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The Villager

Winter Sports
Volume 7, Issue 6 | Date: January 22, 2024 Teams Continue to	IN THIS ISSUE

MHS Sports - Page 1
Fight Hard By: Aiden Booth	MHS Sports, McDonald, Briefly - Page 2 The boy's basketball team has been doing quite well this season. With McDonald, Briefly, Internet Safety - Page 3

New Year New You, Editorial - Page 4
a big win against Girard on December 26, winning 57-50, they continued

Movie Review, Outstanding Staff - Page 5
People on the Street! - Page 6
Top 10 List, Music Review - Page 7
to assert their dominance and have only lost one game since. Girard was a tough team to beat, but our boys kept their heads in the game, played hard, and in the end, it all paid off.
Back Page Pics - Page 8
The boys took on Crestview at their home court on December 29 and won 57-47. Sophomore Drew Zajack was named player of the game.
Those 2 wins push their record to 5-4 overall and 2-0 in their conference giving them a winning record like they hoped to accomplish.
On January 7 they played Western Reserve and lost 38-27. Now, with their record being 5-5, can they continue the winning record they’ve been fighting so hard for this season?
I got the chance to speak to senior point guard Wyatt Wolford and asked him how he felt the season was going so far. Wyatt said, “I think the season is going pretty good, especially with how many young players we have playing. I feel if we mature a little more, quicker than slower, we will be a good contending team.”
When asked how the team needed to improve and where he feels their strengths are, Wolford continued, “I would say that turnovers are the main problem that we need to take care of. Taking care of the ball is important and we have shown that it is an area we just need some more work in. A strength we have is that we never give up. We always stay persistent and keep our heads in the game because it is never over till it is over and that is just how we are as a team.”
We encourage all of you to come out and support the team whenever you can! It has been a great and exciting season so far and we look forward to winning more and more games each week.
The girl’s basketball team has had a great season so far as well. They took on McKinley at home on December 14 and won 54-20. Even though it was a blowout, the girls still played their best and refined their fundamentals.
On Thursday, January 4 they took on Jackson Milton and lost 39-22. This loss was tough, but they look to bounce back. Their record is 5-4 overall, which gives them the winning record they were hoping for this season as well. Come support them if you get the chance.

STAFF LIST

EDITOR STAFF: ANNABELLE SMITH

STAFF WRITERS: AIDEN BOOTH, SOPHIE JOHNSON, MCKENZIE ORLANDI

EDITOR IN CHIEF: MR. BACKUR

January 22, 2024

Continued... The boy's bowling team has had a pretty good start to their season. They took on Champion Wednesday, January 3rd, and just barely lost. However, they faced off against Garfield and bounced back with a big win pushing their record to 6-2. Junior Garek Deluga has been leading the team so far and has performed when it counts.
When asked, how he felt about the season so far, Deluga responded, “I feel really good about it. We can still work on our games individually, but as a team, I think we have grown much stronger together.”
When asked what he hopes they accomplish as a team this year, he said, “We want to end the season with a

winning record and hopefully make it to districts and then possibly state.”

The girl's bowling team has also had a great season so far. They too faced off

against Champion and took a tough loss, however bounced back when they faced Garfield and got the win. Leading the team so far has been sophomore Meghan Bregar with great performances at every match. They look forward to keeping their 6-2 winning record on track.
Freshman swimmer Selene Massaro placed 2nd in the 200-meter individual medley race as well as placing 3rd in the 100-meter backstroke at the Youngstown Showdown hosted at YSU. Selene continues to improve with each event she swims at and has done a fantastic job this season. We wish her the best of luck in the remainder of her meets this season.
McDonald, Briefly

Garek Deluga in action

during a recent bowling

Christmas Band Concert	By: Annabelle Smith

match

Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Helt

The junior high band performing during the concert
French Compliment Wall
The French II class recently created a

On December 6th, the junior and senior high band held an evening Christmas concert in the auditorium. Students were able to support their classmates by going to watch the festive matinee performance.
The junior high, consisting of 16 students, played the songs “Mechanical Monsters” by Randall Standridge and “Bad Elf!” by Bryce Newton.
The 25 members of the senior high played the songs “Festive Overture” by Caesar Giovannini, “Meditation and Festiva” by Jared Spears, and the iconic Christmas jingle “How the Grinch Stole Christmas Concert Melody” that was arranged by Michael Story.
Congratulations to all band members that participated and

thank you for the wonderful performance!

compliments wall inspired by the famous French YouTuber, Grégoire Hussenot. He started the “You are Super” campaign that swiftly took the world by storm. Sadly, he passed away in 2019. His memory still lives on, however, as people all around the globe create compliment walls in his memory. The French II students wanted to honor him by creating one of their own in the hopes that it might make some of the student’s and staff’s
days a little brighter.	January 22, 2024

20 Under 20

Recently two McDonald students have been selected for the 20 Under 20 program. This program is meant to recognize students who have shown great leadership and advocacy skills. The two students who have been selected from our school are junior Brooke Bosheff and sophomore Ava Kuntz. Congratulations
to both scholars and thank you for your plentiful acts of kindness! Practicing Safe Internet Use

By: Sophie Johnson
In today's time, everyone is using the internet because it is a convenient tool. However, it does pose

many risks. According to Microsoft.com, in February of 2023, “69% of people surveyed had experienced an online risk in the last year.” We must practice safe internet habits in order to keep our information secure from potential hackers, predators, and identity thieves.
Students use the Internet nearly every day for multiple hours for their schooling and need to be aware of the potential threats the internet has associated with it. District Technology Coordinator Mr. Studer says, “Students use the internet for everything, and it's very important for them to be aware and alert because some people may try to steal their identity and exploit them along with many other dangers they could face.”
Many websites have been blocked by the district in hopes of keeping students safe while on school-issued accounts and Chromebooks. Many of the students utilize these tools to help better assist them with schoolwork. Junior Olivia Colarich shared, “I use the internet here at school for a lot of my research projects. Many of my classes are research-based so I always need to find sources.”
The district blocked any website that seemed to pose a threat and to keep students safe from the many dangers found within the internet so that when a student explores websites for a research project they can find reliable sources without having to worry if the information is fake.
Mrs. Napolitano's classes are computer-oriented and her students are always using the internet for assignments. One of the first things she goes over in her junior high classes is what it is to be a good digital citizen. She goes over topics such as examining sources thoroughly to make sure they are reliable, avoiding suspicious emails, websites, and advertisements, knowing what to share and with whom, and making strong passwords.
Mrs. Napolitano said, “One of the biggest things I can stress is if a student feels off about a certain image, email, or website and they feel it is not safe, they need to report it to me.”
We must be cautious when using the internet because there are many dangers. Guidance Counselor Mrs. Bosheff said, “Students should be aware of potential dangers because people do not portray themselves with who they truly are on the internet.”

Mrs. Napolitano’s 8th grade Computer Apps students working on their assignments January 22, 2024

New Year, New You By: McKenzie Orlandi

It's a new year! Welcome back MHS. I hope you had a great winter break and have a nice holiday returning to school with all those days off. However, with all those days off, we need to get back into that school spirit and start getting our mindset of graduation and passing this year.
One trick that can help you is setting personal goals for yourself. When setting a goal you have to define the goal, visualize what you want to achieve, and make sure it's clear and specific.
Seniors have to also consider setting goals for after graduation this year such as considering college, workforce, trades programs, or the military. It’s important that seniors take all opportunities
seriously and identify which is best for them.
For all students, there are some other tricks and tips to

help be a better student this semester so that you don't fall behind in class and the work that gets assigned. Some good suggestions may be to annotate your notes/assignments and make flashcards to help you study. Be sure to put things that are due in your planner to remember to do them and remember how these strategies may help you achieve your goals.
As always, one of the most important resources may be standing in front of you right now. When struggling with a
concept, ask your teachers for help. Editorial: New Year’s Resolutions

By: Annabelle Smith Almost everyone made a New Year’s resolution over break, whether it
may be to achieve some kind of goal, improve in a sport or skill, or even something simple like staying on top of your school work. My New Year’s resolution was to finish my rough draft for my book since I am about halfway done with it. This would be a big accomplishment for me because I have been working on it for so long. To achieve this goal, I am trying to set aside about ten to twenty minutes per day to write.
There are a wide variety of New Year’s resolutions that you could make. Some that I have heard so far have been to get more organized, save more money, and stay more connected with friends and family. Some other good New Year’s resolution ideas are to get/keep grades high, achieve an athletic accomplishment of some kind, or even to live an overall healthier
life.

Usually about a month after making my New Year’s resolution, I forget about it and do not keep up with

it. This year, I have tried to do some minor things to remind myself to accomplish my goal. One thing I do is I keep reminders and alarms on my phone specifically to work on my New Year’s resolution. You can also write it down in your planner or set small goals for yourself to accomplish it. For example, if your resolution was to stay organized, maybe start small by organizing your binders and then move on to organizing your room or locker.
New Year’s resolutions are definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions as it gives a reason to reflect and think about what we would like to accomplish each year. Being able to recognize what we are doing
well and what we might need to improve on is really important and this tradition helps us to do that. Hopefully everyone can complete this year’s New Year’s resolution.	January 22, 2024

Movie Review: Barbie By: Aiden Booth

The new Barbie movie has been a big hit racking over 1.4 billion dollars in revenue. When it first came out in theatres last summer, it was the talk of every town. Everyone wanted to watch this movie in theatres. Famous actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling play the iconic Barbie and Ken characters. The movie also features other famous actors like Nicola Coughlan, Emma Mackey, and Kate McKinnon.
The story goes like this... Barbie, the most popular Barbie in Barbie Land, has a crisis. She has to find a way to travel to the human world to find her true purpose in life. She discovers the pros and cons of living in the human world while finding herself.
I would say the only thing I didn’t like about this movie is it’s more geared towards a feminine crowd, which makes it hard to watch as a guy, unless you are married or have a girlfriend who will watch it with you. However, there are many good things about this movie such as how it is very funny and there are a lot of scenes where people could relate to being put in the same situations.
Overall, I would rate this movie a 7/10 because, overall, it is a very good movie. However, as I said, the only thing that makes it harder for me to give it a better rating would be because it is geared toward a feminine crowd. I would recommend you give it a watch, though, because it is very funny and has a lot of relatable situations that you or someone you know may have been put in. Give it a try.
Outstanding Staff: Mr. Bundy

By: Sophie Johnson

Mr. Bundy teaches 7th-grade World Studies, 8th-grade American History, and many interesting social studies electives. He has been teaching for 25 years and his favorite part about working here at McDonald is the kids. He said, “I enjoy teaching the kids here because they are engaged in class and ask many questions.”
When asked why he wanted to become a teacher, Mr. Bundy said, “Many of my teachers growing up

made a huge impact on me and I wish to do the same for my students.”
He shared that he was not always a teacher and has worked many

types of trades such as a garbage man, construction worker, landscaper, archaeologist, substitute, and many more. Mr. Bundy said he loves being a history teacher because he can share his passion for history with his students.
Mr. Bundy wants his students to fall in love with learning. He believes the key to helping struggling students is patience. When asked about he helps students, Mr. Bundy said, “Having a lot of patience and guiding students by teaching them that it’s okay to take your time because it is not a race.”
When asked what he does outside of school he said, “I enjoy reading and spending quality time with my family.”
When asked what her favorite thing about Mr. Bundy was, senior Jenna Helco said, “He's very understanding, he's passionate about what he teaches, and he does a very good job at keeping his students engaged.”	January 22, 2024

People on the Street By: Sophie Johnson

What was your Christmas gift and why?

8th grader Sophia Colon: “Clothes, because I can have new outfits to filter through.”

Senior Wyatt Wolford: “My siblings coming home
because I don't get to see them

every day anymore.”

Junior James Hipple: “Car speaker, because now my
car can be louder.”

Freshman Jeremy Fishel: “A new PC, because I’ve
wanted one for a while now.”

January 22, 2024

Top 10 List: Resolutions for the New Year By: McKenzie Orlandi
1.Start working out 2.Learn a new hobby
3.Save more money/spend less money

4. Spend more time with your friends and family 5.Get organized
6.Live life to the fullest 7.Try new things
8.Take better care of yourself 9.Try new styles
10.Journal or write more

Music Review: Taylor Swift’s 1989 Album By: Aiden Booth

This one is for all you Swifties out there who, when you hear “1989,” the first thing that comes to your mind is Taylor Swift. Yes, that’s right, we are talking about the icon herself, Taylor Swift, and all her gloriousness. Swift released her album 1989 on October 27th, 2014. At first, there wasn’t much talk. However, there has been a surge as of late and it has swept the globe. This album was her fifth album released and continues to be her most popular album, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
This album normally features 13 songs, but the Deluxe version features 19 tracks. Big hits for Swift are included here such as “Wonderland,” “Welcome to New York,” “Shake it Off,” and “All You Had To Do Was Stay.” This deluxe version offers about an hour and 10 minutes of music in total, making it a good album for a car trip, lying in bed, or hanging out with friends. My girlfriend plays this album every single time we are in
the car and we love listening to the songs.

The only thing I would say I don’t like about this album is that a few

songs on it are past their peak days such as “Shake it Off.” All I mean by that is it is a song that has been played so many times that eventually it begins to lose popularity. Overall, though, I love this album! It has a great variety of songs and each one has a very open audience.
I would rate this album a 10/10 because it contains a lot of great songs, it has a very open range of audiences, and it’s Taylor Swift, so that speaks for itself. I recommend next time you need some songs to play on a car trip, or you are just lying in your bed and you can’t sleep or you are just bored, give this album a listen. It is a great mix of fun and love songs in one album.

January 22, 2024

Backpage Pics! By: McKenzie Orlandi