Defiance High School is coming to an end for some and seniors are saying their final goodbyes. The following clubs for the 2021-2022 school year are as follows: National Honors Society, Yearbook, DECA, Student Council, Teen Pep, Student Boosters, Drama, Spanish Club, Esports, Quiz Team, and French Club.

DHS clubs have done a great job of keeping students involved within their school community.

The National Honors Society hosted their annual clean up the park day, trivia night, MLK day, Weak of KIndness, and Santa Shop. Alexandria Milano had a terrific year running the club for the first time ever!

Speaking about her club and their accomplishments, Milano stated, "President Gracye Jones, Vice President Emily Wahl, and Treasurer Madi Coler worked so hard to make NHS awesome for all members.”

Everyone is proud of the accomplishments the club has had this year!

Yearbook and DECA have had a very successful year, creating new, impactful responsibilities for all members. Kelly Cooper came in and took on the big role of becoming the new advisor.

Speaking about her club, Cooper says, “The staff was open to my suggestions and worked hard to produce a book they can be proud of.”

This teacher was excited to discuss DECA as well by saying, “This was my first year back at nationals since Covid, and my students worked hard on written projects, most not having any idea what they were.”

The Student Council and Teen Pep committees came upon new ideas this year. The council took a lead in putting on dances and creating a good time for students. Teen Pep made time to help teens navigate through mental health struggles and be more aware about them.

Olivia Moats, a Teen Pep member for 4 years stated, “I cannot believe Teen Pep is ending. I have been given so many opportunities.”

DHS is proud of their students and clubs!

As the school year comes to an end summer becomes closer and closer. Students and staff at DHS are excited about this summer and wanted to share some of their plans, past memories of summers, and what they are most excited about as the school year ends.

Sunny Lloyd, a junior at DHS said, “I am planning on going to Buckeye Girls State camp, on vacation to the Bahamas, DECA camp, Michigan Beach, Cedar Point, a few concerts and Band Camp, and moreover the summer!” Lloyd shared memories of past summers, “I love all of my summer memories, most notably the family vacation we took to Cancun last year and snorkeling there!”. She is also very excited to be done with all of her school work.

Lori Schultz the accompanist for DHS Choral Department said, “I am planning a summer vacation to Michigan. I usually do some day trips too!” Schultz also shared past memories, “I have memories of past summers spent in Texas, my Europe trip” and She is excited for the end of the school year to relax and not have a daily schedule.

Both Schultz and Lloyd have big plans for their summer vacation and seemed to have great past summers as well, they both wish everyone a great summer.

On Monday, May 9th, 2022, the DHS Creative Writing Club will come together and build a new set of standards to which professional literary works should be held to.

This idea came about upon observation of professional work online that was hard to read and barely helpful on the topic of which it was written.

Sara Ohm remarks that, “The kids seem excited about it. You don’t see that very often.”

Oppositely, some seem to be uncertain of the idea. Katelyn Brown notes that, “It’s just not interesting to me,” and doesn’t plan to attend on Monday.

Regardless of the matter, some students at DHS feel as if the current standard of literary works is too low and yet unachievable somehow. There is now a solution to this controversial topic.

Foreign exchange students are able to come to The United States for a year to learn and have the experience of school in America. These students come from all around the world and can make so many lifelong friends and memories while they are here.

Karla Müller, an exchange student from Germany shared,”I think my favorite memory was during the musical cast party. We found some tricycles in the old cafeteria and we were all going around in big circles and it was a lot of fun!”

Foreign exchange students are allowed to participate in any activities they wish as they attend their American school. Müller chose to participate in band, choir, the musical, track and cross country. Frederik Bergfelder, another exchange student from Germany, chose to participate in choir and tennis.

Bergfelder shared a memory of A Capella Choir qualifying for state competition and getting a superior rating. Another memory of his has to do with tennis he said, “A memory I have is winning my first varsity tennis match with Carter Campbell in doubles” (Bergfelder “only gets dubs”)

Both students were welcomed to DHS and we will hate to see them leave. We have made memories with them that will last a lifetime. We wish both students well as they head back home to Germany this summer and continue their education there.

It is known that throughout any time during the school year, the DHS Teen Pep committee exists as a helping hand reaching out to any student who needs it. Some have wondered…what about during summer months?

Sophomore Victoria Gerencser answers the popular question by stating, “Any teen has the option of reaching out to us through our public Instagram account. Club members have also made sure to post plenty of hotline options on the walls of DHS.”

Teen Pep participants also suggest that educating yourself about mental health will promote self-awareness overall.

Listing the positives of obtaining an understanding of mental health in general, senior Derrick Miller says, “Learning more about this heavy topic helps one utilize their support systems. These include teachers, counselors, and most importantly, Teen Pep members.”

It is important to remember that you're not alone, and you most definitely won't be outside of school. Help is always available. Don't be afraid to ask for it!

DHS Prom is right around the corner, and spirit week has been a great time this past week for students to add a little bit of fun to their days before Prom hits. Spirit week is a great time for students to show school spirit and unity.

Maddie Morton, a DHS Junior, explained “I am most looking forward to BBQ dad v. soccer mom. I can't wait to dress like a soccer mom. I really like spirit week because it gets every student excited for the big event at the end of the week, which is prom this time.”

Planning a spirit week can be a lot of work. Choosing the different topics can be a hard task to complete. Morton was on the planning committee this week, and when talking to her she was really proud to have come up with the Soccer Mom vs BBQ Dad theme. This week, there are some fresh themes to dress up.

Senior Tierra Harrison said, “Pajama day is my favorite just because it is nice to relax.”

Pajama day is a classic favorite for a lot of people because it is a great break from the dress code and students are able to express themselves while being comfy.

Dress-up weeks are a great prologue to the DHS Prom. With both fun and comfort, the break from the dress code helps add a little creativity and entertainment to the school week.

Novels such as “Fahrenheit 451” and “To Kill A Mockingbird” have been read, analyzed, and discussed for decades. While including a variety of subject matters, these books have been challenged by school districts nationally to determine whether or not the content is suited for learning environments and libraries despite the merit they possess.

According to the American Library Association, just within the first couple of months of the 2020 school year, more than 273 books were challenged or banned. Though the banning of books has not posed a threat to DHS specifically, students need to recognize the significance of the conversations these books initiate and why book banning threatens the perspectives of younger generations.

Problems arise within the idea of restricting books when literature is pulled from curriculums despite the lessons it holds. Issues like sex, violence, racism and political viewpoints are typically the most challenging topics when it comes to proposing a ban on a book according to the ALA. Art Spiegelman’s “Maus,” a graphic novel sharing a story about the impacts of the Holocaust, was recently banned from being taught within a Tennessee school district after arguments arose around the use of language and nudity. The Holocaust itself is disturbing, and its expected nudity surrounding it aligns with the grueling nature of the Holocaust itself.

Even when it comes to topics like the Holocaust, literature provides students a safe way to learn and process such a devastating event without placing them directly in that situation. This can be applied to many other topics such as matters revolving around race. Despite the effectiveness of the storytelling in books like Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is criticized and challenged in school districts for themes involving racism and sex. Most students read this book early in high school and with the guidance of teachers, they were able to comprehend and start understanding and talking about these timeless issues within a classroom environment. Teaching about these issues allows the growing generation to recognize the depth behind racism, slurs, rape, and how to handle it as well as similar issues as they mature.

When it comes to explicit scenes, it’s reasonable to think that they shouldn’t be taught to younger and less mature classes. On the other hand, older classes exploring these topics in a controlled environment allow a guided analysis and discussion. The listed issues are real problems that communities, families and even some students face, so sharing these perspectives is crucial to forming well-rounded adolescents.

Even though these novels are impactful, they aren’t perfect. “To Kill a Mockingbird” does a great job at introducing racism, but critics recognize the white savior complex in the novel. Instead of scrapping the book completely, English classes can equip their teachers with the necessary training to initiate conversations regarding this portrayal of racism and a white savior complex. Understanding the fine line between excessive use of slurs, racism and aged ideologies can help facilitate the novels being taught within English classes and how to address these issues. When asked about “To Kill a Mockingbird” Caden Hazelton said, “In my personal experience, discussing real-world problems like this in the classroom has conditioned me to acknowledge and understand differing perspectives while developing my own.”

Changing the curriculum to books with “easier” topics to digest leads to depriving students of these experiences, making them less prepared for the nuance of the real world.

With meticulously selected novels, it’s expected for books not to age gracefully with the current time leading to a revision of the curriculum. A good example of revision is replacing the book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain. With slurs being used 203 times within the 366-page novel, it made students uncomfortable and feel marginalized, leading to the book being taken out or not being required in the curriculum.

When it comes to revisions, it’s important to understand the difference between censoring issues and replacing aged novels with more recent literature that better represents the same issues of civilization, race, and prejudice. Not requiring the teaching of this book isn’t an instance of political correctness; instead, it allows these topics to be explored without marginalizing groups within the classroom. Even though recognizing classic novels is important, selecting recent literature focused on these themes will make it easier for students to process these topics while in a learning environment.

Book censorship hasn’t plagued the English curriculums within DHS. The school district goes through an extensive process when deciding the eligible books to be taught.

Literature allows students to delve deep into stories that share perspectives and events that students would have not otherwise considered. Exploring these books within English classes allows students to widen their horizons and investigate the world all within the safety of the classroom. Junior Cayden Zachrich was asked about his experiences with reading “Fahrenheit 451”, “Reading that book was actually kind of fun, especially the project we did with it. I was in a group with Drake and Gmutza. Together we made three podcasts about each of which ranged in topics. It was just a cool experience to be able to actually talk about some of the topics you'll see online.”

Making sure literature that represents current issues must be delicately taught to ensure education while creating a safe space for the groups that face these issues.

Addressing heavy topics can’t be avoided when facing historical novels, and it is crucial to ensure that school districts aren’t erasing perspectives taught within said novels.

Defiance High School's National Honor Society had started making changes for the 2022-2023 school year. The elections were made for the upcoming senior class of 2023.

Grayce Jones, the National Honor Society President has represented our class successfully with other honors students. The election results were as follows…next year's president will be Sunny Lloyd, and her vice president will be Bella Walz. Cydney Holmes will be the secretary, along with Elizabeth Hoffman being the treasurer.

The upcoming historian will be Kinley Maynard and the new social media advisor is Ella Kissner. Ms. Milano has shown her happiness with these results and is excited to have such amazing students represent the National Honors Society.

Junior Kinley Maynard states, "Becoming a historian has really opened my eyes and made me think about how I will be going into my last year of high school after summer."

Reflecting on her new position, Hoffman states, "It's an honor having the opportunity to be a part of NHS and even have a title. This has taught me that hard work and not giving up pays off in the end."

The National Honor Society is looking for big roles to fill for next year! We are excited to see the future turnout of the club!

From powders to pills, performance-enhancing substances range from basic supplements (like vitamins or protein) to partially-legal supplements used among the DHS athletic community (like Creatine and Caffeine) to illegal drugs like steroids or human growth hormones (HGH).

In recent years, the discussion surrounding the legality and ethicality of supplements has become more prominent, amid Olympic controversy and the discussion surrounding transgender athletes. The question of where to draw the line when it comes to supplements has become increasingly important.

Current regulation around supplement use is, to say the least, incredibly complicated. Various groups have different rules, but the bylaws of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are typically seen as the most strict, and a good starting point for other groups. Currently, the IOC prohibits the use of any type of sports supplement during the games, including seemingly benign ones like caffeine, creatine, and sodium bicarbonate ( AKA baking soda).

The banning of Creatine is an especially controversial point, as its use is incredibly popular, even here at DHS.

Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical used to increase an individual’s maximum power and aerobic range. The substance was deemed safe for short-term usage, but the lack of long-term data raises questions regarding the use of creatine for extended periods, which is why the IOC decided to ban its use.

DHS students reflect on their Creatine use, especially the looming question of its safety.

“I think that taking [Creatine] is a very low risk and that it’s not going to have long-lasting effects, especially because it’s a naturally occurring substance in different types of meats and other proteins,” junior Alex Chagoyan said. “There have been a lot of studies on it, just not necessarily long-term, because it’s something that’s been kind of recently put into the spotlight. There haven’t been any negative effects surrounding it.”

Chagoyan, who feels that the naturally-occurring Creatine is safe enough, has been taking it for around four months. He also notes only positive effects after starting on Creatine, seeing an increase in both strength and appearance. Once Chagoyan started Creatine and coupled it with consistent training, he felt more physically strong.

“I’m proud of myself for the changes I see in the gym, and I feel that Creatine really sped up the whole process,” Chagoyan said.

The use of supplements is also seen in the higher level of sports. Olympic ski racer Rodolfo “Rudy” Dickson uses naturally occurring substances to stay in shape all year round. Dickson is a professional ski racer for the Mexican Olympic team and has competed in both the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and the more recent 2022 Beijing Olympics. He emphasizes the importance of researching the effects of the supplements he uses. This includes finding more information about the substance and performing trial and error of use.

“A little bit of research does help, so I go online like I’m sure everyone does that to an extent,” Dickson said. “You got to try it for a bit as well. If you take a pre-workout, for example, like caffeine and you don’t feel good, you stop taking it, pretty simple.”

The most influential supplement Dickson takes is caffeine, which he takes as part of his pre-workout, and is especially important before his first and second run. Caffeine acts as a stimulant that will help engage the body, so Dickson takes it to boost both his physical and mental ability preceding a ski run. He gets his caffeine from his pre-workout because coffee provides an inconsistent amount of caffeine wherein with one scoop of pre-workout he can know exactly how much caffeine he is taking.

Creatine is a big part of Dickson’s pre-workout, which he uses almost every day before weight training or before he goes out on the slopes. However, Dickson does not think supplements like creatine are needed to succeed in ski racing.

“[Creatine] does help to a certain percent, but is it super measurable? Not really, maybe on paper, but I can’t see any difference in the short term,” Dickson said.

Because ski racing is not solely strength-based, other factors are more influential in being an all-around good racer. Creatine’s main effect is to retain water in muscles, and although it does elevate your strength and recovery, in a sport like ski racing that relies more heavily on technique and mental strength creatine is less of a prominent component than it would be in a sport such as weightlifting.

This is also why you rarely see alpine ski racers faced with doping scandals at the professional level. There is less of a need to take illegal substances to get an edge on your opponents, as it wouldn’t give you that much of a benefit over your competitors.

“I think you can do it without it,” Dickson said. “It’s better to have a better-rounded out meal plan and good workouts.”

On the other hand, in sports where strength is more of an aspect when competing at a high level, some athletes will go so far as to take illegal substances to enhance their performance.

To combat the athletes’ malicious actions, the IOC has implemented guidelines that disallow its competitors to take PEDs. These guidelines follow those created by World Anti-Doping Administration (WADA), which is a standard across many sports events.

“They don’t tell you what you’re allowed or what you are not allowed to take, you have to do it yourself,” Dickson said.

“First, I would have to take my supplements, look at everything in the nutrition tab, and then go onto WADA and check if they are eligible. They don’t give you a list, everything is through WADA, so you do it yourself and if you get caught, it’s your fault.”

Although these guidelines are rigorous, they are sometimes easily bypassed by athletes, giving them an advantage over their competition, something that the IOC and WADA hope to eliminate in future events.

“Athletes will take illegal PEDs before the Olympics because at the Olympics you don’t have a certain time when they test you, so you can’t time it too well,” Dickson said. “If you’re doing it before you go to the World Cup or Olympic scene, they can’t catch you. That’s one of the more unfair things about the whole side of sports.”

The Olympics can only test athletes while they are at the games, so athletes do have the ability to take any performance-enhancing drugs before the games that will not be present in their system during the games. There was a difference between the regulations at the 2018 PyeongChang and Beijing Olympics.

“I think more people were tested for drugs this time. I kept hearing ‘someone got tested, someone got tested,’” Dickson said. “They were definitely more strict in China when it came to testing athletes for PEDs than in Korea.”

Although on the surface it seems the legality of supplements and PEDs in higher ranking competitions like the Olympics are fairly straightforward, that the IOC should test everyone and those who test positive should face consequences, it’s not always that simple.

The most recent case, of Kamila Valieva, a 15-year-old figure skating sensation from Russia depicts these complexities. She failed the initial drug test administered at the 2022 games, testing positive for banned drugs. Trimetazidine, the drug found in Valieva, is used to treat angina, a chest pain that can be symptomatic of heart attacks but can help performance by improving oxygen flow and blood circulation.

Her team, the Russian Olympic Committee, appealed to a third-party arbitration group, which cleared Valieva from any culpability, reasoning that the positive test was possibly caused by contamination from her grandfather’s medication.

In a statement, The Olympic and Paralympic committee expressed their profound disappointment with the message this allowance sent.

“Athletes have a right to know they are competing on a level playing field. Unfortunately, today that right is being denied,” the statement said. “This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.”

This “pervasive disregard” and allusion to “another chapter” refer to the 2018 systemic, underground Russian violation of doping rules. This scandal involved numerous athletes who, sometimes against their will, were encouraged or forced to take illegal, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Russia was banned from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics and was stripped of over 46 medals.

Both Russian conflicts reveal the complex tensions surrounding the legality and morality of doping. Taking PEDs will give athletes an advantage over other athletes, but it usually isn’t as black and white as banning an athlete that uses them and allowing athletes that do not.

As a 2018 article in the Journal of Legal Medicine explains, sports supplements in the United States are not subject to pre-market restrictions, like other foods regulated by the FDA, and can be sold without any safety or effectiveness tests, meaning athletes may not know what they are putting in their body. This means that substances that are approved by the IOC like iron, vitamins, or protein, can be laced with illegal, chemical steroids.

This means it is difficult to put a strict blanket punishment on positive tests, as they may happen accidentally. A prominent example is the case of Flavia Oliviera, a Brazilian cyclist. After testing positive for the illegal drug oxilofrine, she sued an American manufacturer for putting it in supplement powder without listing it on the label.

Fortunately, her ban was overruled, but Dickson agrees that cases like this show the complexity of punishments.

“Immediately [when I hear about a positive test] I’m like, lifetime ban, lifetime ban,” Dickson said. “But some people accidentally test positive and I can’t imagine the devastation [of that ban]; it would be heartbreaking.”

On the other hand, this lack of manufacturer accountability creates loopholes for athletes to abuse: athletes who test positive for illegal supplements can argue that it was from “cross-contamination” and “lacing” of their legal ones. Essentially, they can use the lack of FDA regulation as a scapegoat.

A DHS athlete who wishes to remain anonymous acknowledges the difficulties that surround doping decisions.

“It’s way more nuanced than people think: sometimes athletes are forced or cajoled into taking these substances, and sometimes they are administered without the athlete knowing,” they said. “Then, you have the idea that this third-party committee that is unconnected to the Olympic committee has to arbitrate and make a decision that will not only affect future precedent but also the emotions and sensitivities of the athlete, and the potential medaling of a country during the games.”

In addition to the complexities that exist with the current regulations, arbitration, testing, and banning, there are even more layers of difficulty that arise. Most prominent is where to draw the line between legal and illegal substances.

This ongoing debate was highlighted by the suspension of American track athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, for her use of CBD (marijuana), a substance recognized by WADA as illegal in competition because of its muscle-relaxing potential.

“I don’t really know the absolute specifics of the recent situation but I definitely think that the decisions surrounding Sha’Carri were unfair, especially considering that marijuana isn’t really a performance-enhancing drug,” they said.

They, along with a slew of public critics of the WADA decision, do not believe CBD should be illegal. Recently it has become increasingly common for athletes, coaches, and even the general public to question the somewhat arbitrary line between legal and illegal substances. At DHS, many recognize how blurred it truly is.

“The biggest thing that we need is transparency,” Chagoyan said. “PED regulation is so complicated because different drugs need to be regulated differently, but even the idea that some drugs are allowed while others are banned is hard to grasp. We need to have clearer rules and athletes need to be educated on the health drawbacks of [illegal] drugs and why — morally, ethically, and logically, we should not be taking them.”

Chagoyan thinks transparency about current regulation and education around the health drawbacks of some substances are the keys to leveling the playing field and minimizing abuse of substances. Others, however, argue for a different approach to improving the current situation. They suggest we legalize all drugs but impose limits to ensure a lack of abuse, and note that, hopefully, this increased regulation will decrease the amount of illicit drugs sold.

“When these drugs are sold illegally on the black market the doses become higher than what would be prescribed by a doctor or available at pharmacies,” Anonymous said, “If they were legalized, it would be a lot better because then [authorities and doctors] could regulate doses [and] protect the safety of the athletes.”

However, advocates of education around drugs, and continued illegalization, like Chagoyan, see potential drawbacks and loopholes that can be abused if this plan is implemented.

“If we legalize all PEDS, even with restrictions, I worry that their use would increase dramatically,” Chagoyan said. “And the truth is, we don’t really know what these are doing to people’s bodies.”

Anonymous, however, argues that the safety and regulation of doses will prevent this. Additionally, he doesn’t foresee a dramatic increase in PED use if they are legalized.

“I think the rate of people that would start taking PEDS will not be significant compared to the amount of regulation that could be put in place for safety,” they said. “Many people that would think about taking them are already taking them…people are not going to start taking PEDS just because it is legalized.”

In addition to the debate over the health concern/PED regulation dichotomy, there are also equity issues that arise with concern to PED legalization.

“These drugs can be expensive,” Chagoyan said. “And if insurance doesn’t cover it, it wouldn’t be fair if some, because of their affluence, can have nearly unlimited access to them. It would elevate the playing field in an unfair way — one that skews toward wealth as opposed to athletic ability.”

As seen by the Olympic controversies and ongoing debate among students, the line of morals, ethics, and legality surrounding PEDs is a fine one. And now, with the increasing number of athletes coming out as transgender, this discussion around steroids and hormone therapy becomes increasingly political, and even more charged.

A current example of this is the transgender female swimmer Lea Thomas. She began her transition in 2019 and switched from Penn’s men’s team to Penn’s women’s team shortly after. After taking a year of hormone-suppressants, Thomas is currently eligible to compete as a woman, although critics claim her testosterone levels are still far above those of cisgender women.

Under current regulations, testosterone is a banned substance in most sports, and those who advocate against transgender athletes competing in a division other than their socially assigned gender argue that allowing trans women to compete, it undermines the integrity of sports.

“It’s inherently unfair for biological males to compete in women’s divisions, regardless of their gender identity or whatever other beliefs or positions they hold. Sports are such a physical thing that the different biological makeup makes a difference,” another anonymous DHS student said. “Everyone has the right to declare their own gender identity, but no one has the special right to be included in whichever division they want in sports, which are divided based on gender biology.”

People like this student worry that a transgender woman who goes through puberty as a male but transitions later will have the higher bone density, elevated muscle development, and faster reflexes that come with the Y chromosome. Even if they end up taking hormone-suppressants. The student noted that Thomas winning all her events by a significant margin at the recent Ivy League Championships does not help dissuade these concerns.

On the other hand, advocates for transgender rights argue that by not allowing transgender athletes, like Thomas, to compete with their identified gender, or banning them from competition altogether, society is continuing the pervasive discrimination of LGBTQ+ groups and encouraging transphobia.

“Not allowing transgender athletes to compete in their identifying gender is harmful to their mental health because it can contribute to their gender dysphoria,” an anonymous sophomore at DHS said. “We should let them compete.”

Organizations like WADA, the NCAA, and the IOC are struggling, like many, to discern the line between legal and illegal substances, and weigh the ethical, moral, political, and legal conflicts surrounding them, including regulation for transgender athletes. As much as possible, these organizations try to take everything on a case-by-case basis and follow their protocol. But, many, at DHS and otherwise, feel that their protocol is exactly what needs to change.

The outdated protocol allows abuse of the system and undermines the level playing field that sport should be. And now, with the increasingly important question of transgender rights and how that will affect doping/PED regulations, more and more people are starting to acknowledge that something needs to change.

The most important part of the discussion about where to draw the line with these drugs is to remember that we are all athletes, and we all want to compete. All we want is to feel the nerves before a game, race, or match. All we want is to feel sweat drip down, feel the rackets swish in our hands, feel our feet pound on the ground, feel the air burn in our lungs. All we want is to be seen as athletes. To be seen as people. And, most importantly, to be seen as ourselves.

As a concert planned to be performed by musical artist Edgar Reneé is approaching on the 27th of April, Spanish Club Officers are practicing for a dance going to be executed during one of Reneé's songs.

Spanish Club Officer and junior, Aidan Brenner, shares that the concert will be held in the auditorium of the old high school building. This student states that he's excited to show off his best moves with his club members.

The Spanish Club Officers get the opportunity to meet up with the Puerto Rican singer while helping set up the stage for his performance as well.

Excitedly waiting for the singer's arrival, junior Evan Steece states, “Us club leaders have finalized the expected amount of students attending the concert, and are now trying to remain patient for this event.”

Spanish studying students are pumped to be a part of such an amazing experience!

The Defiance High School Deca committee had put together impactful presentations while traveling to Columbus last week. The teams didn’t get below 5th place, and now four teams are planning to attend state in Atlanta, Georgia in April.

Kelly Cooper went into the competition with high hopes for her group and wanted to make a surprising appearance and shock the judges. Copper states, “I had high expectations for my group but didn’t expect this many people to be headed to nationals in Atlanta. I am so proud of each and every one of them.”

Senior Mallory Weaver and Madison Bloomfield had hopes of doing well but this was the best they thought they could do in hopes of going to Nationals. Mallory states, “I am so honored to be able to take on a project based on my dad's invention as well.”

Bloomfield, her partner, includes, “I am so pleased to make it this far for my last year in DECA, it really shows us that our hard work is paying off.”

Carter Cambell and Ava Shock were lights out when presenting their projects and got first in everything. Campbell states, “This week was very stressful but I am happy with the outcomes, Ava and I had no clue we would do this good and have the honor of making it this far.”

The group had based their project on something different. Shock states, “Going in I was so nervous I knew there was an opportunity for us to go but I really just wanted to do well.”

Our DECA students will have the opportunity to go to Atlanta with high hopes!

Spring break is here, and with that comes a time of relaxation and de-stressing from the busy school life. Since the 1960s, spring break has been a prominent part of every school year. Students travel far and wide to go see unique places or to relax; some students stay at home and enjoy the break from their own home.

Junior Ella Kissner explained “I am going to Florida for Spring Break. I am excited because the last time I tried going to Florida our flights got canceled.”

Many people, like Kissner, haven’t been able to go anywhere for the last couple of years because of travel restrictions. Kissener also stated how she is looking forward to go see a basketball game down there.

Jackson Honsberger, another DHS student, mentioned that he is planning to go to Nashville, Tennessee and then to Panama City in Florida. Florida seems to be a hotspot for Ohioans like Kissner and Honsberger; that is most likely because it is a literal hot spot.

Whether it is to enjoy some non-stressful time or to avoid the Ohio weather, spring break is a much needed time of relaxation that a lot of students (and teachers) at DHS will cherish.

The Defiance High School National Honors Society took a big role in showing acts of kindness throughout the first week of March. On Monday, these students gave free donuts to DHS members walking into the school that morning.

Madison Bloomfield, Secretary of the National Honors Society stated, “We really enjoyed spreading kindness throughout this week and I looked forward to seeing others smile when sharing donuts.”

On Tuesday, the club showed appreciation to the custodians and took a leadership role when reading to the elementary students. Following this was bringing in cookies for everyone and putting sticky notes on everyone's locker to show kindness. On Friday morning, the club decided to bring more positivity even before stepping foot in the school by putting positive notes on the sidewalks in chalk.

Emily Wahl, a member of the club stated, “I loved how everything turned out and the ideas we had done you could just tell people appreciated it.” The staff and students really appreciated every day and we look forward to what the future week of kindness will bring!

Defiance High School offers students a quick “grab and go” free breakfast which has many options. Some of which being various Pop Tart flavors, Cereal Bars and occasional “Hot” items which are warmed up breakfast foods such as doughnuts. But, the most important item causes intense disagreement on what is best. This item is the juice boxes.

Victoria Gerencser, a sophomore at DHS, shared “My favorite is the berry juice, but my least favorite has to be the grape juice, it tastes like warm cough syrup and it is not a pleasant experience.” Gerencser also accompanies the juice mainly with the day's “Hot” item or the Cinnamon Pop Tart.

Cydne Holmes, a junior at DHS disagreed with Gerenscer, “Mixed berry juice is trash, belongs in the trash, and doesn’t deserve the trash all at once! If trash was a person the juice wouldn’t deserve them!” Holmes takes a deep breath before saying, “Orange juice is the best juice and no one can tell me different.” Holmes backs up this statement by getting an orange juice with her favorite Pop Tart, Cinnamon.

The disagreement on the best breakfast juice sparks insane passion in Holmes. We advise students to be careful in the hallways as you may see her fiery passion through her eyes looking for anyone who may not hold orange juice on the same pedestal.

Gerenscer and Holmes have very different opinions on the best juice from DHS’ “Fresh and Fast” breakfast. They come together in the shared love for the great Cinnamon Pop Tart.

Have you seen Facebook or Twitter posts with green, yellow, and gray boxes? These boxes signify the scores of millions of players on Wordle.

Wordle is a free-to-play word game that has players guessing 5-letter words with the goal to guess the day’s secret word. Similar to the board game Mastermind, Wordle will reveal each letter as green, yellow, or gray, according to its placement within the word. Using this information, players attempt to guess the word.

The game seems fairly straightforward. But how did it become the internet sensation it is now?

Wordle founder Josh Wardle released Wordle to the public on November 1, 2021. The original 90 players who tested it then, have grown to millions of players today who have incorporated it into their life.

The once-a-day aspect of Wordle is a truly genius marketing strategy. It allows players to look forward to doing the Wordle every day, while also ensuring players don’t become bored of the game. Because of this daily limit, players go out of their way to complete the day’s Wordle.

Wordle’s popularity is also growing because of the easily accessible social media features which allow you to share your scores with Facebook friends or Twitter followers. Social media feeds are filled with the distinctive green, yellow, and gray grid, serving as a reminder for people to play Wordle every day.

Caden Hazelton, one of the millions of daily players of wordle, said, “I think Wordle is a great puzzle game due to the sense of community that it creates. Especially here, Wordle brings us together because of the competitive and intellectual aspects involved in the strategic placement of letters.”

While Cayden Zachrich, another daily player said, “The great, yet ironically frustrating thing about wordle is how invested you get into the game. Mostly because you want to solve the puzzle, but if you are around people who have already solved it, then not only will you desperately try to solve it for yourself without the help of them but the experience of the daily word is just ruined.”

Wordle has become so popular that the New York Times acquired the game for a low seven figures, adding to their selection of games including The Crossword, Spelling Bee, and more.

The rise of Wordle has been remarkable. Since the daily word is the same across all players, it creates a sense of community within Wordle players, all working toward the same goal. Nowadays, it is rare to see something that unites the internet and brings people together, even if it is just a game.

With only a few months of activity under their belt, the Creative Writing Club has been slow regarding development and hosted events. Luckily, as of recently, a few local writing contests have sprung up around Defiance. The most notable one is the contest hosted by the city's local library.

The library contest provides the theme of freedom as a prompt for the young writers of Defiance. The Creative Writing Club quickly jumped to the opportunity, determined to win.

With the deadline approaching, members of the club grew anxious and had lost motivation to continue to complete their work. Sara Ohm, the club’s advisor, expresses that it upset her quite a bit to see the number of members grow shorter every week.

One constant member and senior, Jenamy Hernandez, is determined to stick to participating in the contest after spilling her heart into her work, taking every day to edit and review her finished piece until it is perfect. The president of the Creative Writing Club appreciates her determination to continue her efforts.

Even with this low activity and motivation, the Creative Writing Club presses on, hoping to turn in all their work by March.

Valentine’s Day is February 14th also known as St. Valentine’s Day which is in reference to Saint Valentine who was a Roman Saint that died February 14th 269 AD.

Nonetheless Valentine’s Day is a day to spend with significant others and give each other gifts. But the question is, what do people do for Valentine’s Day, and more importantly what are DHS students planning to do?

Grey Sherry, a sophomore at DHS stated, “For Valentine’s Day I’m going to give my boyfriend the gifts I got them and after that, we’re going to go out to dinner at Sweetwater together and just hang out the whole day.”

Another sophomore at DHS, Alexa Rittner said, “We plan on going on a triple date with my boyfriend and some of our friends.”

It looks like DHS is excited to spend Valentine’s Day with a special someone. Sherry and Rittner both want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day.

Defiance High School Student Council is soon going to be hosting the first informal of the school year on February 11th directly after the boys basketball game. The council has been working hard to make sure this informal is enjoyable for all students attending.

Mallory Weaver, DHS Student Council President, has taken the lead role in helping put this dance together. Avidly looking into the future, she states, “I am so excited to have gotten the opportunity to put on another informal dance for my last year at DHS.”

Weaver also mentions that the dance theme is neon.

Junior Maddie Morton, an additional Student Council member, expressed her heartfelt feelings by stating, “I am pleased to be a part of a committee that has the responsibility of putting together such a fun, memorable event.”

Student Council hopes to see you at this year's informal!

Snow days are always sought after by many students at DHS. A lot of students and some staff are overjoyed when they get the notification that school is canceled due to the snowy weather.

Winter storm Landon hit the Midwest region, causing the schools to shut down for a couple days. With the cancellation of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at DHS, the students and staff were given a mini winter break.

Snow days are great times to relax and unwind after the stress of the school year.

Junior Ella Rohdy explained “On a snow day, I like to chill in my room while I watch a lot on Netflix and YouTube.”

Snow days aren’t just for the students, as many teachers enjoy their break with relaxation too. Band Director Ms. Redick says that her favorite activity is to listen to some music and indulge in a book.

Even though the weather outside may be frightful, people at DHS sure do know how to spend their snow days. So bring on the snow, because DHS is ready!

Mrs. Haviland, the director of this productive extracurricular, has been helping her working students start on the basics for prom, which is April 30th this year. Although a lot of effort has already been put into this upcoming event, more will be happening after club members meet with the decorator next month.

Reflecting on previous actions taken to get the opinions of students attending prom, Haviland states, “Juniors and seniors should by now have gotten a Google form inviting them to suggest songs for the dance.”

Haviland adds that collecting all song preferences sent in from upperclassmen before the dance guarantees satisfaction during the event later this spring.

Adding to the responsibilities Student Boosters members have regarding prom, sophomore Delaney Speidell says, “Not only is it our job to bring the desired aspects of prom to life, but it's also our responsibility to help sell as many tickets as possible for the dance.”

Speidell remarks that although she doesn't hold the rank of a senior quite yet, getting to pitch in minor prom ideas here and there makes her feel a part of something bigger than herself.

It's almost time DHS upperclassmen...ready or not, prom is on its way!

Since the beginning of time, music has been a big part of many different cultures. A poll was conducted with students at DHS to find their favorite genres of music.

The options in the poll (due to it only allowing 4 options) included: Pop, Rap, Country, or Other______. It was a surprise to find that the “Other” option had the most votes, with almost twice the amount of votes as any of the others.

DHS senior Te Thompson voted for the ”Other” option and wrote in that she preferred 1970-1980s music from listening to it growing up.

Thompson had this to say, “70s-80s music is my favorite because that was a prime age for black musicians to show their talent to the world.”

Many people, along with Thompson, could find role models or inspiration from music icons such as The Temptations or Aretha Franklin.

Other students such as Junior Drake Wenninger had different options.

Wenninger, who also voted “Other”, explained “ Blues is the best because it provokes the most feeling out of the listener, not necessarily making them feel "blue," but making them feel emotion that could be connected to anything they choose.”

These unique approaches to music really change the perspective of what music really means.

More people filled the “Other” option with genres such as Indie, Rock, Alternative, Retro, and more.

The poll was originally created to find the most listened to type of music at DHS, but it turns out that there really isn’t one clear winner. Instead, there is a diverse variety of genres that people listen to, completely unique to them based on their own personal experiences.

Who knew that DHS has such a unique combination of music listeners?

On Wednesday, January 26, the Spanish Club gathered with a few DHS students to offer free Latino dance lessons. Some of the dances taught included the merengue, cumbia, and even some zumba.

Due to the instructor canceling days before the event after months of planning, the Spanish Club had to be creative. Instructors came across some professional instruction videos online and essentially had a brilliant game of Just Dance.

With the nature of multiple Latino dances, students partnered up and learned to salsa. Sadly, they did not learn to tango that day.

Spanish Club Officer, Carter Campbell, explains that they came up with this idea to immerse themselves and other curious students in the world of Latino culture, noting that “dance is the language of the world.”

He and his fellow officers laughed through it all, their moods never faltering even when falling over cumbia steps.

Ava Shock expresses that one of her favorite dances is the cumbia, with fast-paced steps and light movements with a partner.

Overall, the students seemed like they had a wonderful experience. These taught students hope to be able to use these newfound dance skills at prom this year.

Many students spend copious amounts of time earning college credits and taking honors, and AP courses to get into prestigious universities, yet some are rejected by their top choices, so the stress and frustration may feel wasted.

During these students’ experience in high school, they will have a schedule full of extracurricular activities, clubs, and classes. Some students will try to do everything in their power to attain the top grades and get all the accolades possible to attain the acceptance letter from their desired college or university.

“Right now, it is really competitive to get into college, and everyone is taking every advanced class that they can,” Tony Chen a junior at Defiance high school said, “The balance between social life and school life will set you apart because then you will have experience in social skills, work-life, and the knowledge from textbooks.”

Grades are not everything that colleges and universities are looking for, though. Colleges also look at students’ participation in extracurricular activities, community service, and leadership roles.

“If you just focus on school education, then you will not have the experience of meeting new people and experience in having your first job in high school,” Chen said, “Do not stress yourself out, and think that you have to do everything, every club, AP, and honors class in high school.”

It is important for high school students that want to go to college or university to think early on about their interests as well as their dislikes so that they don’t spend too much time in classes that they will not need in their career of choice or for the colleges they want to attend. Students should focus on their interests, and be involved in their school and community because they will not waste their money or time on their dislikes. This could possibly start an unwanted chain of stress and frustrations.

“It’s good to challenge yourself in taking advanced courses, but if you know those classes will not be part of the career you are interested in, then it’s not worth the stress of cramming all the information in your head,” said Caden Hazelton, another Defiance high school Junior, “You also have to have a life in high school because once you get to college it’s all on yourself, and the professors may not be as easily accessible to help you.”

As Teen PEP members have been supporting and building up the mental health of DHS students for years, it begs the question of what it takes to become a member of the closest thing a minor can be to a therapist.

Senior, Ava Shock, provides insight into the matter.

Shock provides detailed information regarding guidelines as she states, “You have to fill out an application that is a survey of questions about yourself and the reasons why you want to join Teen PEP.“

This current Teen PEP member continues on to add, “Mrs. Peters then goes through all of the applications and based on the surveys, grades, and reputations of students, she picks the best of the best. After acceptance, new members go through the training process.”

For those who are willing to join this esteemed group, one must be careful of presenting themselves in a kind and polite manner to their fellow students in order to be eligible for Teen PEP. Teen PEP will never accept negative attitudes expressed amongst the team.

One anonymous student remarks that they felt unfairly treated when they attempted to join Teen PEP and got declined.

Upon asking another member of Teen PEP about this matter, they explained that the particular student was not in the positive headspace required to boost the mentality of others.

Another current member also notes that this student was a freshman. Rather than joining this team as a new high schooler, it is good to establish oneself in DHS before taking on the responsibility of guiding older students.

Teen PEP does not take recruitment lightly and expects the best in their members in order to create a positive space within the walls of Defiance High School.

For anyone interested, applications can be picked up from Mrs. Peters!

Although the Super Smash Bro Ultimate Team ended their fall season in late October, Defiance High School Esports members are continuing to practice for the upcoming spring season of gaming.

Since the previous season has ended, competitive gamers here within the Bulldog community have been practicing almost every evening from 6-8pm. These practices are held by a captain who runs the arena online.

Reflecting on the importance of practice, freshman Jack Kost states, “During a season, practice determines the way we as a team are ranked. Gaming well during times before competitions can move players up in the established order.”

Kost continues on to mention that rank matters because it represents the skill devoted by all Esports participants. The listed order of gamers determines who competes against each other during competitions as well.

Victories of the Esports Team are always celebrated by DHS staff and students.

Speaking proudly of his team and their achievements, senior Owen Keck says, “Both the Super Smash Bros Team and Fornite Team won state titles this fall. The Overwatch, Valorant, and the Rocket League Team all finished their seasons with unforgettable wins as well.”

Keck shares that during the fall season of gaming, the DHS Esports Team didn't lose a single match. This member claims that practice is what paid off.

In the upcoming spring season, Esports students will have the opportunity to play against other teams existing outside of Ohio. Advantages such as these and more are granted to these gamers who practice the way they wish to perform.

Be sure to show school spirit by supporting our DHS Esports gamers!

Martin Luther King Jr Day is January 17th, MLK Day is a day that many would like to give back to the community because of inspiration by MLK. One of the groups giving back in honor of that day is NHS.

Cydne Holmes, a Junior and a member of NHS had this to say about MLK activities,”So in our meeting this morning we talked about some ideas on what to do for MLK day, we discussed some ideas like volunteering at the humane society, writing notes to local hospitals, cleaning up at the park, helping out at Good Samaritan and other things”

Holmes also went on to state, One of our NHS leaders, Grace Jones, said that we are going to go into groups to do different kinds of community service for the day. NHS wanted to do a large group of community services to do an amazing group of activities.

Josh Bolman, also a Junior and a member of NHS, explained the importance of MLK Day and why they are doing the service,”we are doing these things to really show our appreciation for all the things Martin Luther King Jr. did for us and our society.

Both Holmes and Bolman agree that it is important to honor MLK because today’s world would be a lot different. They encourage everyone to come together and celebrate the life of MLK and the impacts he made.

Defiance High School Student Council is making a change for others this Christmas season. These students have started their Laurels project and are giving back to the community during this time of the holiday. This is the second year Student Council members are participating in this good cause directed toward the Laurels, after leaving an unforgettable impact on these citizens last year.

Reflecting on this year’s project, Student Council President, Mallory Weaver, states, “We want to let residents know that they are not being forgotten. Creating stockings for those at the Laurels is going to leave smiles on lots of faces.”

Adding to her previous statement, Weaver says, “We have received a lot of positive feedback from both workers and the residents themselves. Family members of residents are all for our surprises!”

This year’s project included the support shown from all DHS students as well. Teens attending this school brought in items to donate for the stockings. In exchange for their generosity, the math department has been providing 5 bonus points for any student who brings in any of five different items.

Along with Weaver, Student Council Secretary, Emily Wahl, has also been a big help during this project.

Explaining the benefits of this good cause, Wahl states, “By hosting this project, us DHS Student Council members are bringing a bit of joy back into the holiday season for others who may feel that they’re alone during this time of the year.”

Stocking donations can be items such as drink packets, adult coloring books, colored pencils, snacks, lotions, and any other utensils you might find helpful for nursing homes.

If you're planning to donate, bring in your items by Friday to earn your 5 bonus points. Take up this opportunity to make a difference in the local community!

Whether or not Santa Claus is even real has been a question that curious kids have had for ages. Most kids start losing faith in Santa when they are around 8 or 9 years old, but why?

Students and Staff at DHS wanted to help kids get to the bottom of the age old Christmas mystery.

Regan Nelson, a Senior at DHS had this to say to the unbelievers, “Santa is absolutely real and legendary. If he wasn't real, who would take care of the reindeer and deliver presents? Aliens? Come on, pick the more realistic choice here guys. It's obviously the Claus'”

Although a strong argument against believers are Mall Santas, Robert Morton the superintendent of DCS informed us on Mall Santas, “They are sub-contractors for the North Pole Santa's Union.”

Nelson had a different opinion on Mall Santas saying, “Mall Santas are simply robots built by the elves. We aren't the only ones with technological advancements.”

Another argument doubting Santa is how could possibly eat all those cookies in one day? Morton and Nelson agree that Santa brings some of the cookies home for the rest of the crew up north.

Although DHS seems to have different opinions on Mall Santas we all seem to know the truth about Christmas, that being, Santa is real.

With the creation of the Foreign Language and Culture Club, students participating in this extracurricular are taking lessons regarding different cultures and languages during every meeting.

There has been word from some club members that their next activity will be occurring this upcoming Monday, the 13th.

DHS junior, Lydia Fernandez, says that their advisor has been hoping for the club to host a Braille class. While there is no confirmation, they are still hopeful.

Caden “Fish” Hazelton, another member of the club, notes that attendance is highly encouraged.

For any that wish to learn just a bit more after school hours, the Foreign Language and Culture club is the way to go!

As many may know, Spirit week is coming up and DHS is already preparing for it.

Freshman Jillian Cameron explained, “I like Spirit week because it gives people a chance to dress in a fun and outgoing way. I feel that it is important so that students that normally don't step out of their comfort zones feel that they can.”

Spirit week is the perfect opportunity to express yourself in ways that aren't normally allowed. It creates a fun environment for friends to coordinate with each other or work together on their outfits.

Senior Te Thompson said, “I think it’s important for schools to have fun activities ‘cause some people don’t have anyone to spend the holidays with so it allows them to celebrate with their friends at school and to be a part of the holiday spirit.”

Students seem to really enjoy the holiday dress-up days, such as Christmas or Halloween. Other students also enjoy pajama day because it's easy to relax in class.

Even though some of the themes might be a little bit repetitive, as some students say, it still is a great time and activity to participate in.

With the holiday season starting up, so does the shopping.

After Thanksgiving, busy store-goers rush from shop to shop trying to find the best deals on gifts for Christmas. More recently, Cyber Monday has become popular as an alternative online shopping version of Black Friday.

Both are good in their own way, but in a recent poll taken at DHS, students voted Cyber Monday over Black Friday 15 to 11.

Senior Riley Geradot voted for Cyber Monday and explained how it’s easier to go back and forth between websites and items online. Others said that they like Cyber Monday better because they don’t have to deal with people in person, it’s faster, and that it doesn’t take much energy.

Gracelyn Rubio, who voted for Black Friday, responded with “You can go shopping and actually see what you are going to buy (material/quality), rather than depending on a picture.” Others said they liked Black Friday because it’s more traditional and a fun experience.

Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday have their ups and downs, but in the end, which one is best depends on personal preferences.

Defiance High School has introduced a new club for students who have a strong interest in writing and reading. Sara Ohm, an 11th and 12th grade English teacher, has dedicated her time to running the club. The club was brought to life within DHS after students took a poll and voted on the creation of a writing organization.

Ryeligh Anderson, an 8th grader attending Defiance City Schools, has taken time out of her schedule to attend all club gatherings.

Thinking positively about this new addition brought into the school, Anderson states, “Having the opportunity to be treated with maturity while communicating with upperclassmen of the same mindset is one of a kind.”

Though Anderson is the youngest of the group, she is the most determined.

Reflecting on personal goals, Anderson adds, “I hope to improve my writing style, giving an effect that is truly capturing to readers willing to connect to my words.”

A freshman, Cora Johnson, has also developed a passion for the Creative Writing Club as well.

Expressing her feelings regarding the new club, Johnson states, “ I am most excited to meet new people who have the same interests I have. I really enjoy expressing myself through writing, so I feel that this club is a great fit for me.”

You heard it here first DHS students, the Creative Writing Club is taking the school by storm!

Currently, all Defiance High School Yearbook participants are coming up with many creative page ideas contributed to seniors within the Bulldog community. As their last year of high school is quickly passing by, these soon to be graduated young adults will have a special segment within the DHS Yearbook to look back on.

The new Yearbook advisor, Mrs. Cooper, has influenced her students to present their unique ideas in a more hands-on way compared to what has been done in the past. When these club members complete their creative works in this type of manner, more pages have the chance of getting added into the finalized yearbook.

As a special devotion to the seniors, Yearbook creators are planning on selling senior ads that consist of each graduating student's picture, along with their baby photo as well. Senior ads allow parents to purchase a spot in the book where their child is shown off in an unforgettable way.

Avidly explaining her role within the class, junior Ella Kissner states, “My group is working on discovering the guilty pleasures and favorite throwback songs of all seniors willing to share.”

Kissner goes on to mention how important it is to recognize all last year high schoolers for their hard work in a fun, entertaining way. Adding their diverse answers into the DHS Yearbook is a special gift to all graduating students.

On every sports page the seniors are being showcased in a momentous way as well. As for tradition, the Senior Superlatives page will be present as usual within the book.

In a new aspect, the seniors will get to have their senior photos placed where their school pictures would originally go within the yearbook. What a unique feature!

Speaking for her fellow classmates, senior Riley Gerardot says, “I think it's crucial for seniors to get shown off within the DHS Yearbook because it's our very last year of high school, for good. This is the year we will look back on the most, so it's important to capture each and every memory.”

Geradot continues on to explain how grateful she is to be able to share the special moments of her senior class with, and most importantly for them as a member of Yearbook.

Calling all seniors...be ready to check out your segment within the DHS Yearbook for the very last time. You won't want to miss it!

The rate of teenagers being involved in car accidents due to texting while driving has gone up astronomically in recent years.

An article published on the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s website really highlights the dangers of texting and driving and the fact that it is so commonplace nowadays. The article offers some recommendations for teens to prevent texting and driving, including: Completing any call or text before starting the car, getting directions, or visualizing the destination prior to turning on the car, and checking in with friends or parents only after you arrive.

There was a recent survey among the DHS populus regarding texting and driving. Of the 272 responses, 83 percent of students have been in the car with someone whilst the driver was texting, and 84 percent of students experienced an accident or scary situation due to a driver texting.

Junior Ella Kissner further agreed with the statistics. She stated how she has tried to limit the amount of time that she texts and drives using the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature.

Morgan Cihak, the project manager of the National Safety Council, wrote in an article on the council’s website that people become 2-9 times more likely to crash when texting and driving. The situation becomes even direr as over 50 percent of fatal car crashes occur in rural areas. According to Cihak, many teens recognize the fact that texting and driving are bad, but they continue to do so anyway.

Defiance High School’s Student Council has started the week off preparing for our yearly Veterans Day assembly. Due to Covid-19 last year, this event had not occurred, but is now planned to happen on Thursday November 11 2021. Our Student Council has worked hard throughout the week preparing for speeches to properly welcome our Veterans, including a Defiance Alumni, Austin Carr.

President Mallory Weaver has had the opportunity of leading the student body into reading the Military Salute song.

Grateful for her role, Weaver states, “I am pleased to have the opportunity of leading Defiance representatives and Veterans with the Military Salute songs. It will be something that I will forever cherish in my final months at DHS.”

Along with Mallory, on the floor was her Vice President Wade Liffick, who also had a leadership role during the assembly.

Sharing emotion, Liffick says, “Veterans Day hit home with Mr. Carr being here. It was an honor to be able to stand up there and have all eyes on me.”

Others in Student Council opened the doors to welcome our Veterans with coffee and donuts. DHS Student Council members worked hard to represent Bulldog pride.

We have all heard the constant reprimands from doctors and parents: “Teenagers need at least eight hours of sleep each night!” But how many of us actually do get “enough” sleep? Less than 15 percent of teenagers reported sleeping eight hours on a school night, according to the National Sleep Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals through sleep education.

Most teenagers don’t get the recommended amount of sleep because of schoolwork, after-school activities, and other pastimes, but an increasing number of teenagers are up at night because of sleep disorders, the National Sleep Foundation stated.

Two juniors who asked to remain nameless (will be referred to as Bill and Jack for simplistic purposes) were diagnosed with insomnia, which is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep.

“Insomnia, at least for me, is when you are hyper-alert at night,” Bill said. “As for how it develops, I know it’s something to do with an imbalance of chemicals in your brain.”

Similarly, Jack would try to go to sleep, but couldn’t. He said it became extremely difficult to sleep especially if he had a test coming up because of studying all night. When he finally went to lay down the stress would just keep him awake.

“It’s really frustrating because when you are trying to fall asleep and you are mentally exhausted, especially from being at a full day at school, it’s difficult to come home and not be able to relax,” Jack said.

“It’s much harder when you are involved in a sport or when you’re at school because sometimes you get stressed over those activities,” Bill said. “I think the hardest part is finding a routine that works with your activities and can also help you have a healthy cycle of sleep.”

Jack also thought that balance is difficult to find at first, but once you do it’s about keeping the rhythm. It’s arduous to keep everything together, and the fatigue really hits you, he added.

“Being more active and energized is the hardest part of having insomnia,” Bill said. “I’ve noticed that when it’s gotten worse I’m shut down a bit just because I’m so exhausted and fatigued that I can’t be as enthusiastic or energized as I used to be.”

That doesn’t mean that there is no hope for someone struggling with insomnia though. According to the sleep foundation things that students could do include reading, listening to relaxing music, watching your favorite movie, or taking a nice bath. Put homework aside (while getting a bad grade on a homework assignment is not encouraged, sometimes it is more important to get good sleep than to worry about homework). Minimize your time on social media and most importantly avoid screen light (especially blue light) as it may make it hard to feel sleepy due to a shift in the circadian rhythm caused by the light.

Our sleeping cycle is a delicate balance, and it is one that must be maintained for our physical and mental wellbeing. Because of that, it is worth putting effort into trying to maintain a stable bedtime routine but try not to lose any sleep over it.

A recent study was done with some students who attend DHS on what the best form of potato is. Students had the option to choose between 10 different types of potatoes, or write in their own favorite kind of potato.

After three days of voting, almost 300 students responded. The top three results are as follows:

3rd place, with a total of 31 votes, goes to hash browns

2nd place, with a total of 48 responses, is mashed potatoes.

And in first place, with a final score of 76 votes, French fries!

Evan Steece, who voted for home fries, had this to say, “I personally prefer home fries most times because when I go out to get breakfast I love getting skillets with home fries. Honestly I am a fan of any potato creation though so I don't hate the other choices. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so home fries are the way to go.”

Unfortunately for Steece, home fries came in 6th place. Even though 6th place isn’t that great, it still did better than raw potatoes which came in last, with only 7 votes.

Some people may prefer a more simplistic approach to cooking a potato. Gabriella Garza, a senior, explained “I like baked potatoes because they are still in their natural state. You can also put a big variety of toppings on to add flavor.”

From mashed to hashed, potatoes are such a versatile food with many different ways to be made! Overall, it looks like French fries are the majority favored way to go.

On Saturday, October 23, 2021, the Spanish Club of DHS gathered in room 110 to watch The Curse of La Llorona. Amy McDonald has arranged this annual event for the past three years, inviting club members to socialize with peers while enjoying a Halloween related film.

Spanish Club Officer, Evan Steece, says, “We decided to watch La Llorona because it has been a past favorite chosen by former Spanish Club students who used to attend DHS. Not only does this movie contain eerie aspects, but it is also based on a Latin American tale.”

Steece finds it important to note that although he was “not too spooked,” he did see some fright lingering amongst the rest of the club as the film progressed.

Another Spanish Club participant, Carter Campbell, says he didn’t get scared, but noticed that the demeanor of the room was a bit bone chilling.

The DHS Spanish Club’s movie night ended up having a great turnout regarding attendance. Steece suggests that people should join Spanish Club for more experiences and social events like these. As students begin to learn more about Spanish and Latin American culture through several different forms of entertainment, they begin to understand and connect with people of all ethnicities.

In a recent poll, it was found that 87% of students would prefer to watch a movie instead of reading a book.

This actually makes total sense; watching movies will encourage emotional release. According to Brigit Wolz, who has a PhD in MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy), upon finishing a study on Cinema therapy, her responses concluded that Cinema therapy can be a powerful catalyst for healing and growth.

This emotional release that is offered by watching films has a cathartic effect of sorts.

This release has also been linked to helping a person feel more comfortable with their emotions. This is quite ironic because that logic would mean watching sad movies can actually help make you happier.

The other common reason people will watch movies is because of stress and/or stressful situations.

Life is full of uncontrollable moments; it is full of hardships and triumphs. Good or bad, life is simply an up and down roller coaster. All of the impulsiveness can become very hard to handle for a lot of people, which is why people will turn to their favorite movie. The reason people will find one movie that they will like no matter how many times they see it is because of how well they know the movie. Knowing how the movie will end as well as the outcome of it offers a sense of safety, security, and, most importantly, control.

In a life full of rowdiness, knowing how the story ends can help with mental wellness.

It looks like DHS is full of movie gurus, who are just trying to find some peace.

Defiance High School began their National Honors Society Club with 26 people tapped on October 14th, 2021. The NHS Club has made some big changes, including the decision to elect new presidents of the organization.

Members of the club are represented by a new club advisor, Alexandra Milano, who happens to teach several English classes here at DHS. Milano is known for her lead role of organizing the school newspaper.

Leading NHS students for the first time, Milano states, “I am most excited to meet all of the new incoming club members, and I'm ready to begin new activities that involve working in and around the school.”

The new season of NHS has begun with a recently elected senior president, Gracye Jones, who had run against Emily Wahl for this professional position in years past.

Reflecting on her role within the NHS Club, Jones states, “Being president grants the opportunity of learning how to properly lead others to becoming involved in community service, when they were otherwise unsure of doing it by themselves.”

In addition to her previous claim, Jones says, “Food Drives and Santa Shops are ways to become exposed to helping others. Generosity is an important trait all future leaders must strive to obtain.”

The NHS Club has tapped several newcomers who hope to make a change in the community as well. Admired by the rest of her class, junior Elizabeth Hoffman had proved that hard work pays off once being tapped.

Looking back on her acceptance into the club, Hoffman states, “This opportunity means a lot to me. The NHS Club here at Defiance High School will be able to help me with life lessons and community service skills as well. I am excited to be a part of the club and can´t wait to see what it has to offer.”

A good friend of Hoffman’s, Kinley Manyard adds, “Just being accepted into the club is more than enough. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Milano has to offer.”

All new and previous NHS members are ecstatic for the new season to continue. New change brings many opportunities that allow determined students to flourish.

After a long week of putting in hard work at school it is always nice to treat yourself to a nice dessert. But what would be the perfect dessert after a long week? Well, thanks to Students and Staff we might be able to figure it out.

Jacob Moore, a Math Teacher at DHS, had this to say, “The dessert that I can never turn down would have to be those cookies that come in the already cut cookie dough squares.” Moore then went on to list the reasons why he felt so.

Moore passionately stated, “You can never fit all the squares of cookie dough on one pan. Thus, it is necessary to eat some of the cookie dough squares while preheating the oven.”

Although, Moore said his least favorite dessert was ice cream, saying “I always feel like I weigh 400 pounds directly after eating ice cream.”

Zack Hanson, a Junior at DHS stated, “My favorite dessert after a long week is either a doughnut or a Banana Split and my least favorite dessert is probably Pumpkin Pie.”

Hanson also said, “I like them because they are both just super yummy.”

Thanks to the DHS staff and students we see that some of the most common desserts, such as ice cream and Pumpkin Pie are actually liked the least.

Desserts that are easier to make or get access to, like pre-made cookies or doughnuts are more liked by DHS.

Defiance Cross Country hosted the annual Early Bird invitational race this past weekend, which saw over twenty teams compete. The Defiance boys placed second as a team, finishing only behind Columbus Grove by four points.

Defiance senior Josh Horvath placed second among racers, with a time of 16:42, just three seconds behind first. Finishing twelfth overall and second for Defiance, Elijah Valle said the team missed senior and leader Eli Fortman, who was expected to help propel the team to a first place finish.

Horvath had the following to say regarding the race: “We can’t settle for second, we have to continue to improve if we want to win the league.”

The Ladydogs finished in fourth as a team, with a team average time of 23:09. Junior Mira Horvath led the team, coming in eleventh and followed by Layla Briseno at fifteenth.

The Dogs have plenty of time to recover and prepare before they travel to Wapakoneta on September 4th.

50th band spectacular

by: Terri Briggs September 24, 2021