chroniCle
March 14, 2014
thecspn.com
Volume 11, Issue 6
the
Unarmed
Honors Anatomy cadaver dissection offers firsthand experience, see pages 16 & 17.
Cyclocross
Cyclists train extensively to achieve high ambitions, see page 27.
PULLING THE PLUG Time Warner Cable changes delivery, MHS restricts the cable Madison Krell | Staff Writer
Limits on Internet, limits on clothing, and now limits on cable. Time Warner Cable has changed its way of delivering cable. And because of that, Mason High School has to pay--or deal with no cable. According to Assistant Principal William Rice, MHS isn’t paying. “Time Warner has switched from the old analog way of delivering cable to digital,” Rice said. “With digital, every TV that shows cable has to have a digital converter on it. So in order for us to have TV in every room, all 200 of them, we would need to have 200 converters at about seven bucks per room.” History teacher Micah Faler said that his classes use cable on a daily basis. “For educational purposes, I use the cable mainly in my politics class,” Faler said. “We watch news programs, whether it’s CNN, Fox News, etc. We watch it for current events and breaking news.”
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Photo by Taylor Telford
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news
Trending Now View these and other stories and galleries at
thecspn.com
STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Pulling
the
Plug
Madison Krell | Staff Writer
C Girls lacrosse vs. Middletown
Photo by Ashley Calvani
The girls lacrosse team rallies before their game.
C NHS/SIBS service project
NHS and SIBS spent this week digging old shoes out of their closets for the needy and encouraging others to do so as well. See thecspn.com for a wrap-up on the service project.
C Season openers
This upcoming Wednesday, the softball, boys tennis and boys volleyball teams will be starting their seasons with a homefield advantage. Check thecspn.com for pictures and more.
Photo by Katie Hibner
The boys volleyball team defends their home court against the Loveland Tigers.
compiled by Gina Deaton
Cable won’t be completely gone; administration has come up with a plan to keep some of the cable. “The alternative is that cable will still be delivered to the Media Center, just like how we show MBC [by setting it on one channel],” Rice said. “The Media Center will be able to push out [some] channels to rooms...If the President is giving a speech on education, and we wanted to see it, the Media Center will be able to push it out to every room and have CNN as one of the channels.” The teachers have not been formally told about the changes that are being made to the cable, though; their information source has only been rumors. “They haven’t officially told the teachers about the cable decision yet, it’s still just rumors,” Faler said. “We haven’t heard any explanation why this is happening, I’ve heard it was more about the money, that they don’t want to pay for it.” According to Rice, the cable will still be available, just more limited than before. “What we won’t have the ability to do is [for] individual rooms [to] flip through all 60 or 70 channels,” Rice said. “So we will still be able to offer select programming, but for financial reasons we won’t have the ability to flip through all of the channels.” Cable is a nice thing for the teachers to have, according to Faler, mostly for sports channels. “Personally, I use cable during lunch and plan bell,” Faler said. “I watch sports and news on it, and I watch it when I come in on the weekends to work, it’s a really nice thing to have there.” ESPN may be available for teachers like Faler, but Rice said the expensive projector light bulbs shouldn’t be used for noneducational purposes.
“I don’t know what channels will be available,” Rice said. “But regarding ESPN, if it is one of the channels then I suppose teachers could still watch it. But I have issues with us using our projectors where the light bulbs cost $300 to watch ESPN during our plan bell.” According to Faler, sports channels are almost as necessary as a presidential speech. “What creates more of a global atmosphere than the Olympics? The World Cup?” Faler said. “I think it’s very “We will still be able important for students to offer select to see those programming, kinds of but for financial things, and realize how reasons we won’t sports bring have the ability to flip us together through all of the in a peaceful channels.” contest.” March William Rice, Assistant Principal Madness is a big deal, Faler said. According to Faler, if the school doesn’t have Sports Channel as a channel, students are missing out. “I know for a fact that there are other school systems that reinstate cable just for events like March Madness,” Faler said. “I think when we have events--like sporting events--it’s important for us to watch them, especially when we are at an age where the school is pushing us into the twenty-first century education.” Photo by Sheila Raghavendran
The girls lacrosse team is the first to kick off the spring season with a home game versus Loveland tomorrow at noon. Check thecspn.com for coverage.
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Scene
Community Center redefines recreation with programs aimed at teens
Photo contributed by Julie Edmond
Junior Jordan Edmond poses for underwater photography at Mason Community Center, where a new recreational program, Teen Scene, will be starting March 28. Meghan Harris | Staff Writer
Mason Community Center’s Teen Scene and Teen Scene (Jr.) programs are redefining recreational activities for teenagers. According to Julie Edmond, Program Supervisor at the Mason Community Center, Teen Scene and Teen Scene (Jr.) will be opportunities for students to meet new friends while participating in creative activities, starting on March 28. “Teen Scene (Jr.) was created for teens looking for exciting activities that keep them intrigued and engaged,” Julie said. “I moved from South Carolina to Mason in June 2013 and have two teenagers. I was looking for activities that my kids could participate in and where they could meet new people.” Teen Scene will feature activities targeted towards high school students, such as underwater photography, mud wars, and other activities that promote friendly competition and physical activity.
While movie dates and ice-cream runs are easy to come by, some teenagers may be looking for new places to hang out with their friends. According to Julie, Teen Scene will be that place. “It is important because Mason does not have any teen recreational programming that is fun and out-of-the-box,” Julie said. Junior Jordan Edmond said the creative group activities that Teen Scene provides are what drew him to participate. “I decided to do Teen Scene because I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to try out something new and interesting,” Jordan said. “Having the chance to do it with friends is even better.” Julie said the main goal of Teen Scene (Jr.) is to provide students with adventurous and positive ways to fill their free time. “Teen Scene (Jr.) will create opportunities for teens to develop varied interests, to practice
recreational skills and to experience positive use of leisure time, which is the number one goal,” Julie said. Mason Community Center has already established itself as a hub for Mason High School students, and according to Julie, Teen Scene (Jr.) will be another way for students to make connections. “Mason Community Center is a place for socializing and Teen Scene (Jr.) creates a time for friendships,” Julie said. According to Jordan, Teen Scene will be an exciting way for students to gain a stronger sense of community with their peers. “I think this program is important because it’s giving Mason teens an opportunity to do things that maybe they always wanted to do but couldn’t organize themselves,” Jordan said. “I also think it creates a stronger sense of community and it gives teens the chance to meet new people their age.”
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Fact vs Fiction
with MHS Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart on page 5
Erin Brush | Managing Editor
Wednesday, February 12 was a day as safe as any other at Mason High School, according to Principal Mindy McCartyStewart. But after false rumors of a potential school shooting hit the halls, many students and parents were in a frenzy over school safety. According to McCarty-Stewart, the administration had indeed received a report from a student the day prior regarding a friend speaking of a school shooting at Mason, but the situation was immediately assessed and taken care of by law enforcement. “A student reported to our office that a friend had been making comments about there being a school shooting, over a month ago,” McCartyStewart said. “So we’re a little puzzled, perplexed, like, ‘This is a month ago.’ The administrative team quickly interviewed all potential witnesses to the comment reported. We sent a police officer out to the home to speak to the student and parent. The administration was also able to speak to the parent later that afternoon.” Because of how quickly the situation was han-
an easy task. Due to the increase in rumors throughout the day, this event became a communication issue, not a safety issue. Mindy McCarty-Stewart MHS Principal
“
Principal defines line between rumor and reporting
to reach 3,500 students and over “Trying 300 staff in the middle of the day is not
dled, McCarty-Stewart said students were safe from any potential threat the situation may have caused the following school day. “The child was not permitted to get on the bus and arrive at school the following day until they had the opportunity to go through due process,” McCarty-Stewart said. “I made a decision to send out an email to the teachers that provided them information about an investigation with a student regarding the threat. The message included that law enforcement was involved and their role was in helping to maintain a calm and safe environment. So at that point, all of us were as safe as we had been the day before, today, the day after, or any given day.” Then the rumors struck. Allegations of a shooting were rampant, particularly on social media. McCarty-Stewart said school phones were ringing off the hook with parents concerned that the school was in a potentially dangerous situation. The administration responded with an email dis-
tributed to the parents of all students. “When I sent the email out, I [was] not naïve to think that I [was] not still going to get lots of different reactions,” McCarty-Stewart said. “I was fully expecting I was going to take [parents] that were probably calm and then make them nervous, no matter what I said.” McCarty-Stewart said the general reaction from the parents was fortunately one of understanding, so the focus next turned to the student body. “My intention at that point when the rumors were spreading was to try and communicate effectively,” McCarty-Stewart said. “Trying to reach 3,500 students and over 300 staff in the middle of the day is not an easy task. Due to the increase in rumors throughout the day, this event became a communication issue, not a safety issue.” An announcement was made over the PA system, assuring students and teachers that there need be no worry about the rumored situation. Though this quelled the rumors, this situation can be a learning experience for the student body, according to McCarty-Stewart. “I want you to report [threats], but [in] this [situation], people weren’t reporting things, they were gossiping,” McCarty-Stewart said. “If the life, safety, [and] well-being of you and others deserves a Tweet in 140 characters, shame on you... You have to be good consumers of information. Retweeting [rumors]...is the old-fashioned gossip chain via twenty-first century technology.”
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Mason High School Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart sat down with The Chronicle staff on February 28th for a question and answer session to address the events of February 12th
Students at MHS are generally between the ages of 14 and 18. In the future, how are you going to factor in the rate at which rumors are inevitably going to spread within this age group? And when they do spread, should people step back and decide for themselves what to believe and what not to believe? I cannot let social media dictate how we operate. We need to do things like we are doing today. We have to train you to be good consumers of social media. Every situation is so unique. If I become so procedural and I create [policies for each instance], then I’m not taking into account that unfortunately when these situations come up they have all their own nuances that need to be addressed. How would you help students differentiate between rumors and actual threats? I do not want to discourage people reporting threats or any safety concerns, but posting it our resending it on social media is not effective. A real report is made directly to an adult in authority. I think that’s something that [for] a lot of people is a knee-jerk reaction, but they need to start thinking through the ramifications of spreading rumors. Basically what you’re doing is just passing the rumor around, and you’re not doing anything productive. If you really felt it had any validity to it, you will report it properly. Often times when you do get those reports, it’s not the time to advertise it through social media and gossip because what you’re doing is you are creating panic and it makes it very difficult for us to figure out what we’re dealing with. Was your decision to not contact students based off the fact that you didn’t think you could effectively deliver the message without inciting more fear? We would definitely communicate with students if your safety was in danger. There were multiple reasons that impacted my decision to not communicate to students that day. To be honest with you, if this hadn’t been all over Twitter and everything created with social media, you really didn’t need to know any information about this particular student’s misbehavior.
There have been rumors that a note was found concerning the the threat--is this true? There was never any note, that was just added rumor to the story. The day unfolded with social media creating additional rumors and false information. I know that this type of information creates many reactions. Our past history, with Columbine, with mall shootings, tragedies in movie theaters, airplanes, elicits a lot of emotion. I want people to report things and understand the most reliable sources for reporting safety concerns is not social media.
If something like this were to happen again, what would you do differently? Each situation is always unique and has to be dealt with individually. I have reflected a great deal from my conversations with staff, students and parents. I would like to do more communication with everyone proactively to discuss about what types of situations they should expect communication. I would consider a script or talking points for teachers for the following day.
From here on forward, is no news good news in terms of hearing from administration? Bingo. And that’s building a level of trust.
At what point of the verification process of a threat do you begin to make alterations to the school day? Had we not known who the student was, or there were too many unknowns and unanswered questions, we would have created an alternative plan.
Photos by Madison Krell
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Peace
OGT to be replaced by series of required tests in the future Gina Deaton | Online Editor
The Ohio Graduation Test better have its eulogy written, because within the upcoming years, it will be replaced. As of right now, the state of Ohio is planning on replacing the OGT with a series of tests that students must take. These tests will aim to better prepare students for college, ensuring that they have mastered their core high school classes. According to Assistant Principal David Hyatt, a transition will be occurring over the next two years. “The state is going back and forth about the OGT and what the new test will look like,” Hyatt said. “So, the easiest thing to say is this year’s tenth grade class will be taking the OGT, [this] year’s freshman class will be taking the OGT. And as we go through that process, we’ll be transitioning into what’s called [end-of-course exams] which will be piloting this year and start next year.” According to Hyatt, another new aspect of the testing is its transition from paper to online. “We want to pilot the test so we get exposed to what type of test questions and what that looks like, but the big part of this is [that] it’s now online,” Hyatt said. “[Mason students] have never taken online tests. All of a sudden we’re taking a state pilot test, online. For the student, all you have to do is go to the computer and everything’s ready for you--but for us as a district, trying to get all that done technology-wise for all of our students and our labs is pretty challenging.” Guidance Counselor and Southwestern Ohio Education Association Vice President Phyllis Bell said that the new online test-taking aspect is something that has the potential to be extremely beneficial, but can also be seen as a setback. “The reason it has been postponed--or why the OGT is still intact now--is because some of the schools don’t have the technology to do the [online] testing,” Bell said. “And they’re changing their other assessments; basically there will be another assessment that the school districts will have to choose to take the place [of the OGT] in addition to the end-of-course exams.” According to Hyatt, the test transition will currently affect the Classes of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. “[The Class of 2017] is the last class just to be required with the OGT,” Hyatt said. “Now that class will be piloting the others, but it doesn’t count, other than by giving us data and feed-
back. So we want them to do their best. [The current] freshman class [will be taking the] OGT and possibly all 10 course exams. Then the eighth grade class would just take the course exams. And the state could change all that tomorrow.” According to Hyatt, the new test will zero-in on improving students’ college-readiness instead of simply being designed to be tougher. “I don’t know if ‘harder’ is the correct term,” Hyatt said. “What it’s supposed to do is determine college-readiness better than the OGT. The OGT can be a lot of just regurgitating information; what this new testing is going to require out of students would be, ‘Here’s some information. I want you to think about this and answer this question’. There’s a lot of difference there: Regurgitating versus taking information, thinking through it, and using that information to answer questions. That’s what we’re after.” Guidance counselor Tony Affatato said he agreed that the goals of these tests were to ensure that students truly mastered a course. “I think [the thought process is] that those are the core courses that you should have to know and the material in that should allow you to have a diploma in high school,” Affatato said. “I think that’s what they’re saying: they want something a little bit stricter and a little bit harder and [with] a little bit more volume to say that you really mastered Algebra I or Physical Science or whatever the case is.” According to Bell, the important thing to remember is that the state changes its plans frequently and the testing transition is not set in stone. “Just know that [the plan with replacing the OGT] is ever-evolving,” Bell said. “It keeps changing daily on all these things. But for right now this is what we know.” Hyatt said that despite the frequent change in plans, educators are able to look at this as an exciting opportunity. “It’s kind of an exciting time,” Hyatt said. “We’re looking forward to it. It challenges us, as an administration of teachers, to make sure our favorite students and kids are prepared for what they’re about to encounter. It forces us to reflect in the mirror and say, ‘This is what’s best for kids; this isn’t what’s best for kids’. A lot of those things are big discussions. But, there’s a lot of uncertainty right now in the world of assessment and testing.”
Fast Facts The Class of 2017 will be the last class to take the OGT as a graduation requirement. The Class of 2017 will take OGT and the new end-of-course exams to gauge results. The 2014-2015 school year will be the first when end-of-course exams are part of a graduation course. The end-of-course exams are made to meet the new rigor standards decided by the state. There are 10 end-ofcourse exams: English I, II, and III; U.S. History and Government; Physical Science and Biology; Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. There is a large transition currently occurring for the testing to be moved online for next year. Fall governor election will play a large role in permanently deciding testing changes. *Fast Facts are subject to change.
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opinion Chronicle Policy 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.
Tweets to the editor
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 Sheila Raghavendran Editor Chloe Knue Associate Editors Katherine Hansen Taylor Telford Layout and Design Editor Gabrielle Stichweh Sports Editor Erin Brush
Staff Editorial
Online Editor Gina Deaton
Personal responsibility kicks in during times of panic, emergency
Business Manager Emily Culberson Photo Editor Madison Krell Staff Writers Emily Taylor Katie Rojas Meghan Harris Jimmy Halpin Katie Herman Abbey Marshall Matthew Marvar Will Leathers Madison Krell Monica Brucher Kelly Noriega Fernanda Hurtado Sonia Rayka Katie Hibner Lindsay McCalmont Rashika Jaipuriar Adviser Dale Conner
There have been 32 school shootings in 2014 thus far. Taking this into consideration alongside the rash of public violence that has occurred over the past few years, it’s no wonder that we might be sensitive about the prospect of something similar happening here, the violence of the outside world finding its way into our seemingly impenetrable bubble. Were we to ever find ourselves facing this danger in our town, our home, our school, panic would be inevitable--and so would the shifting of blame. When faced in a crisis, it would be much simpler to pass the responsibility of our safety over to people we might deem more capable, be it our parents, school administrators, law enforcement or the powers that be. And while this might make it easier to
digest, it would also mean ignoring a cardinal truth which we have all been taught but often neglect to confront: we are each responsible for our own safety. At the end of the day, each of us knows our own limitations, fears, strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. When placed under pressure, the only person who is truly worth depending on is yourself. This power and responsibility goes beyond feats of strength and self-protection. It means processing information in a reasonable way. It means managing your fear, and not allowing it to control you, nor allowing it to affect others. It means buckling down, taking the reins and doing what needs to be done when the time comes for it. Now run and tell that.
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opinion Embrace both sides of the brain
At a loss for heritage Lindsay McCalmont | Staff Writer
Katie Hibner | Staff Writer
compiled by Monica Brucher, Lindsay McCalmont and Kelly Noriega
Cwhat you think
Where are you from? A question as simple as that could evoke a multitude of different responses. I’m from Mason, OH because that’s where I live right now; Pittsburgh, PA because that’s my hometown; USA because that is the country in which I have always lived; and Ireland, Poland, Scotland, and England because that is where my ancestors migrated from. But it’s rarely ever that I answer with that last response. I sometimes envy people that have moved to America from another country. While they identify themselves as American, when they go home they can embrace a whole other culture with its food, language, and traditions. Every year around March I start to ponder my heritage. Being a large percent Irish, I often try to identify with the festivities going on around St. Patrick’s Day. On St. Patrick’s Day, a leprechaun will mysteriously trash our house leaving a trail of chocolate coins and my mom will cook the once-a-year meal of Shepard’s Pie that she will Google the recipe for the day before. Besides our little St. Patrick’s Day festivities, our occasional outings to Brazenhead, my sister being named “Shannon”, and having a last name that starts out with “Mc”, my family really isn’t any more Irish than the next American family. I hate to admit it, but as much as I try, I have a hard time identifying with my heritage. I feel almost more culturally attached to burritos or fried rice than Irish soda bread or fish and chips. And I honestly don’t even know what people in Poland or Scotland eat. My family and I try to find pride in our home countries but it’s hard to celebrate a culture that no one still living in our family has ever actually participated in. Sometimes I wonder what my great-great-grandparents who immigrated to America in search of a better life would think of my family in America today. It would be nice to one day pay homage to my four home countries and just get a taste of the culture that has been lost in my family over time.
My friend had a shameful secret she couldn’t dare reveal to her parents: She edited our school literary magazine. Roll your eyes, steam with angst at this letdown that she wasn’t at the center of a crime ring or a cheating scandal. But in the eyes of many American parents today, her exploration of the divergent, creative intellect involved in writing was dangerous. The “deadliness” of language arts stems from this logical misstep: creative careers aren’t lucrative; therefore avoiding extensive English studies in high school will protect students’ futures. What? That’s flawed thinking, which is ironic since it claims to be the most practical stance on life. I may be an emotionally-embellishing poet (God forbid), but I am certainly rational enough to analyze the fallacies. For one, writing careers don’t always end with the rosy-eyed hopeful roaming the streets, begging for spare change out of a flimsy old Starbucks cup. Every poet I’ve met has either a teaching or a journalistic career, and they have time to create on the side. Head-shakers may counter that these writers are the exception to the rule, but the College Board says otherwise--they predict that the job growth for writers will be faster than the average of all careers through this year. Plus, language “arts” is a deceptive title. There are many genres of reading and writing, and thus there are many different career applications for those skills. Graduate students, whether they major in literature or engineering, will need to craft coherent and complex dissertations of their subjects. Chemists need to publish lab reports, and doctors need to absorb research. One of my favorite poets is Bruce Covey. His credits are countless, having attended graduate school at Yale University and taught creative writing at Emory University. His secret to success? His brain, obviously. But not even just his creative right brain--his calculating left, too. Bruce majored in both English and Mathematics, first flourished as a technical writer, and often incorporates mathematical terms into his poems. When interviewed he said, “I simultaneously do differential equations and abstract algebra while writing poetry.” Believe or not, the pen can coexist with the calculator. The left brain and the right brain are equals, and it’s about time we appreciated both.
What is your opinion on the cultural pressures to lighten or darken your skin?
“I think you can do what you want to do as long as you don’t look like a walking bag of doritos.” --Jordyn Mitchell, sophomore
“I think there’s too much pressure to do it.” --Katie Puisis, junior
“I think people should do whatever they want to do. Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable about yourself.” --Mariam Saad, sophomore
“I think it makes people feel better. It’s bad for you, but it makes people feel better and good for themselves and in magazines it says, ‘You look skinnier when you’re tan’.” --Kayla Tager, junior
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Hitting Home Conflicts in Ukraine and Venezuela resonate with locals
Photo by Madison Krell, photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh Monica Brucher | Staff Writer Fernanda Hurtado | Staff Writer
Ukraine is 5099.7 miles away. Venezuela is 2257.2. But they are close at heart for some Mason High School students. Senior Dmytro Shcherbyna moved to America two years ago from western Ukraine where he lived for 15 years and noticed the increasing opposition against the government. Senior Alex Lebedev also made America his home two years after being born in southern Ukraine. Lebedev believes that restriction of speech is something Ukraine people should fight against--without violence. “I do think it is a legitimate reason for the protests to start, but it’s not like they started as full out violence,” Lebedev said. “They started through non-violence protests and then the police [were] ordered to use any way to stop [the protests] and it didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to.” Venezuelans sophomore Juan Tramontin and senior Enrique Dominguez are also concerned about the protests happening in their country. According to Tramontin, the government and inflation play key roles in the protests. “A lot of people are protesting against Nicolas Maduro, [who] is the president right now, because they don’t like what he is doing,” Tramon-
tin said. “[Venezuelans] want a lot of change due to the inflation that’s happening in the country.” Even with all the violence now occurring, Tramontin said he believes that the protests are necessary, but is upset he cannot do more to stand behind his heritage. “I’m glad it’s happening but [it] also frustrates me a little because I feel like I can’t do much,” Tramontin said. “A lot of people in the world don’t know about [the protests] and [the government is] not letting the media show [the protests] so I feel like I want to do more to help.” Tramontin has family members in Caracas, the main city involved, who are affected by the protests daily. “[My family] can’t find stuff, they can’t buy groceries anymore [because] everything costs a lot and they are just really mad about things,” Tramontin said. Even though there is extreme unrest within Ukraine right now, Shcherbyna stands behind President Obama’s hands-off foreign policy to stay out of Ukraine unless they call a state of emergency. “It’s better not to send troops to Ukraine right now,” Shcherbyna said. “I think we can handle it by ourselves.”
Both governments have restricted media going in and out of the countries but Tramontin still manages to use media to stay close to his Venezuelan family as well as making other people aware of the tragedies occurring there. “My aunt works at an advertising company, and she was telling us how [the government is] not letting them use the media to protest a lot,” Tramontin said. “So that’s why she wants us to help out [by posting on social media] and get people here in the United States to start talking about it.” According to Tramontin, making people aware of the hardships happening in Venezuela are prevalent to people world-wide. “It’s just showing real-world things are happening, these revolutions are actually happening,” Tramontin said. Although at the moment the protests seem chaotic, Dominguez said he believes it is for a greater purpose. “There are other countries just like [Venezuela] going through the same thing that [Venezuela is] going through,” Dominguez said. “I think it is about time that this happened because it is going to take Venezuela to a better and more stable economy and a better and more stable nation. It is going to be ugly before it gets pretty.”
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feature
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High price of organic food makes healthy eating challenging Sonia Rayka | Staff Writer
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but the cost of the fruit isn’t so cute. According to junior Delaney McDowell, the primary difference between choosing organic foods and choosing convenient food at regular supermarkets is the quality. “The unhealthy food is easier to get and a lot cheaper because it’s not as good of quality,” McDowell said. “It takes a lot more effort to eat healthier because of the expense and time it takes to prepare.” Senior Macie Cousineau, a vegan of four years, said that her experience with being the only vegan in her household helped her understand what it takes to cook for herself. “When I was seven I became vegetarian so since then I’ve been cooking for myself since my parents both eat meat,” Cousineau said. “Then when I went vegan, it was kind of difficult because I would just throw together vegetables, but now I’m more experienced, so it’s easier.” According to Cousineau, the progressive changes at standard grocery stores like Kroger in order to attend to needs of healthy eaters still falls short compared to places like Whole Foods. “Even though Kroger is becoming more organic, there’s definitely a bigger selection at Whole Foods,” Cousineau said. “But it’s without a doubt pricier.” McDowell said that there are several factors which tend to deter people from choosing healthy eating choices. “The price of healthy food tends to push people away but also the effort you have to put in to choosing healthy foods because they’re not as good as unhealthy, processed food,” McDowell said. Senior Jordan Horning began a new diet based solely on organic fruits and vegetables in order to enhance her performance in Track and Field. According to Horning, the price jump between the foods she was previously buying to
the very specific healthy alternatives is significant. “For meat, you can only have grass-fed meat but we don’t always do that all the time because it’s so expensive,” Horning said. “The money definitely adds up because of how large the portion size is. It can be around two to four dollars for a little package that you’ll eat in one sitting.” According to McDowell, it’s still possible to maintain a healthy diet even if money is tight. “There’s always a way to eat healthy, even if it’s just a little change in your lifestyle,” McDowell said. “Like if you go to McDonald’s you don’t have to get a cheeseburger. It might be a little more expensive to get a salad but it’s worth it in the end.” Despite the high prices, Cousineau said that it’s ultimately the buyer’s decision for what’s best for their body. “I think that if you’re concerned about your body and your well-being then it’s definitely something that you have to weigh,” Cousineau said. “Are you willing to pay more for something that’s better for you?” Horning said that although the prices of healthy foods tend to push people away from eating healthy, it’ll eventually help people understand how beneficial it is. “People don’t try eating healthy mainly because it is so expensive but if they did, they would stay on it because there are more benefits that outweigh the prices,” Horning said. According to McDowell, the unfavorable price of the food today will surely pay off in the future. “It’s definitely a pricey healthy [option] but they say that eating healthy is one of the main reasons that causes people to live longer so I think that extra dollar is worth it today,” McDowell said. Photo by Madison Krell
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Breaking Point Extreme stress, brain imbalance can lead to emotional breakdowns Sheila Raghavendran | Editor-in-Chief
Stress is a mess. Immense stress that results in an intense emotional moment, coined the “breakdown” or “meltdown”, is not uncommon for high school students. According to The Franklin Institute, lack of sleep, lack of exercise and overstimulation result in overactive stress hormones that damage and kill brain cells. School psychologist Jeff Schlaeger said that this imbalance in the brain triggers a breakdown. “You have portions of your brain that are geared to respond to stress or danger or overstimulation or work, and that balance is knocked off or skewed [during a breakdown],” Schlaeger said. “There [are]…not enough of the healthy things for your brain--like appropriate sleep, exercise…so then the system… gets unbalanced and is hard to get balanced again. So then you have this vicious cycle, where you’re already unbalanced, you’re staying up until 2:00 am for…a tough AP class, and you’re adding more coffee and Monsters and sleeping less and less, and not exercising…that’s not the solution.” For junior Jenna McCabe, her breakdown moment involved the two-time damaging of her self-portrait project. The first accident was because of spilled hair dye. The second was thanks to McCabe’s dogs playing on top of the project. “[My dogs] got on top of it and they were just scratching it and I yelled at them and told them to get off,” McCabe said. “I looked over and I just sat down on my bed and I was like, ‘Mom, I give up.’…I just
bawled. I felt so pathetic.” McCabe’s stress was soon alleviated with help from draw-
ing teacher Beth Eline, who showed her how to cover up the marks. Not every breakdown, however, is resolved similarly. According to junior Corie Lawhorn, breakdowns are attributed to many demanding responsibilities piling on a person. For Lawhorn, a dance team member, long practices and schoolwork are a difficult combination. “Recently [in] AP Bio…there was a point where she updated grades and I was really frustrated about it,” Lawhorn said. “And there was stuff going on at dance and it just gets super stressful when there’s a lot happening altogether. I just kind of broke down.” Parental pressure is also a driving force of overwhelming stress, according to Lawhorn. “I think there’s a lot of pressure now as you get older because you have college looming over your head, and with [pressure from] parents,” Lawhorn said. “My parents push me really, really hard. So that causes it too.” Schlaeger said that expectations imposed by parents, teachers and counselors lead students to stress and eventual breakdown. The key to overcoming outside pressure is to prioritize responsibilities and [to be] aware of personal breaking points, he said. “Everyone has their limits of what they can handle, from personality and cognitively and just attention span,” Schlaeger said. “…Preventing [a breakdown] is just knowing your limits.”
Photo by Madison Krell, photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh
Junior Jenna McCabe broke down after her self-portrait project was damaged twice.
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Disney Enchantment Disney obsessions transcend childhood fantasy, carry into all ages Abbey Marshall | Staff Writer
You never outgrow some habits. For many teenagers, including senior Autumn Carter, watching Disney movies is a timeless hobby because their good messages never go out of style. “I like what [Disney movies] bring to kids and how they can help them grow,” Carter said. “I like how more of the modern Disney princesses can just be good role models for young females and kids in general and show them good morals and how to stand up for themselves.” Everyone has their own Disney counterpart, according to senior Kailey Schneider.
“Every girl when they watch a Disney movie, even boys when they watch Disney movies, finds a character that [they] connect to,” Schneider said. “The first time I saw ‘Tangled’, I sobbed just because I felt such a spiritual connection to Rapunzel.” Junior Sam Coyle makes the point that the Disney empire doesn’t just pertain to one gender. “A lot of people think [Disney movies] are just for girls, but they all have great stories,” Coyle said. “A lot of them have action like ‘Tarzan’ and ‘[The] Lion King’. They grab my attention.” The Disney obsession has no generation gap,
according to algebra teacher Kristi Stephens, who enjoys watching the movies with her children. “Disney is timeless,” Stephens said. “You never outgrow the Disney characters. You never outgrow the fun of Disney, even as teenagers and even as adults.” According to Schneider, people of all ages love the idealism of Disney movies. “What I love about Disney movies is that they show a world where people are just happy and love each other,” Schneider said. “Even if that doesn’t happen in the real world, it’s nice to have hope that a fairytale can happen to anyone.”
Photos by Abbey Marshall
Pictured (back to front): Seniors Autumn Carter, Kailey Schneider, sophomore Cara Severson, 3-year-olds Malia Ganger, Laci Lang and Lydia Zhang posing as princesses.
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Hands- On Off Learning Cadaver operation provides opportunity for realistic surgical experience Emily Taylor | Staff Writer
Anatomy students are getting a bit handsy-with human cadavers, that is. Beacon Orthopedics’ new Bio-Skills lab program is providing students with a hands-on experience unlike any other. According to Associate Marketing Manager Trey Jurgens, the program, which includes both the guest lecture and the Bio-Skills lab, provides numerous opportunities for aspiring students. “The program was designed a year ago by one of our doctors and the focus is to help students gain a deeper understanding of both the human anatomy and the health-care career field as well,” Jurgens said. While the program was created primarily for schools that partnered with Beacon Orthopedics, Jurgens said that quickly changed when they realized how unique the opportunity was. “We decided it was too cool of an event to not put on for other schools,” Jurgens said. Beacon currently collaborates with many schools across the area, Mason being one of those. According to Honors Anatomy and Physiology teachers Maggie Long and Carol Lehman, Mason High School has participated in the program twice now and both trips have been nothing short of life changing. “I have heard from several kids that, in terms of science labs, this was by far the neatest thing that
they have ever done,” Lehman said. Senior Drew Pfander was one of the few students who got to participate in the program and he said that it was an experience that he will cherish forever. “I want to be a surgeon and so being able to physically operate on a human wrist was a really unique opportunity,” Pfander said. “I was able to see and learn things that I never would have been able to through a class or a book.” While books and pictures are helpful teaching and learning aids, Long said that nothing compares to being able to experience the real thing. “It’s very hard when all you can do is study a textbook,” Long said. “To actually get what [the human body] looks like, what it feels like, what it smells like, it’s hard to do that by just looking at a picture.” While students taking Honors Anatomy and Physiology are able to participate in multiple dissection labs throughout the course, Lehman said that being able to dissect a human body is an unparalleled experience. “It is one thing to dissect a pig, but it’s a whole other thing to dissect a human arm or shoulder,” Lehman said. “The fluids that they use to embalm the pigs harden the tissues and so it is not as real as what students see in this cadaver experience.” According to Long and Lehman, the Bio-Skills lab is an opportunity that they hope to continue to utilize as it serves as a valuable experience for not only students but themselves as well.
“A huge part of our teaching is being able to tell stories from experience,” Long said. “[The program] enriches our content and adds meaning to what we teach because we have actually experienced it.” Lehman said that the one problem with the program is that not all students are able to participate. “We would love to take all of our students but we just can’t because of the constraint of space and surgeons that they have available,” Lehman said. “We just have too many kids.” While only a small portion of their students are able to participate, Lehman and Long said they feel the program can still be beneficial to all students in that those who participated can share stories and pictures to give other students a feel of what the experience was like. “Hopefully from hearing somebody say, ‘Oh that was the coolest thing ever,’ students are kind of sparked into finding other resources,” Long said. “They might not be able to find opportunities that [are] exactly the same but there are other things out there that might help them as well.”
See additional photos on thecspn.com.
Pictured left to right: Juniors Aminat Adewumi, Priyanka Ram and Mehak Kalra; senior Elizabeth Sexton, Dr. Mohab Foad; juniors Aminat Adewumi, Priyanka Ram, Mehak Kalra and Operating Room Nurse Sarah Colbert; Dr. Foad, seniors Jenna Gunn, Allie Specht and Elizabeth Sexton.
Photos by Emily Taylor
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Zone
Daydreaming provides reprieve from pressures of academic focus
Katherine Hansen | Associate Editor
You have to get out of the zone to get in the zone. Zoning-out, a favorite high school student pastime, is necessary to return to real concentration and energy during class, according to senior Katie Carr. “If you just need time to pull together your thoughts, to think about things you need to think about, it’s good for you,” Carr said. But it doesn’t always start out with that intention for good. According to Carr, who zones out about two to three times a day on windows and whiteboards, zoning-out is usually unintentional altogether. “It’s when we’re not doing anything active, when we’re just sitting and listening,” Carr said. “That’s when you tune out everything around you just to focus on your own thoughts.” Stirred by a feeling of disinterest in class, the realm of personal pondering becomes a refuge for students like Carr. “I have no interest in what is being talked about,” Carr said. “So I prefer to think about things that I would rather think about.” According to senior Nick Mann, a more liberal zone-out student who prefers a stare-down with the ground when he zones out, zoning-out starts with the simplest of distractions. “It starts when you just kind of innocently think about things happening in your life,” Mann said. “Or what you’re going to do soon.” For junior Nayonika Banerjee, who zones out once or twice a day and on no regular surface, the class material itself can be the origin of a full-blown zoneout.
“Sometimes I begin just thinking about an extension of what we’re doing in class,” Banerjee said. “But then that wanders into fantasies or what I could be doing right now.” Among those zone-out fantasies is sleep, a favorite of high school zone-out victims. Yet it can accentuate the disinterest when the student hasn’t had enough, according to senior Lauren Harris. “Lack of interest is the biggest factor,” Harris said. “But the need to sleep just encourages [zoning-out] because then it becomes a lack of motivation too.” Although often carrying negative connotations, the zone-out session, when used well, can be a prime source for needed introspection, according to Carr. “You’re not in the setting around you,” Carr said. “You are not paying attention to the landscape around you. You are in your own mental landscape, your own zone.” For Harris too, the mental benefits of zoning-out are irrefutable, even with the occasional missed line in class. “I think it’s a good thing to calm you,” Harris said. “It brings you back to where you need to be. You get some perspective.” Triggered by perhaps a lack of that very perspective is the rising ‘stress zone-out’. According to Carr, it’s a step up in mental distance when compared to both the ‘minor’ and ‘committed’ types of zoning-out. “There’s definitely stress zoning-out,” Carr said. “That’s huge. You just realize how much you have to do and it kind of knocks you out in a way.” But one can always get ‘in the zone’ again, according to Banerjee, and handle the overwhelming stress. It just takes some mental separation to begin tackling it all. “When you’re ‘in the zone’ you’re really into what you’re doing,” Banerjee said. “You know what you’re doing and you’re doing it well. But when you zone-out, you are no longer there. And that’s okay.” ‘Okay’ because the zone-out prevents longer halts to productivity later on, according to Banerjee. With regular zone-outs, meltdowns and collapses of a disastrous scale can be avoided. “Zoning out is good because sometimes you need a mental break,” Banerjee said. “If you don’t zone-out, you might lose it.”
Photo by Madison Krell, photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh
Senior Katie Carr escapes stress and academic rigor induced by tough courses by “zoning out” and concentrating on her own thoughts multiple times a day during class.
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Titanic Tribulations Recent cruise incidents setback industry’s smooth sailing
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Photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh
from going on Carnival cruises for a little bit after that incident and [so] other companies gained more rep[utation from that],” Modi said. “And some people just don’t want to go on cruises because they’re just scared that it’s going to sink or whatever, but I mean it’s not that big of a deal and I don’t think it would really happen.” Junior Tessa Stewart said the media also plays a part in hyping up the incidents and even compared the likelihood of a ship mishap to the chances of a plane crash. “I’m not that concerned just [because] I feel like people who drive them are usually experienced,” Stewart said. “And [there’s] a one in a million chance that that’ll happen, so I think that sometimes people see one thing happen and they over analyze the situation.” According to freshman Tanvi Jagtap, the overall thing to remember is that there is more positive feedback of cruises than negative. “There are a lot of [workers on the boat], and they work really hard,” Jagtap said.“Each person does their part and they’re all really nice. So [with] each boat that does have an issue, I don’t think it’d be a continuing trend because they all do their best, and sometimes it happens. It seems like a big deal because it’s a big boat and…they’ve got a problem and it looks like this huge deal, but there are a lot of cruises that go around and nothing happens.” With stories of stranded voyagers and tales of terrible inconveniences, however, students like Stewart are being more careful when it comes to picking a cruise line. Stewart, who is planning a senior trip to Australia with her
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It’s no fun when a cruise becomes a party pooper. The infamous ‘poop cruise’ by the Carnival Triumph, one of the many recent cruise mishaps, lost power because of a fire last February. It left about 4000 passengers and employees without functioning air conditioners, toilets, light, food, and water. The overflowing waste on the boat left the vacationers literally, and metaphorically, down in the dumps. But that wasn’t the sole disaster the cruise industry has faced recently. In January 2012, Costa Concordia left 32 people dead after striking a rocky shore of an Italian island and falling to its side. Even more recently, about a month ago, Royal Caribbean’s Explorers of the Sea came home early from a 10-day cruise after almost 700 passengers and crew members became infected with the highly contagious norovirus; the resulting vomiting and diarrhea earned it the nickname “Exploders of the sea.” With recurring incidents like those, cruise companies now are being forced to provide compensation and even rebuild the image of their brands. But despite all this, students are still readily embracing cruises with the usual excitement. With an entire industry already based on the ‘floating paradise’ concept, junior Hardik Modi said the limitless options for activities on cruises steer away any negativity. According to Modi, who has been on four cruises, his experiences have allowed him to see past the recent stigma of the industry because he said the accidents are rare. “I know a lot of people who refrain[ed]
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Rashika Jaipuriar | Staff Writer
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grandmother, said she has had an experience with a cruise company that ended up getting stranded. “[There was] one that got stuck in a sandbar [in Europe and they had to evacuate the whole ship]. We actually went on a cruise with that cruise line before,” Stewart said. “[So] my grandma’s just trying to avoid those kinds of companies and doing a little more research because before she never really checked up on it, but now she’s making sure to look into all those things.” Jagtap also said she heard about a lot of the problems before going on her cruise to the Caribbean during winter break. Her family, however, wasn’t too concerned about a repeat. “There was one incident that happened before we left then there was like a month or so of time for us to sort of forget about it,” Jagtap said. “And then we came back and we heard about some boat in Antarctica or somewhere was sinking and we were like, ‘Well, [good thing] that didn’t happen to us.’” Whether the mishaps are strokes of bad fortune or a continuing trend, Jagtap said even with the recent negativity and revenue loss for cruises, the business won’t suffer. “I don’t think a huge impact would happen on the cruise industry,” Jagtap said. “Cruises [are fun].”
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Lenten Lockdown Self-imposed restriction during religious observance tests willpower Lindsay McCalmont | Staff Writer
Lent’s a game of give and take. Every year, Catholic students at MHS make changes in their lives to prepare for Easter. They participate in the 40-day period from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday that is called Lent, according to junior Nick Rook. “Lent is a time when you’re basically mimicking the 40 days and 40 nights of fasting that Jesus did in the desert,” Rook said. “You are mimicking that, preparing for him to...rise from the dead.” While Lent is usually associated with making sacrifices and giving things up, some people choose to use the time to add something new to their life, according to Rook. “I basically choose something that will help me become a better person if I give it up,” Rook said. “But it doesn’t necessarily have to be something you give up, it can be something that you give up or something that you try to do for those 40 days and it will hopefully become a habit.” According to Hauer, there are a variety of different goals that people can make for themselves over Lent. “A lot of times people will read from the Bible once a day or make a commitment to pray more or do more community service,” Hauer said. “Or sometimes [the goals] are more specific to the person and their life but those are some typical ones for Catholics.” Rook has tried to do something more specific to his life for Lent before. “I have tried to do something to the effect of trying to be nicer to my brother instead of giving up something one year,” Rook said. Whether people choose to make a sacrifice or try something new is up to their individual faith,
according to Hauer. “Whatever gets you closer in your faith to God,” Hauer said. “Whichever increases your faith I think would be more beneficial and that would vary from person to person.” Some people take on the challenge of doing both, like senior Katie Alcox who is planning on taking on and giving up something this year. “I want to do more service or something like that,” Alcox said. “And then probably giving up hanging out with my friends because my mom is like, ‘You never spend enough time with the family’. Instead of going out on a Friday, [after work] I might come home [to be with my family].” Whatever path people choose to take during Lent, it can be a challenge to stick to it for all 40 days without cheating, according to Alcox. “The year I
gave up eating junk food I was just like, ‘Ugh, I really want those brownies!’” Alcox said. “I think it’s on Sundays you are allowed to do whatever you gave up and then I would be like, ‘Oh, Monday morning is the same thing as Sunday,’ and I would just cheat. But even if you cheat on it you kind of need to stick with it anyways.” According to Hauer, there is a strategy behind planning for Lent that will increase the chance of making it all the way through and getting the most out of it. “Usually I give up something that would be difficult but not impossible,” Hauer said. “[Usually] things that are holding me back. Things that I want to change but have put off and that I feel like if I make a commitment during Lent I will hold myself to it.” When Lent ends, making a sacrifice or trying something new for 40 days brings a sense of accomplishment, according to Hauer. “It’s just something that you feel on the inside,” Hauer said. “It feels that you set a goal, you committed yourself to something and you followed through with it.” After everything is said and done, all of the hardships that Lent can pose are worth it, according to Rook. “[Lent is] just something that will strengthen your faith,” Rook said. “In the end, I think it’s worth it because it’s part of your religion and the stronger you are in your faith, I think the better the person you become.” Photo by Madison Krell
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Skin Sensitivity
Skin complexion presents cultural customs for teenage girls Tanning boosts self-confidence
Dark-skinned cultures prefer lighter look
Kelly Noriega | Staff Writer
Katie Hibner | Staff Writer
People love an easy bake. Not the play oven, but the tanning beds. With spring break and prom soon approaching, students at Mason High School have begun getting the desirable tan for these events. According to junior Liza Viterisi, being tan can lessen the need for makeup and encourage self-esteem. “I think people who tan do it to feel better about themselves,” Viterisi said. “It [also] makes your complexion better. You don’t have to wear makeup, that’s why I did it.” For other students, such as junior Sydney Varner, tanning isn’t seasonal but a family tradition year-round. “My mom tanned all through high school so for the past four years I have been tanning,” Varner said. “I feel like I look [prettier] when I’m tan. I feel like I don’t have to wear more makeup. I [also] feel like I don’t look fake when I have darker skin because that’s how I am in the summer so why not look like that all year?” For senior Blake Ellis, tanning is also a family custom because his family owns a personal tanning bed. “[My mom] invested in a tanning bed because she goes three times a day,” Ellis said. “I guess that rubbed off on me because of course I’m white so I like to feel tan. When you feel tan you feel better about yourself.” Despite the health concerns, Ellis and Varner said they continue to tan even with the possible risks. “I’ve gotten heat rash before, [and] I’ve gotten burned a lot,” Varner said. “I think that it’s worth it, [but] some people don’t feel the same.” According to Ellis, his friends constantly warn him of the health risks, but he’s learned from his mom that if they’re going to tan they have to be smart about it. “My friends always say, ‘You’re going to get skin cancer, you’re going to get skin cancer’ so I have not tanned as much,” Ellis said. “[My mom] gets regular check-ups. I feel if you’re proactive about tanning and you get that [constant] dermatologist check you should be fine.” In other countries such as India, there are products to make skin lighter rather than darker. Lighter skin is viewed as a status symbol because those who are lighter are thought to be wealthier. Viterisi said she can understand the social pressures behind such a product. “[Other cultures] might think it’s weird that we want to go out in the sun,” Viterisi said. “I would never bleach my skin, but I understand it.”
Come on, lighten up! For girls from India and the Middle East, this pressure is all too real. Senior Kristy Jacob said her aunt demanded she bleach her skin before she visited her in India. “When I go to India my aunt makes me put [skin bleach] on because she doesn’t want to be seen with me unless my skin is light,” Jacob said. “There’s such an emphasis [in Indian culture] on having fair skin.” The most popular way for Indian girls to lighten their skin is with a powerful and potentially dangerous skin whitening cream called “Fair & Lovely”, according to Jacob. “In India they don’t have the regulations that America does, so a lot of [the ingredients in ‘Fair & Lovely’] are [strong] chemicals that bleach your skin to make it lighter,” Jacob said. “It burns when you put it on. I have dry and sensitive skin, so it made me break out and I had eczema all up my arm. I want to use it again but my dermatologist said I’m not allowed to use it anymore.” Jacob said other Indian girls apply “Fair & Lovely” up to three times per day despite health risks because lighter skin symbolizes higher status in their culture. “In India, [lighter skin] looks more elegant so it makes you get treated as if you were higher class,” Jacob said. “If you have a darker skin color it looks like you work [outside] all day, whereas if you have a lighter skin color you look like you’re classy enough not to have to [work outside].” Junior Yara Khalifa moved to America from Egypt, and she said a lighter skin tone makes a woman appear more exotic and desirable to Egyptian men. “Egyptian guys like lighter girls because they [appear] foreign,” Khalifa said. “My mom got 10 [marriage] proposals [in Egypt] while my aunt, who’s three shades tanner than her, only got three. It was because [Egyptian men] thought [my mom] was foreign but she’s still Egyptian.” Egyptian and Bollywood icons are lightening up while Hollywood stars are soaking up the sun. Khalifa said that although bleaching and tanning achieve opposite goals, the skin treatments are similar. “You are feeding into a social assumption that you should be darker or lighter,” Khalifa said. “Tanning can cause cancer if you go overboard, but bleaching can ruin your skin.”
Photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh
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Mama Monitor Involved parents push children with hopes of future success Katie Rojas | Staff Writer
Senior Carly Shepherd has an eye of the tiger watching her--her mom. In a high school where parental involvement varies, Carly said that her mom gets heavily involved in many aspects of her life, especially academics, to ensure that she is always performing to the best of her ability. “My mom emails my teachers before every trimester, telling them my name, her name, contact information, things they need to know about me,” Carly said. “She goes to parent-teacher conferences, and she tells my teachers that if they have concerns, they need to call her…She checks my grades everyday on Edline.” Christina Shepherd, Carly’s mom, said that her high expectations for academics have paid off. “We always expect her to do her best, and we’ll do whatever we can to help her achieve her best, but she’s not going to do poorly on a test for lack of trying,” Christina said. “When you expect that, and then the first time they achieve something they didn’t think they could do…that confidence grows.” Although sophomore Brianna Grimes is almost always on top of the things she needs to do, she said her parents are also still heavily involved in academics and sports. “They definitely contribute a lot to my academic side and sports side,” Grimes said. “Regarding school, they always make sure that I stay on top of things, and usually I’m pretty good about time management on my own, so they also trust me enough to take care of it.” On the other hand, senior Nick Harper said his parents have never been nearly as involved, but have always been open to help out. “My parents have always said that they’ll be there for me for anything I ask for,” Harper said. “Anytime I’d have a question…they’ve always said, ‘Just come to us and we’ll see what we can do.’” According to Christina, the negative to the extensive involvement that she has in all of her children’s lives is the perception from other people. “One of her teachers who had [Carly] had another child in their class [after Carly] with the last name of ‘Shepherd,’ but it wasn’t one of my
kids,” Christina said. “The teacher said, ‘Are you related to Carly Shepherd? She’s got the older brother, the older sister, and the mom that’s really intense.’ That’s kind of a negative perception of me.”
Photo by Madison Krell
Senior Carly Shepherd feels her mom’s pressure.
Despite the sometimes unwanted perception, the positive of her involvement are the challenges Carly overcomes with her constant motivation, according to Christina. “For the one class she had, where I was the ‘intense mom,’ it was just really hard for her, so I said, ‘…If you can pull off this A, we’re going to have a spa day,’” Christina said. “She worked for that, and she managed to pull off the A. She
was smart about it--she took advantage of extra credit, [and] she went for study sessions.” Grimes said her dad is heavily involved in her sports’ activities, such as volleyball and softball. For softball especially, Grimes said that she and her dad have a different relationship when they are on the softball field. “My dad is the head coach of our summer ball team and he is always very involved,” Grimes said. “He always makes sure I get my own time, as one-on-one. That relationship isn’t really a father-daughter relationship though. It’s more of a coach-player relationship. He gives one-onone time to the rest of the players as equally as I get.” In addition to academics, Christina said she also gets involved in Carly’s social life. “She’s not allowed to do anything if I don’t meet her friends,” Christina said. “I have to know who the kids she’s going out with are. When she’s going to someone’s house, I call the parent…I try to do that as a courtesy to the parents.” For Harper, his parents’ more relaxed involvement has helped him figure out his own path. “It’s great to have that freedom,” Harper said. “I think the best part is that I can find who I am and it has allowed me to follow my own path into what I wanted to do.” Yet for Carly, she said the hefty involvement of her mom, though at times annoying, has made her a better individual. “It frustrates me because I’m 18 years old and I feel like sometimes I should be able to handle some things by myself,” Carly said. “It helps though because a lot of the things she does for me I wouldn’t be able to do without her, like motivation, determination. If I didn’t have my mom, I would be a B student, but with her, I’m an A student.” Christina said that the perception of her involvement may appear excessive to outsiders, but the long term effects have made every minute worth it. “From the outside world, I may seem to be over-involved, I may seem to be overprotective or even pushy,” Christina said. “I’m sure there have been times in high school where they were like, ‘Get away from me mom.’ But they’ve all come home from college and said, ‘I wouldn’t be where I am if you hadn’t been back there pushing and if you hadn’t been involved.’”
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Taking
the Reins Varied teaching styles give students learning control in classrooms Matt Marvar | Staff Writer
American teacher to student ratio: 1:24
No homework. One standardized test. And a teacher to student ratio of about 1:12. The education system in Finland has been widely revered for its phenomenal success, using techniques including little homework, small classes, strong school autonomy and student control regarding curriculum. And even within the halls of MHS, there is a little bit of Finland-for instance, in Spanish class. AP Spanish teacher Rod Stewart believes that the best way for students to learn is to keep things laid-back, and as a result, Stewart said he sees success in his students. Although AP Spanish is a college-level class, Stewart assigns just 15 or 20 minutes worth of homework each night in order to get a handle on the material. “I determined that I was not going to give them a lot of homework,” Stewart said. “They get a writing topic every night…they have to write about 120 words on that topic, usually taking them about 15 to 20 minutes. The next day, if they did it, they can read each other’s and ask questions.” But the best part about this process, according to Stewart, is that he doesn’t check the homework every day. Students have to do all of the homework, but they can do it at their own pace, giving them control over how they prefer to learn. “The thing that the students like about it is if they’re busy one night, they don’t have to do it--they can do [more than one] the next night,” Stewart said. “From what I hear, in [many] other AP classes, it’s a lot different.” Although Stewart and Honors Precalculus teacher Dr. Johnothon Sauer have the same goal for their students, taking ownership of their learning, they go about it a little differently. Sauer uses what’s called the Harkness Model. With
this method, students are introduced to some of the new material at home within problems that they’ve seen before. The next step consists of peer discussion. “You go home, you do the problems, get what you can out of it, and then you come in and discuss it,” Sauer said. “And if you’re going down the right path, you’re safe--and if you’re not, the teacher will nudge you [in the right direction].” According to junior Sydney Wiegel, the Harkness Model is a smart way to learn but needs a little refinement. “I think it’s good for making us think about mathematical concepts, but I think that it’s lacking in instruction,” Wiegel said. “I think you need a small element of that to help us actually learn it.” Wiegel said that despite the stressful nature of the course, it’s a big step up from the traditionally taught math class. “I think it’s an improvement on how math classes normally are,” Wiegel said. “They’re normally just telling us what to do and you don’t really think about it. But now, we’re thinking about why we’re doing things.” Similar to Sauer’s method of teaching, Stewart’s consists of having students work together to not only understand the material, but also to make it stick. “My philosophy is that I don’t want to make this rigorous,” Stewart said. “I want my students to decide what they can work on.” Both Sauer and Stewart embrace a curriculum that puts control in the hands of the students. “It’s a matter of technique to create your own,” Sauer said. “But on the other hand, you’ve got to have the motivation to create your own.”
Finnish teacher to student ratio: 1:12
Photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh
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Nice Pipes
Adenoid surgery yields health and vocal benefits for singer Katie Hermann | Staff Writer
His eternal cold has been lifted. Friday, February 21 marks the day junior Dillon Drozdz underwent surgery to remove his adenoids--a mass of soft tissue behind the nasal cavity--to allow better breathing and singing. “As a singer you need to have access to your nasal passage ways and breathe through your nose, which I could not do,” Drozdz said. Prompted by his vocal instructor, Drozdz sought out a doctor to diagnose the problem. “My vocal coach noticed I was having trouble sustaining certain notes,” Drozdz said. “He thought there was something blocking my nasal passage ways and suggested I go get it checked.” Choral Director Elaine Santos said she also heard the lack of resonance in Drozdz’s voice. “You can hear in his voice that he was very congested,” Santos said. “There is no resonation because there is no opportunity for the sound waves to bounce in the mask. Much like plucking a string on a guitar with the sound resonating in the body of the guitar, the singer needs the sinuses to be clear to have the sound waves bounce in the mask.” Resonance is expected to return after surgery, but according to Drozdz, his doctor has never seen adenoids so large. Despite the abnormal size, the chances of mishap in the outpatient surgery are minimal. “I’ve researched [adenoidectomy] and singingwise I’ve only seen positive results,” Drozdz said. “It could always go wrong and permanently affect my throat, which would hurt me vocally. But I’m pretty sure that is not going to happen.” Before surgery Drozdz was aware of a possible speech difficulty after the surgery due to palate deficiency. “I have what is called a palate deficiency, where my vocal palate cannot close because the adenoids are there to block it,” Drozdz said. “Once they are removed, [the palates] have to close. [The doctor] said I might have to go through a process of relearning certain speech because the [adenoids] have been there so long.” According to Santos, with positive results and Drozdz’s hardworking personality, the surgery is not affecting Drozdz’s lead in the upcoming musical. “He is hardworking, and is giving as much as he can right now,” Santos said. Santos and Drozdz have optimism in his restored voice and hope that his vocal range will expand. “I hope to see an improvement in my singing, when I am able to sing again,” Drozdz said. “And I am really happy that I was able to have it.”
Photo by Madison Krell
Pictured: Junior Dillon Drozdz
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CROSSING THE
LINE
[see story on page 28]
Photo contributed by Roxanne King
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Crossing
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Cyclocross athletes train for the road ahead Chloe Knue | Editor Abbey Marshall | Staff Writer
The wheels are turning towards professional cycling aspirations for junior Mackenzie Green and freshman Spencer Petrov. Green and Petrov, who train almost every day year-round, had the opportunity to travel to the National Cyclocross Championship in Boulder, Colorado, to compete in an off-road cycle race against almost 70 of the best cyclers from around the country. Petrov won the championship in the ages 15-16 category. Cyclocross isn’t your typical sport, according to Green. “[Cyclocross] is really unique because not a lot of people do the sport,” Green said. “Everywhere you go there are different courses you ride and there are different aspects of that course, so every race itself is unique. It’s fun too because it’s a mixture of all the different disciplines of cycling.” According to Petrov, preparing and competing against the best of the best at Nationals is very nerve-wracking. “I went out two weeks before [the competition],” Petrov said. “The week before I did a professional race to warm up and then I raced in the national [competition]. Competing is very
stressful.” Despite the stress of competing on a national level, Green said she finds it fun to meet people from across the country. “A lot of us compete in the same races, so you start to meet people from opposite sides of the country,” Green said. “It’s really cool because most kids don’t get the opportunity to do so. Usually they’re just friends with people who they live close to, so having friends in Colorado or New England is really fun.” Winning a cycling national championship has now motivated Petrov to pursue more opportunities to compete and excel in cyclocross. Next year, Petrov said he will be eligible to compete in Worlds, in which the athletes are admitted by selection only. “One day I want to race professionally,” Petrov said. “[Worlds is a step in that direction] because I have to get on team USA to qualify.” Qualifying is no easy task. It takes both a lot of work and a lot of time to travel around the country seeking competition, according to Petrov. “Every summer I go to the U.S. National Camp and I go to all the [cycling] national camps,” Petrov said. “Earlier this year I went to the Olympic training center. Next year I really want to qualify for Worlds and see how I can do there.”
MVP: Justin Hove, swimming
Class: 2015 Claim to fame: Qualifying for state in three events this year Best part about swimming: Relays at the meets Worst part about swimming: Practice Role Model: Jason Lezak Premeet Meal: Chick-Fil-A Pump Up Song: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem Most Embarrassing Moment: Doing the wrong stroke during a race Toughest Opponent: Sycamore Motto: “If you’re not first, you’re last.” Favorite Smell: The pool in the mornings
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Highlight
Photo by Sheila Raghavendran
Freshman Zach Donathan competes at the JVH Memorial tournament. Donothan finished his season with a 6th place state finish in the 106 weight class.
20
Junior Gabby Sora placed 20th all around at the state gymnastics team and was the only Comet to compete individually.
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The girls basketball team finished their season with an impressive 22 wins and only two losses.
113
Junior Patrick Kearney finishes 6th at the state tournament in the 113 weight class.
23.34 Freshman Ashley Volpenhein became a state championship in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.34 seconds. results as of March 5.
Photo contributed by Justin Hove
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Bracketology
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Basketball fans absorbed by formulating perfect NCAA bracket
Photo by Erin Brush
Will Leathers | Staff Writer
One in 9.2 quintillion. Those are the odds of filling out a perfect NCAA basketball bracket. It has never been done, but that doesn’t come close to deterring Mason students from trying. Junior Connor McCormick spends about 10 hours completing up to seven brackets, and most of his free time consists of watching the games. “I watch as many games as I possibly can,” McCormick said. “It’s constantly on; if it’s on it’s on my TV.” Senior Justin Wise said it takes him about an hour to fill out each bracket. “I spend about an hour on each bracket depending on what kind of bracket it is,” Wise said. Junior Joe Metzger said that he takes advantage of a DIRECTV channel devoted solely to showing the games. “My dad gets this thing every year on DIRECTV where you can get all the games on one screen,” Metzger said. “Six going on at a time.” Metzger also fills out about six to seven different brackets for the various leagues that he participates in, even filling out a couple brackets that pit the team’s mascots against each other.
“I fill out one for my dad’s work, one for school, and a couple for my friend’s leagues and a couple mascot brackets for who has the sweetest mascot,” Metzger said. Filling out more than one bracket also allows you to change up the brackets to increase your chance of winning, according to Wise. “Sometimes I’ll fill out a bracket based just off of the seeds and who’s supposed to win and sometimes I’ll fill one out with a lot of upsets,” Wise said. The most important part of making a successful bracket is the strategy. And for Wise, Metzger, and McCormick, it’s generally the same. They start with the teams they think have the best shot at winning and then work backwards. “I pick my four final four teams first,” Metzger said. “And then I will fill them in going all the way to the final four, then I’ll pick the rest of the games after that. So I’ll pick my winner right away.” For many, the hardest part of filling out a bracket is picking the upsets. But Wise said it’s really not as hard as it may seem, it just requires a little research. “To be honest, picking upsets isn’t very hard,”
Wise said. “It’s truly a science. Seeds are deceiving because teams in mid major conferences often get bad seeds because of their strength of schedule and RPI. Looking at their whole body of work throughout the season can often show that they can compete with some of the best teams in the country.” An important part to this research is analyzing the statistics, and these days statisticians are getting even more creative in quantifying a team’s ability. “There are all these advanced statistics coming out trying to measure how teams play, literally getting a number out of their style of play and experience,” Wise said. But if you don’t have that kind of time, McCormick offers a general alternative to pick potential underdogs. “[Pick] teams that have had upset wins earlier in the year,” McCormick said. “And then teams with a lot of veterans.” The March Madness fever is higher than ever this year, with billionaire investor Warren Buffet offering a $1 billion to anyone who fills out a perfect bracket.
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Coaches see playing experience as a benefit instead of requirement Erin Brush | Sports Editor
Randy Hubbard’s first steps onto the lacrosse field were on the day he became head coach. “I played football and basketball and ran track,” Hubbard said. “Mr. Hyatt and Mr. Russell talked me into [coaching lacrosse]. They needed a coach when it became a school sport, but I turned it down for about six months until my wife talked me into it.” According to Hubbard, he had to spend a lot of time studying up on the sport before he began his new coaching job. “I did a lot of watching videos,” Hubbard said. “I called a lot of the college coaches in the area and talked to a lot of high school coaches about what [lacrosse] was like and strategies. I finally got smart and hired people who had played it before. They came and helped me and taught me a lot of things.” Hubbard said he doesn’t have issues relating to the players despite his lack of personal experience with lacrosse. “Playing other sports [helped me understand the game],” Hubbard said. “I played college football and coached football and basketball. [Lacrosse] is basically just a combination of all those games. At first I had trouble instructing them on little techniques with catching, throwing, and shooting because I couldn’t do it. Now I can point them out and demonstrate somewhat.” Paul Barry, offensive line and shot put coach, said that any athletic background offers an advantage in coaching, but it’s especially beneficial to have been in the sport itself. “If you’ve ever been involved in athletics at all you know the mental aspect of it,” Barry said. “I played football from the time I was 13 until I was 21 and I threw shot put all through high school. You know what it’s like to play other
Photo from Bentley Image Bank
than just having watched. You know exactly what the kids are going through when they’re in a situation, whether it be in football or throwing shot put. You’ve actually been there.” According to Barry, personal experience is more of a bonus than it is a requirement to be a coach. “A lot of the great coaches weren’t great athletes,” Barry said. “I think it’s more what your knowledge is than whether you’ve played or not. When you’ve played in college, it does give you more credibility. But I’ve also coached with guys who have played in college and NFL and they’re horrible coaches because they talk above the kids. The biggest thing is to be a great teacher.”
Pictured above: Barry (78) was a member of the 1992 University of Michigan football team as an offensive lineman. Now (picture insent) Barry is an assistant varsity football coach, as well as the head throws coach for the track team.
to
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