The Chronicle, 10.3

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Nov. 30, 2012 | The Chronicle | thecspn.com | Vol. 10, Issue 3 Proudly serving the William Mason High School Community

photo by Corynne Hogan

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Some of your classmates are behind these doors right now.

Tony Miller, Superintendent, Warren County Juvenile Detention Center (Page 16-17)

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NOVEMBER 30, 2012

News

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C Winter sports previews

For previews of the teams not pictured in the paper, like gymnastics and bowling, visit thecspn.com!

C From Mason to Amazon.com

MHS speech pathologist Jeff Alt is a writer, and a good one at that. Alt’s book, A Walk for Sunshine, was ranked #3 in the best-selling travel books for the Kindle on Amazon. A Walk for Sunshine is also ranked #276 in overall bestselling books on Amazon. Check out thecspn.com to read more about Alt and his book.

C Self Diploma

Mac Miller, Time Flies, you name it -- young Cincinnati talent gets their names out there with the help of Self Diploma. Look on thecspn. com for a video and story about this company that discovers and promotes talent.

C First boys’ basketball game

On thecspn.com, pictures and a wrap-up of the boys’ varsity basketball game against Lebanon at Lebanon High School from Saturday night.

C Mason Invitational

Go to thecspn.com for photos from the Mason swim/diving Invitational on Saturday, December 1. compiled by Ashley Calvani

photo by Rebekah Barnes

The Boy Scout handbook contains information on how scouts should handle any signs of sexual abuse.

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Badge of Dishonor

Boy Scout perversion files show years of sex abuse covered up Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

Thousands of pages of sexual abuse cases involving the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) became public after being covered up for over 50 years.

According to Scout Executive for the Dan Bear Council Tom Dugger, the files were released after an attorney to a man who was sexual abused by a scout leader filed a lawsuit and was granted access to the a “confidential” file system involving abuse cases with BSA. “[The release involved] a court case in Oregon where a man in his thirties said he had been abused by his scout leader in the early 80’s,” Dugger said. “And his attorney subpoenaed and was given access to the files that [BSA] kept that really from the beginning of the time we kept them up until about 1985 and we protested [granting access to the files] because we felt that the files were confidential--not secret, but confidential--in other words there were victims names in there and we wanted to protect the innocent, we wanted to protect the victim. And the Oregon [Supreme] Court awarded these to the attorney there and he chose to release them [to the public]. We again protested that and tried through the legal system to stop it and he chose to release it.”

Dugger said that this filing system was used from about 1927 to 1985 and agrees--it was flawed. However, the fact that they were taking a step in efforts to help for protection of children was good at the time.

“Youth protection is the term that we use for creating a safe environment for young people to live and grow and be safe,” Dugger said. “And the

Boy Scouts of America joined [a] youth protection [program] as early as 1927 and over the years we made an effort to track youth offenders and it was a system that of its day, no one was doing anything like that and we began that. It was actually spoken about in 1935 in a speech by Franklin Roosevelt as a model for the country, that other youth organizations should follow. And we look at that in retrospect now and it was a very unsophisticated system, it was flawed. Often times those overlooking, overseeing it failed.”

Child sexual abuse and child sex cases have been making the news not only with BSA, but recent events involving Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and recently released, former Mason High School teacher Stacy Schuler. Dugger said that this is a problem not just for the Boy Scouts, but for society in general.

“A couple things that are really important for people to understand about youth protection is that it is not a boy scout problem, it is a societal problem,” Dugger said. “We know what happened at Mason High School last year and where a teacher was improperly involved with students and all of us have to be aware and all of us have to be educated and all of us have to fight for it to see that young people have a protected environment.”

After the mid-1980’s, according to Dugger, BSA started a more comprehensive and extensive system towards fighting the battle against child sexual abuse.

“But we come forward to the 1980’s, the Boy

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BOY SCOUTS: Scouts moving forward after sex abuse scandal Story

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Scouts began a very comprehensive program in the mid 1980’s as we now know today as our modern day youth protection program and it’s…comprehensive, rigorous, vigorous in it’s pursuit of creating a safe environment for young people,” Dugger said.

“And that’s the story that is honestly not being told by the popular media and that’s included a lot of things. If you have ever been around scouting…We began a program that educates parents. And first of all the parental education piece comes in the form of a handbook that’s in the front of all the boy scout handbooks, talking to your child about child sexual abuse and…it guides parents in a forthright way in how to discuss the subject with your child. ...The next piece that we have is an education program for young people. We have a video Sex abuse cases around program the area for scout age youth Hamiliton (1964, 1998, 2000) that begins Springfield: (1968, 1985, 1986, at 7 for cub 1993) Urbana: (1970, 1992) scouts and Wapakoneta: (1974) run through Dayton: (1994, 1993, 1987, 18 called 1990) Maineville: (1987) A Time to Centerville: (1995) Tell. ... And Sidney: (1993, 1995) Enon: (1994, 1994,) it teaches Bellefontaine: (2000, 2002) them…to Fairborn: (1986) resist and reXenia: (1986) Middletown: (1991) port and also St. Paris: (1994) raises their own personal from LA Times data base of files, not all awareness of area cases included their rights, their privileges as a person.”

Now, BSA is taking it past education and has made it mandatory for all scout leaders to submit to criminal background checks. And they must become certified in a 30-minute online training program to be a scout leader.

“Come forward even from that, to where we began voluntarily criminal background checks on all new adult leaders so if you join scout today, you become, you submit to a criminal background check,” Dugger said.

But, according to Dugger, a criminal background check can only go so far. If no one reports a case, sexual predators can continue in leadership positions without any suspicion from authorities.

“And one of the real problems we have with criminal background checks is fingerprinting, reference checks, all these things we do that if someone is an offender and has not been reported, none of those techniques or methods will expose that person,” Dugger said. “Because so many of the cases when someone is caught there have been a number of re-

peated offenses but they’ve never been reported and it think that’s why we have to continue the educational process for young people, for the parents for scout leaders for teachers.”

As Dugger continues on after the release, he said that it goes to show that parents need to be aware of what is going on in a child’s life--for their own safety.

But, he has not heard any concern about child safety in BSA. “You know, we talk a lot about developing leadership in young people in scouting but you know it’s the parents that drive the cars to the scout meetings and this I think is pretty interesting is that this thing has been out and been pretty active for about a month and but it didn’t break a month ago,” Dugger said. “This has been going on, this particular incident where the files were released to the court case in Oregon and it, but since it got in the papers about three weeks ago, I have not had one parent call me to say, ‘Is my child safe in scouting?’ And the reason, I think, that is because they know they are, and that they know that they have to be engaged with the child. That’s why I say to any parent, be involved with your child. I know parents have so much going on today. I’m a parent…and my wife and I have a lot going on but we have to be involved with our children. And there are many ways parents can do that and protect and one is to know the people that your youngsters are going to be with, be lead by--teachers, Sunday school teachers, scout leaders--you’ve got to know them.”

According to senior Boy Scout Daniel Chrzanowski, scouts shouldn’t let what is affecting other areas or cases from other areas affect scouting in Mason.

“I think whatever happens to programs in other places, doesn’t really affect the program here as much,” Chrzanowski said.

“For instance Troop 750, it’s a really good program and it doesn’t let things that happen nationally with boy scouts affect how we handle our own local troop.”

Dugger said that while the media can focus on the mistakes in the past, the program is trying to move forward, but acknowledges the severity of abuse.

“I think the real story here is what we have been doing,” Dugger said. “Did we make mistakes early on, yes we did. Even our national president, volunteer president, said we did and we’re deeply sorry and apologize for those mistakes. ...The protection of our youth certainly is our first priority. …It wouldn’t be proper for me to say it is not a big deal. One case of physical or sexual abuse of a youngster is one too many. And we are very forward and transparent about what we are doing and just think its important that we say that, yes, this is a big deal and were at the forefront of the fight.”

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ommon core casualties

Common Core changing the standards at MHS Emily Faas | Staff Writer

new writing standards --Expect students to compose arguments and opinions, informative/explanatory pieces, and narrative texts --Focus on the use of reason and evidence to substantiate an argument or claim --Emphasize ability to conduct research – short projects and sustained inquiry --Require students to incorporate technology as they create, refine, and collaborate on writing --Include student writing samples that illustrate the criteria required to meet the standards

provided by Associate Superintendent Amy Spicher

46 States + DC have adopted the Common Core Standards

new math standards --Call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges --Require students to develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly are called to do --Emphasize mathematical modeling, the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, understand them better, and improve decisions --Identify the mathematics that all students should study in order to be college and career ready

provided by Associate Superintendent Amy Spicher

Students at Mason High School love the trimesters. The impending implementation of the new common core standards could make the trimester one of the first casualites of the core. MHS Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart said that a switch to a semester schedule is possible and in the early stages of consideration.

“We currently have a committee that [consists] of some students, parents, staff [and] administrators that are examining our current schedule and looking at the possibility of transitioning [to semesters], so we’re just in the infant stages of that,” McCartyStewart said.

McCarty-Stewart said she is satisfied with the trimester system, but the committee must look at possible ways that the semester schedule would benefit the district.

“I’m a huge fan of the trimester schedule and I think it has provided many outstanding opportunities for our students,” McCarty-Stewart said, “We have to currently examine [where]…we see ourselves heading with some mandates and direction of education.”

Since the shift to semesters is still in the early stages, McCarty-Stewart said that it will not take place any earlier than two years.

Another change that MHS will see is the switch to the Common Core curriculum, which will set the bar higher for Mason students. New standardized tests will replace other state tests such as the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) and the Ohio Achievement Test (OAT). These tests will not only be harder, but also have new components to them, such as a presentation portion on an English exam. As for the classroom, students will be a part of a much more presentation, hands-on, and rigorous learning experience.

MHS students will already begin to see changes to a more project and presentation based curriculum said Associate Superintendent Amy Spicher, at her recent Common Core meeting on October 24 for Mason parents.

Spicher said that the curriculum will change to a more problem-solving and presentation based setting, but the bar being set so high does not necessarily mean that the amount of work will grow.

“The focus is on fewer standards, but focusing more in depth,” Spicher said, “Students should see more of an emphasis on problem-based learning, assignments that build critical thinking, problem solving, analysis and synthesis, presentations, using technology to research, [and collaboration]… however, rigor doesn’t always mean more [work].”

Although Mason City Schools will not fully make the switch to Common Core until spring of 2015, Spicher said that these changes have already begun to be infused into classes.

Senior Megan Warren said that although she will not be experiencing the full effects of the switch, she feels other students may not be able to adjust.

“I feel like for the rest of the students that have to go through this it’s going to be hard to change, Warren said. “Once [we] change it’s going to be hard to change people’s work ethic, there are going to be worse grades and students are going to struggle.”

Mason parent of a first, third and sixth grade students, Jennifer DeVoe said that although the timing for the switch may never be right, the switch needs to be made regardless.

“There is never a good time to make such a large change,” DeVoe said. “Change is hard, particularly with a school district as large as Mason , but it is necessary and in the end will be what is best for our kids.”

With these changes being made Spicher said that parents in the district are receptive to the changes being made, especially since the Core’s goal is to focus on post-highschool preparation.

“I think most parents are pleased that schools are placing emphasis on helping students attain success in college and careers,” Spicher said.

With the growing competition in and outside the Mason bubble, DeVoe said that the switch is curtail to keep Mason at the top of its game.

“It is Mason’s commitment to changing and growing that will keep the district performing at such a high level,” DeVoe said, “I believe that by switching to the Common Core they are continuing with this commitment.”

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

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Don’t forget, if they’re not in print....

They’re online.

Ashley Calvani

in print

Katherine Hansen online

Erica Boden

See all columnists on

online

Meghan Harris

online

Rebekah Barnes in print

thecspn.com

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eer at the

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Rave

Rave Motion Pictures pursues alcohol sales to increase revenue Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

It won’t be out of place to see beer or wine at the movies.

Rave Motion Pictures West Chester 18 is currently in the process of obtaining a state liquor license, having already received approval from West Chester Township. And while the move towards serving alcohol in a theatre may come across as surprising to some, other Rave theaters-including Rave at the Greene in Beavercreek, as well as the Rave at Dayton South have already been serving alcohol without much difficulty. Both of these theaters serve their alcohol through in theater restaurants or bars.

According to the manager of Rave West Chester 18 Vanessa Harvey, the theater is looking to only serve beer and wine at this point and are still deliberating on whether the alcohol will be served through the concession stand or a bar, to be added later.

Harvey said that the move to begin serving alcohol is an effort to add depth to the experience of being at the theater.

“Most of the decisions are made at our corporate office, so I’m sure they are thinking dollars and cents,” Harvey said. “But I think at a local level it’s more just a move to open up to a broader audience and diversify the theatre experience.”

Junior Kayleigh Vicknair said that going to movie theaters is one of her favorite things to do, partially because it is an activity that allows her to avoid the pitfalls of adolescent behavior like drinking and smoking.

But as the Rave approaches offering alcohol to its patrons, Vicknair said it would likely tarnish her movie experience.

The availability of alcohol in a theater contrasts with what going to a movie theatre is supposed to be about, according to Vicknair--a safe, carefree and family friendly environment. “[Going to the movies] is family oriented…It’s definitely not sup-

posed to be something where there is a temptation for something like [alcohol] there,” Vicknair said.

“You’re supposed to go to the movies to get away from your problems, you’re supposed to watch the movie and escape into somebody else’s problems. You don’t need that photo by Katie Hibner coming into it and Rave Motion Pictures in West Chester, Ohio is in the process of obtaining a liquor license. ruining it.”

Although the opappeal to a broader audience but no way of stopping that.” portunity for drinkthat it won’t be damaging for famiSmith said that the theater will ing is not a problem she personally lies. absolutely need to increase their struggles with, Vicknair said that “I think it will target a lot of more security to make sure that alcohol what concerns her most is the bethe adult audience more so than is served safely and doesn’t fall into havior of others. families, although I don’t think it the hands of any minors, who would “Sometimes you can get the kind will take away from our families I inevitably try to take advantage of it. of person who would get really crazy think it will just increase our clien“I could see them having a detail if they have too much to drink and tele, ” Harvey said. officer there all the time to deal with it would kind of throw off everyone The potential for increased availit, ” Smith said. else and be a disappointment,” VickServing alcohol in the actual nair said. “You pay to see the movie, ability of alcohol to minors is also an issue which concerns Vicknair, who theaters themselves is inadvisable acnot pay to see somebody be goofy said she had no doubts that undercording to Smith, who said that the and act all stupid because they’re age kids would jump on an opportueasiest way to monitor the alcohol drunk.” nity to drink. would be to keep it away from the Vicknair said that she believes “It would be an easy way [to get theaters and the minors in them. many parents will be of a similar alcohol], ” Vicknair said.

“Parents “They’re going to have to separate mind set, and may have reservaaren’t suspicious or anything when the movies from the alcohol, in an in tions about taking their children to kids say they are going to the movies theater restaurant and bar to be able the theater because of the problems and they probably wouldn’t think to monitor is closely,” Smith said. presented by alcohol. anything of it.”

Despite all of the problems pre“You never know what somebody Mason High School Resource sented and the hurdles the theater is going to do when they have a Officer Karli Smith also foresees may have to overcome, Harvey said couple of drinks and it could ruin problems with serving of alcohol in that in the end she thinks the addiyour family night out to the movies,” an environment where minors will tion of alcohol will help the theater.

Vicknair said. “That’s not something be present.

“I think it will be beneficial to the you want your kids exposed to.”

“It’s going to be difficult [to police theater and to the overall experiWhile Harvey agrees that the thethe alcohol],” Smith said. “It will be ence,” Harvey said. “As long as we ater’s current environment is much at least as difficult as keeping minors handle it correctly.” more family oriented, she said that out of rated-R movies.

There’s just the serving of alcohol is a move to

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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 Over forty states have started petitions to seceed from the Union, because of Obama’s re-election.

Now, we are not saying you cannot give your two-sense about the president. Feel free to share your opinions and defend your candidate and party till you are blue or red in the face.

Because in America, we can say and believe whatever we want. So feel free.

But taking it to the level of leaving the United States seems a bit overdramatic. It’s the United States that provides the very right to vote and decide who the president will be. It’s the United States that gives you the freedom of speech, religion and protest. It’s the United States that has more freedom and opportunity than almost any other country. It’s the United States that will fight for our rights.

Leaving the Union will only cause division and uproar in a time when we need unity. Division will only make us weak. We need strength.

Stop the nonsense and let’s get to work.

If you are interested in being an Editorial Cartoonist for The Chronicle staff next year, come see us in room c106 for more information.

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, I really enjoyed your article on long term relationships. I, myself, have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for almost 16 months. ...I also agree with what Anna Perez said about having someone you can turn to for anything. I know I can count on him and that he’s always there for me. It is hard sometimes though, trying to find that balance between boyfriend and friends but we make it work and that is very important. There are definitely benefits to a long-term relationship, but you make sure you don’t focus all your time on your boyfriend; Take time for yourself, and spend time with your friends. It’s high school! Have fun!

Skylar Armentrout, freshman Dear Editor, In reaction to the article, Dear Teenage Youth, put Down the Cell Phone...I found this very relatable to many teens since most of us feel we couldn’t survive without our cell phones, or the Twitter updates, the Facebook messages, or the Tumblr reblogs for a week. Let alone a day without these things. I have heard so many people say, “I cannot afford to lose my phone. My life is on that thing!” When I hear them say things like this, I usually nod my head in agreement, but I knw I could survive any day without my phone. i know this because I have done it before. You are not really missing much to put the phone away and spend that whole hour you spend texting your friends. ...If we had some teens who were willing to leave thier phones at home, I know we could make more fund events; therefore, when I’m out with my friends this weekend, I know where my phone is going to be: at home.

Chrissa Charnas, freshman

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Opinion C Columns

It’s underneath the glitter

True moments of pure bliss

Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

Ashley Calvani | Online Editor

If you saw me on the sidelines on Friday nights, you may be tempted to call me a superficial mean girl who’s more concerned with creating the perfect smoky eye than my homework.

Why do I know this?

I’m a cheerleader. And I know that I’m judged because of it.

Well, I was. You see, as of the November 7 banquet, I am no longer considered a cheerleader. I’ve turned in the pieces of my uniform I do not own and have received seemingly premature goodbye letters from other members in the cheer community. You could say, “Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader” but no. I’m a realist and I understand that my time has passed. It’s time to watch the basketball squad continue on the tradition. I’ll take pictures from the sidelines.

And I have mixed feelings about this time in my life. Am I happy to be free of a very demanding schedule to focus on other parts of my life or am I feeling waves of melancholy of wishing that I could relive it all over again? I’m unsure. While yes, I am very focused academically and am edging my ways to hopeful journalism career, there is one thing that doesn’t transfer from the cheer world into my other world.

Glitter.

How shallow, I know. But it’s not just the sparkly uniforms or the glimmering of the Friday night lights reflecting off my glitter liner, it’s the spark of adrenaline I feel when I’m on the field. It’s twenty girls who all have such shiny personalities that always can make you smile. It’s that small glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, our cheers, chants and jumps might be helping lead our team to victory.

You may judge cheerleaders, basing your argument on a selection of Bring it On and Fired Up! showings you’ve been exposed to, or the classic “mean cheerleader” in every Disney and Nickelodeon show we grew up with. Or maybe you can see that I’m just a girl who wants to show my team spirit, while still holding up a well-exercised brain underneath my teased hair and bow.

Because there is always something underneath the glitter making it shine.

“It scares me [that the movie theater started selling alcohol because] it is dark in [movie theaters] and if someone gets drunk...who knows whats going on?”

Maddie Seiller, sophomore

“I guess that’s cool for people who are twenty-one but it could be dangerous if people get too drunk.”

Melissa Villagomez, senior

“Pick a number: one, two or three.”

“Two.” “Left it is.”

We made a squealing left turn at a stop light we didn’t recognize on a street we didn’t know, with nowhere particular in mind to go. Driving around aimlessly has always had its advantages. Providing time for thinking, pondering, reflecting—perhaps even just for bumping to the latest hot jam. But that night, there was more than that.

I had always taken a lot of pride in the fact that I thought I was a good person. You know, I got good grades, had wonderful, numerous friends, was decently gifted athletically, fairly religious and always up to speaking my mind. I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever really been in trouble.

I thought that rendered me complete control of my life. I believed I deserved a certain happiness.

Things do often have a way spiraling out of control, though, and before you know it, people leave, sports fail, grades drop, and you’re left feeling only confused and entitled.

I was a good person. Why was everything in such a tangled mess? Didn’t I deserve to be happy? Didn’t I deserve it more than the others, others who I blatantly judged based on how good of people I thought they were, whom I talked about condescendingly, based on my standards?

Let’s just say I’ve come a long way since then. Pride, self-righteousness, those can turn into ugly things.

You will never be in complete control of your life. It just doesn’t work that way. No matter how many things you do right, it doesn’t mean you deserve the life that you want. Have you considered that perhaps the life you want isn’t the life of happiness that you should be living? Perhaps the problem all along was that you were relying on the wrong people, the wrong things, and the wrong attitudes to make you happy. Perhaps if you find you’ve hit a wall, it means you’re supposed to turn in a different direction.

I think expecting happiness to come from the things you do is the best way to make yourself sad, hollow. What’s more lasting: being kinder than you feel, building people up who’ve been knocked down, holding hands and screaming your head off with people you love as you watch the cross country team win state or the soccer team advance. You get the point.

I used to think that if I wasn’t spending my Saturday night at a party or with a boy or something else particular and important to do, I didn’t deserve happiness—it wasn’t tangible. But driving aimlessly with two of my best friends that Saturday night with nowhere to go, no one to call, and nowhere we were wanted, I felt sort of liberated.

You can’t do anything that will make you deserve happiness. But you can be happy.

C What You Think How do you feel about the Rave Movie Theater now possessing a license to sell alcohol? compiled by Emily Culberson

“[Drinking in movie theaters is] pretty bad because you [don’t] want alcohol to possibly be distributed to minors and you don’t want people drinking near kids.”

Surya Kodali, freshman

“I think it is fine.

It’s all [depends on] how people use ability to [drink in movie theaters].

It’s the responsibility of the people not to abuse [the alcohol].”

Michael Verma, sophomore

“[I don’t see any] problem as long as people drink responsibly” Malik Sylvester, junior

“As long as they constantly ID people and keep control people [then] why not?”

Dustin Creech, senior

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ollege confusion

Major indecision can be costly for college students Corinne Hazen | Staff Writer

40 percent

by a committee. If I went into Miami freshman year as a business major I would have been considered for direct admission into the business school. But since I didn’t come to Miami as a business major I was not considered for direct admission. I think that my case is unique in this sense, but at this point I regret entering in as undecided.”

Senior Meg Graf has known where she wants to go and what she wants to major because of location and programs.

“I knew that I was going to go to Miami for teaching because they are third in the country for their education system and it’s in Ohio so obviously I’d want to go there, and my mom went there and so that’s another reason I want to go there,” Graf said.

Freshman at The University of Cincinnati, and 2012 graduate of MHS, Halim Abdullah, went into college undecided. According to Abdullah, general college classes have helped guide him.

“I’ve realized my life is based

of college freshman graduate in four years.

of freshman change majors and/or schools

jor until their sophomore year.

“I think schools like Princeton who are saying, ‘You know what?

It’s not beneficial to choose a major so early,’ getting in there and taking your core courses and they have

students attending American colleges or universities in 2012 around music and I’d like to continue in this field,” Abdullah said.

“I almost became a business major because that can get you the general degree and a job almost anywhere but I want to enjoy what I do. Had I become a business major right away, I wouldn’t have enjoyed that and also wasted my parent’s money.”

Abdullah believes that going in undecided can be a benefit.

“A majority of people jump into a major or a course and don’t realize that’s not what they want in life,” Abdullah said. “And usually in that case money is wasted going undecided gives you the right amount of time you need, before you pick what you want to do for the rest of your life.”

33.3 percent

of first year college don’t return for a second year

source: colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com

according to Sally Clark

60

percent

2010 graduate of MHS, Andrew Roussos decided on an Economics major this fall. Roussos said he feels behind in all the extra activities.

“If you go to school and you know you want to major in photography, for example, from the start then you can do a lot of extracurricular activities to build your resume,” Roussos said. “Like being a photographer for the school paper, joining the photo club, or trying to find a photography internship. When going to school undecided it is harder to do these things because you are not sure what clubs or organizations would look good on your resume.”

According to Roussos, entering a school undecided could put you behind the curve, if the college has specific programs that you don’t know you want to apply to until your later years of schooling.

“I’m annoyed that I went into Miami as an undecided student,” Roussos said. “Since I am now an economics major I have to apply to the Business school and have my application reviewed and approved

21.6 million

source: US Department of Education

been doing that for years and I’m surprised that more and more colleges are not jumping on that,” Clark said.

Junior at Miami University and

source: satprepct.com

College kids can’t make up their minds. According to Mason High School guidance counselor Sally Clark, that’s the trend for college freshman when it comes to sticking with a major. More than half of college freshman change majors or schools.

According to Clark, it’s not uncommon to see change in college.

“Sixty-percent of college freshman change their majors or schools,” Clark said.

While colleges want students to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives by the time they are in high school, Clark says that this expectation is exceedingly high.

“Seeing that that percentage is so high, I just think we are asking kids to make decisions way too early,” Clark said. “What [students] they need to be doing in high school is actually experiencing a lot of different things to kid of help them figure out what it is they want to do.”

Clark said that some colleges such as Princeton University don’t even allow their students to declare a ma-

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Books in the library remain on the shelves for decades without being checked out Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

The shelves in the library can be a crowded but lonely place. There are 20,390 books in Mason High School’s Media Center.

Although due to a number of ‘lonely’ books, that number is likely lower today. High School Media Specialist and Curriculum Coordinator for the Library Department, Virginia Robinson, is in the middle of her fourth ‘weeding out’ process since 1998 when she began her position.

“I go and I pull all the books off the shelf, one card at a time,” Robinson said. “I look at them, I read them to make sure they haven’t been checked out in at least 10 years, and the ones that I’ve gotten rid of haven’t been checked out in the past twenty years.”

Although it’s not accurate to say the book has never been checked out, books up for removal are certain to have had at least ten years untouched on the shelf in a library where about 20 books are checked out a day, according to Robinson.

Some books have spent well over ten years out of circulation.

“I’ve been pulling books back from as far as the 30’s,” Robinson said. “When I first came on board I was pulling some books back from the 1800’s. This time I’m mostly going back to the 60’s. But

they can get really quite old.”

Due to a 2006 software shift in the media center, finding the books that haven’t been checked out enough does become more difficult, according to Robinson.

“I can only go back in the circulation database until 2006,” Robinson said. “But then I can look in the back of the book and look at the last time it was checked out.

Sometimes just the kind of card that it’s in the back will tell me it hasn’t been checked out since before the 90’s.”

After compiling a list of potential books to retire, Robinson sends the list to the school board who reviews it for approval. The books are offered to alternate homes before being officially recycled.

“I first check to see if anyone else can use them: another school, a donation, any teachers,” Robinson said. “If they don’t then they do get disposed of.”

Removing the ‘lonely’ books is a careful procedure, according to Robinson, and involves many factors.

“You’ve got to base it on circulation and relevance,” Robinson said. “Because it’s a balance between keeping the books that aren’t being used and not having books on the shelves.”

Gettin’ no love No love for...Chicano Girl, by Hila Colman. This book hit the shelves back in 1973. After several bitter experiences in the Anglo world, a young Chicano girl begins to learn about and appreciate the value of her heritage, according to a summary on Amazon.com.

No love for...Mary Higgins Clark’s novels - I’ll be seeing you, Moonlight Becomes You, Stillwatch, and Keep No More My Lady. Mary Higgins Clark novels center around mysteries. She prides herself on writing mystery novels without any violence or sex.

No love for...The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglass Adams. This book has been on the shelves since 1995. This book is about an unwitting Englishman who is whisked off the Earth seconds before it is demolished according to a summary on amazon.com.

Gettin’ the love The most checked out books since 2006 1. The Catcher in the Rye 2. The Great Gatsby 3. Brave New World 4. To Kill a Mockingbird 5. Of Mice and Men 6. The Color of Water 7. The Kite Runner 8. Their Eyes Were Watching God 9. Into the Wild

No love for...

These six books have never been checked out of the library according to most recent records

1. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier 2.The Bloody Country by James Lincoln Collier 3. Another Kind of Monday by William E. Coles Jr. 4. If This is Love, I’ll take Spaghetti by Ellen Conford 5. Nobody Told me What I Need to Know by Hila Colman 6. Connections by Multiple Authors

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NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Mainstream Medication

Attention deficit no laughing matter for students Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

Mason High School students’ joke that they have Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder because they cannot focus in school. But for some students, ADHD and ADD are very real problems.

The common self-diagnosis of ADD or ADHD stems from a misunderstanding of what the disorder entails, according to junior Rachel Frogge, who is on medication for ADD. “I think people think [ADD or ADHD] means you just can’t focus, when it’s really more than that,” Frogge said. “It involves memory problems and things like that. I’ve researched it and my doctor said basically it’s just that your brain can’t fully connect. I think people think it’s just based off of if you can’t focus, when that’s a part of it but there’s a lot more to it than that.”

Frogge said that there are other drugs in order to help with ADHD or ADD other than the common drug Adderall.

“I’m on Vyvanse...I used to use Ritalin but it never worked on me because I was taking the highest dose they could give me and it didn’t work so the doctors switched me up to Vyvanse,” Frogge said. “I stopped taking medicine in about third grade because it just wasn’t working, and my grades were absolutely terrible, because I can’t focus and I have bad memory problems. So I started taking the medication again in like fresh-

photo by Corynne Hogan

Maintaining focus is a challegne for students who suffer from ADHD and ADD and often requires medication.

-man year and it’s been so different. My medicine is actually stronger than Adderall.”

According to Frogge, the difference in personality is drastic when on drugs such as Vyvanse.

“When I’m not on medication I’m super outgoing and really hyper and I’m everywhere,” Frogge said.

“On my medication, I don’t really have a personality and I’m really serious. Outside of school I don’t take my medicine, so outside of school I’m just happier and have more of a personality. In school I’m just more serious because I’m on my medication.”

Senior Jen Center, who has ADHD but is not on medication for it, said that ADHD affects her in other parts of her life besides school.

“Outside of school I can’t get anything done,” Center said. “I’m happy with it though; it’s me, it’s how God made me. We’re all made different and it’s just how I was made.”

At first, being diagnosed with ADHD was an insecurity, according to Center.

“When I [found out I had ADHD] between my freshmen and sophomore year, it was just kind of awkward,” Center said. “I was thinking, ‘Do people really notice this about me? Am I an outcast from everyone?’

I would question myself and say, ‘Am I really not good enough for everyone else, do I really have to go to this other classroom?’ But I realize now that I’m just as equal as everyone else, and it doesn’t matter. We’re all people; we all have our flaws.”

Senior Ben Magana, who was diagnosed with ADD his sophomore year, said that coming in contact with the drugs to help his ADD was much easier than expected.

“I just wanted to have some excuse as to why I’m not good at school, so I told my mom that I thought I had ADD, and she was just like, ‘No you don’t, you’re just not responsible’ or some-

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thing,” Magana said. “I really wanted to prove her wrong [so] I went to the doctor and I thought they were going to run some serious tests to see if I had ADD. So I told them that I wasn’t really doing my homework and I felt kind of distracted, and they were just like ‘yep, that’s ADD’. So they started giving me [Concerta] but I didn’t really like it because it gave me sweaty hands and made me feel cold so I stopped taking them.”

Frogge said that she has been confronted by students wanting to buy her medication off of her, and she knows that giving away ADD and ADHD medication or selling it sometimes occurs with other students.

“It wasn’t easy to come in contact with the medicine for at least me, because I had to go to a doctor and take tests and I had to go to a psychiatrist and stuff,” Frogge said. “I’ve had friends though that have just been like ‘I don’t like using it because I don’t like what it does to me,’ because like I said it changes your personality, and makes you not as outgoing and everything. So a lot of people say they just don’t like using it so they give it to people that want to use it, and that’s the way that they sell it.”

There are other ways to keep focused that do not involve taking ADD or ADHD medication, according to Center. “[I reward myself with] chocolate,” Center said. “Last night I was doing my homework and I was reading, and I said ‘I can eat the rest of this chocolate bar if I finish this.

So I’m going to get fat one day, but chocolate or candy helps.”

Center said that she knows of people diagnosed with ADHD that take their medication mostly because of its side effects.

“I know people who actually have ADHD, and they like Adderall because it makes them skinny, which is sad to think about,” Center said. “Adderall makes you lose your appetite. With other people taking it…I don’t think it’s right for other people [who don’t have ADHD] to take it just to be skinny or for their own means…it’s just [like] abusing any type of drug.”

Taking ADD and ADHD medication for reasons other than treating the disorder can lead to horrible consequences and should be avoided, according to Frogge.

“I did lose a lot of weight because of my medicine, but my doctor has said I can’t lose any more, and my doctor told me if anyone else [that didn’t need it] took this medication it could have serious side effects,” Frogge said.

“They wouldn’t just lose weight; it would actually lead to serious problems.”

The side effects of ADHD and ADD medications such as Adderall are not always beneficial, according to Center.

“Cons to [Adderall are]…you lose your appetite,” Center said. “I know if you don’t have ADHD you can become depressed, there are a few other things. Especially if you don’t have ADHD. There are just so many things that can go wrong.”

Although Center is affected by ADHD, she said that it is something that is just a part of her personality and she no longer thinks of it as a negative.

“Having ADHD, you can take in two ways; it’s you and you have to embrace it, or you become insecure about it,” Center said. “It’s just your personality.”

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NOVEMBER 30, 2012

FOR SALE B2 Locker

-Prime Location -Scenic View

-Friendly neighborhood -Spacious storage

photo art by Erica Boden

Locker location has high value on high school real estate market Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

While the nation’s housing market still grapples with recovery, Mason High School’s locker market thrives with reliable value--but only for some. According to senior Jenn Eidemiller, certain lockers have a major advantage over others, and hers’ is one of them.

“My locker has a lot of value because it’s in the middle of all my classes, it’s in the center hall, and it’s on the edge of a hallway,” Eidemiller said.

Lockers on the edge have a tremendous edge against other lockers when it comes to the locker market. According to junior Christian Johnson, the value behind an edge locker lies in accessibility. “[Those with edge lockers] can just jet out straight from their locker to their classes instead of walking down the whole hallway,” Johnson said.

Being in the center hallway is another big boost to a locker value. According to Johnson, center hallway lockers are more visible to the common passerby. They get more attention and that increases their value.

“A locker in the center hallway has more value because then everyone gets to see that locker,” Johnson said. “It gets attention.”

According to senior John Deaton, a locker’s market value varies by grade levels. Yet some locations have a universal affect on locker value.

“There are pros and cons to each pod, and they depend on your grade level,” said Deaton. “But first floor lockers are always best, because then at the end of the day you just get out. Lockers on the

third floor, those freshmen lockers, those are just rough.”

Locker value also varies depending on a student’s activities, according to Eidemiller. For her, being in marching band played a role in determining her locker’s value.

“Last year’s locker in C1 I’d give a nine out of ten,” Eidemiller said. “I didn’t have to walk so far [to get to band], like some of my friends who’d come from Z to band, which is a pretty good hike.”

Johnson is currently feeling the pain of a Z locker and how it damages his locker’s value.

“No one wants a Z locker because it’s nowhere,” Johnson said. “But now I’m in Z, all the way in Z, and I can’t do much with that”.

Just as a bad neighborhood reputation hurts a house’s real estate value, a bad locker pod reputation, such as that associated with the Z pods, damages a locker’s value, according to Johnson.

Yet a good pod reputation can add significant value to a locker, as is the case with B3 lockers.

“B3 lockers have an increased value because everyone wants a locker in B3,” Johnson said. “It’s known as the fun pod”.

Yet there are some locker traits that are always a blow to the locker’s value, no matter what grade level, according to Eidemiller. For her, corner lockers top that list.

“The corner attracts a lot more locker conflicts, especially in the morning when everyone’s coming,” Eidemiller said. “Last year I wouldn’t even go to my locker, because it would be so crowded.

That decreases value. A lot.”

According to Deaton, locker neighbors are another constant factor in evaluating a locker’s value.

“Your locker neighbors are a huge factor in the world of the locker market,” Deaton said. “Those are the people you talk to everyday so their impact is always there. If someone annoying is near your locker, the value plummets.”

Unpleasant locker neighbors can drive locker value down and push students to adjust their locker stop schedule, according to junior Sri Karri.

“If you locker neighbor always bumps into you, or brings a ton of friends with them, you get annoyed,” Karri said. “So then you take stuff for more than one class and try to minimize your locker stops.”

Amidst all these factors, it’s individual schedules that dictate the locker market according to Karri.

“Being close to classes is always preferred,” Karri said. “So then value really comes down to accessibility for the student’s specific schedule.”

According to Deaton, all lockers have certain advantages helping them vie for a top place in the locker market. But at the end of the day, the locker is first and foremost a place for the student to carve out a home.

“A locker’s priceless,” Deaton said. “It’s something that can’t be taken away from you and you can make your own – like for me I have my own personal pantry of Nutri-Grain Bars. It really is your second home.”

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Artistic outlets proven to trigger brain activity in students Sheila Raghavendran | Staff Writer

Art and the mind are best friends.

According to Digital Image Design teacher Aaron Roberts, art triggers certain parts of the brain. “[Art] certainly flexes parts of your brain that you may not flex in other places,” Roberts said.

“Especially when it comes to coming up with creative responses and divergent thinking.”

School Psychologist Jeff Schlaeger said that art influences the relay of information through the mind.

“Learn[ing] patterns in dance or artistic ways of doing things really helps structure the brain to better process information,” Schlaeger said.

According to Roberts, there may be a connection between art and math.

“There are some [test] scores that might be correlated between those in music and performing arts with math,” Roberts said.

Statistics have proven this theory true--students immersed in music performance programs received SAT scores 44 points higher in math than students not participating in music, according to a 2011 College-Bound Seniors National Report.

Schlaeger said that he also sees that relation.

“There are certain patterns in learning dance that really help with math computation,” Schlaeger said. “Dance teachers will tell you that they know based on whether a kid is better at ballet or tap if one is more math-oriented or art-oriented.”

This concept can also be reversed -- math can be applied to art, according to junior Ashleigh Plummer.

“There [are] a lot of proportions involved,” Plummer said. “I’ve seen [art] where [artists] connect parabolas.”

Dance also works closely with math, according

to junior dancer Angela Vettikkal.

“In ballet and in [the Indian classical dance called] Bharatanatyam, you have lines and that’s very geometrical,” Vettikkal said. “When it comes to the music, there’s repetition, numbers and symmetry.”

Roberts said visual arts puts a footprint on other subjects as well.

“There are some studies that show that students that participate in visual arts tend to have higher scores in language arts related tests,” Roberts said.

Plummer said that her involvement with art and music has increased her concentration and relaxation.

“As I play cello more and more, it really help[s] me learn how to sit still, concentrate on one task and stay focused,” Plummer said.

Focus is the key to dance, Vettikkal said, and she said she uses this focus in her school classes.

“I learned [how to focus and practice from dance] before I got into AP classes, but then I could apply that to my AP classes,” Vettikkal said.

Art also allows kids to escape from the stresses of this competitive school, Roberts said.

“Art is a little bit of a break in that you’re using other parts of the brain and thinking about other things,” Roberts said. “It’s a little less intensely competitive.”

Vettikkal said that dance has not only influenced her other school subjects, but also her acceptance of herself. “[In] social environments, it’s a lot easier to stay true to yourself because if you are a wishy-washy kind of person as a dancer it’s not going to come across [well on stage],” Vettikkal said.

According to Plummer, the school’s art and music departments are important to students because

of the opportunities they open.

“A lot of people wouldn’t try this [art] at home themselves, but if they have these classes available to them, they can spread their horizons,” Plummer said.

Proper artistic technique is critical to conveying a message, Vettikkal said.

“A good writer, if they write with good technique, can express what they’re trying to say really well,” Vettikkal said. “That’s the point of art: [to] communicate a thought and idea.”

Roberts said that he treasures the art department because of students’ interest.

“Any graduating class over the last several years [has] graduate[d] around 6% into the visual arts,” Roberts said. “Without a strong art department I don’t think that we [would] have anything quite like that.”

Schlaeger said he is disappointed by some schools’ decisions to cut art programs because it affects students in a negative way. “[For non-athletic students], their release is music, their release is performing or drawing – artistic release,” Schlaeger said. “There are talents that aren’t being tapped by not having that art exposure.”

Even if students choose not to pursue art in college, Roberts said everyone is connected to art.

“Everybody needs some kind of creative outlet --whether it’s crafting or quilting, or whatever it is that you want to do,” Roberts said. “[Art is] so vastly important to just about everybody.”

Vettikkal said she agrees: art impacts everyone and everything.

“If I wasn’t a dancer, everything would change,” Vettikkal said. “Dance has always been there making me better at everything else.”

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Shadow

Sibling rivalries bring out the best in MHS students Katie Rojas | Staff Writer

Siblings strive to escape the shadows cast by their older siblings.

Junior Arianna Venkatesan said that her older sister was academically successful, and as a result, she feels pressure to excel in school.

“My sister left a huge shadow for me here at MHS because she was a National Merit Scholar, so especially when the PSAT came around, my parents put a lot of pressure on me to do really well,” Venkatesan said. “A lot of people were asking me, ‘Oh are you going to be a National Merit Scholar as well?’”

On the other hand, senior Molly Keane said that she gets compared to her older brother who she said she is nothing like.

“I mean, I’ve always been compared to [my brother] and not just in high school,” Keane said. “My brother hasn’t always been as focused on school as I have, and so him not focusing on class has made teachers assume that I’m not going to focus and put me down in classes.”

Junior Scott Curtis said that people tend to compare his personality more to his older brother’s sociable persona.

“We’re different in the classroom,” Curtis said. “My brother’s more outgoing in school and I’m more reserved in school.”

Curtis also said that in addition to personality, he and his brother get compared in academics, sports, and activities. “[My brother is] more of an academics person, and I’m more of a sports person,” Curtis said. “We do get compared in [ping pong]. People always ask, ‘Who’s better?’ and we play with each other at the house so we’re pretty much the same level of awesomeness.”

Venkatesan also said that she feels pressure in extracurricular activities. “[My sister] was also state champion in Speech and Debate, so I kind of [wanted] to join Speech and Debate for my first couple of years of high school,” Venkatesan said. “A lot of people kept asking me, but I

thought maybe it’s better just to wait a couple of years because I’m constantly going to be in her shadow and people will only compare me to her, and I wanted to be able to do my own thing.”

Venkatesan said her parents put a little bit of pressure on her, but not for the hope that she will imitate her sister. “[I feel pressure] mostly from my parents, and it’s not because they want me to be like her, they just want me to be as successful as her, and I understand where they’re coming from,” Venkatesan said. “Sometimes I feel like I just need more support as an individual.”

Keane said she feels upset when she is compared to her brother by others, and it makes her want to work even harder.

“I have always been the good student; I’ve always gotten A’s,” Keane said. “When teachers put me down or tell me I can’t do certain things because of my brother it makes me want to do it even more because I have to prove to them that I’m not anything like he is.”

Curtis said he definitely has noticed a difference since his brother has left for college as a freshman this fall.

“I get more involved in the school because [I] don’t have the other option of hanging out with [my] brother,” Curtis said. “Since he’s left, I would definitely say I’ve been a lot more outgoing. Since he’s not there, you just find different things to do.”

Venkatesan said at the end of the day, having an older sibling who has left a positive legacy was not a bad thing at all.

“Before I used to think it was a bad thing, and I thought that coming into high school, I’d always be living in her shadow, “ Venkatesan said. “Now that I think about it, it’s really great to be able to go to her anytime and be like, ‘Hey, I’m struggling with this, and I know you’ve been through it, so is there any kind of insight you can give me on how to make high school a great experience’ and she’s always there for me.”

photo by Taylor Telford, photo art by Erica Boden

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oney matters

Students feel pressures of unemployed parents Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

The heat of the economy is hitting Mason High School students hard.

With the unemployment rate fluctuating between the low sevens and high nines within the last several years according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, some students are coping with the stress of a parent’s job loss.

After her dad lost his job her freshman year, senior Ashton Gregor’s family had to make vital changes in the way they handled money.

“My dad just [told me] he lost his job and [that] things were going to need to tighten up, but [we were going to] all be OK,” Gregor said. “[When he had a job], we were more willing to go out and spend money…but when it changed, we started eating in more and…we never [shop] as much as we used to.”

Because her dad lost his job at the end of her eighth grade year and remained without one for nearly a year, junior Brittany Astles and her siblings began to work together more to help support the family.

“My mom got a part-time job at the intermediate building cafeteria…because we didn’t have enough money coming in,” Astles said. “[So we started] folding clothes, putting things away where they belong, doing dishes [and] just helping out more with that stuff because she can’t do it when she’s not there. …So we were fine it just took a little bit of time getting used to. …After a while, it became second nature.”

According to Astles, watching her parents put themselves under loads of stress to try to keep financial balance after the job loss was difficult.

“It was hard to watch my dad go through it because I knew he [thought he] let us all down,” Astles said. “He felt that he was not completing his job, doing his duties and bringing money in. I think that was hard for him and hard for all of us to watch. My mom getting her new job…was very stressful for her. … It was very stressful [for her] trying to get a job, [getting the job, then] trying to balance being at home and being with her family [and making] money.”

Outside of spending money, Gregor said her family has worked together at home to support each other.

“We all just started helping out more,” Gregor said. “My dad would always be on the computer looking for new jobs and stuff. And that’s when I picked up a job just to help out. …We just wanted a calm, peaceful environment. Then, [we would help out] around the house so that my [parents] wasn’t stressed.”

Although Astles’ dad’s job loss put a strain on her family, the experience ultimately brought them closer together.

“I feel like the fact that we’ve gone through such a hard time together, it’s really brought us to understand each other,” Astles said. “We had a lot more family dinners at home than at restaurants. …It was more family bonding time together. [Now], we do more stuff as a family. I think it did bring us closer, even though that’s not typical for a normal family.”

Astles said the initiative her family has taken to save money has impacted her personal perspective on money.

“I save so much now,” Astles said. “I come home from babysitting and I put my money right in the bank. It’s not going in my personal wallet…where I can spend it, which is a good thing. I [also] got a job recently at the intermediate building, helping out with homework club and extended care. All my paychecks are automatically put into the bank so I don’t…go spend them.”

According to Gregor, her dad’s job loss has also played a significant role in how she deals with money.

“I’ve learned to be determined no matter what happens, you’ve just got to keep moving forward,” Gregor said. “There’s times that I want to spend it on myself for little things and then there’s other times where I’m like ‘I need to save this because in a little bit, I’m going to have to spend money.’ … It’s still hard, we don’t [spend] as much now but…it happens to everybody. You just kind of have to move on.” photo by Erica Boden

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lemished

Paralysis worth it for MHS teen wanting clear skin Katie Hibner | Staff Writer

Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak committed suicide after five months on Accutane. The tragedy prompted him to start an investigation that revealed one hundred other patients who committed suicide while on Accutane, but the link between Accutane and suicide is not scientifically proven. According to local dermatologist Dr. James Nordlund, a risk of Accutane that has scientific backing is birth defects.

“The main risk [of Accutane] is [in relation to] pregnancy,” Nordlund said. “Normal babies have been born from women who took Accutane while pregnant, but probably 80 percent will have serious congenital defects, mostly of the brain and heart.”

According to Nordlund, Accutane is primarily reserved for teens that have had little success with other medications. “[Accutane] is for those teens that have tried the other oral medications but have not had satisfactory results,” Nordlund said.

This is likely due to Accutane’s effectiveness.

Nordlund said that Accutane works 98 percent of the time, a success rate proven in Mason High School. According to senior Sarah Greensfelder, her skin cleared in less than six months, which is Accutane’s typical prescription time.

“People told me they noticed a difference [in my skin] in two months,” Greensfelder said. “Accutane is harsh, but it works really well.”

Success stories such as Greensfelder’s contribute to Accutane’s popularity. Senior Austin Agin said Accutane is a common skin treatment at MHS, especially for males who can’t take birth control medications.

“Girls take birth control to help their [skin],” Agin said. “[Accutane] is mainly popular for guys.”

While medications such as Accutane flourish, sophomore Tatiana Perez said she prefers natural skin treatments such as tea tree oil. “[Tea tree oil] is a natural product from Whole Foods,” Perez said. “I use it whenever I have a breakout; it kills bacteria. It usually gets rid of [acne] in one or two days.”

Meyer also uses facial cleansers, but she said she wants to become a dermatologist so she can find a safer alternative to Accutane. “[Accutane’s] bad side effects made me decide to come up with something else to clear kids’ skin,” Meyer said. “I know how awful it [is] to have acne, [so] I want to find [a medicine] less harmful.”

Meyer may have bad memories battling acne and Accutane’s side effects, but she said they lead her to a brighter future.

“Once [I] get a dermatology practice established, [I] can work [only] three days a week,” Meyer said. “So I can raise my family [while] making a lot of money. It’s perfect.”

photo by Erica Boden

Senior Alex Meyer said that becoming temporarily wheelchair-bound in eighth grade was worth clear skin. Her short-term immobility was caused by a side effect of Accutane, a form of vitamin A used to treat acne. “[Accutane] makes your limbs and joints really weak, so I ended up breaking both of my ankles [while cheerleading],” Meyer said. “I was in a wheelchair for a month, but it was definitely worth it because I’m no longer self-conscious [about my skin].”

According to WebMD, Accutane lowers the body’s production of sebum, a facial oil that causes breakouts. Common side effects include nosebleeds, minor swelling, and dry skin.

Chapped lips were the only side effect senior Luke Biggers said he witnessed.

“I had dry lips [on Accutane],” Biggers said. “[I] always had to have chapstick.”

But Meyer experienced Accutane’s rarer side effects along with her broken ankles, including the formation of a cyst on her ovary.

“I got a blood-filled torsion that wrapped around my ovary [from Accutane],” Meyer said.

“I had to have emergency surgery on it, and [the recovery time] was so long that I couldn’t cheer again.”

Accutane may have taken away Meyer’s cheerleading ability, but more seriously, it can also take lives. According to CBS News, the son of former

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anishing vocab

Vocabulary instruction in a state of ‘flux’ at MHS Ria Shah | Staff Writer

Vocabulary in the English classes at Mason High School is in a state of “transmutation.”

But since vocabulary is not being emphasized you probably don’t know what that means. Transmutation means transition and according to the Language Arts Department Co-Chair Kristin Stoll, instead of learning vocabulary words straight from the books, teachers are finding other ways to incorporate vocabulary into the classroom.

“I would say that right now our goal with vocabulary is to take more of an approach of teaching the words in the content, or in the context,” Stoll said. “You’re not always going to have a vocabulary book to stop, reference, look up a word, memorize them, and move on.”

Language Arts Department Co-Chair Shawna Parkinson, says she uses an in-context approach in an effort to look for more creative ways to teach vocabulary.

“So when we have the words such as in the vocabulary books,” Parkinson said. “In isolation, we can bring those words in context in our writing but it doesn’t really give us that authentic context of being able to see a piece of literature or in a newspaper article where for instance, I as a teacher can say to students, ‘When we read this newspaper article, here’s an unknown word, and now how can you define that unknown word by understanding the surrounding discussion’.”

Junior, Angela Wei said that she does not feel any vocabulary is being taught.

“No, we’re not really being taught any vocabulary,” Wei said. “I mean the basis of the English curriculum is more surrounding literature and not vocabulary.”

MHS Language Arts teacher, Laura Palmer said she does not focus so much on vocabulary as she does on teaching context clues.

“I teach skills related to figuring out vocabulary words,” Palmer said. “For example, I’ll teach them context clues, as a skill. I’ll teach connotation and denotation as skills.

And Logo graphic clues as a skill. So I teach different skills to figuring out unknown words.”

Sophomore Allison Yan said she wishes there was more vocabulary per week.

“I don’t think we’re learning a lot,” Yan said.

“We’re focusing more on writing craft, like right now were doing analytical writing, and

there’s not much vocabulary really involved.

At my old school we did vocabulary studies every week, we would have a list with similar words that would be nice [at MHS] or just like commonly found words on the ACT/ SAT especially for honors students I think that would be really helpful for us.”

Stoll said she admits that MHS is currently in a transition period.

“Right now, we’re sort of in an area of transition,” Stoll said. “Because we’re moving from our current state standards to the common core standards, which are going to be coming down the road in 2014, we’ll be fully implementing those. So right now, were trying something’s out to get us to that transition that we’ll make in 2014.”

Junior Lauren Magness is concerned by the lack of vocabulary being taught.

“I didn’t like the books and the way that we had to do flashcards,” Magness said. “…I didn’t like the way it was done…But I also don’t like how we don’t have any kind of vocabulary that is being taught right now because then I feel like we’re not being encouraged to use a certain set of words more often.”

Junior Gabrielle Honda, said how vocabulary is something that needs more emphasis sophomore and junior year.

“Maybe at the sophomore and junior levels [it should be emphasized],” Honda said.

“It’s something that should be emphasized a little bit more because like for the SAT, it does play a big role, a big part in a lot of new words we haven’t seen before especially when you’re relying solely on context clues and previous knowledge to kind of make an educated guess.”

Test-takers with a strong vocabulary no doubt hold an advantage when it comes to questions on the ACT, according to onlinetestprep.com. In relation to the rigor of standardized testing in line for most upperclassmen, Stoll says that moving forward; vocabulary will have a very specific notch in the English curriculum.

“There will be a component of our new standards that is solely based on vocabulary,” Stoll said. “…the focus [will be] more on things that you can take out of one classroom and apply four years from now as opposed to four weeks from now.”

photo art by Erica Boden, photo by Katie Hibner

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Person of Interest Sam Whipple, Senior

Students relate to southern culture, but not redneck stereotypes personified on television shows.

Sam Whipple has high aspirations for his future--wanting to be the President of the United States of America Quick Facts: Presidential Affiliation: Tries not to label himself, sits in the middle of spectrum slightly leaning democratic Favorite Color: Blue Most Prized Possession: Viola Favorite Pastime: Lego Kits/ Model Building Favorite Animal: Dog Favorite Song: ‘Good Life’ by OneRepublic Favorite Food: Pizza Greatest Accomplishment: Named Top 60 in country for congressional debate at National Tournament for Speech and Debate Tournament

Why do you want to be president?

“Looking ahead there is obviously critical problems from the budget deficit to wars… something needs to be done to get us on the right track. I want to go in to politics to help guarantee that the American Dream we’ve been born in to will [still] be there in the future.

That’s my goal and if it carries me to presidency then so be it.”

What would be your first action as president?

“It is hard to predict that [because] I do not know what the conditions will be. [But] if I was to take office [now], my first action would be to [formulate] a balanced plan to control the deficit. That is what we need the most right now [because] we are spending way too much.”

compiled by Emily Culberson

R C Reality television adding to negative stereotype of southerners edneck revolution

Meghan Harris | Staff Writer

Rednecks are back and stronger than ever.

With shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty the “redneck” stereotype is popping up across televison and other media outlets. Mason High School junior Maddie Jackson says she identifies herself as a redneck, but not the stereotypes that come along with it.

“People say that I’m a redneck, and I identify myself as one but I think some negative connotations come with it,” Jackson said. “I don’t like how the [assumptions] come with the territory.”

According to senior Marti Sumrall, people confuse redneck culture with southern ideals.

“When I think of redneck I don’t think of southern people,” Sumrall said. “I feel like it’s a term that can be used for anybody. Somebody who wears a wife beater and jeans, and has a cigarette out of their mouth and doesn’t shave.”

Jackson says rednecks are people worthy of respect.

“A redneck is someone who has pride in themselves and their heritage,” Jackson said.

“Somebody who comes from a not very wealthy background and works hard for their money.

They work hard, they play hard. They take pride in doing things by themselves, not with anyone else’s help. They have pride in their country.”

According to Jackson, people like rednecks because they’re relatable.

“People are fascinated by the fact that there’s a strong group of people and that they have strong morals and ideals,” Jackson said.

Sumrall said Mason students are fascinated with rednecks because they’re different from

Mason students.

“I think it’s different,” Sumrall said. “It’s not something that [people] are used to.”

Junior Taylor Sheppard said she watches Honey Boo Boo because of the contrast of redneck lifestyle against the lifestyle of Mason students.

“I find it entertaining because no one around me acts like they do so it’s just funny to watch it,” Sheppard said.

Junior Megan Rieman said she watches Honey Boo Boo because of the activities the characters participate in.

“All the random stuff that [rednecks] do, and how they think it’s normal,” Rieman said. “It’s just weird to us, so it’s fun to see their point of view.”

According to Sumrall, Honey Boo Boo is an embarrassing depiction of southern society.

“She’s a disgrace to southern society,” Sumrall said. “That’s pure redneck. When I watch it, I’m thoroughly embarrassed for her.”

Jackson said that despite the negatives, rednecks are always helpful.

“People make fun of rednecks but once you need your car fixed or something that you don’t know how to do because you didn’t grow up doing things for yourself, a redneck is your best friend,” Jackson said.

Jackson said that despite redneck popularity, she remains true to herself.

“I don’t pay much attention to [the redneck shows] because I was who I am before [being a redneck] became popular,” Jackson said.

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Sports

STARING DOWN THE COMPETITION

[Winter Sports Teams Ready to Roll, See stories on pages 28-30]

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NOVEMBER 30, 2012

CIt’s their turn Seniors ready to assume new roles in 2012 Chloe Knue | Associate Editor

The Mason boys’ varsity basketball team has some big shoes to fill. In fact 14 of them, after seven players from a squad that went 18-4 last year were lost to graduation.

After losing the entire starting five from the previous season and some critical bench players, head coach Greg Richards said this year the team will have to change the tempo, and instead of looking to pound the ball inside, the team will have to rely on their outside shooters.

“We’re going to play a bunch of guys,” Richards said. “We’re going to do a lot of sub patterns so it’s kind of different than having one or two [go-to] guys, we’re kind of going to be all in.”

According to senior Connor McVey, the team will find ways to win games despite not having a lot of height. “...shooting and defense will help us out this year,” McVey said. “We’re a lot faster than we were last year. We can run the floor and we have more guys that can take the ball up the floor. We can win games.”

Senior Drew Matula said that this is an exciting season for him because he gets to play his senior year with all the guys he has grown up with.

“We’re just a hardworking group and that is going to get us through a lot of photo by Corynne Hogan games,” Matula said. “I’m going to try to Comet seniors Jake Brinkman, Alex Day, Eric Young, Matt Beebe, Connor be more positive and pump up my playMcVey, Drew Matula, and Kacey Richards, (Not pictured Austin Zelwanger, ers. I’m excited to play with the guys I’ve Bryan King and Jaylen Mayo) show off a little personality at practice.

C Quick Hitters

Senior Lauren Wood is Going National Senior Cross Country runner Lauren Wood has qualified to run at the Nike Cross Country National Championship in Portland, Oregon, this Saturday, December 1. Wood said that she is very thankful for the experience.

“I just can’t believe that I made it,” Wood said. “I got seventh at nike regionals so I knew it would be a long shot to qualify, since typically just the top five runners go. It came down to the at-large bid, and...a spot was opened up for me. I feel so blessed right now for this opportunity.”

grown up with but haven’t always gotten to play with.”

McVey, being the senior with the most varsity minutes, said that he will have to step up even more this year.

“I’ll have to take on the role of a leader,” McVey said. “Playing with younger players [the seniors and I] will have to shape them up…and show players new to varsity basketball what it’s like playing in a varsity game.”

Richards said Princeton, Middletown, Lakota East and West will be some of the biggest GMC competition the Comets will face this season.

“The big games are the games we play the best in because we come out with a chip on our shoulders and feel like we have something to prove,” Matula said.

Five players who logged significant minutes a year ago, McVey, Matula, Austin Zeltwanger, Matt Beebe, and Bryan King collectively averaged 8.5 points per game a year ago. Now these seniors will be expected to carry the bulk of the scoring load. Despite the teams overall lack of experience, Richards is optimistic that the boys will find ways to overcome their weaknesses.

“The kids [on the team] have worked extremely hard,” Richards said. “They’ve been successful at all levels and I’m excited to coach them…height and rebounding [will be our biggest weakness] but we’ll have to make up for size with effort.”

GETTIN’ TO THE POINT Connor McVey, Senior

Leading minutes returner from 2011-12 Stats from 2011-12 Minutes per game: Points per game: Rebounds per game: Assists per game: Turnovers per game: Field Goal Percentage Free Throw Percentage 3 Point Field Goal Pct.

15 3.4 1.7 1.3 1.0 53.5 64.7 41.2

photo by Corynne Hogan

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C McDowell, Gunn expected to lead Comet attack Final Four Focus

at the University of Missouri said this season she is going to have to The Mason varsity girls’ basstep up as a leader. ketball team won a state champi“[This year] I would say I have to onship back in 2000 and with a communicate more on the court,” team led by Missouri signee Kayla McDowell said. “We have to make McDowell there’s reason to believe sure we are doing things the right the Comets have what it takes to way in practice...[It is important] make a run at another state title. that we stay focused because it is Head Coach Rob Matula said he such a long season. We are going believes the team does have what to have to stay focused and work it takes to be suchard every day.” cessful.

Clark said she TOP GUNN “I am excited expects McDowell 2nd Team All Conference as about the fact and junior starter a sophomore we have expeJenna Gunn, who rienced players Averaged nearly 9 points per game is also starting to Colleges showing interest: Miami, coming back,” attract plenty of Matula said. “We Loyola, Chicago, East Carolina, Lipscomb Division I college were successful What Matula thinks about Gunn: “I interest, to be last year and you would expect her to do everything for us...She great teammates would hope with can score, she can defend, she can rebound, Jenna Gunn and pressure playJunior Guard successful play- she can handle the basketball, she’s an all ers which means ers you’re going tool type of player.” they get it done to have a greater when the team chance of being successful again.” be challenged by GMC rivals such needs them to.

Last year the team made it to the as Princeton who is picked to win “I think [McDowell] has already Elite Eight and now the Comets the league and is ranked number proven that her play is good,” have set their sights on going even one in the city and the Comets Matula said. “She is going to have further. Someone who knows a biggest rival, Sycamore. to take on more of an emotional little about what it takes to make a “[Our biggest weakness] is leadership now that she is a senior. run to Columbus is Comet assisprobably being able to consistently She has to take on that emotional tant coach Jere Clark. Clark, who handle teams that are quicker and thing in regards to being about went on to play collegiaitely at the smaller than us,” Matula said. to talk people up and keep everyUniversity of Illinois after leadAccording to McDowell, who body’s spirits up. She is going to ing the Comets to that 2000 state will take her game to the Southhave to balance that while being title is extremely excited about the eastern Conference next season consistent on the floor.”

Chloe Knue | Associate Editor

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IN THE PAINT

Comets chances of returning to the Final Four. “[Last year the team] made it to the Elite Eight, that’s the highest they’ve made it,” Clark said. “The expectations this year are to get to the Final Four...I think we have the talent and mentality to get it done and we’ve got some winners this year.”

Matula said that the team will

Chloe Knue | Associate Editor I think their punishment is extremely fair. They are cheaters and don’t deserve to play. The Big Ten is not that good this year. Ohio State has not beaten anybody that significant and in my opinion they haven’t accomplished anything. It would be a shame if they were in the final game competing for a national championship because they do not deserve it. Typically the OSU & Michigan game would’ve meant something. But OSU cheated and Michigan is overrated. I’m unimpressed and glad OSU can’t compete. If you want to see real champions play, I’ll direct your attention to Notre Dame.

C Trading Punches Ohio State went undefeated this season and won’t get to participate in any bowl games? Is this unfair?

Kayla McDowell Senior

University of Missouri recruit Stats from 2011-2012 Minutes per game: 22 Points Per Game: 13.8 Reb. per game: 7.4 Assists per game: 2 Field Goal %: FreeThrow %:

54.3 64.5

GMC First Team All Conference

Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor I’d like to invite you to look up the definition of the word cheaters, Chloe.

Because under no definition of the word will you find The Ohio State Buckeyes as example. Tiger Woods?

Yes. OSU? No. They in no way did anything that affected the outcome of their games. Everything they won, they’ve won fair and square. So, yes, it most certainly is unfair. The rules that were broken by players last year had nothing to do with steroids or anything else that would enhance their game. OSU deserves to play for the National Championship and that’s that.

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Reloading

Murnan expects underclassmen to step up as wrestling team reloads for ‘12-13 Erin Brush | Staff Writer

Everybody loves a good underdog story, and the Mason wrestling team is no different. According to head coach Craig Murnan, the Comets are aiming to win the conference for the fourth straight time, despite low preseason rankings.

“We’re not projected to win the GMC right now because we’ve graduated so many,” Murnan said.

“They have had us ranked anywhere from third to second. The projected GMC champion right now is Fairfield. They were 30 points behind us last year and they’re the projected champs this year.”

According to Murnan, the key to this team’s success this season will be the underclassmen replacing last year’s leaders.

“We graduated starters in eight out of the fourteen weight classes last year, so we are going to be a young team overall,” Murnan said. “Our sophomore class is very good class and a lot of them have been waiting their turn to be on varsity so we are anticipating a lot of sophomores to step into the lineup.”

One such sophomore is Patrick Kearney, who was first-team all GMC last year. Murnan said Kearney has been working especially hard this offseason.

“The kid that had the biggest offseason as far as commitment to strength and conditioning is Patrick Kearney. He’s ready to step up and be an anchor on the team as a sophomore and we expect him to,” Murnan said. “He has demonstrated that he’s willing to put in the work to get where he needs to go.”

According to Kearney, he believes that this year’s team has the potential to win the GMC again this year. Senior Brian McCrea agrees with his teammate.

“We’re seeded lower than I think we should be,” McCrea said. “I want to prove people wrong,” Murnan is equally as confident in his team’s abilities as his wrestlers are.

“I think we have the talent to win the GMC. I think we have the kids in our room to win the GMC. And our expectation is to win the GMC.”

photo by Corynne Hogan

The Comet swim team led by stand-outs like Zoe Thatcher is expected to once again challenge for GMC titles

C Making Waves

Sullivan’s squad hits the pool in search of GMC titles Erin Brush | Staff Writer

The Mason swim team recently kicked off the start of their winter season, but they are already aiming to win big in the postseason.

According to head coach Mark Sullivan, both the men and women’s teams plan to win the GMC titles.

“The girls have won the GMC ever since they’ve been in the league,” Sullivan said. “I would have to say we’d be favored again. They have a strong group of returning girls and a strong freshman class.”

As for the boys, Sullivan said that this year will be a battle to win the conference, as they’ve lost many of their top swimmers from last year.

“Some of these younger guys and the kids that are on the verge of becoming good really have to step up,” Sullivan said. “Sycamore has won it the last four years and I’d have to say they’d be favored to win it again this year.”

Both teams have stepped up their game at practice in an effort to prepare for their season. According to senior Eric Chen, he has

made it a priority to step up as a leader on the men’s team this year.

“I want to make a good impression on the freshmen and sophomores because I know when I was in their position a lot of the seniors had an impact on me,” Chen said. “You have to lead by example, so every day at practice I’ll go in and lead the lane and I’ll give it my all, even if I’m feeling like crap.”

Junior Zoe Thatcher said she has also been hard at work this past year.

“I’ve been doing a lot of strength training so I can be more powerful in my swimming,” Thatcher said. “Also, [I’ve worked on] strategy.

Usually I like to take my races out really fast and I die at the end, so mainly my strategy is to be more controlled at the beginning.”

Despite their focus on bringing home victories this season, Sullivan also said he has goals for his athletes that are beyond winning.

“My perspectives have changed with the years,” Sullivan said. “I want everyone to get along, that’s my biggest goal. I want them to have fun but develop as young men and women.”

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