The Chronicle, 12.5

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January 30, 2015

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thecspn.com

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Volume 12, Issue 5

SUPER BOWL BOUND ‘08 MHS grad Josh Kline to play for Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX [see page 3]

Courtesy of the New England Patriots/David Silverman

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news

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

C Lend Me a Tenor Drama Club’s production of Lend Me a Tenor has its final showings tonight and tomorrow night at 8 pm.

Check out thecspn.com for a preview on the show.

C Girls basketball vs.

Fairfield

The girls basketball team takes on Fairfield on their home court tomorrow at 2pm. Check the CSPN for coverage.

Photo by Gina Deaton

Junior Lauren Van Kleunen goes up for two in the game against Alter on January 14.

Swimming & Diving C Senior Night

Photo by Matthew Marvar

Sophomore Terry Tao competes in a breaststroke event at the Southwest Classic.

compiled by Gina Deaton

Creative Distinction Senior qualifies as finalist for 2015 Overture Awards Juliana Discher | Staff Writer

Creativity is intelligence having fun.

For senior Katie Hibner, who was named a finalist two consecutive years for creative writing at the Overture Awards Scholarship Competition, her intelligence and creativity combination really paid off.

The Overture Awards is a program that recognizes, encourages and rewards excellence in the arts among students in grades 9-12. They offer scholarships in six artistic disciplines: creative writing, dance, instrumental music, theatre, visual arts, and vocal music.

According to Digital Image Design teacher Aaron Roberts, the Overture Awards are a highly selective process and achieving recognition as a finalist is no small honor.

“The entire process of Overtures is extremely challenging,” Roberts said. “The best young artists have their work and performances judged by professionals in their respective field. Because schools are limited to a certain number of competitors, this (competition) brings out only the best of the best. Each round obviously gets harder and harder.”

Hibner’s collection of poetry propelled her to advance past the semifinals.

Five other Mason High School students were named semifinalists at the Overture Awards Scholarship Regional Competition on January 10. These students were: Ryley Arnold (Theatre/Musical Theatre), Sneha Gundavarpu (Dance/Ethnic/Folk Dance), Rebecca Shu (Instrumental Music/Piano), Julianne Su (Visual Arts/2D Art) and Alice Zhang (Visual Arts/2D Art). Hibner was the only one to move on to the final competition.

Hibner said her experience with the Overture Competition last year made her even more excited to be a finalist this year.

“Last year I got to read my poems on stage at the Aronoff Center as part of the final competition,” Hibner said. “That was pretty intimidating, but it was still really awesome to get the audience feedback and reaction right away.”

According to Hibner, she finds inspiration in English teacher Mandi Bross.

“Mrs. Bross always encourages me to write because I work with her through the school’s literary magazine, Writers’ Block,” Hibner said.

Bross said Hibner stands out as both a writer and a person of character.

“Katie is an outstanding representative of Mason High School, and not just because of

Photo contributed by Katie Hibner

Senior Katie Hibner being interviewed by the emcee as a finalist in the 2014 Overture Awards.

her talent with the written word,” Bross said.

“She is such a hard worker, constantly puts others ahead of herself, and is so humble. Katie has worked incredibly hard to succeed at this level of competition, and I can’t wait to see her come away with first place.”

The finals will take place at the end of February, where Hibner is competing for a $4,000 scholarship.

“I’m really hoping for the grand prize of $4,000 to help pay for college,” Hibner said. “I already get $1,000 just for being a finalist, but the extra money would be nice, too.”

Hibner said she is honored not only to be recognized for her work, but also to be among other Cincinnati student artists.

“I feel like it’s a really neat competition because I get to not only interact with other student writers in Cincinnati, but also other student artists,” Hibner said. “During the ceremony, we get to watch other students dance, sing, perform a musical instrument, or see their visual art. It’s nice to have a union of other student artists in Cincinnati. Plus, it’s really neat to get to share my work on stage at the Aronoff Center. That’s a huge honor.”

Sheila Raghavendran contributed to this story.

january 30, 2015

Super Bowl Bound

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2008 MHS grad Josh Kline set to play in upcoming Super Bowl Erin Brush | Managing Editor

The Bengals’ championship hopes may have been dashed long ago, but Mason fans have a hometown favorite in this year’s Super Bowl. Josh Kline, a 2008 Mason graduate, will make his first Super Bowl appearance as an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots when they face the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.

According to Josh’s sister, Kelsie Kline, Josh got his start at Mason as a multisport athlete, competing in both wrestling and football for the Comets.

“Josh has always been an athlete of many sports,” Kelsie said. “He originally was a star at Mason in wrestling.

He was a state champion his senior year. He couldn’t play the last part of his senior year in football because of mono and he was really upset about that.”

Head wrestling coach Craig Murnan coached Josh during his high school career. According to Murnan, Josh’s competitive fire is what drove him to play professionally. “(Josh) was able to overcome adversity and I think he was a classic example of someone who went through the maturation process of a high school student,” Murnan said. “...He’s a pretty humble guy for the success that he had. I think that’s something that really good athletes and successful people have a way of having a level of confidence but yet carrying themselves in a way that is humble by their actions and words.”

Kelsie said that despite missing part of his high school football career, Josh decided to press on and play college football for Kent State University.

“People were looking at him and KSU fell in his lap and he signed with

them,” Kelsie said. “...Then his senior year of college they went to the MAC Championships. They didn’t win but it looked really good for him. The Patriots were looking at him and he was on the draft roster and he got picked up and signed with the Patriots.”

Murnan said Josh thrived in highly competitive environments, which was another key in his athletic success. “(Josh) thrived better when he was pushed and being surrounded by guys that were better than him,” Murnan said. “And so the result doesn’t surprise me where he’s at right now because I think a lot of it really had to do with the guy next to him on Kent State’s offensive line; the tackle was drafted in the NFL as well. He was drafted in the third round and Josh was an undrafted free agent. He was really the reason why Josh got a lot of looks by scouts because they were

‘08 Mason High School grad Josh Kline blocking for one of the NFL’s all-time greats, Tom Brady.

really looking at the tackle and they were like, ‘Man, that kid that’s the guard is really good’.”

Like Murnan, Kelsie said she was not surprised at the trajectory of Josh’s career.

“He’s always just been very humble about it and people were just kind of surprised because of that,” Kelsie said. “...So people say ‘Wow, where did this Josh Kline come from?’”

Murnan said that Josh’s success also reflects positively on the Mason community because of how highly Josh speaks of his time as a Comet.

“I think it elevates the status of the school and it’s a chance to give some recognition to all the great athletes that have come out of the school,” Murnan said. “He has a lot of pride in Mason and where he went to school and the community and what the community did for him.”

Courtesy of the New England Patriots/David Silverman

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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 Adviser Dale Conner

Staff Editorial

24-hour news cycle desensitizes this generation’s teens to terrorism

It could have been worse.

The attack on Paris’ satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo caught our attention, but as far as many American teens are concerned--it could have been worse. Due to the magazine’s nature, few are surprised by the violence, even if they don’t condone it.

We have been taught that 9/11 was the worst attack of terrorism on America. It put our country in shambles and is our generation’s first memory. After those horrors, shootings at a Parisian magazine are too far from home to make an impact; it is forgotten beneath a mass of news notifications and Twitter updates.

Our shock after terrorist events has dulled, making us wonder if these acts are terrorism after all. While our hearts pang for those who lost their lives in similar acts-especially Sandy Hook’s innocent children--the fear inspired by 9/11 is no longer matched.

In this sense, perhaps terrorists, despite the increasing frequency of their acts, have not won. Sandy Hook, Columbine, and the recent movie theater shootings were terrible, horrible, but the resulting security measures-bag checks, metal detectors, buzz-in school doors--have become only another mark on a checklist to proceed on our way.

Terrorism, after all, won’t happen here--not in Mason,

Ohio, we think. We’ve already forgotten that we received two bomb threats in one week. The first instance had us evacuated outside to shiver and rub our jacket-less arms.

Some of us speculated--we wouldn’t have a drill in this weather--but the majority of us disregarded any possible threat, longing only to be back inside where we could regain feeling in our appendages and pretend to know the answer to the last question on our math test.

The second occurrence, however, was brought to the school’s attention via Yik Yak before the day had started, but we were not delayed. The threat wasn’t more worrisome than that last test question; we presumed it fake, and the common reaction was to gripe and gossip rather than cower.

Even the new cyber terrorism doesn’t faze us. The Sony Hack came across as a strip on our smartphone followed by a name, Kim Jong Un, and suddenly, we stopped reading. We knew how the story ended. The White House may initiate a cyber-task force, but to us--it could be worse.

The terror has dimmed, but the threat remains. The symbolic cop at the movie theater. The bag check at museums and sporting events. The 360° scanners at the airport.

We could be next, maybe. But for all we’re concerned-it could be worse.

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Opinion

Editorial Cartoon

Wait One Second Jessica Sommerville | Staff Writer

Like It This Way Sheila Raghavendran | Editor-in-Chief

Too frequently I get asked, “Do you hate your hair?”

At that moment I double-check that it didn’t spontaneously change colors or molt into an exotic bird.

(Usually) it’s the same, black-andcurly self.

A few weeks ago I was in Hawaii and came upon a street shop that sold (among other things) fortydollar, scalp-scraping, headacheinducing hair clips. They were the kind adorned with beads and other painful-looking accessories that can only hurt a head of hair. The woman trying to sell these clips jumped at the sight of my tight locks spewing out of the ponytail fountain on the top of my head.

“What do you have holding that up right now? A hair tie? That’s not good for your hair--but I’m sure you know that already.”--did I? No. Now knowing, am I going to change my hair-tie lifestyle? No. “Let me show you what you can do with these clips--your hair is

perfect for them.” I must have uttered something like, “Er--I--wha-bu--” but ended up sitting on a stool, facing a mirror, pinching my hand to distract from the pain on my head as she said, “They don’t hurt at all, right?” and watching as my hair was tormented under her beaded cage.

My hair wasn’t made to be contained. The 13 years I wore it in two braided pigtails gave it plenty of restriction--far too much restriction--and I’m not about to take a step backward. It’s supposed to stick out in odd places and bounce as I walk, and I like it that way.

So to answer that question, no, I do not hate my hair.

As we left that shop, after the woman twisted my sister’s hair as well and we gave her feeble excuses for not buying the clips, another lady working called after me, “No clip for that curly hair? You’re making a mistake!”

No, I’m not. I like it this way.

You are a police officer, newly-minted, and you have been sent to investigate a claim of an armed teen in a city park. You see a boy, not much taller than your son, the bulge of a gun evident at his hip. Approaching with caution, you order the boy to raise his hands, but he doesn’t need to see the navy blue uniform to know you are an Enemy.

You are a police officer, and you want to go home, but the boy’s hand darts to his hip. His shirt lifts, revealing grey metal underneath. You know he means to shoot, and now your own gun is in your hands. It doesn’t tremble, though your heart does. You won’t, can’t shoot--he’s just a boy--and you think again of your son. But you shake yourself; this isn’t your son, this is a threat, and you must decide.

You have one second.

A Cleveland police officer decided to shoot. The boy in question--Tamir Rice--was 12, black, and the gun he possessed was later found to be a toy. Though true in the sense the gun could not fire, it was a replica capable of fooling any eye, and the orange safety indicator identifying it as a fake had been removed. That officer was threatened, that officer wanted to go home, but in the postFerguson wake, the public has smitten all law enforcement for this “brutality.”

Ismaaiyl Brinsley, outraged by professed racism, posted a picture of a firearm on Instagram along with the caption, “I’m Putting Wings On Pigs Today. They Take 1 Of Ours......Let’s Take 2 of Theirs #ShootThePolice #RIPErivGardner #RIPMikeBrown.” He proceeded to shoot and kill two police officers in Brooklyn, simply because they wore navy uniforms.

But navy does not guarantee malice, just as it does not guarantee moral soundness. It’s appalling that racism affects police perception, but I don’t believe the police in question would have acted on racism alone. We tend to let officers disappear into one faceless navy mob, attributing any and all tragedies to a “broken system.”

Those facing these situations, however, are most often individuals--with children, hope, fears. They had lives ahead of them as did Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice: the lives we fought to avenge. We can’t expect officers not to react if threatened, and threats are becoming blurry.

Rice wielded a toy gun that was as good as real, but criminals have painted firearms to look like Nerf guns and prompt police hesitation. Other enthusiasts simply purchase Hello-Kitty-patterned firearms, further confounding threat identification. Officers retain one second to defend themselves--not enough to sift through all real and fake weaponry.

While this is no excuse to those who have lost loved ones, these circumstances are no-win situations.

Shoot: face charges; slander.

Shoot but don’t kill: subject still capable of deadly retalia- tion.

Fail to act: death.

But if there is a way to win: police return home to their families; criminals are apprehended; innocents are released--I will listen.

You have one second.

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Reexamination

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Teachers and students seek reevaluation of extensive exam schedule Madison Krell | Staff Writer

Whether you loved it or hated it there are no changes in sight for the conclusion of the 2015 school year exam schedule, but according to Mason High School principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart, she is willing to listen to new ideas for the future.

This year, students have jumped from five classes a day to seven. But the amount of daily classes isn’t the only thing that has jumped, instead of having two half days of exams, it’s now moved to four days-two of those being full days.

Although the exam day may seem unnecessarily extensive, according to McCarty-Stewart, the exam schedule was created by a committee of teachers. The committee gave recommendations through staff surveys and through research of other districts. “(The exam schedule works because) it allows students to pace the amount of tests they have each day, and prioritize their study

time,” McCarty-Stewart said. “The tests occur in the morning time, before lunch, when students seem to perform best.”

Even with the careful research and surveys done by the teacher committee, there were still problems with the current exam schedule, according to McCarty-Stewart.

“It has been difficult to keep students’ attention in the afternoon classroom time after taking the exams,” McCarty-Stewart said. “The early dismissal time can also make it difficult for some of our students to access additional help due to transportation issues.”

Not only has it become evident that students’ attention is lacking in the afternoon, according to senior Kellen Pontius, the current exam schedule is confusing and inefficient.

“I don’t like the exam schedule mainly because it’s four days long,” Pontius said. “I feel like it could be more efficient if it were changed so that we take three exams on the first day and two on the last two

days.”

The schedule not only affects students, but teachers as well. Nikki Harting, a math teacher, said that the review time added to the schedule is both a benefit and a drawback.

“It’s good to see the students the day before taking their exam and having additional review time built into the schedule,” Harting said. “But some students thought that the class review time was not important, so they didn’t come to class or left early.”

There is a chance that the exam schedule for next year may be changed; however, that won’t be determined until the spring, according to McCarty-Stewart.

“Once we have gone through the exam schedule in the spring, it will be reexamined and evaluated,” McCarty-Stewart said.

Even with the possible changes, according to Harting, it will be almost impossible to make the schedule flawless.

“The schedule needs some ad-

justments,” Harting said. “But I’m not sure that we will ever find the perfect schedule to please all involved.”

There have been rumors that next year may be run on a block schedule, but according to McCarty-Stewart, she is not anticipating any major daily schedule changes for the 2015-2016 school year.

“We are operating on a regular seven-bell schedule for next year,” McCarty-Stewart said. “With all the changes we are experiencing, we determined that it is best to provide consistency to the schedule for everyone.”

With the increased amount of classes from last year, McCartyStewart said that students shouldn’t over-push themselves.

“I encourage our students to focus on making wise decisions on selecting courses as we enter the time of year when we are making course selections,” McCartyStewart said. “This is a time to consider what is best for each individual student.”

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Switching Seats

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Board of Education appoints new president and vice president Gina Deaton | Online Editor New Year, new leadership for the Mason City Schools Board.

Mason City Schools has seen several changes in the past year, and now it can add another to the list. The Mason City Schools Board of Education, made of five members, elected Courtney Allen to serve as the new president in place of Kevin Wise, and Matt Steele to hold the position of Vice President, taking over for Connie Yingling.

Allen, who has served on the board since 2012, said that her main goal is to protect what empowers Mason as a school system and community.

“As a board our goal is to support and protect what makes Mason special and strong,” Allen said. “We will continue to show good financial stewardship, while prioritizing the educational needs of our students. We will do what we can to ensure that Mason can continue to deliver the high quality education and experiences that our students need in order to be ready for whatever their futures hold.”

Steele, who has been on the board since November 2011, said he had to hit the ground running with the new position, considering the inspiring former lead-

Photo contributed by Tracey Carson

Newly appointed President Courtney Allen and Vice President Matthew Steele at a Mason City Schools Board of Education meeting.

ership.

“We definitely want to run with the momentum and example of leadership set by Kevin Wise, who was president of the board the past few years,” Steele said. “He was an incredible example of how to set the tone for cooperation amongst the administrators and educators, and the student population, and really getting everybody row-

ing in the same direction as a team. (Our goal is to) first and foremost continue that example, but also to sort of expand on it… There are a lot of moving pieces, and I think our goal is to dig in as a community and to refocus ourselves on what makes Mason great.”

According to Allen, serving on the school board has taught her that there is a lot more to a school system

than providing an adequate educational experience.

“Overall, I’ve learned there is a lot that goes into making a strong school district and into providing a quality education,” Allen said. “While test scores and rankings show Mason is a successful district, there is so much more to the educational experience.

Mason offers a long list of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, many of them very successful, that all contribute to this experience. However, at the end of the day, I have learned that it is the people who make the difference.”

Steele said that, for him, the highlight of his job and any board meeting is seeing and celebrating the accomplishments of the students and watching them prosper in such a supportive and successful environment.

“(My favorite part of my job is) definitely interacting with students,” Steele said. “The highlight of any meeting is when students come and share their perspective on an accomplishment or some new and exciting thing they’re doing in the classroom or an extracurricular activity.”

According to Allen, her favorite part also lies in seeing the accomplishments of students and staff in the district.

“I really enjoy the work of the board,” Allen said.

“I’d have to say my favorite part is seeing the successes of our students and staff. The accomplishments of Mason students wow me and the dedication of Mason staff inspires me. I truly enjoy seeing all the ways our staff and students work together to creative positive outcomes.”

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Opinion

Strike

a

Pose

Career in modeling not as glamorous as depicted on runway

Photo contributed by Emily Wilhelm

Senior Emily Wilhelm modeling for Hipsy Headbands.

Arnav Damodhar | Staff Writer

Looks may not be everything, but for these girls, it’s their career.

As they walk down the runway with the lights flashing, girls like sophomore Hannah Pica prepare to launch their modeling career.

Regardless of how it appears, modeling is a very difficult career path; one that requires extensive training and practice, Pica said.

“I started modeling school in May of last year and I finished in September,” Pica said. “It was 30 weeks and I would go every Saturday from 11 to 4. (A modeling agent) approached me saying he wanted me to model for his company and I was interested, so I pursued it.”

According to sophomore Lexi Kaufhold, models are also required to act, walk down runways, and pose. Though it only seems to be about appearance and the glamor, modeling is much more than that.

“Modeling school was a frightful experience,” Kaufhold said. “At first, you have to go into mini classrooms and they make you stand up in front of the room and walk down runways...I did some weird exercises. I had to memorize stanzas of random words and present it. I was told that acting helped with my modeling.”

Modeling paves avenues for many other ca-

Photo contributed by Hannah Pica

A photo from sophomore Hannah Pica’s modeling company.

reer opportunities. According to senior Emily Wilhelm, modeling and doing commercials have helped her a lot. It even played a big role in getting her an audition for Disney Channel.

“I have had a lot of commercial auditions,” Wilhelm said. “Two years ago, I was chosen to be one of the main auditions for a Disney pilot show, Madison High. It was between me and the girl who got it, and she’s pretty famous now. It was Peter Frampton’s daughter. That was really cool.”

Not all models enjoy success. According to Kaufhold, modeling is not a stable career. It is actually very difficult to make a breakthrough, and those who do, should consider themselves lucky, Kaufhold said.

“When I first saw the opportunity, I thought it would be a cool career,” said Kaufhold. “Modeling is a good career for older people, but for a high school student it’s not a stable career.”

Modeling requires a huge time commitment, Kaufhold said. According to Kaufhold, modeling isn’t like any other high school job; it becomes your schedule.

“My advice to future models would be to take it seriously,” Kaufhold said. “Modeling is very time consuming and it takes over everything.

You have to give up all the other things in your life. If you want to do it, you have to give it your all.”

Photo contributed by Emily Wilhelm

Senior Emily Wilhelm walking the runway for a Cincy Chic Fashion Show.

Photo contributed by Emily Wilhelm

Senior Emily Wilhelm modeling for a Cincy Chic Fashion Show.

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A New Testament

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Religious focus a major difference in comparing public and Catholic schools

The Public School Perception

[

Mason High School students’ thoughts on Catholic school religion courses

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“It would probably be a lot more strict. You’d be expected to do better on your tests. There would be a lot more expected out of you and less slacking that you can get away with in public school.”

Brittany Nalder, freshman

“Everyone there is Catholic, I’m assuming.

It would probably be a lot more strict and there would be more kids acting out because of it.”

[ [

[ [ [

Whether it’s competing on the field or living a few doors down, Mason students have no shortage of interaction with students from private schools such as Ursuline, Moeller, Saint Xavier or Mount Notre Dame. With over 20 Catholic high schools in the greater Cincinnati area alone, it’s common for public school students to wonder what happens when textbooks get traded in for Bibles.

According to Greg Dickman, a religion teacher at Archbishop Elder High School, there’s a common misconception that all religious teachings are insistent upon one interpretation of Christianity.

“I would say a typical stereotype is that religion classes are going to be teaching very dogmatic teachings and that there’s not much room for discussion and open interpretation,” Dickman said. “In my class I try to keep it generally open-ended, there’s more room for dialogue. I’m teaching classes that don’t really emphasize the Catholic doctrine specifically, so they lend themselves to open discussion.”

Elder senior Michael Huschart said that religion classes have a variety of different topics ranging from Old Testament to Catholic Lifestyles.

“The one which I’m enrolled in now (is) called Community Service and we leave Elder every day for 45 minutes and go to local grade school and help with the kids or go to retirement homes,” Huschart said. “I personally have never taken more religion classes than I’ve had to, and you’d be hard pressed to try and find someone who did at Elder because most of the guys who are here have been taking religion classes every year since first grade or beyond.”

Elder junior Alex Mastruserio said he elected to take a course titled Comparative Religions, in which students can get a glimpse of different faiths such as Buddhism, Islam and Judaism.

“I chose this class to learn about other religions and how they relate to Christianity and Catholicism,” Mastruserio said. “It is an extremely open-minded class, we respect all the religions we cover, and draw parallels between their teachings and ours. We even have the choice of observing another religion’s practice, which is how I attended a Buddhist meditation.”

According to Dickman, Comparative Religions is his favorite to teach because it introduces his students to new schools

of thought they might not have considered before.

“Most of these guys have gotten anywhere from eight to 11 years of a Catholic education,” Dickman said. “I like that course because I’m introducing them to completely different ideas away from Christian theology. They’re being exposed to different faith perspectives.”

Mastruserio also said he was surprised to learn that some of the Christian teachings are meant to be more symbolic than factual.

“I didn’t expect teachers to actually tell me not to take everything in scripture so literally,” Mastruserio said. “As part of a class I took two years ago we discussed the use of symbolism in Biblical stories such as the creation story. What a lot of fundamentalist Christians don’t understand is that not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally. It’s all very different from what someone might expect, no one is trying to convince us that the Earth is 6,000 years old.”

According to Huschart, the atmosphere in a private Catholic school isn’t a world apart from public schools such as Mason.

“The biggest misconception I feel from public school students is that we are in a religion class every day for five hours and only being taught by strict old priests,” Huschart said. “But the reality is that the only difference between a Catholic high school and a school like Mason is that we go to a religion class and usually pray before our other classes. Other than that we learn the same things, generally act the same way, and participate in sports at the same level. So most of the misconceptions and stereotypes that Elder or St. X receive from public school students are false.”

Mastruserio said his experiences with religious education have taught him more than just Catholic doctrine.

“I think that when some public school students think of religion classes they may picture a bunch of students being lectured on what to think, maybe being told something outrageous like ‘television is evil’,” Mastruserio said. “What I have been able to take away from religion classes is that religion is not a clearcut defined thing. Most religions, Catholicism included, has a set of beliefs.

I’m saying that it is up to the individual to interpret these values in their own ways. I’ve learned to respect other religions, because we don’t have that much all that much between us.”

[

Erin Brush | Managing Editor

Jack Davidson, sophomore

“I feel like (the teacher) would be really conservative and on the older side. (The tests) would probably be testing how close your views are in comparison to what the views are in the religion.”

Emily Wang, sophomore

“There’s probably a lot more rules set than at a public school and more limitations.”

Clayton Doll, sophomore

Photos by Erin Brush

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On

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january 30, 2015

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The boys and girls basketball teams under the direction of long time coaches Greg Richards and Rob Matula run a base offense known as the Flex. This offense is a difficult offense to defend and is designed The Flex is a motion offense that is a repeated to create high percent- set of cuts and screens. Both Mason’s boys and girls team’s offenses are based in the Flex. While there age shots and control are built in variations the base offense is as follows. tempo of the game.

january 30, 2015

Defensive Minded To get into the Flex, 3 players must form a triangle on one side of the floor. In this case the 2, 4 and 5 will start the motion. The first cut is a back cut from the 2 where they will get a screen from the 5 and continue to the opposite block.

Next the 4 will set a down screen for the 5 who will continue up to the elbow area. The 1 will pass the ball to the 5, which creates a triangle on the right side of the floor, and the motion will begin again.

A shot can be taken at any point in the Flex. The motion will continue on either side until a shot is taken. The Flex is a pattern offense and will continually repeat.

Mirror Images

in

Bunches

Mason basketball programs off to scorching start

Top

The

players

Results as of January 25.

Boys

coaching connection

Similar coaching styles transcends to teams’ successes

Eric Miller | Staff Writer

You’d be hard pressed to find a girls and boys basketball team with more similarities than the Mason Comets. They both run the same offense. Their head coaches hail from the same coaching tree and they both win a majority of their basketball games.

Coach Greg Richards has led his boys team to an 12-0 start on the 2014-15 season. The Comets lead the GMC in scoring offense 69.9 PPG, and scoring defense 44.3 PPG. Richards said this team’s best characteristic is its camaraderie.

“I think they play well together, I don’t think there’s any one superstar,” Richards said. “They feed off of each other and they get along real well, they play hard together, they practice hard together.”

Coach Rob Matula has guided his young team to a 12-4 start, second in the GMC. Matula’s team is third in the league offensively at 51.4 PPG, but is the best scoring defense in the league at 37.3 PPG. Matula credits the early season success to his team’s desire to be great.

“I think that they genuinely care for each other and cheer for each other and want each other to do well,” Matula said. “I think that’s important as we continue to mature as a group.”

Richards’ squad has been through through a variety a different games this season. They throttled Colerain 80-26 but then pulled off a gutsy 62-60 comeback win over Princeton a week later. Richards said those close games reveal a team’s character.

“It’s important, no doubt, to be able to play in close games and come out with wins,” Richards said. “I think that shows a testament to our guys, not just the guys out on the floor but our bench people, it was total team effort.”

Richards’s team is currently sixth in Ohio and Matula’s squad is currently seventh in the state.

Basketball coaches Greg Richards and Rob Matula have similar philosphies and that often shows up in the defensive statistcs for both teams.

Check out their similiarities.

(Defensive average 44.3 ppg)

Boys and girls basketball winning behind teamwork, tenacious defense

Winning

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W 62-26 vs. Lebanon W 69-46 vs. Princeton W 71-57 vs. Hamilton W 60-49 vs. Fairfield W 74-39 vs. Sycamore W 85-46 vs. Loveland W 73-65 vs. TW Madison W 72-51 vs. Middletown W 80-26 vs. Colerain W 62-60 vs. Princeton W 60-36 vs. Kings W 71-30 vs. Middletown

Girls

(Defensive average 37.3 ppg)

In a comeback 73-65 win over TrotwoodMadison, sophomore Eddie Puisis put up 31 points, the highest point total by a Mason player this season.

Senior Cameron Arminio piled up 20 points and was 5-8 from behind the three point arc in Mason’s first ever win at Middletown by a score of 72-51.

Junior Center Lauren Van Kleunen led the Comets to a 5034 over Walnut Hills with a game high 20 points and also added 11 rebounds and four steals.

Greg Richards and Rob Matula were assistants together in 1990.

Eric Miller | Staff Writer

In a season opening 61-32 win over Colerain junior Jailyn Mason scored her season high 22 points and had 4 rebounds and 6 steals.

Coach Greg Richards and Rob Matula got their start in basketball coaching under Coach Gary Popplewell as varsity assistants.

Both Richards and Matula have gone on to have successful head coaching careers.

Matula has racked up 242 wins as a boys and girls coach at Sycamore, Talawanda, and Mason and in his career Richards has amassed Photos by Madison Krell

Photo from 1990 yearbook

274 wins. Matula said having a coach in the building with the same philosophies is helpful.

“I go to (Richards) quite often when I have questions about things I need to get better at and our team needs to get better at,” Matula said.

Richards said there’s definite connection between his boys program and Matula’s girls program.

W 61-32 vs. Colerain W 53-40 vs. Princeton W 56-31 vs. Lakota East W 49-30 vs. Sycamore W 57-31 vs. Fairfield W 59-24 vs. Hamilton W 53-46 vs. Talawanda W 49-23 vs. Centerville W 50-34 vs. Walnut Hills W 56-19 vs. Oak Hills W 62-40 vs. Middletown L 52-43 vs. Alter L 36-33 vs. Newark L 57-33 vs. Solon L 55-41 vs. Lakota West W 48-32 vs. Sycamore

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Next Dimension

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CAD class integrates 3D printing technology into coursework

A student in CAD designs table end caps to be printed out on the 3D printer.

Dave Weiseman’s Computer Aided Design class’ newest addition: a 3D printer.

Matthew Marvar | Staff Writer

Before the printer, there was just paper--and that’s about it.

Computer Aided Design is a class that works to draft parts on the computer to engineer them. Today, they’re able to take that drafted part and print it out. But not just on paper--rather, on a 3D printer.

Just recently, CAD class got a new one. With it, the class is able to take their learning to the next dimension.

“The 3D printer allows you to take a computer design, a graphic design, whether it’s a computer aided design model or from photoshop,” CAD teacher Dave Weiseman said. “And it allows you take that graphic image and export it into a 3D solid model in hand.”

Long before the 3D printer became a part of the class, they didn’t have a lot to work with. Weiseman said that students learned about design and engineering, but they could only learn as much as drawing designs on paper would help them.

“It was all paperwork,” Weiseman said. “So we didn’t really have any models or any kind of examples that were real-world.”

Looking to further students’ learning, this proved to be difficult for the class, according to Weiseman.

“It could take days and days to produce these parts because you had to hand draw them,” Weiseman said.

“And you’ve got to learn a lot about projection of geometry, understanding angles, intersections, tangencies.”

And if you wanted to produce your design but you didn’t have a 3D printer, a long process would await.

“You’d have to send it away to a manufacturing firm where they could produce the part, which could take several weeks to months,” Weiseman said. “And if there are any modifications to be made, you’d have to go back, reengineer the drawing again.

There were months and months of lost time.”

But, finally, technology has come around. The CAD classes now use the 3D printer in a variety of ways.

Photos by Madison Krell

Table end caps designed by CAD students and printed out on the 3D printer.

“We create a lot of mechanical parts that deal with everyday engineering aspects, and then we test and analyze those parts for function,” Weiseman said.

For senior Nathan Domeck, the 3D printer serves as a gateway to advance his understanding of engineering.

“For engineering purposes, it’s really cool to make (a part) and see how things work,” Domeck said. “It teaches us (to visualize) how things work, seeing how the parts can go together.”

Weiseman wondered about the future of the industry--he claimed that the materials will become stronger and more able to withstand harder testing.

“I’d say within five years, you’re going to see a lot of prototyping machines that are capable of producing parts with fine metals,” Weiseman said. “They’ve been in the process right now of jewelry printers, where they’re putting liquid gold and liquid silver in and it’s solidifying as it

draws.”

Hershey Company is even doing this with chocolate.

“You could go in and do a model of your face or your name and (print out the chocolate),” Weiseman said.

According to Weiseman, the 3D printing industry is changing. Many think that the printers are used just for engineering, but that’s no longer the case--architects, dentists, and medical professionals all use them.

He said that because the printers are becoming more and more popular, CAD students will have the upper hand in the future.

“Prototyping is everywhere in just about every industry now and it’s going to give them a great advantage when they move on,” Weiseman said.

Senior Landon Sagle said he can attest to that.

“It allows us to broaden our horizons in what we can learn and what we can do in CAD class,” Sagle said.

“We can learn more and more and expand the boundaries of stuff we can create.”

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Mountain Movers Long-time skiers take on steep slopes in competitions Kylie McCalmont | Staff Writer

The passion of Mason skiers is enough to move mountains.

Senior Holly Stokely started her skiing career after her dad took her out when she was four. This trip eventually led to a third place ranking in the bronze division last year at the National Standard Race (NASTAR) in Aspin’s Snow Mass, Colorado, but nationally she is ranked first in bronze overall.

Stokely skis at Perfect North in Indiana where she prepares for multiple races that can make her ranking escalate. Besides preparing for these races, Stokely said that the remainder of her skiing is on her own.

“At Perfect North every Monday I have racing practice, there are only one or two races (at Perfect North) a year and so those really make a big impact on how I do,” Stokely said. “Every year I’ve been racing and qualified to go to nationals but I only went last year. That’s the only racing I do, the rest is just freestyle skiing.”

Stokely might be even be pursuing her passion in college where she has plans of going to either Eastern Michigan University or West Virginia University and skiing in the NASTAR program. Although bronze is fourth in the NASTAR division, Stokely said she is still motivated to climb higher in her positioning.

“I try every year to bump my way up to the top and as of right now I’m in the bronze but hopefully next year I’ll be at least silver,” Stokely said.

Stokely is competitive with her skiing but there are others that participate in skiing that endure weekly trips to Perfect North and Ohio’s bizarre winter weather just for the love of the sport. Junior Sophie Lebowitz also started skiing after a trip with her dad at a young age and fell in love with the sport. According to Lebowitz, she picked skiing over other more convenient sports because it’s a sport where one is constantly improving.

“I like skiing because it gives you something to do that involves phys-

Senior Holly Stokely skiing down a slope at Perfect North in Indiana.

ical exercise and it’s a social and fun thing to do,” Lebowitz said. “Every time you go you just get a little bit better.”

According to sophomore and recreational skier Emma Morrissey, her desire to ski is not the will to compete but the form and practice of the skiing position.

“I’m not really one for speed,” Morrissey said. “I love doing the sport because of the form. It takes a lot of practice and precision to get it down.”

Ohio has a lack of skiers whether there’re competing like Stokely or just want to have a good time like Lebowitz and Morrissey. Lebowitz said that possible reasoning why skiing doesn’t get more attention and participation is due to the difficulty of the sport.

“It’s hard, it really is,” Lebowitz said. “The thing about skiing is you have to go several times, you’re not going to be good the first time you go, nobody is. I think it is a little nerve-racking seeing these people on these crazy steep slopes and it’s

intimidating because they’re so good.”

Although there isn’t currently a ski club and plans for a future one at Mason High School aren’t concrete, Morrissey tries to share her passion with her peers in a different manner.

“I just talk about it with my friends that seem excited about it,” Morrissey said. “When I tell them they’re usually pretty interested because they don’t meet many skiers out East and I just tell them how fun it is and I think it just spreads by doing that.”

Whether you fly down black diamonds or crawl down the bunny hill, all it takes to become a skier is some skis, poles and a little bit of courage, according to Lebowitz.

“It’s mostly about being brave,” Lebowtiz said. “There is a courage aspect to it, about being willing to try a harder slope. It’s like once you start a new slope you can’t get off because there is only one way to get off which is down. You have to get over that fear.”

Photo contributed by Holly Stokely

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Second Generation Kids born in U.S. adapt parents’ culture with American customs Kelly Noriega | Staff Writer

It’s out with the old and in with the new.

Children born in the United States lose many of the elements of their culture that were introduced to their parents when they grew up in their home country, according to senior Michael Crawshaw, and living in the United States has taken away some of those aspects he would have learned if he had grown up in Chile.

“All parts of my family except for my immediate family speaks Spanish,” Crawshaw said. “Me, my sister and my brother don’t and it is kind of lost because I can’t communicate with my grandparents.”

According to Uma Ram, senior Priyanka Ram’s mother, when she moved to the United States from India, she later learned about the importance of preserving culture.

“When I moved here I didn’t think that much (about preserving culture),” Uma said. “When I had my kids two years later, I started thinking that it’s important to impart the culture and language and tradition.

It’s not that hard because I do visit India a lot, and my husband’s parents visit here. We (also) attend all of our family weddings back home.”

Crawshaw said he feels pressure from family friends and other native Spanish speakers.

“When I meet my mom’s friends or other native speakers they’ll be like, ‘Why don’t you speak Spanish?’” Crawshaw said.

His parents didn’t want to teach their children Spanish in fear of them losing the English they had already learned, according to Crawshaw.

“My big brother was completely bilingual,” Crawshaw said. “He learned just as much Spanish as English until he was three, but he started, in school, not being able to understand English. My dad cut it off and said, ‘No more Spanish until he can understand English.’

I was the next child and they just didn’t really teach me any Spanish when I was little.”

According to Priyanka, she has also faced similar adversity as Crawshaw at her family’s parties.

“I’m not as fluent as (my family friends) so it’s kind of difficult

to communicate,” Priyanka said.

“Some of them don’t speak English fluently; we kind of just laugh at each other and teach each other.”

Priyanka said she primarily connects to her culture through being involved with Bhangra dancing.

“I love to dance and it’s also a way to connect to my culture,” Priyanka said.

It’s gratifying to watch her kids connecting to their culture, according to Uma. “I love it,” Uma said. “They did learn our traditional

Sycamore High School graduate Nimit Desai and MHS senior Priyanka Ram Bhangra dancing.

dance for a few years, (but) when they started growing up they liked Bhangra more. That’s what they took (up) and we’re happy about it.

For Crawshaw, relating to U.S. culture is easier than relating to Chilean culture, and he feels as if there are things he is missing out on.

“I wish I could dance,” Crawshaw said. “I think a lot of times I go to parties with my family and dancing is a big (barrier). My mom still makes Chilean food and we listen to music but it’s not the same.”

Photo contributed by Priyanka Ram

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Doggy Dependency Therapy dogs help students overcome barriers Duncan MacKenzie | Staff Writer

Who let the dogs in?

Every Friday for the past six years, handlers have led dogs of every shape and size around the halls of Mason High School, but these dogs aren’t sniffing out stashed drugs or concealed weapons. They serve a very different purpose; the dogs are brought to the intervention rooms of various teachers to help students with special needs. The activities that the students can do with the dogs range from brushing and petting to watching tricks and baking homemade dog bones.

Intervention specialist Amy Lillich has worked many times with the dogs, and the lessons that her students have learned transcend any school curriculum.

“The dogs give the students a sense of responsibility because they can take them on walks or they can brush them with the handler,” Lillich said.

According to Lillich, the dogs have even helped students overcome fears. It only takes one dog that a student really connects with for them to reach new social heights.

“We had a student last week who is in his fourth year at the high school and has never really wanted to interact or walk,” Lillich said. “There was one dog that came in this week, a Husky-type dog, that suddenly got his attention and took him on a walk. It was really cool to see.”

Not just any dog can come to the high school. First, the dog and trainer must work together to pass a series of assessments.

After completing online tests and workshops, the pet and handler must be able to perform tasks such as sitting, lying down, staying and petting.

The overall goal is to put the dogs in a situation where if children were playing with the dog, it would remain calm.

Glenna Mockbee is a director, evaluator and instructor at Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati, a non-profit organization that trains and brings pets to schools and hospitals around the tri-state area. She has trained numerous dogs, cats, horses, and pigs to be deemed therapy pets. According to Mockbee, a pet’s handler is just as important as the pet itself.

“The handler is a very important part of it,” Mockbee said.

“It has to be a dog and handler: a good team that love (s) each other and want(s) to work together.”

There are some things that a dog can do that their handler can’t. According to Mockbee, the dogs can sniff out the best way to interact with a child in ways that another person can’t.

“It’s amazing to watch some of the dogs with children with disabilities,” Mockbee said.

“They can figure out the best way to approach a child. I may not know it, but they may know it.”

Although the dogs can’t speak or read, they can teach and help students in many ways. In fact, it may be because they can’t speak or read that makes them so useful.

“For children who have trouble reading, you bring a dog in and have the child read to the dog,” Mockbee said. “They’re on cloud nine. They’re reading to the dog and the dog won’t judge them.”

According to Mockbee, the best thing about therapy dogs may be their universal inclusiveness in how they help people. Across all races and cultures, dogs have the ability to bring people together, she said, and a dog can have a lasting impact on just about anyone.

“Even the youngsters in a wheelchair get to walk the dogs,” Mockbee said. “They can hold one of the leashes, so they can do the same things the other kids can do.”

Photo by Madison Krell

A therapy dog at Mason High School helps students with special needs in a variety of ways, including interacting, overcoming fears, walking and reading.

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Healthy Habits

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Teachers band together for health challenges in the fight to be fit Erin McElhenny | Staff Writer

Commit to be fit.

Government teacher Chip Dobson finds working out to be one of life’s simplest pleasures, so he began his 45-day challenge.

“I put together a Google document and had accountability for about six or seven of my friends and coworkers to log their workouts for 30 days,” Dobson said. “We started off with 30 days and 30 minutes every day. We just completed that and so I issued a new one; 45 minutes a day for 45 days.”

Participating in this challenge are two fellow Z2 teachers, English teacher Kristin Stoll and math teacher Greg Roach.

According to Stoll, this was a great way for her to stay on track for her fitness goals.

“I agreed to do this fitness challenge that Mr. Dobson proposed, because why not?” Stoll said. “It’s the winter; it’s hard to get motivated to get out of your house and out of your sweatpants to go workout, so if someone’s going to offer an opportunity to be held accountable for working out, then I’m going to take advantage of that.”

According to Roach, accountability is an important part of why he agreed to join Dobson’s challenge.

“The accountability I believe is the biggest thing,” Roach said. “Number one, it’s good for me just to keep track of what I’ve done so I can go back and see what I’ve done. And number two, especially with Dobson, I can ask him stuff about biking and swimming and I can have that conversation with him.”

Dobson isn’t the only accountable teacher in the building. Social studies teacher Micah Faler has invited some other teachers to do a 24-day challenge through AdvoCare with him.

“The 24-day challenge is AdvoCare’s kind of introductory program,” Faler said. “It’s a 24-day program that goes into two phases. It starts with a ten-day cleanse that is just an overall detox of your body and then it goes into the remainder as a max phase, which is now that you’ve detoxed and cleansed your body, you’re going to put everything good back in.”

Faler has started a group of 28 participants, some of which are other B2 teachers, including English teacher Beth Celenza. She said dieting with her coworkers is a great way to make sure she stays on track.

“Two of our three meals a day are together; we eat breakfast and lunch here,” Celenza said. “At home at night we’re all texting each other with our dinners and it’s really helpful to see everyone every day and to stay in contact even outside of work to make sure everybody is staying on board.”

Seeing the people you are dieting with everyday doesn’t necessarily lessen a guilty conscious. According to Dobson, the feeling you get when you tell the others you couldn’t complete one day is worse than the actual workout.

“You don’t want that shame of ‘Oh, it got busy last night’ or ‘I was tired,’” Dobson said. “You want to be able to stand tall and look them in the eye and say, ‘I swam 3000 yards and I’m proud of it.’”

According to Faler, coworkers aren’t only good for staying on track.

“When you go at a challenge like that alone it can be difficult,” Faler said.

“There is no accountability. But when you do it in a group of people it makes it easier. You don’t necessarily compete, but you’re encouraging each other, you support each other.”

Competition, or the lack thereof, is a common thread between Dobson’s and Faler’s challenges.

“For me it’s more of an internal competition,” Stoll said. “I think it’s more about seeing what you’ve accomplished and using that to help motivate yourself and then hopefully make some goals for yourself over the next 45 days to see if you can better yourself in some way or if you can advance in some area you needed help in when the 45 days started.”

Goals link both challenges back to their creator. According to both Dobson and Faler, helping others to set and meet goals are of high importance to them.

“I also saw it as a way of helping people that have a common goal and providing them with something that could really give them the ability to meet that goal they’ve already set,” Faler said. “The principals here even want the teachers to do things together. To be unified. To do things as a pod, like we do on Halloween or for Homecoming.

The principles of AdvoCare are promoting a healthy lifestyle of helping others, of community, of working together and I thought what is better and more fun than improving yourself while doing it within a group.”

Teachers Greg Roach, Kristin Stoll and Chip Dobson do pushups in the weight room as part of their workout for the 45-day fitness challenge.

Teachers Greg Roach and Kristin Stoll workout in the weight room.

Photos by Madison Krell

Teachers Kristin Stoll and Greg Roach lift weights as part of their workouts.

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sports

Scan here to see the results from the 2015 JVH Memorial Tournament

More

than a

Match

Annual Mason JVH wrestling invite carries deeper message

Charlie MacKenzie | Staff Writer

“Wear your seatbelts.”

Jim Horning ends the JVH Memorial Tournament each year with these three words.

The Mason Wrestling Invitational was renamed in memory of Horning’s son, James V. Horning. James was the captain of the wrestling team, and was driving home one rainy night from his girlfriend’s house in 2004. His truck flipped over and upon impact James was thrown from his car. James did not escape the accident alive. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

Jim founded the JVH Memorial Foundation with the help of his friends and some of James’ former coaches and teachers. Ken Whitney is a current ninth grade history teacher at Mason High School, and used to teach James. He is also a close friend of Jim’s and is the tournament director. According to Whitney, the tournament has a deeper intent than to display wrestling skills.

“(The tournament) is a celebration of James’ life,” Whitney said.

“Part of that is celebrating James’ life, in honor of James and the kind of kid he was. He loved to help others.”

Head wrestling coach Craig Murnan was an assistant coach at the time of James’ death. According to Murnan, James’ team was one of the best Mason had put on the mat. Murnan takes the week of the tournament to remember James’s character with the rest of the coaching staff. The tournament brings back many alumni wrestlers and parents, and Murnan said that it is great experience for his team to be able to perform in front of so many alumni.

“We’ve been to some memorial tournaments,” Murnan said. “The coaching staff mostly will talk about James, we talk about the character, and the qualities that he stood for. It’s a really good reminder, too, because honestly (James) would probably still be here if he had worn a seatbelt, it’s something as simple as that. It represents a

time that is good because it refocuses our kids in the middle of a season about what is important.”

The goal of the JVH Memorial Foundation is to help any families who are experiencing a tragedy, similar to one the Horning family endured. The Foundation has a variety of fundraisers, the biggest being a golf outing that raises about $15,000 in July. The tournament, however, does not raise any extra money for the foundation. According to Jim, the tournament is simply to honor James and the sport that he loved.

“The JVH Wrestling Invitational is more or less just for the wrestling aspect of what James was all about,” Jim said. “We don’t really make a lot of money on that tournament, we ask to break even with that tournament. (The tournament) is more or less to just make sure that we keep (James’) spirit alive in the wrestling foundation as far as within the school so (people) know what he was and what he was all about.”

Despite the high level of intensi-

ty during the season, Murnan says that the tournament is a day where coaches push their athletes a little less. According to Murnan, this exemplifies the sportsmanship and character each wrestler stands for.

“As competitive as the sport is, it is a day where sometimes the competitive nature is not as big,” Murnan said. “It’s a good tournament, it’s just the coaches don’t maybe take (the tournament) to the level that they might later in the year when interacting with each other and as well as the team. I think there is a lot of sportsmanship and values that carry through the day.”

Jim and Whitney share the same idea about the message of the tournament: wherever you are, always buckle up.

“The biggest impact that we want to get out there is to make awareness of the seatbelt factor,” Horning said. “We believe that if James had his seatbelt fastened that he would probably still be with us today. That is one of the big issues that we try to side for today.”

Photo by Erin McElhenny

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On

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Bowl

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Girls bowling hunts for conference title Kylie McCalmont | Staff Writer

Mason bowling is knocking down not just pins but opposing teams in the Greater Miami Conference.

The girls have especially made a comeback compared to last year being sixth in the GMC to this year where they remain in a tight race for first with Middletown and Oak Hills.

According to senior Kelsey Mitchell who is currently ranked third individually in the GMC, strong relationships and intense concentration may be what makes the difference between sixth and first place.

“I feel like our team chemistry is better and everyone is more focused than they were last year,” Mitchell said. “Obviously there’s more room for improvement even towards the end of the season, but I feel like we’re on a better track than we were last year.”

Head coach Connie Smith said that her team’s success may not only be due to the chemistry and focus but also the help that the varsity team provides to the new JV girls.

“The JV team is pretty much all brand new,” Smith said. “We (only) have a couple that have been with us a few years, but the rest are brand new so my varsity will help them…they do it on their own and they cheer each other on.”

While varsity girls such as Mitchell help the JV team, they are not only bettering their

future team but also themselves. According to Mitchell, the varsity team has a lot to teach due to the technicality of the sport.

“Bowling is very scientific; it’s a precise sport,” Mitchell said. “We help them (find) where they stand on the starting lane and mark the hit on the lane and we have to help them with their form, too, to make sure they’re not just throwing the ball but they’re having their wrist in a certain position so they can have the hook they need.”

Due to this mentorship between the girls, Smith said that she sees a large improvement in her younger bowlers especially as they can see for themselves that four out of the five varsity spots will need to be filled as five seniors graduate this year.

“I see my JV improving every day,” Smith said. “I see them really listening to what I say, what the other coaches say and what the varsity players say.”

As the girls are enjoying a successful year, the boys are currently holding the sixth spot in the GMC which is one lower than they earned last year. According to junior Sean Merritt, despite their current ranking they are still making progress.

“We have progressed a lot since last year,” Merritt said. “We qualified third in the tournament Saturday but that’s the farthest we’ve qualified in the past couple years.”

5 QUESTIONS with Sam Lemmink

6

Mason wrestlers top the GMC in six of 14 different weight classes including Zack Donathan (113), Colin Schuster (126), Nicholas D’Agostino (152), Jordan Collins (182), Sheldon Sims (220), and Doug Mullens (285).

3

Boy swimmers set three school records at the Coaches Classic. Joel Thatcher broke the 200 Backstroke and 1650 Freestyle records and the 400 Medley Relay record was broken by Joel Thatcher, Terry Tao, Justin Hove, and Peter He.

137

The gymnastics team beat out nine other teams to win the Northmont invitational with a team score of 137 points.

5:08.35

Freshman swimmer Allison Bloebaum leads the conference in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:08.35.

Results as of January 24.

Sam Lemmink, goalie for the Comets ice hockey team, joined Mason in midseason to make his high school debut, despite being a student at Colerain High School.

Zane Miller | Staff Writer

1. Why did you want to join the Comets?

“Last year, they really were a great team, and that kind of intrigued me to come here, they needed a goalie, so after the (DiPaolo) Tournament, I was probably a perfect fit for the team. These guys are great guys, they really invited me into the team, and I feel like I’m welcome here, it’s just the perfect fit.”

2. What has made you feel welcome?

“The first time I stepped in the locker room, everybody welcomed me and gave me a highfive, it just makes me feel welcome.”

3. How does it feel to join the team after the start of the season, but yet play a major role?

Pictured: Sam Lemmink

Photo by Zane Miller

“Well, I really don’t know how to explain that. It’s just a good feeling; I’m glad it happened. I mean, I’ve had some great times with

these guys and they’ve really helped me out, and I’m really just glad I can be there for them.”

4. What has been the biggest difference between Mason and your travel team?

“I think the game is a lot faster in the travel leagues, but these guys are so great with passing. They are passers, great hockey players in general.”

5. How do you bring a high level of intensity to the game?

“You’ve just got to make sure you go out there and be prepared every night, and play your game, and if you set the tone, if everybody’s looking at you, you need to hold your own. But if everyone’s playing as a team, that’s going to make everyone else want to play and not be faltering during the game.”

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