, he can escalate it to his boss Mr. Fritz who is a business manager, and finally if all of us are unsure the request will go to the superintendent; however, this has only happened once, and it was for unblocking a site,” Fitch said.

    Sometimes problems arise, and it can be difficult to block and unblock things online.

    “Sometimes we have issues getting a site blocked or unblocked if this happens then we can send a request to Neonet for help.  The issues have a lot to do with the way websites are programmed,” Fitch said.

     Working with the web filter has been part of Fitch’s job since he started back in August (2015).

    “My job is to handle all technology issues with few exceptions, as such the web filtering was given to me as it is a technology issue,” Fitch said.

    As far as working with technology in general, Fitch has been fascinated by machines since he was a child.

    “I always wanted to work with some sort of technology. I started doing IT for KSU while I was a student there, and this is my first job out of college. As far as doing the filtering, I like working on sites that are difficult and don’t want to be blocked or unblocked. I find the challenge fun,” Fitch said.

Front/Home, Sports

Girls Swim and Dive vs. Hudson

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The swim and dive team opened up the year with a hard-fought loss to rival Hudson.

Coming out of a grueling two weeks of two-a-days and lifting over winter break, the Bulldogs had some amazing swims to kick off the new year.

The meet was Friday, Jan. 8, and the Bulldogs faced a well-known opponent: Hudson. Although the two teams did not face each other in a dual meet last season, they have in previous years. The swim and dive team faces Hudson in a number of invitational meets as well throughout the season.

To begin the meet, the 200 medley relay of junior Sam Houk, and sophomores Kayla Engle, Amy Vober, and Sam Huddleston took 4th place with a time of 2:03.10. The relay finished with one of their best times this season.

The second medley relay of sophomore Lorna Vizmeg, juniors Kaleigh Dye and Madison DeCheco and junior Julia Fuller stole 5th with a time of 2:19.57. The girls also grabbed a season best.

The 200 freestyle was a strong event for the girls. Juniors Lizzie Cole and Dye swam all-time bests; 2:11.97 and 2:19.20 respectively with drops of 1 second or more. The girls took 2nd and 3rd, beating out two Hudson swimmers to win the event.

In the 200 IM, DeCheco and Engle both saw strong swims. DeCheco pulled a season best by nine seconds, and Engle stayed strong and held her personal best in the event. Their times were 2:39.64 and 2:42.51 respectively.

In the 50 free, the girls took 1st, 3rd and 6th. Huddleston won the event with a time of 26.23, just off of a personal best by under half a second. Vober placed 3rd with a time of 27.09, consistent with her personal best by just under a second. Fuller stole 6th with a time of 31.01.

Divers Amanda Kimble and Houk had strong meets as well, scoring 175 and 144 respectively. Kimble took 2nd and Houk took 4th, scoring six points total for the team.

After the senior night traditions, the girls came back strong in the 100 butterfly. Vober and DeCheco swam strong. Vober was half a second from a personal best and DeCheco was a second from a personal best, dropping four from a seasonal best. The girls won 3rd and 4th in the event.

In the 100 freestyle, Huddleston came in strong and swam a race fairly consistent with a personal best as well. Senior Josie Cremer performed well with a 1:29.81.

In the 500, the girls fought hard for placing 4th, 5th and 6th. Dye saw a 14-second drop in the event from her personal best, with a time of 6:08.14. Fuller and Vizmeg both had strong, consistent swims.

The 200 freestyle relay carried strong with a time of 1:49.29, a season best. The two relays took 2nd and 5th places.

Going into the last events of the meets, Houk and Vizmeg had strong races in the 100 backstroke. Both girls were around two seconds from personal bests. Their times were 1:08.53 and 1:18.11, respectively.

Cole and Engle saw fast races in the 100 breaststroke. Cole dropped one second off of her personal best with a time of 1:19.01 and stole 3rd place. Engle snuck past and won 2nd, with a time of 1:18.22, consistent with her personal bests.

To end the meet, the 400 freestyle relay took 3rd place with a time of 4:15.86. Lead-off swimmer Kaleigh Dye swam a strong race, with a time of 1:05.28.

The Lady Bulldogs ended the meet with a hard-fought loss; although, the meet was one of their best this season individually. Most of the team saw time drops at a crucial point in the season. The Bulldogs face yet another rival Friday, Jan. 15 against the Cuyahoga Falls Black Tigers at the Natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls.

Reviews

Panic! At the Disco delights with upcoming album

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Panic! At the Disco’s anticipated album, “Death of a Bachelor,” is set to release January 15. Lead singer Brendon Urie began to release individual songs off of the record in April of 2015, and each one has provided a different sound that leaves one to wonder what the album will sound like as whole.

In 2013, Urie released “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” which consisted of a blend of alternative, pop and heavily autotuned music. The songs “This is Gospel” and “Miss Jackson” indirectly set the precedent for the album to come in 2016 with their amazing sound and consistent popularity. Other songs, such as “Casual Affair” and “Girl That You Love,” left me hoping whatever was to come would not sound as heavily auto tuned and lazy.

When the first single, “Hallelujah,” was released on April 20, 2015, the sound was similar to that of the alternative ballads on the previous album, which made my fear of a stereotypical pop sound dwindle down. At the time of the release, Urie and the rest of the band acknowledged the song very little. In comparison to the other songs released later, “Hallelujah” barely received any promotion or advertisement, and I cannot understand why.

“Hallelujah” possesses some of my favorite lyrics off the album so far, such as “I’m sitting pretty in my brand new scars, and you’ll never know if you don’t ever try again, so let’s try,” and the beats behind the lyrics instantly makes me want to dance. Urie presents the meaningful words in a way that makes the ballad sound more like a party song than a song to which you would ponder life, which is why I love this song so much.

“Death of a Bachelor” was the second song Urie choose to debut on Sept. 1, 2015. Although the release was not official as it was broadcasted on Beats 1 Radio and then not available on iTunes, Urie encouraged the download of the song even after the audio tracks on YouTube were removed for copyright reasons.

While “Hallelujah” provides me with some of my favorite lyrics, “Death of a Bachelor” possesses my favorite sound. Urie has stated he is heavily influenced by Frank Sinatra and wrote the song as a tribute to him as 2015 was the year of Sinatra’s 100th birthday. The background music, as well as Urie’s voice, has a definite Sinatra-type sound, and because I am also a fan of Sinatra’s music, I fell in love with the song.

A music video for “Death of a Bachelor” was released on Dec. 24, 2015 and also possesses the same vintage feeling the song does as the microphone looks like something out of the 1950s along with Urie’s outfit. The video consists solely of Urie singing on stage to an empty crowd in completely black and white, and the simplicity of the music video allows the music to be completely on the lyrics and sound, which is how this song deserves to be presented.

The third single, “Victorious,” was released shortly after “Death of a Bachelor” on Sept. 29, 2015, and initially, I was not sure how I felt about this song. The opening seconds consist of what sounds like children singing the chorus and then immediately jumps into fast paced lyrics filled with weird metaphors, such as “I’m a killing spree in white with eyes like broken Christmas lights.”

“Victorious” possesses a sound more alike songs played on the radio currently of which I am not an overly big fan. Really appreciating and getting into this song took me an insanely long time, and I mainly use it as a song to pump myself up or dance to while I struggle to understand the point of the metaphors.

Next in line was the Oct. 21, 2015 release of “Emperor’s New Clothes,” which came accompanied by the album announcement of which everyone was waiting, along with a really cool music video. Since the album release date came along with the song, the ballad definitely received the most promotion out of all of the singles released so far and rightfully so.

In juxtaposition with “Hallelujah,” the music video for “Emperor’s New Clothes” focused heavily on the underworld as viewers watched Urie change from a human being to a demon throughout the short song. The effects in the video were well put together, and the beginning included an interesting continuation of the “This is Gospel” video released Aug. 11, 2013.

“Emperor’s New Clothes” is the shortest on the album at a run time of 2:38, and I wish it was way longer. The lyrics in this song are amazing, and Urie’s normal experiments with his vocal range are extremely evident and really make this song pop. With words like “If it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine” and “I’m taking back the crown. I’m all dressed up and naked. I see what is mine and take it,” I immediately fell for this song almost as hard as I fell for “Hallelujah” six months prior. 

The fifth song released was “LA Devotee” on Nov. 26, 2015, and is about the love someone feels about moving to Los Angeles. Although not accompanied by an actual music video, the song came with a visualette featuring the bright and intricate colors of various places in California.

Urie sings the lyrics just as rapidly as he does in “Victorious,” but the imagery and comparisons in “LA Devotee” are way easier to understand and appreciate. The song sounds like a mixture of their 2013 album along with various other songs from albums released in the early 2000s, which hold some of the best songs of Panic! At the Disco’s entire career.

My favorite part of the song is definitely the way the lyrics, “I wouldn’t change you. I wouldn’t ever try to make you leave,” sound all around. The background music changes to a pleasing deep trombone/tuba sound that immediately puts me in a better mood. In fact, the entire song is a mood-lifter and every time it appears on my Spotify or phone shuffle, I want to stop everything I am doing and just lose myself in the music.

“Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time” was the sixth song released on Dec. 31, 2015 and is probably the song that sounds the most different compared to the others. Fast-paced lyrics seem to be the way Urie wants to present the words because yet again, I am left trying to figure out what the entire verse said in 45 seconds.

Unlike the others on the album, this song does not have a music video or a visualette to go along with it. This makes sense to me as I am not completely sure how you could design a video for this song, considering it holds the same type of message as “Victorious,” which already has a music video. I do like this song more than I liked “Victorious,” though as it holds more of a rock type sound I am not used to hearing from Panic! At the Disco.

Lyrics, “I’m not as think as you drunk I am,” define the song completely and have become the most popular set of words I have seen edited onto pictures or used in “memes” on social media the past week and a half. They also define the partying lifestyle Urie portrays himself living quite often along with bringing up past events he has broadcasted such as the “Drunk History of Fall Out Boy” video that debuted on YouTube in 2013.

Panic! At the Disco has managed to release six of the 11 songs on the new album coming out next week, leaving many to believe the album may debut a few days earlier than Jan. 15. The sound and subject of lyrics coming from Urie and the rest of the band is changing slowly but surely, and I am excited to see what is to come for the remaining five songs and any records to come.

Entertainment, Reviews

Divergent movie series disappoints fans

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“One choice can transform you. One choice can destroy you. One choice will define you” encompasses an entire series of books in three simple sentences.

Veronica Roth’s Divergent series has been popular since her first book, Divergent, came out in 2011. This New York Times Bestselling Author continued on the legacy of the main character Tris Prior with two other books: Insurgent in 2012 and Allegiant in 2013.

This famous series drew in many teens and adults with its dystopian world, action-packed moments and a love story unlike any other. The premise surrounds a futuristic Chicago in which society is divided into five factions. As each person enters adulthood, he/she must choose a faction and commit to that group for life.

This was the first complete series I have ever read in its entirety, and I did so in a matter of months. I was so intrigued with the storyline and identified with Tris while reading. Since the first two books are narrated by Tris, I was able to make a personal connection to her struggles to find her true identity and her growing love for Four.

Allegiant, the last book, is very unique: the narration switches from Tris to Four, also known as Tobias, from chapter to chapter. Alternating the narration allows the reader to see inside Tobias’ mind, see what he sees and truly get a true sense of how he feels about Tris.

With the creation of this captivating series, Hollywood soon grabbed a hold of the books and ran.

The first book’s movie was released in 2014. Shailene Woodley plays Tris in the film, and I think she fits the role perfectly. Each actor that played the characters from the books seemed to be picked well; however, the film did not do the novels justice.

Divergent the movie is closer to the complete storyline of the first book than is the second movie, Insurgent, to its original book. The first film left out a few main characters that are key to advancing the plot in the other books. I believe one of the major book characters, Uriah, made a quick cameo in the films, but maybe the actor just fit the description in the book because I do not recollect hearing his name on screen.

The films make the situation seem like writers never read the other two books before making the first movie. They neglected to realize the whole story line would need to change completely if they left certain roles out. The ending to Divergent was altered as well, meaning the entirety of the second and third films would not match their books.

Although the alterations have enraged many fans, the movies are exceptionally well done on their own. Each movie is nicely developed, and the acting is up to par. The movie writers exploited the romance bit of the novels which did make the movies more appealing to a wide audience.  

As March 10 approaches, many people may be rushing to finish the exhilarating Divergent book series. On this date, the last book’s movie Allegiant will be released. There is no doubt the movie will not match its book. No rush is needed. 

Although I would suggest seeing both the movies or the books, I do not advise rushing the read the series just to see the movies: disappointment is sure to trump the preconceived excitement. The best advice I can give to someone who is intrigued by both media forms is to watch the movies first then read the books; however, choosing one form over the other will preserve the authenticity of the love for the series, for whichever version of the series one chooses.