june 2011

BuccaneerBulletinVolume 14 Number 7

Oswego High School’s Student Voice

June 2011

Where We’re Headed!

Pages 12 & 13

Photo By Monék Cullen

Editorial

June 2011Buccaneer Bulletin

2

Editor-in-ChiefJasmine Davis

Managing EditorFaith Whitely

Layout EditorMeghan Carl

Chief PhotographerMonék CullenArt DirectorErin McIntosh

Business ManagerKatherine Robinson

Senior WriterKathryn Whelsky

Entertainment EditorTina BuckinghamClublicity Editor

Shaughnessy DarrowAd Representative

Jeff WallaceSports Writer Christina Dehm

Reporters Morgan Pratt Rebecca Pratt

Heather Rounds Marcus WolfWebmaster

Madison Rhoades

Oswego High School’s Student Voice

The Buccaneer Bulletin, a member of the Empire State School Press Association, and The Quill and Scroll, is published periodically by the

students of the Oswego High School, 2 Buccaneer Blvd.; Oswego, New York 13126; (315) 341-

2200.It is intended as a vehicle to inform, educate,

and entertain the student body.Printing services are provided by The

Palladium-Times. Opinions expressed are those of the students and do not necessarily reflect those of

the administration or the advisers.

Check us out on the web at: www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

Buccaneer Bulletin

AdvisersBill Reeser

Mike McCrobie

www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

. . . to the OCSD for listening to our May editorial and quickly re-instating the Post-Prom Party. The SADD Club and Principal Hartwell organized a successful post-prom party, giving away prizes from iTunes gift cards to ipads. Thanks to the junior class advisors and all of the chaperones who helped with prom as well as the post-prom party!

. . . to Lauren Daniels wrote and produced a Public Service Announcement about distracted driving which was selected as the national winner in a contest sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation. Her PSA was introduced on Capital Hill in Washington D.C. on May 13, and aired nationally during the month of May. Two freshmen students, Carly Wells and Emilee Anderson, had roles in the 30 second spot.

. . . and congratulations to the top 10 graduates of the Class of 2011; the leadership skills you have shown in the classroom have positively influenced your fellow students. You have been role models to your classmates, and we acknowledge your hard work and dedication as Oswego High School’s top scholars. The top 10 graduates are: Nikole Bonacorsi, Justine Harrington, Meredith Moshier, Rebecca Smith, Joanna LeFevre, Dominique Canale, Jacqueline Hondro, Allison Knight, Kaitlyn Scanlon, and Cody Batista.

Drawing BoardDrawing Board

Cartoon by Erin MCintosh

. . . to the communication breakdown after Post-Prom Party. Students were required to write down their names, a parent’s name, and a parent’s phone number as they left the event. Students were told that their parents would be called and notified that their son/daughter left the Post-Prom Party. There were several parents who were never called. School officials shouldn’t say for safety reasons that they’re calling parents upon student’s departure, and not follow up. Some parents might have been relying on that phone call and never received it.

Editorial 3

In Our View . . .

Joe Wallace

“I realize and understand who I am, and I’m happy with where I stand.”

Grade 12

How have you changed in the last

four years?

What’s Your Opinion?

June 2011Buccaneer Bulletin www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

Morgan Fayette

“I’ve discovered my true friends and realized the different ways of life. If you always focus on the positive, then life is good.”

Grade 12

Tyler Kingsley

“I’ve become more open to others.”

Grade 12

Camille Dunham

“I’ve made new friends, and matured. I now have a job, which has made me more responsible.”

Grade 12

We, the seniors, on the staff of The Buccaneer Bulletin have a lot to say about Oswego High School. In the past four years, we’ve acquired memories that will last until we graduate from college and beyond. Whether these memories are good or bad depends on your experience as a Buccaneer, but for most of us, it’s a mix of both. Some of us look forward to graduation like it’s the day of freedom from prison, but others will accept our diplomas with sentimental tears in our eyes. No matter what your outlook on OHS, you surely won’t forget the times we’ve shared together as a class.

We started off as little freshman, scurrying through the halls with our books held tightly to our chests, just trying to avoid the mobs of older kids loitering next to lockers. We asked our friends from middle school if they would sit with us at lunch at the beginning of the day to avoid the “walking into the lunchroom alone” phenomenon. We avoided going upstairs as much as possible because it was nearly impossible to find our way through the confusing halls. And to add to our fears, remember the “I have the right to bear arms” postings on lockers that caused pandemonium throughout the halls and rumors of a school shooting?

During our sophomore year, Oswego High School was making the news in alleged “Race Wars.” The hallways were chaotic and fights broke out between nearly every period. Our winter pep rally was cancelled due to rumors of a fight. Though relieved, we were no longer freshmen and the school was becoming more and more familiar. A ll the drama created a tense atmosphere that still had us rushing into our classes and worrying about being at the bottom of the totem pole. To finish off the hectic year, we left our cafeteria with our heads down, covered in mashed potatoes… the food fight that had been talked about for months, finally happened. The students had enough of eating in a halfway remodeled, floor-less, ceiling-less cafeteria, so they threw caution to the wind and went out with an embarrassing bang.

Finally, as our junior year began, we felt a spark of confidence as we walked through the halls on the first day of school. We were no longer lost freshmen, but instead, experienced upperclassmen. We were ready for that taste of freedom that past juniors and

seniors had been bragging about, but instead of getting to relax a little, OHS was suddenly turned into a jail. New planners were required to be carried with us at all times and the minute the bell rang, doors were locked and the “sweepers” came out to round up all the stragglers. Red tape was spread down the hall ways to keep us on the “right side” of traffic, like we were two years old. We started off with a new principal, Mr. Huckabee, but before many of us even got to know him, he was gone and Mrs. Oughterson took his spot. It took a while for us to get adjusted to all the new rules, but the idea of finally making it to the top helped us make it through the year.

Senior year came too fast after a summer of anticipation with all of our friends. Being a senior isn’t what it’s always cracked up to be. Instead of getting to kick back and watch the year go by, everyone’s lives get ten times more stressful as the college application process starts. It’s almost a rule for all adults to have to ask seniors where they’re going to college five months before anyone makes a decision. GUESS WHAT? WE JUST

DON’T KNOW! And yeah, there are plenty of fun opportunities for seniors such as Senior Trip and 100 Days, but senior year costs so much money that is hard for everyone to participate. We’re not saying that senior year isn’t the best, because without a doubt it is, but it’s not just a “walk in the park” like everyone makes it out to be.

Despite all of the stress that comes with being a senior, we learn to value the time we have left in our high school careers. We are terrified, anxious, ecstatic, and nostalgic all at the same time. We’ve learned more about ourselves this year than we have in the past three years combined. These final weeks are a time of transition; we focus on where we’re going instead of where we’ve been. We let go of the past and begin to welcome the future with open arms. As we prepare ourselves to walk the stage, it’s hard to believe that we’ve made it this far.

We, the senior editorial staff members of The Buccaneer Bulletin are proud to have served as your student voice and hope that you have enjoyed reading us, as much as we’ve enjoyed producing the paper for you.

- Your Editors & Staff

Focus Shifts from ‘Where We’ve Been,’ to ‘Where We’re Going’

Jasmine Davis (Buccaneer Bulletin Editor-In Chief) and Faith Whitely (Managing Editor) have been friends since childhood. They collaborated on this, their final editorial of their high school careers

Buccaneer Bulletin photo

Point/ Counter Point

June 2011

4

Buccaneer Bulletin www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

“You’re going to . . . community college?” A lot of different views are going around about attending community college versus a four-year college/university this year. Community College is a great way to adjust to the college life on a smaller scale, and it’s actually the route that many in the Class of ‘11 are taking.

There are a lot of advantages to attending a community college for your first two years of schooling: Same (gen ed./core) classes, cheaper price, transferable credits after two years, and if you transfer, your degree after graduating a four-year college/university won’t even show that you ever attended to a two-year school.

So what is there to be embarrassed about? Absolutely nothing. For some reason, there is, or has been a stigma attached to attending a community college and a lot of kids are mortified to talk about where they are going to college if they’re studying at a community school in the upcoming fall semester. But, there is no reason to be.

Personally, I am very proud of myself, and I will be as we walk through the ceremony, and move our tassels to the other side of our caps. Though it’s not a part of our ceremony, I would be proud to listen to not only my name being recited, but the name of the college that I will be attending in the fall as well.

Going to community college saves you and/or your parents a lot of money in the long run. It’s a steal compared to a four-year college/university. For example, Onondaga Community College costs roughly $11,386 to live on campus for the whole academic year, tuition, books and other required fees. On the other hand, Syracuse University burns a small hole in your pocket at almost $54,000 for the same number of classes, housing, and books that you’d get at OCC. So remind me again why you wouldn’t want to go to community college?

The quality of your teachers at a community college can be outstanding. You’re learning environment is much easier to work in, being within a small classroom, or possibly a lecture hall that can hold up to a hundred students, compared to the atmosphere of a four-year school where you often go to class in one huge lecture hall that holds up to five hundred students. Also, the teacher-to-student ratio, which has always been important to learning, is also comparable at a community college due the small class sizes. Plus, at a community college, it’s actually possible to have a relationship with your teacher who knows you by name, in contrast to a professor at a four-year school, where too many professors can’t even recognize you as one of their own students.

Community college is a good transition from high school because it isn’t too big or too small either. At a CC, you still are far enough away from home in order to have freedom and your own responsibility, but you are also still close enough to go home and eat mom’s home-cooked meals!

Another positive fact about community college is that you receive an Associate’s Degree in two years. After that, you can be hired, part-time or full-time and start earning money! You can also transfer your credits to a four-year college/university and continue your education there to earn your Bachelor’s Degree.

Finally, DORMS. The dorms at a four-year college/university can’t measure up to the suite-style dorms that most community colleges throughout Central New York now have. Four bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. I would much rather live in a suite, and have my own bedroom with my own space for when I need time to myself, than share a bathroom with a whole floor of people, and have to travel to the basement to find the fridge that everyone steals your food from!

In all reality, community college is the intelligent and responsible way to start off your college experience. A lot of adults who I’ve talked to have had one regret when speaking with me about their child’s college education, and that regret was not starting at a community college.

Just because you pay more for a four-year, or even a private college, doesn’t mean you’re getting more for your dollar. There are several successful Americans who started off at a community college or a technical college, and made a wonderful living for themselves. NASA astronaut, Eileen Collins, who was also the first woman to command a space shuttle, went to school at Corning Community College here in New York State. Actor and comedian, Billy Crystal started off at Nassau Community College. Actor and Oscar award winning director, Clint Eastwood attended Los Angeles City College, CA. Even our favorite, famous film producer from our childhood, Walt Disney went to Metropolitan Junior College, MO.

Community college is most definitely the way to go after receiving your high school education! With graduation this month, we’re all going to go our separate ways, and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate every single graduating senior of 2011, whether you’re going to a community college or not, I wish you the best of luck with the journey ahead of you.

Community College vs. Four Year College/UniversityCommunity College is a Great Alternative

Meghan CarlFour Year College is the Only Way to Go

Marcus WolfMany of our seniors are filled with excitement over going on

to colleges with beautiful campuses, then to successful careers and exciting new experiences. Most of us at Oswego High School look forward to arriving at an extravagant college campus with many clubs and a variety of classes. So why, might I ask, would anyone stop at Community College, which offers the bare minimum of what most of us need for our futures, and little, if not any, of the true college experience?

Most people who plan on going to community college believe they are going to transfer to a university after two years community college. But why waste your time when you could go straight to a university and enjoy the true college experience?

One of the exciting things about going to college is meeting new people. Everyone wants to make at least a few new friends as part of their college experiences. There are numerous people for you to meet at a university, due to its great size and many dorms. A community college is small and rarely has on-campus housing, so fewer people attend. Also, students will most likely head back home after their classes are done for the day, minimizing your opportunities to meet a variety of new people.

Many of us admire a college that has a beautiful campus. Many of our seniors are ecstatic about leaving OHS, and it’s no secret that people think Oswego High School is less than beautiful. To go to community college would be like going back to a somewhat larger high school, only with college-level courses, definitely not as appealing as universities.

Many high school students participate in extracurricular activities, from sports to clubs. Many students thrive on these extracurricular activities, but community colleges have a limited number of these extracurriculars. On the other hand, four-year universities can provide all sorts of activities that people would like to do, and even offer students opportunities to create new clubs!

Given all of the hard work in college, many students would like to have on-campus resources in order to help them to do it. These include a gigantic a student library and a student center, also filled with numerous resources. You are not likely to find great resource centers with a vast amount of resources like these at community colleges. You are likely to find decent ones with at least some resources, but at four-year universities, you are likely to find extravagant resource centers that will suit all of your research and work needs.

When graduating high school, most students are excited about being more independent. They’re excited about leaving their parents’ arms and are ready to start their journey in the adult world. Most of us are also excited to leave our hometown (or the area near it) and travel to new places. Community colleges don’t provide that kind of experience, because as their title implies, it is often within your community. So much for that freedom and adventure you have been looking for.

Many people who go to community college plan on just going for two years and then transfer to a university, but they miss a lot of the great college experience in those two years. Transferring your credits can also be a laborious task many would want to avoid. Not all classes you take at community college will transfer that easily. To go to community college, even for a few years, is missing out on the true and exciting experience of going to college.

Take my advice, and go straight to the four-year university and get the true college experience that will help provide you with numerous experiences that you can pick and choose from in order to shape your future.

The journalism room of Oswego High School is kind of like the Temple of Doom, in that once you’re in, there’s no guarantee you’re getting out, and you never know what’s going to jump out at you. On any given day, there are at least fifteen junior and senior girls chillin’ in front of computer screens that usually have windows open on them that have nothing to do with journalism. And even though they all look harmless enough as they click from website to website looking for ‘OMG the absolute perfect pair of shoes for prom,’ believe me, they’re more dangerous than any booby-traps Indiana Jones ever had to face in that stupid temple.

As Senior Writer for the Buc Bulletin, I think it’s appropriate for me to write the traditional ‘Day in the Life’ article that has become a staple in the paper in past years, not to mention a source of unexpected controversy. Really, I’ve been gathering information for this article the entire year, since pretty much all I do is sit around and look up funny pictures to e-mail to inappropriate people while listening to equally inappropriate music with my ear-buds, volume turned up way too loud, instead of working. Slacking off instead of writing or whatever it is the rest of the staff does has awarded me the rare opportunity to just sit back and watch all the ‘magic’ happen, and I’ve gotten to know most of the staff members on the paper pretty well.

Our fearless leaders, Mr. McCrobie and Mr. Reeser, are more figure-heads and guides than anything else. They suggest to us that we follow the rules, and we either do – or don’t. Most of the time we don’t, because we’re all master procrastinators and McCrobie’s face turns a really awesome shade of fuchsia when he’s mad. If nothing else, McCrobie can always be counted on to take up the first five to ten minutes of class droning on about… well, I don’t really pay attention honestly, but it makes him feel important so we let him stand on his soapbox for a while before we have to get down to the real work. Mr. Reeser, in contrast, is pretty quiet. He just flits around the room happily giving people advice on page layout and making weird jokes.

The real person you want to talk to if you want to get anything done is Jasmine Davis, the obnoxiously Amazonian editor in chief. When you first look

at her, you don’t automatically think ‘Damn, this girl must know what’s up in the journalism world.’ More like, ‘I bet she has the mall’s business hours memorized.’ But don’t even try to throw down with Davis when she’s in the zone, ‘cause the girl has skills. As the writer of every issue’s ‘Athlete of the Month’ feature, she’s more than shown that she’s got the smarts as well as the talent needed to succeed in any leadership position.

Continuing the trend of B.A. ladies in charge is Faith Whitley, the managing editor. I don’t really know what a managing editor is; I just kind of assume that McCrobie wanted to give her a title that sounded important so that he didn’t end up in a ditch somewhere. I don’t blame him. If I had to say anything bad about either Jasmine or Faith, I guess it would be that combined they probably say ‘like,’ like, at least like a thousand times a day.

Everyone on our staff has an official title (because we like to feel important): Meg Carl is out Layout Editor, Monek Cullen is our Chief

Photographer, Erin McIntosh is our Art Director and Katherine Robinson is our Business Manager. I don’t know what Meg does besides lobbying for a cheerleader to be named Athlete of the Month), but I think she makes a pretty good contribution to the paper, or else she would’ve been kicked out by now. As for Monek, she takes pictures and probably spends most of her free time correcting people when they spell or say her name wrong. Mo-neek. Mo-neq. Mo-neece. Whatever. Kat Robinson the perpetual perfectionist writes amazing articles, just like everything else she does is amazing, and it kind of annoys me sometimes how darn amazing she is but I

guess that can’t really be helped.There are a lot of other people on our staff,

but I have to mention Carl, Tina Buckingham and Shaughnessy Darrow especially. They all sit in the same row and all they do is gossip all period long, and write a little in between. Or at least that’s what it seems like, because even after I’ve been out of school for an hour, it still feels like I can hear their constant cackling ringing in my ears. They’re all the same variation of that type of girl who knows everything about everything and knows she knows everything about everything, but in a way that still makes them approachable enough to put out a good paper every month.

Then there’s Christina Dehm, and the Pratt sisters Morgan and Rebecca (I didn’t make the connection that they were sisters until three weeks into the class. Oops?) .

Next are Heather Rounds, and Madison Rhoades. They sit quietly at their computers and work like good little girls, never causing any trouble, so I don’t really have much to write about them, other than the fact they frequently miss deadlines. Oh well, who

doesn’t! Good job, I guess?And of course, we have our mascots in the form is Jeff Wallace and Marcus

Wolf. The only boys brave enough to sign up for journalism and then

stick around once they realized what a fem-fest it was; they truly deserve a medal or a jolly rancher or something. More Marcus than Jeff, since I’m pretty sure Jeff could count the number of times he’s been in the journalism

room using one hand. Marcus is… something. It’s hard to

explain what Marcus is. It’s safer just to say that he marches to

his own beat, and is one of the most aggressively polite and kind people you

will ever meet.If you walked into the journalism room on

any given day, you would see a bunch of teenagers lying around talking about spray-tans and graduation and not doing any work at all. But I think that’s just more evidence as to how amazing we are. The journalism staff isn’t perfect: We fight, we yell (McCrobie yells), we wait until the absolute last second to hand in articles for deadline, but we still manage to get most of what we set out to do, done. Minus me. I’m still just chillin’, watching all the chaos go down as usual as the Buccaneer Bulletin staff rushes around, trying to get out another paper.

Column

June 2011

5


A Dysfunctional Newspaper Staff Unmasked

Our journalism family--for better or worse.

Editor’s Note: ‘The Day in the Life’ of the Buccaneer Bulletin is a tradition started by Erik Dussere when he was staff member in 19 86. Every year since, we have poked fun at ourselves in what has become one of longest-standing features. This is the 26 installment. Enjoy

Column

June 2011

6


High school is the place where the stress of growing up and the stress of fitting in join forces to destroy even the strongest among us.

--Urban Dictionary I don’t know about you, but, even though these

last four years have been incredibly stressful at times, they’ve definitely made me stronger, and haven’t even come close to destroying me. Don’t get me wrong; there have been times when I’ve wanted to rip my hair out, or even pack up and move out of state. But that seems to be what high school does to people.

I feel like there’s a stereotype out there about high school: if you’re not the Most Popular Kid in School, then you’re destined for failure. Because of all the teen movies out there, I came into high school thinking that, since I wasn’t really “popular,” I was going to have this crazy, stressful four-year experience. And I kept waiting for someone to be thrown into a dumpster or have a slushy thrown in their face.

I learned quickly that that’s not really what high school is like. It’s not all about being elected Homecoming Queen. High school is what you make of it, and if you want the crown, go for it. But only two people get elected King and Queen, and if you spend your whole high school career campaigning for it, there’s a really good chance that you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

But as much as high school isn’t all about popularity, it also isn’t all about grades. I’m number 22 in my class, overall. Honestly, I don’t care. It’s just a number. Yes, I work hard. Yes, I put a lot of time and focus into school. And yes, I think I deserve to be number 22. But when all is said and done, no one is going to care if you were number 5 or number 205 in high school. So, to all of you who think that you have to have a perfect 4.0 GPA, chill. I speak from experience; I used to be crazy about my school work and freak out if I scored lower than a 95 on anything. But one low test score isn’t going to make or break anything for you.

I’ve also learned a lot about people. The fact is, many people are mean, especially teenage girls. We lie to each other and stab each other in the back. I’d like to say that most of us senior girls have grown out of that by now, but I know, from personal experience, that not all of us have, and some people still take great joy in spreading nasty rumors about other people. That’s when you have to realize that people are mean, and then move on. You can’t dwell on something that someone else said about you. Call them on it, or get over it.

Over the last four years, I’ve met lots of awesome people, and lots of not-so-awesome people. I’ve made a lot of great friends, and lost some just as quickly because of a stupid fight, or not having classes together anymore, or because I started dating their best friend’s ex-boyfriend. I’m pretty sure I did more gossiping than learning some days, and I’d like to apologize to the teachers whose classes I may have dozed off in.

But I don’t think there’s any better learning experience than high school. These last four years have played a huge role in the person I am today. I

can honestly say that I learned a lot here at good old OHS: how to dissect a frog, and what to do when frog guts get flung at you; how to solve a geometric proof without stabbing myself with my pencil (that’s difficult; and if you think you’re done with proofs after you’ve finished geometry, you’re wrong); what to do when a food fight breaks out in the middle of your lunch period; how to stay warm when the fire alarm goes off in the middle of winter because of construction; and what to do when a pipe full of dirty water bursts during senior study hall.

The biggest thing about high school is that, unless you plan on being a super senior (which, despite the name, is probably not all that super), you’re only here for four years. That didn’t really resonate with me until last year, but when it did, I started making the best of it. High school isn’t forever, and you need to be a high schooler while you can: play Powderpuff; go to the tailgates before games; go to the prom. Have fun with your friends and enjoy it while you can because, trust me, once you hit senior year, it goes by really, really fast.

I’m not going to say that I loved high school, because I didn’t. But I didn’t hate it as much as I say I did, and I’ll definitely be one of the people bawling her eyes out at graduation.

Looking back, these last four years were actually pretty tolerable, if not even a little bit fun. I keep telling myself that I can’t wait to graduate, and I won’t miss anyone or anything after I walk the stage in a few weeks. But I keep telling myself that in the hopes that I’ll believe it. The truth is, I’m going to miss high school, and the people I’ll be leaving behind. I can’t wait to graduate, but I wouldn’t have missed these last four years for anything.

There’s No Better Learning Experience Than 4 Years of HS

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Features

June 2011

7


Mrs. Dorothy Farrell has lived most of her life in Oswego, starting her career with the school system in 1986 where she worked for the Director of Personnel at the Education Center. She then came to work at the high school in 1994. She partook in the secretarial school training through BOCES, and has taken several classes at SUNY Oswego throughout the years. She will be moving to Myrtle Beach, SC to enjoy her

retirement in a home she and her husband have purchased. Farrell plans on spending her time golfing, going to shows, and just enjoying the retired life.

Though she will be enjoying her retirement, she will remember the enjoyment of her profession due to the many things she got to do and the challenges she overcame. Farrell will also remember one of her favorite memories of receiving a Gold Award from the United Way. She wanted the staff to know,“I have met some fabulous staff members through the years of my service at OHS and would like to wish them all success and happiness in their future years and thank them for being there for support when I needed anything from them.”

Thank you for your 25 years of service to the school district, Mrs. Farrell.

With teaching in her blood passed on by various family members such as her mother and great grandfather, Mrs. Sarah Hill has spent the past thirty years teaching almost every level of mathematics at the high school. She has enjoyed her many years working with kids and watching the “light bulb come on.” Some of her favorite memories are those of students returning to thank her for ways she has impacted their lives and their education. It’s such a good feeling to see that,” she stated.

She has spent a lot of time with the people in Oswego earning her Bachelor’s at SUNY Oswego and then her Master’s Degree there as well. With all the time she has spent here, she wishes to take the opportunity in her first year of retirement to travel. She has already been approached about doing some adjunct professor work for the Mathematics Department at SUNY Oswego.

One thing she would like to do once she has the time is to transfer all of her family photograph albums, and tapes to digital format and make copies for her kids to have someday. She would like to leave students with some advice. “Teenagers need to know that there are limits and expectations. They have the right to hear the word ‘No’ and it is the adult’s responsibility to enforce those limits and expectations. The higher the expectations, the harder you work, the greater the chance that you will meet those expectations.”

Thank you for your dedicated years of service to the high school, Mrs. Hill.

Mrs. Paula Ranous, after her 11 years

teaching at the high schoo, wants to leave everyone with the hopes that they all get a chance to do what they love everyday. She wants to express her gratitude for her ability to be here the past several years. She also bequeaths her well-known singing mole collection! After going into the pre-med program at Marywood College for two years and spending some time working at

a Syracuse hospital, Ranous completed her degree program at SUNY Oswego. This gave her the chance to work at a Syracuse high school teaching science, as well as subbing at the middle school and eventually making her way here to OHS.

Ranous originally did not plan to be a teacher, but planned to go into the medical field like some of her family. As she was applying to med school, she came to the realization that she loved teaching science more than she did medicine. So, she went on to become a teacher of Regents chemistry and consumer chemistry at OHS, as well as spread the word about her love for moles.

After retiring from full-time teaching, she plans on teaching part time as well as writing a diabetic cookbook.

Thank you for your years of service to the high school, Mrs. Ranous, maybe we’ll see you back part-time next year!

Spending fifteen years in the main

office Mrs. Karen Solowski would like to leave her best wishes to the students at OHS and the thank all her co-workers for the good times she has had here. Solowski spends most of her time doing budget- related tasks in the main office such as purchasing payroll and petty cash. Her responsibilities include overseeing the grade reporting (report cards/5 week

report ) process, and a variety of other miscellaneous jobs, as well as assisting in handling phone calls that come in to the main office. She is a very busy woman!

She began her career by graduating from SUNY Oswego with a degree in accounting and will be ending her career with a fun-filled retirement. She would like to spend a good portion of it traveling; some to see her kids across the states, but to other places like Europe. She also is going to enjoy camping, bird watching, and cooking. She is going to miss all the fun happenings that go on in the main office and around the school, but she has said that she will be leaving a bird book in the main office in case any of them need to identify mysterious birds.

Thank you Mrs. Solowski for your years of service to the school.

Editor’s Note: Both Mr. Jim McCaul of the Physical Education staff and Mrs. Chris Crisafulli, hall monitor, who are both retiring at the end of this year were asked to participate in interviews for this feature on retirees, but they respectfully declined. We wish them the best of luck as well in retirement. Stories by Shaughnessy Darrow. Photos by Monék Cullen

Farrell solowski

ranous hill

Thanks for the Memories, Retiring Faculty, Staff

Walking the Plank

June 2011

8


Congrats to Valedictorian, Nikole BonacorsiBB: What does the title

valedictorian mean to you?NB: –noun. a student, usually

the one ranking highest academically in a school graduating class, who delivers the valedictory at the commencement exercises.

BB: Have you been working towards becoming valedictorian your entire high school career or did it just happen?

NB: It just happened, but once I found out I was first I was competitive enough that I tried to make sure I stayed there.

BB:What teacher has been the most influential?

NB:Mrs. Melissa Martin. She is my school mom, and I honestly would not have survived high school without her.

BB: What is your favorite OHS memory?

NB:All of the inside jokes that I have with my friends.

BB: besides yourself who has played a big part in you becoming Valedictorian?

NB:My parents, for giving me lucky DNA.

BB: Are you involved in any sports or activities? Will you continue any them in college?

NB:Yes, track. I won’t be on the school team or anything but I will probably join the running club.

BB:One thing you would want to change about your school?

NB: I don’t think there should be a valedictorian.

BB: Where are you going to college? Why this school?

NB: Hamilton College. I loved it from the moment I set foot on campus, it just felt right. Plus there are no gen eds, and everyone goes in undeclared for the first two years.

BB:What are you going to study? Have you decided on a major?

NB: I have not decided on a major, because, as I said, everyone goes in undeclared. However, I am leaning towards psychology.

BB:Are you excited about college? Are you nervous?

NB: I’m mostly excited, but of course I’m a little nervous too.

BB: Is there something people might not know about you?

NB: I crowd surfed before? (Sorry mom)

BB:Do you have any siblings?NB:Yes, I have a younger

brother, Nick. (original names, I know.)

BB:Is there a superpower you

would want if you could?NB:Definitely the power to fly.

(Hopefully there are no stipulations.)

BB: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

NB:A computer animator for Pixar.

BB:If you could pick 3 people to have dinner with, dead or alive who

would they be?NB: Katherine

Chetney, Shawn Milke, and John Cusack.

BB:Who was your favorite teacher at OHS?

NB:That’s a really tough question, because I honestly loved almost every teacher I had. They were all amazing. However, it has to be Mrs. Martin, of course. Mr. Mirabito is a close second though.

BB:What’s been your favorite book in high school?

NB: That I had to read for class? The Catcher in the Rye.

BB:What are you going to miss the most when you head off to college?

NB: Mrs. Martin, and my friends, family, and dog.

BB:What do you do in your spare time?

NB:Listen to music, write, read, digital paint and watch ‘80s movies.

BB:Do you have a quote to live by?

NB:Two, actually. “The depth of a man’s soul can not be measured in a manner of meters and fathoms,” from Alesana and “Get busy living or get busy dying” from The Shawshank Redemption.

BB:Do academics come easily to you or are they a challenge?

NB:People are going to kill me for saying this, but if I’m being honest they come pretty easily. I’m just lucky I guess.

BB:What feeling are you going to have when you cross the stage?

NB:Nausea as I try not to trip.

BB:If you could be any faculty member for a day who would you be?

NB:Mr. Mirabito, because my sarcasm has a ways to go before it’s as killer as his.

BB:What is your favorite place in Oswego?

NB:The river’s end bookstore!

BB:What is your favorite clothing store?

NB:Lulus.com

BB:Would you rather use a pen or pencil?

NB:Pencil.

BB:What is your favorite movie?NB:It’s a tie between The

Shawshank Redemption, Say Anything, and The Sure Thing.

BB:Is the balance between social life and school difficult for you?

NB:No, I have a small group of people who mean a lot to me, and it’s never been hard to make that work with school.

BB:What would you do with 10 million dollars?

NB:Probably buy a ton of clothes, books, and every apple product every invented and give some to my parents. Then donate some, then save the rest for college and whatever comes after.

BB:What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at OHS?

NB:You can’t let other people bring you down. There are always going to be people out there who will say mean things about you without ever having spoken to you, but you have to realize that it’s because they’re insecure about themselves and they need to bring other people down to inflate their fragile self-esteem.

Class of 2011 Valedictorian, Nikole Bonacorsi

Walking the Plank

June 2011

9


Salutatorian Justine Harrington Walks the Plank

Editor’s note: “Walking the Plank” is a regular question-and-answer feature of The Buccaneer Bulletin. If you know a student or staff member who you would like to see walk the plank, contact Mr. McCrobie at [email protected]. Stories by Shaughnessy Darrow and photographs by Erin McIntosh.

Buccaneer Bulletin:What does the title salutatorian mean to you?

Justine Harrington: To me it is an honor for making it this far in life so successfully.

BB: Have you been working towards becoming salutatorian your entire high school career or did it just happen?

JH: I have just been trying to work hard all of my high school career, and it has fortunately brought me to this point of success.

BB: What teacher has been the most influential?JH: My art teachers Mrs. Martin and Ms. V,

and my band directors Mr. Defren, Mr. Palange, and Mr. Ciesla have all been equally influential because they believed in my potential and were always teaching me how to make myself better.

BB: Besides yourself, who has played a big part in you becoming salutatorian?

JH: My parents, because they have helped me stay on task and supported every decision I have made along the way.

BB: Are you involved in any sports or activities? If so, will you continue any of them in college?

JH: I have been a part of the Marching Band program for 3 years, the Art Club (which unfortunately was cut), and Key Club. There sadly is not a music program at the college I am attending; however, I will be a part of the All-College Honors Program and will continue participating in volunteer service and clubs offered there.

BB: What’s one thing you would want to change about your school?

JH: I wish that we had more electives.

BB: Where are you going to college? Why?JH: I am going to Cazenovia College in the

fall. I chose this school because it is a small, beautiful campus with an amazing fashion program. It is also one of the only colleges that I found that offered fashion programs relatively close to home, and not in a giant city.

BB: What are you going to major in?JH: My degree will be in Business

Management with a specialization in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Fashion Design.

BB: Are you excited or nervous for college? JH: I am so excited to go to college to continue to learn what I love. It is also bittersweet because I won’t have the comfort of living at home and will miss a lot of the people here in Oswego that I have become close to. As for being nervous? Absolutely! I think it takes a lot of nerve to break out of a setting that has been a comfort zone for so long to

be thrown into a new dynamic with people who are just meeting you for the first time.

BB: Is there something people might not know about you?

JH: I like Ancient Astronaut theory.

BB: Do you have a role model?JH: My best friend Erin McIntosh, because

she is the most beautiful person I know, inside and out.

BB: Any Siblings?JH: I have my older brother, David.

BB: Is there a superpower you would want?JH: I always wanted to be able to teleport,

because then I could just be wherever I wanted instantly.

BB: Do you have a dream job in mind?JH: I would love to work for Alexander

McQueen designing shoes or wedding dresses. I watch “Say Yes to the Dress” like it’s my job.

BB: If you could pick three people to have dinner with, dead or alive who would they be?

JH: Jane Austen, Ben Barnes, and Emily

Deschanel.

BB: Do you have any feelings on your speech?JH: I haven’t written it yet, but when I read it

I don’t want people to go, “That was awful.”

BB:What was your favorite book in high school?JH: I enjoyed reading Nectar in a Sieve by

Kamala Markandaya in Mr. Sullivan’s class because it invoked some strong feelings within me.

BB: Do you have a favorite OHS memory?JH: All of the band trips I have been on.

BB: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?JH: Hopefully married and living in a city

doing something with fashion.

BB: What do you do in your spare time?JH: I like to sew, read, watch TV or movies, or

hang out with my friends.

BB: Do you have a quote to live by?JH: Coco Chanel has some of my all time

favorite quotes. My favorites of hers are, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” And, “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.”

BB: Are there any classes you wish you had taken?

JH: Psychology, because I apparently missed the “requirement” to have Mr. Mirabito before I graduate.

BB: If you could be any faculty member for a day who would you be?

JH: I would like to be Mr. DeLorenzo or Mr. Bandla because they always seem to have so much fun when they’re teaching.

BB: What is your favorite place in Oswego?JH: I love PJ’s ice cream.

BB: What is your favorite movie?JH: Pride and Prejudice; which is also my

favorite book of all time.

BB: What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at OHS?

JH: I’ve learned that in the end, making connections with people is more important than any grade I could ever be given.

Class of 2011 Salutatorian Justine Harrington


10 Sobering Mock DWI Event Aims to Discourage Destructive Decisions

June 2011www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

11Sobering Mock DWI Event Aims to Discourage Destructive Decisions

Prior to the prom, the SADD Club, in cooperation with the Oswego City Police (OPD) and Fire Departments (OFD), and the Oswego County Stop DWI program, held its annual Mock DWI for juniors.

OPD responded to the crash scene where they found

a deceased student lying on the pavement. EMS from the OFD arrived to tend to the injured, while an officer administered a field sobriety test and arrested the driver.

The scene then shifted to Leighton gym where the notification of next-of-kin was re-enacted and the trial for DWI and vehicular manslaughter was held.

After a simulated funeral service, two families that suffered real-life DWI tragedies spoke about their experiences.

Photos and text by Monék Cullen, Chief Photographer

The only fake thing about the mock DWI held last month was the blood; the emotions were real.

Graduation Plans

June 2011

12


Oswego High School’s ClassIn State:

Alfred UniversityStephen LiVoti

Arcadia UniversityDominique Canale

Alison KnightBerklee University

Evelyn HoranBoston University

Hayley LukaczykBryant and Stratton

Sarah FoxTyler Vossller

Buffalo State CollegeKatherine Chetney

Canisius CollegeSean Stegemoller

Cazenovia CollegeJustine HarringtonBrittany JuravichCayuga CCKassidy Atkinson

Kaitlan BarkerCourtney Bartlett

Aaron BerlinAaron CallahanSean CarpenterBrianna CoonMonek Cullen

Katherine CutroShaughnessy Darrow

Kayla DonohueCamille DunhamAshleigh Ecke

Daniel EllingwoodPaul EsdenEmily Finn

Adam FoleyKaylene FragaleNicholas Fredette

Emily FultzPaul Gamble

Haylee GardnerChris Geroux

Katelyn GurneyChristopher Hanley

Cali HarringtonMichael Hoefer

Vincent LapetinoBlake Marden

Caitlynn McCrearyDakota McHenryFelicia Melendez

Taylor MenterBritney Moody

Cayuga CC ContinuedRachelle Moree

Tyra MyhillAnthony Nearbin

Samantha OmundsenMatthew Parkhurst

Joyce PelkeyMachele Pospesel

Lindsay ReifkeErica RenoGarrett RiceMalorie Ruel

Mohamed SalemEric Susino-Acton

Ty SweetingCasey Tobin

Margarita VazquezCharles Wetzel

Raymond Wilson IIIAshley Wise

Clarkson UniversityCooper Harse

Crouse Hospital School of Nursing

Emily RichmondCulinary Institute

Elisa SerenoElmira College

James MetcalfDavid Simons

Finger Lakes CCCorey Galletta

Keenan HabeebJason HanselmanMagan Johnson

Rebeca MendozaJohn Raby

Gannon UniversityDanielle Mather

Mara ParkerChristopher Pike

Hamilton CollegeNikole Bonacorsi

Hartwick CollegeMorgan Domicolo

Herkimer CCAmber Thompson

Hilbert CollegeMeghan Stewart

Ithaca CollegeMorgan Allen

Ashley DeveneyChad McClelland

ITT Technical InstituteNicholas Rossi

Jamestown CCJessica GilbertSarah Purce

Jefferson CCRichard Carpentier

Chelsea GerouxKeuka College

Thomas DrummLandmark College

Ross GadzialaLasell College

Shannon PascoLe Moyne College

Cody BattistaMatthew Randall

Steven ScottLiberty College

Jessica KraussLimestone College

Samantha McCarrickMohawk Valley CC

Darren BezioChristopher Bosco

Timothy EdgarAlexander LafondAnthony ScacciaMonroe CCMiranda Carson

Julie DellesFrederick Donabella III

Morgan FayetteKoncetta Kavanaugh

Natasha KazarianBrittany NoyesFaith Whitely

Morrisville StateJonathan Mahan

Nazareth CollegeHaley Annal

New HavenColin Joyce

Niagara County CCTimothy Haresign

Jacob OrtaNorth Western Ohio

Neil CliffNorth Carolina State

Laura Naron

Onondaga CCDavid Carmella

Michelle ChampagneCody Crouse

Nicolette DovighEric Dunsmoor

Morganne FarrellBrandon Galloway

Nicholas GuidoRachel JohnsonWesley JonesKyle KunzwilerAllison MartinTaylor Mass

William McSweeneyKimberly Neilly

Teal PalmerRebecca Pratt

Katherine RobinsonAlexander ToddJoseph Wallace

Pfeiffer UniversityLacey Brown

Roberts WesleyanRebecca Smith

RITWilliam ClaryLuke FamiloTyler KranzTyler Lisec

Erin McIntoshAnthony Miuccio

Siena CollegeLaura Rottenberk

St. BonaventureSarah Bucher

Sean O’ConnorSt. John Fisher

Kiley BathcelorJasmine Davis

SUNY AlbanyKaitlyn Scanlon

SUNY BinghamtonAlex Baer

SUNY BrockportBridget CollinsKarissa Favata

Courtney GazdaTiffany Green Erika Lazzaro

SUNY CantonCathryn Darling

Tara FreschDevyn Hutcheson

Graduation Plans

June 2011

13


Editor’s note: Senior Information

and Page Design by Meghan Carl.

Of 2011 - CONGRATS!!

Graduation will be held on June 25th at 10 am in the Campus Center at sunY osweGo.

ConGratulations to the Class of 2011!

SUNY ESFJessica Cieslaandrew diVita

sean peel SUNY Cortland

michaela auerChelsee brockwell

Kaitlin frielamber naramoreJordan rourke

Kathryn whelskydevynn wilder

SUNY Fredoniarebecca Chattertonthomas James Jr.Chelsea ottman

SUNY New PaltzCamille Graham

SUNY Oneontarachel edwards

SUNY Oswegomark barker

norman berlinChristina buckingham

tyler CarapetyanZachary Connollydaniel Connorsdanielle Currier

alyssa davisKatrina debaunJames debiaseChristina dehm

timothy doughertyriley flynn

devin fragalealexis Gillardsteven Glennpaige Gray

Joshua hamiltonJennifer hotchkissJoseph hutchins

Jayme Kelseytyler Kingsleymatther KrockeCaitlyn mcCann

Christopher morleyhaley noskydavid peel

michael phillips

Oswego ContinuedChristopher pritchard

ryan proudmeghan regano

elizabeth richmondemily rumrill

Joseph schicklingaustin tracz

SUNY Potsdamstephen auyer

mary finnSyracuse University

macKenzie dunsmoorTompkins C3

meghan CarlUnion College

meredith moshierUniversity of Buffalo

Courtney hallockJacqueline hondro

rebecca Krass

Out of State:Florida Southern

Caylee heagertyGrove City College

Joanna lefevreUniversity of Delaware

thomas handleyWake Forest

matthew pirroWestern New England

Cassandra CrisafulliWest Virginia

Kristina stemple

Military:Army

maggie hogan-pittsleyKaitlyn holloway

Kyle lambmichael pitcher

roxanne scoville

MarinesZen Johnson

andrew michaudNational Guard

david monroeNavy

michael KellyCollin lawton

Work Force:brandon archer

lawrence bivensandrew blackmar

nicole CanovaChristina demmerle

brian dornKirsten duvalalyssa ellis

tarquin Johnsonbruce Krolikowski

daniel maysmichael mercier

Gage merrilllisa miner

Janelle monroestacey parrott

nicole pauldineKyle rookey

brittany shufeltaubrie spanfelner

Joey stortoalejandro tovar-reynaga

amber wilmottwarren wise

Miscellaneous:Exchange Student

arzu ablyatipovaleonardo barddal da silva

eugenio benincasamiriam del real

patrick faulhaberandrea Gonzaleztimothy hanisch

lisa roegermaksim sokolovskiy

Trading School:NALTC Trading

Schoolmatthew YlitaloBOCES

eric beshures

Undecidedemilie beginski

paige blumedward bornheimer

Joshua davidsonbradley KranzJoshua mcraemichael murphybrianna pullenislam salem

ryan spinner

Columns

June 2011

14


“It’s astounding; time

is fleeting; madness takes its toll. But listen closely. . . . it’s just a jump to the left and then a step to the right; put your hands on your hips. With a bit of a mind flip you’re into the time slip and nothing can ever be the same. Let’s do the time-warp again…”

2036, where are we all now? All those faces from high school, the funny quirks we’d always remember . . . it feels like it was just yesterday when Mr. Hartwell handed us our diplomas back in 2011.

I held my Buc blue invite and entered the reunion with vast expectations of change. I scanned furiously for a familiar face and surveyed the room for a minute. It seemed that besides more conversation about politics and less about who’s dating, and a tad bit classier clothing, it was all the same as it was senior year twenty five years ago. Same cliques and predictable social behavior, as if time had stood still for 2 ½ decades and coming back into this setting reverted everybody back to age 18.

The first person to catch my eye was none other than Miss Mackenzie Dunsmoor who, not surprisingly, was greeting the alumni. It must have been Mackenzie who had been able to pull off the ridiculously extravagant decorations plastered across the building. She had even managed to recruit world-enowned, platinum record artist, Evelyn Horan, for the musical entertainment for the night.

I started towards her in an attempt to say hello, but my attention was intercepted by a glimpse of my old friend Megg Carl, who approached me and immediately began small talk with the expected, “How have you been!?” Chatting with her, I recognized a thick Canadian accent which she must have developed after returning to Canada. She asked me what I was doing nowadays, and after ranting about becoming a food critic when pharmacy hadn’t really been my forte, all I got from her in response was an “aww wahhhhh” and “well it was good to see you, talk to you later eh?”

Finding my assigned table, I sat

down and admired my seat name tag that consisted of a series of paper stars collectively folded together like some crazy matrix labeled “courtesy of Riley Flynn.”

People began pouring into the room and the reunion really started to kick off. Austin Tracz walked through the doors in head-to-toe camouflage with Sean O’Connor who exhibited a perma-tan from the consistent wearing of sandals and long ankle socks and Petey Lloyd with a mustache that was as thick as a full head of hair which, by the way, he no longer had. The two were followed by Kaitlin Scanlon who rolled her eyes at the sight and entered with a blue polka dotted lunch bag, apparently bringing her own food. At that moment, I wished Mr. Stacy had been alive and present so we could play “What’s Kait have that’s good today?”

A familiar high-pitched “Teen!” suddenly rang in my ears and I spun around in my chair to find Jasmine Davis, now editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine, staring back at me in the nearest seat. Always leave it to Jazzy to brighten your day, and of course, look drop-dead gorgeous while doing it. Talking with her, she seemed to know everything about practically everyone since high school had ended, and as I sat there wondering if my eye brows were as symmetrical and flawless as hers, she started to dish out the gossip I’d missed for 25 years.

With the obvious news being that former OHS hockey player Freddie Donabella now reigned as the starting center for the New York Rangers, more shocking was that Chelsee Brockwell, after a 10 year career with the NYC ballet, had taken a tragic fall off stage and the head injury, though leaving her in great physical health, also left her with the notion that she was living in the 1980s. Forever more she would believe that each decade meant big hair and leg warmers. (Fortunately for her, she was an ‘80s lover to begin with.)

Apparently, Soup Debiase had used his high-pitched dolphin laugh to become the first dolphin whisperer of our time while Cooper Harse’s

opinionated personality had landed a spot as a regular on an international debate show.

Tyler Lisec was now a 7 year champion of the Mr. USA competition, his wit, looks and overall personality making him the perfect candidate. Chad McClelland had gone to nursing school while training to follow his childhood dream of being an astronaut and became the world’s first space nurse.

More shockingly, Jessica Ciesla decided to follow her love of animals and was currently on a Hawaiian shark reserve and had undergone extreme surgery to make herself half-shark, half-girl.

Ty Sweeting ended up going back to Oswego High School to fill a physical education position and took over Mr.McCaul’s ohkie ball legacy. Norman Berlin still had been scheming to take over the world and I guess made some real progress in Austria. Cody Crouse apparently had pulled up in the back of a taxi to the reunion. His car was taken from him by the court for having too many violations concerning how loud his speaker system was while he blared Justin Beiber songs.

Obviously back in high school there had been a wide array of couples and dating was always a hot topic, but now looking around the room, relationships that had sprung all those years ago had clearly stuck. Near the refreshments table, Luke Familo stood eating a plate of chocolate fudge made by none other than his wife, Haley Annal, who had provided all of the baked goods for the evening. I couldn’t help but remember how Mackenzie Dunsmoor had brought those two unknowing lovebirds together back in senior year statistics. I bet they were eventually grateful for all her interventions. Baseball star, Matt Pirro, and all-around sports star Kate Friel had attended the reunion alongside their four children, two of whom could already throw 90 miles per hour and two of whom had a 100 mile per hour slap shot. (Not bad for kids under age 10!)

The alumni who had been seated at my table were those who I had been

closest to at O H S , so I had kept in touch and already knew what they had been up to. Natasha Kazarian followed in her mother’s footsteps and opened her own dance studio in which the ceilings reached 35 feet high and the fans were built in to the walls so as to prevent unfortunate injury. Cassandra Crisafulli started a farm in the remote country where she bred and raised snipe birds and hephalumps to be purchased online for exotic pets.

Shaughnessy Darrow had just recently returned to the state after a six month trip to the Amazon Rainforest to study the language of the Howler monkey species while also attempting to become a part of their pack. Nick Guido, being from a full Italian bloodline, opened a vast chain of gymnasium/tanning salon/laundromat combinations calling them Guido’s GTL’s. Julie Delles and her ability to plot, dig for information, and interrogate, became a member of the CIA, but unfortunately had to resign due to a forced admittance to a rehabilitation clinic for her coffee addiction.

Time warp back to 2011. Who really knows if this is where we’ll end up 25 years from now? Our decisions now won’t necessarily mean that our lives will end up on the paths they’re currently on. Writing this piece for the seniors is my farewell to four years of a high school career that I could never forget, even if I wanted to. So much has happened here. I’ve become friends with so many people with such different personalities, and I hope that every one of us keeps those quirks that make us who we are, because we will forever be remembered by our peers as we were in high school. These years have turned us from scared, unknowing freshman to the class of 2011, the seniors who are ready for a new path and a new beginning.

Fellow graduates, high school was unpredictable and a long journey for a piece of paper, but I hope you had the time of your life because knowing you all sure made it a heck of lot more fun.

Peace out Oswego High School.GO BUCS!

Features

June 2011

15


1. Be able to sleep with noise because it is never quiet anymore.2. Get comfortable with your roommate, chances are things will be really awkward if you don’t.

3. Function off of little sleep, getting 8 hours of sleep is a thing of the past.4. Posters. They make your room look like less of a prison cell.

5. Lock your door at night or else drunk people will stumble in and try to sleep on your floor.6. Quarters are like gold and cereal is a meal.

7. Sleeping through your first class will happen no matter how late it is or how many alarms you set.8. Fire drills happen at any time and being in the shower for them is a possibility, whether you want to get out or not.

9. Never take your shoes off and walk back to you dorm barefoot, you will regret it the next day.10. If your roommate gets sick, you will too within 24 hours.

11. Beware of the shower, cold water can be dumped on you at all times.12. Red cups are everywhere.

13. The library is more fun than people make it seem.14. Doing laundry is a competition.

15. Keeping in touch is not as easy as it sounds, but best friends are best friends no matter how many miles separate you. 16. Having spare time is a thing of the past.

17. Getting up at 8:15 a.m. for an 8:30 class gives you plenty of time to get ready.18. Sweatpants are a daily part of any wardrobe.

19. Home-cooking has never tasted so good.20. NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING ROOMMATE. Ever.

21. Rules of going out: No Puking, No Crying, and ALWAYS come back together.22. Snow days are a thing of the past.

23. There will be fights, but chances are, they won’t last more than 48 hours.24. During finals week, anything that helps procrastinate from doing work seems appealing.

25. You can know everything and fail a test; you can also know nothing and pass a test.26. Going to Walmart is always an adventure.

27. People are a lot less judgmental and a lot more accepting.28. The walls between rooms are paper thin; people literally hear everything; pins can be heard dropping.

29. Your key and ID are your lifeline, don’t ever lose them.30. Caffeine is a necessity to get through the day.

31. Limits don’t exist anymore, they are simply challenged and sometimes surpassed every day.32. Naps are not just for children; they are what makes getting through the day easier.

33. You will find hiding places in your room when you need them the most.34. MTV shows: while they are pretty stupid, everyone watches them.

35. Conversations can be based on nothing but quotes from movies, songs, or tv shows.36. Fish don’t make the best pets. They die…quickly.

37. Seeing an adult on your floor is like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs.38. Also, seeing a professor outside the classroom is like seeing a dinosaur.

39. Your laptop becomes your best friend.40. Most likely if a guy asks you to come watch a movie, and no one else is going to be there, he doesn’t mean you’re going to watch a movie.

41. The power will go out when you need it the most.42. Facebook is the biggest distraction there is and Youtube comas are common.

43. Flip Flops are as important as shampoo and soap.44. What a coincidence, the book that your professor edited/wrote/helped write is also required for his class and costs a fortune?

45. Internet banking is a God-given tool. Use it.46. Go to class and pay attention, even if there isn’t an attendance policy.

47. 1:00 a.m. is the new 9:00 p.m.48. Your dorm room is like a clown car. You will fit more things in there than you think possible without realizing it until it’s time to move out.

49. Duct tape is the solution to most problems.50. Leaving campus and going home is the definition of bittersweet.

T hings I Learned in My First Year of Col lege OHS Class of 2010 graduate,Taylor Phillips, has been creating this list with her roommate at St. Bonaventure all year as

advice for students heading to college for the first time in the fall. We thought it was worth sharing with this year’s seniors.

Column

June 2011

16


Ch-ching, Ch-ching: The High Cost of Sr. Year

Everyone looks forward to senior year of high school. After three years of working your butt off, it’s nice to know that, at the end of it all, there’s a senior year full of rewards waiting for you, like Powderpuff, Senior Trip, Dinner Dance, and, what you’ve really been waiting for, Graduation. But what many people don’t realize until they get their first bill is that senior year is really expensive.

First off you have your Senior Pictures. They’re a blast, don’t get me wrong. I’ve never had so much fun getting my picture taken. Depending on where you get your pictures taken, the prices could be either better or worse. I spent over $300 on mine, as my mom loaded up on 3x4s of everything, and some crazy package of my Senior Picture with a bunch of wallets, a few 4x6s, a handful of 5x7s, and an 8x10. On the plus side, they threw in a few more wallets for free because we spent so much.

Another thing you have to do before school starts is choose whether you want to participate in some college courses, SUPA classes, or New Visions. New Visions is free, but SUPA classes (English and Econ) cost $110 per credit hour and SUNY Oswego courses cost somewhere around $1000 each.

Once school starts, the events pick up slowly, but surely. Throw in $20 for a Powderpuff shirt, $65 to order a yearbook (plus extra money if you want your name on the cover, more pages in the back, an icon by your name in the corner, etc.), $47 for every time you take your SAT and $33 for every time you take your ACT, and then however much your college charges you for sending in your application (I only paid $20 to apply to Oswego via the Common App).

By the time December rolls around, you’ve got Semi Formal, and you have to buy a ticket and maybe dinner before the dance, and possibly, if you’re a girl and you’re anything like me, you need to get a new dress and shoes to match.

You get a price break for a while after Formal, some time to refill your bank account, but once you hit March, the break is over. The Class Trip cost over $1000 for seniors this year, plus the price of food and souvenirs. I only spent about $75 on souvenirs (somehow I managed to resist the urge to buy everything that had Mickey Mouse on it), but the cost of food was ridiculous at both Disney and Universal. Thank you, mom and dad, for covering my food bill.

After Senior Trip, the events start coming and don’t seem to stop. The 100 Days ‘til Graduation Celebration was the Thursday after we got home from Florida, but that actually costs nothing, unless you want to buy a new dress.

May is Prom, and Prom means one thing: spending about a million dollars on a dress or tux, then $30 for your ticket and maybe a second ticket for your date, plus the cost of dinner and transportation to and from the various places that you’ll be gracing with your presence that night.

Now it’s June (luckily, June is a month where you can rake in some cash if you have generous relatives who send graduation gifts). Senior Night is the first event, which costs a whopping $1 to get into. Then the Senior Picnic, which costs $5 to attend, unless you’re late getting your ticket, and then the price doubles. The Picnic is followed by the Senior Dinner Dance, which only costs $5 for graduates; but if you’re dating someone who isn’t a senior this year, it’s $20 and a ton of paperwork to get them a ticket (not to mention that the ladies may need another dress).

Then, the Saturday after the dance is Graduation. Ah, Graduation. The day you finally get to walk the stage, and say a not-so-sad farewell to all those teachers who stopped you in the hall and harassed

you about your skirt being too short or not having a pass. But it’s another $20 (exact cash only, please) for your cap and gown.

Then, after the big day, your parents will more than likely throw you a huge Graduation Party to celebrate the fact that you made it out of high school more or less alive. And don’t forget your class ring; not everyone gets one, but if you want one, it’s probably going to cost you somewhere around $200.

Over the last year, I’d have to say that I spent about $1000 myself. Lucky for me, my parents covered dresses and dinners and my class ring and college apps and tests. But that’s still a lot of cash, especially for someone who (foolishly, apparently) quit her job.

Once again, I’d like to say thank you, mom and dad, for paying for some of the stuff that I felt obligated to take part in this year. Don’t get me wrong, I loved every second on it. But now that I’ve added up all that money, it’s no wonder my bank account pulled a vanishing act.

But the spending isn’t even over yet, my friends. My mom was talking to one of her friends whose daughter had graduated high school a few years ago, complaining about the expenses of my past year. Mom expected to get some sympathy from her friend, but all she did was laugh. To my mother’s dismay (even though I thought it was obvious), college bills will start to kick in before your parents have even had time to think about paying off your Graduation Party.

Now, I’m not writing this to discourage any underclassmen from partaking in any of the Senior activities. You only get one shot at them. I’m just giving you a heads up. This year was great, but I (and I think my parents, too) would’ve appreciated a warning before I forked over all that cash. Thinking back, I’m glad that I participated in all the things that I did. But I also could’ve done without eight thousand copies of my Senior Picture.

Columns 17

A Heartfelt Thank You for Four Great Years

Buccaneer Bulletin June 2011www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

I would like to start off by giving a special thanks to the people of my past. These last four years spent here, at “good ol’ OHS” have been…anything and everything I could possibly imagine.

The classes, teachers, homework, dances, sporting events and musical concerts that occurred were great, but it’s the people that I spent those times with that have made it worthwhile.

Personally, I’ve had a lot of friends come and go throughout the years, and honestly, I’ll never forget a single one of them. Countless ‘best friends,’ guys who I’ve ‘loved,’ friends who have stayed and

friends who have gone. Regardless of their status to me now, they are the people who have made me, Meghan Jo Carl, who I am today.

I firmly believe in the statement “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” because, I’ve had that ‘bad’ boyfriend, embarrassing moments, gone through fights, the ‘broken heart,’ uphill battles, fallouts with friends, and problems at home, and I still made it through high school. The four years we spend at high school are said to be the best years of our lives, and when I reminisce, I know that I’ll look back fondly because of everything I have learned. I feel that four years here at Oswego High School has prepared me well for college and the journey ahead of me.

Today, I am a young, mature adult, who now sees the world from a different perspective compared to the outlook I had on life when I was a wee freshman. I’ve grown up a lot. I’m mature and confident, and I have my friends, family, and OHS to thank for that. I’ve learned many important lessons early in life that

can only help me in the future.As sad as it is to say, when I graduate, and leave

this town, I’m going to miss OHS. A lot. As this year has progressed, all of the seniors have become really close, and it’s a wonderful feeling walking through the halls, seeing all of those smiling faces, though, knowing that we will see each other only occasionally in the future is downright depressing.

This year is coming to a rapid close, and not being able to pay a visit to my friends in the halls, have our girl talks in lunch, or have get-togethers on the weekends is really disheartening. I know that college is about making new friends, and starting the next stage of life, but I like my friends here at OHS, and I’m going to miss them with my whole heart.

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to OHS, thank you to all of my teachers, thank you to Mr. Baer, thank you to my friends, new and old, and everyone else I met along the way. I’ve learned a lot from you all and I’m very grateful to be where I am today.

As the end of the year gets closer, for seniors all you hear is “Graduation cannot get here fast enough,” and “I cannot wait to get out of Oswego!” As much as I agree with both those statements and have even said them several times, as graduation gets closer, mixed in with the many emotions I’m going through, include a feeling of loss. I am one of those born-and-raised in a small town girl; birthed in the local hospital and living in one house my whole life. As much as I take it for granted, we have a great city.

There are the perks and downfalls of living in a small town. Downfalls being that everyone and anyone know your business and that you really can’t get away with much. This city, though, has so much going on than I think a lot of us even realize. The more I travel, the more I, one, want to travel more, but two, appreciate the many things in Oswego that other places don’t necessarily have. A very key thing, we have is water everywhere! There are so many perks to having not only a lake that is on our back door but a river flowing

between it all. So many memories have been made and things done all that include the water in some way such as swimming, jumping off of flat rock, fishing, boating, the bonfires off the shore and others things that go on down by the water. Many places aren’t anywhere near water and the kids who live there are lucky enough if they have a public pool.

Oswego is an older town and has a lot of history to it as well as culture. Just driving through town sometimes is like a blast from the past looking at

the older

houses, the older buildings, and even the college. Our town is the only place in the entire United States that was

a refuge to Jews during WWII. That is a big deal. Our fort played a major part in history as well. The several

cemeteries we have date w e l l back, and our library has

done a good job at keeping historical

facts on Oswego available. There

are many places that don’t have

any interesting, historical things to look at. Luckily,

our town is not one of them.

There are many local eateries in Oswego that are only native to the

city such as Water Street Café, Rudy’s, Dahl’s, Azteca, Ritz, and Port City Café. Not only are these places family-

oriented, but the food is delicious. There are a variety of cultural foods, and places to eat throughout Oswego.

A big complaint the teens of Oswego make is the lack of stuff there is to do. No Oswego does not have a mall, a roller rink, a teen club, etc… But there are places in Oswego that can still keep you entertained. There is the movie theater; there is a drive-in located in the city that is one of only 30 in New York State. There is a coffee shop; there is a bookstore; there are several parks located all around the city; there are places that if you look hard, you can find. The thing I’ve learned about Oswego is that a lot of good places and fun things to do need to be searched for, but when you do find something, it’s worth it, like that one spot in the woods or that one shop on that back street.

Yes, Oswego is a small city, but it is unique and filled with lots of perks. Of course, there are times I can’t wait to get out of here, but I also remember the many great times I’ve had thanks to this city. Oswego is where most of us

grew up, and for the rest, is at least a place they are calling home for the time being.

Whether you are going to Oswego State or traveling all the way to Florida for college, we

need to remember our roots and all the great things Oswego has offered us. We know we will miss it.

Appreciate Our Hometown Before You Leave

Entertainment

June 2011

18


A Year of Honors for OHS Artists, Musicians

NYSSMA Solos:Justin Abbott, Hannah Allen, Alyssa Bornheimer, Cameron Caruso, Erin

Chetney, Jane Coty, Samantha Davis, Josh Ewig, Cassandra Hondro, Emily Hurlbutt, Adrienn MacDougall, Kennen McBrearty, Raquelle Moreau, Trista

Norris, Jessica Reynolds, Tyler Rigby, Katie Schermerhorn, Kaela Shafer, Rebecca Smith, Tara Stacy.

Conference All State Choir:Erin McIntosh

Heritage Music Festival:Gold Award to the OHS

Chamber Choir

Oswego All County Band:Justin Abbott, Nina Alcasid, Gina Bartholomew, Emily Benigno,

Kyrstin Blackburn, Alexander Carl, Heather Carapetyan, Lisette Dufore, Mike Gill, Jacqueline Hondro, Stephen Hook, Evelyn Horan, Thomas James, Jr., Emily King, Emily Kolenda, Emilea Reiner, Emily Rumrill,

Jeff Murray, Tory Welsch.

Oswego All County Orchestra:Evelyn Horan, Nina Alcasid, Kyrstin Blackburn, Gina Bartholomew, Stephen Hook,

Katherine Schermerhorn, Jeffrey Murray, Thomas James, Brandon Walker.

NYSSMA Area All-State:Justin Abott, Nina Alcasid, Jacqueline Hondro, Emilie Benigno, Emily Kolenda, Lisette DuFore,

Mitchell Rabalais, Evelyn Horan, Mike Gill, Thomas James.

CNY All Star Percussion Ensemble:Jeremy Galvin, Thomas James, Jeffrey Murray, Brandon Walker

US Army All-American Marching Band:Jacqueline Hondro, Thomas James, Jr.

OCMEA Scholarship Winners:Evelyn Horan (1st place), Michael Phillips (honorable mention),

Rebecca Smith (honorable mention)

Area All State Choir:Erin McIntosh, Katie Schermerhorn, Rebecca Smith.

All County Chorus:Justin Abbott, Alyssa Bornheimer, Matthew Bunce,

Cameron Caruso, Rebecca Chatterton, Jane Coty, Duane Crapser, Cody Crouse, Samantha Davis, Josh Ewig, Steven

Glenn, Cassandra Hondro, Emily Hurlbutt, Julia Knight, Jessica Reynolds, Tyler Rigby, Katie Schermerhorn, Kaela

Shafer, Rebecca Smith, Tara Stacy, Alex Todd.

Winners of Harborfest Art Competition:

Chrissy Abare, Justine Harrington, Katherine Robinson,

Rebecca Krass.Fulton Art Association:

Nikole Bonacorsi 1st place; Erin McIntosh 1st place;

Megan Mahaney 2nd place; Rebecca Chatterton 2nd place;

Haley Annal 2nd place; Jade Nelson 2nd place; Naomi

Greco 2nd place; Lindsay Glennon honorable mention;

Rebecca Krass honorable mention; Sarah Bivens honorable

mention; Nikole Bonacorsi honorable mention.

Scholastic Art Awards:

GOLD KEY: Jenna Hotchkiss, Chelsee Brockwell, Chrissy

Abare. SILVER KEY: Sarah Brown, Austin Demott, Haley

Annal. Honorable Mention: Jenna Hotchkiss, Sarah Brown,

Cassidy Barney, Megan Mahaney, Katherine Robinson,

Rebecca Krass.Oswego County Student Art Competition:

Cassidy Barney 1st Place; Megan Mahaney honorable

mention; Jenna Hotchkiss honorable mention.

honorable mention

19Column

Reminiscing About Elementary School Days

Buccaneer Bulletin June 2011www.buccaneerbulletin.wordpress.com

I can’t remember the last time I stepped foot inside the doors of my elementary school, Kingsford Park. But when I look back upon the six years I spent there, it’s surprising how many monumental moments in that building structured my life.

At Kingsford Park School, I discovered my love for writing, met several of my best friends, and began my interest in the activities I’m still involved in to this day. Those were the years we spent changing our favorite color daily, and The Backstreet Boys were playing in every youngster’s boom box. iPods and cell phones were non-existent, and there was no need to change your clothing for gym class. Our parents laugh when we refer to these times as “the good ‘ole days,” but when you think about it, the six years we spent in elementary school make up one third of our lives so far. It was this stepping stone in our lives that paved the road for where we are now as people and students. It’s truly amazing to look back upon our experiences and to put them into context of how they have structured who each of us are today.

After wracking my brain of what my first grade classroom looked like, all I remember is a large, circular, sea-foam blue rug that we affectionately referred to as the fish pond. All the students got terribly excited because we all knew every time we were told to gather in the fish pond, something great was about to happen. It was on that rug we read all of the ‘Junie B. Jones’ books which, with humor, began to teach us basic life lessons we still apply today. We learned our days of the week to the tune of The Addams Family, the months of the year, and how to count small sums of money. It’s amazing how little I remember from first grade; I remember monumental events, such as not being able to attend my Thanksgiving party and insisted that I was perfectly well to attend school with a fever of one hundred and three. I remember how we celebrated ‘Christmas Around the World’ and learned how our favorite holiday was celebrated in different countries. I look back upon making tie-dye T-shirts in June to prepare to ‘graduate’ from first grade and still have my first grade class picture sitting on my desk at home.

Realizing how little I remembered, I decided that before I left and moved onto this new chapter in my life, I wanted to go back and spend time at the place which really sculpted me. On Thursday, May 19, I walked up the cement steps into the KPS main entrance. I had a vision in my head of what

everything looked like, and was surprised to see how many things had changed, but also how many remained exactly the same. I forgot that my artwork was still hanging in the main hallway, a green ceramic piece I engraved in fourth grade with now-retired art teacher Mr. Chris Zolo. I walked up the steps and smirked at the center railing which I would often get scolded for sliding down because “I would crack my head open and die.” As an adventurous young girl, this was a challenge I was willing to risk.

I took a right down the main hall, slightly worried that the main office wouldn’t be in the same spot, but it was, and the inside was exactly the same as I remembered, with the exception of the two secretaries who have now retired and been replaced.

I wrote my name on a visitor’s tag and headed downstairs, to where kindergarten and first grade were located. I entered Mrs. Maxwell’s room, whom I once knew as Miss Stevenson, my first grade teacher, for a look into what a day in the life of a kindergartener is like. As I sat in the ‘big black chair’ reading over some short stories, the kindergarteners return from music and all 23 of them approached me with extremely confused facial expressions. Almost as if they were cued, high pitched voices begin reciting “Hey, who are you?” One little girl, Rylie came up to me, and asked me who I am. I told her “My name is Katherine, and I’m visiting Mrs. Maxwell for the day.” I saw the gears turning in her head as she processed this information. “Oh, cool,” Rylie responded casually.

Quickly after accepting the fact of who I was, the kindergarteners quickly began talking to me as if they had known me for all of their short lives. Chants of “How old are you?” “Do you like my shoes” and “Hey, I like your shirt” began spinning around the room. After the chatter quieted down, I asked the students questions about their favorite things as a kindergartener. Unanimously, art, play time, and gym were the favorites amongst the group. I then asked them if they had any questions to me, as a high school student. “Do you like

recess?” a student asked. I was terribly sad to inform them that at the high school level there is no recess. I probably couldn’t have delivered worse news as I viewed their shocked and confused faces. I quickly began to tell them all the things that I really do enjoy about Oswego High School, such as the electives offered, the music program, and the art program. They quickly moved on to other non-related topics such as soccer, basketball, and guitar playing. Another thing I began to realize

about five-year olds is that their attention spans are very short.

Quickly I began to realize what it was like to be five years old again. I began to truly miss elementary school, and especially the learning techniques that go with it. Most things in Mrs. Maxwell’s class are taught in thematic songs. Learning the seasons, holidays, days of the week, and ‘word chunks’ such as ‘th’, ‘ch’, and ‘sh’. I was quite jealous of the classroom learning that

takes place, if there were songs to help me cope with textuality or ideology, I would be very happy.

“Everyone will say kindergarten is the hardest to teach because you’re always on, but it’s also the most fun because you have the most freedom

within your teaching,” stated Maxwell, who manages a twenty three student classroom of five year olds with patience and love.

‘Miss. Stevenson,’ now Mrs. Maxwell, has always been one of my favorite teachers, and going back to her classroom brought back so many positive memories. Kingsford Park School Principal, Mrs. Mary Volkomer said something very simple, which brought a smile to my face upon leaving KPS for probably another six years, “Once KPS family, always KPS family.”

15

Buccaneer Bulletin Photo

Realizing how little I remembered, I decided that before I left and moved onto this new chapter in my life, I wanted to go back and spend time at the place which really sculpted me.

Mrs. Maxwell, formerly Miss Stevenson reunites with her first-grade student, Buccaneer Bulletin columnist, Katherine Robinson.

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2010-11 Nominations by Coaches for Senior Athletic Awards

Congratulations to you all! Thanks for being part of

Oswego Athletics.

Michaela AuerSwimming

MacKenzie DunsmoorSoccer

Samantha McCarrickBasketball • Lacrosse

Jasmine DavisVolleyball

Krisi StempleVolleyball

Kaitlyn FrielHockey • Softball

Erika LazzaroHockey • Softball

Matt LloydGolf • Hockey • Lacrosse

Jake MetcalfBasketball • Volleyball

Fred DonnabellaHockey

Matt PirroBaseball

Stephen AuyerSoccer

Chris PikeFootball • Hockey • Baseball

Matt RandallTennis

june 2011

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