Lauren Rayman
This past week, northeast Ohio has been hit with snow, rain and freezing cold temperatures. Some areas, including Stow, had six to ten inches of snow dumped on them this past weekend.
A lot of snow fell in a very short amount of time between Saturday and Sunday. Although it slowed down on Sunday, it continued to snow on and off throughout the day and going into Monday.
Monday night, the school district made an all-call announcing a snow day for Tuesday, January 22 due to rigid temperatures and unplowed roads, sidewalks and parking lots throughout Stow, Munroe Falls and other areas.
When they returned to school on Wednesday, many students began to wonder if one day off was enough to get everybody to school safely.
Upon pulling into the parking lot Wednesday morning, students were greeted by huge mounds of snow. At this time on Wednesday, it had also began to rain.
This rain started to not only cause leftover snow that was not plowed to turn into slush, but also started to form some ice in the parking lot. The combination of the slush and ice on the ground made for a very unpleasant walk for teachers and students alike into the building for the day.
Along with the slush and ice, parking in the student lot was limited as soon as students began to arrive at school. Many spots were blocked by the snow that had piled up, but many others were blocked by huge puddles of a combination of water, slush and ice.
Students were not the only ones affected by the poor conditions in the parking lot on Wednesday. Teachers parked in a certain area of the teacher lot were very badly affected too.
The parking lot is designed so that there is a pretty wide aisle in between the teacher and student lots, with aisles that are roped off so people can walk on, but not drive through, connecting the two main lots.
Because of this design, the people who were plowing the snow had very limited space to put it. The majority of the snow ended up surrounding the teacher lot, with some of it pushed against the perimeter of the portion of the student lot not connected to the teacher lot.
Monday night and all day Tuesday, temperatures did not reach much above 20 and 25 degrees. Wednesday, however, temperatures reached almost 45 degrees.
The spike in temperature started to cause the snow mounds pushed up against the parking lots to melt. Since the runoff had no place to go, it started to flood the teacher lot- pretty significantly.
Administration emailed teachers at around 11:00 informing them of the flooding that had started to occur. Many teachers parked in the back corner closest to the student lot opted to move their cars so they would not have to walk through a giant puddle just to leave school.
Not only were their issues with flooding in the student and teacher lots, but there was a significant amount of flooding in the library. There was also a little bit of flooding in the art loft, particularly the ceramics room, and the ceiling continued to leak.
The flooding in the library significantly bad because of the fact that it is carpeted throughout the whole thing. Fans have been placed around the spots where the flooding was the worst and have remained there in hopes of completely drying the carpet.
As for the rest of the snow piles that are still in the parking lot, there really is not much that anyone can do to prevent them from creating puddles in the parking lot. But, hopefully the people responsible for plowing the parking lot can figure out an alternative place for the extra snow so that the parking lot does not become flooded.
All posts by Stohion Staff
Kendra Cassiday- Successful Runner
Sydney uridel
Kendra Cassiday is a freshman who excels in cross country and track. She and many others are looking forward to see even more improvement as each sport season comes and goes.
Cassiday started off running early and from the influence and support of her family.
“I have been running since third grade, and I started because it looked fun and my sister also runs. What motivates me to run is my family,” Cassiday said.
To train and improve, Cassiday follows workouts, works hard in cross country and track practices, and goes to lifting.
Long distance running is not only a physical endurance but also mental because it requires runners to have a certain mindset while running. Runners must not only be physically trained and prepared but also mentally strong and committed in order to succeed.
In upcoming seasons, Cassiday is looking forward to see how much she can better her times.
“My goals are to keep up with my older sister and overall just to keep improving,” Cassiday said.
These goals seem accomplishable for a talented runner such as Cassiday. Cassiday started her high school career off strong and earned her varsity letter as a freshman.
“My cross country season was good and one of my favorite things about running is meeting new people and friends on the team. What I also like about running is the satisfaction from finishing a race,” Cassiday said.
The cross country team could appreciate an athlete like Cassiday because she won first team all conference, and also Cassiday was named rookie of the year.
“Medals that are important to me are the first in the mile and second in the 800 meters,” Cassiday said.
There is no doubt Cassiday has the potential to earn even more medals and win even more races in the future seasons.
This upcoming track season there are expectations based off of the high performance Cassiday has shown in past seasons. It is reasonable Cassiday will meet her goals if she continues to train and work hard each season
Certainly the community is proud of what this young runner brings to Stow’s cross country and track team and is looking forward to see what she will bring in the future.
Cassidays enjoyment of the sport and hard work should guide her to meet her goals.
Stress Over College Admissions
college financial planning workshop
Shea Sullivan
As second semester starts, many important academic events approach for juniors and seniors. Tests like the ACT, SAT and AP exams give students the opportunities to impress colleges and boost their chances of receiving acceptance.
However, many students see these tests as a hurdle in front of their path to college. Another drawback is the increasing cost of college tuition.
Many students feel pressured to do well on these tests, knowing that possible scholarships are on the line, which are very competitive with today’s tuition prices.
“I do feel anxious taking these tests; however, if I try my best to prepare for these tests, there is nothing more I can do to change my score,” junior Chelsea Kirk said.
Thankfully, students have many resources to make this process a bit easier.
On Thursday Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Stow-Munroe Falls Library, students and parents are invited to attend a free College Financial Planning Workshop. Certified College Planning Strategist Joel Wymer of College Planning Strategies will be hosting the event.
Parents will be able to learn strategies on how to help their kids pay for college, without breaking the bank. Students will also be able to learn important ways on receiving ‘free’ money for college and how to try and earn the most financial aid as possible, along with tips on improving important test scores.
“I would attend a seminar addressing testing tips because it would help me to get better in my weakest subjects and improve my scores,” Kirk said.
High schoolers often try to outdo their peers by being involved in many extracurriculars and sports, while also trying to stand out in the classroom. Yet some of these talented students may not receive a desirable amount of financial aid despite being more involved.
This workshop will be addressing that problem, along with how to present one’s finances to receive more need based aid.
Lastly, families attending this seminar will learn why the new FAFSA rules may cause them to lose thousands of dollars in financial aid, and why a 529 plan may not be as good as it seems.
Students and parents worried about the upcoming events of college should definitely consider this workshop. An hour or two long seminar, may result in a lifetime of less student loans.
Life After High School
Emma Schultz
In the middle of the school year, many seniors find themselves overwhelmed with the notion of beginning a new life after high school.
With endless options to consider along with the stress of family members never ceasing to ask questions about the future over the holidays, students may feel pressured to make quick decisions.
“My parents have been urging me since Freshman year to make up my mind since it would be here before I knew it,” senior Julia Jeffries said.
One of the most common questions asked by family members are ones relating to college: attendance, room and board, and last but not least, the college of choice for the individual.
While some seniors are more ambitious than others, it is a common misconception that the selectiveness or “ranking” of the college one attends actually defines him or her as a person. In reality, what is most important is whether or not that college will make a student comfortable and happy while attending.
Other factors to consider include the responsibility and even privilege that students must already have before beginning an independent life after high school.
For example, some students do not have the means of paying for college right away. While financial aid and scholarships are available, going to college may place a student in debt for decades to come. This may lead a student to question the overall benefit or gain from attending college right out of high school.
“[I’m paying for college] mostly on a scholarship but I’m gonna need some student loans and I’ll probably pay for the rest,”Jeffries said.
Other factors that may influence a student’s decisions after high school include the idea of taking a gap year. This means taking a year after high school to work or travel before attending college.
A common misconception of the gap year is that students are not as likely to attend college after taking a year off. According to the Wall Street Journal, 90 percent of students who take a gap year end up returning after a year. This goes to show that it is completely within the student’s control of when and if he or she will return.
This gap year experience can be a great benefit to those not sure of his or her plans for the future, or for those who wish to work or have life-changing experiences before attending college.
Yet another choice available to high school seniors is to attend a trade school. Some students at the high school already attend the cosmetology program, which prepares and educates students for attending beauty school in the future.
“I plan on working more after high school trying to find a job in the cosmetology industry because I want to start right away to build up a clientele. I do plan on trying to go to a barber school,” senior Hannah Eisenberg said.
Other trades that students may be interested in are carpentry, landscaping and computer programming.
Overall, the options are endless for seniors in high school and students should choose what to do during their lives not based on the desires of others, but on what he or she truly wants.
“I’m confident since I have a lot of interest in pursuing psychology even if it is a lot of work,” said Jeffries.
