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Going
• Hot Takes: English as the Nationon in
al Language
Entertainment
Syria?
Highlights
• OH Theatre
• Bill Cosby: Where
is he now?
Patrick Arnold
Editor-in-Chief
Last year I had
the opportunity to interview Mr. Rami Kassab, a
Features
42 year old Syrian refugee
• Terrorism
who fled his home with
• Four Words for
his wife and four kids.
Over a year later things
Writers
in his home country have
only gotten worse, and
School
tensions are heating up
between all of the play• Meet the Quizers within Syria’s borders.
bowl Team
Recently, Syrian Presi• Water Fountains dent Bashar al-Assad has
made headlines for alto mirrors
legedly using chemical
weapons against his own
Sports
people when hundreds
• Baseball
of civilians were reported
• New Athletic Direc- to have symptoms consistent with the nerve
tor
gas Sarin. This is not the
• Boys’ Tennis
first time al-Assad has
used Sarin, in 2013 he
Sports
was charged by the inter• NBA MVP Candi- national community with
the same crime of dropdates
ping Sarin gas on civil• March Madness ians. The Syrian Civil War
is complex, and there are
several pieces and parts
Final Analysis
that are at play.
• Final Analysis
Some
consider
Syria to be a proxy war
• Top Ten
between the US and Russia, some consider Syria
to be a proxy war between
Sunni and Shia powers
in the Middle East, but
all consider Syria to be a
mess with a high death
toll and a high displaced
persons count. The war
Legacy
Luncheon
Vol. 83 No. 8 - April 2017
began in 2011, when al-Assad violently cracked down on Arab Spring
protests, and some protesters decided to start firing back. Combined with
some defectors from the Syrian Army,
the new rebels called themselves the
Free Syrian Army (FSA), and the uprising becomes a civil war. The FSA
attracted jihadists and other extremists, and al-Assad actually released
extremist prisoners to try and taint
the rebel group, making it harder for
them to be supported by foreign backers. Al-Qaeda created a new branch
called Jabhat al-Nusra in 2012, who
also join the rebels. At this point in
the war, Syrian Kurdish groups begin
to rebel and secede from Northern
ist group backed by Iran, intervenes
in Syria to fight for Assad. So the Gulf
states, especially Saudi Arabia, step
up and send even more money to the
rebels, this time through Jordan, who
also oppose Assad. At this point, the
Middle East is divided between Shia
powers supporting Assad and Sunni
powers supporting the rebels.
The next year, in 2013, is
when Assad uses chemical weapons
for the first time, which is when the
United States and Russia become involved. The US proposes a targeted
airstrike against the Assad regime,
while Russia proposes the surrendering of chemical weapons by Syria to
the international community to avoid
Photo by Newsweek
Map of controlled territories in Syria
Syria. The summer of 2012 is when
Iran, Assad’s biggest ally, becomes
involved. Iran is sending daily cargo
flights by the end of 2012, and has hundreds of officers on the ground in Syria. To counter Iran, the Persian Gulf
states begin to send money to the rebels through Turkey. In response to the
Persian Gulf states getting involved,
Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia/terror-
a US airstrike. The US eventually
backs down, but weeks later the first
CIA training and arms reach the FSA,
making the US a participant in the
war.
Then in 2014, the war changes when internal disputes between
al-Qaeda cause a group to branch off
and become ISIS. ISIS mostly fights
Kurds and other rebels, not Assad,
and they carve out a region of Iraq and Syria
that they call their caliphate. Later in 2014,
the US begins to bomb
ISIS, mostly in Iraq but
also in Syria. At this
point, it is clear that the
US opposes ISIS more
than Assad, but they
cannot support a group
in Syria that shares the
same goals, because
there is no like-minded
group. In 2015, Turkey
begins to bomb Kurdish groups in Iraq and
Syria, even though they
are fighting ISIS, but
Turkey does not bomb
ISIS. Russia then sends
aircraft to Syria, which
they say is to bomb ISIS,
but they only end up
bombing the FSA and
anti-Assad rebel forces,
some backed by the US.
In 2016, when
Donald Trump is elected president, he vows
to stay out of Syria and
says that Assad should
be able to stay in power. At the end of 2016,
Assad retakes the city
of Aleppo, knocking the
rebels out of their last
urban stronghold and
taking a major leg up in
the civil war. In 2017,
when Assad allegedly
uses chemical weapons
a second time, President
Trump’s attitude on
Syria changes, and the
US strikes an airbase in
Syria, signaling the first
time the US has directly
attacked Assad. Even as
Assad gains land, the
rebellion
perseveres,
and the mass confusion
and complications cloud
the future for Syria, and
right now there is really
no end in sight.
Julie Hoeflinger
Associate Editor
There’s
something
undeniable about the longterm relationship that any
resident of Ottawa Hills has
with the village. Even if a person inhabits our community
for only a couple of years, the
lifelong impact of village residency is a phenomenon that
results in strong relationships
with the schools, an atmosphere defined by community
involvement, and a continual
commitment to celebrating
the past. The biannual Legacy
Luncheon is a great testament
to the power of this relationship, drawing in all types of
community members, from
parents of former students to
alumni. Looking at this year’s
celebration, it is easy to see the
impact that the village and the
schools have had on every one
of its citizens both past and
present.
The main purpose
of the Legacy Luncheon is to
honor the citizens of the village, and how they have helped
contribute towards creating
and preserving the legacy of excellence in the community and
schools. In addition to honoring our community members,
the Luncheon also aimed to
encourage strong relationships
among our residents and the
schools.
The high school Student Council played a key role
in organizing and carrying out
the luncheon. Speeches were
given by the presidents of the
high school, junior high, and
elementary school, as well
as performances by the Choraliers, the Symphonic Band,
and various solo student performers from all three schools.
High school Student Body
President Patrick Arnold delivered the welcoming speech at
the opening of the event, where
he discussed the purpose behind the luncheon and created
a warm environment with
his cordial personality. “The
Luncheon was a great way
for community members
to interact with the school
and our students,” says Arnold, “which is something
they may not get to do on a
regular basis anymore.” The
event was widely considered
a success, and the Legacy
Luncheon once again paid
homage to the Legacy of Excellence at Ottawa Hills.
2 Opinion
Arrowhead Staff
Mrs. Karen Schoenberger
Advisor
Patrick Arnold
Editor-in-Chief
Front Page Editor
Juile Hoeflinger
Associate Editor
Entertainment Editor
Taylor Thees
Design Editor
Tech Director
Cameron Roller
Features Editor
Digital Committee Chair
Tony Zhou
Final Analysis Editor
Steven Randall
Opinion Editor
Santiago Garcia-Mata
Community Editor
Abby Hauck
Sports Editor
Ethan Riepenhoff
School/Features Editor
Arrowhead - April 2017
El Hot Takes No Habla Inglés- Should English Become the National Language?
William Koury
Staff Reporter
In these divisive
times, we as Americans are
faced with a dichotomous
choice: the easy way, in
which we try to push for
the golden age of the past
and “make America great
again,” as many like to say,
or the hard way, in which
we choose to not deny our
heterogeneous reality, and
search for proactive solutions for the future.
Although the United States has had difficulties welcoming immigrants
of certain ethnicities in the
past, the nation as a whole
has a long history of immigration, which is reflected
Staff Reporters:
Aidan Byrne
in our culture. The EngJan Durst
lish language, for example,
William Koury
has adopted a plethora of
Hailey McGee
words from other languagNathan Robinson
es. These words came from
David Rodriguez
Matthew Sherman
immigrants, who brought
Adam Simon
their foods and cultures
Ben Werner
2016-2017 here, creating a language
that mixed cultures together on a scale never before seen in human history. Our heterogeneity is embedded in our culture
as Americans. As a result, to enforce one language as
a “national” language would be nothing short of an
insult to the people not of English descent who call
Ethan Riepenhoff
School Editor
This year has been
proclaimed the beginning of a highly divisive
America, a country whose
people are no longer capable of compromise or
understanding different
viewpoints.
In order to combat the current direction
of our nation, we must
create a sense of national
identity, something all
Americans can share and
support that goes beyond
national symbols. What
we need is an American
culture, a catalyst for
unity. Due to the fact that
language is the foundation of culture, it is necessary for our country to
put a greater emphasis
on English, and officially
make it America’s national language. By doing so,
the people residing in this
land will be able to com-
this nation home, such as
Native American peoples
or immigrants not from
northwestern Europe.
Furthermore, given the increased scarcity
of resources and likely
sea level rise over the next
50 years, immigration to
the United States is expected to reach the highest levels ever recorded
To enforce one language... would be
nothing short of an
insult to the people
not of English descent who call this
nation home.
(Pew Research). Clearly,
this nation has achieved
an unparalleled status
throughout the world.
Despite the current government’s strict stance
on immigration, people
would like to see the United States as a sanctuary of
hope, a place to go when
municate differences and
finally understand each
other.
Considering that
mass migration is an inevitable reality of rising
sea levels and lack of re-
It is necessary for
our country to put
a greater emphasis on English and
officially make it
America’s national
language.
sources, America will
be met with a diverse
collection of languages.
However, tensions in
America will only be
exacerbated if these migrants are incapable of
speaking English. Currently, differences are
admittedly high, but,
because a large majority
all other options have
been exhausted. Even
though many of these
people will not be fluent English-speakers, it
would be silly for the United States to pass on this
opportunity to increase
its population and diversity, thus strengthening
its labor force and talent
pool. While it would certainly be a good idea for
these future immigrants
to pick up English in the
long run, forcing them to
learn it as a condition of
residency seems rather
excessive for a nation that
does not technically have
a national language.
Finally,
there
are many advantages to
learning more than one
language in school. Put
differently, only teaching
English to students born
on American soil denies
them of the mental advantages of being bilingual,
such as being able to categorize more quickly than
of American residents
speak English, they are
able to be discussed. In
the next fifty years, the
situation will experience a complete transformation. No longer
will Americans be able
to communicate with
one another. Business
will become much more
inefficient when customers and employees
may not speak the same
language.
Education
will straggle behind as
teachers are tasked with
accommodating
both
English and non-English
speakers. Representatives in government will
not be able to hear the
voices and concerns of
all of their constituents.
Most importantly, though, there will
be no hope of national
identity, and therefore
no hope of resolved tensions. Strong human re-
the average monolingual
person, and being able to
communicate more effectively (American SpeechLanguage-Hearing
Association). Since nearly
20 percent of children in
America already speak
a language other than
English at home (Census.gov), it would not be
incredibly difficult for all
schools to require foreign
language education for
high school credit. This
would solve the language
issue in the United States
without adding unnecessary regulations, and it
would benefit American
students all the while.
In searching for
the best possible solution, we must look towards Canada, a shining
example of bilingualism
in North America. As immigration continues to
increase, we can choose
to be prepared, or we can
choose to hold on to our
ideologies of the past.
Photo by officialenglishpolicy.wordpress.com
Should a nation of immigrants set a standard dialect?
lationships are absolutely dependent on relatability. Without a common language, the
ability to discover any sense of relatability
would be eliminated. The unfortunate reality
is the tensions already declared unbearable
will intensify to unfathomable conditions.
America will be doomed to permanent stagnation when its citizens are incapable to agree
on solutions to the most demanding and urgent issues.
3 School
High
School
Musical
Matthew Sherman
Staff Reporter
On the weekend
on April 21st through
the 23rd, the Green Bear
Thespians
performed
High School Musical, captivating audiences across
the village. Since auditions
in January, student actors
have been hard at work
perfecting choreography, vocals, and acting
ability to put together
this masterpiece of a
show. The show is the
stage rendition of the
widely popular Disney
original movie, High
School Musical with a
few minor alterations
to fit the broadway
style. It is full of catchy
songs,
theatrically
memorable
characters, and a message to
accept people for who
All photos by Kathleen Clayton
Scenes from High School Musical
Arrowhead - April 2017
they truly are and to not
judge them based on the
boundaries of stereotypical
high school cliques.
Playing the roles of
the six main leads of the
show were Christian Sandelin as Troy, Peyton Broce
as Gabriella, Fiona Arnold
as Sharpay, Henry Seifried
as Ryan, George Mancy as
Chad, and Priya Bhatt as
Taylor. Along with these
six were the talents of Mac
Veh, Sarah Boice, Patrick
Arnold, Nolan Paterwich,
Mady McCabe who was
also an associate director,
Nathan Card, along with
countless other passionate
actors and actresses.
Watching each cast member become closer to one
another is a magical sight
to see, along with watching those who are new to
the theater develop as performers. This show in particular was full of students
who had never stepped foot
on the stage to be in a musical, and all of them would
agree that the experience
was memorable and extremely fun.
The veteran theater
kids took on the leadership
roles to help director Darrin Broadway and associate directors Abby Dewire
and Mady McCabe turn
the stage from an audito-
rium into, as Ms. Darbus
would call it, a “chapel of
the arts.”
Theater
fans
should not fret now that
this show has come to
an end. Later this year,
the off-broadway production of 110 Stories
will take stage. For those
who were able to see The
Laramie Project last
year, 110 Stories has the
same concept as the story
is told through the interviews of people who were
involved or witnessed the
event. In this case, the
event is the tragedy of
September 11th, 2001.
The show will consist of a few talented actors who play multiple
different people who witnessed the event, capturing the feelings and
thoughts of the interviewees, another similarity to The Laramie Project. Most of these were
stories that never made
the news or any form of
television, making the
production unique from
any documentary on 9-11.
The show will take
place towards the end of
the school year and lovers of the OH theater
program should be sure
not to miss it!
4 Features
Warning:
Biological
Hazard
SantiagoGarcia-Mata
Sports Editor
Terrorism,
defined
vaguely by the European Security Studies as “political
violence in an asymmetrical
conflict that is designed to induce terror and psychic fear
through the violent victimization and destruction of noncombatant targets,” has been
ontherisethroughoutmodern
history. Especially in the late
20th century, with the Irish
Independence movement and
the middle eastern conflict
between Palestine and Israel,
terrorism has escalated at an
unprecedentedlevel,witheach
act of terror requiring more
andmoredestructionordeath
togaintheattentionnecessary
for the terrorists’ goal to be
Arrowhead - April 2017
met.
For example, when the
Irish Republican Army had
regular bombings in the late
1970s, a bombing no longer
gained the media attention it
once did. For this reason, terrorism intensified through to
the 21st century, culminating
in the 9/11 attacks. These attacks were notable because
they were the most planned
attacks ever carried out, and
their death tolls and destructionmadethemunlikeanypreviousattacks.
However, continued attacks across the world with
high death tolls render deadly
bombings and shootings such
astheonesinBaghdadtoonly
abreakingnewsalertonmany
people’sphones.Societyinthis
dayandageisbecomingaccustomedtoterroristattackswith
high death tolls, and this lull
thathumanityisinwillsoonbe
hit with a shock that many do
notforeseeorknowhowtoreact to.
Inordertogainaninter-
Wild,Wonderful
WordsforWise,
Witty Writers
TonyZhou
Staff Reporter
As the world becomes ever more
advanced, connected, and literate, it has
become more important than ever to be
able to express oneself, and more importantly,soundsupersmart.Nobodywants
tosoundlikeacretinwhoisridiculedbyhis
orherpeersforbeingelementary.Thus,in
ordertosoundsophisticatedandstylishin
discourse of both the written and spoken
variety,thefirststepanyaspiringintellectualshouldtakeistoexpandhisorhervocabulary.Herearefivewordsthataresure
tobolsteranyone’slexicon:
Ergo (adverb)
Definition:therefore.
Substitutefor“so”and
instantlysoundlikea
philosopher or a physicist.
Examplesentence:Acceleration
iszero,ergovelocityisconstant.
national response,
peopleusingterrorism as a means to
anendwillseethat
they can no longer
simply cause local
destruction or kill
many people. As
terrorismcontinues
to escalate on an
international scale,
it is inevitable that
terroristswillbegin
to use weapons of
mass destruction
PhotobyWikipedia
in order to reach
The international biohazard symbol
their political goals.
ISISalreadyhaspeoplehired Disease Control’s plan for a
that can manufacture chemibiologicalandchemicalattack
cal weapons as reported by banks on the capability of the
Haaretz, so it is not at all a U.S.governmentbeingableto
stretch for them to actually detecttheearlysignsofanatuseorthreatentousethem.
tack. So, when preparing for
The problem here is
terroristattacks,itisessential
that no government is prethatourgovernmenttakemore
pared to withstand a biologiseriously the threat of chemicalorchemicalweaponused, cal or biological weapons of
as it could covertly contamimass destruction, as a lack of
nateandkillmillionsofpeople preparednesscouldleadtoan
beforeanyonerealizeswhatis attack that leaves 9/11 pale in
goingon.EventheCenterfor comparison.
Juxtapose (verb)
Definition:placeordealwithclosetogetherforcontrastingeffect.
Agreatreplacementwordfor“contrast.”Usetheword“juxtapose”when
describingthedeliberatecomparisonbetweentwothingstohighlightthe
differencesbetweenthem.Englishteachersaresuretobeimpressedby
theinclusionofthiswordinessays.
Examplesentence:Theauthorjuxtaposesthewhitesuittheprotagonist
wearstotheblackhoodietheantagonistwears.
Insular (adjective)
Definition:ignorantoforuninterestedincultures,ideas,orpeoplesoutsideone’sownexperience.
Agreatreplacementwordfor“ignorant.”Insularpeopleareoftentimes
bigotedorisolatedfromoutsiders.InPlato’sAllegoryoftheCave,the
prisonerschainedinthecavecouldbeconsideredinsular.
Examplesentence:TheinsularEuropeanimperialistswereobliviousto
thetraditionsandbeliefsofthelandstheyclaimed.
Conflate (verb)
Definition:combineintoone.
Thiswordcaneasilytaketheplaceofwordslike“combine.”Itcanalso
beusedtodescribewhentwothingsareaccidentallyconsideredas
synonymous.
Examplesentence:Gullibleaudienceswilloftenconflaterealnews
withfakenews.
5 School
Arrowhead - April 2017
Get to Know:
Quiz Bowl
Steven Randall
Design Editor
On April 28, 2017, Ottawa Hills High
School will be sending three Quizbowl teams to
Rosemont, Illinois to compete in the National
Academic Quiz Tournaments’ Small School National Championship. The 16 attending students
comprise the largest group of players Ottawa
Hills has ever sent to this incredibly competitive
tournament. With each student bearing a different skill set, team role and interpersonal dynamic, this diverse group deserves as thorough of
an introduction as possible. So, without further
ado, meet the competitors on the Ottawa Hills
Quizbowl team.
The A- Team:
Daniel- Always the topic of excited murmurs
among opponents, Daniel inspires questions
about his age, size and skill as soon as he enters
the room. This child of the sciences strikes an
unassuming figure to those unfamiliar with his
prowess, but throw him some equations and he’ll
wipe the floor with the other team.
The B-Team:
Nathan- The team’s political powerhouse, Nathan Card’s biggest claim
to fame may be his Indiana-registered license plate, which simply
reads “MEMES.” Co-captaining the
entire organization with Adit, Nathan has thrown some respect onto
the Quizbowl name.
Adit- The team’s resident India expert, Adit has a strong blend of topical knowledge and a zeal matched by
none (except maybe Daniel). One of
five seniors on the Quizbowl team,
Adit has been with the game since
the beginning and currently serves
as co-captain of the teams alongside
Nathan.
Photo by Mr. McMurray
The Quiz Bowl Team
Elaina- Nobody is more well versed
in art and mythology than Elaina. From Apollo to
Zarathustra, from cave paintings to contemporary
art, Elaina’s knowledge is unbeatable.
Kiera- A relatively new senior, Kiera has brought
a strong, somewhat silent presence to her playing
style that can’t be ignored. The undeservedly least
recognized of Quizbowl’s five seniors, Kiera definitely brings a lot to OHHS’ table.
Bill- Known as “Beast Mode” among his teammates, Bill cleans the field in points but confesses that he’s really in the game to hang with the
Liu-man himself, and his mom. He’s earned that
“Beast Mode” moniker, helping to carry the team
through numerous challenges.
Spencer- This profile will be written in the style
of a Word Wheel. Dark horse (n.)- a candidate
or competitor about whom little is known but
who unexpectedly wins or succeeds. Of all the
OHHS Quizbowlers, Spencer is the undisputed dark horse, showing up to few practices but
annihilating the competition with ease.
Steven- If Quizbowl had cowboys, Steven would
be John Wayne. With the rock-solid poker face,
the razor-sharp wit, and the fastest hands in the
Midwest, he could duel with the best of them. An
across-the-board juggernaut, Steven often surprises himself with what he knows.
Mady- The pop-culture guru of the teams,
Mady brings a spirit and energy to Quizbowl
that sets the entire team at ease. Her camaraderie and humor lighten up matches in a way
unlike any other player.
Randall- In chemistry, a catalyst is a material
that speeds up a reaction by holding reactants
together. Nowhere is this analogy more apt than
with the A-team captain Randall Johnson. Always calm, cool and collected, Randall holds the
team together and inspires greatness from its
players.
The C-Team:
Santi- Sometimes, you get a player who doesn’t
really have a discernable specialty. He scores
across the field of topics, almost like a shotgun. Here enters the Argentinian wunderkind
Santi, Quizbowl’s “jack of all trades.” Whatever field you throw at him, there’s a fair chance
Mirror
Takeover!
Cameron Roller
Features Reporter
It was a relatively pedestrian
morning in Physics – Adkins
speaking, students sleeping, and
the promise of a mid-period break
looming over the entire classroom.
When the “RRRIIINNNNGGG!!” of
the bell finally sounded, signaling
the first break for Physics students,
the entire class emptied into the hall.
They began to meander towards the
sophomore hallway, the first stop on
the circuit that forms their notorious
“gang-esque” promenade. As they
turned the corner, however, a new
phenomenon broke their routine:
It appeared that a portal had
opened in the wall. All at once, three
or four of the party were taken aback,
stopping dead in their tracks as their
simple minds made an attempt to
understand the passageway that
had opened up before them. After
moments of contemplation, they
finally settled upon an answer: where
once there was an old, broken water
fountain, there was now a shiny,
impressive mirror.
Mirrors have now replaced
both of the old water fountains – at
the aforementioned corner across
from Mrs. Johnson’s classroom, and
at the corner of the freshman and
sophomore hallways, across from Mr.
Bobak’s classroom. While the reason
for this change is not completely clear,
there is no doubt that their presence
gives a new luster to the Ottawa Hills
High School hallway, and also asks an
important question of its students:
when you look in the mirror, who do
you see? Do you still “look” at yourself,
do self-examinations, when you cross
into a school environment?
he’ll know at least something about it.
Hank- One of two freshmen on the team, Hank
may be the new kid on the block, but he’s quickly
making a name for himself among the players.
Look for great things over the next four years from
this kid.
Rohit- Dynasty alert: Currently the only member
of the team to have a sibling currently in the organization, Rohit will likely carry the illustrious
name of Mukherjee through Ottawa Hills Quizbowl even after the unfortunate departure of his
brother Adit after this season.
Urvish- Known for his often abrasive wit and wide
knowledge base, Urvish brings an unconventional
playing style to the game that distinguishes him
from his teammates. His elaborate murals drawn
on scratch paper bring a strange focus to his play
and make him a formidable opponent.
Sam- Every team needs some neutrality, an equalizer. Sam comes in handy here. He might not put
up astounding point totals, but he provides strong
support for his teammates.
Mazin- A surprising success on this year’s roster,
Mazin has made a strong debut, and will likely
continue to lead among the teams for more than
a few years.
Photo by Cameron Roller
The new hallway mirror located by Mrs. Johnson’s
room
Photos by Cameron Roller
6 Sports
The Boys are
Back in Town
Taylor Thees
Design Editor
The baseball team is off to a
strong start this season with only the
loss of one senior from last year. With
the majority of the boys returning,
the experienced team is expected to
achieve great things this season.
The team is led by a “leadership
council” of one representative from
each grade. Andrew Ponder, Ben Werner, Hunter Hesse, and Will Lohmeyer were all elected by their teammates
onto the council. The council replaces
captains for the team and meets every
week to discuss the state of the team.
This spring break, following
tradition, the baseball team headed
down to Sarasota, Florida, to train.
This year the team played a total of
five games at IMG, a boarding school
specifically geared towards athletes
located in Florida. OH baseball played
elite opposing teams who all served
as great practice and training for the
Green Bears
on the Court
Aidan Byrne
Staff Reporter
Tyler Gargas had a perfect
match against Whitmer on Monday,
April 10th, proving that the tennis team is stronger than ever under their new coach, Justin Fisher.
Gargas, varsity team captain, when
asked to comment on the transition,
Photo by Lifetouch
“Senior” Will Estes finesses his opponents
Arrowhead - April 2017
upcoming season. Senior Patrick
Arnold reflects on the trip and explains, “It was a great experience
for our team, and we grew as baseball players and as teammates. Go
‘Noles.”
The training in Sarasota
seems to have paid off as, upon returning to Ohio, the team has a winnig record thus far. After beating
Cardinal Stritch, the preseason favorite to win the TAAC, OH is looking to win the TAAC and make a
deep tournament run.
The Arrowhead staff wishes
the boys the best of luck for the rest
of this season and encourages students to support the team at games!
Photo by Lifetouch
Teammates high-five after a stellar play
replied that it “has been quite smooth.”
Gargas stated further that, “[Justin] has
been introducing new drills week in and
week out and has kept the tempo of our
practices very high.”
Though they may have a new
coach, the tennis team’s culture has remained the same. Junior Varsity player
David Rodriguez, when asked to comment on that culture, said, “Although
tennis is the name of the game, it’s a platform for us men to come together and
connect with our peers.”
Part of the culture David refers
to is a strong tradition of excellence in
performance. Varsity Captain Gargas
believes that the team has the capability
to beat Lexington, a major rival, again;
a game that will be played at the Ottawa
hills Tennis Team’s home court in late
May. Beyond Lexington, the varsity team
expects to make a deep run in the state
team tournament this spring. Sophomore James Schwann and junior Rahul
Bais plan to play doubles for the individual state championship, and senior Tyler Gargas plans to make a run in singles
himself for a state title. With high hopes
and plenty of matches to come, the season will at the very least prove captivating to fans.
But there is something more to
that tennis culture than titles and championships. There’s a team. “At the end of
the day,” says Ethan Riepenhoff, another
junior varsity player, “we’re just a bunch
of good kids putting our hearts into gooning around”
Rigorous Process for
Athletic Admin.
Abby Hauck
Sports Editor
After 24 years, Athletic Director Tim Erickson is stepping down at the end of the school year,
and the school has been faced with the challenge of
finding a new, qualified, and prepared candidate to
fill the soon to be empty position.
Along with the changing of personnel, the
name of the position is changing from athletic
director to athletic administrator. The athletic
administrator’s job description is one of the lengthiest in the school system, and the interviews and
candidates should reflect that. Responsibilities and
objectives include managing, directing, and supervising all of Ottawa Hills’ athletic programs, developing yearly budgets and schedules; overseeing the
athletic trainer, department secretary, ticket sales;
providing updates and communication regarding
the different programs, along with a long list of
other duties he or she must fulfill.
With what started as a pool of almost 100
applicants for the job position, a series of interviews
and evaluations were used to finally narrow it down
to two candidates: John Hall and Tamara Talmage.
The rigorous process that preceded these final two
interviews proved that both applicants were highly
qualified in many different fields and were major
contenders for the new job.
To ensure representation from all parts of
the school system and village, student athletes,
teachers, coaches, school board members, administrators, and other community members were
invited to partake in the final round of interviews
for Ms. Talmage and Mr. Hall. When asked why the
inclusion of so many different Ottawa Hills leaders
was so important, Dr. Kevin Miller reflected that,
“The athletic administrator position involves working with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that we
are offering the best opportunities possible for our
students in athletics. The athletic administrator
will interact with all of these stakeholder groups;
therefore, it was important to get the perspectives
of people in these various groups.” With a diverse
panel of interviewers ready, both candidates were
given time to talk about what they would bring to
the table if they were chosen, why they are qualified,
as well as answer the many challenging questions
posed.
After two impressive, intense, and thorough
interviews, the administration was faced with a
difficult choice. Both candidates showed many
strengths and offerings for the position, however,
in the end, Ms. Talmage was offered the position.
As said by Dr. Miller, “It is hard to argue the love
Tammy Talmage has for our community, the time
she has invested as a coach in a variety of sports,
the insight she has into our athletic office and the
changes that need to be made to better serve our
coaches and student-athletes, and the pure passion
she demonstrates for our school system and for
wanting to serve our school system in this capacity.”
We are excited to see what Ms. Talmage has
in store for OH athletics in the coming seasons!
7 Sports
The
Difference A
Year Makes
Ben Werner
Staff Reporter
On April 3rd, the North Carolina Tar
Heels secured their 6th national title in program history, defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs
65-71 in the 79th edition of the NCAA Men’s
Basketball Tournament.
For the Tar Heels (33-7), they avenged
a heart-breaking championship loss in the
final seconds of last year’s March Madness
tournament to the hands of the Villanova
Wildcats. Huge favorites to repeat as champions this year, the Wildcats were shocked by
Wisconsin in the Round of 32.
For the Bulldogs (37-2), the team
MVP Race:
Triple Double
King or the
Beard?
David Rodriguez
Staff Reporter
As the 2016-2017 NBA regular season comes to a close, the race for the league’s
Most Valuable Player is down to two players. As what has been referred to by many
as the greatest regular season for individual
players in the history of the league comes
to a close, the fiery debate continues of who
will be the most valuable player, Russell
Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder,
or James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
When deciding on the MVP, voters factor many different things. The most
notable of all factors are wins, stats, and of
course, how much value they bring to their
team. In the win column, Harden has the
clear advantage, as the Houston Rockets finished the season with 54 wins compared to
the 47 of the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, many argue that while a team’s success
is a key indicator of how good a player is,
at times it is unfair to compare wins when
deciding what individual player deserves
the crown. This past summer, superstar and
former league MVP Kevin Durant left the
Thunder and headed to the super squad,
Arrowhead - April 2017
reached milestones such as their first final four and championship appearance in
school history. The Zags were also the first
West Coast Conference (WCC) team to ever
reach the national championship game and
tied the record for second most wins in
NCAA Men’s basketball history in a season.
In a game that consisted of 11 ties
and 12 lead changes, the Tar Heels were
able to go on a 9-2 run in the final minutes
from a surge on both sides of the ball.
Senior point guard Joel Berry II led
the Tar Heels with 22 points and 6 assists
while Junior forward Justin Jackson followed with 16 points. Junior guard Nigel
Williams-Goss continued his strong tourney play with 15 points.
Many sports fans would consider
this year’s March Madness tournament
rather boring instead of its usual thrilling,
nerve-rattling performances. However,
there were many outcomes that very few
could even ponder predicting.
the Golden State Warriors. After Durant’s
departure, Westbrook was left with a Thunder team composed almost entirely of players that most would consider to be average.
That being said, he had the burden of essentially carrying the entire Thunder organization on his shoulders with minimal support,
so in the eyes of some, his 47 wins are extremely impressive. For Harden, his Rockets have a supporting cast that most would
consider to be significantly better than that
of Westbrook’s Thunder, so many advocate
for ignoring the wins column when deciding
who is the MVP.
Statistically, both players had historical seasons. Westbrook needs not the
praise, as there really are very few skeptics
of his statistical beauty. This season for
Westbrook was arguably the greatest season for an individual player in league history in terms of stats, as he averaged a triple
double and broke the NBA record for most
triple doubles in a single season, recording
42. He led the league in scoring in a race
that wasn’t even close, ranked 3rd in assists,
and was in the top 10 for rebounds. Harden
ranked 2nd in scoring, 1st in assists, however he trailed Westbrook in rebounds by a
significant amount, ranking outside of the
top 20 in rebounds.
While it is difficult to get an accurate
grasp for how valuable a player is to their
team, there are certain statistics that can assist with this. For example, looking at the
team’s point differentials with the player
on and off the floor. As previously stated,
Harden’s supporting cast is much stronger
than Westbrook’s, so it makes sense that
A final four that consisted of very little experience besides the eventual champions, these games promised an exciting
and unpredictable ending.
Oregon defeated the powerhouse
Kansas Jayhawks in the elite 8 to reach
their first final four since 1939.
Gonzaga, while rather predictable, reached
their first final four in school history.
North Carolina reached their first final since, well, last year.
And lastly, the biggest surprise of
the entire tournament, the South Carolina
Gamecocks made their first final four appearance in school history after having a
reported 0.3% chance to reach this illustrious stage.
Gonzaga defeated South Carolina in an up and down game, while North
Carolina would slip past Oregon to later
be crowned champions of the 2017 NCAA
Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Photo by Sports Illustrated
The two MVP candidates, Russell Westbrook and James Harden share a
moment
even though harden’s on/off the floor point
differential is an impressive +2.4 (meaning
that per 100 possessions, the Rocket’s have
a point differential 2.4 points higher when
Harden is on the floor, than when he is on
the bench), Westbrook far outshines him
at +13.
It is hard to deny, the stats sway
heavily in favor of Westbrook’s monster
season. However, the race is still tight,
and in a recent poll taken by the Washington Post among MVP voters, they actually
leaned in favor of Harden. With the playoffs coming up, it seems likely that the race
will only become tighter, and there’s no
telling who will receive the coveted award
come June 26.
8 Final Analysis
Why Donald Trump is the
Joker
Jan Durst
Staff Reporter
While most presidents draw comparisons to superheroes we
look up to, (for example, George Washington reminds us of Superman, the patriotic man of steel, and Franklin Roosevelt shares
similarities with the wheelchair-bound Professor X) some, like
the infamous Donald J. Trump, have more in common with supervillains, specifically Joker from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark
Knight. Both unpredictable and agents of chaos, the nefarious
psycho with the weirdly colored face shares many striking similarities with the Joker. For starters, neither really has a plan.
Joker says in The Dark Knight, “Do I really look like a guy with a
plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars... You know, I
just... do things.” Trump doesn’t have a plan either. Despite railing for reforms to replace Obamacare, Trump has yet to even create a bill suggesting how to change it, despite being in office for
almost one hundred days. Secondly, both have a strange obsession with explosives and violence. Joker has a long history with
incendiaries as throughout The Dark Knight he shoots rocket
launchers at armored vehicles, places bombs on boats, and blows
half of Harvey Dent’s face off with gasoline. He is even quoted
saying, “You see, I’m a guy of simple taste. I enjoy dynamite, and
gunpowder, and gasoline!” Trump’s recent use of the MOAB in
Afghanistan along with his comment on ISIS stating eloquently,
“I would bomb the **** out of them [ISIS].” Finally, both have
a strange appearance. Needless to say, the orange face and the
clown paint are almost indistinguishable, and instead of scars on
his face, Trump sports baggy suits and small hands.
Arrowhead - April 2017
Top Ten Most Attractive
Presidents
Adam Simon
Staff Reporter
10. Chester A. Arthur
9. Calvin Coolidge
8. Andrew Jackson
7. Ulysses S. Grant
6. Millard Fillmore
5. Ronald Reagan
4. Theodore Roosevelt
3. Bill Clinton
2. William H. Taft
1. John F. Kennedy
Photo by Esquire
Joker Trump
Meme of the Month:
United Pepsi Spicer
Photo by Know Your Meme
PR Gaffes