Embedded Files
Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
By Wittman Sullivan
The open Senate race between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Congressman Tim Ryan is competitive with a slight lean toward Vance. It's expected that the Akron-Canton Metro and the Greater Cincinnati area will be deciding areas in this election.
Ryan is a 10-term Representative for Ohio District 13 and is a lifelong democrat. Vance is a Trump-endorsed conservative activist and has no official positions. The race is incredibly competitive and politico considers it a tossup race.
Ohio Moves to Ban Critical Race Theory
Ohio Moves to Ban Critical Race Theory
By Wittman Sullivan
Recently Ohio State legislatures have become concerned about what teacher have been, or may be teaching in classroom. These legislatures are afraid that schools may be teaching this curriculum which they feel is racist itself.
A fundamental question that must be answered is: what is critical race theory.
Critical Race Theory (or CRT) is a college level legal theory that simply teaches that racism is intertwined with American history and that racism still exists in most facits of American life. It is not actually taught in schools, not a single district or state requires that this be taught, Despite the loud cries of angry parents at school boars meetings.
Due to these rising concerns Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport has introduced HB 322 which would ban teaching of
“"Meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex."
"An individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual's race or sex."
"Fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to a race or sex or to members of that race or sex because of their race or sex."
"The advent of slavery in the territory that is now the United States constituted the true founding of the United States."
That slavery and racism are anything other than deviations from true American values like "liberty and equality."”
(Columbus Dispatch)
This bill has met fierce opposition from Democrats who believe that this will result in race being completely removed from classroom discussions. Democrats beleive that this would hinder the teaching of history within classrooms and remove educators ability to properly and truthfully teach. "Republicans are very good at moral outrage and cultural war," Rep. Jeff Crossman, Democrat Parma said. "They want to find issues that divide people along race lines in order to distract them from bigger issues."
Hurricane Ian Batters FL
Hurricane Ian Batters FL
Wittman Sullivan
Recently Florida was hit by a category 4 hurricane named Ian. The hurricane has killed dozens of people (although the death toll is continuously rising) and billions worth of damage. The hurricane has wiped out entire neighborhoods and destroyed uncountable lives.
Large island towns have been all but erased from the Florida coast, either due to ruin, or even being completely whipped off the map. Coastal communities have also not been fortunate, as they have seen mass flooding and destruction on a similar scale.
Natural disasters of this magnitude have become increasingly common, especially in coastal regions of the world. This is due to climate change which has already had significant impacts on weather and disasters worldwide.
This has led to Florida’s leaders pleading for federal disaster relief funds. People have pointed out the hypocrisy due to the same leaders’ opposition to relief for other states during disasters like Hurricane Sandy. That mentioned this disaster mustn't be politicized, Regardless of political views, it is an undeniable fact that people are suffering due to this disaster.
Florida however, is no stranger to natural disasters, as they have in the past faced comparable disasters. It is still yet to be seen how they will rebuild the state. whether they will rebuild in the same fashion they have in the past, or will they try to rebuild in ways that will be less risky. For example, rebuilding homes off of the island and away from coasts, or restoring more greenspace.
Oil Prices Rise Again
Oil Prices Rise Again
By Wittman Sullivan
In the last year oil prices, and in turn, gas prices have been incredibly fluctuant. Before understanding why gas prices are rising, it’s also important to acknowledge what isn't causing it. There is no major domestic American policy causing a spike in gas prices, no it’s not environmental regulation, no it’s not Joe Biden, and no it's not Donald Trump. Gas prices are an incredibly fluctuant market that is heavily affected by major international affairs.
Originally when gas prices began to rise back in April, it was due to fast economic growth and demand. That growth outpaced the growth pace of the oil industry. The war in Ukraine caused many western countries to sanction Russia. Russia is a major oil producer, and these sanctions further strained oil supply chains.
As the world built supply chains around Russia and other major oil producers increased production; by the end of the summer oil prices began to steadily go down.
Another Major player in the oil market is OPEC. OPEC is a group of major oil-producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, The United Arab Emirates, etc.
Recently OPEC met to discuss oil prices and production. OPEC along with OPEC partners like Russia decided that in order to increase oil prices, and in turn profits, they will cut oil production by 2,000,000 barrels per day. This has already begun to boost oil prices in the U.S. and around the world.
U.S. leaders have already vowed retaliation in the forms of broken military and economic bonds.
Ohio Governors Race
Ohio Governors Race
By Wittman Sullivan
The Ohio Gubernatorial race is considered a safe Republican and not competitive. Currently, the race is between the incumbent Republican Governor Mike Dewine, and Democratic challenger Nan Whaley.
Mike Dewine is a career Republican and serves as the successor to Governor Kasich after he was term-limited. When he was first elected in 2018 by a likely margin (5-15 percentage points) he was seen as a safe moderate Republican. In the view of Ohioans that hasn’t changed and his relatively moderate policies have remained popular in Ohio.
Nan Whaley is the Mayor of Dayton and has been a major player in Montgomery County politics. She hasn’t been very popular statewide and has not done well in polls statewide. She is relatively unknown statewide with both Democrats and Republicans and has been lagging behind in polls for all demographics.
Currently, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Dewine is up by 19.3 percentage points. The race is not considered competitive and Politico rates it as a safe Republican seat.
Ukraine War Pushes On
Ukraine War Pushes On
By Wittman Sullivan
For the last eight months, war has raged in the eastern European nation of Ukraine due to Russia’s illegal invasion of the country. This invasion was started as a, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin “special operation” in order to liberate what they felt was Ukrainian-occupied Russian territory.
This is based on the presumption that the people of Ukraine and Russia are one people and therefore one nation. This belief has guided the Russian president in his invasion.
The invasion started with a quick Russian advance through the east of the country in order to form a land corridor to Crimea, and an advance on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The northern advance toward Kyiv was swiftly met with fierce resistance that led to Russia's retreat from the northern front.
After that Russian defeat, the war came to a multi-month stalemate with only minor gains on the eastern front for both Ukraine and Russia. The two major events of the time were the fall of Mariupol and the troubles at the Zaparitia nuclear power plant.
That was until within the last month Ukraine embarked on a major counteroffensive against Russia resulting in entire regions of the country being liberated. This has caused the Russians to retreat from many major cities, most recently the town of Lyman.
Recently a major development in the war has been the sham elections in four Ukrainian regions that are now being used as justification for Russia to annex these regions. Almost every country in the world has not recognized these annexations.
There has also been the bombing of the Crimean Bridge, the bridge was the only thing connecting Russia with Crimea. Russia pinned the blame on Ukraine and has responded with civilian-targeted missile strikes.
Akron Mayor Daniel Horrigan Announces He Will Not Seek A Third Term As Mayor
Akron Mayor Daniel Horrigan Announces He Will Not Seek A Third Term As Mayor
By Wittman Sullivan
Recently the 62nd Akron mayor Daniel Horrigan announced that he will not be running for a third term in 2023. The two-term mayor has served as mayor since 2016 and has seen Akron through unprecedented times.
It is important to examine his legacy so far and examine his work as Akron's mayor. Born in 1963, Horrigan graduated from Kent State with a bachelor's degree in arts and the University of Akron for Education. After graduating Horrigan taught social studies and St. Vincent, St. Marys High School from 1996-98. After his short career in teaching, he sought public life and in 1999 he was elected as representative for Ward 1 in Akron. During his time he served as the chair of the public utility committee and a member of the recreation committee and budget and finance committee. During his time on the city council, he successfully pushed for a new library, school, and grocery store. Then in 2007, he was appointed as the clerk of Summit County courts.
He remained in this position until June 9th, 2015 when he announced his candidacy for Akron Mayor. His campaign focused on the development of infrastructure and downtown, along with citizen engagement within the city. Then on November 3rd, he swept the general election in a landslide garnering 73% of the vote.
His first term in office was defined by dealing with issues that were long overdue and put off but his predecessor Don Plasquellic. He was able to put together a plan for the merger between First Merit Bank and Huntington, create better relationships between the city and the EPA, and also created the first-ever Human Resources director. As the first year of his term came to a close, he began to release plans for redevelopments in Akron that focused on economic development and walkability. The most consequential would be the controversial Main Street project that completely revamped Main Street and the adjacent buildings, while also closing many businesses due to the prolonged construction. Then Horrigan ran for and won a second term winning by an even bigger landslide of 78%.
Shortly after being sworn in for a second time Ohio detected it’s first case of covid-19 and Akron began it’s quarantine. Horrigan’s administration remained calm until the summer with the killing of George Floyd. When Akronites began to protest for police reform Horrigan knelt with them, and also took action. Horrigan created a citizens review board for police and made pledges of reform. As quarantine rolled on he released masterplans for redevelopments, the most known being the Merriman Valley Masterplan. He also released and implemented a plan to repave most of Akron's aging roads.
After quarantine, the city was mostly quiet until the killing of Jayland Walker in the summer of 2022. This left Akronites in shock, anger, and demanding change. As protests began to heat up after the release of bodycam footage that showed officers shooting Walker 63 times, people began to riot downtown. Nearly every building in downtown was damaged during the unrest. People viewed the Horrigan as either doing too much reform and not doing anything about riots, or not enough reform and suppressing protests. This view led to him becoming wildly unpopular despite things like the Home Renovation Program.
After months of press speculation about his intentions for 2023, on October 5th, 2022 he announced he will not be seeking a 3rd term. In the last 8 years, Horrigan has had a major effect on Akron and the Akron area as a whole. His policies will have lasting effects that will influence both current and future leaders for years to come.
What's In at Firestone
What's In at Firestone
Scary Stories
Twix
Halloween Kills
Haunted House
Candy Corn
Haunted School House and Laboratory
Trick Or Treating
What's Out at Firestone
What's Out at Firestone
Snickers
Halloween Ends
Instagram Reels
Corn Maze
Forest of Screams
Firestone Cheerleading team goes to States
Being a cheerleader involves more than just supporting your school and cheering from the sidelines. It also involves a competition team where different cheerleading teams compete to win. Firestone’s high school cheerleading team took the floor on March 4, 2023 at the OASSA cheerleading competition at Big Walnut highschool.
This was Firestone’s first time going to States and they took 4th place home in the non building division even with such a small sized team compared to others.. They worked really hard as they juggled other school activities and even though they were looking to get 1’st place they still had Good Sportsmanship. Going to states for the first time and facing other cheer squads that have already had experience is really challenging. You have the school's competition team and then all star cheerleading squads which are not associated with schools and operate only for competition. In either case, participating as a cheerleader is extremely hard, fun, and athletic.
Cheerleading is all about helping you become the finest possible version of yourself and allowing you to reach your maximum potential. It goes beyond the games, practices, and competitive events that take up your time. Firestone's cheer team accomplishes this by dedicating themselves to working hard and working together in order to get to where they are now. Students that participated in this competition were Jaden Millinn, Hannah Rogers, Jada Law, Taylor Hamiliton, Azeria Bailey, Tamia Tilley, Alyvia Anderson, Olivia Harris, Marlona Portis-Cheatham, and A’Kyla Williams. They owe a special thanks to the coaches LaShonna Johnson, Amari Johnson, and Ashley Cowan to pushing them to get we’re they are now.
Mary B. Outley Shares New Vision For APS
Mary B. Outley Shares New Vision For APS
By Wittman Sullivan
In early 2023, in the wake of countless crises (such as the near-strike, violence, covid slide, etc), former Akron Public Schools superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack resigned as superintendent with consent from the board. She was the first ever black woman to serve as superintendent of Akron schools.
In order to keep the district running, the board had to pick an interim superintendent, until another permanent replacement was found. The district chose the head of elementary education. Mary B. Outley. as the interim superintendent.
I had the privilege to speak with Ms. Outley about her job, her goals, and the district as a whole on our May 23rd Tuesday meeting.
Ms. Outley, an APS graduate from Butchel High School has been hailed for her connection to Akron and its school. “One of the things that motivated me going into teaching were my teachers,” Outley said, “... at every school I went to in APS [there] were supportive teachers.” A consistent point of praise for APS in recent decades has been it’s teachers. In particular, APS’s supportive and community environment is created in the district by the teachers. “Making sure the whole child is okay, I feel that they have instilled that in me and that I have to pay it forward, and that I have to return that favor to my own students.” Outley was inspired by her teachers from a young age and that has carried over into her role today as Superintendent.
One way that the care for student wellbeing has carried into Outley’s job is through her support of the scholar's voice. She described it as “part of our excellence through equity,” which has been a push by the district to uplift student voices in the reform process in Akron. “If we uplift student voices they will be seen,” Ms. Outley said. She also spoke about inter-school collaboration with students saying “I definitely think we can grow even more.”
She specifically spoke about the importance of student initiative in imagining and implementing new and unique reforms throughout the district. She said, “The way we do it at East may be completely different than the way you guys do it at Firestone and it may give you guys, spark some ideas.” When asked whether or not she thinks that students need a larger role in reforms across the district she said “Definitely… also, for instance, we are looking at budget reductions and possible school levy, we want to listen to what's important to you… what you guys value and would say please don’t cut this.” For context, this year the district will run a deficit of nearly six million dollars, and next year it could be up to 22 million dollars. This also comes as a major new North Hill 6-12 Campus is being planned which costs would be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Mrs. Outley also outlined the importance of community involvement in the school system as well as the importance of support behind a new levy saying, “How can we help get the word out to the community about what’s important to our scholars and why the community should support the school levies as they are gonna directly support you.” She commented on school safety and getting students involved in the process of making our school safe, saying we need to ask, “Do you feel bullied, do you feel safe, and by listening to that voice with the scholars we can help us work on programming to address it.”
I asked about one issue that students have been very vocal about in recent months, that being the Yonder Phone Pouches. She justified the pouches saying:
“We had some students, not all but some, that were using their phones to help orchestrate fights or communicate where fights were gonna be…we’ve noticed that with the use of the Yonder Bags, it has helped to cut down on that type of communication that would usually increase student violence… teachers are believing that their students are more focused.”
A very common argument against the pouches is that students who need to use their phones, specifically in relation to a 504 plan or other circumstances, wouldn't have access to their devices. She commented on the common criticism saying “We do it on a student-by-student basis if there’s extenuating circumstances… with proper paperwork from a doctor we do exceptions to the using of the Yonder Bags.”
A concern throughout the district’s students in recent years has been mental health and mental health services in schools. Many students have concerns in particular about the lack of services that are offered, as well as concerns over the lack of staff in schools who deal with mental health. I asked Superintendent Outley about the concerns and she had this to say:
“...We’ve made sure that all of our elementary schools now have a counselor. Some of our schools had a counselor but they were only part-time, so now all of our counselors are full time. We’ve also reached out to partners in the community… and we’re making parents aware of different counseling services available.”
She continued “We’re looking at different activities that counselors and teachers can do in the classroom… like mindfulness that helps to lower anxiety”
When I asked about the next superintendent she expressed the necessity for the superintendent to have roots and connections to Akron as well as APS. When I asked if she was going to seek the permanent superintendent position she responded, “Well, I think that I’d be the best for the job.”
Superintendent Outley has a clear vision for the district and what we should do in the district. However, as an interim superintendent it’s “hard to see it [my vision] through” as Outley said. I was honored to have spoken with her and after having this discussion I have a more thorough understanding of her vision.
This interview was conducted at Firestone High School CLC on May 23rd and recorded.
Senior Class of 23 Crossword Puzzle - Play online
Sign Season Kicks Off
Sign Season Kicks Off
By Wittman Sullivan
Akron Ward 1:
In Akron Ward 1 (which includes parts of Downtown, West Hill, Highland Square, And Merriman Hills) has a special election this November between Incumbent Nancy Holland and real estate investor Michael Andes. Nancy Holland was a civil rights lawyer before she was unanimously appointed in 2021 by the council to fill the vacancy created after the death of Rich Swirsky.
Ladies Falcons Golf Goes for the Gold on the Green
Ladies Falcons Golf Goes for the Gold on the Green
By Tabitha Christman
The Firestone Lady Falcons Golf Team has had a good season, with a 8-10 win/lose ratio. As Varsity player Addison Sendelbach said, “the season’s going pretty well… there’s always room for improvement, but we definitely improved from last year.” Both team captains, Alexandria Vardon and Sienna Sneed agree. Although, Abbie Pantea, a Varsity Sophomore player, was hoping to “pull out another win before the season ends.”
The Team
The Team
Varsity
Varsity
Alexandria Vardon, Junior, Team Captain
Sienna Sneed, Junior, Team Captain
Abigail Pantea, Sophomore
Xyia West, Sophomore
Addison Sendelbach, Sophomore
Elise Dunbar, Junior
Paige Swaney, Sophomore, Varsity Substitute
Junior Varsity
Junior Varsity
Tabitha Christman, Freshman
Libby Jackson, Sophomore
Even though they are a team, every player’s individual performance affects their overall score. For example, in every match there are six players, but only the top four scores count. Due to this, their score varies often depending on who plays and how players are doing that day. For Vardon, she is a strong force on the team, consistently playing and scoring in the #1 spot on the team. Recently, she scored a 33 at Mud Run Golf Course, which is one under par. Also, at the first invitational of the season, Vardon scored a 77 which gave her the bronze medal of the day. Pantea is also a steady force for the team, often scoring in the #2 position for the team. Sendelbach has done well this year. While her playing position varies, she always is a steady force for the team. Sneed, a junior at Akron Early College plays whenever she can and consistently does well. For example, at the start of the season she received three birdies, meaning she scored one under par three times. Additionally, Dunbar has had a good season, and recently scored a 52 against Alliance and a 55 against Hoban, helping the team win both matches. West scored a 55 against Wadsworth and a 53 against Padua. Swaney subs in for Sneed often and recently made the top four against Springfield with a 62. Finally, Junior Varsity players Libby Jackson and Tabitha Christman have had a good season, continuously improving and playing multiple times in Varsity matches. Recently, Christman scored in a tri-match against Norton and Copley with a 57.
Sectionals
Sectionals
Currently the team is getting ready for sectionals at Fox Den Golf Course. In sectionals they play all the teams in Division One. For Sendelbach, she believes that she is prepared for sectionals. She said, “My scores for eighteen have been getting a little lower each time and I’m confident I can do well during sectionals.” Pantea also is confident, but has a slight concern over a hand injury she is dealing with right now. Other than her injury, she says “I believe in my teammates and I’m sure they will improve by a lot during sectionals.” Since the team has practiced and played on a variety of courses this season, Sneed believes that sectionals will go well. Similarly, Vardon has played the course multiple times and is confident that her performance will be strong, but believes that the team's performance depends on their course management.
Crossword Puzzle answers
Crossword Puzzle answers
Key - Click to access
Falcon Spirit Soars
Falcon Spirit Soars
Seniors Steal Spirit Stick
Seniors Steal Spirit Stick
By Sereay McCormick
The 2022-2023 school year takes flight with the first Firestone pep rally since 2020! Though this was the first pep rally in two years, students partook in the festivities as though they had done so many times. Face paint, coordinated colors for respective grades, green and gold signs, and spirit reigned throughout the building. It’s important to understand where this spirit stemmed from, as well as how consistent it has been in past pep rallies.
The first Firestone pep rallies that took place in the old building were lead predominantly by Ms. Copeland for 10 years. Her inspiration was simple, “[She was] very excited to see students have fun.” The biggest difference between past and present rallies is the absence of the gong, a metallic disc that was struck by sports teams after having won a city championship. Still present rallies aren’t too different with the recognition of sports teams depending on their respective seasons. Even the school spirit is the same, says Ms. Copeland, “With students still, enthusiasm and [the] vibe is the same. Students dress up and participate in school spirit the same. Tradition is alive!”
This tradition was showcased at the most recent pep rally, as students used their grade identities to rival against each other and cheered on the fall sports. A game of ‘Simon Says’ was played by two students from each grade level and the class which had the most spirit when chanting the alma mater was tested. Ms. Copeland said, “I love them, they should be an integral part of protocol. [They] give students pride and enthusiasm.” This pride and enthusiasm was felt during the pep rallies as seniors swiftly won the spirit stick, another Firestone tradition.
Click on the above images to access the scholarships
Scholarships Available to Akron Teens
Scholarships Available to Akron Teens
By Sereay McCormick
The Young Scholars Program (YSP) and Akron Urban League Scholars Academy are both programs dedicated to furthering the education of minority and impoverished groups within Ohio, specifically Akron. Both programs “enhance the academic, personal, and career development” of students.
The Young Scholars Program is a part of the Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The program is geared towards first generation college students with a high need for financial assistance to pursue their education. YSP expands across Ohio, covering Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain, Toledo, and Youngstown. The program is focused on Ohio State University (OSU) and therefore doesn’t allocate scholarship funds to students who wish to pursue different universities, nevertheless, all students within the program will receive a pre-collegiate education to ensure they are prepared for further education. YSP’s main focus is to increase the amount of underrepresented students at the Ohio State University. Its only requirements are for students to currently be in the 8th grade and entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2023, qualify as low income, be a first generation college student, have interest in attending OSU, maintain a 3.3 GPA or above, reside in Ohio, and attend a public school.
The Akron Urban League is known for many things within Akron, such as providing workforce development, economic relief, etc. for minority groups within Akron, particularly African Americans. Along with this, the organization hosts an annual scholarship program which focuses on networking and college readiness skills through many interactive experiences. To be eligible students must be a high school senior, Summit County Resident, have a minimum 2.5 GPA, and plan to be enrolled in a university for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Young Scholars Program and Akron Urban League Scholars Academy are both programs that are extremely helpful to low income minority students who wish to seek out a higher education. Students who are unsure of what they wish to major in or pursue in the future as well as those that do, will find much knowledge from both programs as they teach students about the in’s and out’s of university.
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