Lindy DeLong and Alexx Brown scored 12 points apiece for the Yellow Jackets (23–1).

Perrysburg will face Notre Dame in a regional semifinal on Tuesday at Central Catholic in Toledo. Perrysburg’s only loss this season came against Notre Dame.

The Yellow Jackets will face Anthony Wayne on Thursday in a district semifinal. The top-seeded Generals beat Findlay 64–51 to advance to the next round on Friday night.

Perrysburg (15–8) never held a comfortable lead over the Fremont Ross Little Giants (14–9), who pulled within four points with 1 minutes, 49 seconds to play. But the Yellow Jackets scored the final eight points.

Senior Bryant Byrd, who converted on five of six free throws down the stretch, finished with nine points. Nate Patterson had 10 points.

Sarah Baer and Allex Brown each recorded double-doubles in the district semifinal at Otsego. Baer finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Brown had 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Lindy DeLong finished with 12 points.

Perrysburg (22–1) seized a 29–17 lead after one quarter and never trailed. The Yellow Jackets dominated on the boards to build a 45–27 lead at the half.

The Yellow Jackets, who finished the regular-season ranked No. 8 in the final state poll, advance to face Ashland on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Liberty-Benton.

Lima Senior was led by Satcia Allen (20 points), Indiya Benjamin (16), Caterrion Thompson (15), and Essence Cowan (12). The Spartans bowed out with a 15–10 record.

Texting and driving makes a person 23 times more likely to crash, study shows

By ALANA MARSH
STAFF WRITER

Motor Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, killing 5,000 to 6,000 teens every year. Unsafe driving threatens our lives everyday and is an issue that must be addressed.

Stacey DeWitt, founder and chief executive officer of Connect with Kids, says that distracted driving is the leading cause of car accidents. Speeding, cell phone usage, and pressures from friends are just some distractions a teen driver must avoid in order to stay safe behind the wheel.

We hear about the danger of texting while driving every day, but according to textinganddrivingsafety.com, Seventy-seven percent of young drivers say they are “very or somewhat confident that they can safely drive while texting,” and 55 percent claim texting while driving is easy.

While it may seem to the driver that there is nothing wrong with their driving while they text, this site also shows that teens who text and drive are actually driving outside of the lane about 10 percent of the time posing a serious threat to everyone on the road.

eSomethin.com decided to investigate and found that many students do not see texting and driving as a problem.

“I use my phone to change music or text someone [while driving], but only when I’m by myself,” said one student.

Unfortunately this seems to be the mindset of many students at PHS, but according to a study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, texting and driving makes a person 23 times more likely to crash and is the same as driving after four beers.

“Teens should try to focus on the road,” says senior Angela Panzero, “and not get distracted, and not have your phone near you when you drive.”

Speeding is another aspect of driving that many teens seem to have become apathetic about. “I speed on some neighborhood streets if I’m in a hurry sometimes, but mostly because I am impatient,” claims another PHS student driver.

Allstate Auto Insurance reports that 55 percent of teenage drivers admit “they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 [mph].” Another 69 percent of teens say they speed in order to keep up with traffic, which shows that teens are not the only ones to blame. According to consumerreports.com, “speeding kills nearly 900 Americans every month.”

Dallas Stiles

Senior Dallas Stiles sums it up by saying that to promote safe driving teens should “put the phone away, avoid speeding, always wear a seat belt, not have super loud music, and make sure to keep eyes on the road.”

If all drivers would follow this advice, our roads would be much safer. Other driving distractions include such things as having too many people in the car, eating or drinking, and being tired.

Sleepcenter.ucla.edu states that even just driving drowsy produces a slow reaction time from the driver and causes them to make bad decisions. The site says drivers should definitely make sure they get an adequate amount of sleep before getting behind the wheel.

These are just a few of many ways that teen drivers can be safe on the road. Students should pass the message to their friends that driving safe is important for their schools and communities, and especially for themselves and their futures.

KeeptheDrive.com is an interactive site which helps teens do just that. The site promotes and gives teens a way to help spread the message about safe driving. The site states that it was created to let the teens do the talking, and gives practical tools and ideas for how to do it.

And according to Allstate, “By empowering teens to become part of the solution, and by celebrating their driving experiences, The Allstate Foundation Teen Driving Program takes a positive approach to addressing the No. 1 killer of teens and making smart driving socially acceptable among teens themselves.”

Let’s drive, but let’s drive safe.

Contact Alana Marsh at: alana1713@gmail.com

There’s finally a bit of snow on the ground, so it’s time for your Fashion by Fiona Guide to Boots.

In the winter months, nobody wants their toes frozen, so wearing boots is a comfortable but fashionable alternative to flats and sneakers.

The first kind of boot that is in this season is the riding boot. In black and all shades of brown, riding boots can pull an outfit together. Try wearing brown riding boots with black leggings, a chambray shirt, and a colorful tank top, or with leggings and a large sweater. You can also wear riding boots with your favorite T-shirt and jeans, or a dress or skirt.

Riding boots

Riding boots go with any style, almost any outfit, and they are one of the biggest fashion trends of the season.

Ankle boots can also be a good fashion choice for your outfits. With or without a heel, and in many different styles, you can wear them with almost any outfit as well.

As long as your pants are relatively ankle fitting, or you’re wearing a skirt or dress, ankle boots will go with your outfit. With all the different types, ankle boots are usually a good substitute for any other shoes you would wear in the
warmer months.

The next type of boots you may want to try is combat boots. They give a more edgy feel to an outfit and they also can be brown or black to match with every outfit. Try them with skinny jeans and an oversized sweater or leggings and a T-shirt. They can also be worn with a dress, skirt, or flowy blouse for a feminine-but-edgy look. Black combat boots
are generally more punk while brown are more versatile, but both can be worn in a variety of ways and styles.

Wrinkle boots

Wrinkle boots are also a good choice. Most are suede and come in every color you can think of, but there are some riding boot-inspired wrinkle boots made of leather. They can be short or long — long wrinkle boots worn like riding boots and short  worn like any other ankle boots.

And don’t forget Uggs. Although everyone seems to think that they are the best kind of boot in the world and should be worn with every single outfit, that is not necessarily true.

Uggs are fashionable when they are worn with skinny jeans tucked in and any top, or leggings and a sweater, but girls, please don’t wear them with a dress or skirt.

Fashion Uggs

The sides of the boots are thick and block-like, which is fine when they are worn with some sort of pants, but when wearing a skirt or dress, stick to more ankle-fitting boots. Leave you pants un-tucked. Uggs are made to have the
pants go inside, that’s why they are so thick.

And I know not every pair of your jeans are skinny jeans, but leaving your pants stuffed over the sides of your Uggs does not look good either. Tuck your pants inside your boots (click here for tips on how to do it without getting awkward bunches) or wear different shoes with your non-skinny jeans.

Contact Fiona Connolly at pixi1998@gmail.com.

Kevin English, BCSN’s Teacher of Month, has taught at Perrysburg for 18 years.

By ALANA MARSH
STAFF WRITER

Kevin English, a teacher at Perrysburg High School, has been named BCSN Teacher of the Month for January 2013.

By ALANA MARSH

Perrysburg High School may look a bit different in the future as the administration is considering giving students laptops.

“It’s on the horizon,” said Principal Dr. Michael Short. “But right now there are still a lot of questions that we need to have answered.”

According to Dr. Short, electronic devices are certainly a possibility for the next school year, but will become a necessity for the 2014–15 school year.

The primary reason for this switch is because the typical Ohio graduation test is going away and being replaced with state issued online tests, of which all students will be required to take four. Taking into account that there is a certain length of time that the tests have to be taken in, and a large number of students who have to take them, there simply are not enough computers at Perrysburg High School as it currently stands.

“We’ve gone from an agrarian society, to an industrial society, to an information society; education has never changed,” Dr. Short said.

The use of computers in school is a way of making education and our school more relevant to the time in which we live. It is, according to Dr. Short, “a tool to get us to a higher level of thought.”

This higher level thinking becomes very important as students graduate and go onto college or into the working world.

With information so prevalent, intelligence is no longer based on memorizing facts, but on being able to analyze and make connections with given information. Having computers at easy access for all students will take away the need to memorize and instead allow them to focus on analytical thinking.

Another plus is that, if iPads or laptops are eventually able to replace some textbooks, a lot of money will be saved on paper. Last year, the school spent approximately $7,500 on paper, needless to say this alone could cover the cost of some of the electronic devices.

“The few disadvantages that people feel typically tend to be very personal, while the advantages for students become almost universal,” Dr. Short said.

Some of these disadvantages people see include the question of if teachers are ready for this change. The fact remains that, in many cases, the students are more computer savvy than some of their teachers. Because of this, the learning would have to go back-and-forth with students sharing information on how to better work the technology and teachers showing how to decipher good information from bad and how to analyze it.

Teachers would also have to make their lessons more relevant and figure out how they can use the internet to improve their class.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said junior Hannah Ireland. “Since we always forget to take our textbooks to class we could just be able to pull them up online. It would be so much more convenient.”

Many students agree with Ireland saying that the idea of electronic devices for students is exciting and should definitely happen.

As far as what type of devices, Dr. Short said that the administration is “trying to figure out what makes the most sense financially and from an education standpoint.”

Although many things still have to be worked out, students could possibly see this change put into place as early as next school year, if not the year after.

Anthony Wayne’s Mark Donnal (34) battles Perrysburg’s Matt Kaczinski (20) and Nate Patterson (43) for a rebound during the Jan. 8, 2013 game.  The Jackets lost 71–65 in overtime.

By HANNAH WEIKER
STAFF WRITER

Comparing lineups and previous stats on the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets and Anthony Wayne Generals anyone could have told you it was going to be a close game.

From the same undefeated record in the Northern Lakes League to the intensity of play from each side during every minute of every game.

Not only was it close but it was down to the wire. So close that an overtime period was needed to decide the game.

It was the Generals in the end who would end up on top on Tuesday night, executing in the final minutes to win 71–65  in overtime.

Jackets came out hot the first quarter leading as much as 10 points. Three point shooting was on fire for Shane Edwards, Nick Moschetti, and Matt Kaczinski.

But the Generals were able to push the paint and stay in the game. Leading them was their 6-foot-9 senior Mark Donnal who would end the game with 20 points.

The teams would enter the locker room with the Jackets leading with a score of 32–27.

Perrysburg came out fresh once again. They would for the second time that night take a double digit lead over Anthony Wayne.

The Generals would yet again chip away at the Yellow Jackets’ lead when their three point shooters found their stride. Every shoot seemed to drop through the net.

The Jackets found themselves down, but thanks to a three by Shane Edwards with 0:45 seconds left the score was now all tied up at 61–61.

Then Moschetti, who lead the team in scoring, was fouled earning himself two foul shots. He was able to making both of them, lifting the Jackets to a 63–61 lead with eight seconds left.

Donnal got the ball down court and tried to be the hero and shoot a three but missed. But his fellow teammate, Omofoma, shot a layup that ended up making it in the basket as the clock was at 0.0.

This is where the controversy comes in. Perrysburg fans yelling the shot was not good and the Anthony Wayne fans saying it was. The referees decided to count it.

In overtime the Generals had the momentum. They outshot Perrysburg 8–2. Most of those point coming from the perfect free throw shooting of Anthony Wayne. But on the flip side it was Perrysburg’s demise, missing more and more free throws as the game progressed.

Not only did the Generals take the win with them but the lead of the NLL also.

After further review of the video, the shot did not get out of Omofoma’s hands before time ran out. The officials got it very wrong. The shot should not have counted and the Yellow Jackets should have taken the win.

This game has seemed to spark a new rivalry in NLL basketball. The next match up at Anthony Wayne will be circled on every fans calendar.

Contact Hannah Weiker at hweiks@gmail.com

The boys and girls swim teams of Perrysburg High School held a meet last Friday against Oak Harbor; the girls held their ground for a clear win and the boys left with a tie.

Co-Captains of the men’s team are junior Alex Kloster and senior Dallas Stiles, who said simply that the “girls swam fantastic and the guys fought hard.”

We swam fast!” said freshman RJ Mckee enthusiastically. And fast they did, many members of both the men’s and women’s team swam their personal best at this meet.

The men fought all the way to the end and managed to leave the meet with a tie of 85 points on each side.

“We swam hard,” said sophomore Cole McClary when asked how he thought his team did at this meet, “[and ended] with a tie, so not bad.”

The co-captains for the women’s team are seniors Angel Overholt and Madeline Mielcarek. They helped lead their team to dominate Oak Harbor with an ending score of 122 to 48.

Many of the girls and some of the guys actually swam “off events” at this meet. An “off event” would be an event that the team member does not usually swim, in order to gain strength in that area.

Despite this, the girls pulled off a great victory. “We gave our best efforts into the meet,” said junior Maddie Burke, “and that really paid off for us!”

Overall, the team has had a great start to their season and is excited for what is to come.

There’s something very festive about Taylor Swift’s classic look. Her hair, cat-eye makeup, and of course, her signature red lipstick, just seem to give a wintry touch to any outfit. So why not try out her look over the holidays? It’s actually quite simple. Here’s how:

The first step is the hair. Of course Taylor is famous for her long, perfect curls. How do you get your hair to do that? It’s actually not as difficult as it may seem.

Of course you could always just use a small-barreled curling iron, but the heat can be very damaging to you hair. Instead, try sock curling it. After a night shower, massage a leave-in conditioner into your hair to keep down the frizzies, and then put in the socks.

The best kind to use is long and thin. Take a thin strip of hair and wrap it around the sock, just like you would if you were using a wand. When the hair is all wrapped up, tie the sock in a firm knot so it won’t slip out over night. Finish
with the rest of you hair and then sleep on it. It won’t be comfortable at first, but when you take them out in the morning, they should be perfect, natural-looking curls.

The next thing is makeup. First, put on foundation and concealer to get an even skin tone, and highlight your cheekbones with a light peach blush.

Now for eyes. Taylor Swift always has that perfect cat-eye. In order to get that same look, trust your instincts and just do your eyeliner in one quick stroke, starting from the inner corner of your eye. If you go too slowly, the line will be wiggly. It may take time to get it right, but it’s not like you have to rush to get to school on time.

Next, curl your lashes and pile on the Mascara. Obviously, you don’t want it to be clumpy, so try putting on your Mascara in a zigzag motion.

Lastly, the lips. A lot of people will try to use the same exact lip color they see on TV, but that might not work for your skin tone. Everyone is different so you have to experiment to find the perfect shade for you. Generally, red lipsticks with pink tones are good for people with pink undertones in their skin, orange tinted reds for pale girls, and darker purply tinted lipsticks for girls with dark skin. Try different colors out until you find the perfect one for you.

So there you have it. A wintry look to go with any outfit based off of Taylor Swift’s classic style.  Click here to see a tutorial for a slightly different Taylor Swift look by Michelle Phan.

Happy Holidays!

Contact Fiona Connolly at pixi1998@gmail.com.