The Chronicle, 10.2

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Oct. 26, 2012 | The Chronicle | thecspn.com | Vol. 10, Issue 2 Proudly serving the William Mason High School Community

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photo by Rebekah Barnes

Someone is going to run out of these houses and murder me and nobody will ever know.

Amanda Kallach, senior (Page 4)

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

News

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C The Weekly preview

MBC News Reporters/Play by Play Analysts Matt Beebe and Alex Day share their thoughts and make their predictions for Friday’s football game. Go to thecspn.com to listen!

Mahfouz Abu Turk/APA Images/Zuma Press/MCT

Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua/Zuma Press/MCT

(Left): Israeli policemen detain a Palestinian protester during a demonstration against the film Innocence of Muslims in front of al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. (Right): Protests occur outside the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen.

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Protecting hate speech in america

Video raises questions over protected speech in United States C Battle of the Skies

The Mason Comet football team takes on the Sycamore Aviators tonight at Sycamore. For coverage of the game, check thecspn.com.

C Cross country previews

Visit thecspn.com for a preview of the boys’ and girls’ Regional cross country meet, held in Troy, Ohio this Saturday!

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Photos of Red Ribbon Week in Comet Country on thecspn.com now!

C Common Core explanations

Confused about Common Core?

Go to thecspn.com for a summary of the Common Core Standards Seminar to better understand the changes in curriculum.

compiled by Ashley Calvani

Ria Shah | Staff Writer

Say too much about a man’s religion in the United States and an American Ambassador dies in Libya.

After a 13-minute anti-Muslim trailer for the never-released movie, The Innocence of Muslims, went viral on YouTube this past July, several attacks occurred in the Middle East targeting American operations. American Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, was killed on an ambush of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, according to the Huffington Post World.

Sarah Awwad, Mason High School senior, said how this video is just adding to the racism and stereotype issue already grounded in America.

“I was watching the news and there [were] riots going on and this is exactly what [people like Nakoula] want [Muslims] to do, they want [Muslims] to be violent and kill innocent people,” Sarah said. “I don’t think it’s right that those Arabs were going on a spree killing Americans, but this is exactly what this video is showing, and [Muslims are] living up to that stereotype of violence that most Muslims don’t stand for.

Obviously there’s a ton of American Muslims, and none of us are in the news for killing.”

The man admitting to managing this film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, was recently arrested and sits in prison for violating terms of his probation from the internet on a bank scam sentence years ago, according to The Atlantic Monthly.

MHS freshman, Susie Awwad, is an Arab-Muslim who has not only heard about the video but has taken offense to the production. “…my whole family was a little disappointed why anyone would make it,” Susie said.

MHS principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart said she does not wish to see the video or even position herself in that setting.

“I had heard about [the video] through the news,” McCarty-Stewart said. “I knew that I was going to commit to not watching the video so that I wasn’t contributing to the hype around it. But I knew enough to know that that was kind of my protester’s stance on it, to not even do it because often times curiosity will drive people to do that.”

Sarah said that she still supports the first amendment and said she agrees Nakoula has the right to express his opinion despite its insulting attitude.

“I think that [Nakoula] definitely had the right because it’s in the constitution,” Sarah said. “It’s his own opinion, but its just so disrespectful…I don’t think it should be illegal at all because it’s freedom of speech, we all have it.”

Although Sarah may not wear a “hijab”, or headscarf, she recalls how a Muslim girl that did wear one was confronted with similar hate speech antics.

“A few years back, my friend Amira, she graduated last year, she used to wear a head scarf,” Sarah said. “And someone came up to her and was like ‘why were you the cause of 9/11, why’d you do that?’ And it was really racist. That puts a lot of girls that wear headscarves vulnerable to being made fun of and just more hate.”

Wearing a headscarf is a daily ritual for MHS sophomore Raghad Kodvawala, and is something she said she has done since she was twelve years old.

“It’s a religious thing; I started when I was twelve,” Kodvawala said. “My mom had always worn it, and she told me that when [I get old enough] I should wear it. I just feel like it’s not something to be ashamed of, and if you’re

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

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FREE SPEECH: Video sparks protests throughout the world Story

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supposed to do it, you should do it. And it’s fun being different because you know people will remember you. Like when they look back on high school, they’ll be like ‘Oh yeah, that was her’.

They’re [going to] remember me because I’m different. Nobody really talks to me about it, nobody’s really said anything besides ‘I like your scarf today.’ People have asked questions, but [they are] just normal.”

Kodvawala, in response to Innocence of Muslims, said that she cannot comprehend why it was made and that it was blown out of proportion because of the riots.

“I just think it’s a stupid thing to do; I don’t know why they would do that,” Kodvawala said. “It wouldn’t have been a big deal if they hadn’t made it a big deal. Nobody would have watched it if the Egyptians hadn’t decided to revolt.”

Sarah said she wishes she could send a message to Muslim extremists to calm their actions.

“I wish I could just like show the Muslims in the Middle East, the more extreme ones, how I’m a Muslim American and I have to deal with the stuff they do,” Sarah said. “If they portray us in a bad way, then I’m the one that gets judged and [gets approached by] airport security and even get people asking me ignorant questions. I’m a peaceful Muslim…so it just makes my life harder here, I just wish somehow we could show them”.

Susie said she is glad she lives in America and is away from all the violence occurring in the Middle East, but she said that she wishes she were around more people that understand her culture.

“I’m proud to live in America and I’m proud to have all these rights, but I do wish that I was surrounded by more Arabs,” Susie said. “Sometimes it does kind of get hard because some people do view things differently.”

Sarah said the video took religion too far. “[The video is] just so ignorant,” Sarah said. “I think people should keep their opinions to themselves because of course it’s going to anger a huge group, especially when it comes to religion.”

Susie takes no shame in knowing that hate speech has targeted her racial background. “…there is a point where I have to stay true to my Arab side when it comes to hate,” Susie said.

The idea of social discrimination and repulsive language here at MHS is approached preemptively, McCarty-Stewart said.

“I guess it’s a positive thing that I can’t [think of an incident of hate speech],” said McCarty-Stewart. “Obviously we take a very strong stance on bullying, harassment, hazing, social cruelty, all those things that we have. We have issues like that, pockets like that, we work on the intolerance and I think we try to educate.

But I can’t recall that we’ve had a more formal [incident of hate speech]. I think teachers are taking more control in the classroom, so if they see that students are maybe formulating to put in some type of view like that, that’s hateful, then they would avoid it…I think we try to do things preventatively.”

Where hate speech meets free speech is the delicate line Nakoula and others have recently trotted on, according to Susie.

“It’s on the border line [of] hate speech…and it’s a little too far, I think.” Susie said.

Table - Map, mainly of the Islamic world, locating countries with protests against an anti-Islamic video made in the U.S.; with list detailing events. MCT 2012

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

N E K

Risky hostage game poses potential danger Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

photos by Rebekah Barnes

(Above): Amanda Kallach prepares for a round, getting blindfolded by her friends. (Top from left to right): 1. Chad Blomgren waiting for his team on Brewer Road. 2. Amanda Kallach and Nick Whitmore race back to the meeting point. 3. Whitmore is blindfolded by Kaitlyn McGowan for an upcoming round.

Senior Amanda Kallach was blindfolded, put into a car, driven out to a deserted road and was left there for her friends to find her.

While this may sound like the start to a murder mystery or crime show, this is how Kallach and her friends spend their free time. It’s called ‘Hostage’--a new game that, according to Kallach, has caught on with the Mason High School population because of its exhilarating experiences.

How you play is simple. According to Kallach, it involves two teams, ten minutes and an intense adrenaline rush.

“You have two teams,” Kallach said. “[And the] two teams meet each other at like a meeting place…somewhere everyone knows about. You pick a ‘hostage’ from both team[s] and…you end up switching hostages and you blind-fold them and you have ten minutes to drive them wherever you can in ten minutes. They’re blindfolded so they have no idea what’s going on; they have no idea where they are going. And then once they get to the spot after the ten minutes, they drop off their person, they take their blindfold off and then they leave them. And they have to call their team and [have them] find them first.”

Kallach learned the game from senior Keaton Reed, and Reed said he was even nervous the first time he played the game.

“The first time I played it, I was really freaked out because... it’s kind of just like being lost,” Reed said. “I mean, you have the people on the phone [to talk to] but…you still don’t know where you are. But after a while it just becomes like natural and you know what to do, [like to] find street signs and stuff like that. …At first it’s kind of freaky but you get used to it; it gets really exhilarating.”

For Kallach, she said she wasn’t too keen on being a ‘hostage.’

“I was like nervous about [playing] and I didn’t want to be [a] ‘hostage’ first,” Kallach said. “So, I kind of sat through a Story

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(From left to right): Kallach dropped off on an abandoned road. 2. Teammates exchange numbers to call each other. 3. Senior PJ Greene is blindfolded for his first game.

HOSTAGE: Students can get carried away playing dangerous game Story

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couple rounds and they made me go next. And it was still kind of nerve-wracking but fun at the same time. It makes it a lot better that you can talk to the people because it’s like you have someone to talk to [on your own team] so you’re not just completely alone. …It was definitely nervewracking but it was fun.”

Senior Emily Harrison said that she rides along on hostage trips with Kallach, but doesn’t participate at all.

“I think it’s a waste of gas,” Harrison said. “Gas is too expensive to be doing that. And I think it’s pretty sketchy because somebody can see you on the side of the road and pull you into their car. That’s why I don’t get dropped off...I’m just there for the social aspect.”

Harrison said that there is a lot that can go wrong in a game of hostage.

“Someone can get hit by a car like if someone swerves off the road or something,” Harrison said. “Someone [can get] kidnapped or just bad stuff can happen. I tell [my friends], ‘Let’s go do something else.’ But they don’t agree with me and they always want to play that game so we play that game.”

Junior Nick Orlando said he has played hostage, and the first time of being the hostage resulted in being lost for an hour with only his partner and himself.

“Being the hostage for the first time was pretty scary, I’m not going to lie, because…the people I played with it played it a lot and I was dropped off in a pretty hard spot,” Orlando said.

“I had no idea where I was and…my partner [and I were] totally lost and we sat there for about an hour so we had no idea [where we were]. And [the team] had to pick us [back] up, and it was pretty scary. …I mean, …it got easier and easier the more times you play because you know where you’re at and some people use the same places.”

One of the first times Kallach was ‘hostage’, she said she was left alone on a dirt road.

“I got dropped off on this little road on ButlerWarren, down by the outlet malls,” Kallach said.

“And there is just a couple of houses like no street

lights, it was super creepy. I was just thinking, Some one is going to run out of these houses and murder me out here and no one will ever know. I was talking to someone on the phone, so if I really needed [help]. But it definitely was exhilarating. It was definitely nerve-wracking.”

Even though Orlando says they remain safe, he said good spots for hiding the hostage have to be well secluded and unknown.

“A good spot is behind something that is in a back road, something that’s abandoned [or] in an abandoned warehouse,” Orlando said. “And it’s

“People definitely get out of hand with it,” Kallach said. “I think, when you play, you have to use that reason and think, ‘Oh I think that would be a really bad place to put them’ because of what happens there. Like if someplace looks really sketchy we try and stay away from it. We were mostly dropping people off in like civilized areas, not just like random. But we try to make sure if there is a sketchy car or something there we are like, ‘Okay that’s not smart.’ So I think some people didn’t use that reason. So I think some people did get out of hand with it.”

Orlando said that there can be reservations about the game, as he saw when he has played.

“Some people enjoyed it,” Orlando said.

“Some people didn’t like it because some people didn’t like being dropped off--most of the girls got pretty scared and didn’t enjoy having to run and go to different places to figure out where [they] are. But the guys, they seemed to enjoy it a lot more because of the challenge of two teams trying to win, so they like the challenge more.”

Kallach said there is a range of reactions when shares her stories from hostage.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Who came up with this?’ and it’s kind of like well we heard it from someone else,” Kallach said.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh my God, that sounds so fun…I want to try it.’ And then other people are like, ‘That is so dumb. Why would anyone like that?’ There’s a big range of questions and reactions but it’s just kind of funny to see how everyone reacts to the game, especially after you play it.

Like some people are like, ‘I am never doing that again’ and some people are like, ‘That’s so fun let’s do that tomorrow night.’ But it’s crazy how different people react to it.”

Although Kallach said she encourages the game, she wants people to play with reason in mind.

“Make sure your safe when you play it,” Kallach said. “It could get dangerous.”

“I had no idea where I was and... my partner [and I were] totally lost and we sat there for about an hour...

And they had to pick us [back] up, and it was pretty scary.” somewhere you don’t know. You want to try to be against a highway or a windy back road where I was. Just a windy road, a bunch of trees so there is nothing to look at. …You don’t want to drop them off near street signs.”

Knowing basic common sense is enough for Reed to stay safe in the game, he said.

“As long as you know things to do, like don’t be stupid and go up and get into peoples cars or anything like that,” Reed said. “As long as you know basic ‘don’t talk to strangers’ kind of rules, then I think its fine.”

While some choose to play it safe, Kallach said that there are groups out there who do not use proper reason when they play.

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ast track to fat

Ohio one of the fattest states in the country

OCTOBER 26, 2012

In 2011...

Meghan Harris | Staff Writer

Thirteen is an unlucky number for those in Ohio, considering the latest reports reveal Ohio as the 13th fattest state. One in three Ohioans are considered obese, and the numbers are rising quickly.

Mason High School junior James Gao said he thinks the main reason for obesity in Ohio is lack of exercise resulting from Ohioans constantly driving.

“A lot of the thinnest states, such as New York, have these huge subway systems and there aren’t subway stops at every block, so people have to walk to the subway station,” Gao said. “But in Ohio there is none of that, so people just drive around. We have great roads, but that means people don’t get much exercise.”

According to MHS junior Laura Kehres, the problem with obesity starts at home.

“I think that the problem with Ohio schools is that we focus so much on eating healthy and getting exercise but we force children to do it, we don’t actually encourage it at the home and we don’t make [children] want to do it,” Kehres said.

“We tell them that they have to.”

MHS Health teacher Gary Popovich said the culprit of obesity is a busy lifestyle. “[MHS students] here are pretty active,” Popovich said. “And I know that in a fast paced lifestyle, it’s much easier to go through the drive-thru.”

And constantly going to the drive through has its consequences. The Trust For America’s Health “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2012” report projects that by 2030, one in two Americans will be obese. Gao said he thinks that Americans will face rising costs in health care and governmental reforms.

“I definitely think we are going to see an increase in health care costs,” Gao said. “But I think ultimately we’re going to see more healthy choices and more reforms to try to encourage us to exercise more, especially in company health care policies.”

Top 5 States

with the highest obesity rates

1. Mississippi: 34.9% 2. Louisana: 33.4% 3. West Virginia: 32.4% 4. Alabama: 32.0% 5. Michigan: 31.3%

MHS junior Lauren Magness said she thinks the rise in obesity will affect her lifestyle in college.

“I think [the rise in obesity] will mean that I’ll have to be much more aware of what I eat when I’m in college, “ Magness said. “Especially with the food that I buy and the time that I set out to make my own dinner, that way I don’t gain a lot of weight.”

To prevent the rise of obesity in America, Kehres said she thinks society should put promote a healthy body image rather than just being skinny.

“I think that we can prevent [the rise in obesity] by encouraging in society a healthy body image rather than just a skinny [body image] because you can be skinny without having to exercise,” Kehres said. “Obesity is something that starts from a young age, so if we encourage children to be healthier and make healthier choices then they won’t be as prone to obesity.”

Gao said he thinks making cities easier to walk around and government restrictions on unhealthy foods will be important factors in decreasing obesity in Ohio.

“Well I think that some government restrictions on really unhealthy foods, like the ban on supersized sodas in New York, are a step in the right directions,” Gao said. “I think we should make our cities more walk-able; more sidewalks and less urban sprawl.”

MHS Independent Living and Wellness teacher Tiann Keesling said physical education courses should not only involve physical activity, but teach kids about nutrition.

“Through middle school and high school, Physical Education should be centered around proper nutrition-how to buy and create healthy meals along with life-long physical activities,” Keesling said. “Expecting each student to understand the importance of the types of food they consume, but also realizing how it will affect their future and their children’s.”

17% of children were obese

1/3 adults were obese statistics according to Trust for America’s Health reports

Predicted in 2030...

1/2 adults will be obese

59.6% of adults to be obese photo art by Erica Boden

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

ance to benefit leukemia and lymphoma society

National Honor Society to host dance January 26 Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor

The winter dance is back.

According to National Honor Society President, senior Paige Richie, on January 26, NHS will be putting on the dance in order to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“The dance is going to be for Pasta for Pennies,” Richie said. “Basically, in January we’re going to have a triad of events going on. We’ll have the winter dance, Zumbathon and talent show all together. And all that money will be donated to Leukemia and Lymphoma society.”

According to Richie, the winter dance will not be a formal affair, encouraging a casual atmosphere where more people will want to go.

“We decided to do a more group oriented dance, instead of a more date oriented dance, so that way anyone who wanted to go, felt like they could, and didn’t have to have a date to go,” Richie said.

According to NHS advisor Barb Shuba, students will not have to search for the perfect dress or the right tie—the dance casual.

“We’re bringing back the winter dance, but it’s not a formal dance,” Shuba said. “The intent is not for people to buy dresses and spend a lot of money, but to have fun in an environment that is very casual.”

Richie said that along with planning the attire of the dance, the hardest part was simply choosing a date and getting administration’s approval.

“We wanted to pick a date that doesn’t compete with anything else, so that everyone has the opportunity to go,” Richie said. “And that getting permission for the dance was the biggest obstacle we had so far. But now since administration is now very supportive of it, we’re really happy about that and it makes everything go a lot faster.”

According to Richie, aside from getting approval, one of their biggest goals is to get a lot of student input.

“This isn’t supposed to be another Homecoming or a Prom, so student feedback is always good,” Richie said. “We want to know: do you like neon?

Do you like decades? What other themes did you have in mind? Would you like it to be more than just a dance? Would you want other things to do like games or prizes or just dance?”

Richie said that students should come to the dance because it’s for charity.

“We’re really hoping to definitely raise a lot of money, and all of it goes to Pasta For Pennies, so we really encourage all students to come because it’s for charity,” Richie said. “So we want [a lot]

more money for Pasta for Pennies. Last year we raised about $29,000, which put us fourth place nationally, but this year we’re hoping to get at least third.”

In order to raise enough money for Pasta for Pennies, the ticket prices will be ten dollars.

“Ticket prices are going to be $10,” Richie said.

“It’s going to be online ticketing, just like it was before Homecoming , and we’re going to start selling them two weeks before, and one week before you can still buy online, but it will be $15.”

According to Shuba, NHS hopes that the winter dance will leave a lasting impact on Mason.

“I think the big thing that we’re looking for is a celebration of everything…that our school has done in terms of Leukemia and Lymphoma…so I think especially since this is Liz Lothrop and Joel Brown’s senior year, it’s kind of like a big celebration,” Shuba said.

Richie said that the dance is a way for the school to come together and do something for an important charity that hits close to home.

“It’s also another way to bring the school back together to do something worthwhile,” Richie said. “It’s a way to get closer since we’re such a big school.”

C Extended Coverage

photo by Rebekah Barnes

Above: National Honor Society President Paige Richie leads discussion on the planning of the winter dance.

To watch MBC Reporter Morgan Orlando’s exclusive report and to find out more about theme development for the dance, check out thecspn.com.

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

Opinion Chronicle Policy

C Editorial Cartoon

The Chronicle is the official student newspaper of William Mason High School.

The Chronicle promises to report the truth and adhere to the journalistic code of ethics through online and print mediums.

The Chronicle is produced by students enrolled in Journalism I, II and III. Editorials reflect the staff ’s opinion but do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the school administration or the Mason City School District.

The Chronicle is published monthly. Call 398-5025 ext. 33106 for information regarding advertising in The Chronicle. The Chronicle reserves the right to refuse advertising we deem inappropriate for a high school publication.

As an open forum for students, letters to the editor are welcome, but are subject to be edited for length, libel, obscenity, clarity and poor taste.

Letters to the editor may be dropped off in room C106 and must be signed.

The Chronicle is a member of The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, The National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists and the Ohio Scholastic Media Association.

Contact Information The Chronicle William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. Mason, Ohio 45040 (513) 398-5025 The Chronicle Staff Editor-in-Chief Rebekah Barnes Associate Editor Chloe Knue Layout and Design Editor Erica Boden Online Editor Ashley Calvani Sports Editor Katelyn Cain Business Manager Samantha Weaver Editorial Cartoonist Ajay Agrawal Staff Writers Erin Brush Emily Culberson Emily Faas Katherine Hansen Meghan Harris Corinne Hazen Katie Hibner Corynne Hogan Nicole Huser Sheila Raghavendran Katie Rojas Ria Shah Taylor Telford Adviser Dale Conner

C Staff Editorial Presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barrack Obama are campaigning to be the next President of the United States in the election this November. A job description for the victor consists of: inheriting trillions of dollars in debt, receiving judgements from the highest, most intelligent critics, managing world issues such as immigration and trade, dealing with the decisions of war and comprehending the amount of America’s whose fate’s lie within the palm of your hand, carrying the prosperity of millions of people on your back, the word “privacy” no longer exists in your vocabulary, gray hair, attacks on your personal and private life from the media, never completely safe, loved ones will be deprived of a normal life, mocked through social media, have your life story told by strangers, the opposite political party will do everything they can to tear you down, and expect to be under an intense microscope where one mistake can ruin you.

Who would want this job?

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, Making the student choose a fruit of vegatable with their lunch is a good idea, but when the student can get pizza and fries, does a fruit and vegetable make it healthier? Most of the students throw away the fruit or vegetable anyway and that is just a waste of money and food.

Grace Kastens, freshman Dear Editor, I admire Aminah’s decision to continue running during Ramadan.

Your faith should come before extra-curricular activities, but if you have the opportunity to participate in both at the same time, you should try it. Since she can only eat and drink at night, it’s incredible that she can balance he life well enough to have energy for the day. As a member of the cross country team, we have to wear sweatpants to warm-up before a meet if it’s cold out. I can’t imagine trying to run in hot temperatures wearing sweatpants everyday like Amaniah does. Running is draning even when you only have to wear shorts. I am dead by the time I go home after practice whether it’s right after school or during a morning practice in the summer.

Matt Welage, freshman

CORRECTION: In the article, “Almost There” in the September 28 issue of The Chronicle, senior Sommer Adwani’s name was spelled incorrectly. We apologize for this error.

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

Opinion C Columns

Race doesn’t compare to hard work and accomplishments

Dear teenage youth, put down the cell phone

Erica Boden | Layout and Design Editor

Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

I settled into my Sunday morning routine: catching up on DVR’d TV, eating Mom’s pancakes, and searching through scholarships. As I was perusing online scholarships, these were some of my options: “African American Diversity Scholarship,” “Latino Foundation Scholarship,” and “Polish Alliance Scholarship.”

Well...there’s a teeny problem with me trying to apply to these scholarships.

I’m white.

Because of that one thing, my skin color, I’m now unqualified for a plethora of scholarships. To me, that’s a load of crap. Why would my skin color matter if I’m a good student? I’ve worked hard and gotten good grades, facts that should speak for themselves. Yet here we are, having race as a prevalent issue in today’s world.

Schools, businesses and society preach the same thing: “Race doesn’t matter!”

And to me, it truly doesn’t.

I don’t give two hoots whether you’re red, white, black, or aqua. Hard work is hard work. A kind person is a kind person. Period.

But if race doesn’t matter, like we’re told, then why can’t I apply for the same scholarships as other kids? If race doesn’t matter, why was it such a big deal that Gabby Douglas was the first African-American gymnast to win the all-around Olympic gold? I think she’s just an incredible gymnast who won the all-around.

If race, truly, doesn’t matter, then why does it matter if our current President is black? A president is a president; the color of his skin shouldn’t have significance, the quality of his work should.

Our country has come a long way from where we started; I don’t overlook that, and it’s incredibly inspiring what we’ve achieved from the days of separate water fountains. But sometimes, ideas get misconstrued. By singling out specific ethnicities to try to give everyone an “equal opportunity” for scholarships, it’s ending up excluding others because of his/her race.

If race doesn’t matter, then people shouldn’t be classified by their skin color; scholarships shouldn’t be labeled by ethnicity; schools shouldn’t have a quota to fill of certain races. To all the schools that preach diversity: race is not the only component.

Look beyond the physical attributes in people, you might find something bigger.

“I’m a Republican because I believe people should work hard for what they get and it shouldn’t be given to them.”

Megan Drake, junior

“I’m a Democrat just because my parents are democrats.”

Sydney Jensen, freshman

I cannot go through an entire meal without at least holding my iPhone in my hand, making sure I don’t miss any notifications.

That’s sad. But it’s not that uncommon.

My friends and I all do it. We can’t seem to put them down. The online world even dictates half of our conversations, as we gab on about what other people are doing, instead of us actually doing something. And that’s problematic.

You see, while carrying around your phone, iPod, computer or what have you, sitting down and having a conversation with one person, solely putting your attention on them, means that you are neglecting the people updating their twitter, Facebook and Instagram all instantaneously. And what if they are subtweeting about you? What if 14 people liked your Instagram pic and you have no idea who they are?

What if we all just put down our phones?

Because, while we are caught up in the technological frenzy, we are missing out on real life events happening now. That friend you are ignoring at lunch while you refresh your twitter may have a huge problem that she needs to tell you right now. Your mom might have big news, but you can’t stop taking selfies on Snap Chat to care.

These small, meaningless conversations and experiences on the web will not amount to the once-in-a-lifetime moments you can have.

You will never remember the first Snap Chat you sent, or your first hashtag. You will remember the Friday night football games and the school plays and prom. Mearley documenting your thoughts on the web will not do anything but take your focus away from reality.

So I say, let’s make a pact MHS. Every now and then, don’t take your iPod on a trip. Set your iPhone in the car as you go to a friend’s house.

This year, let’s try to make memories instead of tweeting about them.

C What You Think What is your party affiliation? compiled by Erin Brush

“I’m a Republican because I agree with the conservative principles. I think the government should be smaller rather than large because people have more freedom.”

“I’m a Democrat. I’m really big on women’s rights and gay rights and I like Obamacare. I’m just a really big Obama supporter.”

John Deaton, senior

Mimi Castanias, senior

“I am a Democrat because my mom is. Her income is my income. I can’t live off of someone that’s rich because I’m not rich.”

Frita Beauchamp, sophomore

“I’m a Republican.

I like their views on the economy and I think the republicans are a little more traditional.”

Peter Bruns, junior

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OCTOBER 26, 2012 photos by Corynne Hogan

PAGE 10

S

Mason High School drama department rehearse for upcoming play, Macbeth, in the Black Box Theater.

hakespeare brought to the mainstage

From page to the stage, drama department to revive classic Macbeth

Corinne Hazen | Staff Writer

Shakespeare is not meant to be read in an English classroom, it’s meant to be acted on stage.

No one knows this better than Mason High School drama teacher Allen Young, who is directing the newest MHS play, Macbeth, for its premiere on Friday, November 2. Macbeth is required reading during sophomore English, and Young said that those attending as well as those acting in the play will be provided a better understanding of the story.

“When you do [Macbeth] and it’s in the curriculum, you get double the educational value for it,” said Young.

According to Young, taking a different spin on the traditional way of learning a text should give students a better chance of comprehending the story.

“I think one of the challenges for the kids who read it is that a lot of times they will read it in class and you have kids that aren’t trained actors and they aren’t necessarily the greatest readers and the greatest speaker and when they read it in class they get this wrong view of what Shakespeare is,” Young said. “So when you have it acted out well, it makes a lot more sense. The actors enhance the meaning [of the play].”

Sophomore Ryley Arnold will be playing the main character, Macbeth. He will be reading the text in his next trimester of English. According to Arnold, being onstage gives him the feeling of actually living out the whole life of the character he is portraying.

“Since I’m portraying this character, I’m growing all these connections to him and I feel like when I do read it and when I’m tested on it especially, I’ll have such a higher understanding of it because, in a way I’ve almost lived it,” Arnold said.

Senior Kathryn Albers, who will play Lady Macbeth, said that acting gave her more of an opportunity to develop some of her own back stories for the characters.

“I think that when you have to read it in class, the teacher sits there and tells you what the characters motives are and their reason for doing this, but when you actually have to play that character you get another point of view and you kind of sympathize with them,” Albers said. “I know when I read it I didn’t understand at all why [Lady Macbeth] would want to go and kill the king, but when you actually have to play that person you start to get a sense of why that character feels driven to do some of the stuff they have to do.”

Senior Emily Stretch will act out one of the three witches. She said that portraying her character, in a convincing manner is one of the biggest challenges she faced.

“It definitely changes when you actually have to act it out and especially when you have to personally say the lines it gives you a different understanding,” Stretch said. “You not only have to understand it yourself but you have to communicate it to others and they have to be able to see it as clearly when you act it out as when you read it.”

According to senior Katie Lipps, having the op-

portunity to see the play before reading the text will offer helpful re-enforcement for underclassman.

“When I was reading the book, if I would have had the opportunity to see the play I feel like that would have given me a lot better understanding of what was going on and really showed how Shakespeare meant for things in the play to turn out,” Lipps said. “If I could give advice to underclassman, I would tell them to definitely see the play because it’s completely worthwhile rather than using No Fear-Shakespeare or other Spark Notes to try to understand it. I feel like the play is going to give you the best possible understanding of the play when you can actually put the visuals to what you’re going to read.”

English teacher Kristin Stoll said that viewing a play on a stage is comparable to watching a baseball game in the ballpark.

“There’s going to be a lot more action and more intrigue as you’re actually watching the events unfold as opposed to sitting down, enactive, reading the text,” Stoll said.

According to Stoll students will even end up enjoying the text more overall, given the opportunity to see the play.

“I think seeing the play performed at Mason is just going to highlight the drama program here and what great things they’re doing to bring themes and things that students are studying in the classroom to life,” Stoll said.

OCTOBER 26, 2012

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

Feature

photo by Corynne Hogan

Students look at real truth behind lying Katie Rojas | Staff Writer

We are all liars.

According to school psychologist Jeff Schlaeger people, and teenagers, more specifically, lie for three main reasons.

“Teenagers lie to escape punishment or consequences, they lie in a way they think makes them get more accepted, and they lie in order to gain freedom from parents,” Schlaeger said.

According to a study done by Nancy Darling of Oberlin College found in the New York Magazine, out of 36 topics involving friends, drugs, alcohol, clothing and dating, teenagers lied about 12 of them.

Junior Emily Huff said that everybody lies based off of how it affects them.

“I think people lie to make situations more beneficial to them,” Huff said. “They can do it to get out of something they don’t want to do, or they can do it to make themselves appear a certain way.”

In the same study done by Darling, 98% of students lied, yet 98% said lying was wrong.

Senior Sam George said that lying is very prevalent in the school setting.

“If you go ask someone their test score, they’ll usually bump it up a couple of points higher just to seem more impressive,” George said. “It is going to be more trivial things like, ‘Oh I got this on a test’ when you really didn’t, or an athlete saying, ‘Oh I played well, better than I thought I

did’ or, ‘I was better than the other person’ when you know that you weren’t.”

In another study done by Josephson Institute on teenagers’ ethics, it was found that eight out of ten students were lying to their parents about something important.

Sophomore Keegan Muff says that lying is common in the household.

“I think I lie 2 to 3 white lies a day. I usually lie to my parents, based on stuff that I did like ‘Oh have you done your homework yet?’ and I say ‘Yeah’ and I go up to my room and do it,” Muff said.

Huff said that in many cases, lying is wrong, but there are exceptions.

Story

continued on page

14

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

photos by Corynne Hogan

PAGE 14

LYING: Students try to draw the line between a fib and a lie Story

continued from page

13

“I don’t think it’s ever okay to betray somebody’s trust, bottom line,” Huff said. “I feel like there are situations when it can be overall beneficial when it’s not something important hanging in the balance like somebody trusting you.”

Freshman Michael Besse says that lying comes naturally to people.

“I think I lie quite a few times [in a day], but usually they’re not anything big, they are usually small,” Besse said. “It is more like a fib than a lie, and usually I don’t remember. It just comes naturally.”

Junior Rachel Doppes said that the difference between a fib and a lie is the frequency at which they happen.

“I tell a big lie like maybe once a week but a little lie, like a little white lie, a few times a day,” Doppes said. “[Lying becomes an issue] if someone else is involved. I don’t want to hurt someone else with my stupid lie. It has to be strictly about me.”

Muff says the difference between a white lie and an actual lie is how much damage they do.

“An actual lie definitely has a potential to hurt someone,” Muff said. “A white lie is something you can fix. It won’t cause any real damage.”

Schaleger said that someone can withhold information without lying.

“A lie is a lie,” Schlaeger said. “Sometimes I tell kids that it is okay to not share all of the truth in a given situation, which is not lying. Sometimes it’s okay to cut back and say here is the information you need to know, and you don’t need to know the rest of the information.”

Schlaeger also said that lying starts young and hits a higher prevalence during a certain age.

“In the post-kindergarten age you are pretty agreeable; it’s a tattle-telling age, anything said you go to tell people,” Schlaeger said. “When you are in that first or second grade you are trying to build your

own kind of independence, there is some truth stretching and kids are starting to fear what consequences are at that age.”

According to a study done by Victoria Talwar of McGill University found in New York Magazine, a 4 year old will lie once every 2 hours, while a 6 year old will lie once every hour and a half.

Huff also said that there was a difference in lying between boys and girls.

“I think girls lie in ways to make themselves look better, and they would also probably try to be smarter about a lie because they’d be more afraid of getting caught in a lie and being embarrassed; girls are more afraid of the way they look to people than guys are,” Huff said. “Guys probably tell more lies to cover things up.”

Schlaeger said that girls lie about others’ actions while guys lie about themselves.

“From my experience, it seems that girls would lie more in the range of this person said this about this person and guys would lie more about ‘Yeah, I’m cool, I do that’,” Schlaeger said. “Both lie about where they were and where they should have been.”

George said how far people take a lie depends on who they are as a person.

“Every student is so different with the way that they perceive things,” George said. “Some people can take a joke while some people take lying very [seriously] and find it morally wrong to tell a lie to other people. It depends on the type of person they are.”

Schlaeger said that lying is an endless cycle.

“Sometimes you’re telling a slight lie, and you kind of know you’re lying, but it is not in your conscious, and then your lie just cycles because you’re lying about the lie and you have to cover that lie,” Schlaeger said. “People are amazed that, it’s kind of comical, we find out eventually. Your lies catch up to you.”

FACTS

the

98%

of teens lie but 98% of teens say it’s wrong

60%

of people lie at least once in a ten minute conversation

80%

of women say they tell “occasional half truths”

32%

stretch the truth to their doctor

stats from Newsweek and New York Magazine

OCTOBER 26, 2012

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PAGE 15

s!

U f o t s e R e h t r o f e A Guid

2 1 0 2 n o i Decis

CR

ace with rhetoric

Young voters forced to forage for reliable sources Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

This election is saturated in rhetoric.

Using social media, television advertisements, emails, phone calls and classic textbook rhetoric techniques, both presidential candidates are pressing for votes.

According to Advanced Placement US History teacher Steve Prescott, parents, social media and television are the primary sources of influence over students’ political views.

“Parents [are the] number one [influence],” Prescott said. “Students vote against what their parents are going to vote because they want to be rebellious…[and] yet other students are going to say, ‘My parents must know best.’ …Other than that, by far they [being] influenced through social media. [Also], if they’re [watch] shows like Jon Stewart and shows that are meant to mock news and the political process, they’re indirectly [getting] news through that, [as well].”

However, when it comes to political influence and debate, senior Sam Whipple said he avoids getting involved with the social media political frenzy.

“I stay away from [social media] because in general, I don’t think that the average social media user is very well-informed on the actual fundamentals behind the issues,” Whipple said.

“I find that it’s very easy to get frustrated…when

dealing with very opinionated individuals you find on social media. As a general rule, I stay out of debates online because they can turn nasty.”

Along with the phone calls, mail and television ads, Vice Chair of the Warren County Republican Party Lori Viars said that the Lebanon Romney campaign office volunteers specifically utilize grass-root campaigning techniques through social media.

“Many of [the Romney campaign office] volunteers are [primarily] using Facebook and Twitter and…email to reach their friends,” Viars said. “During the Vice Presidential debate, I was on Facebook with others who were also watching. It was interesting to see the reactions as we watched together, but in our own separate homes.”

According to Whipple, the series of advertisements each campaign party has released in the last few months have been nothing but fingerpointing, blame games that only have divided the American society. “[They aren’t] what politics should be about,” Whipple said. “These negative ads that they run during the campaign season—all they serve to do is alienate the other side and polarize the American public. I would be a lot more satisfied with politics if the politicians made more of a

commitment to focus on compromise, to not be so resolute in their views that they have to run attack ads on the other side.”

Acknowledging her conservative bias, Viars said she likes the Republican ads better and feels that there are many ads out there that skew and exaggerate the truth.

“The thing that aggravates me is so many ads are false or they twist the truth, leaving the voter with an impression that is false,” Viars said. “A case in point is Sherrod Brown’s ads against Josh Mandel. Many of them are completely false, and others twist the truth to mislead the public.”

According to Prescott, the actual fact checking process behind the ads is something to be analyzed in itself.

“I actually don’t mind [the ads] but I do think that the fact checks are critical,” Prescott said.

“It’s almost like whenever [a politician] issues an ad comparable they have to offer a comparable website that justifies what their saying. So they do their own fact check. Obviously someone would have to go above and beyond to check that, which the normal American would [be] like ‘I’m too lazy I’m not going to do it anyway,’ but those who are interested… [could] check out what they actually claim and how they actually got to that figure.”

Chris Ware caricature of U.S. President Barack Obama. MCT 2011 Chris Ware illustration of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. MCT 2012

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PAGE 16 | OCTOBER 26, 2012

Pointing ahead

Romney Romney supports the creations of a US-Mexico fence, and increasing the penalties on employers hiring illegal immigrants.

He proposes giving more visas or even permanent residency to immigrants with both a degree and US job offer in the same field. He supports opening citizenry to those already with visas under Obama’s current plan, those serving in the US military and children.

Immigration

Obama approved an initiative to stop the deportation of undocumented immigrants under the age of 30 and brought to the US before they were 16 despite Congress rejecting the DREAM Act, a plan covering many of the same people covered under Obama’s directive. Obama continues to support the DREAM Act and an overhaul of immigration laws.

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/MCT

OCTOBER 26, 2012 | PAGE 17

Candidates believe they have what it takes to point the country in the right direction compiled by Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

Romney aims to maintain the Social Security promises given to current retirees yet raise the future retirement age by 1 to 2 years in order to slow inflation growth of benefits for recipients with more wealth.

He hopes to maintain the rate for low income recipients. For young workers, he plans to create retirement investment accounts.

Romney plans on slowing down tuition’s inflation in an effort to keep it level with, rather than exceeding, the rate of overall inflation. His platform supports more private sector involvement in student aid and he hopes to make more information available to students selecting an institution.

Social Security

Higher Education

Obama has pledged to not privatize Social Security . Yet so far he has made no advances in reforming Social Security. He has proposed using a new inflation measurement to lower annual increases to Social Security benefits and cut back on future economic shortfall of the institution.

Obama has gained approval for more Pell Grant money and for a college tuition tax credit - up to $10,000 for four years of higher education. Obama hopes to decrease federal aid to colleges that ends up raising tuition costs for students.

Romney’s plan to handle China, until trade reforms have been put in place, has mentioned various sanctions and tariffs toward the organizations in China manipulating currency with the U.S.. He has mentioned ending U.S. use of Chinese products to force China to comply with U.S. demands. Romney also plans to give more power to U.S. trade representatives to better negotiate with China.

China

Both candidates agree China’s trade practices need to be changed. During his 2008 campaign Obama proposed a harsh policy toward the currency manipulating nation. Yet his presidency has yet to formally label China as a currency manipulator. Most of his administration’s complaints about China with the World Trade Organization have been successful and Obama has previously met with China’s leaders to demand trade changes.

Romney said he will bring back the entrepreneurial spirit to startup the economy. He plans to cut corporate tax by 10% and continue the tax cuts of the Bush administration to make jobs more available.He also emphasizes becoming energy independent to provide more jobs, and the improving training programs for manufacturing jobs.

Jobs

Obama has pushed for the “Bring Jobs Back Home Act” which would cut back on the taxes and expenses associated with transferring overseas jobs back to the U.S. He has encouraged greater support for new energy sources, better education, and establishing more free trade agreements to increase American exports. Obama has also said, during the Oct. 3rd Debate, using money from winding down wars to reinvest into economy.

Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal/MCT

In addition to repealing Obama’s healthcare plan, Romney plans to manage federal debt by cutting federal funding of various programs (such as Planned Parenthood, The Corporation of Public Broadcasting, foreign aid, etc.) He opposes increasing taxes but emphasizes cutting them in order to get people back to work and thus stimulate the economy.He also plans to streamline the federal work force to cut back on federal deficits. Romney has supported efforts to increase military spending.

Federal Spending Obama’s approach to cutting federal debt is to impose taxes formerly cut by the Bush administration. At Oct. 3’s Debate, he said those that have done well economically will contribute a little more, through taxes, to recover the federal deficit. He has also worked to eliminate federal waste (the Campaign to Cut Waste) by going through greater lengths to track unnecessary spending by federal agencies. Obama would decrease military spending, as compared to Romney.

Obama

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STATS

Do you affiliate yourself with a political party?

yes 56% no 44%

Of those that said yes:

36% 44% 20% Democrat:

Republican:

Who do you support?

Obama:

Independent:

Romney:

Neither:

OCTOBER 26, 2012

Can you figure out who said it?

With both presidential candidates on the road to campaign, they have been known to put their foot in their mouth on several occasions. Can you figure out who said each quote--Romney or Obama?

1. “I’m not concerned about the very poor, there is a safety net there.”

a. Romney

b. Obama 2. “We’re the country that built the Intercontinental Railroad.”

a. Romney

b. Obama 3. “I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in.

That’s the America I love.”

a. Romney

b. Obama

38%

46%

16%

Primary sources of information on election:

47% TV

22% PARENTS

21% INTERNET

10% OTHER

What issue is most important to you?

43% ECONOMIC

17% HEALTHCARE

9% FOREIGN POLICY

31%

4. “Thank goodness somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird.

We didn’t know that Big Bird was driving the defecit.”

a. Romney

b. Obama 5. “Join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan.”

a. Romney

b. Obama 6. “When I meet with world leaders, what’s striking--whether it’s in Europe or here in Asia.” (speaking in Hawaii)

a. Romney

b. Obama 7. “I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing is about doing any seances.”

a. Romney

b. Obama 8. “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.”

a. Romney

b. Obama

SOCIAL ISSUES

*We randomly surveyed over 300 MHS students to collect our data

Answers: 1. Romney, 2. Obama, 3. Romney, 4. Obama, 5. Romney, 6.Obama, 7. Obama, 8. Romney

Chris Ware caricature of U.S. President Barack Obama. MCT 2011 Chris Ware illustration of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. MCT 2012 photo art by Erica Boden

OCTOBER 26, 2012

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PAGE 19

ddition by substitution

Despite reduction in pay, subs still prefer Mason Nancy Gabriell Katie Hibner | Staff Writer

Despite receiving less payment from the district, substitute teachers such as Daniel Nurre strive to leave their mark on Mason High School teens.

“I like to tell students what life is like beyond the sterile [school] environment,” Nurre said. “I’m also just here to earn [their] respect.”

While earning students’ respect, substitute teachers also earn their salaries. To save $200,000 from the Mason City School district’s budget, public information officer Tracey Carson said that substitutes’ wages were lowered to $75 per day. “[The district] has made $6,000,000 in [cost] reductions since 2010,” Carson said. “We looked at other [local] districts and found that a rate of $75 still competitive.”

Substitute Nancy Gabriell, who is often referred to as “Grandma,” said that she took a positive perspective on the pay cut.

“I wasn’t too happy when the wage went down,” Gabriell said. “But it’s [still] nice to have some [extra] money. As we say in Spanish, ‘Asi es la vida,’ or ‘That’s life!’”

Mason City Schools and other districts may be closer in subbing wages, but according to sub and former Mt. Healthy teacher William Fridman, Mason is still supreme when it comes to its students’ behavior.

“I’ve only heard the ‘F’ word one time in three years of subbing at Mason,” Fridman said. “It was a normal term when I was a teacher. I enjoy my time at [this school]; it’s a very different environment.”

Mason students may be well-versed in discipline, but according to Nurre, there’s still plenty they can learn about alternative paths of life.

“Not everybody has to go to college; trades are good,” Nurre said. “I owned a building company. I sold it in 2006, which freed up my days so I could sub.”

Nurre is one of Mason’s 180 listed subs, but according to Carson, each sub in that large pool is recognized for their individual excellence.

“Our principals and teachers think [the district has] the highest-caliber subs we’ve ever had,” Carson said. “We are so fortunate to have enormously talented subs.”

Favorite Subject: Spanish Claim to Fame: Referred to as “Grandma” Interesting Fact: She lived in Mexico City for 25 years.

Quote: “Everyone is just amazingly friendly [at Mason]. Starting from the principal on down. Every day I just enjoy [subbing] so much.”

William Fridman

Favorite Subject: English Claim to Fame: Encourages students to “find time to be kind” Interesting Fact: He had a heart transplant in 1998, and will need more cardiac work done soon.

Quote: “[Students] shouldn’t worry about [my heart work]. There’s one advantage to being ugly [like me]: God doesn’t want you in heaven and the devil doesn’t want you in hell, so they keep you on earth!”

Charles Fry

Favorite Subject: English Claim to Fame: Energy and enthusiasm Interesting Fact: He was a counseling psychologist for the Cincinnati Veteran’s Administration.

Quote: “Right from the beginning [of high school], it’s important for girls to make the decision: boys or grades. And boys need to decide between girls or grades.

[They need] to make the choice because it’s very rare that you can have them both.”

Conrad Weiner Favorite Subject: World History Claim to Fame: Disciplinary tactics Interesting Fact: He survived the Holocaust and came from communist Romania to serve in American Military and earn two college degrees.

Quote: “If adversity does not kill you, it will make you stronger. Believe in yourelves, learn from your errors, and never ever give up.”

Christina Grice

Favorite Subject: History Claim to Fame: Known for her friendliness, and coincidentally loves the TV show “Friends” Interesting Fact: She was voted “Most Likely to Stay in Mason” when she graduated from MHS in 2003.

Quote: “I love subbing at Mason. It gives me a chance to stay connected to my high school.”

Daniel Nurre Favorite Subject: Math Claim to Fame: Gives inspirational talks Interesting Fact: He is 6 foot 6 inches tall.

Quote: “High school is a time to have fun. Enjoy the experience.”

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

CT

elevision evolved

Changing sitcoms reflects evolving society Sheila Raghavendran | Staff Writer

courtesy of IMDB.com

A mirror-image of society’s modern family may be plastered on your television screen.

According to Film Club advisor Thurman Allen, family sitcoms evolve at society’s pace.

“Television is a reflection of society,” Allen said. “We see a greater variety of families on television because it’s being more accepted in society.”

Sophomore Jessica Cooper said that not only are diverse families more accepted in society, they are becoming more popular.

“There’s not just a single family unit, with a mom, dad and two children,” Cooper said. “There are other families, and they’re not better or worse, they’re just a family.”

Allen defines ‘family’ as a group of people not necessarily related.

“It’s not just blood, but also shared experience [that brings] people together [as a family],” Allen said.

Senior Rachel Sette and her two brothers were adopted. She said she agrees that diversity is becoming more usual in American families.

“The local news did a story on my parents adopting me [when I was a baby] because it was so rare and unheard of,” Sette said. “But now it’s a lot more common.”

Along with the composition of society’s families, Cooper said that the way women’s independence has been portrayed on television has changed over the years. “[In early sitcoms] women adored their husbands and catered to their every beck and call,” Cooper said.

“A funny thing [in modern sitcoms] is a woman who can speak for herself [and this idea] eventually evolved into independent females.”

Modern sitcoms New Girl and How I Met Your Mother show women in this new light, according to Cooper.

As television’s women evolve, the concept of the traditional family – a mother, a father and three biological children – is also experiencing a renovation, according to Sette. “[In the past], the disjointed family turned off people,” Sette said. “[But now] people are getting more used to seeing diversity in society.”

According to Cooper, a variety of families in the community influences people’s knowledge of other cultures.

“The best thing about having more diversity in families is [that] not only do they learn about how we live, we learn about how they live,” Cooper said.

Honors English teacher Rachel Cronin said diversity within a family is becoming more widely accepted.

“People fall back on [the typical mother-father-chil-

dren family] as the comfort-zone,” Cronin said. “[But], people are starting to accept that [a] family can [come in] many [other] forms.”

Higher divorce rates have much to do with the evolution of the typical family, according to Sette.

“Back then [divorce] wasn’t as common or accepted,” Sette said. “People don’t look favorably upon it [now], but back then it wasn’t as typical.”

Cooper said she also noticed that television leaves out real-life immoral situations.

“There’s some sexual harassment [in society]; I’ve never seen anything like that on [sitcoms],” Cooper said.

According to Cronin, television clearly documents the pace of society throughout years.

“I look back at old I Love Lucy reruns, and they couldn’t even show the couple in bed together,” Cronin said. “That definitely reflected [the] moral status [of] the time.”

The standpoint of society at any given time will always have an impact on sitcoms of that period, according to Cooper. “[Sitcoms’ content] will keep changing with the times,” Cooper said. “People will become more comfortable with unconventional families [and] there will be more on [television].”

Allen said that audience’s comfort with a sitcom’s topics defines the show’s popularity.

“In order for something to become popular, people have to be comfortable with it,” Allen said. “[Modern sitcoms’ popularity] demonstrates that our society is at a place where there is not one type of family that is accepted: there are many types.”

Cronin said that sitcoms need a connection to the audience to maintain humor.

“Even though they’re ridiculous, there has to be some element of truth relatable to people,” Cronin said.

“Otherwise it’s not funny.”

Cooper said she agrees that sitcoms need a balance of humor and relationship with the audience, and the characters’ traits play a role in achieving this.

“It has to be funny, but it also has to have heart,” Cooper said. “The characters need to be endearing and likable – even the non-likable ones [have to be liked] a little bit in [the] heart.”

Being television sitcoms, their main goal is to entertain, Allen said.

“When [sitcoms] become heavy-handed with their message they lose something because their ultimate goal is to make you laugh,” Allen said. “Great [sitcoms] make you laugh, and after you’re done laughing, make you think about what’s going on.”

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photo by Erica Boden

OCTOBER 26, 2012

CL

ong term love

Students find benefits of long term relationships Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

It was love at first sight for Mason High School teacher Tim King, who first laid eyes on his wife in the ninth grade. While he was lucky enough to stay with his high school sweetheart over the years, King said there is no denying that longterm high school relationships can be hard work.

“I guess I do believe in love at first sight,” King said. “It’s hard to admit but we just fell in love.

It was horrible…it’s not always easy. Like those years when we tried to go to separate colleges, and have lives apart from each other...I ended up transferring. Our parents didn’t like it. We had hard times, we were lonely, and we were homesick at school. It would have been much better had we not found each other so early, but we’ve had a great marriage and a great life and I’m glad we did stick it out. It’s just too young, you’re not ready for that, but if it happens it happens. We made it, and I think a lot of people do. We had a lot in common and that’s what helped us over the years.”

According to senior Olivia Gaus, who has dated senior Alex Day for 13 months, being in a committed relationship with someone has its perks.

“It all depends on the person you are, but I [personally] think it’s more fun when you’re in a relationship because you get to have a close connection with someone,” Gaus said. “You get to spend a lot of time with a person that you really like, and that you enjoy being around.”

Being in a serious relationship in high school gives you a stable person to lean on as well, according to senior Ana Perez, whose 25 month relationship with senior Alex Notton recently ended. “[A serious relationship means] there’s someone who is there for you 24/7,” Perez said. “Somebody that you can turn to for anything. Someone that you’re not just in it for the fun, but because you

really like that person and you want to be with them. It starts getting serious when you meet the family, and you get close to the family and you bond with them.”

The definition of what a serious relationship is changes when a person gets older, according to senior Demi Moses, girlfriend of 21 months with senior Eric Swoyer.

“I think in high school, if you’re serious it just means you’ve been with them for a long time, and obviously you get along well,” Moses said. “When you get older, serious could mean marriage and family and things like that.”

Moses said that if a person chooses to be in a

“I do think it’s possible [to be in love in high school] if you’ve dated someone for a long time and have a really good connection with the person.” long term relationship in high school, balancing that significant other with friends is important.

“I definitely think that with a boyfriend, you don’t have as much time with your friends, and you find that you definitely spend a lot of time with your boyfriend, but I still get to hang out with friends,” Moses said. “I spend a lot of time with girls and boys that I like to hang out with, and I don’t think it really stops you from hanging out with people you want to.”

Finding your soul mate in high school is not a likely possibility, according to Notton, and the

ending of a relationship can cause heartbreak.

“Being in a serious relationship in high school, a lot of times it won’t work out and it won’t be the person you’ll be with for the rest of your life,” Notton said. “So there are definitely a lot of negatives that come out of that; it’ll be hard when it ends. But there are a lot of great things that can come out of a high school relationship too.”

While high school relationships can be difficult to make last, the key to success after high school is to compromise, according to King.

“I’ve given this advice before,” King said. “I sometimes tell students that if you really feel like you’re in love with this person, and you can see a future with this person, and you’re committed to one another then you can compromise and make it work. Keep in touch, attend colleges that are close enough to where you can still see each other, and be patient and it might work out.”

Day said despite what adults may think about high school relationships, it is possible to find love in high school.

“I do think it’s possible [to be in love in high school] if you’ve dated someone for a long time and have a really good connection with the person,” Day said.

Love can happen at any time in a person’s life, and should not be limited by age, according to Perez.

“You can’t really define when you’re supposed to start loving someone,” Perez said. “Love just comes; it’s more than emotion. You can’t choose when you’re going to fall in love. So whether that is in high school, or when you’re in college, or when you’re 80 years old, you can’t pick when [it happens]. It’s just a feeling that comes naturally. I don’t think age matters [with love].”

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OCTOBER 26, 2012

eeing red

Red heads face harsh judgement in the halls Emily Culberson | Staff Writer

“I think [red heads are targeted] because they are different,” Harper said. “People want to find a scapegoat for certain aspects of their life [and red heads] just became what they fall back on.”

In 2005, South Park aired an episode that involved Cartman, a character on the show, presenting a hate speech about gingers declaring them as “disgusting and inhumane” and that they “have no souls.” As a result, a Facebook group scheduled what soon became a popular trend: National Kick a Ginger Day. Harper himself wasn’t victimized on “Kick a Ginger Day” and personally thought the idea as comical. But, he believes any abuse red heads did receive that day was unacceptable. “[Although I was not harmed on “Kick a Ginger Day”,] I saw an article where kids were fined for assault [after seriously harming a red head] and I thought that was bad because it was just supposed to be a joke thing,” Harper said. “I honestly thought that was [horrible].”

Due to negativity she has received about her hair, Stanford is unsure of the actions she should take in response to her mere two percent population.

“I should probably have some kids with red hair

[to increase that percentage],” Stanford said. “But the thing is I do not want my kids to have red hair because they would get bullied so much and I know how much that sucks.”

Junior Emily Burton said that she thinks the percentage of gingers should succeed two percent.

“I think that is pathetic,” Burton said. “We need more gingers in this world [because] we are awesome.”

Harper chooses to accept his hair and the responses he receives and even proudly identifies himself as a ginger.

“I like having red hair [and it is] a part of me I think is really cool,” Harper said. “[“Ginger”] is just a term now [that I find] no different from my name.”

Even Stanford, who once despised the negative remarks made about her hair, now embraces her uniqueness and chooses not to let the painful jokes of others bring her down. “[I finally changed my hair back to the original color] in ninth grade because that is when I started not to care what people were saying about my hair,” Stanford said. “I have grown to like [my hair color]. I know it is unique so I never want to dye it again.”

photo by Rebekah Barnes

Only two percent of the world’s population has natural red hair.

Although unique, those with red hair are often victimized. History documents a lengthy account of red head prejudice dating all the way back to ancient times.

Mason High School junior Abby Stanford is proof that red head harassment still exists today.

“The first time I ever got bullied was in the fifth grade,” Stanford said. “People would call me mean names in the hallway and when [the bullying eventually] got really bad, [I dyed my hair black].”

Red head stereotypes date all the way back to Greek mythology when red hair supposedly indicated a vampire status after death. Throughout history, red heads were also burned at the stake and portrayed as wicked in Shakespeare’s plays, just because of their hair.

Like red heads in the past, Stanford said she receives a lot of grief about her hair.

“It is mostly immature guys and catty girls that [say negative things],” Stanford said. “People give me crap about my hair.”

MHS junior and red head Nicholas Harper explained why red heads are often objects of mistreatment.

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Person of Interest Becca Shepard, sophomore

Pictured: Darren Smith, Maria Morey and Jack Clack

photo art by Erica Boden

CW

ebutation is everything

She is known for passing out encouraging notes to people in the hallways and says the most important thing in life is “making people smile.”

Quick Facts

Favorite Color: Black Favorite Pastime: Listening to music Wanted Superhero Power: Flight Favorite Food: Spaghetti Favorite Animal: Wolf Favorite Band: Black Veil Brides Favorite Place: Outside Favorite Song: “Knives and Pens” What do you do in the hallways?

“I just pass around notes. [I’m] trying to make people smile; make them feel better. [Our school needs] to bring people closer together.

[It needs] less bullying and judgment. [I see] people getting picked on for what they believe in, what they wear, how they act. Nobody’s really overly nice to people. I don’t see anybody trying to make other people smile--[they’re] just involved around themselves. I haven’t been the happiest person. So I try to make people feel better because I understand how that feels. Yes, [making other people happy makes me feel happy].”

What would you change if you were president? “[I would] try to get the community involved in helping others, for the benefit of helping others--not to get paid for helping, just to do it out of the kindness of their heart.”

compiled by Sheila Raghavendran

Students feel more comfortable expressing feelings online

Ashley Calvani | Online Editor

For MHS students, it’s hard enough to build a name and a reputation amongst the roughly 3000 other students in the building. According to junior Jack Clark, that is why students are such active social networkers: to connect with their peers.

Sophomore Darren Smith also said that on Twitter, the instant, face-to-face judgment factor is removed, and allows some people to use it as not only an outlet but a place to be more themselves.

“Online, you’re posting to everybody, but at the same time I don’t feel like they have the power to judge you instantly like they can in person,” Smith said. “I’m more myself [on Twitter] because…when you’re with people and you don’t feel comfortable with everyone, you’re kind of guarded. But on Twitter, it’s okay to be 100 percent yourself: if people don’t like it, they don’t have to follow you.”

While the use of Twitter as an outlet is not uncommon, for senior Sami Parave, she is always careful about what she posts online.

“I’m not always the one posting the tweets, but if someone were to ask me if I saw something online, I probably did,” Parave said.

“I’d never want to post something that would cause someone to text me and ask what’s wrong. If I have a problem with someone, I’d rather just confront the situation.”

According to Parave, looking at someone’s Twitter posts aren’t necessarily reflective of the person doing the posting, but rather the things going on in their life.

“If you see someone who constantly subtweets or tweets mean things, you’d assume they probably have a lot of problems with other people,” Parave said. “It’s kind of like a

hidden meaning in their status—if you see someone posting sad things it doesn’t mean they are sad, it could be that they are seeking attention or something is going on it their life that relates.”

People have the power online, according to sophomore Maria Morey, to strictly control their ideal image.

“I think [people] can be totally different online,” Morey said. “It depends on how you make yourself look. Most of the time it’s a [more ideal] representation of what they are [because it’s so controlled]. They express themselves through the pictures and words that they choose.”

This kind of power can distort the real image of the person behind the profile, according to Smith.

“Sometimes people make themselves act cooler or better [online] than they actually are,” Smith said.

According to Clark, although he doesn’t usually see his friends’ personalities online differing too much from the norm, there is always a rogue tweet or two that makes him think.

“Sometimes you wonder: does that trait really pertain to that person?” Clark said.

“Sometimes it makes no sense. For the most part, though, I follow my friends, and their tweets make sense to me.”

According to Smith, one should be careful about the person they are portraying online. “[Twitter] is a way to put yourself out there, to freely express yourself,” Smith said. “But you have to restrict yourself. Remember that things you say can be hurtful to other people.

After you post, it’s out there, that second, already across the world.”

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Sports

LIFE IN THE

LAST LANE

Senior cross country runner dedicated to her sport despite adversity photo by Corynne Hogan

Senior cross country runner, Krista Emmert, runs behind her teammates at cross country practice.

Chloe Knue | Associate Editor

Krista Emmert is a winner. But the senior cross country runner has never won a race. In fact she has finished last in almost every meet she has run in.

“I know [going into every meet] that I am going to be the last runner to finish,” Krista said.

“Crossing the finish line and being the last runner, it is really embarrassing. I don’t know how to describe it...It is embarrassing because I am so slow. [When I’m running] the last people in my group are so far ahead of me, [and] that’s difficult, but I try to stay motivated.”

Every day Krista struggles with arm and leg pains but she manages to persevere through the discomfort, according to mother Amy Emmert.

“She was born with Spina Bifida Occulta,” Amy said. “We did not know until she was seven that she had a hole in her vertebrae and that her spinal cord could be rubbing on that defect. She has had arm and leg pain [her whole life]....She never lets it stop her.”

Krista wears a necklace that displays the words - never give up - and those are words she lives by according to Amy, whether it means staying dedicated to her athletics or academic studies.

According to Krista, although she is in pain when she is running she is able to stay motivated by keeping in mind that she is not the only runner hurting - all her teammates are exhausted as well.

“I just know running hurts and that means for everyone,” Krista said. “I want to get better and I want to improve my times. I can’t walk. I just keep saying ‘you have to keep running’ and ‘you have to finish.’”

Personal record (PR) is the only ranking that matters to Krista. According to her, she does not focus on what other people around her think instead she is content finishing in last place as long as she herself is improving from one meet to the next.

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C What

you

Missed

Varsity Football The Mason Comets defeated the Princeton Vikings 28-17 on Friday the 19th. Senior Darryl Johnson scored 4 touchdowns and senior Jacob Hurley sealed the Comets victory with a sack on the Vikings last drive. Tonight when Mason plays Sycamore, away, Darryl Johnson, who is second in the GMC for rushing yards, will go head to head with Sycamore’s running back Greg Simpson who leads the GMC. Even if Mason beats Sycamore tonight, the Comets are not guaranteed a spot in the post-season.

C Quick Hitters

OCTOBER 26, 2012

LAST PLACE: Krista Emmert’s dedication to running shines in every race Continued from page 27 “I get really nervous right before the gun blows,” Krista said. “I have to take a deep breath just to calm myself down... [I say to myself] ‘I will get faster next week’ and ‘my time will improve, I will, I will.’”

Krista has participated in ten seasons of track and cross country combined. Her hard work has paid off she said, as she saw improvement in her final cross country season. In previous years she would run a 42 minutes 5K whereas this year she was able to run a 37 to 39 minute 5K. “Everything may take her longer but she will not quit,” Amy said. “I think Krista is hard on herself.

She always minimizes her accomplishments but those around her give her a lot of attention.”

For Krista a PR is as rewarding for her as a first place ribbon. She said her teammates build her up as well when she gets a new best time. “...The girls are very good to me,” Krista said.

“They always say ‘hey good job’ and ‘it doesn’t

matter what your time is as long as you finish.’”

With no runners near her to compete Krista said she is able to stay competitive and motivated by setting a goal each week to beat her previous PR. According to junior varsity track coach Hakim Oliver, the team and the coaching staff take notice of her strong work ethic.

“Every member of the team respects Krista because she brings an unbreakable spirit to this program,” Oliver said.

According to Amy, anyone with a disability can look at Krista as an inspiration.

“I know she will be a success in life because of her incredible drive and determination,” Amy said. “...High school athletics have enriched Krista’s life because of the family atmosphere. She has never been made to feel inferior because of her performance. Everyone, parents and students, are inspired by her and her desire to finish what she starts.”

Cross Country wins District Championship Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country team won the District Championships on October 20. The girls won with 30 points and the boys with 33. Both teams will move on to the Regional Championship meet on October 27 in Troy, Ohio.

Golf State Results On October 19 and 20, the boys’ and girls’ participated in the State Tournament at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. The girls finished fifth and the boys finished tenth.

Krista Emmert practices every day in pain, living with Spina Bifida Occulta.

photo by Corynne Hogan

C The Numbers

1,465 .820 17 Senior running back Darryl Johnson is second in the GMC in rushing yards with 1465 yards.

He also has 16 touchdowns on the season as of October 19.

Girls’ soccer goalkeeper, junior Kelsey Harris has an save percentage of .820, with 32 saves through the regular season.

The number of goals junior Jack Clark has scored as of October 18.

He leads the GMC with a total of 42 points.

18:19 38.75 Senior Lauren Wood finished third at the District Cross Country Championships on October 20, with a personal best of 18:19, leading the team to a first place finish.

Senior Tara Liebert’s stroke average in the GMC. She has the lowest average of 38.75 after playing 144 holes.

results as of October 20

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photos by Katie Hibner and Corinne Hazen

hooting into history

Girls’ soccer makes history winning 14 regular season games Erin Brush | Staff Writer

The girls’ soccer team has made history. With their 14-1-1 record, they have won more regular season games than any other women’s team in MHS history.

“This is certainly the most talented collection of individuals that we’ve had,” head coach Andy Schur said. “They have a chance [to be the best team in Mason history].”

Senior forward Madi Melnick said that she credits her team’s success to their ability to work together.

“Our season has gone so well because our chemistry is so much stronger than last year,” Melnick said. “Everybody has come together and we don’t have little cliques. I think that helps the flow of our game.”

The team has a diverse mix of ages this year, with a freshman goalkeeper and several sophomore players as well. According to junior forward

Chloe Knue | Associate Editor Look who was right, me. Let it be known that Chloe Renea Knue was right, the Reds lost in the first round.

And Katelyn…she was wrong. The Red’s couldn’t take the heat so they had to get out of the kitchen. Their youth and inexperience got to them. The Red’s had all the opportunities to finish off the Giants but their lack of hitting and mental mistakes led to their demise. After winning the first two games on the road, it is just embarrassing that the Red’s lost three games at home.

Better luck next year Red’s! Get out of the kitchen Kate!

Alex Niehoff, this age gap hasn’t affected the team’s ability to click on the field.

“We have freshmen through seniors, so a lot of people didn’t think we could connect well this year,” Niehoff said. “But we have great chemistry, we understand each other, and we balance each other out.”

According to Schur, the players have a team mentality, which has made it one of the most fun teams to coach.

“They play for each other really well and enjoy each other’s successes more than teams we’ve had in the past,” Schur said. “They like sharing the ball and playing together. I think they like being out there and have a genuine love of playing soccer together.”

The road to success, however, wasn’t always easy for the Comets. After remaining undefeated for 11 straight games, the girls suffered their first loss

C Trading Punches In the last edition of The Chronicle Katelyn Cain said the Reds would win the World Series but Chloe Knue was confident the Reds wouldn’t make it out of the NLDS. Now how do you feel about your comments?

against Ursuline the 12th game of the season.

“That next practice we knew we needed to crackdown,” said senior Sami Rutowski. “There were a lot of things that needed to be fixed because [losing] wasn’t going to get us far into the tournament. Losing showed us that we’re not invincible. It gave us a wakeup call.”

The girls pressed forward with a newfound motivation, tying one and winning three of their last four regular season games, including an exciting win over Lakota East to take the GMC title. “[Breaking the record] is an honor,” Niehoff said.

“I don’t have any regrets about this season; I think everything happens for a reason. Playing with these girls has been a great experience.”

--pictures from left to right: team celebrates after win against Seton, Senior Jami Pfeifer kicks a corner kick during Loveland game, team gathers during a timeout during win against Loveland

Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor I think you need to eat a piece of humble pie, Chloe. Let’s not get too big of a head just because you were right...this time. And at least I have faith in my sports teams, instead of being negative and assuming the worst! And at least they made it to the playoffs, Chloe, that in itself is a huge accomplisment. I’m just going to chalk up their loss to saying it just wasn’t their time. There’s always next year! And, I can take the heat, I’m fine staying right here in the kitchen.

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Freshmen football players shake hands at the end of the game on Thursday, October 18, after beating the Princeton Vikings 43-6.

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photo by Rebekah Barnes

Unsportsmanlike conduct

Teams take different approaches towards sportmanship Emily Faas | Staff Writer

Chivalry may be dead but sportsmanship isn’t.

That is if you’re a member of the varsity cheer leading team who send gift baskets to the opposing cheerleading squad. But if you play on some of Mason’s other athletic teams, the exchanges between teams don’t come gift wrapped. In fact, sometimes getting elbowed, shoved, or even hit with a stick is more the norm.There are even occasions when coaches have to attend sportsmanship conferences.

“The OHSAA has the [rule] that if you’re leading by 9 goals, you’re not allowed to score a tenth or else the coach has to attend a sportsmanship class . . . usually when we get to about six or seven [goals] our coach will [have us] cross the ball and then head it in, that’s the only way we can score, that way we are not totally obliterating [the other team],” Kelsey said.

Though athletes wear the same colors at Mason High School, the conduct that is associated with the word sportsmanship could not be more different from sport to sport.

Mason High School’s varsity cheerleading team

sends gift baskets to the opposing team to keep good spirits with them prior to the game, according to senior varsity cheerleader Ashton Gregor.

“Our team mom gets candy and [other treats] and we go over and say ‘good luck’ and hand [the package] to them [before the game]; that happens for basketball and football,” Gregor said.

While the cheerleaders are keeping good faith with each other off the field, senior varsity football player Baily Bunch said that on the field, on Friday nights a different picture.

“There’s a lot of things that could happen that are [unsportsmanlike], there’s a lot of talking that goes on, people getting hit after the play . . . fights breaking out, anything is fair game [in football],” Bunch said.

Some sports have inappropriate conduct specific to their sport. Senior Tommy Hirsch said that in lacrosse, the issues often arise with the lacrosse stick itself.

“There is a lot of stuff that [goes on] that [the referee] can’t see like stick-buts and having an illegal

[lacrosse] stick,” Hirsch said.

Head coach of the girls cross country team, Chip Dobson said that a few years ago there was an incident with another team that stood out to him as unsportsmanlike.

“These girls were a little spicy and the park where our course was there was a section that was really far away and no coaches, fans, or anybody [was] out there, and when they got out there the team started kind of pushing our girls around a little bit, elbowing, saying some very nasty words, hurtful, mean statements and our girls came back when they were done with the race very distraught and discouraged,” Dobson said.

Gregor said that with the possible animosity that comes with the environment of a football or basketball game, the team likes to give the gift baskets to show respect for the other team.

“We know what it’s like for teams to be mean so we just want to put the better foot forward,” Gregor said.

C Sports Column Disappointment for Cincinnati sports fans is a given, but despite unsuccessful seasons pride is still strong Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor

A Cincinnati sports fan is one of the most pathetic creatures you can find on this planet.

And I’m one of them.

And I just want to know, does every city feel this way about their sports teams? Is it too much to ask for a little bit of success?

Because quite honestly, every time I sit down to watch the Cincinnati Bengals I feel like if I suited up in pads and a helmet I could produce more success than the Bengals have all season. Which is a lot considering I’m a 5’2” 110 pound cross

country runner.

And don’t even get me started on the Reds blowing their two game series lead over the Giants in the NLDS. Once the Giants pitched the last out in game five, completing their three game comeback, I’m pretty sure that every baseball fan in America universally made a choking motion.

But, blowing a two game lead? Come on boys, did we need to get out the tee ball set so you could start making some hits?

But it’s not like disappointment is a new emotion I feel with Cincinnati sports teams, it’s a feeling I know all too well. And sure, the Reds have won a couple World Series’, but aside from that, I’ve spent my entire Cincinnati sports fan life throwing pillows at the TV and bowing my head

in disappointment.

Even when there is a flicker of hope , it’s always dashed in an instant. ‘81 and ‘88 Superbowls anyone? ’05-’06 Palmer playoff ACL tear anyone?

Being a Cincinnati sports fan is frankly like watching the Bill Buckner play on repeat. It’s heartbreaking and extremely disappointing. Life would be so much easier if I backed a winning franchise like the Yankees--although I’d probably be kicked out of my house for even saying that.

But at the same time, the Bengals and the Reds will always be my teams. No matter how great the disappointment, I own up to the fact that I am one of the most pathetic creatures on earth. And I’m proud.

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