Support Madison, Support the Levy

It Takes a Village... and a Township

     In just two days, the time will finally come to vote on the proposed school levy that aims to protect and preserve our educational opportunities.  The last operational levy to be passed in Madison did so nearly thirty years ago.  Despite numerous budget saving efforts, rising costs to operate the schools and dwindling revenue threaten our students' opportunities to thrive into adulthood.  In this time of great need, cornerstones of the community have heard the call and answered with renewed purpose.

     The Behm family, proud members of the Madison community for four generations and operators of Behm Family Funeral Home, are no strangers to lending a hand in times of need.  The funeral home boasts a long legacy dating all the way back to 1906.  Any Madison resident struck by sudden or inevitable tragedy has felt the calming presence of well-practice consolation as they navigate through the toughest times of their lives.

     Now, over a hundred years later, the Behm tradition falls to the shoulders of Trevor Behm who believes that "giving our children the tools they need to succeed allows them to provide better for their own families."

     Those tools are, sadly, very much in jeopardy as the five year fiscal forecast shows a deficit in the 2018-19 school year.  With decades of experience, Behm sagely acknowledges that this benefit is not a one way street.

     "We believe a great education for our students is vital to our future," he states. "Our educational resources give children everything they need to become educated consumers and future property owners, investing back into the community we love."

     Just like the Behm family, the name DeRubertis elicits immediate reactions of many fond memories in our community.  Though they currently own Madison's premier pizza restaurant, Pizza Roto, the DeRubertis' are still most widely recognized for the banquet and party center that stood on route twenty for countless years.

    Dances, weddings, retirements and numerous other prestigious affairs were hosted under their roof.  They orchestrated decades of lifetime memories and witnessed the community at its best.  Though the party center is no more, they haven't allowed their ties to this city fade in the slightest.

     Most recently, Pizza Roto has become a prime sponsor for Madison's "Streak of the Month."  "We have been so thrilled since day one to be involved with the 'Streak of the Month' program," Dan DeRubertis commented. "Madison is our home.  The kids and families of this community are so important to us, as is their education."

     Like the roots of a great tree, time has ingrained our community members into a collective sense of betterment.  And now their prosperity has given rise to a sturdy foundation that spreads its branches out to shelter the next generation.  This Tuesday it hopes to bear the fruit of its labor and leave our schools in a position to inspire growth into the future.

     Take a moment to hear from more sponsors of the schools, its students and the community as a whole:

"I feel the Board, the Superintendent and Treasurer have been great stewards of our tax dollars and have earned my vote.  No one can live off of a 1989 based income.  This community has overcome some trust issues and is moving forward together."

- Max Sorensen, The Wagon Wheel

"Madison Dairy Queen is owned and operated proudly by Madison High School Alumni.  We are honored to have the opportunity to serve our community and support our students.  We believe that successful schools are at the heart of a successful community.  We are thankful for the influence Madison Local Schools has had in our lives and are proud to show our support in any way possible."

- Rikki Yeager-Belcher, Dairy Queen

"Maintaining the quality of Madison Local Schools is essential to the quality of our community and the overall growth of our children.  It is through community collaboration that we develop the strong leaders of our future.  By supporting this levy, we are supporting not only our children, but also our community.  We need to be engaged in education, and this is a great way to do it.  Support Madison Local Schools.  Support Madison.  Support the levy."

- Michael Warren, The Warren Team at Howard Hanna

Key Club organizes clean up

Clean streaks

By: Alyssa Caruthers
     This upcoming Saturday the Madison High School Key Club and the community are coming together to help beautify our schools. This year Key Club already had one school clean up back in March, where they cleaned the inside of both the elementary schools and the middle school.  For the upcoming clean up members of key club and the community will be working together to help clean up the grounds of the High School and North Elementary.  
The school clean up is mainly to help prepare the high school grounds for graduation. The members helping with the clean up will only be cleaning on the outside of the schools.  To help some of the students will be washing windows, weeding, mulching, planting flowers, and other tasks to help prepare the grounds.  If there is enough time they will also be cleaning the school's courtyard.
In the past the clean ups were only done by Key Club students.  However, this year it is open to any members of the community that would like to help.  They are also asking other clubs and organizations, like the school sports teams, to help out if the are able to.  Anyone is welcome to help out with this great opportunity to make our schools look better and to bring members of the school together with those of the community.

SB H v. Willoughby South

Rose's Thorns

     Expectations are high for this year's softball team to repeat the conference winning run of last season.  Their biggest challenge this year are the Rebels of Willoughby South.

    The first time they confronted this challenge was this past Monday when stand-out pitcher Alyssa Rose took the mound for all seven innings.  Madison allowed five runs that game in what would end in a 5-3 loss, only their second of the season.  

     Rose was left frustrated with the performance.  "I could have hit my spots better," she said.  "We committed errors that led to unearned runs."

     On the cusp of losing a legitimate shot at reclaiming their conference title, a lesser team would have folded in on itself.  Luckily, the chance for redemption was only a day away.

     Yesterday, the Lady Streaks were granted an immediate rematch on their home field.  Their pent up frustration was unleashed immediately as Rose put her first at-bat beyond the fence good for three runs against the Rebels.  

     "Thank God we started that way!" Alyssa reflected.  "Everyone started screaming.  We knew they'd be down on themselves after that."

     Quick to follow Rose's lead, Jordan Pasalqua took to the plate right after to send another hit out for a home run, extending Madison's lead to four in the first inning.

     Pasalaqua started on the mound and kept them scoreless through two innings.  In the third, the Rebel's zeroed in on her pitching and nearly drew level with three runs on three hits and four walks.  Gabby Blackford relieved Pasalaqua and got out of the inning with the lead intact.

     Rose was still feeling the pain of pitching a full game the day before, but winners always want the ball when the game's on the line.  When Head Coach Art Rose called on his star pitcher, she didn't dream of refusing.  

     "My arm hurt, but I knew if I just hit my spots, we could get out with the win," Alyssa commented.

    Every road to glory is paved with pain, and Alyssa Rose walked it like the best of them.  She pitched eleven innings in two days and led the Lady Streaks to a 6-4 revenge win over the Rebels.  

     To reclaim their WRC crown, they will need help from other conference teams as the Streaks now have two conference losses.  The Rebels only have one.  Don't miss your chance to witness this impressive team of softball giants when they continue their conference campaign at home tomorrow against the Mayfield Wildcats!

Alumni Unite to Pay it Forward

Homegrown Pride

     In just a week, Madison voters will take to the polls to decide on the newly proposed school levy.  The tax funding aims to protect and preserve opportunities for students to thrive as they develop personally and academically all the way through graduation.  A rising surge of enthusiasm and hopefulness has overtaken large portions of the community as they seek to pass the first operational levy since 1989.
     Among those on the front lines of the charge are Assistant Principals Bill Mayer and Jack Whaley.  Both administrators carry extra motivation to see the levy across the finish line as they are products of the school system they wish to protect.  Mayer, class of '97, and Whaley, class of '94, can both be found on Madison's Wall of Fame for their stellar high school wrestling careers.
     When asked what drew him back to Madison after teaching across the nation, Mayer said it all comes down to kid connectors: a term he endearingly applies to any school employee who goes the extra mile to help students.
     "This is where it all started for me, and there would be no better feeling for me than to get this passed," Mayer spoke of coming home and working on the levy.  "I've had some pretty special accomplishments in my career, but this would be the ultimate because it would affect so many in such a positive way."
     Beyond the levy campaign, Mayer has also devoted countless hours to ensuring students have as many opportunities as possible.  Most notable is his "Streak of the Month" initiative that shines a bright light on every aspect of student achievement while also developing further unity among the community by enlisting local sponsors to share in celebrating these students' hard work.
     This program is a summation of the attitude and energy Mayer brings to his students every day.  His endless pursuit to catch a student doing something good results in an endless stream of photos posted to the high school Facebook page that perfectly chronicle a kind of pride that only comes from returning home.
     "Why wouldn't I go full-tilt at this?" Mayer said. "That's how I operate at everything I do, and I love being a Blue Streak!"
     Assistant Principal Whaley is no stranger to the importance of community either.  Whether it's serving pancakes, speaking before various gatherings, or showing open support for all of Madison's athletic teams, he has become a staple of every high school event.  Whaley secured a move back to his hometown two years ago when he left a similar position at North Royalton High School.
     "I always thought I'd be here," Whaley said of his return.  "This is my hometown, I am proud to be from here."
     While the two assistant principal's carry similar backgrounds, their contrasting approaches to the administration of the student body proves the age old "it takes all kinds" mantra.  An undiscerning eye could glance over Assistant Principal Whaley at school events or in the halls without recognizing the impact he makes.  
     If Mayer could be viewed as the video camera that records all and shares every bit, Whaley would be the Polaroid snapshots; carefully picking the right moment to exert his influence.  His calm but firm demeanor inspires confidence and respect in the student body.
     What truly bridges the gap between principal and students, however, are Whaley's devotion to Madison and the genuine desire to see them succeed.  
     "I always wanted to give back to the kids.  As long as I can be around the kids and impact them, I will move up as far as I can."  

     Assistant Principals Mayer and Whaley have done a fantastic job promoting our schools and the upcoming levy, but they are not the only ones to return to help the home that shaped them.  Madison Local Schools has a long tradition of enticing its graduates to return and inspire the next generation.  Here's a list of all the alumni currently returned to teach throughout the district:

2017 Senior Superlatives

2017 Senior Superlatives

Best Smile

     Brandon Baird & Hannah Vliek

Cutest Couple

     Patrick Davis & Rachel Kosar

Biggest Flirt

     Dhel Duncan-Busby & Meara Elersic

Most Likely to Succeed

     Cooper Wood & Natalie Green

Most Athletic

     Zach Guyer & Sabrina Stocker

Most Musical

     Cooper Wood/Phillip Potter & Gwendolyn Weaver

Best Friends

     Isaiah McClure/Lane Lucas & Joei Davidson/Jasmin Mirelez

Class Clown

     AJ Dietrich & Heather Hrutkay

Most Contagious Laugh

     Ted Davis & Jasmin Mirelez

Most Artistic

    Noah Yates & McKenna Nalow

Best Dressed

     Phillip Potter & Kenna Tanner

Most Theatrical

     Andrew Cervelli & Avery Pinta

Worst Case of Senioritis

     Chris Sines & Carly Post

Cutest Couple That Never Was

     Zach Krupa & Taylor Starke

Teachers' Favorite

     Josh Gibson & Jamie Bowers

Best Hair

     Tommy Bihary/Zach Margelowsky & Ally Fleischer

Best Person to Bring Home to Mom

     Jacob Welk & Abby Reed

2017 Prom Court

2017 Prom Court

Congratulations to this year's Prom Court!  Don't forget to purchase your tickets so you can vote for MHS's Prom King and Queen.  Tickets are on sale during all lunches.  The dance will be held on May 6th at Normandy Party Center in Willowick.

Nominees for Queen

Hayley Corbett

Joei Davidson

Macie Miechowicz

Liz Montgomery

Abby Reed

Nominees for King

Corbin Anthony

Alex Caswell

Ted Davis

Josh Ferry

Cooper Wood

Comp Cheer Attends Nationals

End of an Era

By: Ally Fleischer


     On Sunday, April 9th, the Madison High School Cheerleaders attended their last competition of the 2017 season in Erie, PA. This is the first time they have even competed in this competition called the Lake Erie Nationals. The winners of each division get Champion Cheer Central bookbags, and the overall Grand Champions win jackets. Since this was the last ever competition for nearly half the team, they were all prepared to go all out for the win. 
     Hoping to get Grand Champions for the fourth time in the row and win the jackets, each practice the girls had they went over every single routine one by one critiquing every little thing, practicing jumps and trying to keep their energy up. Their hard work definitely showed when they took the floor, confidently. Their biggest competitor was the Eastlake North Cheer team, even though the MHS girls have beat North at every competition they are still a hard team to go against.  
     “This weekend we did the best we had done the entire season. We went out there and performed like no other. We left everything on the floor, showed up North which led us to first place. It is sad to leave such a fun and incredible team behind but we ended a great note!” said Shyan Christian. 
     The cheerleaders are very proud of themselves for having such a great season and ending with a win. They won their division and the bookbags, but were sadly .7 away from being Grand Champions.  Next year they will be working even harder to win those National jackets! 

Staff Snapshot: Coach Brian Titman

We Must First Believe

By: Taylor Stevens

     Mr. Titman teaches Personal Finance Literature, U.S. History, and Unified Social Studies.  He also coaches the Madison High School Varsity Baseball team and has been coaching since he’s been in college. He coached a little league team for three years before he started coaching at the high school. This season will be his ninth as a member of the baseball coaching staff. Coach Titman also played baseball in high school himself. 
     Coach Titman’s goal for the 2017 season is to see each player individually and collectively reach their potentials as a player and as a team while they have fun in the field. Right now, it’s the very beginning of the season, they have only had a couple games and  Coach Titman says they are starting to move in the right direction for his goal but they are not quite there yet. 
     The strongest part of the team is that each player is individually talented and has baseball experience. Their weakest points is as a group. They don’t trust each other enough yet and that makes them think they have to do more individually as a player. 
     As Coach Titman said “Once they start trusting their teammates they're going to be good, maybe even great.” 
     The coach's prediction for the season is if they play with perfect intentions there’s nothing they can’t accomplish, like winning the WRC and the district championship. They have the ability to win those games 
     “In baseball as in most sports, the better team doesn’t always win, the team that plays better does,” said Coach Titman. 
     The boys face the Kenston Bombers on April 19th at MHS at 4:30.The team is ready, and Coach Titman is excited to watch the team play and improve their skill even more.  Everyone is looking forward to watching all their accomplishments play out and hopefully be reached. The Varsity boys baseball team will try their best to be the best they can be.

Student Snapshot: Sabrina Stocker

Look Like a Beauty, Train Like a Beast

By: Emma Weaver

     Success is not given, it is earned, and Sabrina Stocker has most definitely earned her success. 
     Sabrina is a senior at Madison High School, who has great grades and runs track. Sabrina’s events include hurdles and sprints, but she is best at hurdles. She often finishes first and is admired for her hard work and dedication. In the year of 2016 Sabrina’s shuttle hurdle relay came in first place. 
     Why did Sabrina pick track? She says it is because it helps her stay healthy and in shape.  She also stated that “Track is a sport of discipline where you train a lot, pretty much everyday.” 
     While Sabrina tears up the track, she also keeps outstanding grades. She is a straight A student who is very intelligent and hardworking. Sabrina has intentions of acquiring an athletic scholarship, as well as an academic scholarship. She is not completely set on what college she would like to attend but she is starting to narrow down her options carefully and intelligently. She also stated that in the future she would like to become a nurse in trauma hospital. 
     Sabrina has a very fun and caring personality as well. She is supportive, dedicated, uplifting, and outgoing. She is always trying to put everyone in a good mood and keeps many faces smiling. 
     Because of all of these amazing qualities Sabrina was nominated for homecoming court last year. Out of a group of great girls Sabrina was voted, by her peers, the 2016 Homecoming Queen! She is liked by nearly everyone and admired by most. 
     “Can’t stop, won’t stop” is what Sabrina said when she was asked about her hardwork and dedication. Not only does she attend all of the track practices but she also works out at the gym quite often and finds ways to stay extra healthy and in great shape. Sabrina has worked extremely hard for all of her accomplishments and plans on keeping up the hard work in college and achieving all of her goals.

Key Club Blood Drive

Doing the Most Good

By: Alyssa Caruthers

Key Club is a service organization where students donate their time in helping others.  One opportunity for them to donate their time is in one of the three blood drives held every year.  Three opportunities for students that meet the requirements, to help out thousands of people throughout the year.  
        On Wednesday April 12th, Madison Key Club will be hosting their third blood drive of the year.  The drive will go from 8:30 in the morning to 1:45 in the afternoon.  Mrs. Meshginpoosh, the adviser of key club, says that the blood drive is ran by the students for the majority, with some help from her when needed.  
At the blood drive students jobs may vary.  The jobs students have at the blood drive include; checking in the donor's, passing out snacks, running passes to the students, and supporting the students as they are donating.  Key club does these blood drives for a number of reasons.  The most important is that every pint of blood donated helps save three lives!  Another reason is the American Red Cross  donates a scholarship in $250 increments to Key Club! 
Not only does Key Club do the blood drive, but there are also so many other events in the community Key Club participates in.  One of the big events was the Fall Rake & Run, in which students from the middle school student council also helped out.  Students went around the community and helped rake up leaves and put them in brown bags that were donated by the community.  Another one of the biggest events was the Madison High School's Tree of Giving.  Students brought in gifts to help those in need during the holidays.  The families were extremely grateful for all the support.   
Key club holds meeting once a month in the lecture hall before school.  To get involved with Key Club you just have to show up to a meeting to sign up for the events you would like to participate in.  To keep updated with upcoming events and meetings you can listen for announcements and follow Mrs. Mesh on twitter.  Key Club is a great organization that gives you a great chance to give back to our school and the community!

Student Snapshot: Kotaro Maizuru

Playing on a Different Court

By: Adrianna Hanzak

While playing on a school team, whether it is a big event or small, the travel time to reach the far games at an away field or court can be long and reach lengths that are less than thrilling to the players. But for sophomore Kotaro Maizuru, the distance from the home court has a whole new meaning. Leaving his family and friends at home in Japan, Kotaro enrolled at Madison High School, seeing new faces,  making new friends and enjoying the friendly interactions he had with strangers and friends on a daily basis. This is something he had said was  he enjoys about his time spent here. 

With his time spent perfecting his skill on the court and his love for the sport, Kotaro has easily become the player who won the most matches on the Madison team, becoming the best player on the school's boys tennis team and earning recognition from the coach himself.
Kataro had started on his tennis career in the seventh grade, but had not enjoyed the sport in the beginning.  As he developed a much higher skill level then he started out with, he also developed a love for the sport.  It's a love he shares with his father. 
With as much skill as he has on the court, it is natural that he prefers to play singles.  Playing one on one gives him the opportunity to push himself more than he would be capable of if he were to play doubles with a teammate at his side. With the skill he has and the experiences that he has had on the team, it is not at all surprising that when asked what his most memorable moment that he has experienced at Madison High School was the tennis team.

SB: A v. Riverside

WRC Rematch

When it came to the Western Reserve Conference championship last season, the only names on anyone's lips were Madison and Riverside.  The two softball juggernauts boasted amazing seasons and clashed for the crown; an honor that would fall to the Blue Streaks.

The Beavers and Streaks met again this past Wednesday where Madison sent a strong message that they would be aiming to repeat their 2016 success.  The final scoreline read 12-6 in favor of the defending champions.

After throwing three innings where she racked up four strike outs, pitcher Alyssa Rose was credited with the win.  

While allowing six runs was never in the game-plan, it was an irrelevant point once the offense kicked into gear.  The Blue Streaks combined for sixteen hits including three hits apiece from Liz Montgomery, Alyssa Rose and Gabby Blackford.

Montgomery, team captain and sole senior, attributed their success to the level of competition Riverside brings each year. "They're one of the better teams in the conference," she said.  "We knew we had to come out hitting." 

Sophomore Jordan Pasalaqua only recorded one hit in the game, but made up for lack of quantity with quality.  Her second inning triple scored two runs and established dominant Madison lead that would carry them to the finish.

The two teams will meet up again on Monday April 10th when the Beavers will travel to Madison.  First pitch is at 4:30pm.  Come out and support the Streaks!