Shea Sullivan
While winter sports have ended, and spring sports have started, the band has been practicing and showing off their music to the community, all year round.
On Wednesday March 6, the various high school bands held their spring “Pre-contest concert” in the high school auditorium.
With an important contest for the band coming up, this concert was used as an important step to see how ready they are and what they need to improve on.
“This concert is different because this is our contest prep concert, which basically means this concert is like a trial run for our contest since the stakes are much lower. We will see how we perform under more pressure than a normal rehearsal,” senior Band President Julia Moxley said.
Starting off the night was the Freshman band, directed by Greg Newman. The Freshman band played “Bombasto” by John Edmondson, “Harbor Park Holiday” by James L. Hosay and “Declaration Overture” by Claude T. Smith for their final piece.
Following the Freshman band was the Maroon Symphonic band directed by Sandra Sandman. This band performed “Peace Jubilee March” by Karl L. King and James Swearingen, “Quintescent Journey” by Lisa Galvin and “Impact” by Randall D. Standridge.
Next, was the Gold Symphonic band directed by Tom Lewis. The Gold Band chose selections “A Hero’s Journey” by Mark Lortz, “From Gold” by Samuel Hazo and finally “Chorale Variants” by Todd Stalter.
Last but not least was the Wind Ensemble band, once again led by director Greg Newman. Wind Ensemble played “Black Granite” by James L. Hosay, “Variations of a Korean Folk Song” by John Barnes Chance and lastly “Shine” by Julie Giroux.
A big subject of the night was music education, and the aspect of life students learn from it. The Instrumental musical department stressed the importance of music education teaching emotional awareness, reflective learning, decision-making and grit. Also discussed, was how music promotes a fluency in knowledge and can improve a student’s language and mathematical ability.
Aside from the life lessons band may teach students, band also has the powerful ability to pull the community together.
“The community should come to the band concerts because we put a lot of effort practicing to make it the best it can be. The band concerts bring the community together because we play so many different songs that are appealing to all age groups,” freshman Connor Powers said.
Regardless of how the performance for the band went, or how the upcoming contests go, the band is always sure to reflect on their work and look at what they can better for the future. Having a positive attitude and a desire to learn is a strength for the band, and something they value that allows them to be a great representation of the high school.
“The band can improve on articulation and other small markings like crescendo and decrescendo that help the music’s style to really show. The overall performance has been really well this year, and I can tell that everyone is putting in so much effort for the upcoming contest,” junior Alexis Gray said.
Unlike sports and other clubs in the school, band members see each other everyday throughout the school and even more at events like football games, concerts, contest and more. This helps develop band into a very tight knit group which can definitely make what they do more enjoyable, and create a more supportive environment.
“Band is the biggest of any organizations, which may seem intimidating, but it really means that no one is alone. Everyone can find a friend in band, and everyone is there to support each other. Music helps people form lasting relationships,” Moxley said.
As the year begins to wind down, every group in the school including the band will be looking back on their efforts and progress through the year. The band will continue to work hard for their upcoming contests on March 15 at Firestone high school, and the all school musical in late April.

Snow Day Qualifications-2

Shea Sullivan
A new year brings new wages for Ohio workers. While the federal minimum wage is set at $7.25, minimum wage in Ohio has increased from $8.30 to $8.55, and jobs which rely heavily on tips can expect an increase from $4.15 to $4.30.
This news is certainly positive for those working low wage jobs, especially for younger generations. A raise of 25 cents may not seem like much, but every penny matters on a paycheck.
Talk of a minimum wage increase started in 2006, when Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment to increase the wage by the rate of inflation, according to Cleveland.com.
However, not everyone currently making minimum wage can count on their hourly pay to go up. According to the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), the increase only applies to businesses making an annual gross receipt of more than $314,000 per year.
Although this raise seems promising and beneficial at first, some feel that the raise is too little to make any big change, and might cause more harm than good.
“I feel like raising minimum wage might help for awhile, but then everything will even out so it seems kind of pointless,” junior Audrey Stone said.
Others feel that since the majority of younger adults or first time workers are the ones working minimum wage jobs, then the pay increase is not worth some consequences they believe will follow..
“I think that minimum wage jobs were meant for teenagers and other first time jobs, so it’s nice, but I feel like increasing the money too much will cause more problems such as inflation and tax increase,” junior Kaleigh Bozick said.
Yet many people still feel that the raise will be an asset in the long term, and also pushes progress in Ohio, considering that surrounding states like Indiana and Kentucky still have their minimum wage set at the federal line of $7.25.
“I personally think the increase is good. For high school students, a 25 cents increase can be a big deal considering most of us do not have a lot of expensive bills to pay,” junior Shelby Burgess said.
Even with differing opinions surrounding this topic, one thing everyone can do no matter their wage, is continue to work hard and hope it pays off. Experts will have to see if the wage increase hurts or helps the state economy in the months to come.

Elissa Stanley
The sixth annual Kent Beatle Fest took place in the pubs and coffee shops of Kent on Friday, February 22. Several
locations offered live music from bands and individual singers, all singing famous tunes from the widely loved British rock
band, The Beatles.
The presumed “best group of all time” consists of four artists: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo
Starr. Originating in Liverpool England, the band started the so-called British Invasion, a cultural phenomenon of the ‘60s
when British musical acts became immensely popular in the United States.
Instantly, The Beatles gained an extreme amount of love in the United States. Fans continue to grow and love The Beatles
for their distinct style and influence. For the devoted fanbase, Downtown Kent hosts the Beatle Fest annually.
Consisting of tribute band lookalikes, individuals and duos, Kent Beatle Fest brings out the nostalgia and deep fondness
Beatles fans thrive on. Just one of the many talented bands, The Sunrise Jones, performed at Zephyr Pub.
The Sunrise Jones brought a surfeit of people into Zephyr, gleaming with their faithful, upbeat tone. Much of the crowd
loved the band, stoked by the lead singer’s voice being “oddly similar to John Lennon’s.” Lennon is an especially loved and
respected member of The Beatles, as lots of the lyrics and beats of the band came from Lennon himself. The crowd at Zephyr
Pub beamed with delight whenever his songs were performed.
The Sunrise Jones played many inspiring tracks written by Lennon. Ranging from the heartfelt, peaceful melody ‘Let It Be’
to the intense, hopeful song Lennon wrote when he was overwhelmed with fame ‘Help!’, the crowd ecstatically sang along.
The Sunrise Jones performed other appreciated hits, such as ‘Here Comes The Sun’, a song about becoming happy after
dark times, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, a typical love song about being close to somebody and ‘Day Tripper’, what Lennon
called a “drug song.”
A rare but popular hit of the night called ‘We Can Work It Out’ written by McCartney and Lennon was performed, leaving
the crowd in chatter and awe. The song has a more personal meaning to McCartney; although, another loved lyric by Lennon
completes the track. “Life is very short. There’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.”
Another band by the name Abbey Road played at Dominick’s Pub. Some of the crowd at Zephyr said the band was a
“mirror image” of The Beatles, as they played with the same models of guitars, amps and drums the four used in their concerts.
At the end of the night, Kent was highly influenced by the fab four’s talent and uniqueness. Fans said The Beatles
“indefinitely changed America’s culture and altered the way music was made.”
The Kent Beatle Fest is a fun way to ‘Get Back’ with your friends and family for a night of rock and roll and dining. Kent
Beatle Fest happens each February 22.