By: Mitch Kresser and Mark O’Connor

You never know what will make you a millionaire, but it is a sure bet that many people out there in the cyber world want to invent the next Craig’s List, eBay, or Facebook . Though those are amazingly successful, there are plenty of people developing useful sites to meet a need and there are advertisers willing to pay for the exposure on those sites. Recently Beechwood’s own Michael Craig, Graham Fessler, Corey Cruse and Mitch Kresser created their own website which meets a particular need and has lots of potential to generate revenue one day.  The site, http://recruitsnationwide.com, interviews the top high school basketball prospects in the nation and provides readers with the inside scoop on these players.

The look of the site is sharp and professional and they have already interviewed some of the best players in the nation. The profiles they gather let fans (and possibly coaches) know more about a player’s interests and stats. The guys message the recruits over Facebook and if the recruits say that they are willing to be interviewed, they get a phone number and do the interview over the phone or via text.

As running a site like this requires frequent attention and updates, the boys share the load. Michael Craig contacts the players and facilitates the interviews. Mitch Kresser designs the website and edits the interviews. Graham Fessler writes questions for the interview. Corey Cruse does the introductions to the interviews and helps Graham out.

What is the fun in this?  When asking Michael Craig, he responded “It is fun to talk to top recruits and then be able to watch them play on ESPN.” There is also satisfaction in knowing that the service meets a real need. Who knows whether the site will become “the source” for finding out about recruits, but the site got eight thousand views in its first week. That’s an impressive start!

We’ll get back with a follow up on how the website grows.

Editorial by Mark O’Connor

            It is always a pleasure to recognize our athletes when they sign to play college sports. The recent ceremony for Cameron Vocke, Bret Eyckmans, and Caleb Wheat was a heartwarming recognition of their talent, time, dedication. It was good to see them appreciated by their friends and families. I am personally pleased that Alexis Bradford is going to be Beechwood’s first scholarship college soccer player and we will be having a ceremony for her too. In addition to these, several stellar athletes such as Kyra Spahn and Justin Youtsey will going on to play NCAA sports this year.

            That said, I wanted to send due recognition to Olivia Morris, one of our quietest and most unassuming seniors. It isn’t athletics where Olivia shines.  This year she won Gold twice in the Scholastic Writing Competition and is a finalist in the Cincinnati Overture Awards. Having judged for both competitions I  can appreciate how impressive a feat that is. To win a gold in  Scholastic  is amazing, but winning two takes something special. Her pieces will also be sent off to New York for a national round of evaluation.  To date, the final results of the Overture Awards are not in, but getting to the finals moves Olivia into the rarified elite of the few from thousands of entrants.

            Olivia’s accomplishments may not draw as much attention as some things around the school, and that is fine. Sports are visceral and glorious—writing is introverted and intellectual. I am sure Olivia would rather not draw attention to herself, anyway. However, I have had the pleasure of reading her work in AP English this year, and I want to go on record as saying that she has a rare skill. She has the potential to go far with her craft. She shows the maturity of an adult and the nascent skill of a professional writer.

            Athletes frequently inspire us—writers not so often. In this case I am inspired.

            My shout out to Olivia: Go girl!

Emily Wyatt, Marie Burns, Jenna Fessler and I (Maddie Schwarz) set out to find the best french fries on Buttermilk Pike. We devised four different categories that would sum up the overall taste of the fry: saltiness/flavor, temperature, sogginess/crunchiness, and service. We gave each category a 1-10 rating: one the worst, and ten the best.

McDonald’s
     It’s usually hard to go wrong with McDonald’s french fries. But this batch was way too salty. The temperature was hot, but not burn-your-mouth-hot. The soggy to crunchy ratio was almost perfect, but the four of us agreed there were a few too many soggy fries. The service was terrible. The cashier looked like she hated her life, and the order took forever.

There they are: sticks of Heaven

Is someone watching me eat this fry?

Arby’s

     We were debating on whether or not to include these fries in our taste test because they’re a completely different kind of fry: the curly fry. The saltiness was hard to judge because they were seasoned and didn’t need any salt, so their rating was mostly judged on overall flavor. The temperature was nasty. Adding any sauce to the fries made them taste frozen. The soggy to crunchy ratio was satisfying, as was the service. We made friends with the cashier; his name was Jeff.

Jeff the Cashier doing what he does best

Very mature, Jenna.

These things are really crispy!

Very amused by the question mark fry.

Burger King
     Never again. The whole “New Fry, New Taste” thing: lies. We bought a medium fry at every restaurant, and the four of us couldn’t even choke down this stingy medium fry. The flavor was nasty, the place smelled funny, and half of the fries were cold. Every fry that I dared to pick up basically fell apart in my fingers. But, the order came through in a decent amount of time.

Cold, pasty, disgusting Burger King fries

Don't be fooled by Marie's smile - these fries are very sick.

Skyline
     This review doesn’t apply to Skyline as a whole, just the restaurant’s rock hard french fries. They were nothing special, but I’m sure if there was chili and cheese on them, they’d be 10 times better. The waitress was also a nice lady.

The tip cost more than our order!

PENN STATION
     Penn Station was the overall winner of the taste test. These fries, like Arby’s, were harder to judge because they weren’t the typical fast food french fry. I would be honored to write about our experience, and every detail of how amazing the fries were, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Look at the chart. Go try them yourself. You’re welcome. 

Doubling down

One basket of fries, no vinegar

Very bored of fries

Team bonding with Aaron from Penn St.

With 2012 just starting, it’s almost shocking to see that January is over already! With the clock ticking on 2011, I’m sure many of you were thinking, “How could I be better next year?” Whether you are like Ed Talbott (Junior) and you want to “get jacked,” or if you’re like Canaan Harrison (7^th) and you want to “stop abusing sister/pets,” sometimes it’s good to go into the New Year with a new start. However, it is common for people to set unattainable goals. Many, like Mrs. Gatens, “refuse to set themselves up for failure.” Or as some like Mr. Feld may say, “I have made and broken so many New Year’s resolutions that I now subscribe to the old saying, ‘I resolve not to make any resolutions.’

Perhaps the most common resolution that is made is a resolution of fasting. Some people, like English teacher Mr. O’Connor, fast fast food. Mr. O’Connor says, “If I do eat from a fast food restaurant, I am only allowed to eat the salad.” Also, math teacher Mr. Bates is fasting for the first 40 days of 2012. He hasn’t eaten dessert in a while.

Something Mr. O'Connor will not be eating for some time.

Does this look good, Mr. Bates? Too bad.

However, some resolutions are followed through. Physics teacher Mr. McCallister talked about when he was younger. “Back when I was in high school, I gave up Mountain Dew for an entire year. It was very difficult. I found that the tart taste of grapefruit juice helped replace my morning Mountain Dew, though.” Because he has received some students that speak Spanish natively, his New Year’s resolution is to learn to speak more Spanish, or as he words it, “Quiero aprendor mas Espanol.”

Also, many resolve to change their appearance, for better or for worse. Gym teacher and basketball coach McCarthy-Stokes says, “I want to get my fat butt on a treadmill and get into shape!” However, some people alter their appearance in perhaps not the best way. Mr. Behrensmeyer, Beechwood’s newest faculty member, has decided to change his appearance in a completely different fashion. Although he still keeps up with his ‘Argyle Thursdays,’ he has definitely let his head be free. He has grown a full beard since the New Year, and an equally unruly head of hair to go with it. “I just want to get a good Kentucky license photo before I shave it off. Let’s just say that my hair may not be the same color in the photo!”

Probably the other most common New Year’s resolution is to improve your own morality. Evan Brown (Junior) made a resolution to stop stealing songs from the internet. “I feel horrible when I download an entire album for free. I don’t like stealing from my favorite artists. I know that as an artist I would not appreciate my music being stolen.”

Personally, I have not made my own New Year’s resolution. I guess it’s a little late isn’t it? No matter how you want to change yourself, remember that you are the way you are for a reason. To take away something about you would be like taking away a certain color from a painting.

DON’T's (Guys)

Okay, listen up: there are a lot of options when it comes to your clothes. Everybody has their personal preference, but there are some things that always look good  and others that always look bad. I present to you here the do’s and don’t’s of fashion. I’ll start off with the guys: don’t dress like you just woke up and rolled out of bed. This would include wearing sweats; they are at the bottom of the food chain. Sweats make you look like you don’t care about yourself and have given up on life. Crocs also fall under this category. On rainy days your feet will get soaked. Crocs with sweats is one of the worst combinations of clothes you could sport. On the other had, graphic t-shirts, b-ball shorts and jeans are okay.

Cargo jeans can be a don’t depending on how you wear them. If you look like you just came back from a family vacation and went to the beach with a metal detector and sandals, don’t wear them. But, cargo shorts with a decent shirt can look fine. Basic clothing items can look good or bad depending on how you wear them.

DO’S (Guys)

If you really want to look good  and impress everybody, here’s what you should do. You should wear a good pair of jeans with a solid color t-shirt and a button down shirt. Keep the button up unbuttoned or leave the top three unbuttoned. Hats can be essential to completing your look. Flat bill hats and beanies are in right now. Flat bills can be worn with a skater look, gangster look, or even a preppy look. Beanies also fit with many different styles. People tend to wear them with the hipster look. Buddy Holly style glasses are cool and can go with anything. Kanye West barred shades are in although they probably make it hard to see.

Jacob Dietz, pictured below, is wearing classic Beechwood prep: jeans, sneakers, and a polo.

Adrian Hurley, pictured above, models a tweed blazer, slim jeans, and a checked button-up

DON’T's (Girls)

Now on to the girls; let’s start with the don’ts again. The sweats rule applies to you, too. Often girls will wear sweats with a hair band –  that is a bad look. It makes a person look trashy or like you just don’t care. Put a little effort into your appearance at least. Wearing basketball shorts more than three times a week is not okay. Some moderate things a girl can wear are jeans just like guys.

DO’s (Girls)

A nice pair of fitted jeans and a pretty, girly shirt works just fine for everybody. Jeans or even yoga pants and a sweat shirt are also okay. Nice looks girls should wear and are encouraged to wear such as classy look, preppy, or a chill look. By classy I mean a nice loose shirt around the upper arm and chest area. A long necklace that hangs to the top of the stomach really helps this style. Chill looks are cool and different. It is like a skater look except not necessarily as dark. Colorful jeans and t-shirt, a hoodie, beanie, and sometimes glasses and necklaces go with this look nicely.

Kiss Me Slowly: Parachute

Parachute is a pop rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia. The band members graduated college in 2008 and since then have been touring and promoting their debut album Losing Sleep. They were originally named Sparky’s Flaw,  but decided to change their name to Parachute in 2008. Since their graduation, Parachute has been touring with artists such as O.A.R., Switchfoot, Duffy, Matt Nathanson and Jon McLaughlin. Parachute’s debut album Losing Sleep became available in stores and online on May 19, 2009. This is the kind of song you can listen to repeatedly, and everytime you do, you remember an amazing memory: your first love, your first hope, or your first dream. When you listen to this song it gives you the drive to reach for your memories again.

I Like It Like That: Hot Chelle Rae ft. New Boyz

Hot Chelle Rae is a pop rock band from Nashville, Tennessee and was formed in 2005. The band consists of Ryan Follesé (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Nash Overstreet (lead guitar, backing vocals), Ian Keaggy (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Jamie Follesé (drums). Their debut album Lovesick Electric was released in 2009 and gained mass attention for their double platinum 2011 single “Tonight Tonight”, which features Nash Overstreet’s brother, Chord Overstreet, from Glee in the music video. This exciting song has an upbeat rhythm and a very catching hook that will have you singing it in your head for hours! When you hear it you know exactly what it is and it makes you want to jump to your feet and do those silly dances that no one else should see!

How To Love: Lil’ Wayne

Lil’ Wayne’s real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., and he was born on September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lil’ Wayne is an American rapper. At just nine year’s old Lil’ Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest artist of the label. He has since released nine albums, many reaching Platinum status. This song is very different from his many other records, because in this he sings in addition to rapping. This song is also different because it has a hint of a rock background, but still includes the heavy beat and fluent lyrics he is known for.

Barefoot Blue Jean Night: Jake Owen

Joshua Ryan Owen was born on August 28, 1981 in Vero Beach, FL. Jake Owen is a contemporary country singer- songwriter. He has a twin brother named Jarrod Moore. While Jake was growing up he played many different sports, but excelled in golf more than any other. He was going to pursue a golf career, but that was put to a halt due to a water skiing accident. While in recovery Jake decided to pick up the guitar and soon he was playing in local bars. As he was opening a bank account at a  bank in Nashville,  he mentioned his singing career. Next thing you know he is trading tracks and getting a recording contract. This is the type of song that no matter how old it gets, you will still play it whenever it’s summer time! It reminds you of summers past and the great summers yet to come.

Don’t You Remember: Adele

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on May 5, 1988 in Tottenham, London, England. She is an English singer-songwriter. She was offered a contract from XL- Records just from her friend posting her demos on Myspace in 2006. Her debut album 19 was released in 2009 and wen four-time platinum in the UK. Her sophomore album 21 was released in 2011 and has been certified fourteen-times platinum and growing. Due to recent vocal cord strains, she has called off her tour and has undergone surgery. This song is from her sophomore album, 21, and is a sweet, melodic ballad that can touch the heart of anyone. Someone who has been heartbroken can really understand the lyrics. Yet someone who hasn’t experienced heart break can really understand also, due to her commitment and conviction of the song.

Mary Hamilton is a storyteller. She tells all kinds of stories, from true stories about her brother Jeff, to reciting a poem about a heartbroken woman. The use of different voices and changes in tone really add to the drama that is a great story; it’s also what draws her audience in when she speaks.

True, some of you may be kicking yourself, saying, “Dang, I wish I’d gotten to hear this fantastic story teller.” But never fear, for she has been interviewed just for this purpose, so that those not present may get to know this amazing woman. She also has a book of Kentucky folktales and her own commentary on them coming out in (hopefully) May.

What is your favorite novel?

“Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. It’s been my favorite since the first time I read it so many years ago.”

What was growing up like?

“Work. I had to help out with the family farm. I was the oldest of six children, and once I was old enough, was the babysitter. I also helped with the actual farm work, from harvesting and hoeing tobacco to retrieving hay from the silo.”

What is your favorite story to tell?

“The one I’m currently working on to master is usually my favorite.”

What is your favorite food?

“Eggplant.”

What is something that you think the students at Beechwood should know?

“In the long run, it won’t matter what clothes, makeup, or hairstyles you had. None of that really matters for later in life.”

You’re on a desert island. What three books would you have for eternity?

“Italian Fairytales by Calvino, a collection of the Grimm Brothers fairytales, and the most extensive collection of Norwegian folktales.”

Jason Williams

Jason Williams (aka “White Chocolate”) burst on the NBA scene in 1998 after getting kicked out of the University of Florida. He instantly became known throughout the Association for his amazing passing ability, creativity off the dribble, and penchant for chucking up ill-advised-yet-ultimately-successful 3′s from well beyond the established boundary. A huge part of what made the Kings of ’98-’01 a top contender, Williams established undeniable chemistry with fellow stars Chris Webber, Doug Christie, and Vlade Divac. Though now retired, we can still enjoy White Chocolate’s genius via mixtape highlights.

On the mixtape above, you HAVE to check out the pass at 2:23…I guarantee that a pass like that will never again be completed in a game of professional basketball.

Baron Davis

Baron Davis has always been an enigma – these early highlights on when he played for the Charlotte Hornets attest to his incredible athleticism. He had the hops of Nate Robinson, the jump shot of Eric Gordon and the overall quickness of Derrick Rose. When he tried, that is. When the crowd wasn’t into it, his team was behind, or he just signed a huge contract, Davis was famous for mentally “checking out” of games (on a side note, he is also famous for his incredible beard). His weight also ballooned during the off-season. Nevertheless, when Baron Davis actually tries, there are few more electrifying players in the league. He is currently a member of the New York Knicks, but has yet to come back from an injury.

Baron Davis and Baron Davis' Beard

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway

People could tell Penny was going to be a special player early on – in high school he averaged 36 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks. At 6’7″, Hardaway’s play-making ability caused coaches to play him as a freakishly tall point guard (a la Magic Johnson). Upon his joining the team in ’93, the Orlando Magic became an instant contender. While that Magic team (which included Shaq, Doc Rivers, and Nick Anderson) reached one Finals, it’s a shame/travesty they never won a championship. After 4 All-Star caliber years with the Magic, Hardaway suffered a devastating knee injury and was never the same since. We’re left to ponder what could have been.

Oh, and Hardaway also made some great commercials starring himself and a sass-talking puppet named “Lil’ Penny”:

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol revives the dying Mission Impossible franchise.  Tom Cruise plays the main character, Ethan Hunt, who is one of the head agents at the spy organization MI3.  Hunt and his team end up being without a job or a country when the president orders a “ghost protocol”, eliminating the entire MI3 organization as if it never existed. The team then has to stop a terrorist from nuking the United States.

After the last two films in the series, I wasn’t expecting much from the movie. However, right from the start, it grabbed my attention with a gun fighting secret agent chase. The movie kept my attention the whole time, with its action sequences, awesome dialogue, and suspense.  The suspense is so strong that I was on the edge of my seat, wondering who was going to live or die. Unlike past movies in the series, I really got attached to the characters in this movie.  There was good character development and subplot.

Ghost Protocol is a great step forward in the Mission Impossible series and offers redemption for its fans.  I personally can’t wait for the fifth installment to come out. The new Mission Impossible gets a 3 and a half out of 5.