The Chronicle, 10.6

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March 15, 2013 | The Chronicle | thecspn.com | Vol. 10, Issue 6 Proudly serving the William Mason High School Community

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photo contributed

I asked the doctor what are the chances of my tumor coming back and he said it was two percent. In September of 2012…

the tumor came back.

Monica Garcia, (Page 20-21)

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MARCH, 15 2013

News

TrendingNow View these and other stories and galleries at

thecspn.com

C National Honor Band

MHS junior Chris McMillan has been selected for Music For All’s National Honor Band. Check out thecspn.com for a preview.

C Hockey Season

The MHS club Ice Hockey team is the winner of the Cincinnati High School Hockey League Tournament.

Go to thecspn.com for a wrap up of the game.

C Overture Awards MHS junior Angela Vettikkal received top honors for her performance in Indian cultural dance. 5 other MHS students were also named semifinalists. Read thecspn.com for a story.

C OMEA Large Group Contest

See thecspn.com for a wrap up of MHS’ Women’s, Bel Canto, and Honors Concert Choir at the Ohio Music Education Association’s Large Group Contest on March 9.

C Blogs

Meet the staff of MBC and the Chronicle on thecspn.com through personal blogs set up to showcase writing and opinions. See what our staff members have to say.

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Executive order explained

Obama’s use of executive orders questioned in political circles Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

Between guns, drones, and cybersecurity, President Barack Obama’s use of the executive order has come under increased media attention, and not always too accurately. How many can say they actually understand the concept behind an executive order, much less the effects it can leave? With government teachers Chip Dobson, Maria Mueller, and Paul Reedy, they break down the executive order to its roots.

WHAT IT IS

Executive orders have the force of law, according to Mueller, but that doesn’t mean they make law.

“An executive order is an instruction from the head of the executive branch,” Mueller said.

“It has the force of law in that it’s not optional, people in the executive branch can’t not do it.”

According to Dobson, executive orders, if used properly, are essential to carrying out executive duties: enforcing law, not creating it.

“They’re necessary pieces, within the purview of the President, to complete the task they have at hand,” Dobson said. “I think the executive order, if used for that purpose and used judicially, is reasonable.”

A President giving an executive order is like a CEO giving a mission statement, according to Mueller. It affirms ideas already established and only calls on their employees to act.

“The President sets the tone and sets the boundaries in which [the executive branch] does their work,” Mueller said. “So he’s not instructing the public how to behave or anything like that.

An executive order is a directive to his workers, essentially.”

Other executive actions not labeled as executive orders often have the same goal in mind, but are much less influential, according to Dobson.

“Presidential determinations, memorandums, things of that nature, are much less binding,” Dobson said. “They have a lesser impact.”

THE LIMITS

The only blatant restriction on an executive order, according to Mueller, is that it can’t lead the executive branch to do anything illegal. There are further limits, however, in case the order overreaches the President’s power beyond that of the executive branch, according to Reedy.

“Here’s the safeguard against the President issuing an executive order that overreaches: it would be challenged in court,” Reedy said. “So yes, the President could make that order, there’s no restriction on that, but he won’t because he knows the federal court would take a pretty quick look at any executive order that has been challenged, and if they feel that it has overreached, they’d strike it down.”

It’s this likelihood of a court injunction that stops the President from making new laws with his executive order power, said Reedy.

“That’s why, when you look at [the 23 executive orders on guns], there’s nothing that would change existing law,” Reedy said. “If [President Obama] tried to do that a lot of people would follow suit, it would go to the federal courts right away, and they would say that’s exceeding the President’s constitutional authority.”

According to Mueller, the executive order is empowered to only enforce law because while it has the force of law, it cannot make new law.

“The job of the executive branch is to enforce the law,” Mueller said. “So it can only clarify how the law is going to be enforced, not what the law is or what the law says. It just says how they’re going to execute and carry out the law.”

Continued compiled by Ashley Calvani and Sheila Raghavendran

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Executive Order 13632, Section 1: “The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Department of Homeland Security is leading the recovery efforts to assist the affected region. A disaster of Hurricane Sandy’s magnitude merits a comprehensive and collaborative approach to the long-term rebuilding plans for this critical region and its infrastructure. Rebuilding efforts must address…”

Explanation: “When the hurricane hits, [the President] doesn’t have time to go through Congress,” Dobson said. “It took congress two and a half months to pass the relief bill on Hurricane Sandy.

But [President Obama’s] got to supplies right then.

So he can direct the FEMA, because they’re underneath the President, by executive order.”

ENFORCE

from page

QUICK RESPONSE

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Gun Violence Reduction Executive Order No. 1: “Issue a Presidential memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.”

Explanation: “This is basically making sure that the federal departments of the executive branch are doing what, in theory, they’re already supposed to be doing,” Reedy said. “[President Obama’s] trying to make sure what should already be in place is actually working and accountability is demanded.”

Obama’s use of the executive orders are frequent despite lack of publicity Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

THE HYPE course anytime you say the word ‘gun’, it’s going to get attention.”

Attention that’s often subject to heavy biases among media outlets, according to Reedy.

“One network will make it seem like what he’s doing is no different from any other President, and then another will make it seem like the President’s out of control, grabbing power,” Reedy said.

Yet according to Dobson, the reality of an executive order is not portrayed by the media. Both objectivity and understanding of Presidential duties help to establish better perception.

“It’s not always as scary or serendipitous as the media makes it to be,” Dobson said. “I think if one were to look at the information in their biased

Gun Violence Reduction Executive Order No. 23: “Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.”

Explanation: “That’s just basically putting into writing what he wants a couple of the cabinet secretaries to do to emphasize the importance of mental health,” Reedy said. “It’s a way for the President to say, ‘We’re serious about tackling this issue, here’s what I can do without Congress’. It prioritizes what he wants different parts of our federal government to do.”

According to Mueller, this need to emphasize is evident in several of the executive orders on gun control, and is often indirectly geared toward Congress.

“Part of the [executive orders on gun control] is the President trying to show the intensity of his concern for the issue,” Mueller said. “He’s trying to encourage Congress to act. The idea is to prod Congress a bit to address the issue.”

lenses, they’d say [President Obama] uses it more than he should. But if you look at it objectively you’d say he uses it a fair amount, because you commensurate it with the tasks he has.”

According to Mueller, the executive order is really much more common than many people would think, and President Obama’s use of it isn’t any more sensational than any other prior President.

“The thing is [Presidents] issue them all the time,” Mueller said. “But most of them are really inconsequential to the public. So the way Obama has used it is definitely not different than previous Presidents. I think people would be surprised as to how frequent they are.”

Gun Violence Reduction Executive Order No. 8: “Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).”

Explanation: “This is more investigative, trying to bring more awareness, more information to the table,” Reedy said. “With this one, there’s a federal agency that ties into it. So [President Obama’s] just taking action to direct federal departments in providing more information, more understanding.”

INFORM

EMPHASIZE

The recent hype about President Obama’s executive order use is not so much because of the use of executive authority, but because of the topics addressed with that authority, according to Dobson.

“The executive order has become more controversial lately because it’s been mentioned with things that are more controversial topics,” Dobson said.

According to Mueller, the recent cybersecurity executive order is not so much controversial as it is unknown. Yet with gun control, the attention through controversy remains.

“Cybersecurity is interesting because it’s a whole new facet of warfare that people haven’t thought about in the past,” Mueller said. “And then of

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MARCH 15, 2013

photos by Rebekah Barnes

Left: Mason employees draws large crowd before Health Care Committee meeting on February 21. Top right: Mason teachers listen as MEA president Karrie Strickland addresses the crowd at the Health Care Committee meeting. Bottom right: Mason employees fill Board of Education meeting February 26 in support of the union.

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nited they stand

Mason employees fight for change in healthcare benefits

Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

Mason City Schools employees were alarmed when healthcare coverage was changed for cost-cutting measures, according to Mason Education Association (MEA) President Karrie Strickland. After several discussions with Board and district representatives in a special Health Care Committee on switching providers from Healthspan to TrueCost, according to Strickland, the employees were told that they would see no change to their coverage. This, however, was not the case.

MEA felt that their contract had been broken by the district, by not replacing the old carrier with another, as physicians and hospitals throughout southwest Ohio were all denying the TrueCost plan, according to Strickland. Superintendent Dr. Gail Kist-Kline said that she was not expecting the repercussions that the district saw after integration of the new plan.

And then the job turned to the employees, who according to Strickland began to fight back in unison against the new coverage in several different ways.

“I’ve been in this district for 13 years and I don’t remember a time when we were more vocal and united in our actions towards the district. …

We started with the armbands and then we proceeded from there. We spent two days...working to the rule, which what that means is in our contract if it says we have to be at school at 8:20 then we all walk in together at 8:20, nobody goes early. And then at

3:50 when the day is over, we all walk out together and nobody stays extra to do anything extra...We did that for two days and then at the end of that second day, that night we had our health care committee meeting, and at that point it had made the news and… word had kind of traveled around that we were in conflict over this and had not reached an agreement yet so I do think the show of support in sheer numbers of us that decided to put things into actions and not words really helped us move this process along.”

The healthcare was officially switched back to Healthspan as of March 1. According to Kist-Kline, however, she was not pleased in certain aspects of the protests, like “working to the rule” where teachers who usually hold study sessions after school for exam week did not during the week.

“We have many caring, dedicated professionals who make Mason a great place, and ensure that students have a wonderful educational experience,” Kist-Kline said. “We were disappointed that some members chose not to hold study sessions during exam week, and that arm bands worried some elementary school students who were concerned that someone had died. However, for the most part, the actions were fine.”

With public forms of protest, Strickland said that she thinks the MEA and the community showed students that change can come

when an organization can work together for a common goal.

For Strickland, she also hopes that the district has learned a few lessons in regards to the unity amongst the teacher union.

The issue, however, is not completely resolved and according to Public Information Officer Tracey

Carson and Kist-Kline, the district will still be looking to healthcare to try to save money in the future.

“The Health Care Committee is meeting regularly, and I am confident that together we will generate solutions that will serve us well into the future,” Kist-Kline said.

MARCH 15, 2013

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Road less traveled

Students stray from typical post-high school options Sheila Raghavendran | Staff Writer

College does not always lead to success, according to Mason High School guidance counselor Sally Clark.

The typical post-high school plan of attending college is becoming less popular, Clark said, and many students choose to pursue careers right away.

Senior Sophie Malin said she does not plan on going to college and instead will be auditioning to become a professional dancer. She said that she finds much of her high school knowledge useless because it will not be pertinent to her career.

“I don’t feel the necessity to try really hard on some [assignments], because…none of this is really going to help me in life,” Malin said. “I’m not taking a lot of really hard classes just because I know that there’s no point in stressing myself out on it when I know I’m not going to use it.”

The idea of not going to college garners a doubtful initial response from others, according to Malin.

“At first people were kind of skeptical of it and made me feel really awkward about saying that I’m [choosing a different path],” Malin said.

“Now, since [my plan is] more serious…they take me more seriously about it.”

This uncertainty is derived from the population’s expectations, according to Clark.

“The people here, many of them are collegeeducated themselves, therefore their dream is to have their student go to college,” Clark said.

Senior Jami Pfeifer is serious about taking a different route as well. She is graduating high school early and will begin schooling at Aveda Institute in April. She said she received large soccer scholarships from colleges, but turned them down.

“It was hard to turn down scholarships,” Pfeifer said. “...It’s free college--but I just didn’t know what I would major in at college, because I didn’t want to major in anything other than cosmetology.”

Aveda Institute and other alternatives have turned into common steps for students, according to Clark.

“Trades in general are becoming more popular because the economy is changing,” Clark said.

“So a college degree doesn’t necessarily mean a job anymore, and I think a lot of kids are recognizing that and taking alternative paths.”

Malin said that she decided on professionally dancing about a year ago, but has never wanted to go to college, and scheduled her classes accordingly.

“I stopped taking math after my sophomore year because I was done,” Malin said. “I took Honors [until then], so I was literally done with math. I was [thinking], ‘Why do I need to take it again? I’m never going to use it.’”

Even after Malin retires from professionally dancing, she said she wants to continue working in that field.

“After I retire I’m going to open up my own dance studio,” Malin said.

Pfeifer said that while she won’t need certain academic skills in the field of cosmetology, it is important to have the basic high school education.

“It wasn’t bad being [in high school] for four years,” Pfeifer said.

“I’m not going to have to use any of this for my career, but just [for commonsense], it’s nice to have the high school education.”

Clark said a student’s determination in high school is reflected in their overall take-away.

“You can come here and get nothing out of it--I think it’s up to the individual what they take from high school,” Clark said.

Retaining knowledge from high school depends on a student’s career path, according to Clark, and MHS may not be appropriate for everyone.

“We’re a college-prep high school,” Clark said.

We are preparing you for college, and that’s about it.”

For certain careers, college degrees are inef-

ficient, according to Malin.

“For what I want to do...it’s completely unnecessary,” Malin said. “I’ve been training for being a dancer since I was three years old, and very seriously training since I was in sixth grade, so there’s no point in wasting four more years of my career when I can start right now--or try to, at least.”

Clark said that college alternatives can be the best choice for a student.

“I’ve always been a believer in the curvy path,” Clark said. “Sometimes the curvy path is more exciting and more viable. I think most people are accepting of any path that a student may take as long as they have a path.”

photo art by Erica Boden

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nimal welfare

Hard economic times put strain on local animal shelters Katie Hibner | Staff Writer

160,000 animals can thank the Humane Association of Warren County this March when it marks its 40 year anniversary with a fundraiser at the Manor House. According to the Executive Director of the Humane Association Mari Lee Schwarzwalder, the Warren County Animal Shelter has housed that many homeless pets since its inception in 1973, and remains the only refuge for animals in the county.

“15 to 17 of our pets get adopted each weekend,” Schwarzwalder said. “We’re glad to shoulder this responsibility for all the animals in the county.”

Schwarzwalder said she first founded the shelter when she could no longer accommodate all of the homeless animals abandoned on her farm. Now, 40 years later, she’s trying to keep it alive by hosting the Humane Association’s third annual Bow-Wow Meow Bash fundraiser on March 16 to garner donations. According to Schwarzwalder, revenue has supported shelter renovations such as a cat play area in the past, but this year, the funds will just be used to help the shelter stay afloat.

“The [fundraiser] will just help us to keep our doors open,” Schwarzwalder said.

According to USA Today, American pet ownership is down 2.4 percent since 2006, meaning there are 2.8 million more homeless pets today. Senior Kees Burklow said that while volunteering at another local shelter, Heartt Animal Refuge in Sharonville, he saw larger numbers of people put their animals up for adoption after the economy plummeted in 2008.

“Since I started [volunteering at Heartt] in seventh grade, [I have noticed that] a lot more people move to apartments that can’t take [pets] or they can’t afford to feed or care for [pets] anymore,” Burklow said.

It’s even harder to finance ailing pets. Burklow said people are reluctant to adopt animals with medical problems because their treatment is costly.

“There’s a cat [at Heartt] named Joey,” Burklow said. “He has been there since I started [volunteering.] He has seizures and panic attacks, and no one wants to [adopt] him because [his] medicine is expensive.”

Pets with abusive pasts also have trouble getting adopted.

Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Adoption Cen-

ter in Middletown, a shelter at which senior Haley Brastauskas volunteers, labels potentially aggressive dogs’ crates with a red dot to warn pet adopters. Brastauskas said one aggressive dog at PAWS was a pit bull that had been forced into dog fights.

“A pitbull named Petey was a sweetheart,” Brastauskas said. “He had scars because he had been a fighting dog. But he ended up biting [another volunteer.] People are hesitant to adopt animals raised in environments like that.”

Potential owners must undergo background checks to be permitted to adopt a pet. According to Schwarzwalder, the Humane Association interviews potential adopters before they take animals home.

“We will go to people’s houses and interview them [before adoptions],” Schwarzwalder said. “We have very few [pet] returns because of that.”

Although some people have to return pets to the shelter, many animals find comfortable homes. Schwarzwalder said families often follow-up after adopting pets from the Humane Association.

“Someone adopted a dog for their [child] that lives in Hawaii,” Schwarzwalder said.“They sent the dog there and we got a picture of it running around on the beach. There are many great happy endings.”

According to Schwarzwalder, the Humane Association is focusing on sustainability because the shelter needs support to create forty more years of happy endings.

“We may still be here at 40 years, but we always need donations and memberships,” Schwarzwalder said. photo by Katie Hibner

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Comets Cadets club started to develop students military and leadership skills

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Defense Secretary lifts ban on women in combat

Meghan Harris | Staff Writer

Mason Corps of Cadets all started with junior Frankie Colon’s desire to begin building his military resume during high school.

Assistant Principal Bill Rice said that Colon first came to him with aspirations to get into the military academy and to do so he knew that he needed to build his portfolio and his legacy--after that Rice said they started working with recruiters to get a large number of students interested in the new club.

“There can’t be 25 kids [interested],” Rice said. “There needs to be somewhere Junior Frankie Colon started the club with around 100 before we can help of Assistant Prineven start to talk about it… cipal Bill Rice.

And one of the ways we started working with the recruiters [was] to get that number up.”

Colon said that one of the main reasons he created the club was to be able to give high school students the opportunity to develop both military and leadership knowledge.

“I wanted to spread the word and appreciation for the value and importance of leadership and the military,” Colon said. “I wanted to establish a club where students can grow and become better efficient leaders with the addition of military knowledge. Of course, the dream of a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) presence here in Mason was one of the driving factors.”

MHS junior Emily Ramirez said that she joined MCOC because of her interest in the military that stemmed from her family’s involvement and her desire to do something different post high school.

Military values are what first peaked his interest in joining the military according to Colon.

“I have wanted to become a Midshipman since the beginning of freshman year,” Colon said. “My dad was in the Navy and something about the military, the discipline and adventure it is has always caught my attention.”

Colon said MCOC focuses on applying military principles to leadership roles.

“As a club, we learn about leadership, responsibility, teamwork, and discipline; as well as the military and all of its aspects,” Colon said. “Occasionally we also bring guest speakers who have experience in the service, and lend us their wisdom and experiences in the armed forces.”

According to Ramirez, the club’s aim is to produce leaders, not soldiers.

“The club consists of developing leadership. That is its main focus. Not to recruit people and push them to

Sgt. Diana Garcia, second from left, a member of an Army female engagement team, listens to a briefing before going on a mission with members of the 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan on February 1, 2013. (Alexandra Zavis/Los Angeles Times/MCT) Corinne Hazen | Staff Writer

The military is not ready for women to fight in combat, according to senior August Uecker. With Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta lifting the military’s official ban on women in combat, the lift leaves military hopefuls like Uecker wondering how different the line of fire will be for him compared to those that came before him.

“It could decrease combat effectiveness, which is obviously the most important concern in the military,” said Uecker.

Uecker has high hopes of becoming an Infantry officer in the Marine Corps. Uecker said that his only concern with women fighting is a physiological one.

“If you’re in combat and you see your friend go down, that has a certain effect on you,” Uecker said. “However, if you see a woman go down, it’s a completely different and more substantial effect.”

Senior Kelsea Russell was just married last month to a Marine stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina at Camp Lejeune. According to Russell, there should be nothing stopping women from being able to fight for the freedom and protection of the United States.

“I really appreciate the Marines and military for what they do and I think if anyone wants to fight for our country, that’s a great thing,” Russell said. “I’m really proud of anyone who serves in the military. Yeah men are stronger in ways but women also have something about them.”

Russell said that when a woman dies it is a very sensitive subject, but their bravery is appreciated more than they might know. “[A woman dying in combat] will be different but I think it’s the same thing because they are all fighting for their lives,” Russell

said. “Even if it’s a man or a woman you should always be thankful for them fighting for our lives and our freedom. In way I think it will be difficult to know that a woman would be dying but you have to know that they are doing it for our country.”

British Literature teacher Nikki Wilson said that women are perfectly capable of being trained to do the same kinds of things that men can do.

“You look at old Anglo-Saxon warriors and you look at Celtic women and the stories about them, and the Anglo-Saxon women did fight,” Wilson said. “Their men were off fighting elsewhere and they had to defend their little villages or little tribes. And so women throughout history have shown that they can do that, that’s not anything new.”

Wilson said that she thinks the steps being made to let women fight in combat are huge.

“I think that women are perfectly capable of being trained to do the same type of things that men can do,” Wilson said. “Men can compartmentalize things, women seem to have a more difficult time compartmentalizing. And so it’s not that [women] can’t physically do it, its not that they can’t emotionally do it. Its just that [men and women] are biologically hardwired to be different.”

According to Wilson neither men nor women have the natural appendages needed to kill, making women coming into combat less detrimental.

“So you look at nature and you look at the talons and the type of teeth that animals have,” Wilson said. “I mean, do we as men or women have that type of thing? No we don’t.

So that’s a trained mentality anyway, regardless if you are a man or a woman.”

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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 The Mason Bubble. An isolated coating keeping the outside world far off in the distant, but translucent for the awareness that the boundaries of Mason do not extend infinitely.

But the Mason Bubble (story on page 16-17) is just a figment of our imagination.

Those who allow themselves to be stuck within it’s limiting walls, are allowing the Bubble to grow and keep them out of the real world. Being caught in the social scene, monotony of school work and grades, and drama are pushing the idea that there is a life beyond Mason further and further out of their heads.

We need to think in worldly terms. Travel, watch and read the news, talk to new people in new places, and stretch beyond the city limits. It won’t help us in later life to be thinking in the realm of a high school student in a skewed area of socioeconomic and diverse status.

Those who are stuck in the Bubble, can pop it themselves.

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, I think for Mason City Schools the 2014-2015 year will be the year of big change and the year of new opportunities for both the students and the teachers with the change from trimesters to semesters. I believe that moving from trimesters to semesters is one of the best things the school could do for everyone, teachers included.

When we make the change to semesters students will get a longer over all period of time to work with teachers and learn the material in that specific class. At the same time teachers receive more time to geth to know students and the ways that each individual best learns. Teachers and students usually have twelve weeks to teach or comprehend the information in that course.

But with moving to semesters they have half a school year verse the previous one third.

Transitioning to semesters is the best for not just students but the teachers as well. Kids get more time to learn and classes aren’t so rushed. Whereas teachers get more time to teach their subject and more time to know the individuals participating in their classroom. So this big move is what’s best for all people in Mason City Schools.

Sara Higby, freshman Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the article “Fully Loaded.” I believe that Dobson, got it right when he says, “the bad guys will still probably get them... does that stop Aurora, Colorado, does that stop the Sandy Hook?” My opinion is guns should be locked in a safe with the bullets somewhere else.

I also think that you should not be able to buy a gun without having to buy a safe with it. If passed, it could cost up to 550 million cost tax payers more money and exceed already established budgets. I personally think that the gun tracking system is a good idea, but I don’t think you should have a limit on how much ammo you have and you can buy. It is unconstitutional it goes against everything we stand for in America. The laws are placed against law abiding citizens, not just those who use guns as a means of killing.

Jeremiah Knoop, freshman

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MARCH 15, 2013

Opinion C Columns

Sequester salvation?

Defining our generation

Ashley Calvani | Online Editor

Erica Boden | Layout and Design Editor

“The buildings were higher, the parties were bigger, the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper.”

Oh, Gatsby. As I was watching the trailer for the upcoming movie, this quote jumped out. The Great Gatsby is a novel based in the 1920s. The whole time period was summed up in one line. An entire generation of people and who they were could be defined by 17 simple words. The time period was glamorous. It was glitzy. Exciting. And probably expensive.

There are a lot of ways to define our generation. Throw out a word, and somewhere along the line, it probably applies to us. Our generation breaks records and redesigns standards on a daily basis. But I think our generation has missed out on something, missed out on something really big.

Our generation has missed out on financial discipline (da da daaa).

Financial discipline is a simple concept, but takes a lot of will power. It’s not spending your last $5 bill, even though you really want that milkshake.

It’s taking your tip money or allowance, and saving it--putting it in a safe and not touching it.

We’ve grown up in a hard economic time. No, it hasn’t affected everyone, but most people have felt the consequences--some harder than others.

We’ve been exposed to a time period where with a swipe of a plastic rectangle, you can walk out of a store with your arms full. A time period where the government has spent more money than they have. What happened to saving your money? A penny saved is a penny earned, right?

Oftentimes, high school students tend to not be so practical. Sometimes that’s good--we believe in chasing our dreams, surpassing obstacles, and doing it all in the latest fashion. But sometimes, that can really hurt us. Not everyone knows the value of the dollar. While some people are conscientious of what they spend, many people are not. It’s easy to get caught up in TV shows, like Gossip Girl or reality shows, where to them Ben Franklin’s bill is equivalent to a penny.

But unfortunately, that tends to not be reality. Life is expensive and I have yet to find a money tree.

I hope in 90 or 100 years, when a movie is made on our generation, that we are not remembered as the irresponsible or negligent years, but as the years of perseverance and responsibility.

“Cheating would be like deliberately breaking the rules, cutting corners is just making it easier for yourself.”

Jared Thomas, sophomore

“Cheating is just flat out copying someone’s work while cutting corners is taking someone else’s work and phrasing it differently.”

Moriah Evans, sophomore

During a conference call discussing monthly sales, Kurt McNeil, Vice President of GM United States sales operations, said that “quite frankly, we think most of America is getting a little tired of hearing about some of the dysfunction” in Washington.

Truth be told, Mr. McNeil, I’m just tired of not understanding it.

I’m quite familiar with the basics. The sequester is a proposal for $85 billion worth of cuts in federal spending that would hit hardest on defense and domestic needs.

Jobs will be lost, airlines will be chaotic, and America isn’t sure whether to point fingers at democrats or republicans, Congress or the White House. True, the sequester came about in 2011 when House Republicans wouldn’t allow Democrats to raise the debt ceiling without deficit reduction, but republicans say the White House came up with the idea, and democrats agree. The only glitch is that President actually proposed both a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Republicans, naturally, won’t hear of tax increases.

Republicans said they would instead accept another idea they had traditionally opposed: military cuts. Regardless, the Budget Control Act, including the cuts, passed on a bipartisan vote that included almost all Republican leaders, and President Obama signed it. And so, ladies and gentleman, you’ve got the sequester.

Not too hard of a concept if you’re looking at it on the surface. I follow the President on Twitter, though, and he seems to me to be a little confused. Let me just say first that I understand that President Obama has America’s best interests at heart, and is always doing what he believes best for our country. I really do believe that. But I’m confused, Mr. President, why you and your administration are tweeting such negative, fearful things about American jobs lost from a bill that YOU signed.

I don’t know what the alternative to the sequester is. I don’t think we should incorporate tax increases, but I don’t think I am in the place to understand the fear some Americans hold about losing their jobs and their income. I don’t know if any sort of turn of the clock is possible, a way to head firmly towards the direction of the deficit surplus days of the Clinton administration. I do my best to remain hopeful instead of cynical. Perhaps I should have taken Econ, or perhaps it’s going to take more.

Here’s what I do know. Our President needs to take a clear stand on the issue and support a bill he signed. Congress cannot keep raising the debt ceiling and just keep spending like the democrats propose. Republicans cannot be ignorant to the thousands of middle class Americans who will suffer. We need leadership in a time like this. Not salvation.

C What You Think What is the line between cheating and cutting corners? compiled by Emily Culberson

“Well when you’re cheating you take somebody else’s ideas, which is completely unacceptable, but you can cut corners and make whatever you are achieving more efficient and faster. “

“There is no difference between cutting corners [and cheating], cheating is cheating, it is all the same.”

Shreya Das, freshman Ryan Lyons, senior

“I think cutting corners means you are trying to find the easiest way to get stuff but cheating isn’t actually doing your work [at all], it is stealing somebody else’s work.”

Jonathan Firsdon, sophomore “Pros cheat and amateurs cut corners… you have to hide your sources so people don’t know [you cheated]. You are building one thing off of another [when cutting corners] so that’s pretty much cheating.”

Gokul Murugananthan, sophomore

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CC ’ MHS class learns computer hacking skills an t hack it

Emily Culberson | Staff Writer

With just a few clicks of a mouse, Mason High classes just in case. the media, Kummer still holds a positive view.

School students enrolled in technology electives “[Our classes] have a separate network to isolate “Everybody has certain rights that are given to can access private documents and restricted data, us from the rest of the building,” Cebulskie said. them when they log on,” Kummer said. “Some according to Programming and Computer Sci“That way if we wrote anything potentially harm- people like to find out what those privileges are ences teacher Greg Kummer. ful we wouldn’t [accidentally] take down the rest and like to test their bounds. As an educational “All thirty people in my [Advanced Placement of the school’s network.” institution we obviously have to have bounds, but Computer Science] class could hack [into] someSenior Sina Sabet said that they are not taught should we send the message that we don’t want thing [technological],” Kummer said. “You learn specifically how to hack, but the expertise that [students] to step outside those bounds?” how to hack in programming because you have to they have could be used for that purpose.

According to Kummer, there has been a misuse deal with paths [and the] retrieval of data.” of net sends: messages sent from one According to senior Jacob Seile, AP computer to another.

Computer Science is a complicated class.

“One of my kids thought it would be “There is a malicious way of looking “People are surprised [by how hard the to net send the cafeteria ladies at hacking, people that [hack] because hilarious class is] because they think that it is just a message to them [on their computthey want to destroy something or get ers],” Kummer said. “It said, in a very going to be an easy elective [with] programming games the entire time,” Seile legal sense, ‘We are the Mason Police over on something,” Kummer said. said. “Getting used to telling the computer and we are watching you’.” “[But] I look at hacking as an what to do [is what makes the class hard].”

Lunch was then delayed thirty minexploration… people are just trying to Although it may be tricky, according to utes, according to Kummer.

Kummer, the students learn programming But Kummer said any malicious belearn.” language in the class that gives them a lot havior will eventually be caught. of power.

“Because of the level of what [the “There is a ‘kill’ reserved word, every kid student did], they put administrators knows about it,” Kummer said. “All they need to “I guess if you wanted to use [the skills] malion [the case] and within five or six hours they do is have a kill path and [they] can delete any file ciously then you could,” Sabet said. “But [Kumfigured out who did it,” said. “Nobody can hide. [they] want. If [they] wanted to be malicious, it mer] doesn’t specifically go into how to do Given enough man hours and determination, [would be] relatively easy [for them] to be malimalicious things. [The common public] thinks [they’ll] find you, and they’ll give you the consecious.” hacking is doing bad stuff. We don’t learn anyquence.”

Kummer said that there are two sides to hackthing like that.”

Sabet said illegitimate behavior isn’t an issue ing: destructive and educational.

According to an article published in The New because they understand that ethics come with “There is a malicious way of looking at hacking, York Times on February 18, American intelthe cyber power they have. people that [hack] because they want to destroy ligence officials have located the workplace of a “It’s just implied when we learn stuff [not to something or get over on something,” Kummer prevalent Chinese hacking group known as the turn around and do something criminal],” Sabet said. “[But] I look at hacking as an exploration…

Comment Crew. The United States has evidence said. “But I don’t think any of us have a reason to people are just trying to learn.” of more than 140 attacks from the hacking group do something mean to anyone, part of it is just According to senior Schuyler Cebulskie, howsince 2006. being a good person. “ ever, there are specific securities in place for the But despite the negative portrayal of hacking in

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MARCH 15, 2013

Missed them in print...

Meghan Harris

Katherine Hansen

Rebekah Barnes

Read their columns online.

thecspn.com

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Feature

Cheating...

...Or Cutting Corners photo by Nicole Huser

Pressure to perform in high level classes has students cutting corners Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

Cheating and cutting corners is not a joking matter, and relying on taking the easy way out by using Spark Notes, Google Translate, and other outside sources should be a cause for shame, according to MHS English teacher Rachel Cronin.

According to Cronin, both cheating and cutting corners is not always recognized as such by students.

“I think [cheating is] still a product of being overwhelmed, being lazy, or procrastinating, or just not understanding the material,” Cronin said.

“It’s one of those factors. I think that most of the cheating I see where I sort of go ‘okay I’m going to ignore that’ is when I walk down the halls in the morning and I see people just copying other people’s homework. What I think people don’t realize is cheating is when people come in and say ‘hey did you have that test? What did they ask?’ Be-

cause that makes teachers have to make up other tests to avoid that, and it’s just a pain. I don’t think students even give that a second thought because they’ll say those things in front of a teacher. So they don’t think that’s cheating, and it is.”

According to senior Shakib Islam, as a student with a heavy course load, sometimes it is necessary to “cut corners” in order to get all of his homework done.

“Sometimes I see myself [cutting corners], but other times I simply don’t have the time to even do that and I’ll just not do the homework,” Islam said. “Sometimes I’ll use online summaries [of a book] or whatever to know what’s going on, but I don’t completely finish the assignment, so I ask friends the next day what happened in certain chapters I didn’t get to.”

The difference between getting extra help for a class and cheating is clear, according to Islam.

“I see [cheating] as black and white,” Islam said.

“There is a definite line, where before this it isn’t cheating, but if you do this then it is cheating.

One time I helped someone by giving them a test that we had taken in AP Euro, and I was hoping he could use it to practice, because we were in different trimesters for the same class. The teacher used the exact same test, and I didn’t know I was basically giving him the test otherwise I wouldn’t have done that. But if it’s just for help and you give them a practice test as a guide, then [it isn’t cheating].”

According to Islam, making homework or studying easier by using resources such as Spark Notes and Google Translate is not cheating in his eyes.

“I don’t consider [using outside resources] cheating because it’s a resource available to everyone, because no one really buys Cliff Notes,”

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Islam said. “So it’s just another resource that you can use. It’s there, but it’s not really something you can use to cheat.

Teachers know that those resources are out there [and] usually in AP classes you need to go more in depth [with your answers] so just using that won’t help you.

You can’t really survive on those extra things alone.”

Making a big deal about using Spark Notes over actually reading the novel is advised against, according to Cronin.

“What I want students to know is if they’re going to use outside sources, they shouldn’t flaunt that choice,” Cronin said. “It’s so aggravating when students say ‘well I didn’t even read, I read the Spark Notes’ and I’m just ‘congratulations to you. Congratulations on having little integrity, and no ambition.’

Don’t brag about it to the teacher. You should be embarrassed. There should be a little shame; just a little.”

Islam said that depending on the person, having multiple AP classes on their plate could motivate them to cheat or cut corners more. “[Motivation to cheat] depends on the person,” Islam said. “In AP classes, you would think that maybe less people would cheat. But it’s also kind of the opposite because they might be taking a lot of AP classes or the homework is really hard, which would maybe cause them to cheat. So I can also see it from that perspective. I feel like a lot more people cheat than we know, but at the same time there are still a lot of people that don’t cheat and try to get through it the honest way.”

According to English teacher Lori Roth, the reasons for students cheating differs when they are in an AP class versus a CP class.

“I think the motivation [to get the grade] becomes a little different [in an AP class],” Roth said. “It’s more high stakes. I think that at the high levels it’s often pretty understood as to what’s cheating and what’s not. But there’s lots of pressure; there’s college pressure… they don’t weigh the consequences.”

If the consequences of cheating seemed more realistic, fewer students would take the risk to get the grade, Islam said.

“I’d say that [students do not worry about the consequences] because most people don’t get caught…teachers can’t

really catch people [cheating on homework] because it’s really hard to,” Islam said. “But if more people got caught… teachers always say ‘if you cheat on this you get a zero’, but how often does that happen? If more students got caught and it was a legitimate threat, the levels of cheating would go down. But since it seems like an empty threat, some students don’t take it seriously.”

Being on the other end of cheating and being cheated on during a test can frustrate people who work hard to earn the A, according to Islam.

“I would be kind of annoyed if [someone cheated off me] during a test, because it’s my work, not their work,” Islam said. “Grades are important to me and I’d rather not have someone cheat off me just to get the grade. I would be happy to tutor them and help them or something before [the test], but I think it’s just unacceptable during the test to cheat. It’s really shameful too.”

Islam said that in the long run, students that use outside sources and cheating as a method to achieve an A too much will not be able to succeed in the future.

“Someone who cuts corners too heavily, and relies on it too much, is setting themselves up for failure,” Islam said.

“In college it’s going to be a lot harder because classes get a lot harder, and it’s harder to manage your time. But if [other resources] are not your main source of learning, and it’s just something supplementary that you go to and refer to, then it’s not really going to affect you that much.”

Cronin said that the best advice she can give a student who feels pressured to cut corners is to not be afraid to ask for help, and remember their priorities.

“My problem is procrastinating,” Cronin said. “So I would stay to start early, trust your instinct…if you need help ask for it. Don’t get yourself in that position. I think sometimes cutting corners if it’s not stress and it’s not understanding the material, we as teachers need to know that so we can help. If they’re cutting corners because they don’t get it, that’s different. If they’re cutting corners because they’re too busy, then they need to reprioritize. If they’re cutting corners because they’re just completely overwhelmed, they need to take a nap.”

MARCH 15, 2013

Taking the easy way out...

Sparknotes or Cliff Notes

“What I want students to know is if they’re going to use outside sources, they shouldn’t flaunt that choice,” Cronin said. “It’s so aggravating when students say ‘well I didn’t even read, I read the Spark Notes’ and I’m just ‘congratulations to you.

Congratulations on having little integrity, and no ambition.’”

Google Translator

“I don’t consider [using outside resources] cheating because it’s a resource available to everyone, because no one really buys cliff notes,” Islam said.

“So it’s just another resource that you can use. It’s there, but it’s not really something you can use to cheat.”

Asking Friends “I see [cheating] as black and white,” Islam said.

“There is a definite line, where before this it isn’t cheating, but if you do this then it is cheating. One time I helped someone by giving them a test that we had taken in AP Euro, and I was hoping he could use it to practice, because we were in different trimesters for the same class. The teacher used the exact same test, and I didn’t know I was basically giving him the test.”

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Stuck

inside the bubble

Mason found to be an isolated environment, unlike real world Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

We are living inside of a bubble.

Mason, with its safe neighborhoods, excellent schools and plethora of strip malls and restaurants exists in a bubble according to senior Jacob Kastens, who moved here this year from East Lansing, Michigan.

Kastens said that Mason is the epitome of a safe, suburban atmosphere and insulates most of its residents from problems felt in other areas. “[My first impression of Mason was] very middle class, very picturesque,” Kastens said.

“The Joneses and their two and a half kids and dog and white picket fence.”

The high school which Kastens formerly attended was an inner city school, and Kastens said that the majority of students will probably not go to college and are well below middle- class standard of living.

The idea of truly struggling is a foreign one to many who live in Mason, according to Kastens.

“I guess people [in Mason] don’t see what everybody else [outside of Mason] usually has photo by Taylor Telford, photo art by Erica Boden

MARCH 15, 2013 | PAGE 17

to deal with,” Kastens said. “They don’t see the spectrum; they don’t see a lot of the poorer side or even the richest side-- they just see what they have in front of them, which is suburbia.”

City Manager Eric Hansen said that he believes that the notion that Mason is immune from any forms of struggle is incorrect, but that it is certainly protected from certain pressures.

“Having a high service community and a first tier community [like Mason] tends to foster the impression in others that you are immune to outside influences and I would say that’s not true,” Hansen said. “We are a bit of an oasis but we don’t operate in isolation.”

Because Mason is a “first tier suburb” according to Hansen, the common perception is that Mason is an overly affluent community and that its residents want for very little. Hansen said that while Mason is a very lucky community, it is able to have all of the assets it does because of smart allocation of funds and a strong business base.

“We are a blessed community but it’s not because we have excess of funds, it’s because we can afford to do what we do because of an emphasis on business,” Hansen said. “But we are blessed.

There are a lot of blessings here that we didn’t necessarily earn, and we know how to take advantage of those gifts.”

Growing up in Mason can also foster beliefs that the privileged life many residents lead is typical of the rest of the world, according to Spanish teacher Amy Ortega. In youths, however, this is not uncommon. Ortega said that many adolescents grow up believing that the way they live is common, and expect to hold the same standard of living as they age.

“I would say that the ‘Mason Bubble’ is the depiction, image, the vision that people tend to have that the life that people live in this area is typical of the life that most of other people around the world live as well,” Ortega said. “Unfortunately that is not true,” In high school, Ortega said that she held this belief as well and even retained it a bit in college until she studied abroad and eventually moved to Costa Rica to teach. It was there that she had her eyes open to extremity of difference in lifestyle in places outside her hometown of Princeton, Ohio.

While living in Costa Rica, Ortega met and

married her husband and then moved back to the United States 11 years ago to raise her two daughters. Ortega said she chose to settle down in Mason because of the superior school system, safety of the community, and because she believes it is the prime environment to raise a family.

“I chose to move my family to Mason, “Ortega said. “It’s the ideal place for a family.”

With that said, Ortega said that she does believe that being raised in a closed environment such as Mason might have its drawbacks.

Although she said that she considers Mason to be diverse in some ways, she also said that some students who may not seek out different cultures, experiences and lifestyles may not appreciate them as much.

“You might not appreciate diversity as much [living in Mason],” Ortega said. “[People] might not understand what it’s like to have no money and not be able to go out and do the things you want or be able to purchase the things that you think you need.”

Kastens shares a similar viewpoint and said that the problems students have in Mason have a stark contrast to the ones that he witnessed others have in East Lansing.

“What I was used to was no food at the house because people were too poor to really get anything,” Kastens said. “More people here are concerned with…smaller things. People here get a lot more upset with smaller things, which doesn’t make sense to me.”

Simply put, Kastens said that because Mason students are not exposed to the troubles that plague other environments, such as inner city or urban areas, they cannot understand the difficulties that others face.

“I don’t think [many Mason students] know how hard it is to live on your own or how hard life can be, especially if you are stuck in a bad area how draining it can be,” Kastens said. “They don’t get how hard it is just to keep going.”

One the greatest aspects which students in Mason might take for granted is the safety inherent in their community, according to Ortega. She said that her daughters have had their own share of eye opening experiences as far as the differences in security of life in other places.

“In Costa Rica, all trash cans are bolted to the ground outside the houses and all the houses have barbed wire and bars on them and things like that because you cannot leave things just sitting around outside. You cannot leave your doors unlocked,” Ortega said.

Despite the fact that Mason may be insulated, for some, Mason has brought a much greater exposure to culture and variety. Hansen said that in his time living in Mason, as well as his time as City Manager, he has continually seen Mason grow and diversify.

“Many people probably have a connotation that Mason is homogenous and stereotypically Midwestern, and I would say in my time that is increasingly untrue,” Hansen said. “We have a great deal of diversity--racial, religious, cultural as well as socio-economic.”

Sophomore Cameron Henderson, who moved to Mason three years ago from a small town in Arkansas, said that in Mason he has had many more opportunities and experiences that he wouldn’t have had where he used to live.

“Mason exposed me to more variety,” Henderson said. “You are forced to be close to people where I come from, and in Mason you can choose to be close to people…I like having that choice.”

Henderson said that he appreciates the safety of a suburban atmosphere but feels that it is not limiting to those who live and grow up here. “[Mason is] diversely suburban,” Henderson said. “We have a blend of cultures. I think that’s one of the benefits of having such a large population, you have a little bit of everyone.”

Regardless of whether Mason is sheltering its students or exposing them to new things, all students in the future will have to break out of the bubble and explore and the challenges and differences it will present, according to Ortega.

“By the time [students] decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives, travel and being involved with groups of people from several different parts of the world will be a necessity for just about every career,” Ortega said. “That will be a great way that everyone will pretty much be forced to become aware of the differences that exist in socioeconomic class levels and diversity and ethnic backgrounds.”

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MARCH 15, 2013

it up straight

Posture often a key indicator in student’s mood, engagement in class Ria Shah | Staff Writer

Slumping in your chair during class means you just don’t care according to senior Maggie Etherington.

“I think sometimes by looking at people you can tell [what they are like]. If someone is slumped over in their desk they obviously don’t care. That can say a lot about people. [But] sometimes you see someone that is hunched over but you can tell that they’re focused. So I think it can go both ways.”

Senior Kathryn Albers says high school itself has molded a certain posture that transforms as you age.

I think definitely now in high school, it’s much more of kind of the shoulder’s back kind of thing, when you’re walking. I feel like when you’re in younger grades, it’s more like you’re trying [to portray] I’m very confident. But I think as you get to senior year its ‘I’m a senior, I don’t care.’

Posture may morph based on the situation you’re placed in, according to senior, Drew Stein said.

“My teacher Mr. Reedy, he sometimes [will] lecture a lot, sometimes he engages the students in conversation…if were having [a] discussion, you know I’m sitting up straight. But if he’s just going on talking—I just want to be comfortable if I’m going to have to sit there and listen. I think how engaged [you are] is going to affect your posture.”

Thespians in MHS drama club use posture as a way to portray characterization says MHS sophomore Vinnie Cevasco.

“Posture can really influence the character,” Cevasco said. “Because if you’re standing one way, it can make your character seem not how they should, or it can really bring out your character…If you’re playing someone who is maybe more drawn back, then your shoulders are going to be forward, you’re going to be a little slouched.”

Albers said she agrees that posture is a part of characterization.

“When I’m playing different characters” Albers said. “I’m a lot more conscious of [my posture]. Like when I was Lady Macbeth I was more conscious of how I was standing because I knew I had to stand up right. But when I was in Crucible, I played the character Mercy Lewis who didn’t really care, so I wasn’t really thinking about [posture]. [Posture] is definitely a part of it.”

Stein said how balance and posture intertwine even into football practice.

“Posture is balance.” Stein said. “…For football we have to do these stretches where you pull your one leg up, and I could never do them. When I’m on two feet, my balance is solid. But one foot—I can’t hold it up for very long.”

Cevasco said how keeping a certain posture to

characterize a role in a play can often influence that particular posture to play a role on your daily routine.

“I’ve found before [when] I played a conniving person,” Cevasco said. “he was always slouching and huddling and doing weird finger things and I found that it really affected my posture. I would be sitting in class or just walking around and my shoulders would be slouched.”

MHS Dance Team member, junior Amanda Williams, follows a dance schedule that calls for a specific routine.

“We stretch first,” Williams said. “In our Jazz and our Lyrical dance you have to do turns, but in order to stay up in the turns you have to keep your back straight [and] keep your stomach tight.”

As creatively as sports and theatre can influence your posture, Senior Brooks Strosnider believes it’s not the posture you should be aware—but of how comfortable you are.

“Usually, I sit back in my chair,” Stronsnider said.

“I’m leaning back or slouching down, that’s just what I do…[there’s] just no sense in sitting up when you can relax.”

Etherington has dealt with scoliosis since middle school, although in terms of her posture it creates motivation for her to carry a more confident pose.

“I’ve never really noticed my [scoliosis],” Etherington said. “It doesn’t really affect me in life or anything. I’m fine, I can cheer, everything’s fine…I [try] to really focus on [keeping] my back straight and keeping a good posture and I try to walk with confidence which helps my posture.”

Sports itself play a large role in posture, or rather posture a role in sports said Stein.

“I think anyone that plays [sports] is going to have a better posture,” Stein said. “And better balance than someone who does not…Any coach with tell you if your off balance, or if your out of position then your not going to be successful. And that holds true in any sport. In wrestling, basketball, baseball—you’ve got to have a good stance, you’ve got to have good balance.”

Even the most inconspicuous postures can give off negative vibes, according to Stein.

“I think you come off pretty antisocial even though you’re being somewhat social. If someone’s trying to talk to you and your hunched over with your phone, it doesn’t send a good message to me, it sends a message to me that whoevers on the other line of that phone, even though I’m here with you— my times not good enough for you.”

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C Baking becomes business opportunity Whip it

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MARCH 15, 2013

Katie Rojas | Staff Writer

It is much more than whipping flour, eggs, and sugar in a bowl.

Baking has become a passion for students like senior Liz DiGennaro, who aspires to get her culinary degree and start a bakery shop in the future.

“I think I was about ten or eleven [when I discovered my passion for baking],” DiGennaro said. “It all happened because of my sister.

I was with a friend, and we were talking about how we wanted to own our own cake shop, and my sister said, ‘Are you sure? Because that doesn’t sound like a very good idea…’ and it actually all came about from me proving her wrong.”

Senior Tamara Mahmoud said her passion started from her mother’s love of cooking.

“I really like watching The Food Network,” Mahmoud said. “I always help [my mom] in the kitchen just because I like standing there, watching and helping.”

DiGennaro started working on her passion at a young age, beginning with one cake and expanding to start her very own business.

“The first thing I ever made was actually my cousin’s first communion cake, and that was the first big cake that I made,” DiGennaro said. “[My business is] called “Dare to Dream Cakery,” and I started it when I was sixteen. It actually started with the first communion cake. I have a business card, and it’s word of mouth mostly.

I make cakes [and] cupcakes. I’ve made my sister’s graduation cake, I’ve made other graduation cakes, [and] I do events. The biggest thing I’ve done is I made miniature cupcakes for a P&G event for a vice president, and that was really fun.”

DiGennaro said she has planned out what she hopes to do after high school with her baking business in mind.

“I plan on going to college first and getting my business degree in entrepreneurship, and then I will go to culinary school hopefully in France, that’s the ultimate, best dream possible,” DiGennaro said.

“If not, then [the culinary school] Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago.”

Mahmoud said that though her passion for cooking is strong, reality sets in.

“You don’t know you’re going to have a good future or not [going into the culinary track], or whether you’re going to be able to support yourself because it’s kind of a risky job,” Mahmoud said.

“My parents want me to go into something else. I’m going into predentistry, and I’m going to try to get into dentistry school, and then later on in life, as a hobby, go to culinary school.”

Through her business, DiGennaro said she has added her special touch to all her ingredients.

“All of my icings and fillings are homemade,” DiGennaro said.

“The cake is actually a mixture of Duncan Hines cake mix and then I’ll add flairs to it, just some special ingredients…People are like ‘Why don’t you make your cakes homemade?’ and I always say, ‘Why would I fix a recipe that has been perfected for years?’ I just add my own little things so that it makes it special.”

Mahmoud said the best thing about cooking is the satisfaction she gets and the reactions of the people eating her food.

“Learning new things is what puts a smile on my face, and the satisfaction from my parents [when they say,] ‘Oh that’s so good!’

photo art by

Gabrielle St

from Allreci

ichwheh

pes.com

and ask for more,” Mahmoud said. “That puts a smile on my face, and makes me feel better.”

DiGennaro said the biggest thing about running a business and balancing school and extracurricular activities is time management.

“I have to have my planner with me at all times so that if I get a call from somebody who wants me to make them a cake,” DiGennaro said. “Sometimes I can’t do it, and sometimes I have to turn them down because I have too much schoolwork. When I was in golf season, the first trimester of junior and senior year, a lot of the times had to turn them down because it was just so much. The biggest thing is time management…You find your own ways to make it manageable, so you can do it over a couple of days.”

According to DiGennaro, a career in food is something that is not only unique,

but on the rise.

“Find your passion,” DiGennaro said.

“At Mason it’s so competitive, that kids think that if they go to culinary school, it’s lame… [A chef or baker is] definitely a career on the rise with all the cooking shows.”

DiGennaro said that her love of baking distinguishes her from other students, and has motivated her in many ways.

“Definitely owning my own business at such a young age is a huge thing,” DiGennaro said. “I’ve figured out what I want to do with my life at such an early age that it’s made me that much more passionate about getting to it, getting everything done that I need to get done, getting college done, [and] getting culinary school done, so that I’m able to eventually open my own shop and fulfill what I want to do. That has definitely driven me to get my future rolling.”

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Senior Monica Garcia has to cope with brain tumor Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

Monica Garcia has a brain tumor.

After experiencing series of seizures, towards the end of her eighth grade year, current senior Monica Garcia was diagnosed with Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma, a benign brain tumor found on the right side of her head on the temple lobe. In the December of her junior year, Garcia underwent surgery to have the tumor removed. Although the tumor was successfully taken out, it came back the following September of her senior year.

“Before the first surgery I had, I asked the doctor what are the chances of my tumor coming back and he said it was two percent,” Garcia said. “[Last] spring I was gaining weight out of nowhere and was just getting a little nervous but I just forgot about it. In September of 2012, I just had a checkup and was explaining to the doctor some of the things that had been happening to me and she told those were seizures…[so] I got put back on seizure medicine. Then I had another MRI done, and the tumor came back.”

Garcia must undergo another surgery again to remove the tumor this coming spring, however the longer she waits, the more her memory will shorten.

“I went to the hospital [recently] to do testing [for my memory],” Garcia said. “I asked the doctor why they were doing all of these tests on me and she said because the tumor is actually on my memory. …I want to wait until after I graduate because they’ll have to shave all of my hair off… [and] it’s going to be more difficult surgery than the first one. ….I do need to put my medical needs in the first spot, [rather] than looking nice for prom, [but] the doctor said it was my choice so I’m going to wait awhile.”

Carlos Garcia, Monica’s father, said the entire experience has brought the family closer together.

“There’s no doubt it’s drawn Monica and I and the rest of her siblings closer together,” Carlos said. “[I’m] just being there for them, trying to support them as much as possible and just making sure they understand that there is hope. …The family…[has] being very supportive of her and understanding her need and I think that’s the most beneficial way it’s helped her and it’s helped the family.”

Carlos said his support and personal relationship with Monica has been strengthened, having experienced a similar medical condition himself.

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In Children’s Hospital, the waiting room has become almost a second home for senior Monica Garcia, suffering from a brain tumor.

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photo by Corynne Hogan

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“I can remember seeing kids on that same [hospital] floor [as me], going through the same things,” Carlos said. “One of the things I always said was…

‘I hope that never happens to my children.’ Then sure enough, it…impacted one of my kids. …I keep talking to Monica about just staying positive, staying focused, keeping [her] faith, keeping [her] support system with [her] family and friends--we’ll [her] you through this thing.”

Garcia’s younger sister, sophomore Stephanie Garcia said Monica’s medical conditions have brought the two sisters closer together.

“My relationship with her has definitely grown because you know she’s going through this again [and] it’s just hard for her,” Stephanie said. “We’re there for each other and we’re able to talk to each other about anything. I don’t really talk about my feelings with my family but she makes it really easy for me to talk to her.”

According to Garcia, her family and her boyfriend, Austin Harms, have provided the most support for her.

“My brothers and my boyfriend told me they would shave their hair off if I [had the surgery] before prom,” Garcia said. “I’m one of six [so] everyone is there for each other no matter what. …My boyfriend is [also] always there for me [and] been very helpful trying to make me feel better about myself. This medicine has made me gain 20 pounds [and] being a girl, already having a bad self-esteem, makes it 10 times worse. [I] get called names [by people when] they don’t even know [my] story …

Austin will help me go through it again so I don’t feel like I’m going crazy. …[He’s] practically my family.”

Stephanie said it’s hard for her to see her sister get bullied and she wishes she could stop the comments students make.

“I wish somehow [bullying] could go away and peo-

ple could step out of their selfishness and…at least take into perspective that maybe there’s something [else] going on,” Stephanie said. “I’m not innocent, I’ve said some things I wish I didn’t say. I’ve just really learned [to] keep [my] mouth shut. It’s really not worth it. What good does it bring to you? …

[People] just say things [to Monica] that they don’t think affect her when it affects her a lot.”

Along with her family and boyfriend, Garcia’s Christian faith has helped her get through the tumor.

“I read this book my freshman year called Soul Surfer,” Garcia said. “It had a [verse] in it and it was Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For [I know] the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a bright future.’ I had that written on a prayer cloth and had it…during [my first] surgery. After a week, I was released from the hospital and they said I was the fastest recovery they had seen--most patients stay for two months.

My mom [also] watches a Christian channel. On December 27 [2011] when I was in the hospital…a speaker came on [the TV] and he…wanted to pray for someone out there, who he [knew was] suffering from a brain tumor. …He said ‘I want to pray for her as she’s suffering with the brain tumor on the right side of her head and that the next test she takes, it’s clear and they will not see a brain tumor there.’… I’m just praying to God it’s not there [anymore this time].”

Garcia hopes to one day work with kids who also have the disease she has to inspire them with her story and show them that they have futures ahead.

“I want to help people out there…who have a brain disorder or tumors like me,” Garcia said. “[I want to show] them that they can succeed and go somewhere even though they have…different types of disorders from the brain tumor. They can go far.

That’s pretty much [what] has happened to me.”

x-rays contributed

Current senior Monica Garcia was diagnosed with Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma, a benign brain tumor found on the right side of her head on the temple lobe.

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Person of Interest Lindsay Watkins, sophomore

C MHS student making strides Doogie Howser

in cardiac research

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photo contributed

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Ashley Calvani | Online Editor

Always with a tune, sophomore Lindsay Watkins is a violinist who also likes to play ukulele in the hallway.

Quick Facts:

Favorite song to play on the ukulele: “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift How she learned: Taught herself how to play ukulele a couple of months ago Favorite Pastimes: Writing poetry and playing the violin Other passions: A cappella groups

Why do you play ukulele in the hallway?

“The hallways are really boring, so I had to do something to make them less boring.

I play Taylor Swift and a lot of [other] pop music. I try to stay away from weird, traditional ukulele tunes. Songs on the radio sound cool on the ukulele.”

What kinds of things to people say about your ukulele playing?

“I’ve had hate comments and love comments. A majority of people love me, and they said that it brings them joy to hear random ukulele [music] coming down the hallway.”

Are you ever unhappy?

“No. I try to find joy in everything. I do what I do because I love it.” compiled by Katie Hibner

Junior Peeyush Shrivastava can’t wait to get out of Mason High School.

But he’s not graduating early with the Class of 2013 for the reasons people might think.

Peeyush is departing early in order to finish work at The Ohio State University at the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, leading an experiment on treating heart arrhythmias.

He is leading a team at OSU, working under his mentor Dr. Peter Mohler, Director at the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and professor of internal medicine at OSU, as a junior in high school.

“My grandfather has always been my inspiration,” Peeyush said. “He was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia problems, he is bipolar, has Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia. There is so much information on these diseases, but there are no cures, and I wondered why. That’s when I started to realize that this was my passion.”

Despite the fact that he had a lot to learn at the age of 11, he found a strong work ethic was all it took.

“I would read doctorate journals and highlight every word I didn’t know,” Peeyush said. “At first, every single thing was highlighted because I had no idea what I was reading. It was really disheartening. I thought that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. After months in the library going after school, there weren’t many highlights anymore.”

Peeyush took a special interest in cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular rhythms of the heart, and decided to focus his studies there, and started work on a project that linked a protein to the arrhythmias. After emailing 85 professors, only one from Virginia Commonwealth University, thought his proposal, which basically said years of work in the field were wrong, held promise.

After meeting with him and conducting the experiment, it came out positive.

After the success, Peeyush wanted to take it one step further. He now works as a research associate at OSU with a 1.9 million dollar research grant from the National Institute of Health under Dr. Mohler.

“When you see somebody like Peeyush, who’s so excited about doing science, it’s our role as senior mentors to encourage that,” Mohler said.

“Your background or age doesn’t matter. People just want to be around good ideas.”

Junior Peeyush Shrivastava is studying to treat heart arrhythmias at The Ohio State University.

Peeyush spent last summer in Columbus working on the project. His family stayed with him in Columbus too--a sacrifice that according to Peeyush’s parents, Chandan Srivastava and Sharda Shrivastava, gladly made. With only two years left of grant money, and as the project leader who has to be present for experiments, Peeyush had to do something radical: graduating early.

According to Peeyush’s father, this was not a decision his parents took lightly, and only after being awarded one of 300 semi-finalist spots in the nation in the Intel Science Talent search, the nation’s most prestigious pre-college science competition, did his parents feel that this was the right decision.

While he is still finishing high school, he works from home to communicate with his research team, and spends many weekends up at Ohio State, working 16 hour days in the lab to make up for the time he’s lost.

Despite the opportunity he has at Ohio State, Peeyush is not closing his options when it comes to college in the fall. He is deciding between OSU, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.

Dr. Mohler said his advice to Peeyush was to find a place where he could follow his passion, but also gave some non-academic advice: joking that he could only graduate early if he went to prom this year.

“It’s really important to develop a balance in your life,” Mohler said. “You want to be immersed in college and science, but you also have to be able to enjoy being 17 years old. There’s plenty of time for science.”

With difficult decisions and hard work ahead, Peeyush relies on the support of his family, friends, colleagues at Ohio State, and the inspiration from his grandfather. So he never loses sight of his goal.

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Sports

ATHLETEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

FOOT

MHS athletes sacrifice beautiful feet for their sport Erin Brush and Emily Faas | Staff Writers

Each human foot contains twenty-six bones, thirty-three joints, one hundred seven ligaments, and nineteen muscles.

Yet athletes know that feet take a serious beating in the world of sports. Dancers bend their feet to insane levels to achieve the perfect toe point. Football players subject their feet to the crushing stomp of a two hundred pound offensive lineman in cleats. Runners regularly lose toenails from the constant slamming against pavement.

While each sport presents its own unique set of challenges, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a common thread in that having healthy feet is extremely important to all sports. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, athletes have a much higher risk of foot problems and therefore must take better care of their feet. Common problems for athletes include fractures, fungus, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and neuromas.

Feet may not be a dinner table topic, but they play an important role in the life of an athlete.

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Sports figures involved in scandals lose student admiration Erin Brush | Staff Writer

Athletes these days. From the Lance Armstrong doping scandal to the Oscar Pistorius murder case, it’s hard to believe there are any professional athletes out there that possess qualities that student athletes can look up to.

According to sophomore Nate Sette, it’s only natural that high school students model their behavior after the pros.

“I try to follow the example of upper level athletes,” Sette said. “I like to see how they react to things. If you really follow someone, you want to be like them. AJ Green is the kind of guy you want to look up to. He’s humble, he has character, and he goes out there and does his job without being flashy. That’s what I try to do.”

Sophomore Jonathan Conzet said he can’t even call himself a fan unless he knows the athlete is a respectable person.

“I need to know [athletes] are doing something good,” Conzet said. “A lot of times if I look around and see an athlete that’s messing up, I lose respect for them. It’s really upsetting to see so many people with so much potential and skill to go and blow their careers on something stupid.”

Despite this, celebrity status athletes have claimed time and again that it’s not their job to give kids someone to

look up to. NBA star Charles Barkley stirred up a similar debate after claiming ‘I am not a role model’ in his famous 1993 Nike Air ad. According to Barkley, parents should be setting examples for children, not athletes.

Senior Megan Stamper takes a position similar to Barkley’s. According to Stamper, athletes are only human and it’s natural for them to slip up.

“It’s excusable to make mistakes,” Stamper said. “I don’t think [athletes] have to be perfect. But for me to be a fan, it depends on what level of bad things they do.”

Sometimes even though an athlete is a good person, they lose their focus in the limelight according to Sette.

“Once you get too much fame you can’t control it well and that’s what causes a lot of problems,” Sette said.

“With Lance Armstrong, he lied because he wanted to be too good. He wanted to be too great and he wasn’t focused on what was right.”

According Stamper, she hasn’t lost all faith in today’s athletes, even after all the corruption.

“I wouldn’t say that I’d be less likely to believe [in an athlete],” Stamper said.

“You have to be knowledgeable on that person’s background and what they’re about in order to believe it or not.”

SCARLET LETTERED ATHLETES

Oscar Pistorius: charged with the murder his girlfriend.

Lance Armstrong: admitted to using performance enhancing drugs.

Michael Vick: charged with felonies for his involment in a dog fighting ring.

Tiger Woods: caught having affairs with multiple women.

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22-2 The girls’ varsity basketball team’s final overall record.

They advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen in the OHSAA tournament before falling to the Fairmont Firebirds.

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The girls’ swim team placed 3rd at the state championships, the best showing ever for the Comets.

15 Senior basketball player Matt Beebe’s average points per game in the postseason.

9.225

182

Sophomore Crystal Kratzer placed third at the gymnastics state meet in the uneven bars with a score of 9.225. Kratzer is the highest ever placing Mason gymnast at the state meet. The Comets placed 5th overall.

Senior Tommy Danis placed third at the wrestling state championships in the 182 lb. weight class.

results as of March 8th.

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Center Stage photos contributed by Michelle Kappa

Mason Dance team takes home state championship title for hip hop, third for jazz Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

First time on the floor, first state champion title.

At their first ever state competition, the Mason High School Dance team took home a championship win with their electrifying hip hop number. The team also placed third for their jazz routine.

According to head coach Kathy McCormick, she was proud of the team’s all-around performance at the competition.

“I know I was really excited I

Chloe Knue | Associate Editor Indiana will go all the way, no question, Kate. Reason number one, they won the Big Ten title outright which basically guarantee’s their ranking as a number one seed in the tournament which also means IU could go through the Indianapolis regional and that means home city advantage. Plus, Indiana has the two best players is college basketball, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller. And Will Sheehey, their sixth man, who can put 20+ points on the board. Two words Kate, Hoosier. Nation.

thought that they went out there and left it all on the floor and [I] loved the way they moved the crowd so very exciting,” McCormick said.

For senior Nicole Sarringar, she said the team had the drive and determination to take a state title.

“I felt like it was really good,” Sarringar said. “We had really high energy and we were working as hard as we could because we knew we wanted to win.”

According to Sarringar, she has seen extreme growth of the team since her freshman year to now.

“It feels awesome to come here to show what we have to the rest of the state and

how much we have grown since…I was…a freshman, and how much we’ve grown really shows that we wanted it and it was our year to take it,” Sarringar said.

The team had a busy end of the season, including a national competition in Tennessee, winning first place for jazz and lyrical and overall national title for hip hop. Also their second-year fundraiser for the Make a Wish foundation is tonight--and then at the conclusion of the season, McCormick has to say goodbye to the nine seniors on the team who “really drive [the] team in the direction and to the success that [they’ve] have had.”

And with the season coming to a close, McCormick is just proud of the girls now holding a state title under their belts.

“You know I’m just so proud of them for coming and winning a state championship, that’s really a big deal and we are really excited

C Trading Punches With no clear frontrunner, who do you think will come out on top in the NCAA tournament?

about it and were just so thrilled… and just respect so much of what our competitors did so we are really just thrilled to have that,” McCormick said. “It’s just fun.”

And how do the girls feel about the win? Sarringar simply said “It feels amazing.”

Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor I only have one word for you Chlo, and that is: crush. As in the only reason you chose IU is because you have a crush on Will Sheehey. And as in the Duke Blue Devils are going to crush the competition. This year’s tournament is pretty much a toss up, but if I have to choose one, I choose Duke. They have experience and consistency, and let’s face it, Coach K breeds Champions. When it comes down to it, Duke delivers on a more consistent level in pressure situations.

I love Will Sheehey as much as the next girl, but I bet on the Blue Devils to come through like they always do.

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T O FO

HOCKEY

-Mason McCosham

CONTINUED

Erin Brush and Emily Faas | Staff Writers

Each sport has its own problems when it comes to feet.

It’s no surprise, with all the abuse an athlete’s foot takes on a regular basis. From bunions to blisters, the student athletes at MHS have it all.

Cuts and sores

CROSS COUNTRY

“You get a lot of blisters depending on how your foot is rubbing in the skate,” McCosham said.

-Sam Webb

WRESTLING

Black toenails

“I’ve gotten black toenails,” Webb said, “I have literally had my bones have to re-form on me.”

-Brian McCrea

Calluses

“My feet [get calluses] on the inside of my toes and the inside of the ball of my foot,” McCrea said.

DANCE

-Lauren Pauley

FOOTBALL

-Matt Stewart

Blisters and bunions

Bruises

“We have really bad bunions,” Pauley said, “you have to build up calluses and you get [a lot] of blisters.”

Black toenail

“[We have] nasty feet,” Stewart said, “our toenails are all messed up; I have a bruise on my toe.”

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