The Chronicle, 10.8

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May 17, 2013 | The Chronicle | thecspn.com | Vol. 10, Issue 8 Proudly serving the William Mason High School Community

seniors.pages 13-20 photo, photo art by Corynne Hogan

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News

Trending Now View these and other stories and galleries at

thecspn.com

C From past to present

Times have changed from when our parent’s were our age. Read Nicole Huser’s feature article on how our lives are so much different on so many different levels.

photo by Ashley Calvani

(L-R) Science teachers Coleman, Ruark, Long, Lehman and Distell discuss the issues in the science field today.

E C Science, ethics, human rights all an issue thical dilemmas

C Aiming for the GMC title

Don’t miss coverage of the boys’ and girls’ track teams on Friday as they aim for their sixth consecutive GMC title.

C Boys’ Tennis GMC coverage

The boys’ tennis team competed in GMC’s this past weekend. See a wrap up of the tournament on thecspn.com.

C Boys’ lacrosse takes on Elder

The boys’ lacrosse team played Elder High School Wednesday night. Take a look at coverage on thecspn.com.

C National Honor Society New

President steps up As the year draws to a close, new leaders at MHS step up as others step down. Visit thecspn.com to meet one of these new leaders, the new president of NHS, Katie Rojas.

compiled by Ashley Calvani

with advances in technology and knowledge Ashley Calvani | Online Editor

In the classic sci-fi movie, Jurassic Park, Dr. Ian Malcolm observed: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

In today’s world of technology and science, that line carries chilling implications. It’s no longer hard to imagine rampant dinosaur clones, or even more.

But science doesn’t have to be scary, according to science teacher Maggie Long. Ethics are still prevalent during the pursuit of scientific progress, but they are changing.

We at The Chronicle examined key issues in the field of science and talked to a panel of MHS science teachers about the ethics behind them.

THE ISSUES

PATENTING GENES: The well-known Biotech firm Myriad has been a subject of debate in the Supreme Court in the past weeks. Myriad holds nine patents on human genes after successfully isolating two related types of biological material, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, linked to increased hereditary risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

This means that Myriad owns the exclusive right to conduct research and administer tests with the genes. If a person wants to know if they contain the gene sequence that increases their risk of cancer, they must get tested. The test is not covered by all insurance companies and extremely expensive, in some cases unaffordable, due

to lack of competition from other Biotech firms because of their patent.

While Myriad argues that the patents encourage medical innovation and investment that saves lives because it assures a low financial risk, some individuals are wondering how, in the first place, Myriad can own the rights to a human gene, something produced in nature. The Supreme Court expects a decision in June.

The underlying question: can human genes be patented?

According to science teacher Elizabeth Coleman, the gene is technically altered because of the way Myraid isolated it, and they ethical issue might be in the availability of a treatment to all walks of life.

“You could have a really unique [genetic] sequence, a company patents your gene, makes medicine, and that medicine might be more expensive than you, the source of that information, might be able to afford,” Coleman said.

According to science teacher Carol Lehman, if tests from these patents are used to detect genetic mutations that result in disease, there would also be issues with insurance companies having to provide for someone so high risk, and laws have had to adapt to science.

“There’s a law now though that an insurance company is not allowed to drop you because of your DNA,” Lehman said. “That’s where this is going.”

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SCIENCE AND ETHICS: Crossroads occur when scientific developments and ethic issues collide Story

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LONGEVITY & ALTERING GENES According to National Geographic, new science could lead to very long lives. Research suggests that influences in the womb can determine longevity, or a long individual life. Other research proves that having a genetic mutation known as Laron Syndrome causes stunted growth, blocks diabetes and cancer. These new findings haven’t yielded an elixir of life, but they sure have sparked discussion in the scientific community.

Just because science isn’t quite there yet, doesn’t mean it’s not crucial to ask questions like what would happen if scientists could condition the womb, or give healthy embryo’s the genetic mutation for Laron Syndrome to ensure a diabetic-less, cancer-free society?

Lehman said ethical or not, increasing human lifespans and interfering with the natural process of disease is already happening with simple things such as vaccines and organ transplants. Science teacher Maggie Long agrees.

“We’re doing it anyways without doing the gene mapping,” Long said. “Like the cancer genes. By giving you that [diagnostic] test, you’re elongating life.

[A woman can have] a complete double mastectomy even if she doesn’t have breast cancer because her grandmother and her mother died of it. Technically we’re creating longevity without altering her genes. And people are fine with it.”

Science teacher Charity Distel said that she doesn’t foresee genetic engineering as a mandated practice to increase lifespan or put a stopper to disease. Instead, the availability and accessibility of future genetic therapies could become the problem.

“If anything, what would end up happening is that people who can afford it will do it,” Distel said. “Could this potentially be another form of segregation? You’ll have the genetically engineered population and the non-engineered population, and if that continues, you’re going to have this divergence. Because of this, could there potentially be in the future two different species of human? I don’t think it would be something like giving everyone Laron syndrome to prevent cancer, I think it would be, should we allow people to decide whether or not they are allowed to do that to their kid to prevent cancer. You’re making a decision for the child that doesn’t have a say.”

Coleman said the repercussions of genetic engineering could cause ethical dilemma. As humans, we could potentially make natural selection null and void.

“If we give everyone the same genes, then you reduce the variation that natural selection can act on,” Coleman said. “We know now that carrying certain genes actually makes you resistant to certain diseases. Well, I wonder what [diseases] will come up in the future. We won’t know if we would have had this gene, which at the time seemed like a bad thing to have, that might have actually been a good.”

She’s talking about disorders like Sickle Cell Anemia. A devastating genetic disorder that at the same time protects people in tropical regions from dying of malaria. Natural selection at work. Yet Distel said that some believe genetic engineering is a form of natural selection itself.

“Is genetic engineering still a form of natural selection because humans are still the ones doing it?” Distel said. “We as a species have the ability to do it. Our ability to be able to adapt to a changing environment and survive things that would kill us off because of medicine, some people say that that’s not natural. Others say that it is because we’re still the ones doing it. …We developed a technology, just like a chimp uses a stick to get termites out of a mound. They teach it to their offspring. They evolved to use tools. Some consider genetic engineering our tool.”

It comes down to what people define as natural, according to Long.

“As time goes on, the definition of what’s natural has evolved with advancements in technology,” Long said. “Science is always changing, and

some of the problems people have is that they’re afraid of change. Ethics are going to change over time as new advancements come around.”

EVOLVING ETHICS Some would say that ethics should be constant, and that changing perspectives on what’s acceptable and what’s not to fit a situation shows weakness.

They might say that until it’s their child’s life on the line, according to Long.

“You may feel very strongly about something,” Long said. “But one day you grow up and decide you’re going to have a baby. You carry this one gene, some kind of mitochondrial illness, and you need to [take advantage of genetic engineering] so that your child does not have to suffer like you did.

If you had the power to change that, at that moment in time, that might alter your entire universe of how you thought. It’s taking it moment by moment, step by step. …Somebody else might not agree with it, but they don’t have to.”

Coleman said she looks at issues on a case by case basis.

“There are some people who deny science because it sounds unnatural,” Coleman said. “But they know nothing about it. They deny if for the sake of denying it.”

Even forgetting about human beings and thinking of rice grain engineered to contain Vitamin A to nourish a starving third world population draws fears from some. Denial of progress made and proven by science is not smart, according to Coleman. When ethics come into play, it is always more of a slippery slope. But only by taking each situation at a time can people possibly manage the way the science can improve lives.

And still, the ever-present question will carry on. People will continue to ask if it’s right to open up Pandora’s box just because they can.

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(Left) Lori Roth and Lucas Hakes, (top), Allison Keannelly, Zoe Storch, Emily Schwitzgable, Jessica Hastings, Brittany Astles, Elizabeth Sexton. (bottom left) Stephanie Nally, Roth and Rachel Cronin, (bottom right) Nally. photos by Corynne Hogan

Hakes brings elegance to Regal Cinemas, hosting English premiere for The Great Gatsby Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

Senior Lucas Hakes is Jay Gatsby.

Hakes has taken the initiative to buy out a theater at Regal Cinema and invite all AP Language and Composition alumni to come celebrate and watch The Great Gatsby movie premiere together on May 10. Hakes said Mason High School English teacher Lori Roth’s enthusiasm for the book is what has prompted many English students leaving her class with some form of obsession for The Great Gatsby.

“I think Roth played a very big part in [creating an obsession],” Hakes said. “Her enthusiasm for the book really shed on everyone in the class and once we appreciated her enthusiasm about it and learned all of this backstory on [the book]… we could appreciate the story even more. … [We] were talking about going to see [the movie last year] as a class, which those things never happen.

But I really wanted that to happen because Gatsby was one of my favorite books and Roth is my biggest influence as a teacher. I wanted to have that experience with her and the alumni of the classes before we left” According to Roth, her objective in teaching The Great Gatsby has been to reveal to students the similarities between the novel’s 1920’s setting and modern day society.

“The 20’s aren’t [that] far removed from our culture today,” Roth said. “I think there’s a lot of parallels and I [try to] help the kids to see that these characters have modern day counter parts…[and ask] ‘Who are the Daisy Buchanan’s of the world?’ …[and] ‘Who are our Gatbsy’s today?’ [I want to make] kids see that this book is iconic and it’s one of those things that, like a great painting, you

should be exposed to. If you don’t love it at the end of the day, it’s ok but here are the things in it that you need to be aware of, that you need to know and appreciate about our culture.”

Roth said as students analyze the literature and begin to unravel the novel, they begin to find connection with the characters and invest in each one.

“From the artwork on the cover to the last words of the book, [The Great Gatsby] seems to speak to people,” Roth said. “Different characters relate to different people in different ways.

You’re just crushed when [Gatsby] doesn’t get to the dream and for that you’re invested in him. …

People love [Gastby] because…you’re invested in his dream. I think that’s part of why people like the book—it’s American in that way. It’s [also] beautifully written [which is] another thing that speaks to people [who] have a passion for well written books [and] for English.”

Hakes said he wants the celebration left as one for students to remember as a time they could connect with one another through literature.

“I want [the students] to remember more so the people they share the experience with than the actual movie,” Hakes said. “Whether…the movie is great or it sucks, the point is there’s going to be conversations between these people who will share the experience that is analyzing and discussing Gatsby. Now they have that last meet up that lets them bond over the one thing they [all] really like.”

According to Roth, being able to see the movie alongside her students was like nothing she’s ever experienced before.

“It was one of the most unique experiences of my teaching career,” Roth said. “I have never been to a movie theater and known all of the 130 people there with me. It was such a fun atmosphere and really special to see kids there, all dressed up, not because they...were required to but because they wanted to be there. I loved watching the movie and hearing the kids sigh with delight when they heard all of their favorite lines delievered or laugh at Gatsby’s awkwardness when seeing Daisy again. ...When the film came to a close and the green light faded away, there wasn’t a sound in that theater. ...Over a hundred and some teenagers totally profoundly silent. It wasn’t just a movie about a book, it was an experience from beginning to end.”

Hakes said he feels hopeful for the future of his generation by seeing students being able to find common ground and connect through American literature.

“When so many young adults can be bound together by a book written about a century ago by a manic drunkard, I gain a little bit of faith in our generation,” Hakes said. “We’re supposed to be Generation Y, right? We’re the inquisitive ones.

I think it says a lot about the future when our youth isn’t defined by the drugs we do—well, for the most part—or the problems we inherited, but by our proclivity for pursuing knowledge. And it’s not in a destructive manner, either. We can learn so much from books, and when hundreds of kids can be fanatical about something as simple as a hundred-year old book, and still find relevance in that, it speaks so much about what kind of a future we can have.”

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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 Gabrielle Stichweh (contributing) 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 Will Leathers (contributing) Sheila Raghavendran Katie Rojas Ria Shah Taylor Telford Adviser Dale Conner

C Staff Editorial We hear it from our English teachers every day.

There’s more to a novel than what is just simply said.

And that fact is true in television in movies. Yes, vulgarity, nudity and sexuality are not subjects for advertisement for our youth. But there’s more than just those surface items.

A girl who is spreading her whole life on the Internet may not be the best role model for kids living in a world with sexual predators and obscene images on the easy access of the world-wide web.

A group of kids at private schools may teach our siblings that we don’t need a family to make it big.

Movies about becoming business men and women at young ages boast that we should fast forward our innocence and become adults once the opportunity arises.

We need to remember that although it may sound petty, or too extreme, our younger brothers and sisters are naiive. So were we. We worshipped Lizzie McGuire and Pokemon characters and ran out our Disney VHS’ like it was our job. Kids are vunerable.

And we need to make sure that we teach them the core values before they are taken away with age.

So when it comes to making sure the surface structure is stable, take a look underneath and see what we are teaching our kids beyond the television screen.

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in response to your article “Lost In Time.” I also like fashion and music from past generations, but I feel as though a lot of people over romanticize the era they like; they only see the fashion, but don’t really think about the flaws. While I’d agree that the 1800s were a “simpler” time, I enjoy having a refrigerator. ...I think it’s great if they use style ideas from older eras, but I just wish people would stop saying, “I wish I lived in this era” because they’d be miserable if they did.

Hailey Spencer, junior Dear Editor, The free market principles that govern most of the world seem to stop at the MHS walls. Most student commerce is banned. But why can’t Mason High School students freely engage in commerce – for example parking passes? The 2013-2014 application for a pass states, “Parking Passes registered...to one student and are not transferrable.” This creates an unnecessary risk for would-be drivers – the risk that a student could buy a pass, be unable to use it [think about when schoolwork trumps driving school], and derive no benefit for a commodity for which they incurred an opportunity cost.

An expensive parking space sits unoccupied, a waste of money and scarcity.

Students who change their mind after buying a pass should be allowed to sell their pass to another student.

Admittedly, a complete lack of regulation would lead to chaos. But there’s a simple fix. Two students should be able to walk into the A2 parking pass office, mutually sign forms for the transfer, and complete a monetary exchange in the presence of administration.

Mason students have all learned theoretical economics. It’s time these lessons be applied to the school itself.

James Gao, junior

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Opinion C Columns

Expression of the written word

Rhythmic nostrils Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

I don’t get rhythm. But trust me, I do love music--with a bond stronger than any headphone in any ear. I feel I connect with it. I feel I can feel it. But then again, there’s apparently this thing called rhythm, and I… don’t have it.

I’ve always characterized the rhythmless as awkward, lifeless persons with little more to do than crunch numbers and eat Saltines. So when the unavoidable self-evaluation played into my weeping ears--you don’t crunch numbers, but you do enjoy Saltines, Katherine--the diagnosis was obviously not in my favor. I was clearly rhythmless--one of my two presumed side effects was present! It was simply irrefutable. And the possibility that I was even more awkward than I had already come to terms with, began to fester.

Dancing. Dancing became a constant worry. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I avoided public dancing like Chad Danforth on the baseball field of Sharpay’s father’s country club, but I did fear my ‘moves’ would resemble the sitcom epitome of rhythmless dancing, (insert inevitable reference to Seinfeld’s Elaine). Yet still more grave was the ding this would be to my musical credibility. Certainly someone who can’t pick out little more than the beat must be musically dull. But hey, at least I’m with The GoGo’s--I got the beat.

But how to get the rhythm? In my mind, there are two ways to: have it or learn it.

If you have it, you’re born with it. Born with the uninhibited sociability to just ‘let it all out.’ If you learn it, you play some instrument. I neither learned nor have it. And for those of us without the extrovert criterion or the instrument case by our side, for those like me, music’s a rather inward experience. Even if it’s something of no internal significance, something entirely get-down-and-boogie-demanding -- i.e. Prince’s ‘Baby I’m a Star’ -- it’s bizarrely personal.

And it’s most personal prior to sleep. I always shove those poor old headphones into my ears before bed. I’ll meticulously absorb lyrics for hours. Again, this is when even Baha Men can become disturbingly relevant. My feet will bounce, and bounce proudly, to the beat. The one measure of music I can confidently comprehend. But more telling is the unsuppressed twitch in my face. In my nose, really. I’m convinced it’s connected to the same muscles that make my nostrils flare up whenever I really laugh. It’s the tiniest sign of really feeling the music. Perhaps, feeling the rhythm?

Yeah. I got the rhythm. In my nose. I got the rhythm.

“[I’m looking forward to] lacrosse senior night.”

Jessica Cedrone, junior

“[I’m looking forward to] just being an upperclassman and being able to drive” Landon Sagle, sophomore

Meghan Harris | Staff Writer

Public speaking is miserable.

And honestly, so is just speaking English. Every time I open my mouth, I stutter over my words, babble around what I’m trying to get at. My sentences are slurred together, full of awkward pauses, drawn out phrases, all coming out at a speed that almost no one can understand. It’s an absolute train wreck. So, to save myself the embarrassment, I write.

The words I can never get out flow when I put them down on paper. Feelings are expressed easier, what I need to say comes out much more smoothly. Bottled-up emotions, pentup frustrations all can be released with a piece of paper and a pen.

I have complete control over what I write; I can delete unneeded words, change things around, all without anyone overhearing. Stuttering doesn’t exist in my writing; the pressure surrounding me is eliminated. I can’t start to babble or lose my train of thought at a moments notice. Writing has always been a safe-haven for me, and I like that it let’s me say the things I want to say without actually saying them.

The problem is, the things I need to say sometimes get trapped on paper. Thoughts and feelings and emotions get discarded away in random folders, saved as drafts, never published for anyone to see. It’s easier that way, safer that say. But words that are left unspoken don’t do much good for anyone.

I guess that’s the challenge I’ll have to face sometime soon, trying to bring my words to be something more than just an unread letter. It might not be pretty or perfect, it might be full of trips and stutters, but damaged words are always better than words left unsaid.

C What You Think What are you looking forward to next year? compiled by Meghan Harris

“[I’m looking forward to] sitting in the senior section at football games.”

Rachel Frogge, junior

“[I’m looking forward to] next year’s track season.”

Nicki Besse, freshman

“[I’m looking forward to] finally taking the ACT and SAT.” Yash Padhye, sophomore

“I’m looking forward to seeing new people at Young Life and seeing them create a relationship with God.” Tara Vornberg, freshman

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Desensitizing Adolescents

New movie rating descriptions require more detail Ria Shah | Staff Writer Chloe Knue | Associate Editor

While The Motion Picture Association of America is finding ways to help parents protect their children from indecent content in theaters; The Federal Communications Commission has a plan in the works to allow more obscenities on television.

The MPAA in collaboration with the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), have begun expanding on descriptions of American movies in order to allow parents to become aware and have more control over what their kids are watching.

In a press release by the MPAA, the association’s Chairman and CEO, Chris Dodd said that their new “Check the Box Movie Ratings Awareness Campaign’s” purpose is to give parents a more in-depth description before they have to decide if the movie is appropriate for their children.

According to Mason High School Film Club Advisor Thurman Allen, this change is the step in the right direction ensuring the parents know what their kids are viewing. “[The rating system is too vague to be really helpful,” Allen said. “We need to inform parents so they know what their kids [are seeing] before they go see the movies.”

As movie rating policy gets stricter on its restrictions for movie rating descriptions, the FCC is in the planning process to dismiss their ban on “clean” television. This dismissal will allow more nudity, crude language, and other obscenities.

Sophomore History in Hollywood student Amanda Burnside said the FCC’s proposed plan to allow more indecent acts will offend those you aren’t prepared for what they are about to view.

“TV I think it’s a little bit different [than movies],” Burnside. “Movies you have to pay to watch it because you want to watch it. But if you’re scrolling through the TV and you see something that you don’t want to see…people could take offense to it…Some people are…conservative.”

Allen said

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that while the FCC’s proposal could negatively impact children, it’s the parent’s responsibility to police what their children watch.

“It comes down to parenting, and what is the family’s role in this,” Allen said. “Because for me, that’s where the control needs to be, it doesn’t need to be on the people making the shows.”

Senior Film Club Member Omer Baig said his parents are lenient on the types of movies he watches, and what he is supposed to be watching is based on trust.

“I’d say [I’m] a big movie watcher,” Baig said.

“I’d say about 80 percent of [the] movies [I watch] have vulgarity in them. My parents, sometimes they don’t know about it but most of the time they know I watch movies like that. “ According to Burnside, lengthier and more descriptive details on movie ratings can benefit a kid in many ways, that way the diligent parent will understand exactly what the movie contains and not have to speculate.

“Some movies are rated R just because of the language,” Burnside said. “I’ve heard [that] before so it’s not that big of a deal. But…my dad doesn’t want me to be exposed to certain things.”

Baig said that while changing content on TV could boost ratings, it could also greatly affect the typical American children.

“I feel like the [FCC’s proposed actions] would kind of hurt our youth a little bit,” Baig said. “I feel like they would just be watching TV and they would see just naked women or something like that on TV and…once they get older they’ll think that’s normal.”

Allen said that although cinema rating systems are changing, he hopes that the structure of the new rating system doesn’t inhibit the moviemaker’s vision and creativity.

“If we give you an R rating it limits your base and [the movie is] not going to be able to be seen by as many people,” Allen said. “There are some great R rated films that kids should see that they can’t because it’s rated R because of…language.”

Allen said the MPAA and FCC are both reacting to the ways society is changing.

“The MPAA [is changing] with trying to give more descriptions [and] realizing that this is a far more complex issue than… before,” Allen said. “The FCC [is] realizing [that] things that were considered unacceptable twenty years ago have now come into the norm.” graphic by Gabrielle Stichweh

Amanda Burnside, sophomore

“TV I think it’s a little bit different [than movies]. Movies you have to pay to watch it because you want to watch it. But if you’re scrolling through the TV and you see something that you don’t want to see… people could take offense to it.”

Omer Baig, senior

“I feel like the [FCC’s proposed actions] would kind of hurt our youth a little bit. I feel like they would just be watching TV and they would see just naked women or something like that on TV and… once they get older they’ll think that’s normal.”

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seniors.2013

our class by numbers.14 the map.15-17 goodbyes.18-20 our trends.20 photo, photo art by Corynne Hogan

SENIORS

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our class.by numbers

How many years have you lived in Mason?

We survived four years of high school and after surveying 570 seniors, we got to see how our years compiled by Katie Hibner played out:

1-3

9%

4-6

15%

7-9

16%

10-13

60%

graphics by Gabrielle Stichweh

Which year of high school was the hardest?

11%

Are you happy with your high school career?

88%

11%

Do you want to leave high school?

18%

52%

88%

12% No

Yes

Have you had a high school relationship?

No

30%

Yes

70%

Are you a democrat or republican?

17%

48%

Other 18%

34%

Have you been part of the black hole?

Yes 53%

No 47%

How many AP’s have you taken?

3

51% 15% 12%

4

8%

5+

14%

0-1 2

the.map class of 2013 compiled by Emily Faas

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Fatima Abouelalla Katherine N. Adams Maryam Adewumi Hira Adhami Sommer Adwani Ajay Agrawal Sam Allen Kirsten Alexander (BLUE ASH) Ryan Artz (BLUE ASH) Shankari Arulmani Shayda Ashraf Adil Aultankazy (BLUE ASH) Landon Barbeau Paige Barrie Mauricio Berrizbitia Corey Boothby Jake Brinkman Elise Bruns Molly Budzik Bailey Bunch Carly Cantor Samantha Carr Demetria Castanias Lauren Cocca Pedro Diaz Robert Diehl Hannah Dowrey Mohini Duggal Thomas Edwards Brandi Emerson Abbie Eyles Jack Eyles Nathan Foley Matthew Frazier Beatriz Garotti Bailey Gries Rachel Grossmann Jason Groth Ashley Gruber Cherise Gruber Ashley Hale Carolyn Hardy Lydia Hare Corinne Hazen Victoria Hamilton (BLUE ASH) Stephen Haubrock Ryan Hauck Cody Helton Angelina Hendley (BLUE ASH) Billy Highfill Lauren Hoekzema (BLUE ASH) Martha Huot Jacob Hurley Melanie Jackson Makenzi Jackson (BLUE ASH) Anastassia Jenjebir (BLUE ASH) Makayla Johnson

Aaron Jones Ashleigh Jones (BLUE ASH) Josh Justice Tyler Justice Vidita Kannikeswaran Jacob Kastens Rebecca Katlein Courtney Kappa Molly Keane Lauren Klahm Kevin Klein (BLUE ASH) Brian Korte Alexander Kramer (CLERMONT) Andrew Kremer Rachel Lamb Samuel Lana Joe Latapy (BLUE ASH) Yevgeniy Lerman Abigail Lewis (BLUE ASH) Tara Liebert Michelle Lipton David Luria Katie Lipps Elizabeth Lothrop Ben Magana Felix Maldonado Andrew Manguiat Linken Mattson-Vonderheide Alyssa Marmora Kristen McArthur Mason McCosham Connor McVey Madison Melnick Wei Mei Allen Meyer Kendra Mendoza Xaview Mendoza (BLUE ASH) Greg Miller Zachary Miller (BLUE ASH) Kayleigh Monahan Lauren Moretto Katie Mulvey Anatoly Morozov Ashleigh Nalder Courtney Nalder Tia Nettles Nicolas Neuhaus Samantha Niesz Amanda Norden Alexis Norman (BLUE ASH) Cory Olson (BLUE ASH) Joseph Otero Stephen Otto Dylan Patel Brandon Patterson Phong Pham Prashanth Prabhaker Miguel Parra

SENIORS

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With graduation on June 2, the class of 2013 will be creating paths to college, branches of the military, the work-force, and many more.

O HI O Leslie Philpot Mason Quackenbush Faizan Qureshi Chandana Ravipati Logan Richardson Austin Riley Grant Riley Nicole Rodriguez Natalie Romaniw Samuel Russell Victoria Schackelford Michael Schaeffer (BLUE ASH) Lucas Schappacher Michaela Scharfenberger Ben Scheib Kenneth Scheffler John Schuessler Emily Schlimm Kelly Schweppe Courtney Schwerdt Lindsey Shea (BLUE ASH) Brian Sherrill Josh Sempsrott Yanna Silyuk Colby Singleton Courtney Stehm Andrew Stein Joey Stimler Matthew Strait Brooks Strosnider Cory Sutphin (BLUE ASH) Holly Swartz Anna Taylor Van Tran Lindsay Vallance Christina Vergara Samantha Weaver Selena West Sam Wiegel Kamilah Wilson Allison Wilson Eric Young Chantal Woodson Dorthy Xuan Jessica Zaerr Amanda Zeiner (CLERMONT) MIAMI UNIVERSITY Emma Anderson Randy Anderson Jessica Bayer Blake Baumgartner Ilayna Busch Olivia Bowley Brittney Branscum (MIDDLETOWN) Natalie Briggs Taylor Bussell Sydney Cable

*Editors’ note: some names may be omitted due to The Chronicle’s adherence to district-wide “do not publish” list.

Sarah Cychosz Bradley Davis Aaliyah Drake Brenden Duffy (HAMILTON) Sarah Dych (MIDDLETOWN) Kaylea Dykes Alexis Estes (HAMILTON) Cassandra Estes (HAMILTON) Alec Findley Christopher Follmer Molly Frankel Juliana Frizzell Mariana Garcia Samuel George Dustin Goes James Harris Lauren Harris (MIDDLETOWN) Kaitlyn Harrison Madeline Heckman Jaylene Hubich Alexandra Johnson Cory Johnson Reid Kantor Caroline Kennedy Kyle Kowalski (MIDDLETOWN) Alison Kim Zach Malsch Jacob McCoy Ashley Martin Katie Marzheuser Brian McCrea Jordan Metzger Jessica Miller Evan Mueller (HAMILTON) Kevin Noriega Elizabeth O’Loughlin Stephanie O’Loughlin Emily Oliver Samantha Osborne Preet Patel Ana Perez Cordoba Hannah Pelfrey Sofia Pinales Sonali Pradhan Eric Riemen Angela Riffle Emma Roberts (MIDDLETOWN) Alec Roller Sean Sargent Elijah Shaw Ryan Stephens Ellen Stout Allie Shea Patrick Szabo (HAMILTON) Kody Szymkowicz Eric Swoyer Sohum Talreja Prasanna Thorta

graphic by Gabrielle Stichweh

MAY 17, 2013

Emily Turjanica Alexandra Underwood Jonathan Werst (HAMILTON) Ben Yount Austin Zeltwanger OHIO UNIVERSITY Ben Allen Samantha Apke Rebekah Barnes Brian Beckstedt Alec Blumberg Kyle Bonomini Logan Broekema Seth Buffenbarger Madison Cooper Dani Dean Christina Dulovich Maggie Etherington Margaret Fewell Elizabeth Hager Lucas Hakes Emma Harvey Nicole Hatcher Ann Jacob Hannah Jarvis Brandon Kerr Michael Kingsolver Abigail Klem Kelsie Kline April Lee Kristen Mee Carl Merida Meredith Messer Katie Morua Robert Neal Jacob Noxsel Madelyn Onweller Corey Quallen Namisha Rakheja Alec Reuter Mackenzie Rich Mark Schappacher Madison Shelby Hannah Sowders Olivia Small Megan Stamper Matt Stephens Connor Thayer Riley Thompson Robert Thompson Seth Trenaman Amber Warwick Jacob Waugh

continues.page 16-17

SENIORS

PAGE 16 | MAY 17, 2013

the map.continued THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Anthony Arico Omer Baig Tara Behbahani Jansen Besecker Elizabeth Bransford Usoshi Chatterjee Paul d’Hyver Sean Derussy Brittnay Dodson Kelsi Doerrer Jacob Edwards David Ellison Jennifer Eidemiller Sam Farren Timothy Fowler Jose Garcia-Ortiz Jacob Garland Josh Greenfield An Gu Mary Hennekes Jeremy Hilbert (NEWARK) Lauren Huff Nicole Huser Alessia Italiano Matthew Kaplan Amanda Kallach Amrish Karnik Alexander Kelsey Abhijit Kesbhat David Kim Emily Kenny Pallavi Keole James Kinderdine Bryan King Gabe Knoepfler Shannon Kopcha Tiffany Lim Rhea Malhotra Hannah Meibers Alexis Meyer Peter Mintz Demi Moses Matthew Moye Zachary Newell Baoan Nguyen Gabrielle Nogueira Mark O’Connor Kelly O’Keefe Madison Owens Janki Patel Tim Peischl Drace Penley Neil Pezzutti Matt Pilsner David Quante Nick Riedell Kyle Robling Emily Rumford Sina Sabet Nevin Sachar Savannah Sagle Kyle Sambor (LIMA) Monish Sangtani Adrianna Schneider Jacob Seile Alex Severson Peeyush Shrivastava Andrew Siekman Heidi Soltis Rachel Smith

o u t - o f - s ta t e

O H IO

Ana Sucaldito Jeremy Thompson Ani Vadlamani Aman Verma Kara Wagner Carolyn Wang Ryan Welage Alex Wey Bradley Wier Samuel Whipple Daniel White Emery Woodward Songyi Yen Xin Zhang Jeff Zheng Lucy Zhou Ben Zumkehr UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Austin Agin Matthew Beebe Sree Brahmamdam Casey Chanatry Devon Collins Thomas Danis Jacob Finley Loren Terry

XAVIER UNIVERSITY Hannah De Vera Alec Diehl Laura Forero Corynne Hogan Tamara Mahmoud Kush Nayak Samantha Popp Jeremy Schneider Thomas Troughton Jon Vardanyan UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO Rajit Banerjee Lauren Banks Alex Buddemeyer Anna Ebaugh Adam Erikson Shivangi Kumar Elijah Nkansah Brandon O’Shaughnessy Nicholas Whitmore YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY Aditha Reddy WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY Nicholas Calendine Brian Carman Luke Deters Emily Faas Macy Hubberd Brandon Sayers KENT STATE UNIVERSITY Bryant Allbrittin Danielle Arnold Bryan Dunlop Olivia Gaus Hannah Johnson Natasha Kesav Asad Maiden

MAY 17, 2013 | PAGE 17

Sarvesh Nalluri Smrithi Ram Ronnie Sheppard Cassandra Stewart Ashley Yatsuk CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY Jessica D’Amico Samantha Hayner Kristen Heydt Drew Johnson Paige McCabe Kejal Shah Jacob Smit CINCINNATI STATE Manuel Avila Bernadette Brown Evan Cranfield Barry Denis Austin Harms Angela McMahn Deborah Minnow Sydney Neal Jonathon Niesz Emily Stretch Alisha Williams SINCLAIR COLLEGE Morgan Armbruster Emily Black Edward Bardes Nicholas Bullock Andrew Doster Monica Garcia Lauren Ehrler Krista Emmert Luke Jones Alyssa Johnson Cari Johnson Saranh Kim Velisha Smith Douglas Ziegenhardt Andrew Ziegler HOCKING COLLEGE Jake McCowan Steve Stegbauer WRIGHT STATE Gage Christopher Mary Dempsey Logan Dennison Kevin Grosskoph Nicholas Hoffman Andrew Horlacher Veronica Hubbard Steven Mallon Nocholas Timson Carrie Vorbroker UNIVERSITY OF AKRON Sarah Awwad Alyssa Carvalho Andrew Hauser Shakib Islam Adam Jackson COLUMBUS STATE Rachel Burton Julia Johnstone

OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY Eric Chen Paige Giessler UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY Michael Knight David Matthias CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY Daniel Chrzanowski Armaan Hasan Evelyn Rueda CAPITAL UNIVERSITY Kathy Connor Gage Cottle DENNISON UNIVERSITY Katie Darrah Andrew Kenniston OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY Jessica Dove SHAWNEE STATE Alyssa Herren Bonnie Huesing Brandon James RHODES COLLEGE Carolyn Hilley COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST. JOSEPH Alexis Benjamin Zachary Kiessling Matt Landy Joey Leitch Melissa Villagomez COLUMBUS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Erin King WILMINGTON COLLEGE Tevin Koch ART INSTITUTE OF CINCINNATI Talia Lewis FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN Megan Maloney DEFIANCE COLLEGE Megan Warren OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY Seth Bowles Darryl Johnson

ALABAMA University of Alabama Erica Boden Patty Faas Andrew Hunter Nick Kalmbach Jessica Stoll Andrew Tracy CALIFORNIA University of California Los Angeles William Zhang University of San Diego Gelila Tefera COLORADO Air Force Academy John Deaton Colorado State University Allison Storage FLORIDA Full Sail Universtiy Beau Lahrmer Eckerd College Sarah Ammons Ringling College of Art and Design Saeko Matsutani Florida State University Sarah Hibner Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University Nia Sylverster GEORGIA University of Georgia Tori Martin Atlanta Institute of Music Michael Montgomery Savannah College of Art and Design Amanda Glover Jessica Hudspeth Kara Neumann Symran Robinson ILLINOIS Art Institute of Chicago Anna West Northwestern University Dan Li University of Chicago Jeffery Huang University of Illinois Alex Notton

INDIANA Ball State University Liz DiGennaro Miranda Miller Mary Mostowy Kevin Stockmann Butler University Olivia Dean Margaret Owens Katie Trinh Molly Wilkinson Lauren Wood Purdue University Sarah Greensfelder Keaton Reed Michael Marino Indiana University Anna Fagin Nick Hudnell Erica Westley Hanover College PJ Greene University of Evansville Tim Link Taylor University Rachel General Franklin College Tyler Swallen University of Notre Dame Ashley Calvani IOWA Iowa State University Austin Hilbrands KENTUCKY University of Kentucky Cecily DiPenti Alex Day Nicole Estell Drew Matula Kaley Mayrose Kelsey McDonald Taylor Neville Abhisheck Ravinuthala Olivia Rebella Kacey Richards Paige Richie Kelly Snider Julia Steinberg Sarah Stewart Rachel Vossman Morehead State Jaylen Mayo Thomas More College Austin Justice Jared Justice Alex Mezcua Northern Kentucky University Erica Allan Chris Benvie Nathaniel Beyer Kasey Boehm Cassidy Brown

William Chanatry Dustin Creech Kaitlyn Findley Molly Grammer Ashton Gregor Ryan Grogg Emily Harrison Abigail Johnson Courtney Kaufmann Alexandra King Aaron McAlpine Brittany Rocheck Sami Rutowski Alysha Schneider Kenneth Wilson Union College Rachel Sette Bellermine University Connor Bauer University of the Cumberlands Aaron Brewer Haley Bullock Anna Evdokiou Annmarie Lake Eastern Kentucky University Matthew Harbison Maria Heiselman Western Kentucky University Megan McNally MARYLAND US Naval Academy August Uecker MASSACHUSETTES Boston College Ryan McNulty Northeastern University Katie Amoroso Li-Shiuan Lin Boston University Miguel Cepeda Emerson College Andrea Leon-Ramos MICHIGAN University of Michigan Amanda Beckham Kaitlyn McGowan Jackson Reeves Naina Singh Michigan State University Madeline Sewell Corrie Strayer Adrian College Thomas Hirsh MISSISSIPPI Mississippi State University Marti Sumrall University of Mississippi Brandon Hack

Jackson State University Jasmine Robinson MISSOURI University of Missouri Kayla McDowell Sloane Scheuer Lydia Singh Washington University Abhinav Srinath Evan Wilder NEW YORK Syracuse University Joanna Monfreda University of Albany Luke Biggers Adam Osika Nazareth College Megan Smidebush Cornell University Madalyn Baehre Anay Hindupur New York University Joshua Vonderhaar Noah Zelkind NORTH CAROLINA Appalachian State University Emily Rockstroh University of North Carolina (Wilmington) Alisha Beaudoin Duke University Kevin Liao Meredith College Gabe Steffen PENNSYLVANIA Carnegie Mellon University Andrew Zheng University of Pennsylvania Weizhen Huang University of Pittsburg Aarti Kumar TJ Zeuch Penn State University Brooke Beechan SOUTH CAROLINA University of South Carolina Haley Brastauskas Katelyn Cain Sarah Cedrone Myles DeLuca Lauren Pauley Mohsin Shafi Connor Van Blaricom Mara Viterisi Kylie Yancey College of

graphic by Erica Boden

Charleston Alexandra Unterreiner Clemson University Kees Burklow Allison Truckenbrodt Coastal Carolina University Kathryn Albers TENNESSEE University of Tennessee Chris Pilone Libscomb University Sydney Sloan Carolyn Springsteen Vanderbilt University Yawar Ali Neal Kapoor Amy Yang Ruoting Zhang East Tennessee State Orlando Allen Lee University Leah Barot Katherine Garwood Carson Neuman College Sara Honaker TEXAS University of North Texas Nick Marquatdt Baylor University Andrea Schlosser Texas Christian University Nicole Sarringar UTAH Brigham Young University Amy Ackley Santiago Barriga Benjamin Johnson Nuemont University Andrew Chan Snow College Abigail Snarr VERMONT University of Vermont Kevin Nikolaides VIRGINIA Virginia Tech University Andrew McDonald Brad Leffler Virginia Military Institute Ryan Lyons

M i l i ta r y James Hager Samantha Oliver Brody Ruby Air Force Shayne McNeill Vivica Tiggs Marines Kevin Ernest Geoffrey Pearson Jason Pil

Mark Regan Jacob Hayes Army Tiffany Begley Jacob Garnder Elizabeth Madden Ryan Roberts Coast Guard Ben Biser

Navy Andrey Backscheider Christian Bjorensen Alexis Carpenter Austin Loveless Special Forces Nick Thompson Air National Guard Dylan Jacques

W o r k - f o r c e & M ORE Katherine M. Adams: Scarlet Oaks Cody Apking: full time working Cory Parker-Boone: Warren County transition class Tyler Beller: working Hunter Conley: Mission Work Sydney Cook: Aveda Institute Mitchell Doan: working Kendra Denlinger: Scarlet Oaks Mark Deters: Scarlet oaks Kayla Gunderman: working Hope Gutknecht:

Law enforcement Meagan Haberstroh: Glass blowing in Athens Anthony Hall: Great Oaks Matthew Hample: Live Oaks Shawntay Higby: Live Oaks Brianna Kien: Photographer Austin Leeson: working Sophie Malin: Dancing Jessica McMullin: Paul Mitchell Salon William Niesz: Scarlet Oaks Mireya Owens: War-

ren County transition class Brandon Ramsey: working Schuyler Cebulskie: interning Jami Pfeifer: Aveda Institute Meghan Reinertsen: Comedy classes in Chicago Kelsea Russell: Broadcast Journalism Dustin Schenkel: working Marte Sekse: going to Norway Ria Shah: interning Chris Wagner: semester off, then UC

C H ARTIN G t h e i r COURSE s t il l

Matthew Arney James Asher Donald Badgley Sanika Barve Zachary Bernhardt Harsh Bhardwaj Tyler Boehle Thomas Bramble Jennifer Center Andrew Christian Bryan Crabtree Mary Cramer Juan Antony Cummings Thomas Donoghue Felicia Durham Merna Fakhry Sam Fosnot

David Goodwin Kameron Garwood Harlie Grubb Kathleen Guthrie Paige Haste Chris Hernandez Colin Johnson Joshua Ledoux Josh Linne Jessica Martin Chyanne Miniard Robert Moeller Shannon Mohler Tayler Moore Chad Oleckniche Justin Parigen Evan Pedelty Andrew Pickard

Sabrina Pisano Leah Pottner Adam Quick Andrew Reeder William Riley Adam Sangiuliano Brook Sargent Trea Snarr Joey Sparks Lee Sponseller Hannah Somershoe Hannah Steinhauer Kelsee Thorpe Leah Theuring Mathew Wagoner Jacob Welker Ashlynd Williams Brianne Williams

PAGE 18

SENIORS

MAY 17, 2013

senior.goodbyes The Chronicle graduating staff of 2013

rebekah barnes

Editor-in-Chief Ohio University

I would like to officially take the time to apologize to anyone who was friends with me in middle school. I’m sorry my time was split between our friendships and my petitions to start a recycling program. I’m sorry you had to be seen with me while I adorned myself in graphic tees with campaigns of melting ice caps and our rising oceans. I’m sorry I spoke to you on Aol Instant Messaging with the screen name savingwhales63. I’m sorry.

It’s because my mind works in a way that focuses on one issue at a time. I’ll watch a documentary on the dangers of sweatshops of Walmart and then I’ll prohibit my family from shopping there, for two years, until I’ve moved on. I’ll watch thirty thousand YouTube videos on beauty and swear that one day I’ll become a theatrical makeup artist in Hollywood.

Some may say stay true to yourself--I don’t know who I am or who I will be.

Tomorrow I could be a sculptor or a butterfly advocate or maybe striving to be America’s next top model. Rebekah Barnes is different today than yesterday, and will be different tomorrow. You can meet 40 different outward versions of myself, but my inward morality, compassion and yearn to learn and love and live will never change. And that’s okay.

Savingwhales63 has left the conversation.

Layout and Design Editor University of Alabama

erica boden

I used to picture my funeral. Morbid, right? I was always curious of who would be there, what would be said about me--but for some reason, specific faces never popped into my mind. I imagined cute, little speakers saying my accomplishments, holding up my plaques, and admiring my certificates, though.

I was obsessed with trophies. Having an athletic older brother, I constantly saw him bringing home hardware, and I wanted that so bad. I’d run my modest fingers along the engrained metal, admiring with envy-green eyes.

I learned quickly that I wasn’t too athletically talented. Never awful, just not a stand out player or the go-to girl. I was concerned and a little annoyed: how on earth would I acquire my collection of trophies if I wasn’t a stud athlete?

Therefore, I flooded myself with activities: sports, clubs, and an extracurricular list that developed to be a half-mile long. All the things I was involved with changed me, but it definitely wasn’t because of some award I earned.

It was through the people I met. The only silver and gold I need in my life are people--the ones who don’t ask to come over, but just show up, the ones who go out of the way to make you have a better day. True gems don’t sit on a shelf and collect dust; they interact with, care for, and love you. (*cue the “aww”*)

Sports Editor University of South Carolina

katelyn cain

I despise The Brady Bunch. I hate their cheesy punch lines. I hate their 70’s hair. I hate the fact that the largest problem the family struggled with was who Greg should take to the school dance. Oh, the tragedy. Most of all, though, I hate how normal they are. Being raised by a single mom, normal has never been in my vocabulary. Nor has the word “family.” I’ve missed out on numerous father’s days and family game nights. I felt bad when kids would talk about inside jokes with their dads, and I had nothing to share. And increasingly I longed for and grew jealous of the normalcy of The Brady Bunch.

When I entered high school I immersed myself in activities: running, The Chronicle and Athlete Impact. Hoping I could run away from my absence of a normal family not waiting for me at home. But as I became more involved, I made friendships and relationships that changed my perspective on family.

Family isn’t about numbers. It isn’t about being normal. It isn’t about being The Brady Bunch. It’s the trials you go through with people that make a family. It’s about surrounding yourself with people you love and doing anything for them.

In high school, I’ve discovered that I have not only one, but four families. Runners are my family. Impact is my family. The Chronicle is my family. And most importantly, my mom, my best friend, is my family.

sam weaver

Business Manager University of Cincinnati

This cursor is stressing me out. Stop flashing. I’m freaking out. I’m not ready to write a senior column. I’m not a senior.

Such a significant and defining word, thrown around so violently at football games, on twitter, in random conversations with strangers at Starbucks. The possibilities are endless. But sometimes I wonder, is there a word more limiting? Automatically the conversations shift towards what a big year this is, what a big year next year is, simply how big everything is. You are defined by that one six-letter word. Haven’t you been told your entire life, though, there are things greater than high school. It’s just the beginning; there are greater things to come.

One paragraph of my senior year is filled with friends that have turned into family and random activities that have turned into traditions. Another paragraph is filled with memories, smiles, moments of joy with strangers passing by. Instances that can’t be described with words are displayed across pages with pictures. As I reach the end of this chapter, the start of the new one fast approaching, my hands hover above the keyboard waiting, wanting. Unknown.

Sometimes, you just have to start typing.

MAY 17, 2O13

ashley calvani

SENIORS

Online Editor University of Notre Dame

Dear MHS, I accept the fact that I had to sacrifice a whole four years in high school for wherever it is on this road that I’m supposed to be headed next. But I think you’re crazy to make me write a column telling you who I am. You see me as you want to see me. That’s just it though. I wonder what you see. Because perception is skewed. Did you know I’m actually the most selfish person I’ve ever met? It’s true. I eat all the marshmallows out of the lucky charms box and struggle not to punch a wall when my sister is late at practice and I’m left waiting for her. Did you know I’m the rudest person I know? I hate bad drivers and I curse them violently under my breath and I have a surprisingly low tolerance for people who I don’t agree with. Did you know that? Because if you don’t see that side of me, well, I’m doing something right. The person you are is not the person you know. You are the bridge between what you know and what others see. Because perhaps I did want to punch that wall. But I didn’t. And that has made all the difference, you know?

Don’t you forget about me, Ash

nicole huser

Staff Writer The Ohio State University

I am the sass master.

I’m blunt, sarcastic, and not afraid to speak my mind. And for the longest time, I thought it was one of my worst qualities. I didn’t want to be known as the girl who couldn’t help herself from blurting out a wise remark; the girl who had an opinion for everything.

But as these things go, my true personality shone through. Let me not lead anyone astray into thinking that I’m a deliberately mean person. I simply stand my ground in what I think, and know exactly what I want out of life. Whether it’s working towards my career goals or sharing my honest opinion on a pair of gaudy shoes, I don’t tend to hold back. Some optimistic souls may call that being driven; for many of my friends, and even myself, however, the nickname “sass master” stuck.

As I’ve grown into myself, I’ve learned that instead of shrinking away from who I am, I should embrace it. Yes, I am positive that I have been and will be described as the “b word” occasionally. But if being a true sass master means that I give it my all every day, won’t take no for an answer, and know how to stick up for myself and what I believe in, then I’m proud of it.

ajay agrawal

PAGE 19

Editorial Cartoonist University of Cincinnati

I always figured I would get hit too hard and quit boxing, but no, it was that fateful trip to Bravo’s that pushed me over the edge. I had cut over 15 pounds in two nights, and my cousins decided to take me to Bravo’s.

So I sat there and watched everyone eat Chicken Alfredo, giant pizzas, and various other kinds of pasta.

That was it for me; I jumped, literally jumped, for a slice of pizza across the table. Before I knew it, I made my way from 132 pounds back up to 145.

I finally got a chance to think about what I was doing and realized that it wasn’t me. The reason I started boxing was to become someone that I wasn’t, because I felt like I had something to prove to other people. I spent eight months training and getting knocked out to the point where I won every fight, and now I have nothing to prove to anyone.

The person I was when I came into high school is the same person I’m happy to be.

corynne hogan

Staff Writer Xavier University

I used to really hate myself.

I’d play pretend, attempting to fulfill an impossible role, but return home to watch a mascara blush-stained mask run off of my face into a puddle of tears.

I was a shoot-dang-freaking-depressed mess, if that’s even a phrase. But let’s face it--most of us have been there: torn between who we actually are and what society expects us to be.

It wasn’t until I found myself behind the steering wheel, my camera, a book and on my knees in prayer that, well, things started to unravel. Like that quote from Shrek--“Ogres are like onions. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers.”

Guys! We are ogres! And high-school is the time of peeling ourselves apart.

You’ll start to figure out that maybe you actually prefer reading pages of Wikipedia pages on history and dead people rather than watching The Walking Dead. Or at least whether you like your coffee black or with cream, or maybe *gasp* you don’t like coffee at all.

Now collectively, let’s all take a deep breath in, take a deep breath out and let your stinky layers hang loose for moment. Now on the count of three... One …

Two… Three! Go unpeel yourselves!

SENIORS

PAGE 20

corinne hazen

emily faas

Staff Writer University of Cincinnati

oys

Gameb

Staff Writer Wittenburg University

If you don’t enjoy country music, one--you’re crazy. Two, you may not understand a word of this. So enjoy. Because I am going to tell you why Mason High School is sung every day by the singers on B105. I want to discuss the weather-specifically Rain. Rain makes corn? Wrong. Rain makes snow--snow makes snow days. And we can all agree snow days make all MHS students a little frisky. Thanks for that, Luke Bryan. And the drama. Oh the drama. I think drama queen bee herself: Miranda Lambert can attest to this one. Ladies: You don’t have to like each other, but it’s sure fun to pretend, right? And aren’t we all so much cooler online? Twitter, Facebook, MySpace (apparently not thing anymore, so I’ve been told). The answer is yes, Brad--we are at our coolest and the bravest when we are hidden behind a computer screen. And let’s not forget about The Zac Brown Band’s wise prediction. Whether we’re knee deep in homework or literally knee deep in the water somewhere and by somewhere, they mean Destin, Florida on spring break.

So whether high school has treated you how Blake treats Miranda, or how T.Swift treats any ex she’s ever had via her song lyrics; remember that these are nowhere near the best years of your life. So turn to 105.1 and listen to them sing about y’all--trust me--this is country music and they do.

Senior Year. You’ve made it through the hump of high school, and by this point a lot of seniors aren’t too concerned with what happens from this point out. But what many of us don’t do is take a step back and look at all the people that helped us get to this point. Why did we get an A in that crazy hard math class instead of a C? Yes, part of it was because you stayed up late and studied.

But for me, I have a math teacher in the building to thank for meeting me at the library, week after week, with almost no notice because I would have semiserious panic attacks about pre-calc. Look back on what classes you have taken.

There is more than likely something the teacher taught you. Maybe they just punished you so severely for being tardy every day that you finally learned how to get to class on time. That may seem like a minor thing but being on time is a big key to success and without them, being late might have cost you more than just a random Saturday morning. Take the time. Take the time to thank those that left an imprint on you. Take time to do something for someone else instead of thinking about how “crazy” college is going to be. College will be crazy and crazy hard. Thank those that helped you yesterday and concern yourself with tomorrow, tomorrow.

our.trends

MAY 17, 2013

We’ve had trends from Furbies to Camelbak Nips, from Britney to Rihanna.

We’ve seen them come and go. Here’s a quick walk down memory lane:

hair Ombre

lo shirts

Po

s Overall Barbie

Bag

k Nips

a Camelb

gy p

dolls

ants

iPhones

Then

to

Now

Poke m

on

Overs ized totes

Kindergarten

High School

Top songs 2000-2001: “Breathe”-Faith Hill, “Say My Name”-Destiny’s Child, “Kryptonite”-3 Doors Down, “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse, “Drops of Jupiter”-Train Top kid movies 2000-2001: Remember the Titans, Chicken Run, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Emperor’s New Groove, Spy Kids, Shrek, Monsters Inc., Princess Diaries

Top songs 2012: “Somebody that I Used to Know”-Gotye, “Call Me Maybe”-Carly Rae Jepsen, “We are Young”-Fun., “Payphone”-Maroon 5, “Lights”-Ellie Goulding Top movies 2012: Marvel’s Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, Skyfall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, The Amazing Spiderman

songs from Billboard’s Top 100, movies from imdb.com (kids movies), boxofficemojo.com

cartoon by Ajay Agrawal

C

MAY 17, 2O13

: S H M d e i f i s s a l C De Corinne Hazen | Staff Writer

There are unspoken classroom dynamics.

There seems to be more social ediquite involved than meets the eye. According to Social Studies teacher, Chip Dobson, he admits to seeing these nuances first hand from his desk.

“In terms of kids who are just in their own little world, you know, the kid who is back there with their earphone in their i-Pod and they might as well not be in the class,” Dobson said. “And there are kids who feel that it is their platform to share whatever they feel at that moment. So I certainly think there is protocol and some students don’t understand that.”

According to Dobson he has witness many interesting moments as a teacher where he didn’t necessarily know how to handle what was happening in front of him.

“I’ve had a student pass out in class and just fall down completely on the floor, that was a little scary,” Dobson said. “I’ve had a student who came into class and say, ‘Mr. Dobson, I like you, I respect you but I’m going to do something

PAGE 21

Mason classrooms hold certain dynamics from pod to pod

bad,’ and [he/she] turned around and started pummeling a girl. That was surprising.”

Dobson said that with a school as big as Mason and privileges such as late arrival and early release, students don’t get as many opportunities within the school walls to meet new classmates.

“It’s important to me to try to do something light and fun to connect kids a little but in a way that might seem juvenile,” Dobson said. ‘Oh, we are above the name game Mr. Dobson,’ but I don’t know that [students are] when people don’t know each other.”

Junior Hannah Hagerdon said she is slow to warm up to people. This causes her to observe before she speaks.

“I go into the back corner and for the first few days I kind of watch and observe people,” Hagerdon said. “And then I go, ‘Ok that person is kind of crazy and weird I would not get along with them,’ and then slowly when we start to do group projects I start to voice myself more.”

Science teacher Charity Distel teaches both

graphic by Gabrielle Stichweh

freshman and seniors at MHS. According to Distel she has noticed a lack of simple communication between student and teacher in the classroom. And from her point of view, it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

“Back in the day if someone said, ‘Good morning’ to you, you would say, ‘Good Morning,’” Distel said. “That doesn’t really happen anymore, so when I have classes, especially first bell, I am always shocked by the lack of courtesy on the student’s part.”

Since Distel gets the chance to see both 13-14 year olds as well as 17-18 years old on a daily basis, she get a first-hand look at how they interact differently with her and with each other.

“In general it’s kind of tough as a teacher because [the seniors] are just kind of done,” Distel said. “And the juniors can be there too because they are influenced by the seniors, but at the same time they still know they have a whole year left.”

Who’s Who

A “typical” MHS classroom

“Teachers pet...[is someone] who asks a lot of questions even though they already know the answer just so that the teacher knows that they are listening and paying attention.

Someone who shushes everyone”

Emma Harvey “The obnoxious one that is always talking even when no one wants them to be.”

Jill Dowrey “Class clown is someone who is really outgoing and can joke around and make the whole class laugh, even the people who are really shy.”

Emma Harvey “The kid who is back there with their earphone in their i-Pod and they might as well not be in the class.”

Chip Dobson

Students with uniq names d eal with m ue ore than misspelli ngs

elle Stic hweh

They say there is no one who is exactly like you, and while this may be true, some Mason High School students have the exact same names.

by Gabri

Nomial Mix-Ups

MAY 17, 2013

graphics

C

PAGE 22

Katie Rojas | Staff Writer

The “Katie Adams”s “I think people confuse us because they’ll think I’m her or maybe they’ll hear stories or gossip or something and think I did something or she did something that the other did. Also, in first grade, the school nurse called my parents instead of hers.” Katie Adams - senior (left) “She stays out of trouble, so I’ve never gotten called down to the principal or anything which is good.

Just that one time in first grade, the nurse called her dad, and I was like, ‘That’s not my dad’ and [the nurse] was like, ‘Well, that’s the number’ and I was like, ‘Well, it’s not.’” Katie Adams - senior (right)

The “Laura Forero”s “There was this one time when I was at an NHS meeting and I introduced myself to this girl and I was like, “Hi, my name is Laura Forero” and she was like, ‘No you’re [not] the real Laura Forero’ and it kind of hurt my feelings but it’s totally fine. That’s the misconception; people don’t think I’m actually Laura Forero because they think I should be the other one.” Laura Forero - senior (left) “I think that the biggest coincidence was when one time we had a French test, and they called her down instead of me. But the best one was when I was in third grade, and I got called home from school because I was sick. The nurse said, ‘She’s sick.

She has to go home’ and I went home, and my mom was like, ‘Are you okay?’ and I was like, ‘I’m fine!’

It turned out Laura was sick and she needed to go home, but she didn’t get to go home, I got to go home.” Laura Forero - junior (right)

Mango. Tron. Zaniel. Rilo. Sesame. Yoga.

Americus. According to TNT Magazine, these are just a few of the most unique names of 2012. While Mason High School may not have these names in their books, there are a number of unique names throughout the halls.

MHS junior Johnson Thomas said that while he likes how his name is unique in the fact that it is two first names, it can become annoying when people continually make mistakes.

“When people stick with the name ‘Thomas,’ or they keep calling me ‘Thomas’ that’s when it gets kind of annoying,” Thomas said. “I like my name; it’s unique, and I’m really happy for it. I enjoy having something different that not many other people have.”

Sophomore Harley Connors said she was named ‘Harlequin’ for multiple reasons. “[My dad] was always interested in reading and so is my mom. There is a set of romance novels called ‘The Harlequin Series’ [that I was named after.] He was also really big into themes, and he had this one party and it was costume and clown themed, and there was a Harlequin clown, and he thought it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen in his life, and he decided that if he ever had a daughter, he would name her that, and that was me.”

Junior Radhika Pandit also encounters small annoyances on the first day of school when it is likely that teachers will mispronounce her name.

“On the first day of school, normally when teachers are calling attendance, it’s kind of hard to deal with it because they can’t say [my name] right,” Pandit said. “Sometimes they surprise me and they get it totally right and that makes me really happy. … It’s a little annoying [when people mispronounce my name], but I don’t blame them because I mean, it’s not like they’re doing it on purpose and they can’t help it.”

Senior Paul d’Hyver said his name, which

is actually d’Hyver de las Deses Juillac, stems from a cultural custom.

“I’m from Mexico, so we get one last name from our dad and one last name from our mom,” d’Hyver said. “My last name is d’Hyver de las Deses Juillac. The interesting part is my dad’s name because it’s five words. That comes from my grandpa because he is French. He is a count in France, but he lives in Mexico so the title doesn’t matter anymore, but that’s where it stems from; it’s supposed to be royalty.” d’Hyver said that the first day attendance is the same every trimester, and that it creates laughter among his peers.

“Every time, because my last name is so long, my first name never fits, so when the teachers are calling people on the list, they’re going down the list, and then there’s silence,” d’Hyver said. “Then, after three seconds, I’m just like, ‘I’m Paul, that’s me’ and everybody laughs and the teacher is like ‘What is this?’ and I have to explain.”

Pandit said that her parents named her ‘Radhika’ based off her religion.

“There’s an Indian goddess named Radha, and her whole name is Radhika, and so my parents named me after her,” Pandit said. “[The best thing about my name is] that there are a lot of different ways to say it.” d’Hyver said that his name has provided a conversation topic that has allowed him to meet new people.

“It’s a way to meet people,” d’Hyver said. “If I go to a place where I know one person, and I don’t know anyone else, they always say ‘Say your last name. It’s crazy!’ and they’re like ‘Repeat it, repeat it.’ …It’s a different way to be unique.”

Thomas said that he’s proud of his name regardless of what people say or think.

“The best thing about my name is the fact that it’s something different than most people would have as a first name,” Thomas said. “I like that I have two first names, and it’s just a way to set myself apart.”

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omeward

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Bound

Family dynamics change when college kids come home Sheila Raghavendran | Staff Writer

Long time, no see.

Both excitement and aggravation unfold when siblings in college return home for break, according to several Mason High School students.

Senior Paige Richie’s older sister Blayr is a junior at Ohio University, and according to Paige, it is a challenge to adapt when her sister visits home because of increased tension.

“It’s just kind of different because [Blayr’s] off, she’s used to being independent, [and] she’s used to not having family responsibilities,” Paige said.

“And then she comes back and she has to help

with the family responsibilities that she’s used to not having.”

Senior Annmarie Lake’s older sister Monica is a freshman at Oklahoma State University. Annmarie said she agrees that there is less conflict at home now that her sister has moved out. “[Monica] would usually come home...and [argue] with my mom,” Annmarie said. “Now that she’s not home they don’t really fight and have disagreements.”

Younger siblings have to learn to compensate for older siblings’ responsibilities while they are in college, according to Paige.

“I drive my younger sisters around…it was more me being the chauffeur instead of [Blayr],” Paige said.

Sophomore Cameron Zambello’s older sister Lauren is a freshman at Cedarville University.

Parents’ attention towards younger siblings increases as older siblings move out, Cameron said.

“My parents paid attention to everything I was doing instead of both of us, I felt a little bit more under-the-microscope there,” Cameron said.

Junior Leah Marshall said that it was hard when her older sister Hannah went to college.

“It was weird being at the dinner table because it was only me,” Leah said. “…So it was kind of like

being an only child, my parents would [only] talk to me.”

Sophomore Lindsay Combs’ older sister Emily graduated last year, lives at home and holds a job as a nanny. Lindsay said that she still sees Emily on a regular basis. Attending high school together brought the Combs sisters closer together, according to Lindsay and she said she misses running into Emily at MHS. “We got a lot closer last year because we were in the same school,” Lindsay said. “And now that she’s not in school and I don’t see her as much, I try to hang out with her as much as I can.”

Annmarie is leaving for college later this year, and said she is concerned her twelve-year old sister may not receive the same advice that Annmarie got from Monica.

“I’m afraid that [my younger sister]’s not going to fall into the right place like me and [Monica] did, because [Monica] guided me a lot,” Annmarie said. “I’m afraid she’s not going to have anyone there to guide her. She’s going to have to make a lot of her own decisions.”

Lindsay said that although she sees her older sister often, her older brother has moved out and she rarely spends time with him. Lindsay plays water polo, just as her brother had in high school, and she said it was difficult losing his advice about the sport when he left for college.

When Lauren is at college, Cameron said, the Zambello house is less exciting.

“She [has] friends or her boyfriend or whatever that come over when she’s home,” Cameron said.

“There’s more life to the house when she’s here.”

Family nights and spending time with siblings are what Lindsay said she misses most and wishes she could go back in time for.

Cameron said he acknowledges pros and cons of Lauren living at home.

“I think there [are] advantages of [Lauren] being at home and maybe some disadvantages,” Cameron said. “But...I did like it when she was at home, we got along pretty well compared to how some other siblings seem to be.”

Annmarie said although she misses her sister, moving on is a part of growing up.

“I think this time apart has taught us to appreciate each other,” Annmarie said. “I miss her and I know she misses me, so we’re going to cherish more of the time we have together. I think it’s just a part of life and we all need to grow. Those times will come back eventually, but right now we just need to be apart and be independent.” image by Gabrielle Stichweh, photo by Rebekah Barnes

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hallway

ROAD R AG E Students get mad when proper hallway etiquette is not upheld

Rebekah Barnes | Editor-in-Chief

Once the bell rings, the madness begins.

As students begin to file out of classrooms, the tiled floors of Mason High School become the asphalt of a highway, according to junior Kat Eagle.

“It’s like the highway here at Mason High School,” Eagle said. “…You just go a long and each pod is an exit. You merge, you got off at your exit and you just don’t bother anyone.

It’s like a road system. Everything just flows nicely when everyone goes with the road system.”

When it comes to grinding gears, Eagle has several annoyances from her daily dose of hallway road rage.

“Let me just start with the couples,” Eagle said. “It’s unnecessary to hold each other when you’re walking down the hallway and take up half the hallway when people are trying to get to class on time. People that walk slow--that’s not okay. People who text-you can’t walk down the hallway and text,

you can’t see where you’re going and it just doesn’t work. And the little freshman who think it’s okay to walk on the left side of the hallway when you walk on the right side of the hallway, like you should know that, it’s common sense.”

It may not be a diagnosis yet, but hallway road rage is apparent in at MHS, according to senior Colin Johnson. From stepping on the back of people’s feet or giving a good old dose of karma right back, road rage can take the best of anyone.

“Because, like the same way you have road rage on the road, people will get mad and some people don’t have the best self-control,” Johnson said. “I’ve never said anything but I’ve heard other people tell people, ‘Dude get out of the way.’ I just don’t want to offend anybody [and] I don’t want to get beat up.”

Hicks can get her fair share of rage in the halls.

“Please don’t stop randomly in the hallway

it’s upsetting to me...and I will step on the back of your shoes,” Hicks said.

From annoying passerby’s to romantic entanglements, many point the blame to the freshman and sophomores. But for sophomore Laura Hicks, go two floors down to find the real culprits.

“Upperclassmen [are the worst in the hallways], seniors mostly because they’re like, ‘Oh yea we run the school’...but then they stop in the middle of the hallway and expect all of us to move around them like they’re the kings and queens of the school.”

In the end, simple rules, as shown below, can bring a little bit of brightness back to our neutral colored halls, according to junior Michael Glandorf. “[Following hallway rules] just makes everything cleaner, smoother,” Glandorf said.

“You’re able to get to one place to another much quicker, less tardies, happier teachers, happier students.”

how to avoid getting trampled

NO

pda

“Don’t hold each other in the hallway”-Kat Eagle

Walk

correctly

“Walk on the right in the hall and on the stairs”-Colin Johnson

BE

courteous

“If you’re going to walk slow, move to the sides so that the fast walkers can walk around you.”

-Laura Hicks

NO

texting

“Don’t text--you don’t text and drive so why do you text and walk?”-Kat Eagle

photo by Rebekah Barnes

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Person of Interest Natalie Romaniw and Kylie Yancey, seniors

Sarcasm adpan

Dry, de

parody Satire,

p Stand-u

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ierarchy of humor

Sarcasm and quick wit take backseat to internet memes

mes e h M t titchwe e n rielle S

by Gab Inter ic h p gra

Romaniw and Yancey took a costume for halloween and have built a legacy of school spirit in their foam footsteps.

Most memorable moment attended: “The Loveland basketball game. I was turning to face Mason’s crowd, and I felt someone push me from behind, and I turn around and it’s the Tiger. And he just kept pushing me. So Natalie came over and we sandwiched and body-slammed the tiger.

And we won.”--Yancey Best part about wearing the costume: “Just how happy people are to see you.

The first initial reaction when people don’t know about it and see us wearing [the foam fingers] it’s so fun.”--Yancey “I love the reaction to that and how more energetic and spirited people become once we’re there.” --Romaniw Worst part about wearing the costume: “Sweating. It gets so hot.”--Yancey “They get so yellow just over time. You just have to keep up with it, it’s like owning a pet.” --Yancey “We have to maintain them, just like regluing and re-sowing certain parts of it.”

-Romaniw “You have to be gentle yet energetic at the same time.”--Romaniw

compiled by Meghan Harris

If laughter is any indicator of a joke’s quality, then Internet memes are lacking. According to junior Wajihah Baig, she’s less inclined to laugh when by herself and reading a meme online.

“When you’re sitting at a computer, reading a meme, you just kind of smile,” Baig said. “But when you’re with people around you and they’re all laughing, things are funnier.”

The recent explosion of online humor -- often referred to as ‘memes’ for captioned pictures, viral videos and other online icons -- is pervading social media. According to English teacher Kristin Stoll, the current rise in this humor widens the potential for more people to be funny.

“A lot more humor now is focused on taking current events and then poking fun at them,” Stoll said. “It’s not just political cartoonists anymore. You have everyday people putting together these memes. It’s no longer an elite group of people that are considered writers of humor.”

Although incredibly accessible, there are weaknesses in such humor, according to junior Kayla Burns. A lack of surprise and distance from audience being the top two.

“With social media, I think a lot of people can get off easier with making lower quality jokes,” Burns said. “Because they don’t know who’s going to read or see the joke.”

In addition to an understanding of audience, according to Burns, surprise is another measurement of a type of humor’s quality.

“The more common types of humor are lower quality because the element of surprise is crucial for a joke,” Burns said.

While no universal humor hierarchy is certain, according to Burns, there are universal trends in distinguishing higher and lower quality humor.

“You have to know where to place your jokes,” Burns said. “What makes some humor have less quality is if there’s not a lot of thought put into it.”

This doesn’t mean imitation is bad, according to Burns.

“Humor sort of is being a copycat,” Burns said.

“You learn how to be funny from the people that are around you. Being a copycat with humor isn’t necessarily a bad thing on the internet.”

Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

According to Stoll, too many people try too hard to master comedy, and that’s especially prevalent in internet memes.

“Sometimes, like with the memes, I think we try too hard to be funny,” Stoll said. “When it’s not something natural, I think that turns me off to laughing.”

According to Burns, she ranks her personal humor hiearchy based on intellect.

“The things I think are funny require a bit of intelligence,” Burns said. “I think it’s funnier and better quality if you have to weed people out to laugh at the joke.”

Nonetheless, online humor shouldn’t be regarded lowly. According to Baig, sharing memes and videos can only strengthen a sense of humor.

“Whenever I see a funny picture I share it with my friends because I know it’s something that they’ll find funny too,” Baig said. “I think that makes [a sense of humor] stronger.”

But by the same measure, becoming more in tune with individual humor can reveal a low quality of humor, according to Stoll.

“Being by yourself, reading a meme, it makes it easier to laugh at things you normally wouldn’t laugh at,” Stoll said. “There’s no face to face connection there. So because you don’t have an attachment to the source, you might be more prone to laughing at something.”

Yet simply sharing internet humor doesn’t denote a humorist. According to Stoll, the changing mediums of humor, while incredibly accessible, don’t make people funny themselves.

“It is easier for everyone to be funny because it’s all so available,” Stoll said. “But simply taking someone else’s words and posting it online doesn’t make you a humorist.”

This changing face of humor, as it becomes increasingly prevalent through viral videos and memes online, is only natural, according to Burns, and doesn’t threaten its predecessors.

“It’s evolving humor,” Burns said. “There are more branches of humor now. There’s humor born through the internet but there’s still humor that lives in real life. They’ll be different, and you’ll have to know the difference. But they’re both humor.”

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Sports

THE

HANDOFF

Track sprinters spend countless hours each season getting their handoffs down to a science. It’s no wonder; in a race less than 42 seconds long, timing is everything.

Story

on

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MAY 17, 2013

photos by Rebekah Barnes

Immense pressure on baton handoffs in track relays Erin Brush | Staff Writer

In a mere 42 seconds, a track baton can pass through the hands of four runners and across the finish line. The key is twofold: talented sprinters and efficient handoffs. According to boys Head Track Coach Chip Dobson, handoffs can make or break an entire relay for his runners.

“For us, handoffs are an important part to what we do and I try to incorporate them into our training each week,” Dobson said. “How quickly and efficiently you do a handoff really translates into some pretty major time differences, especially in a sprint relay. In the 4x100 meter relay, those exchanges can add up to [dropping] a second if done correctly which is the difference between first and last in a lot of races.”

In order to achieve this speed and accuracy, there’s a precise science behind every step a relay sprinter takes.

“The way we do it is that there is a ‘fly zone’ or ‘acceleration zone’, which is the area before the exchange zone,” Dobson said. “We have most kids

stand on the small arrow at the beginning of the acceleration zone, count their steps backwards, and place their mark about sixteen to eighteen steps back, depending on how fast the guy coming in is. We do some trial and error depending on the speeds of our runners.”

According to Dobson, as the season progresses, other strategies are used to ensure the relay cuts down any extra time.

“We can look at a fast runner and say we want him to run closer to 105 meters and the other guy to run 95,” Dobson said. “So we adjust it so that he receives the baton very late in the exchange zone as opposed to the middle. You want your fastest runner to cover as much of the distance as possible in order to maximize his speed.”

Mastering a handoff is by no means easy either.

According to sophomore Reece Pontius, it took him two years to fully figure out how to handoffs work.

“I’m still bad at it,” Pontius said. “There are lots

of things that can go wrong. The person can get out too slow or too fast, their hand could be too high or too low, or they could get out too early.”

Dobson said his Comets have experienced their fair share of ruined exchanges and disqualifications.

“Recently at the King’s meet, we certainly did not think we were out of the zone and we have photo evidence to prove we were not, but we got disqualified for handing off outside the zone,” Dobson said. “That’s always very frustrating. We had another issue at the Mount Healthy meet where we had a guy go out too hard and we went beyond the zone. We’ve also dropped batons before, which is always very scary.”

According to Pontius, all the possibilities of failure make relays extra nerve-wracking.

“The handoff is definitely the most stressful part of the race,” Pontius said. “After you finish that you’re just free running, but the exchange is the most vital part.”

C The Numbers

.507

Senior varsity baseball player RJ Thompson is third in the GMC with a batting average of .507 as of May 11. Thompson leads the team in hits with 34.

15

Junior varsity softball player Tory Stewart is second in the GMC with 15 wins as a pitcher.

4 Boys’ track leads the GMC in four separate relays: the 4x100 relay, the 4x200 relay, the 4x400 relay and the 4x800 relay.

10:30.84 9-0 Senior Lauren Wood broke her own record in the 3200 at the Mason Invitational on May 11 with a time of 10:30.84. She broke her previous record by 4.80 seconds.

The boys’ varsity tennis team finished the regualr season undefeated with nine wins and zero losses.

results as of May 12.

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Girls’ lacrosse undefeated for first time in school history

photo by Ashley Calvani

Erin Brush | Staff Writer

13 girls. 15 games. 216 goals. Zero losses. For the first time ever, the Lady Comets lacrosse team has achieved an undefeated regular season including wins against top ranked teams. According to head coach Paul Limpert, he expected his team to have this much success.

“Our seniors are strong leaders and the junior class has pretty much been undefeated since the sixth grade,” Limpert said. “So they’ve been good for a while. I was surprised that we beat New Albany and was pleasantly surprised when we beat Sycamore at home, because they know how to compete with us. But talent wise, I’ve been watching this team since the sixth grade.”

Senior defender Kaitlyn McGowan, however, said she was surprised at how well her team came together this season.

“We knew we were pretty solid [at the start of the season] but I wasn’t expecting to be un-

Chloe Knue | Associate Editor Let me ask you this Kate, did the Reds win the World Series last season? No, I don’t believe they did. And it’s time to face the facts, the Reds are just an average team again this year. Did the Bengal’s pick up free agent James Harrison?

Sure they did. Once again Kate face it, I am, and always will be right about everything. Duke didn’t win the NCAA tournament, and therefore I won trading punches. I know you’ll miss arguing with me next year -- but take comfort in the fact that you put up a good fight.

defeated,” McGowan said. “We really meshed well together even after losing four key players last year. So I think we did a lot better than we expected but looking back on it, the talent was always there.”

The highlights of the season were the wins against New Albany and Sycamore, according to McGowan. The Comets had never pulled out a victory against New Albany before, but there were able to swing an overtime 14-13 win over the Eagles back in April. Another quality win came with their triumph over a conference rival, the Sycamore Aviators. After the Aves knocked them out of the postseason tournament last year, the Comets achieved revenge with an 11-9 victory.

This year’s team is loaded with a roster heavy on upperclassmen with varsity experience, and Limpert said this was key to his team’s success this year.

C Trading Punches After a school year of opposing view points, who won trading punches: Chloe Knue or Katelyn Cain?

“The difference between this year and last year is maturity,” Limpert said. “The juniors are stronger and more mentally able to handle tight games than they were as sophomores. It’s just a maturity thing; it comes when it comes.”

According to McGowan, she has noticed a difference this year in the mindsets of her teammates.

“I think our attitudes have changed going into a game,” McGowan said. “We aren’t necessarily more serious, but we really want it. I don’t want to say we didn’t want it before, but this year [the determination] is really there.”

Limpert said that this team’s ability to work together has also set them apart this season. “[The girls] tend to get along well on and off the field,” Limpert said. “They have their individual differences here and there, but they’ve been a pretty tight family for a couple years now.”

Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor If you want to go strictly by numbers Chloe, neither of us predicted the future so well. In my opinion, the real win is in the words. Have you ever heard the phrase “the pen is mightier than than sword?” Well in this case, I delivered my arguments with flare, voice and overall better sports knowledge that in the end make me the true trading punches champ. Go ahead and ask people who they liked reading better Chloe, I dare you. It is true Chloe, I will miss our arguments, but are they really arguments when I was the clear winner all along?

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layin’ Hardball

photo by Corynne Hogan

Mason baseball to take it one game at a time through post season Chloe Knue | Associate Editor Will Leathers | Contributing Writer

After losing 2-1 last year in the District Championship, the Mason Baseball team has come back this season with a vengeance, sweeping the conference with a 17-0 record as of May 13 and winning the GMC championship for the second year in a row. According to Assistant Coach Curt Bly, his team’s regular season success can be attributed to the boys’ new mentality -- staying 1-0 that day. “[The] guys are concerned about winning that game, that day,” Bly said. “We’ve really been able to stay focused in that moment, not thinking too much further down the road, and not thinking about ourselves, thinking about our team.”

Bly said that if the team can stay focused in the moment, their depth and experience will allow for a successful post-season run.

“We have talent at every level of our team,” Bly said. “On the mound, on the field, at the plate, [and] we have talent on the bench. We have a lot of guys at reserved roles that would start on other teams in our league…Our number four [starting pitcher] would be a number one on a lot of teams around the city.”

Bly said a major factor this year has been the

pitching, which gives the team an advantage every time the Comets step on the field. “[Pitching this year is] better than I’ve ever seen,” Bly said. “When you have that kind of performance on the mound day in and day out, it really sets you up for success.”

According to starting pitcher Andrew McDonald, this season the team has refocused and figured out what they have to do as individuals and as a team for victories. “[Pitching] has been one of the highlights of the year,” McDonald said. “We are constantly keeping the runs the other team gets low, [which] helps boosts team morale, and keeps everyone in the game.”

Right fielder Lee Sponseller said the boys’ biggest improvement has been their ability to hit the baseball.

“We’ve been having a lot more quality at bats this year,” Sponseller said. “We haven’t been giving away our at bats.”

Bly said the Comets have been working to put pressure on the opposing pitcher. “[We’ve worked on] grinding every at bat,” Bly said. “Not giving up too easily, I think that’s cer-

tainly had an affect on our offensive production…

I think that’s been a place of big improvement for our team from last year. Our averages are higher from top to bottom, our quality at bat percentage has gone way up, and that came out of that [district championship] game [last season], we felt like we gave away some at bats in that game, that would’ve made a difference.”

According to senior RJ Thompson, he feels the team is ready to make a run in the tournament because of their mental and physical preparation during the regular season.

“Last year we didn’t make it as far as we wanted to,” Thompson said. “We saw how that felt – and now it’s given us extra drive to perform better.”

Sponseller said that the team’s dynamic has a been a big part of the team’s undefeated season, and if the team continues to play how they know how, they’ll find more wins in the post-season.

“Practices were different this year,” Sponseller said. “Everyone was more focused, especially the seniors. This is our last shot at it…[Last season’s ending] hurt a little bit. [In the tournament] we’re just going to take it one game at a time.”

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