The Chronicle, 12.1

September 19, 2014

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Volume 12, Issue 1

hronicle

GoPro Camera captures life’s adventures in HD, see page 5

Defending state champs know the target is on their backs. see page

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Photo by Madison Krell

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news

T rending N ow View these and other stories and galleries on thecspn.com

Football at Lakota East C The Comet football team travels to

Lakota East tonight to play at 7:30 p.m.

Don’t worry about missing the game if you can’t make it--check thecspn.com for a full photo gallery and the story, or you can listen online at mason.localsportsradio.com.

Photo by Matthew Marvar

The Long Green Line assembles at the opening game against Springboro.

C Fall Arts Festival at Cottell Park

The annual community fall arts festival will be showcased tomorrow from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be orchestra and band performances as well as art from over 70 local and regional artists. Visit thecspn.com for a story and photos.

Varsity soccer C The varsity soccer teams will be traveling to Milford tomorrow to play at 7 p.m. Be sure to see thecspn.com this weekend for coverage.

compiled by Gina Deaton

Signed, Not Sealed

MCS contract reopener settled, concerns continue Rashika Jaipuriar | Associate Editor

Mason City Schools employees didn’t get much of a vacation this summer.

The teachers and Board of Education went through a lot of pressure to finally settle a oneyear reopener in teacher contracts. According to Mason Education Association Vice President Maria Mueller, the disagreements and relationship between the two parties were also impacted by bigger picture policy changes, especially the switch to semesters.

According to Tracey Carson, Mason City Schools Public Information Officer, this switch to semesters dates back to a 10-year plan. As for teacher contract negotiations though, the tension from this summer can be traced to April 2011, when the MEA agreed to a contract rollover and full freeze. According to MEA Recording Secretary Audrey Gorman, at the time, a two-year freeze on salary and experience steps seemed to be the most convenient option due to the economic downturn.

“We were uncertain as to the future of funding from the state,” Gorman said. “Everything was up in the air, new governor, we had all sorts of issues going on at the state level. So rather than trying to renegotiate a contract again, we decided to do a rollover, which meant that all the terms of the current contract would rollover then for two more years.”

It was decided then that the third year of this contract would reopen just salary and health care benefits, which is what the MEA and district began this past March. Gorman and other teachers, however, said they did not expect the process to span over five months or that it would lead to serious considerations of a strike.

“We didn’t anticipate having that much friction,” Gorman said.

Part of that friction, according to Gorman, can be attributed to MEA expectations. Teachers hadn’t received a pay increase in years and new teachers weren’t getting the experience steps they needed. Gorman said consequent financial burdens began to take a toll on families.

“Once we knew we were going to be negotiating, we expected that we would be rewarded or helped along as we had helped the district when they were in financial trouble,” Gorman said.

“That’s not the way it went.”

According to Gorman and Mueller, another source of the teacher-district conflict was the apparent lack of collaboration between the two parties about semesters.

“There was never a point where it was, ‘We’re thinking about (changing) this,’” Mueller said.

Photo contributed by Karrie Strickland

Parent waves sign in support of Mason teachers.

“At least not from my perspective. There was a point (two years ago) where it was, ‘This is what we’re doing.’”

Carson, however, contested that there was plenty of teamwork in the decision-making.

“Conversations about semesters have been around as long as we’ve been on the trimester,” Carson said. “Mrs. McCarty-Stewart led a team of students, parents, teachers and other administrators who researched a variety of schedule scenarios. The committee presented its findings to the staff, and asked for formal feedback via a survey twice, and offered numerous occasions for staff to informally give feedback...The committee used all of the feedback to determine the schedule.”

Despite those actions, the MEA still went forward with a rare, no-confidence vote in Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline on June 4. According to Mueller, the MEA still has concerns with the bigger picture of Mason education.

“Part of why I think that so many people have lost confidence in the leadership in the district is because of the lack of collaborative spirit,” Mueller said. “We were very used to and very delighted with previous central office administrations seeing the teachers as a body that was rather valuable, rather essential to big picture policy making...that certainly is concerning and disheartening and kind of sad.”

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Mueller said this change of direction sends the message of lost faith to the 644 professionals in the MEA. According to Gorman, things weren’t always like this.

“We’ve enjoyed in Mason a really good relationship between our board and our administration and our teachers union and that feels very different now,” Gorman said. “It’s just a different climate that we’re negotiating in...When Kevin Bright was superintendent...It was more collaborative. We really felt like we were ahead of the curve on changes that were (going to) happen.”

For now, the MEA and the district have come to an agreement for the 2014-2015 year. The contract, which was settled in July, is one that Gorman said required a lot of compromise from both sides. In the upcoming months, it will all begin again--for a brand new, three-year contract.

“I’m satisfied with the agreement,” Gorman said. “I’m nervous that it took us so long...(because) a one-year reopener should have been a fairly quick process, and it took us so long and was so divisive. I’m very nervous about going into this round of contract negotiations...as to how long it will be drawn out this time.”

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Photo contributed by Maria Mueller

Mason City Schools teachers and parents gathered at a summer school board meeting to express dissatisfaction.

“I’m very nervous about going into this round of contract negotiations.”

— Audrey Gorman While Carson has said before that teachers deserve to be fairly compensated, the district must also be aware of budget reality. Much of the discussion has been focused on staying in line with the market. With regards to semesters, the schedule change was also a result of cost-cutting goals.

“The need to re-examine the schedule gained more traction when two things started aligning--additional state mandates that included end-of-course exams and our need to be more cost-efficient following the levy loss in 2010,” Carson said.

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According to Mueller, fear of another failed levy should not have stopped the district from turning to the community.

“As a group of teachers what we see is a lack of willingness to sell the district,” Mueller said. “We totally understand that people, rightfully so, are money conscious…They certainly don’t want their tax dollars being spent (whimsically). But I think there’s plenty of evidence to show it’s not (being spent that way) and that a greater investment is necessary to not just maintain the high standard

(and) the expectation for staff and students that we have here, but to help us to grow and further improve, to not become complacent and rest on our laurels...There just seems to be such little evidence that it’s an educationally sound decision for this district.”

In fact, Mueller and Gorman point to the benefits of the trimester to be responsible for Mason’s prestigious, innovative education system. Even though the semester system brings less class time and more students per classroom, Carson provided examples of other top-performing schools, like Walnut Hills and Indian Hill that use semesters. Mueller, however, said that Mason’s large size and unique community doesn’t necessarily make it an equitable comparison to other districts. Despite the politics behind semesters, teachers say they are committed to adaptation and keeping the effects in the classroom minimal.

“We’re gonna take whatever circumstance it is and make it work,” Mueller said. “Of course we are. It’s

not that we’re gonna look at semesters and (say), ‘Oh that’s never going to work.’ We just don’t function that way. Do we think it’s the best choice?

No. Are we gonna make it work? Absolutely...The success of our students is our number one goal.”

According to Mueller, it all comes down to quality of education--in the local and national light. She said even if Mason continues to succeed with the new semesters, settling for a method that everyone else uses might not be the groundbreaking change that today’s public education demands.

“Education has been embattled for a (few decades) now,” Mueller said. “There’s been this very public struggle to improve education, (and) well throughout that struggle, certainly a traditional semester structure has been sort of a constant...As a professional educator, even while we’re bringing wild success to our students, we still have a responsibility to make the system the best it can be.”

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Fire

Marching band to bring dragon to life during performance Sonia Rayka | Staff Writer

The marching band is getting fired up.

The 2014 performance titled ‘Once Upon A Dream’ is paving the way for new expenses that will add to the show’s overall feeling, according to band director Robert Bass. To accentuate the theme related to Maleficent from the Disney tale Sleeping Beauty, Bass said that there will be a constructed dragon integrated into the performance.

“There are 11 pieces to the dragon of which we’ve hired a company to produce the inside of the dragon,” Bass said. “Really, it’s more of a time thing rather than a money thing for our parents because they will decorate it. The parents are going to put chicken wire on it and decorate it like a float.”

Bass said that although it will be a hefty commitment to decorate the dragon, the parents’ endless dedication and love for the organization will pull through to get the pieces done.

“I think parents might love marching band more than the students,” Bass said. “They enjoy helping and seeing their child out on the field and helping it financially and creating things.”

Bruce Guiot, parent and participant in the marching band boosters, said that the parents play a pivotal role in helping.

“We are blessed to have such a deeply engaged group of parents that are associated with the band,” Guiot said.

“They all give very freely their time and talents to whatever needs to get done.”

According to Bass, there are a lot of different factors that go into producing the dragon pieces which can add slight stress to the parents.

“They’re given guidelines by us as a staff because we need this done at this time like the prototype done at the end of August,” Bass said. “They also had to research who could make this so they looked at different companies in Cincinnati. There is a little stress, but

they’re understanding of it.”

Bass said that the one of the best parts of being a member of such a big project is the sense of pride that comes with finishing it.

“Whenever you create something, like a piece of music that you play, and all of a sudden it sounds really good and looks really good, you take pride in that,” Bass said.

Bass said that the full extent of the show’s additions is still unbeknownst to many band students which will provide a pleasant surprise the first time they rehearse with the pieces.

“They’ve heard about it, but they have no idea the scope of what it’s going to be,” Bass said. “They know there will be a dragon on the field, but once it firsts comes on the field, it’s going to be pretty inspiring. We usually start in August and do little bits of the showsand we’ll keep adding like a flag here, a costume there, a prop there. By November, everything is in place. At that time, it does become magical and make more sense to them and they buy into it more.”

According to color guard member junior Kira Danziger, this performance will be one to remember.

“It’s just so different than what we’ve done before,” Danziger said. “We have bigger props, it’s a bigger idea. The props will make a big impact on all the people who will watch our show.”

Bass said that the additions to the performance would be a gift back to the students who have worked so diligently throughout the course of their band career.

“We have a really strong senior class and really strong students in the band program currently and we felt this show would be very, very competitive and enjoyable for them,” Bass said.

“This is kind of like our gift back to them. We spent a lot of time all over the place trying to develop the show and hope they enjoy it.”

The marching band performs at the halftime show in the football game between the Comets and the Winton Woods Warriors on Friday, September 12.

Photo by Matthew Marvar

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Central Perk

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New ‘Comet Coffee’ shop set to spruce up Learning Commons Jessica Sommerville | Staff Writer

There’s more than minds brewing in the Learning Commons.

A coffee shop is being implemented into Mason High School’s newly-converted space, according to the project’s co-founder, senior Emily Trinh.

between three flavors: Cinnabon, caramel vanilla cream, and French roast, according to Karaman. Prices will depend on whether a student wishes to buy a single cup of coffee or opt for a travel mug.

“A lot of students will venture out to Panera, or Kidd Coffee or Starbucks after hours to work together, but we want to have a safe environment that’s going to encourage cooperation amongst students.”

– Emily Trinh “Some of my fellow seniors (and I) pitched the idea of having a coffee shop to administration last year,” Trinh said. “We’re going to be selling three different flavors of coffee in the area that used to be called the periodical area. That area is going to be sectioned off and the three flavors of coffee will be sold using K-cups like Keurigs.”

Amir Karaman, spearhead of Comet Coffee, said these machines will be capable of providing coffee for the large student body with a minimal wait time.

“They’re industrial-sized machines so it’s not like your average K-cup that’s in your kitchen,” Karaman said. “They’re able to brew cups a lot faster and that will decrease the wait time.”

Students in the work study program will run Comet Coffee, said Karaman, which provides them a valuable opportunity to learn work skills on a semester schedule.

“It’s going to be the work study kids who are going to be serving (students),” Karaman said. “Because of the short bells, there isn’t enough time to outsource and learn moneycounting skills and people skills, so this was a great opportunity for us to collaborate with them.”

Students will be able to choose

“Right now, we are talking about $3 per cup of coffee and we’re also going to sell a travel mug that will have a $1 refill,” said Karaman.

This travel mug will be between $15-20, said Karaman, and be 10-12 ounces; standard cups will be 10 ounces.

According to Trinh, the goal is for the coffee to be available for purchase by the end of October, when Comet Coffee becomes functional. The coffee shop should then provide an added convenience for students.

“It should be really popular because I know a lot of seniors and juniors that come into the school with coffee in hand,” Trinh said. “This is a way that they don’t have to go out of their way to go purchase that.”

Trinh said this convenience is intended to keep students in the school as opposed to studying in outside coffee shops.

“The whole idea behind it is that a lot of students will venture out to Panera, or Kidd Coffee or Starbucks after hours to work together, but we want to have a safe environment that’s going to encourage cooperation amongst students,” Trinh said. “That is what the Learning Commons will be and hopefully, by providing coffee, that will entice

Photo by Madison Krell

students to really stay after school.”

Though the addition of Comet Coffee may increase the influx of students coming in and out of the Learning Commons, MHS Media Specialist Virginia Robinson said it shouldn’t affect student productivity.

Learning Commons is collaborative, and according to Karaman, Comet Coffee is a way to enhance this collaborative space.

“They’re able to brew cups a lot faster and that will decrease the wait time.”

– Amir Karaman “I don’t think it will affect their learning because kids already multitask mentally, physically, whether they’re drinking (coffee), texting, watching television or listening to music,” Robinson said. “It’s the same. It’s a different way of multitasking for kids these days.”

Robinson said the renovated

“We’re hoping it will really embody a true Learning Commons so we will truly take advantage of the facilities that we’re really fortunate to have,” Karaman said. “I know a lot of people are really tired throughout the day. Hopefully, we can wake them up with a nice cup of coffee.”

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Fall Festivities

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Traditional Homecoming parade returns to Mason Morgan Teska | Staff Writer

A new homecoming celebration is floating into Mason High School this fall.

On October 9, student government will host a homecoming parade featuring Mason High School’s clubs, sports and alumni.

Senior and student government project manager Jenelle Lee said the parade’s purpose is to unite the school and welcome back MHS graduates.

“Sports teams and extracurricular clubs are getting together so we can all celebrate the alumni returning,” Lee said. “The approximate route would be going down (State Route) 42, around St. Susanna Church, then down Reading Road. Once we hit Mason-Montgomery, we turn right, then down in front of the school and end in the senior lot.”

Sophomore and student government chair member Sydney Braine said she is thrilled to be planning the parade.

“The idea behind the Homecoming parade is to celebrate Mason,” Braine said. “It’s to celebrate our city and especially to celebrate our high school.”

The tradition of homecoming parades ended over 20 years ago when the school couldn’t afford to throw the parade every year. This year’s goal is to bring the parade back and keep it as a tradition for many years to come, according to Braine.

According to senior and student government chair member Keerthi Reddy, the future of Homecoming parades at MHS will depend on this year’s success.

“I think if it goes well, then

we will definitely do it every year, it just depends on how it goes,” Reddy said.

The parade is to welcome the MHS alumni. Student government is getting in contact with teachers, staff, and parents that are also alumni.

“The whole purpose is to bring back the alumni,” Lee said. “To make them feel really special.”

According to Lee, the school will have a panel of judges who will decide the best float within each grade.

“There’s going to be a contest between all four grades, it will be which float is the best and it will be according to the Homecoming theme, which is Once Upon a Time: Every Story has a Dark Side,” Lee said. “However they interpret it and whichever one is better will get the award.”

Photos contributed by Tori Berry

Photos originally printed in Mason High School’s yearbook of floats from clubs and activities that rode in one of the school’s homecoming parades.

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Opinion

The Chronicle’s 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. 33103 for information regarding advertising in The Chronicle. The Chronicle reserves the right to refuse advertising it deems 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 C103 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 Managing Editor Erin Brush Associate Editor Rashika Jaipuriar Layout and Design Editor Gabrielle Stichweh Online Editor Gina Deaton Business Manager Emily Culberson Photo Editor Madison Krell Staff Writers Arnav Damodhar Juliana Discher Ariel Jones Madison Krell Charlie MacKenzie Duncan MacKenzie Abbey Marshall Matthew Marvar Kylie McCalmont Erin McElhenny Eric Miller Zane Miller Ashton Nichols Kelly Noriega Meghan Pottle Sonia Rayka Jessica Sommerville Morgan Teska Adviser Dale Conner

Staff Editorial

Stupidity outside of school ruins hard-earned reputation for rest of life When are you going to stop being so stupid?

The kid who gets high in the parking lot, gets wasted at a huge party, gets some after prom. When are you going to realize that actions are coupled with long-lasting consequences?

You prepare for test after test, often spending long nights and early mornings to go through years of schooling. You sweat, cry, and bleed at morning practice, afternoon practice, and endless conditioning.

You develop character, become an important member of your family, school, and community--all for 14-18 years of your life. Would you throw it all away for one Friday night of fun?

A few hours of mindless partying isn’t worth the eternal ramifications. Everyone is a walking camera these days, armed with the threat of social media publication. Compromising photos can jeopardize careers and futures. Getting caught red-handed with a red solo cop can spell downfall.

Knowing all this, it’s easy to think, ‘So what?’ Your bad decision is yours. But the truth of the matter is, you’re selfish.

Yes, it had to be said.

Directly or indirectly, these actions impact other people too. Peers are affected by association; mere presence at a party with alcohol is enough to get you in trouble. Families must bear the burden of late night phone calls, added worry about your whereabouts and safety. In fact, even beyond the friends and the family you care about, simple strangers come into the loop if you recklessly decide to drink and drive.

The school has no choice but to get involved because they carry responsibility for you for 1/3 of the day. The ‘Big 5’ may seem like a scare tactic at class assemblies, in one ear and out the other, but it’s something the building administrators and teachers hold to truth. Any information regarding your safety that can be discerned from post-party gossip and rumors can be crucial. The school owes your family that much.

What’s at stake is different for each individual--perhaps an unwanted reputation or an athletic scholarship--but it’s your responsibility to be aware of these risks, to stop being so stupid.

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Opinion

8,397

An Inevitable End

Abbey Marshall | Staff Writer

Sonia Rayka | Staff Writer

8,397.

That’s roughly the number of miles from Mason, Ohio to the Philippines.

Now don’t worry; I’m not going to give a geography lesson.

That number just happens to be very special to me.

Since I was a young girl, my parents have trained me to help anyone in need. At the age of seven, I was handed a crisp photo of a girl named Myrna from a village in the Philippines. My parents enthusiastically told me that we would be helping her with things she couldn’t afford--school, clothes, food, books (the list goes on). They also informed me that I would have the opportunity to write her letters back and forth.

Imagine my seven-year-old self: bouncing up and down in my sky blue Crocs at the very thought of an international pen pal.

But over the course of my lifetime, as years matured both Myrna and I, we became more than pen pals. I became more than her sponsor. She became more than the girl whose photo was carefully hung up with a magnet on my refrigerator. We became friends. She trusted me enough to write about the great sorrows in her life. She faced so many hardships, such as her brother being killed in her village, but her faith was unwavering and her spirit never broke.

After years of flying hand-written notes and cards across the sea to a foreign country, I finally received the final one.

My fingers trembled as I gripped onto a letter telling me that Myrna was no longer eligible for me to sponsor her because she was dropping out of school to go to work in order to support her family. Her heart breaking words sunk into my skull very slowly at first, until it hit me like a brick wall. Just like that, she was gone--out of my life forever. I would never again hold a loose leaf sheet of paper addressed to my house from a small island. I would never again get to bond with Myrna and discuss things so foreign and amazing to me. I would never again talk to my friend.

All this was very selfish of me. I would never get to talk to her again, sure, but she would also never complete her education. She wouldn’t get to live the life that she had hoped to live. So, yet again, I delved into the letter, this time, trying not to focus on myself. The last phrase her pen ever wrote to me caught my attention; she asked me one thing: a request to keep doing what I was doing. Help someone in need.

I skidded across my tile floor to hop on the nearest computer in search of another poverty-stricken girl that I could help. As I sealed shut my first letter to Nessie, a realization hit me. Myrna wasn’t just asking to pay a monthly fee to get a child through school. She wasn’t asking me to make some sort of worldwide difference. She was simply asking me to help anyone, no matter where and no matter when.

Change doesn’t need to exist 8,397 miles away. It can exist anywhere.

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compiled by Ashton Nichols and Arnav Damodhar

what you say

What

The idea of an end terrifies me.

I’ve proudly considered myself as the ambitious sort since childhood; at the mere age of seven, I could easily list off five or six careers I hoped to immerse myself in at some point in my life (astronaut, first woman president and professional rollerblader included). I craved the endless possibilities for my life floating amongst aimless thoughts in my mind and devoured any prospective undertakings I wished to tackle one day.

Simply put, I wanted to do everything and anything-and, yes, I still do.

It’s a fickle, disappointing thing, though, when you realize your time isn’t quite so everlasting.

I never expected to be faced with that realization so early on, forced to grow up and see that we aren’t immortal, that more often than not desires are set aside as side goals, dusty thoughts in the back of the mind until one day the time to revisit them is gone. I used to hungrily scan through photos of my grandfather and wonder for hours of the places he wished to go, the books he wanted to read, the people he longed to see.

I hope his life was as full as I hope for mine to be one day. I hope that seeing the last few days of his life pass by wasn’t a daunting experience for him, weighed down by the fact that his life was ending but that there were 64 years’ worth of a good story left behind, full of memories with his children and thoughts from travels that molded him into the man he was. I hope he wasn’t afraid of an ending.

And I hope I can say the same one day.

lunch item do you waste the most?

none: 20.7% other: 42% total: 193 students

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Despite new attendance standards early release to continue Eric Miller | Staff Writer

Crisis averted. Semesters and graduation requirements can’t kill early release and late arrival.

Early release and late arrival students had a curveball thrown at them in the spring of 2014, as the Ohio Department of Education announced a change in the graduation requirement for attendance.

This change bases attendance on days present instead of hours.

Based on this requirement, MHS implemented College 101, credit flex, independent study, service learning credit and career based instruction to adhere to the state’s new attendance standards according to building principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart. Students choose one of these advisory courses to complete and fulfill the hours requirement while taking early release or late arrival. These classes will go on student transcripts as a grade.

The second semester will follow the traditional early release and late arrival, according to McCarty-

Stewart. She said this system is anticipated to stay in place beyond the 14-15 school year.

Senior Jonathan Conzet, who takes 3 AP classes, said he thought the advisory classes would be too much to handle.

“I was worried that it was going to be an inconvenience,” Conzet said. “This year it’s stuff that I’m going to be required to do anyways for college.”

Junior Aminah Baig said the grading works through a checklist system.

“You have to go to a meeting during our first early release and they give you a slip, and you have 5 events. That goes on your transcript as a grade,” Baig said, “One of the things I have to do is go to college fair. If I go to that I put a check on it so they know I was there.”

With the shortening of classes due to semesters, early release and late arrival were shortened from 72 to 50 minutes like all other

bells. These 50 minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but to Baig, who takes early release, the time is ultra-valuable.

“In 50 minutes you can get a lot done,” Baig said. “I can get at least two subjects (of homework) done.”

I just have a deadline.”

McCarty-Stewart said she believes that the advisory classes provide learning opportunities that a classroom can’t provide.

“We are allowing an innovative and individualized approach to education.”

– Mindy McCarty-Stewart Baig also echoed Conzet’s thoughts on the idea of the advisory courses being a disadvantage.

“One of the things on there is to update your resume,” Baig said.

“It helps me keep up with things.

I like it. I don’t have to do much, I don’t have to stay and do it here, and I get to do it on my own time.

“I observed that our students are positively responding to the education options,” McCarty-Stewart said. “We are allowing an innovative and individualized approach to education. There is autonomy for students and that in itself is empowering.”

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FEATURE

Haunted

Rebecca McClung still haunting 101 E. Main Street Meghan Pottle | Staff Writer

Ghostly rumors have been flying around the upstairs window of 101 E. Main Street since Rebecca McClung was murdered on April 12, 1901.

Rebecca was 61 years old when she died and had lived in Mason her entire life. She married John McClung and they rebuilt a house on 101 E. Main Street.

Rebecca was found beaten to death in her bedroom with two pieces of wood. John was arrested for the murder, but he was acquitted.

After John McClung was found not guilty, he spent two years in a mental hospital.

Mason High School sophomore Preston Hutchinson currently works at Banana Leaf.

Hutchinson said he hasn’t had any strange experiences with Rebecca’s ghost yet, but he believes that she still haunts the restaurant. “(The workers) set out food each morning for Rebecca in a room, but that’s all I know,” Hutchinson said.

Businesses have closed on 101 E. Main Street such as Tea Roses and the Chokolate Morel.

Gay McCurley has been a trustee of the Mason Historical Society for 30 years and said incidents with Rebecca’s ghost have been reported several times.

“There was an incident

when the Chokolate Morel restaurant was there some years ago,” McCurley said. “A glass bottle fell off a tall shelf and broke. When the employee went to clean up the mess, the soda was cleaned up and the glass pieces were stacked as if somebody had already picked them up.”

Nichole Wilson teaches AP English Literature at MHS and worked at the Chokolate Morel until it closed. Wilson said that its employees were encouraged to talk about the ghost to customers.

“I think in many cases it was a destination point for the great food that they served, but also because people knew about Rebecca,” Wilson said.

“So, we were encouraged to talk about it as part of the history of the restaurant.”

According to McCurley, stories of Rebecca’s ghost standing in the upstairs window of the room she was murdered in have been reported several times. Locals claim to have seen lights moving inside the building and heard voices coming from inside.

“When John McClung died, his sister buried him right next to Rebecca at Rose Hill Cemetery, which I think is the last insult,” McCurley said.

“You murder somebody and are laid to rest next to them.”

Photo by Madison Krell

Rebecca McClung’s grave at Rose Hill Cemetery, several feet shorter than her husband’s, John McClung, who murdered her at 101 E. Main Street on April 12, 1901.

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Ready, Set, GoPro New high-resolution photography gadget captures action shots

Photo contributed by Emily Knabe

Senior Emily Knabe and friends photographed their experience in the color run.

Photo contributed by Juan Tramontin

Junior Juan Tramontin caught a shot of his older brother, Angel, posing underwater.

Juliana Discher | Staff Writer

Thrill seekers be on alert: the GoPro camera is the next go-to gadget to chronicle your adventures.

GoPros are small, lightweight, waterproof devices that deliver HD quality videos and pictures.

They can be attached to a variety of mounts, depending on the purpose.

According to Nick Woodman, the creator of the GoPro, the original purpose for the camera was to provide surfers with a way to film themselves catching waves until it evolved into the wearable tool it is today.

Avid GoPro user and freshman Joey Wood said that he prefers his GoPro over other cameras. “(Before my GoPro) I used my dad’s camera, which was just a regular digital one, but I like the GoPro because it’s so small, yet the definition is really good,” Wood said.

According to Wood, the mounts add to the uniqueness of the camera. There are several kinds that can be attached and then positioned with the GoPro to capture different shots.

“I made my own rod mount for $4 with a broomstick, and I have a chest and head mount,” Wood said. “Sometimes I attach (the camera) to the bottom of my penny board or to the head of my lacrosse stick and get cool shots from that.”

Sophomore Peyton Krell, another GoPro fan, said that he utilizes the mounts as well.

“I have a helmet mount that you can put on an open-vented helmet, like for biking, and I have sticky mounts, which can stick to most smooth surfaces,” Krell said.

According to both Wood and Krell, the photos they post on social media using their GoPros get more attention versus others that they post.

“The action of the photos stands out,” Wood said. “Plus, the resolution is so much better than just an iPhone camera.”

According to CBS News, the GoPro is currently

the best-selling camera in the world, and Krell said that he predicts GoPro cameras will soon become popular around Mason High School.

“I think GoPros will definitely start trending around our school because of the variety of students,” Krell said. “No matter what activities they do, GoPro has a way of filming it.”

Photo contributed by freshman Joey Wood

Freshman Joey Wood set up his GoPro camera to document this photo of himself back flipping into the water.

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Unspoken Rules Religion requires adherence to conservative cultural norms

Photo by Madison Krell

Senior Kinza Sami (center) observes her religious traditions by wearing a hijab even in unfavorable conditions like heat and gym class.

Madison Krell | Staff Writer

The cold never bothered them anyway--neither does the heat.

Long sleeves, long pants, and a scarf covering most of the head. It’s the standard attire for Muslim girls, regardless of season or fashion trends.

Even though clothing guidelines may not always agree with the weather or activities they’re doing, according to senior Hira Qureshi, Muslim girls are still proud to wear their head scarves, better known as hijabs.

Qureshi said she believes that her hijab helps define her as a person.

“I don’t find it hard to wear my hijab,” Qureshi said. “I think it’s a big part of who I am. I would feel weird without it; I’ve never had a problem with it. I’m

comfortable with who I am.”

According to senior Kinza Sami, there are many reasons why Muslim girls wear hijabs.

am--my character, my personality,” Sami said. “To maintain modesty is just an ounce of what the hijab does. You get out as much as you put in.”

“I don’t find it hard to wear my hijab. I think it’s a big part of who I am.”

– Hira Qureshi “Personally, I wear the hijab so that people don’t judge me based on my looks or the way I look but the kind of person I

Wearing the hijab is a personal choice, according to senior Kinza Sami, but sometimes it’s difficult to always wear it.

“When we’re running around and getting active, I have to adjust my hijab a lot,” Sami said.

Qureshi also said that gym wear was sometimes hard to manage.

“In gym class, what I always had to do was wear long sleeve shirts and some long pants, which sometimes was annoying if we were going outside or things like that,” Qureshi said.

Even though the heat may be difficult to deal with, according to Qureshi, it’s a small price to pay in performing her religious duty.

“Just feeling a little hot is not that big of a deal for the long run in my religious beliefs,” Qureshi said. “I’m doing things to make God happy and to fulfill my rights in my religion.”

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Peer Pressure AP guilt affecting class enrollment Ashton Nichols | Staff Writer

AP: added pressure.

Senior Allison Yan will have taken 13 Advanced Placement classes by the time she graduates, some of which she has been guilted into by friends.

“I felt like if I didn’t take (AP Physics), I’d be a failure in that sense, like I’d chickened out of the class,” Yan said.

“Once the pressure starts, (you think), ‘If all your friends are doing it, why not?’” Yan said.

This feeling of sticking with friends is a common one, senior Reanna Nartker said.

“They didn’t make me do it,” Nartker said. “I wanted to be with my friends, and prove that I could do the same things as them.”

According to Yan, peer pressure by family or friends isn’t left out of the equation when students select their courses.

“I feel like everyone’s eyes are on me because I’m ranked pretty high in my grade, and if I do fail, everyone will know and everyone’s going to laugh at me,” Yan said.

“There’s this stigma in

my circle, that if you don’t take AP Physics, you’re not worthy of graduating. I felt pressured in that class, especially since I don’t want to be an engineering major...If I had done it differently, I might have focused mainly on the humanities like (Composition) and (Literature) and not so much math and science.”

According to Academic Advisor Phyllis Bell, students sometimes feel they need to follow the same path as their peers.

“It shouldn’t be like that,” Bell said. “It should be very individualized to your needs, your goals, and just because a friend is doing something, doesn’t mean it is the right thing for you personally.

Mason High School offers a total of 19 AP courses, and because of so many college credit opportunities, sophomore Lizzy Kong said students often don’t consider passion for a subject when taking the AP route.

“I’m really grateful that our school has so many selections of AP

classes to take because not a lot of other schools have that same opportunity,” Kong said. “The fact is that all these (students) cram the AP classes, and they’re not even taking the classes they actually like because they just want the credits.”

Along with credits and peer pressure, Nartker said another incentive to take these challenging classes is a closer social circle. “(Friends) were worried that they couldn’t keep up with everything, and they would want someone else to be in the same boat as them,” Nartker said.

According to Bell, this added pressure of social groups should not play a role in students’ educational paths.

“There is this competitiveness here that sometimes goes too far and puts the extra pressure on kids,” Bell said. “They are looking at what their friends are doing, but what their friends are doing is not necessarily right for them--just like with anything else in life.”

Photo by Gabrielle Stichweh

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7172 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd. West Chester, Ohio 45069 | (513) 860-2882

Visit our website!

FunAtTheWeb.com laser tag | bowling | go-karts | mini-golf

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E M E R T X T E N E M N I A T R E ENT

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Epi-Pen-Demic Increase in sensitive allergies prohibits in-class snacking Erin McElhenny | Staff Writer

Hazmat suits may become the new school uniform at Mason High School.

As the number of sensitive food allergies increases, snacking in class is a habit that is coming to a halting stop. With the introduction of the freshman class, there was a spike in EpiPens because of peanut allergies.

According to a study released in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies among children increased approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011.

Most of the students already in the high school were born before that, so MHS didn’t see the evident spike--until the children born within those 14 years finally made it to the high school.

Junior Olivia Wade is beginning to feel the effects of the increased eating restrictions in classrooms.

“I usually ate a Luna bar, which was peanut, honey and pretzel,” Wade said. “Now I don’t eat anything. Not being able to eat in class has made me a little more tired for practice at the end of the day because I feel I can’t get that extra energy I need to be able to fully perform.”

When someone with a peanut allergy is around nuts, eats them, or touches them, they begin to have an anaphylactic reaction. An anaphylactic reaction can cause hives, tingling of the lips, swelling of the tongue, rashes and throat closure. If not treated immediately this reaction is life threat-

ening. According to Nurse Kathy McVey, the best way to counteract this reaction is with the use of an EpiPen. Nurse Christa Nichols said the EpiPen works to subdue the reaction before it becomes more dangerous.

“If it’s true anaphylactic they need immediate treatment or else it’s going to progress,” Nichols said. “(The reaction) will progress until it gets worse and worse and worse and worse if left untreated, so they have to do the EpiPen to

ward it off.”

Not only must the student carry an EpiPen around with them, but he or she also needs to have one in the nurses’ office in case of an emergency.

But it’s not over after the EpiPen is injected. There are still more steps nurses take before it’s safe to breathe again.

“We will give the injection, and sometimes a second dose is needed after 10 minutes, and then we always call 911 and they will go to the hospital,” McVey said. “They will

get probably some steroids and some fluids and (doctors) will watch them because a side effect of the medication is an increased heart rate, and (doctors) want to make sure the histamines are calming down.”

For junior Andrew Wodzisz, having a peanut allergy is more than just carrying around an EpiPen. It involves monitoring what you eat, where you eat, and what others around you are eating.

“I have to watch everything I get,” Wodzisz said. “If I go get ice cream I have to make sure it’s not something with nuts in it.”

Students like Wodzisz need to stay away from any and all restaurants that cook with peanuts or peanut oil because it’s not just consumption that can be dangerous.

“If I’m around it for a while, I start getting hives,” Wodzisz said. “It’s after about 15–20 minutes of being around it before the reactions start. Personally for me I don’t mind if people eat (peanuts). I mean unless they’re right next to me, I really don’t mind as long as you don’t leave it around.”

While it may not bother Wodzisz, it is still a serious health risk to have peanuts near someone with an allergy for even a short period of time.

According to McVey, even a short exposure is not worth the repercussions.

“The worst thing that could happen is they could die,” McVey said.

Photo by Madison Krell

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ALS Awareness Ice bucket challenge videos hit home for Mason families

Photo by Madison Krell

Junior Annie Notton dumps ice water on herself in support of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Foundation, the disease to which she has lost two family members.

Kelly Noriega | Staff Writer

The ice bucket challenge is melting hearts.

As the ice bucket challenge circulates Facebook, Instagram, and other forms of media, some families are taking each challenge to heart, according to junior Annie Notton, who has lost two family members to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. According to Notton, the newfound awareness of the disease has made a big impact on her and her family.

“I know people especially my age had no idea (about the disease) before this,” Notton said. “I’d be like, ‘Oh, yeah my uncle passed away from this,’ and they didn’t understand how severe and how terrible it is. For people to become aware of it, it’s cool to see.”

According to Annie’s father, Dave Notton, whose father passed away from ALS, the disease is painful to watch someone go through.

“You just don’t know how long they have,” Dave said. “Some people

live six months, some people live for four or five years. The terrible part about it is that the body slowly shuts down but the mind is never affected.”

According to Annie’s mother, Jennifer, whose brother passed away from ALS, the videos have impacted the whole family.

“That was our biggest thing when (my brother) was diagnosed with it, there was no cure so there was nothing we could do. My parents are very excited (about the videos).

To see all these people (making videos), they’re almost taking it personally, like people are doing it for them. It has been very overwhelming.”

“We need to remember that there’s a good reason behind why people are doing this, people are raising tens of millions of dollars trying to find a cure.”

— Dave Notton “For me it’s emotional because it’s bringing awareness to it and hopefully a cure,” Jennifer said.

According to Dave, although the videos have brought negative comments, such as complaints about

the number of videos circulating, the impact of the videos overall has outweighed the unfavorable stigma.

“I can understand people who think it has been overdone and over blown,” Dave said. “But that’s the age in which we live, we become aware of things and things become viral overnight. But we need to remember that there’s a good reason behind why people are doing this, people are raising tens of millions of dollars trying to find a cure for an incurable disease.”

The videos have brought attention to ALS and its foundation but are hopefully going to begin to raise awareness for other diseases that have yet to find a cure, according to Jennifer.

“I love seeing the attention brought to ALS but I’m also mindful that there are other diseases out there that are incurable,” Jennifer said. “I hope people put some attention and awareness to that as well.”

september 19, 2014

Lunch Landfill

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Mandated meal requirements taking a toll on cafeteria food waste Abbey Marshall | Staff Writer

Students are biting off more than they can chew.

According to a study conducted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, around 24 percent of the total trash in schools comes from food waste. It’s the number one contributor.

Food waste has always been a problem in lunch rooms, but some of the blame can be placed upon the regulations mandated by national nutrition programs, according to junior Carrie Lipps.

“Most of what people throw away, as much as I hate to say it, is the healthy stuff because that’s what we have to get,” Lipps said. “(Not all) kids like carrots. I’m not saying that they should give us Pop-Tarts and make that a requirement, but kids would rather have Pop-Tarts than carrots.”

Child Nutrition Supervisor Tamara Earl pointed out that students can’t blame the manufacturers or those who cook cafeteria food; these changes are nationwide.

“The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act contained a lot more advancement, criteria, and standards largely resulting from the increase of obesity among children in this country,” Earl said. “The statistics (in 2010, when the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act was put into place), were saying that one in three children were obese and that there had been an increase in diseases such as diabetes and high-blood pressure.”

Since these changes have gone into place, there has been a four

and a half percent decrease in school lunch sales. This can most likely be attributed to the dislike of the fruits and vegetables that students must put on their tray in order to make their lunch a meal, according to Earl.

“We’ve had some good conversations with students and many are challenged to like fruits and vegetables,” Earl said. “Research does show that if you can provide incentives or education, you can often help that challenge of students eating fruits and vegetables and I think our goal has been to get in front of the students to help them understand what it’s about.”

“I don’t feel like we have enough time at lunch to fully eat all our food,” Cavazos said. “I don’t like eating fast.”

For the student who has to take a fruit or vegetable but doesn’t want to, they’ll most likely end up tossing it. The student has a responsibility to not do this in order to reduce food waste, according to Earl.

“Food waste is one of the most challenging topics of what we do,” Earl said. “I do feel the individual selecting the food has the responsibility to not waste. I also feel that some of the waste we see is a reflection of people’s habits.”

“The individual selecting the food has the responsibility to not waste.”

– Tamara Earl According to junior Cassidee Cavazos, there are many factors to students wasting their food, including the time restraint within the lunch period.

Nonetheless, the school district must do their part as well to educate and put out the very best product they can. According to Earl, it must be a collaboration between students and the nutrition department.

“What can I do on my end about it?” Earl said. “That’s one reason why we try to do a lot with the nutrition education hoping that people can understand the value of a fruit or a vegetable with

a meal and that it has a payoff with our health. I would assume that’s probably the item people target the most when they think of waste. Students are offered two fruits and two vegetables and we ask that you take one to make your lunch a meal. We try very hard to offer a lot of fresh choices and a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in the sincere hope that everybody can find one that they can eat at least half of. It’s quite the challenge.”

In order for this union of students and the nutrition department to take place, Earl proposed that a committee is formed.

“Basically (we want) a committee of students that (would) meet regularly,” Earl said. “I need to have students give me feedback on what is currently happening in the lunchroom and where their challenges are, likes and dislikes, but I also need support in sampling new products. I would say to you in this district I do have some great relationships with our manufacturers… and so it’d be a great opportunity for me to bring some of those things to students and find out new directions we could go in.”

With the district and the students working together, Earl said she is hopeful to decrease the amount of food waste in the cafeteria.

“In my opinion, the food waste has two aspects,” Earl said. “It has my responsibility to make sure I’m putting out the very best I can and it’s also the responsibility of the individual taking it to do everything they can to eat it.”

Photo by Madison Krell

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Stand Back Self-defense vital preparation for college Matthew Marvar | Staff Writer

Although living in a neighborhood with a bad criminal reputation, Mason alumnus and University of Cincinnati freshman Shivank Singh feels

secure.

Singh agreed that the neighborhood isn’t a safe place. But the black-belt in Tae Kwon Do will not let the violence keep him away from the school he loves. He said he’ll fight back if he must.

Singh said that most of the time, self-defense is simple. Staying safe while out on the town just requires a bit of rationality.

“It’s not the safest area to be, but there are ways to be smart about it,” Singh said. “But for the most part, in terms of self-defense, when we go out at night, you stay in groups, don’t be stupid, don’t be alone at any time.”

But there’s more to it than just taking it easy, according to Singh.

Being able to defend yourself in an altercation with an attacker is a very different story.

“It’s a sense of security,” Singh said. “I have that resource if I need to draw upon it.”

Singh said that the most effective aspect of self-defense is its secrecy.

“The idea is that it’s not a physical thing,” Singh said. “It’s something that’s more secretive. It’s not something that an attacker would see right away when they’re coming towards me. It’s that element of surprise.”

Now, even high school students are prepping for the concerns associated with independent living.

Senior Nikki Wood has her own method of self-defense--and it’s with wasp spray.

“I have my wasp spray in my purse and in my car,” Wood said.

“My dad just told me that whenever I’m walking around on the streets, or whenever I’m alone, I need to carry (it).”

Wood said that it’s much more effective than pepper spray because it’s stronger and shoots four times the distance.

“Pepper spray is for if you’re getting attacked by one person,” Wood said. “It’s just like quick selfdefense and then you run away.

But this wasp spray--you can hold it down forever and just go in circles if you’re getting attacked by five people.”

Martial arts instructor Jim Lentz, however, said that most self-defense doesn’t require physical ability. It’s all in the preparation.

“I spend a lot of time teaching people how to be aware, and how to control distance, and to recognize a problem before there is a problem,” Lentz said. “Awareness is…critical.”

Senior Jordan Edmond said that despite his parents’ worries about the dangerous nature of the neighborhood surrounding UC, he doesn’t see it as a problem when it comes to studying there.

“The safety is a little concern but it’s not going to stop me from going there,” Edmond said. “My mom was kind-of worried about it, but now that she’s visited and saw it a little more, she’s not as scared as she was originally when I said I wanted to go there. But it’s more of a concern for her than it is for me. I feel like I can handle it.”

As important as awareness is in self-defense, according to Lentz, physical defense is an extremely different story.

“By the time it gets to a physical altercation…you have to be very skilled,” Lentz said. “And you have to have the mental aptitude to fight for life.”

Photo by Matthew Marvar

Senior Nikki Wood carries a can of wasp spray in her purse and in her car, per her father’s request, to ensure her safety especially while walking around by herself.

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Ruled Out

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Poor outside choices force administration to levy in-school consequences

Sheila Raghavendran | Editor-in-Chief

R

ed Solo cup, don’t fill me up, don’t have a party.

According to Assistant Principal William Rice, students need to remember that their poor decisions outside of school can still result in administrators’ interference.

“If we hear (students) are involved in something they shouldn’t be, we’re going to have a conversation with them and we’re going to have a conversation with their parents,” Rice said. “I can’t live in a world (where) if I have a conversation with you and the next weekend you go out and make the same bad decision and something bad happens--a car accident, anything along those lines-and then your parents find out that I knew from the weekend before and I

didn’t tell them. I couldn’t live with myself. So I’m always going to be open and honest with parents when I hear of stuff like this, whether the kid is mad at me or not.”

Resource Officer Karli Dyer said that crimes such as drinking, sex offenses and harassments make their way to administrators because students feel comfortable in the school atmosphere.

“That doesn’t just stay out of the building,” Dyer said. “This school is too big...A lot of crimes are reported here at school because this is where they feel safe.”

Along with safety, Rice said that people have more of an impulse to report crimes because of the amount of in-school tragedy that has been so prominent in the country over

the last several years.

“The culture of not just education, but the public setting, has changed mightily in the last decade because of the instances of mass violence that we’ve seen,” Rice said.

“People are more willing when they hear things, see things, feel things, to report them.”

Senior Carolyn Messer said that reporting behavior is different this year because of the change in title from counselors to academic advisors.

“That’s great that they’re helping us get towards college better,” Messer said.

“But I think at the same time a Counselor has a more ‘Let us help you in other ways than just school’ (meaning).”

According to Rice, the most apparent punishment for students’ crimes

is visible through the Athletic Code of Conduct.

“Belonging to a club or organization at Mason is a privilege,” Rice said. “We do hold our people to a high set of standards. What that looks like is a suspension from the activity, not from school, but from the activity.”

Messer, a cross country runner, said that her coach stresses the seriousness of adhering to the Athletic Code of Conduct.

“A little slogan that the coach has is ‘Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t go with boys that do’,” Messer said.

According to Rice, the suspension from the activity can span anywhere from 14-80 days, the length being under Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart’s control.

“It can be anywhere from a first offense, and

a first offense could be ‘I took a sip of a beer’,” Rice said. “…The way the policy is written is that it’s 80 days and Mrs. McCarty-Stewart, through a hearing process, has the ability to lower it to 14 days…Second offense, again Mrs. McCarty-Stewart has the authority to go all the way up to 80 days, and third offense can be exclusion. But ultimately Mrs. McCarty-Stewart has the final say.”

Messer said watching her classmates make choices involving drinking, drugs and sex ruins MHS’ reputation as a successful school.

“We have such a great school and such a great system that I feel like when kids do that it’s kind of just like they’re not caring about what we’ve built up already,” Messer said.

Photo art by Madison Krell

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Backpack Burden

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Little time, more classes has students living out of bags Gina Deaton | Online Editor

I like big backpacks and I cannot lie.

Every student at Mason High School has the basic right to locker, but with less time between bells and an even heftier textbook load with seven classes, not every student holds the time, or even the desire, to visit their assured locker.

Junior Jailyn Mason hauls around a backpack that weighs 22 pounds. According to her, the inconvenient location of her locker doesn’t allow her to use it often.

“My relationship with my locker is kind of terrible at the moment,” Mason said. “I’m in Z2, and I have classes in B and C…I try to (carry everything in my backpack). It’s pretty intense.”

According to Mason, her locker location added to the shorter amount of time between classes caused her to go buy a new backpack in preparation for the burden she foresaw herself having to carry.

“Once I figured out what I was going to do, walking-wise with my locker and everything, my mom said I needed a bigger backpack,” Mason said. “Honestly, I didn’t think it would be as big as it is now. It literally buckles, then flips up, then unzips; it’s literally like a suitcase, and it carries everything. It’s great. I love it.”

With the freshman class being the largest to come through Mason, extra lockers were needed outside of the typical freshman pods: A3, B3, and C3. Freshman Collin Aldrich has a locker located in Z3, and according to him, it was a big adjustment compared to middle school.

“I carry three binders at a time normally, while last year we could stop at our locker after every class,” Aldrich said.

According to Aldrich, he was taught in health class that students’ backpacks should not be too heavy, or else it isn’t good for their physical health.

“In health class we learned that you’re only supposed to have a backpack that’s 15 percent of your weight, or otherwise it stretches out and overuses your shoulder muscles,” Aldrich said.

Junior Hannah Dwaileebe might not follow this rule, as her backpack weighs a hefty 24 pounds.

“My relationship with my locker is almost nonexistent,” Dwaileebe said. “I have time to go in the beginning of the school day and afterwards, but in between I have no time, so I can’t really put stuff in it…My shoulders feel sore throughout the day and when I get home it feels so good. It’s just a hassle.”

Senior Rahul Sandella also deals with the

Photo by Madison Krell

Freshman Collin Aldrich holds a heavy and overflowing backpack because of little time for locker stops.

backpack burden.

“My backpack right now is really heavy,” Sandella said. “All my binders and textbooks are always in my backpack because I don’t have time to go to my locker. It’s somewhat good, because then you know that everything is with you at all times. But it causes a lot of back pain.”

According to Sandella, despite the fact that

not every student exercises their right to a locker, it is still something reassuring to know that you have.

“I think it’s still important to have a locker, for those emergency times you need to put something in your locker,” Sandella said. “It’s still convenient to have one; the problem isn’t with the locker itself but with the time we have to actually access it.”

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Sports

HEAD

in the

SAND

Sand volleyball garners attention as new collegiate sport

Kylie McCalmont | Staff Writer

In 2012, Pepperdine University was the first college to offer sand volleyball as a collegiate sport. Today, there are 41 colleges offering sand volleyball, with 58 more considering it as an addition. According to Rob Long, Director of the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Program, sand volleyball is growing at a rapid pace.

“It’s the fastest growing women’s college sport of all time,” said Long. “Nobody ever thought that we’d grow that quickly. I would think that it’s because indoor volleyball is so popular. Plus, I think the culture is a lot more fun. The culture of beach is a lot more individual and self-motivated.”

Sand volleyball has spread across the Ohio Valley region to students at Mason High School. Seniors Ally King and Katie Puisis have been playing sand for the past three years under Coach Long. They placed 11th at USA Junior Beach Tour nationals in the 18 and under bracket this summer, and both have plans of pursuing sand volleyball in college.

According to Puisis, it’s a challenge to get recruited because sand volleyball is a new collegiate sport.

“It is a new and growing program and right now there are not many schools that offer it but in the next year there is going to be more,” Puisis said. “A lot of the coaches right now are still unsure how many girls to take for walkons, how many to give scholarships (to). They don’t have as much money since it’s a new program so they can’t offer many scholarships.”

Both Puisis and King are looking into colleges on the coast, such as the University of Northern Florida and the University of South Carolina. Despite the challenge of recruitment, Long says that their talent can overcome all obstacles.

“With only one full year of training, I’d say both of them could play college as far as the level of play goes depending on whether they could get full scholarships and things of that sort,” Long said. “They’re definitely good enough to play; it’s just a matter of what it will take to get them there.”

Photo contributed by Ally King

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Making

the

Switch

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Limpert named boys lacrosse head coach Erin Brush | Managing Editor

It has been a long time coming for lacrosse coach Paul Limpert.

After 12 years as head coach of the girls lacrosse team at Mason, Limpert has been named the head coach for the boys team, the role he said he has waited for.

“Twelve years ago when lacrosse started as club sport at Mason, I was part of that start,” Limpert said. “Coach Horning and I were supposed to coach the boys together. But I was also club president at that time and I couldn’t find a girls coach, so I switched to the girls. Really, for the next 12 years, I just waited. It’s really been an ambition of mine all along to make that switch and this was the time to make it.”

According to athletic director Scott Stemple, the transition into a new head coaching position is an extensive one. “(The athletic department) allows a certain amount of time for resumes and letters of interest to come in,” Stemple said. “We go through and review the candidates we receive and make a determination based on where we see our needs. After the review and interview process, Coach Limpert, we felt, was the best candidate after vetting all that. In the final rounds, we involve the superintendent, Dr. Kist-Kline, because at the end of the day she has to feel comfortable recommending

that person to the school board, who ultimately makes the decision.”

Limpert’s switch to the boys team leaves his old position as girls head coach up for grabs, and Stemple said the application process for the job has already begun.

“The postings for that have just started internally and we’re starting to receive applications,” Stemple said. “My hope would be to have that process completed by October.”

Meanwhile, Limpert said he will turn his attention toward conditioning the boys team, a transition made more difficult by the tactical differences in the game.

“In the girls game, they don’t want any contact whatsoever,” Limpert said. “So men’s lacrosse has totally different tactics, but when it comes down to it the basic skills you need to be successful are being good with your stick. You need to understand how to move the ball.”

According to Limpert, learning the individual strengths of his players is the toughest part of coming into a new team.

“I would like the boys to live up to their potential, whatever that happens to be,” Limpert said.

“I don’t know what it is right now, but they’re good. They’re a very good team but I want them to be great.”

september 19, 2014

0

Points allowed by the Comet defense in the football team’s 22-0 upset over the Winton Woods Warriors.

2

Senior Nick Grismer’s current 15:26.46 5k personal record is the second fastest in the state and the 36th fastest in the nation this year.

3-0

Tennis doubles partners Isabel Cepeda and Sneha Kandi are undefeated this season with a 3-0 record.

68.82 Senior golfer Nick Anderson has shot an average of 68.82 this season.

Results as of September 13

The Chronicle Sports

MVP: Katie Tomassoni

Sport: Golf Class: 2015 Best thing about golf: Playing against yourself Worst thing about golf: The same as the best thing, playing against yourself Pregame Meal: Chicken and spaghetti Toughest Opponent: Ursuline Motto: Practice hard, play hard Celebrity Crush: Jordan Spieth Favorite Course: Weatherwax Embarrassing Moment: Five-putting

Photo contributed by Katie Tomassoni

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Reigning state champion teams face the heat this season

Photo by Madison Krell

Kylie McCalmont | Staff Writer

Target identified. Ready, aim, fire.

After taking home state championships last fall, the girls cross country, boys soccer and girls water polo teams are feeling the target on their backs. According to Leah Ford, a girls cross country junior, other teams are especially motivated to dethrone her team this season after two consecutive state championships.

“Obviously they want to beat us,” Ford said. “We say that they’re a lot hungrier than us. They look at us and they’re like, ‘Wow, they’ve had it for the past two years, it’s time for them to go’.”

Chip Dobson, head coach of the girls cross country team, said he also recognizes that his program’s success has given the opposition an extra incentive.

“I think that people always are kind of looking at us as a target un-

fortunately,” Dobson said. “It’s an honor but at the same time it’s a little bit of a burden and you worry that everyone is gunning for you.”

Just as Dobson has felt the pressure on his team, so has Paul Reedy, head coach of the boys soccer team.

the right talent. As long as we play for each other, we should be fine.”

According to Zhao, prior experience with a high pressure situation like a state soccer game has better prepared his team to take on their opponents.

“It’s an honor but at the same time... you worry that everyone is gunning for you.”

— Chip Dobson According to junior Gary Zhao, Reedy teaches his team to remain level-headed, even in knowing that they are ‘the team to beat’.

“Coach Reedy has made sure that we stay humble,” Zhao said. “We are not too worried about the opponents we play because we know we have

“I think playing in the state finals really opens up your awareness about high levels of soccer,” Zhao said. “Once you play regular games during the season, it’s not as stressful and you know how to manage the pressure better.”

While the boys soccer team is

equipped with players who are familiar to the high pressure situation of a state game, Mark Sullivan, girls water polo head coach, lost nine veteran seniors to graduation. With a mostly inexperienced team this year, Sullivan said this season will be treated as a rebuilding year for his team.

“Every sport team I coach, whether it be swimming or water polo, we just reset our goals and we basically move on,” Sullivan said. “It’s a fresh start, it’s a new year.”

Regardless of the team, every state champion is well aware that they’re being hunted, and Ford said she is determined to dodge the bullet and show that her team is still the best in Ohio.

“Our coaches always make us really aware that we have large targets on our backs,” Ford said. “We just have to remember that we are the state champions and we can beat them.”

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Sign

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Division I signees face pitfalls and benefits to early commitment Charlie MacKenzie | Staff Writer

As hundreds of Mason High School seniors scramble to apply to colleges, seniors Rodney Hutchison and Jill Vetere can relax and put their feet up.

Hutchison verbally committed to play baseball in 2013 for the University of North Carolina. The MHS pitcher is a star player on the varsity team, and has been one of the top recruiting prospects in the area.

Vetere was also recruited to a Division I school as an underclassman.

During her sophomore year, Vetere verbally committed to play soccer at the University of Louisville.

Hutchison and Vetere have different views on how simple it is to commit to a college at such a young age. According to Hutchison, he committed to UNC so early because it was his top choice.

“I committed to UNC so early because as soon as I walked on campus I had a good feeling about it,” Hutchison said. “It was a no-brainer.

I had gone on other college visits but I knew I wanted to go to UNC.” Junior Bryce Curran, who recently committed to play soccer at Xavier University, believed he was also prepared to commit to college a year earlier than the rest of his classmates.

“I felt very prepared (to commit) because my recruitment process started my sophomore year,” Curran said. “I was actively engaged with college visits, ID camps, and interacting with college coaches from DI to DIII.” According to Vetere, the decision to commit as a sophomore wasn’t that easy.

“Sophomores aren’t supposed to be stressing about what college they want to go to already,” Vetere said.

“It’s a tough decision on where you decide to go that early and you want to make sure you’re making the right choice. You don’t want to find yourself switching midway through your freshman year because you hate it.”

The decision to commit early isn’t the only stress Hutchison, Vetere and Curran have gone through. Ac-

cording to Vetere, her recruiting process began her freshman year.

“Late in my freshman year small schools that I wasn’t really interested in were emailing me,” Vetere said.

“At the beginning of my sophomore year, bigger schools, including Division I, started to contact me through email. That’s when I started to contact coaches and go on visits.”

Curran factored many aspects into his decision to commit to Xavier University. According to Curran, the school’s location and the academic experience went hand-in-hand with his soccer commitment.

“My decision to go to Xavier University was based on what I thought was the right fit for me,” said Curran. “Academically, the business program really stood out. On the soccer side, Xavier is in one of the best conferences. I really wanted to play DI soccer at a high level. With XU being so close to home it will allow my family to continue to support and watch me play.”

Many athletes are preparing for the recruitment process in a number of different ways. Sophomore Amanda Huser attended MHS as a freshman, but switched to online classes this year so that she could play more tennis during the day.

Huser’s online classes end around noon, and then she hits the court for about five hours of practice and fitness training each day. According to Huser, the reason she is committed to such a rigorous playing schedule is because of her goal to be a Division I athlete.

“I will be playing (tennis) a lot because I really want to play for a big DI (school), but I still care a lot about my education,” Huser said.

Now that the recruitment process is over, Vetere and Hutchison both said they are looking forward to the fact that they only have to apply to one school this year. According to Hutchison, this is a luxury he will definitely take to his advantage. “(Only applying to one school) is definitely a relief,” Hutchison said.

“Now I can relax and just enjoy my senior year.”

Photo art by Erin Brush

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