Rosa Argiero: A Unique Talent
by Jillian Hartley (’10)
Most teenagers take part in sports like basketball, volleyball, and football. Unlike most teenagers that spend their time in a hot gym or out on a playing field, Rosa Argiero grew accustomed to a cold ice rink. She was a competitive figure skater and put in as much or more time and effort as any other athlete.
Rosa began skating when she was ten years old after she was invited to a friend’s skating party and fell in love with the sport. Even though ten years old was considered too old to begin a sport like this due to the amount of practice to become successful, she worked hard and caught on quickly. Soon Rosa joined a competitive figure skating team called "The Hockettes" and with this membership came a lot of responsibilities and hard work. A normal week for Rosa consisted of six hours of on-ice team practice, five hours of individual private lessons, two ballet classes and two off-ice conditioning classes. She was also involved in many skating competitions. Her team traveled to at least three out-of-state competitions per year. Rosa’s most memorable competition moment was in sixth grade when her team won the State Games of America, which is comparable to the Junior Olympics. Rosa said, " I enjoy the competitions because I get to demonstrate my skating abilities."
Skating was something that Rosa loved but it had its downfalls. Injuries were common and very discouraging. Rosa’s first injury came at ten years old when she was kicked in the leg with a skate blade, resulting in a scar. This scar was just the first in a series of permanent reminders of her skating career. In sixth grade, she suffered from tendonitis in her knee as well as a strained ACL. Junior year of high school was the hardest season for Rosa. In January of ’09 she was accidently kicked in the leg by a teammate and received two layers of stitches; three in the muscle tissue and fifteen in the skin. By February she was finally eligible to compete, but was injured again. During a team practice of a whip intersection, Rosa clicked blades with a teammate and fell backward, hitting her head on the ice. Her hair, up in a bun, saved her from serious harm but she received a concussion and had to be transported to the hospital where she received eight staples in her scalp. These injuries caused many problems, including migraines which prevented her from skating or doing any physical activity. After many doctors visits, physical therapy and medications these problems are less serious but still present. "I have stayed with skating because it is a unique sport that few high school students are involved in." said Rosa.
Despite these various injuries, Rosa looks back on her skating career with fondness. She made many good friends and had many memorable experiences. She no longer skates due to her concussion and because of the expenses involved in skating. Rosa picked a unique and unusual sport to participate in, but for her, it was the perfect fit.
Rosa began skating when she was ten years old after she was invited to a friend’s skating party and fell in love with the sport. Even though ten years old was considered too old to begin a sport like this due to the amount of practice to become successful, she worked hard and caught on quickly. Soon Rosa joined a competitive figure skating team called "The Hockettes" and with this membership came a lot of responsibilities and hard work. A normal week for Rosa consisted of six hours of on-ice team practice, five hours of individual private lessons, two ballet classes and two off-ice conditioning classes. She was also involved in many skating competitions. Her team traveled to at least three out-of-state competitions per year. Rosa’s most memorable competition moment was in sixth grade when her team won the State Games of America, which is comparable to the Junior Olympics. Rosa said, " I enjoy the competitions because I get to demonstrate my skating abilities."
Skating was something that Rosa loved but it had its downfalls. Injuries were common and very discouraging. Rosa’s first injury came at ten years old when she was kicked in the leg with a skate blade, resulting in a scar. This scar was just the first in a series of permanent reminders of her skating career. In sixth grade, she suffered from tendonitis in her knee as well as a strained ACL. Junior year of high school was the hardest season for Rosa. In January of ’09 she was accidently kicked in the leg by a teammate and received two layers of stitches; three in the muscle tissue and fifteen in the skin. By February she was finally eligible to compete, but was injured again. During a team practice of a whip intersection, Rosa clicked blades with a teammate and fell backward, hitting her head on the ice. Her hair, up in a bun, saved her from serious harm but she received a concussion and had to be transported to the hospital where she received eight staples in her scalp. These injuries caused many problems, including migraines which prevented her from skating or doing any physical activity. After many doctors visits, physical therapy and medications these problems are less serious but still present. "I have stayed with skating because it is a unique sport that few high school students are involved in." said Rosa.
Despite these various injuries, Rosa looks back on her skating career with fondness. She made many good friends and had many memorable experiences. She no longer skates due to her concussion and because of the expenses involved in skating. Rosa picked a unique and unusual sport to participate in, but for her, it was the perfect fit.
The Taboo of Tattoos
by Patrick Lukowicz (’10)
Tattoos---seemingly rebellious, yet meaningful in nature. They represent many different and unique aspects to an individual, perhaps their past, present, or future. They can signify close family heritage and religious strength or symbolize a certain characteristic or memory in that person’s life. To summarize it simply, tattoos give a visible definition, a sneak peek if you may, at an individual and helps characterize who they are, what they love, and what they value. But in recent years tattoos have become something of a decorative asset, especially to teens and young adults. As seen lately in popular culture, many young men and women simply get tattoos for ‘looks’ in an effort to grab the attention of their peers and express how ‘meaningful’ and ‘sophisticated’ they wish to be perceived. But there is hope for those of you who still have a notion of how meaningful tattoos should be. In a survey The Titan Times conducted a few weeks ago, juniors and seniors were given the opportunity to voice their opinion about tattoos and the results gave some very revealing insights.
Out of the 160 returned surveys from the junior/senior homerooms:
88% of the upperclassmen said that they did not have a tattoo
36% said they would like to or plan on getting a tattoo
19% said they were unsure if they would get a tattoo
33% said they did not like or didn’t want a tattoo
12% of the upperclassmen said that they did have a tattoo
3% actually had a tattoo
9% could not be verified
Seniors Cody Wesolowski, Lindsy Sambaer, Chris Knickerbocker, and junior Jason Cross made up the 3% of students who actually had tattoos and offered to be interviewed for this article.
“Ever since I was a little kid,” Jason Cross (’11) said, “I thought that tattoos were cool, and someday I’d get one. My dad took me to a tattoo parlor to get his own tattoo ‘touched up’ and I decided that I wanted to get one. My dad approved and I got it. My tattoo is a cross, which symbolizes my last name and well as my Catholic beliefs. I’ve never gotten any negative reaction from having a tattoo; everybody that knows I have one seems to like it. I definitely plan on getting another one in the near future.”
Lindsy Sambaer (’10) shared the following: “When my cousin from Belgium came to visit me, she, my stepmom, and I decided to get tattoos. We went to several tattoo shops to look for good deals and finally decided on one. I searched the Internet to look for the tattoo I wanted and chose a flower design. The only thing it really signifies is the trip my cousin took to come here and the time she spent here with my family. Many of my friends and family were shocked when they found out that I got a tattoo, but I’m happy with it. I do plan on getting another one in the future, but I’m not sure of what just yet.”
Cody Wesolowski (’10) said, “I got my tattoo because I really wanted to get my last name on my back. I wanted it to signify what I am and who I am. It tells people not to mess with me and that I respect my name. I went about getting my tattoo by going to Twisted Ink to get it priced and then figured out what kind of lettering I wanted, which took some time. I had a couple of close friends that came with me just to see if I would cry but they got disappointed when I didn’t even shed a tear. My mom was pretty calm when I told he that I got a tattoo because she wants to get one as well, so when I get my next tattoo I’ll take her with me. Overall, I am very satisfied with how my tattoo came out. I do plan on getting more, and I think the next one I get will be a cross with folded hands praying and a rosary on my right side.”
Chris Knickerbocker (’10) goes above and beyond with a whopping 7 tattoos located all over his upper body. Chris stated, “I like getting tattoos. When I decided to get them I simply went to the bank and got some money and went to a tattoo parlor. I went alone to get them most of the time. My tattoos describe different things to me, but they all have significance to me. My family and friends are shocked to know that I’m only 18 and already have 7 tattoos, but I like having them a lot and plan on getting more in the future.”
Lindsy, Cody, and Jason shared the meaning of their tattoos while Chris preferred to keep the meaning of this tattoos to himself. All four invested money and skin into their tattoos and all plan to have more in the future. However, because of the recent increase of popularity with tattoos, many individuals have gotten tattoos that do not hold meaning to them and end up regretting even getting them. “Tattooing one’s body is a lifestyle, not a fashion statement,” says Rob Stuart, owner of Underground Ink, a tattoo parlor in Michigan Center. Mr. Stuart expressed frustration over the popularity of tattoos, saying that his tattoo artists are expected to question young people regarding their reasons behind wanting a tattoo. Then oftentimes these customers are discouraged from going ahead with a tattoo. Mr. Stuart wants his clients to be certain of what they are about to do.
The overall response from the upper-class student body indicates that a third of you would like to have a tattoo at some point in your future. What will your tattoo reveal about you?
Out of the 160 returned surveys from the junior/senior homerooms:
88% of the upperclassmen said that they did not have a tattoo
36% said they would like to or plan on getting a tattoo
19% said they were unsure if they would get a tattoo
33% said they did not like or didn’t want a tattoo
12% of the upperclassmen said that they did have a tattoo
3% actually had a tattoo
9% could not be verified
Seniors Cody Wesolowski, Lindsy Sambaer, Chris Knickerbocker, and junior Jason Cross made up the 3% of students who actually had tattoos and offered to be interviewed for this article.
“Ever since I was a little kid,” Jason Cross (’11) said, “I thought that tattoos were cool, and someday I’d get one. My dad took me to a tattoo parlor to get his own tattoo ‘touched up’ and I decided that I wanted to get one. My dad approved and I got it. My tattoo is a cross, which symbolizes my last name and well as my Catholic beliefs. I’ve never gotten any negative reaction from having a tattoo; everybody that knows I have one seems to like it. I definitely plan on getting another one in the near future.”
Lindsy Sambaer (’10) shared the following: “When my cousin from Belgium came to visit me, she, my stepmom, and I decided to get tattoos. We went to several tattoo shops to look for good deals and finally decided on one. I searched the Internet to look for the tattoo I wanted and chose a flower design. The only thing it really signifies is the trip my cousin took to come here and the time she spent here with my family. Many of my friends and family were shocked when they found out that I got a tattoo, but I’m happy with it. I do plan on getting another one in the future, but I’m not sure of what just yet.”
Cody Wesolowski (’10) said, “I got my tattoo because I really wanted to get my last name on my back. I wanted it to signify what I am and who I am. It tells people not to mess with me and that I respect my name. I went about getting my tattoo by going to Twisted Ink to get it priced and then figured out what kind of lettering I wanted, which took some time. I had a couple of close friends that came with me just to see if I would cry but they got disappointed when I didn’t even shed a tear. My mom was pretty calm when I told he that I got a tattoo because she wants to get one as well, so when I get my next tattoo I’ll take her with me. Overall, I am very satisfied with how my tattoo came out. I do plan on getting more, and I think the next one I get will be a cross with folded hands praying and a rosary on my right side.”
Chris Knickerbocker (’10) goes above and beyond with a whopping 7 tattoos located all over his upper body. Chris stated, “I like getting tattoos. When I decided to get them I simply went to the bank and got some money and went to a tattoo parlor. I went alone to get them most of the time. My tattoos describe different things to me, but they all have significance to me. My family and friends are shocked to know that I’m only 18 and already have 7 tattoos, but I like having them a lot and plan on getting more in the future.”
Lindsy, Cody, and Jason shared the meaning of their tattoos while Chris preferred to keep the meaning of this tattoos to himself. All four invested money and skin into their tattoos and all plan to have more in the future. However, because of the recent increase of popularity with tattoos, many individuals have gotten tattoos that do not hold meaning to them and end up regretting even getting them. “Tattooing one’s body is a lifestyle, not a fashion statement,” says Rob Stuart, owner of Underground Ink, a tattoo parlor in Michigan Center. Mr. Stuart expressed frustration over the popularity of tattoos, saying that his tattoo artists are expected to question young people regarding their reasons behind wanting a tattoo. Then oftentimes these customers are discouraged from going ahead with a tattoo. Mr. Stuart wants his clients to be certain of what they are about to do.
The overall response from the upper-class student body indicates that a third of you would like to have a tattoo at some point in your future. What will your tattoo reveal about you?
The Kala-lair by EmilyWalz
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