The Chronicle, 12.4 by The William Mason High School Chronicle

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December 12 2014

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Volume 12, Issue 4

Circus Act students live double lives as cincinnati circus performers see pages 8-9

Photo by Matthew Marvar

december 12, 2014

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basketball vs. C Boys Hamilton

for the

Holidays

Comet alum’s composition to be featured at concert Morgan Teska | Staff Writer

The boys basketball team is heading to Hamilton tonight. See thecspn.com for coverage of the game.

Photo by Eric Miller

The varsity boys basketball team huddles up before the game against Lebanon.

basketball vs. C Girls Sycamore

The Lady Comets take on the Aviators tomorrow afternoon at home. Check thecspn.com for multimedia coverage.

The Honors Concert Choir just received a new gift for the holidays. 2011 Mason High School graduate Tara Traxler won a national composition for emerging composers during her senior year of high school and never looked back. This summer, the Oral Roberts University senior learned that her children’s choir piece “Fireflies” will be published by a major publishing house, Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc. But, her full-circle moment will come in two weeks--when she debuts a new composition at her alma mater. During the Mason High School Choral Department’s Elegant Holiday on December 12-13, the Honors Concert Choir will perform Traxler’s newest piece, “Winter Light” for the very first time. According to Choral Director Elaine Santos, Traxler met with the Honors Concert Choir in October to work with the students on the song. Santos said she wanted her students to express the song with Traxler’s original intent. “Tara visited our classroom when she was here on fall break,” Santos said. “It was so cool to hear her inspiration for the piece, and how she crafted the piece to reflect her intentions as she was writing it and the setting in which she wanted to create. When she expressed that and worked with us a little bit on that, we started to breathe life into those notes, relative to the intentions she had for the piece.” While Traxler now has several original compositions under her belt, this is the first time she is also the song’s lyricist. “Writing ‘Winter Light’, I wanted to capture that feeling when it has just snowed,” Traxler said. “It is dark, but the glow of the snow--with no footprints. It sparkles and is so perfect. That’s what I wanted to try to capture.”

According to Santos, Traxler mapped out her vision for the piece before she began to compose it. “As she was creating the poetry, she had this vision within her own self that she’s creating with 2011 MHS graduate Tara Traxler. ‘Winter Light’ as she talks about the snow and about how fall gives way to winter,” Santos said. “It’s a beautifully composed piece.” Although interpreting the meaning of the song is important, according to sophomore Camille Nguyen, the sound of the notes is what gives the song its lasting impression to the audience. “The chords and the notes that she uses to connect the music with people’s emotions is really strong,” Nguyen said. “I like the chords she uses when she creates a unified voice but then she goes into parts and it just sounds so beautiful because each part compliments the other parts.” Santos said that the experience of debuting an alumna’s composition is unique for the choir. “This is, I believe, the first time we have ever had the opportunity to premiere a piece that was written specially for us,” Santos said. According to Santos, Traxler is setting a large example for not only current choir members, but also anyone with a passion. “She is a living, breathing example of following what she wants to do with her life, and that is to compose music,” Santos said. Public Information Officer Tracey Carson and Sheila Raghavendran contributed to this article.

Photo by Kylie McCalmont

The girls basketball team took on the Princeton Vikings on December 6.

Elegant Holiday

The Honors Concert Choir is performing at Elegant Holiday tonight and tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Check thecspn.com for coverage. compiled by Gina Deaton

Photos contributed by Tracey Carson

The Mason High School Honors Concert Choir led by Elaine Santos poses with Tara Traxler as she presents her piece, “Winter Light” that the Choir will be performing at Elegant Holiday.

december 12, 2014

Moving On

Assistant to the Principal retires, has high hopes for Mason City Schools’ future

Photo by Sheila Raghavendran

Assistant to the Principal Bev Redding is retiring after working 35 years at Mason High School, providing stability and loyalty through massive district changes. Sheila Raghavendran | Editor-in-Chief

Assistant to the Principal Bev Redding has been running Mason High School for 35 years. Working as the right-hand woman to nine different principals, Redding said her responsibilities have been to accommodate for anything the principal needs such as correspondents, letters of recommendation, building orders or one of the new and different things she has been presented with every day. She has witnessed the district’s population growth and building expansion personally as she began at the current middle school building when it was the district’s high school. “I started out in the building that’s the middle school now, and we probably had a total of maybe 600 students for (grades) 9-12, and maybe about 50 or 60 staff members,” Redding said. “So everything’s at least tripled, if not more.” Along with development in numbers came advancements in technology, according to Redding. “There was very little technology when I started,” Redding said. “We had a computer lab--one class of computer. And even from my own work, I started out with just a typewriter and now we’re way beyond that. Technology is the biggest thing

that came along with the growth.” Redding said that among the vast changes, Mason City Schools provided for improvements in class choices to adhere to its reputation of academic excellence. “We’ve done away with so many things and brought in new things,” Redding said. “We’ve gone to way more academic excellence than what we ever had before--not that we weren’t good before--we were good for our time. We’ve always been a good school district, even when I came here when I first moved to Mason, that was one of the things we looked at because we had two kids in school. They both went through the Mason system. It’s always been a good school district, it’s just improved immensely to what it is now.” Redding said she hopes to see MCS’ strength continue and the rapid growth to settle down and even out the constant changes. “I kind of hope that the growth will even out so that things will level some and it’s not so much change,” Redding said. “It’s hard to keep up with the change sometimes. I think that we’ve done really, really well with that, better than anyone could expect, but it would be nice to see it level off. Just keep up the excellence. We

tend to do that here. We always keep up with the most current technology and everything and we hire nothing but the best I think for our teachers.” Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart said Redding has strengthened the school district throughout the past 35 years. “Bev Redding has brought stability, consistency, and an terrific amount of loyalty to the students, staff and parents of Mason,” McCarty-Stewart said. Above all, Redding said, her relationships with the people she has met will resonate most strongly.

“I’m going to miss that--I’ll miss that more than anything,” Redding said. “I love my job, I’ve always loved my job, it’s always been different every day, and it’s kept it interesting, but there’s just no match for the people that have come and gone, and some life-long lasting friends that I’ve made here. People that have retired long ago and I still am in contact with them, I consider them friends. So I think that’s the big thing. There are children of children here now. And I just love that. It’s very cool to see that progression.”

december 12, 2014

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 Thanksgiving viewed as warm up to Christmas, pilgrims’ plight forgotten Those poor pilgrims. We’re all aware that Thanksgiving is a holiday meant to celebrate the pilgrims’ first, hard-earned harvest. But instead of honoring them, we reduce the pilgrims to silver-buckled shoes and wide-brimmed hats: we deny them a spot at the table for the feast they began. With the Thanksgiving barrier obliterated, department stores perform Black Friday Magic--in a matter of seconds, wreaths and glowing plug-in Santas eliminate traces of weak turkey displays. Lights decorate naked trees; reindeer sweaters are worn; Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” plays 16 times an hour. In the midst of this holiday craze--and by “holiday” we mean December’s holidays, not the overlooked, three-days-shy-of-December Thanksgiving--we forget the pilgrims’ plight that brought us that first glimmer of hope and supplied the feast we now take for granted.

Though some pilgrims befriended Native Americans and others beheaded them, we owe pilgrims at least one day of celebration. And yet, four centuries later, on every fourth Thursday in November we take pride in decapitating a turkey, squishing potatoes and pummeling cranberries; gaping at a bloated Mickey Mouse crossing in front of the Macy’s at Herald Square; arguing with the television screen during Thanksgiving Day football. Then the big game ends and so does Thanksgiving-our mashed-potato-smeared dishes and mutilated wish bones are left in the sink to rot while we forget the pilgrims, disregard their bravery and race our mini-vans to the nearest Target. We’re too busy worrying about how to get rid of our leftovers and missing out on Black Thursday deals to give our founders a shred of thanks. On Thanksgiving. Those poor pilgrims.

december 12, 2014

Opinion

Editorial Cartoon

1999 Scan this QR code with your smartphone to read the online columns on thecspn.com.

Messy Detox Abbey Marshall | Staff Writer

My room is a mess. Everyday, I strategically leap across an ocean of denim jeans, expertly sidestep a volcano spewing wrinkly t-shirts, and hurdle a mountain of mismatched shoes. The irony is that I’m one of the most obsessively organized people you’ll ever meet. I’m someone that will pridefully lend my carefully highlighted notes (complete with diagrams) to someone in dire need of a good test grade. I’m someone that will spend hours on the first day of school surrounded by Sharpies and tab dividers labeling all of my school supplies. Yet, somehow, I’m someone whose room looks like the aftermath of a bombing. No soul possesses enough bravery to break through the barriers and trek across my floor (I swear there’s a rug down there somewhere!). My parents, however, will occasionally creak open the door and peer in just as I’m about to go to sleep, chuckling lightly and making a suggestion to pick up the mess, fully knowing that that is one task that I will never have the chance to complete. To set one thing straight: I am not lazy. In fact, the reason my room has a ransacked-appearance is quite the opposite. In all actuality, the

primary purpose of a bedroom is somewhere to put--surprise!--a bed. Eight hours a night and then I’m out. I don’t like spending monotonous hours upon hours cooped up in the same location, falling into the same repeated patterns and activities. While I hear my friends complaining about spending a whole day reorganizing their living chambers, my mind runs through a list of everything I accomplished on Saturday instead. That’s not to say that I don’t sporadically go on a cleaning spree and tame the wild mess I’ve mysteriously created, but afterwards, while having a slight twinge of gratefulness for the extra space, I feel like I hadn’t tackled the day doing something I truly would’ve enjoyed. Every aspect of my life, aside from my room, has always been so organized. I always carefully plan a matching outfit, with clean, neatly folded clothes, and my pin-straight hair falls without a strand out of place. But when the sun sets on my perfected schedule, my disastrous, untouched mess becomes a detox. I surface amidst my room’s oceans, volcanoes, and mountains only on the way to bed, and once there it doesn’t matter if I can see the rug. My eyes are already closed.

Jessica Sommerville | Staff Writer

It’s decided. The apocalypse will begin with the release of Taylor Swift’s fifth album. 1989 is splattered all over the radio, internet, magazines--including TIME, which was delivered to my house with a retouched photo of the woman herself and the title, “The Power of Taylor Swift.” And, sure, if power is influence, I could see how that could be appropriate. I don’t need to have a little sister to know the world is filled of skinny, red-lipped preteens singing “Blank Space” into pink plastic hairbrushes. But I have yet to determine my feelings as to the appropriateness of Swift as an American icon. There is the economic factor to consider: 1989 sold 1.29 million copies in its first week alone. Swift is not, by any means, hurting for cash, but that didn’t stop her from taking her music off Spotify because the “low payouts” degraded her art. This didn’t sit well with me and not just because I love Spotify. It struck me as pretentious; Swift would have made millions regardless. But the Internet broke down and cried, news stories pleaded for my attention, and Swift remained resolute. She emphasized the art, the art, the art--but as for the artistic factor, I’m not sure I’m on board. The music, I confess, is danceable, even for the rhythmically impaired like myself. It’s happy music, a song you pretend you don’t own but turn up the volume whenever you hear it. And yes, sometimes I sing along with “Blank Space.” When I’m at home. Alone. Prowling the house. To be sure I really am alone. But as for the lyrics, “I can read you like a magazine,” isn’t all that impressive, though I suppose we may call it exemplary when compared to other chart-toppers, such as “Anaconda” and “Trumpets.” The sardonic reference to a “long list of ex-lovers” is at least humorous, though it’s not enough to make me forget the Taylor Swift mania, red lipstick and polaroids in all. Because I was born in 1999--and I’m not buying it.

Rosy Reward

december 12, 2014

Marching band places fifth in nation, earns Rose Bowl Parade invitation

Photo contributed by masonbands.com

The Mason High School marching band on the field at Grand Nationals where they earned fifth place and an invitation to perform at the 2016 Rose Bowl Parade. Gina Deaton | Online Editor

It isn’t always easy working with 300 of your closest friends. William Mason High School’s marching band put the icing on the cake this season with a fifth place finish at Grand Nationals, the highest ranking they have ever received, and an invitation to perform in the 2016 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California. According to band director Bob Bass, even though their performance contained over 300 students organized into five groups, none was stronger than any other and they all tied together perfectly when the time to shine came at Grand Nationals. “I think that all five groups did an

outstanding job, and without every group being excellent at what they do, we would not be as successful,” Bass said. “So everyone contributed 100 percent and there really wasn’t a best section or a weakest section because when you go out there, everyone has to do their job 100 percent of the time and if they don’t, they’re going to hurt somebody… But everyone is equal.” According to Bass, not only was finishing fifth the perfect ending, but the invitation to the 2016 Rose Bowl Parade came as a complete surprise. Bass said he is looking forward to not only representing the marching band but the Mason community in Pasadena. His goal is to have a huge celebration of the

marching band’s success as well as a celebration of everything they have been fortunate enough to have in Mason. “The Rose Bowl committee actually flies in, and they watch every single band--there were 94 this year,” Bass said. “Then they pick out of the semifinals bands… They look at those 35 bands and decide which would best represent the Rose Bowl out of those 35, and they picked us. They pick one person. They pick one band…It’s going to be a huge celebration in Pasadena. So that’s the goal: to celebrate our success with the entire community.” According to junior flute soloist Megan Moyer, the incredibly long hours that the marching band puts in throughout the season are worth it in the end when she can see the performance really come together. “(Grand Nationals) is just the greatest experience with your friends, with the music, performing in front of the crowd; it gives such a thrill and it’s really, really rewarding,” Moyer said. “So you have to think about the end goal instead of ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m here

for 12 hours, what am I going to do with my life?’ But it’s kind of cool because with band you’re stuck together all the time so you have a close-knit family and you’re never alone.” Senior drum major Harrison Walsh said he agreed that the marching band was like a family despite their size. Walsh said they all share a passion for the same thing and that passion along with the long practices and performances make them so close. He said he couldn’t wish for anything more out of his senior marching band season. “(It’s incredible) having over 300 people work together to make one final product, that by the end of it I (can) remember walking off the field after the very final time we performed our show, and everyone was crying and saying, ‘That was such a good run,’” Walsh said. “It was just that feeling of creating something that special and getting 300 people on the same page was incredible. And going into the season, going into Grand Nationals, that’s really what I wanted to get out of it, so I couldn’t be more happy with what happened.”

december 12, 2014

FEATURE

Merry Xmas

Atheists participate in holiday festivities despite no religious affiliation Jessica Sommerville | Staff Writer

Santa’s list doesn’t have fine print. Junior Andrew Rosin doesn’t believe in God, nor does he come from a Christian background--but his family has always celebrated Christmas, despite his Jewish upbringing and later atheism. “When I was a little kid and didn’t know any better, my parents would take me to temple because I lived in a Jewish family,” Rosin said. “I didn’t know to question it, but about the time I realized Santa wasn’t real, it kind of dawned on me that maybe (God) isn’t.” Senior and atheist Kaitlin Simpson also experienced religious influence at a young age, but soon realized Christianity wasn’t for her. “When I was younger, I was put into vacation Bible schools and had to go to Christian daycare,” Simpson said. “To me, the whole time, I was not into any of it. It didn’t make sense to me, and so I’m an atheist.” Simpson’s beliefs cause family to take precedence over worship during her holiday activities, despite her family’s inclusion of traditional customs. “I go to my family’s, and we all have this giant Christmas tree,” Simpson said. “We do the White Elephant gift exchange...We all say ‘Merry Christmas,’ but at the end of the day, I think it’s more about celebrating the holidays and getting together with your family... for me, than it is about worshipping God or Jesus’ birth.” Winter may be a popular season for celebrations of all kinds, but according to atheist and senior Jessica Cooper, department stores promote Christmas over other holi-

days. “It’s very widely displayed in media and in society that Christmas is the big holiday that everybody should celebrate,” Cooper said. “We know that’s not the case. Still, when you go to a store, you see three aisles of Christmas decorations and then a quarter of one aisle is Hanukkah decorations.” While winter is Christmas-centric, Rosin said gift-giving is one of the best parts of the holiday, regardless of marketing ploys. Cooper said she agreed; she loves the commercialized aspects of Christmas, including gift-giving and holiday music. “I love everything about Christmas,” Cooper said. “I even

love singing the songs...about Jesus being born...I view Christmas and the story of Jesus and him being born kind of like some people view the Greek and Roman myths. They teach us a lesson, and I find interest in it, and I do like it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I believe in it.” According to Cooper, it is beneficial to question popular religions and develop a personal opinion, whether or not that opinion includes a belief in God. “(Atheism) is a growing community,” Cooper said. “I know that some people would view that as a bad thing, but I don’t...I think it’s

Photo by Madison Krell photo art by Gabrielle Stichweh

Senior Kaitlin Simpson still observes the traditional Christmas celebration with her family.

important that people not just take everything (from) a religious text or a book or anything really...I don’t think they should just take the information and automatically believe in it. I think it’s important to question, and I mean, religion is fine. If you come to that conclusion, then that’s good. That’s great. I think it should be your conclusion to come to.” Though atheism is part of Simpson’s conclusion, Simpson said she wants her future children to experience Christmas, even if her celebrations won’t emphasize the religious aspect. “I will celebrate Christmas because I wouldn’t want my children to feel left out of something that is a tradition, especially one that...spans not just the United States but many different cultures,” Simpson said. “I wouldn’t want them to miss out on that experience, but I would probably give them more options. I’d be like, ‘You can call it Merry Yuletide, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, all of those,’ or, ‘You can just say Happy Holidays’ which is what I do.” Though Christmas has become a societal norm, Simpson doesn’t have a problem with it; she said a lack of belief in God doesn’t create a division between her and the celebrations of the holiday season. “I don’t think it really affects me too much that I’m an atheist and that I celebrate Christmas,” Simpson said. “It’s something I’ve done all my life, even if when I was younger, it was associated with going to church and having to worship during that time. As I grew older, I just accepted the commercialized version of Christmas because it’s a holiday that everyone celebrates, and I wouldn’t really have it any other way.”

december 12, 2014

Circus Act Performers express themselves in unique setting at Cincinnati Circus Abbey Marshall | Staff Writer

Performers from the Cincinnati Circus practice on the trapeze.

Photos by Matthew Marvar

Step right up and witness the unbelievable! With juggling balls in hand and feet strapped firmly into stilts, students like senior Nikki Wood and Adolph Goetz are expressing themselves in the Cincinnati Circus. The Cincinnati Circus, grounded mostly in the Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati and Columbus area, extends an invitation to anyone with a knack for performing to work carnivals and other festivals. Wood is a trainee, spending most of her time swirling paint brushes on children’s cheeks and strutting around in stilts, but she said she aspires to become a high-flying performer. “Right now I’m in training to be an aerial artist,” Wood said. “Basically, there’s a 12-foot silk hanging down from the ceiling and you have to climb it. It’s more of a beautiful, acrobatic thing…I used to be a gymnast and I like yoga and meditation so the aerial arts are really fun because of that.” According to Wood, thorough preparation is needed to attain the performing spot. Wood

takes strength training classes in hopes to achieve her goal, in addition to weekly circus practices. Wood also practices on her own, strapping her hammock to her tree. Wood said competition is high to become a performer. “There’s high schoolers like me and high school dropouts who live at the circus,” Wood said. “There’s a lot of girls who actually ran away to join the circus. They ran away and wanted to become really good at it. I’m not as dedicated as those girls though just because I’m still in school.” According to ECA teacher Andy Goetz, his son, a homeschooled senior, became inspired to juggle in a circus by former Spanish teacher Jen Mott, who has been a stilt walker for about eight years for the Cincinnati Circus. “MBC did a story on Ms. Mott because she works for the Cincinnati Circus and is a juggler,” Andy said. “I went and I talked to her about it and she said it’s a great place to go and they would love to have Adolph. We took Adolph and he got really excited about doing that kind of thing... He was hooked from the first time.”

Mott also had an influence on Wood’s decision to join the circus. Mott and a daring sense of adventure are what drove Wood to perform on such an unconventional stage. “I have a bucket list of 300 things I want to do before I die,” Wood said. “One of them was ‘join the circus’, so I said, ‘I’ve got to do it’...I really like adventuring and doing new things.” Although Andy’s son is strapped into toweringly high stilts, he said the danger of it doesn’t bother him. “Adolph has always had a very keen sense of balance,” Andy said. “He’s got a really kinesthetic sense about him. I suppose it can be dangerous, but he’s never fallen off of the stilts and so I’m not personally worried about it.” Andy said he and his wife have a past in a circus performing environment, making it a sort of family tradition. “My wife and I were both in the Kings Island clown band back in the day,” Andy said. “The key part of the clown band was the clown part; nobody thought, ‘Wow, that is the best sounding band ever’. We were just very entertaining and we were very funny.” According Adolph being a

part of the circus has improved his skill set. “There are quite a few skills I would never have learned without the Cincinnati Circus,” Adolph said. “The first thing that comes to my mind is stilt-walking. I’ve also learned more juggling tricks, (such as) juggling 4 clubs, working on 5 balls, tons of variations, etcetera. I really enjoy passing clubs. That is a skill I acquired there. In addition, I’ve learned how to spot trapeze-artists, and some magic. The circus is very big on teaching whatever you want to know.” Being a part of something so different and unique has exposed Wood to a variety of people. She said that learning about others’ cultures and backgrounds is important and interesting. “I love to meet people and I’m super into finding out about different people’s backgrounds,” Wood said. “The more I went (to the circus) the more I learned to love the people and the environment. I’m just so used to being in Mason with all the typical Mason people then you go and join the circus and it’s a lot of different people with different backgrounds and ways of thinking and living.”

Adolph Goetz juggles bowling pins on his stilts.

Adolph Goetz’s stilts for his act.

A performer practices on the trapeze.

Senior Nikki Wood practices aerial arts with silks in her backyard.

Photo by Madison Krell

Adolph Goetz juggles bowling pins on stilts.

Adolph Goetz juggles balls.

Adolph Goetz juggles bowling pins on stilts.

Performers practice flips on the trapeze.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to watch videos of the circus performers.

december 12, 2014

Man Behind

the

Mic

Allen takes pride in role as morning voice of comet country

The man behind the daily announcements’ microphone, English teacher Thurman Allen, poses in the radio room. Photo by Madison Krell

Juliana Discher | Staff Writer

Whether you tune them out or listen attentively, the morning announcements are an omnipresent part of our daily routine. Most students, however, are unaware of the man behind the mic. Thurman Allen, an English teacher at Mason High School, has been the unseen face behind the voice resonating through classrooms for the past six years. What started out as a somewhat random selection by a former assistant principal evolved into a job in which Allen can embrace his Comet pride every day. According to Allen, the best part to him is being in the loop of MHS’ news. “I like the fact that I know what’s going on,” Allen said. “Any time I can read congratulations, or see how the band is doing, or the lacrosse or

water polo team, it’s always fun.” Allen said there have been several challenges to his duty that he has faced over the years. “The hardest part is probably that people send me announcements, but they won’t proofread them,” Allen said. “Earlier this year I had to be on the fly and make corrections as I was speaking. Also, there is always the fear of messing up a word. Names are especially bad. I have had some problems as well with students who will ask if I can invite someone to Prom or sing happy birthday, but if I start with them, I will have 3,400 students who will want to make it happen as well.” Outside of school, Allen said he participates in several extracurricular activities. “I am co-coach for the academic team and the advisor for the film club,” Allen said. “When I’m not di-

recting, I am an adult volunteer for the drama department. Occasionally, I help out with the book club.” Along with juggling his teaching duties, preparing the announcements and running clubs, Allen said he still finds to time to be in a band. “(My band) is called Entertaining Lucy,” Allen said. “We are a threepiece combo--I play bass guitar. We basically play everything from classic rock and Pearl Jam to more modern stuff that people like to listen to.” Allen said he likes to mix things up sometimes by changing the coined closing of ‘Comet Country’. “My favorite one to do is when I go to the ASL class,” Allen said. “No one ever gets it. I say have a great day, and it’s just quiet. We tried to do that a couple of times on the Day for Deaf. Or I go to different language

classes and it’s like in German. Or we did the choir and they sing it.” The fact that even some of his own students are clueless on his announcing duties is amusing, according to Allen. “Most students don’t make the connection until suddenly someone informs them,” Allen said. “What I get from the students is, ‘You’re the one who does the announcements?’ Yes, you hear my voice every day. They have no idea.” According to Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart, she, along with the rest of the administrators, are extremely grateful for Allen’s contributions throughout the years in saying the announcements. “I love that Mr. Allen is the morning voice of Comet Country because he is so enthusiastic,” McCarty-Stewart said. “He is a great way to jump start our day.”

december 12, 2014

SPORTS

MSJ women’s basketball head coach Dan Benjamin watches on as his players run drills.

Play

for

The MSJ women’s basketball team breaks at the conclusion of practice.

Photos by Madison Krell

Former Mason coach helps player live college basketball dream

Charlie MacKenzie | Staff Writer

Courage. Love. Passion. The only stats that really count. Dan Benjamin, women’s basketball head coach at Mount Saint Joseph University (MSJ) and a former Mason coach and substitute teacher, knows this as well as anyone. Benjamin’s 2014 season took an unexpected turn when freshman forward Lauren Hill joined the team. Hill was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer after she committed to play basketball at MSJ her senior year in high school. The cancer has proven to be 100 percent fatal, and Hill was given one month to live in September of 2014. Despite these adversities, Hill’s dream was simple: to play in a college basketball game. The NCAA allowed MSJ’s season to start early, and the Lions faced Hiram College on November 2 at Xavier’s Cintas Center. The game had a crowd of 10,250. It sold out in 30 minutes. The lethal diagnosis wasn’t the only unexpected turn--the cameras that have been cluttering the small gym at MSJ are a new aspect of the

team’s practices. Hill’s courage to continue to play the game she loves has found its way onto news channels around the world. “For the team it’s going from our small little campus (to) nationwide, and now internationally known,” Benjamin said. “I know (Hill) and I personally have gotten phone calls from (media in) Norway, Spain, France, Taiwan, (and) Canada.” According to Benjamin, MSJ women’s basketball has never received such wide publicity, and the boom in media coverage has posed some unexpected challenges for his team. “Our team is not used to playing in front of 10,000+ people,” Benjamin said. “We’re usually playing in front of 200 people, if that. So their focus has been challenged. The first couple days when we had cameras in the gym filming us we remained focus and they understood what was at hand.” The tradition of “The Walk”refers to the Indiana University football team’s game day superstition of walking through the campus toward the stadium, and Benjamin replicat-

ed this to familiarize his team with the Cintas Center. “I told (the team), ‘It doesn’t matter where we go, the cameras aren’t going to set who we are and the cameras aren’t going to take a shot (or) defend you,’” Benjamin said. “I say, ‘Just get in the moment and let yourself be an athlete. Let yourself take over as an athlete and don’t worry about what’s going on in the crowd.’” Benjamin said he is glad that he can help fulfill Hill’s dream of playing in a collegiate basketball game. “I don’t know if it’s so much the weight, as it’s more the excitement and the bittersweet knowing that (Hill) can’t compete for more than 40 minutes, yet she is able to take the floor and do the things she wanted to do,” Benjamin said. “(She can) just say, ‘I wanted to play in a game, all I want to do is play in a game and just want to play the game I love and the game I have so much passion for,” Benjamin said. According to Benjamin, many athletes today want recognition for their accomplishments, but Hill is only looking for the adrenaline rush

of playing the sport she loves. “Everybody nowadays thought of, ‘Hey I need a trophy and I get a trophy for showing up,’’’ Benjamin said. “That’s not (Hill). (Hill) said, ‘I don’t want your trophy, what I want is to compete. I don’t want to know how many points I have...I just want to know did my team win, or did we lose?’ That’s her, and it’s bittersweet knowing that I’ve had the opportunity to give this girl (the experience) to live out a dream, and just to play in a game.”’ According to Benjamin, Hill doesn’t want any special treatment because of the adversities she faces. She is, however, always sure to show her love for her coach and her teammates. “She wants to be treated like a (teammate), she doesn’t want to be anything special,” Benjamin said. “She won’t let you do anything for her…Everyday when I see her she has to come talk to me. She has to give me a hug before she leaves. We do something where we preach after every practice, we get in our circle before they leave and I tell them I love them.”

County Showdown

Comets defeat Warren County rival Lebanon Warriors 62-26

december 12, 2014

High Hoops

Young girls basketball team sets high season expectations

Eric Miller | Staff Writer

It wasn’t how they started, it was how they finished. The Mason boys basketball team closed out their 62-26 win against Lebanon on a 58-15 run. The Comets at one point in the first quarter trailed 11-4 to their Warren County rival, but anchored by 12 points apiece from senior Blake Benjamin and sophomore Eddie Puisis and 11 from senior Cameron Arminio, the Comets came back and turned a tight contest into a blowout. “We started off a little shaky; we ended up playing really well, playing defense really well and scoring the ball,” Arminio said. Head coach Greg Richards said even though Mason shifted conferences in 2007, he schedules schools like Lebanon because of the rivalry factor. “We decided when we did change conferences years ago we would still continue to play Lebanon, Kings, and Loveland...because of the rivalries we had,” Richards said. “The best part about it is it’s good competition; it’s great for the fans.” In the last five meetings versus Lebanon the Comets were 5-0, but it looked like this year might be different. Warrior senior guard Brandon Smith hit three shots from beyond the 3-point arc in the first four minutes of the game and had Lebanon out in front 11-4 early. The Comets put together a 5-0 run to end the first quarter to make it 11-9. The Comets came out on fire in the second quarter, scoring the first 13 points. Assistant coach Rob Reis said the Comets played better on both ends of the floor. “Our defensive intensity (increased) and (our) patience on offense improved as we settled in,” Reis said. Defense was key for Mason, as they held the Warriors to just 29.4 percent shooting in the first half and 22.5 percent for the game. Arminio said the success started in practice. “All the coaches encourage it,” Arminio said. “They always push us to stay in the stance, be in help-side, and communicate most importantly. We do a lot of drills for defense to perfect how we play.” The Comets outscored Lebanon in the second and third quarters 36-13 and had a 45-24 edge heading into the fourth. The fourth quarter was more of the same for Mason. When the final horn blew, Mason was on top 62-26. Arminio said he believes this team has the means to succeed. “I can see us winning every game,” Arminio said. “ I don’t doubt us one bit. I think that if we keep playing hard, keep working hard, communicate, and encourage each other we can win the GMC title.”

Erin Brush | Managing Editor

Photo by Rashika Jaipuriar

Junior Makenzie Dixon prepares for a free throw.

Photo by Eric Miller

Boys basketball head coach Greg Richards coaches his players against Lebanon last Friday.

The girls basketball team may be short on senior veterans, but they aren’t setting their sights any lower, according to head coach Rob Matula. “We’ve got a couple seniors who are great for our program, but they’ve never had varsity experience,” Matula said. “We have to (look to the juniors) because they’re the experienced players. They’ve been around since they were freshmen and they know... the competition that we play, and the pressure that’s on them.” Junior Lauren Van Kleunen has had no shortage of varsity playing time. As a sophomore, she was top five in the conference in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. According to Van Kleunen, she aims to follow in the footsteps of the strong players who led her as an underclassman. “My freshman year I had Kayla (McDowell), great leader; Jenna (Gunn), great leader; so we have to learn from them and continue on that legacy of leadership that Mason has,” Van Kleunen said. According to Matula, this season has been a lesson in patience as he trains the younger players to keep pace. “As a veteran coach I have to remember that there are quite a few kids who are learning the pace in practice and obviously when we play games, the younger players have to learn to play faster and more physical,” Matula said. “We just have to be patient and stay with what we’ve been doing for the last ten years and hopefully it’ll carry over.” Van Kleunen said that her team aims to make this season one of major improvement. “We’re young,” Van Kleunen said. “That’s what people are going to look at it as. We’re going to be underdogs in almost every game, which a lot of us are fine with, but people will expect us to win too. This offseason we worked really hard to get better to make it all the way to the postseason and get farther in the postseason than we did last year.” According to Matula, his team will get plenty of competitive regular season play. “We’ve really amped up our non-league (schedule),” Matula said, “We’ve brought in Walnut Hills, who’s going to be a top ten team in the city of Cincinnati; Alter, who’s a favorite to win the Division II state championship; Centerville is always tough. Throw in our league schedule, and it’s one of the toughest around.”

december 12, 2014