The Chronicle, 4.6

WILLIAM MASON HIGH SCHOOL

Athletes who are offended by the term “dumb jock”

STYLE

Spring break, a time to take care of skin Story on page 23> >

In SPORTS, page 15 > >

PLUS: A conversation High school thespians with boys varsity track mentor middle school sprinterBrendan Caprio on being manly in extremely drama crew undersized shorts. Story on page 19 > >

Volume 4 Issue 6

MARCH 30, 2007 WHAT’S

inside Self defense class held by Young Women’s club prepares girls for chance encounters Story on page 3> >

A&E

Trix aren’t just for kids, check out why kids still love their childhood favorites See Page 22 > >

It’s

Madness ANNUAL HOOP S FE V E R DE S CE NDS ON MA S ON

New prom location will require longer drive Story on page 3 > >

center SPREAD

Where do you fit in? Mason students identify their geographic destination in the school cafeteria. story on page 12 >> photo by Morrison Tracy

The Chronicle The official student newspaper of William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason-Montgomery Road Mason, Ohio 45040

Screaming fans. Passionate players. Students covered in body paint. All are March staples; products of the annual 65 team NCAA basketball tournament. Rarely throughout the year is pandemonium seen on such on grand scale, and it is in March that this behavior is acceptable. The madness this year seems even greater in Mason due to Ohio State's appearance in the Final Four. And as the tournament draws to a conclusion fan lunacy and madness permeates the hallways of Mason.

Story on page 2 > >

check IT OUT

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Percentage of students who dislike class assigned reading Story on page 4 > >

In SPORTS: Coaches whose first passion is academics

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March 30, 2007

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Crazed fans admit March Guys not the only ones afflicted Madness can become by annual March craze more than an obsession

BY DREW ALLEN Staff Writer Most students interest during the regular College basketball season is limited to watching the occasional game on ESPN and taking a glance at the weekly associated press poll. However, as soon as the NCAA tournament rolls around, the nationwide craze captures even the most casual of students and fans in its furor. Suddenly, it seems that even the most informed sports fans are filling out their brackets and discussing Long Beach State's university upset chances.

When it comes to the month of March, senior Blake Brody is among those impassioned fans that find it hard to focus on anything but basketball.

"In my March, my mind can't take anything but basketball," Brody said.

"It's the greatest time of year."

And when the games with the most on the line are decided in the waning minutes, Brody can be found kneeling in front of the television, anticipating the game winning shot.

"I'm usually on my knees during the last four minutes of a game," Brody said. "I scream at the TV when teams make a big play, and when it comes down to the wire the atmosphere can get real intense if you're around me."

Brody is not the only crazed fan among those who walk Mason's hallways. Senior Derek Brown also finds himself becoming absorbed when March Madness comes along.

"I watch every single game, and do plenty of research before I fill out my brackets," Brown said. "And I'm always getting into arguments with Logan Long about Cincinnati and Kentucky."

Senior Ryan Winkler can also take the tournament quite seriously.

"I treat it [the tournament] like it's my job," Winkler said. "I watch every single round during March Madness and it is rare to find me off the couch during games. Especially when Xavier is on."

The madness also compels both Brown and Brody to watch games from noon to eleven.

"I'll stay up to midnight if I get to watch UK play," Brown said. "I even have to schedule my afternoons around watching games."

Brody spends the majority of his day watching basketball games.

"I watch games all day from noon to midnight," Brody said. "And whenever a good game is going to be on, I watch every single one of them."

Senior Andrew McLaughlin also eschews his schedule in preparation for watching one of the largest sporting events in the world. He spent the first day watching games in a teachers room during lunch.

"Then I watched them when I got home, while I was working at Carrabba's and finally finished watching them when I got home after work while the last games were ending," McLaughlin said.

While other students are content to stay at home and watch games with friends, Senior Nick Otte took his rooting interests one step forward and traveled to Lexington to watch Ohio State in the first two rounds.

"This was the first time I've ever been to the tournament," Otte said. "It was close this year, and the Buckeyes were playing, so we bought some tickets."

Otte also found himself in a unique situation with a fellow Mason fanatic while in Lexington.

"During the Xavier-[OSU] game Kevin Wehby and me were sitting next to each other," Otte said. "After the

Ron Lewis three pointer to send it into overtime, I was jumping up and down and giving high fives to Wehby.

However, I forgot he was a Xavier fan.

He wasn't too happy with me after that."

This obsessive madness does not extend itself only to marathon viewings of both exhilarating upsets and mundane one seed versus sixteen seed blowouts. Many students frequently argue for hours why their brackets are better, and Brody is to be counted among their ranks.

"If I ever look over and see Kansas losing on someone's bracket, I'll get into a heated debate with them," Brody said. "I'll fight to the death for my Jayhawks."

Over the last couple of years, Brody has had to defend Kansas relentlessly after disappointing first round upsets to Bradley and Bucknell.

"I've had to take a lot of [flak] the last few years because Kansas has lost in the first round two years in a row to a couple of pretty low seeds," Brody said. "But this year I get to laugh at all the naysayers because Kansas is finally and deservedly a number one seed."

"Arguing with me about basketball can get pretty heated," Winkler said.

"It's alright though, because I'm pretty biased about Xavier. I usually argue with UC fans quite a bit, especially Mark Robinson. But it's not as fun anymore because UC just isn't that good these days."

Some super fans, such as Brown, may also be prone to physical hostility resulting from a disappointing game.

"I actually punched a hole in the wall after UK lost to [Michigan State] a couple of years ago in over time," Brown said. "I was pretty upset because a Final Four trip was on the line for them. The funny thing is, my mom wasn't very happy about [the hole], but my dad completely understood."

Winkler has also been involved in his fair share of physical altercations during heated games over the years.

"I've been known to thrown a punch or two during some bad games," Winkler said. "Both at people or objects, depending on whichever is in my way."

While these madmen debate, argue, and sometimes even fight because of March Madness, they nearly all can come to common ground on which of the esteemed three weekends of the tournament is the greatest.

"The first two days of the tournament are always the best because of the upsets and Cinderella's," Brown said.

Brody also feels the first round surpasses all others due to the excitement and utter quantity of games.

"The first round is always the best to watch," Brody said. "It's just because of the upsets, buzzer beaters and sheer number of games."

Winkler is another advocate for the greatness of the first round.

"The first week is always great because of the upsets and disappointments," Winkler said.

However, while fans of other schools have their eyes glued to the first round, OSU devotees have their sights set on much higher aspirations as the tournament field narrows.

"The first round is cool and all, but when OSU makes it to the Final Four that will be the best week to watch," McLaughlin said.

Otte is also eagerly anticipating the final weekend in Atlanta.

"The last week, Final Four weekend, is going to be the greatest of them all this year," Otte said. "That's when they crown OSU as champs and they get to cut down the nets in Atlanta."

By COLEMAN SANDERS Staff writer

As the second week of March rolls around every year, many girls across the nation grow exasperated as basketball fever takes hold of nearly every red-blooded male. Restaurants are crowded with loyal fans screaming at television sets. Television itself becomes a choice between re-runs and basketball games. Cell phones, once used for chatting with girlfriends, are reserved instead for checking scores and highlights.

Pocket money is used for entry into bracket pools, and not spent on gifts for the girlfriend or a romantic dinner. However, there are a few girls, including some at Mason High School, who join in on what is normally seen as a guy pastime: Bracketology.

A few young women, such as senior Kristen Lamotte, have been filling out brackets for several years now.

"I love watching college basketball," Lamotte said.

"I'll watch any game that's on TV." Because of her knowledge and love of the game, Lamotte has entered her bracket into a pool with others for a chance to win the cash prize. This year she is one of four girls out of the thirty-six entrants.

"I know basketball; I'll go onto ESPN.com and look up stats and stuff," Lamotte said. "I think that it's cool to be able to test my basketball knowledge against the guys."

One of the other girls in the pool, senior Molly Rowland, also enjoys the competition.

"My boyfriend Derek Brown first got me into filling brackets out for the tournament," Rowland said. "He taught me all the tricks, like how there is usually a 12-5 seed upset."

Rowland adds that she feels that you can connect to the action better with a bracket.

"It makes you pay attention to who's winning or losing, because you want to win the money," Rowland said.

And while there are experienced female bracketeers such as these two, there are many more women who try their hand at the pastime for the first time. Senior Jen Baarendse rates herself as on such novice.

"I like college basketball, and people looked like they were having a lot of fun doing this," Baarendse said.

As for her method of making picks, Baarendse combines both proven and unorthodox styles of selection.

"First I look at the teams' records," Baarendse said, "And if I can't make a decision with that I'll go with which college's location I'd rather live most."

Senior Rachel Wein is also a beginner at filling out brackets. However, she had to fill one out for a school assignment and not by choice.

"I filled out a bracket for my statistics class," Wein said. "I didn't really understand what I was doing, but I kind of enjoyed it."

Wein doesn't think she'll be entering hers' into any pools anytime soon though.

"I probably wouldn't win," Wein said, "But it's nice to be part of the phenomenon that's sweeping the nation.�

Students cash in on March Madness Senior Chase Conn continues tradition of student run pools and third place finishers take home some prize money, it makes things more interesting for everyone because you technically aren't out till you get eliminated from third Every year when March Madness rolls around you place." may sit back and see your mother or father frantically Conn has decided to allow participants to enter more filling out their annual office pool's bracket but now the than one bracket for the same fee as the first bracket. tournament has taken a turn into our very own Mason According to Conn, this gives those who really want to High School. While students every year enter their win better odds at the grand prize. brackets in hopes of winning a little extra cash, others "There are about four or five people in my tournament like senior Chase Conn that have more than one chose to be the host for bracket," Conn said. the NCAA bracket "Personally, I entered challenges. Conn has two into my own tourbeen holding his own nament challenge just tournament pool since because I wouldn't mind the seventh grade. winning that prize "Hosting a bracket money. Plus, allowing pool brings more intermore than one bracket est to the games," Conn makes the prize bigger said. "Once you fill out so it's a win-win situaa bracket and actually tion." put money down on Propaganda plays a big certain teams, you part in getting people to instantly want to watch join tournaments. With as much as you can." tools like myspace.com According to Conn, and facebook.com, most bracket host start spreading the word by someone passing about a tournament has down their own tournanever been easier. ments for a chosen per"This year it was realson to follow up and ly easy to get people to continue the tradition. join because of face"I thought it was difbook.com," Conn said. ferent when I started "Once I post informadoing my own pool tion on all of my friend's because I didn't have an pages, I then start to text photo by Morrison Tracy message people about older brother that used to do it here at school," With so many students getting in on the craze entry fee and due dates student run pools can often mean big mean big for the brackets. It's Conn said. "When I started doing it, it was really quite simple." cash pay-outs for the lucky winner. all my original idea and Being the host of a I guess my friends really enjoyed it so every year I just tournament can mean consequences. In some places, continue to do it. When I leave MHS, I'm not going to NCAA pools are illegal and viewed as a minor form of pass down my tournament." gambling depending on the money amounts.

While some tournament hosts exploit this time to make "If I would get in trouble for hosting a bracket pool for money, Conn prefers to just have fun. five dollars a piece then I don't know what I would do," "I don't want to make money when I do something like Conn said. "People have too much time on their hands if this," Conn said. "It's all about having fun and getting a they want to get me in trouble for that. I would pretty bunch of people together to stir up some excitement for much laugh it off at that point." the tournament. People trust you more when they know Conn has decided that this will be his last year in a all the money they paid is going to the winners." long line of hosting successful bracket pools. College The traditional "winner takes all" prize format is combrings a different situation to being a host. mon among NCAA pools, however, according to Conn, "At college next year, I'm not going to do it because dividing the winnings into three portions satisfies conthe numbers at college are much bigger than here in testants and keeps them returning for next years chalMason," Conn said. "I also don't know what the rules lenge. and regulations are at [Carson Newman College] so I "If I just made it a winner takes all, it wouldn't be as wouldn't risk getting in trouble just to host a tournament. exciting when you're sitting in third or fourth on the I will definitely enter a pool while in college though, I championship day," Conn said. "By letting the second just wont start my own."

By MORRISON TRACY Sports Editor

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March 30, 2007 Prom & After Prom Information • Prom will be May 5 at the Roberts Convention Centre in Wilmington.

• Dinner will be served at 7:00 pm, dancing starts at 8:00 pm and will last until midnight.

• Prom tickets are $50 a person until April 13 and then go up to $62.50 per person. They will be sold during all lunches and after school in the cafeteria.

• Prom tickets will not be sold the week of April 30.

• After prom is 1:00-5:00 a.m. at Mason High School. Tickets are $10, and will also be sold during all lunches.

• A charter bus provided by the school will be offered as transportation to Prom.

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Overcrowding forces prom relocation

BY BETH LIPTON Staff Writer The Mason High School Prom will be held at the Roberts Center on May 5 of this year.

After an overcrowded and overheated Prom last year, Mason Administrators decided to change the location of Prom from the Loveland Oasis to the Roberts Center. According to Mason Prom Advisor Joe Hammond, the Roberts Center will be better suited for the large number of Mason students at Prom.

"The Oasis was no longer large enough, as far as capacity, to suit our needs," Hammond said. "The Roberts Center was the only place that could work for us."

According to Mason Activities Director Lorri Allen, the Roberts Center will also help with the temperature problems that were encountered last year.

"They did not have the ability to control the temperature at the Oasis," Allen said. "[The temperature] should be better at the Roberts Center."

When the new location for Prom was chosen, many different factors were put into consideration.

"Not only were we looking for a place large enough, we were looking for a place that could also serve dinner," Allen said.

Though the drive to the Roberts Center is a little longer than to the Oasis, administrators are not worried about the drive.

"I feel it is a safer drive to the Roberts Center than to the Oasis," Allen said. "It only takes around 12 minutes more to get to the Roberts center."

For students that do not want to drive to the Roberts Center, there will be a bus available to take them to and from the Roberts Center.

"There will be a charter bus that students would need to sign up for by March 29," Allen said. "[The ride] is free."

Even with the new location, Hammond still expects to have a large number of students attending Prom.

"We'll have around 900 students," Hammond said. "We could put up 900 to 1000 students."

According to Hammond, in the future Mason High School's Prom will continue to be held at the Roberts Center, "unless something else comes up."

Prom tickets will be available during all lunches and after school until the week of April 30. The tickets are 50 dollars per person.

Young women’s club self defense class intended to empower women B Y T RICIA W OLFORD Staff Writer

photo contributed

Chris Zappanti and MHS Health teacher Stacy Schuler demonstrate a self-defense tactic at the class offered on March 6. Young Women’s Club offered the class in hopes of helping teens protect themselves.

Young Women's Club focuses on empowering the female youth in our high school. On top of that, they have recently incorporated a completely free self defense session, that was available to all females at Mason High School on March 6.

Tina Roberts, a MHS Photography I teacher who is the head of Young Women's Club, has had the class in mind for quite some time.

"In creating the Young Women's Club, I came up with a lot of activities that centered on empowering the girls in some way," Roberts said. "So, self defense and safety were obvious things I wanted to do."

Roberts plans on holding the class once a year as the club progresses. She also has high hopes for women involved in the class.

"Hopefully they will be more aware of their surroundings, especially when they're by themselves," Roberts said. "And hopefully they will feel more confident in protecting themselves."

Senior Abbe Kerrison, a participant of the class, decided to attend for various reasons.

"I attended because I'm a brown belt in karate," Kerrison said. "I went to see if I could learn anything new."

Kerrison enjoyed the class, and says her initial thoughts were wrong.

"I was trying to go in with an open mind," Kerrison said. "I was surprised because I didn't think I'd learn that much. But, it turned out I learned more than I thought I would, and it was really fun."

The class started with a discussion.

"We started by talking in a circle about different dangerous situations for women," Kerrison said. "It was a really strong discussion that I took a lot away from."

She also stated what she felt she gained from the class.

"The class made me feel stronger and more independent," Kerrison said. "I learned all kinds of new things. It was really great."

Kerrison also commented on her favorite part of the class, which involved different types of defense.

"It was cool learning the different moves involved in protecting yourself," Kerrison said.

Kerrison encouraged other girls to attend in the future.

"Other girls should attend it because they could learn a lot from it," Kerrison said. "I would definitely do it again if given the chance."

High school scientists headed to state competition

BY RACHEL SLEZAK Staff Writer Two Mason High School Science Olympiad teams are headed to state competition after winning first and second place at the regional competition held earlier this month.

Senior David Fritz started Science Olympiad as a sophomore. This month he and Juniors Chris Harrill and Adam Soliman came in third for Experimental Design.

"In Experimental Design you're given a random set of tools and you're asked to design and conduct an experiment," Fritz said.

In addition to experimental design, Fritz also competes in the robotics event. The team currently has built a robot built is capable of doing various things required in the competition.

"The robot has an arm that bends over, picks things up, and drops them," Fritz said.

Senior Andrea Sohn is one of the three captains of the Science Olympiad team. She and fellow captain Eric Ditzel won first place forensics.

"They give you a crime scene and different pieces of evidence like powders, which is what I do, fingerprints, or fibers," Sohn said.

Sohn says that most of the events that the team members do are according to need.

"There were about three people taking AP Physics, so that's why I'm doing Physics lab," Sohn said.

In addition to giving her a learning opportunity, Sohn says she enjoys Science Olympiad for the people.

"I really like the team," Sohn said. "It's a really fun and funny group of people."

Along with Junior Mike Michalak, Sophomore Ray Wang came in first place for the Fermi Question event.

"In Fermi we estimate numbers to power of ten, like how many paper clips would it take to go from here to the sun," Wang said.

Competitors don't know what questions will be asked, but they can still prepare.

"We study random facts that might show up, like distances in astronomy or how many people are on earth," Wang said.

Wang also competed in the Wright Stuff event, in which competitors build airplanes. He and Junior Adam Soliman came in second place, despite an incident.

"At the competition the plane flew into a basketball hoop," Wang said.

This will mean a lot of work on the plane to prepare for the State competition.

"Ohio is one of the most competitive states for Science Olympiad, so it's going to be a lot of work, especially because our airplane is basically demolished," Wang said.

Junior Lily Liu, with Junior Steven Lim, came in second place in Health Science, which she says is "kind of like anatomy and physiology."

"The test covers three body systems," Liu said. "This year it was the endocrine, nervous, and circulatory systems."

Being so successful at Regionals was also nice.

"It was nice to hear Mason High School over and over at the awards ceremony," Liu said.

STATE BOUND SCIENTISTS David Fritz, Senior Eric Ditzel, Senior Ruby Kandah, Senior Andrea Sohn, Senior Lee Li, Senior Sarah Soliman, Junior Becky Lyon, Junior Shining Li, Junior Yibo Shao, Junior Chris Harrill, Junior Adam Soliman, Junior Mike Michalak, Junior Ray Wang, Sophomore Tong Zhan, Sophomore Brendan Rice, Sophomore

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photo by Sharon Stewart

Connecting the classics to contemporary issues

High School English instructor Mrs. Pat George discusses a novel with her students.

Teachers look for new ways to appeal to students who appear disinterested in the timeless literary classics

BY SHEA DAVIDSON Staff Writer Each year students are required to read classic novels such as Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and A Brave New World. These books have been a staple of the curriculum for decades.

While high school English classes are tasked with teaching how to dissect a novel and find the meanings of apparent themes and symbols some question whether there is a reason that students do this through classic novels and not modern books.

Honors English teacher Fred Reeder said that one of the major reasons that students do not read more modern books is because teachers don't have time to find other books for students to read in their place.

"One of the problems is it's tough for us teachers to find the time to read all of the new works that students might relate to better," Reeder said. "The hard thing is we don't get the opportunity to sit down with ten new novels and read them all."

Even though students do not have the opportunity to read a lot of modern novels in his class, Reeder still tries to incorporate more modern activities into his lessons such as watching an episode of the hit television show Friends.

"That activity it's about getting them to be able to analyze a story and be able to pick up on more than just understanding the plot," Reeder said. "It's helping students see that there [are] different things that we do when we read and we do the same things when we watch a TV show."

Junior Lily Liu, said she thinks that watching a TV show that students already enjoy is a good way of teaching English.

"The Friends thing that Mr. Reeder did was ingenious because it automatically got the whole class interested," Liu said. "For once, we're not trying to look for symbolism in To Kill a Mocking Bird, Killer Angels, or In Cold Blood. We're looking for it in Friends and

Friends is familiar [to] us but we looked at it from a different perspective.

Reeder said he finds that when incorporating unique activities into the classroom creates more enthusiasm in the students.

"They are definitely more engaged with it, and there is no doubt that when students find out that we're watching a TV show in class, they're definitely on the front edge of their seat versus sitting around and talking about a required book," Reeder said.

While teachers such as Reeder try to incorporate more modern medias into their lessons to help spark interest, some people are not happy.

"Your never going to please everyone in the class, and when you go into anything, a book, a song, a movie, a TV show, there will always be a certain percentage of students who won't care," Reeder said. "But I would say that the percentage of students who don't care drops when more modern medias are included.

Liu said she thinks that these classic books have been around for a long time for a reason and that this should tell high school students something.

"We read the classics because their supposed to be timeless," Liu said. "English students have been reading them for decades and centuries and they have won a lot of acclaim. The themes are supposed to be universal themes, so even though it's been years and years since these books were written, we still read them."

Professors require knowledge of classics Britton Harwood, an English Professor at Miami University Oxford and former high school teacher, believes it is necessary to read classic books in high school in order to be prepared for college.

"I expect students to have read a certain number of classics," Harwood said. "The classics are those books that many people have agreed to be worthwhile. By definition, all of us are at a loss whenever we have not read one of them.

Requiring students to read classic literature is

helpful, particularly if it intensifies their desire to read and sharpens their intellect."

Reeder said he thinks that taking the time to investigate and see if there are other books to read in the classics place might not be worth it since we are already reading books that fulfill the intended educational purpose.

"Newer doesn't always mean better," He said.

"These books are part of the classical cannon for a reason. They have stood the test of time.

A book like To Kill a Mocking Bird, that's been around for 40 years, and will be loved for another 840 years, it's not going away. The Odyssey has been around for thousands of years. It's hard to know if some of these newer books are worthwhile yet even if they have the same themes. It doesn't mean the quality of writing is up to the standard of these classic books."

Literature reveals dilemmas still found today While students may not always like reading the classic books in high school, Reeder said he feels that another lesson that can be learned only by reading them. In particular the problems," people are, "facing today are the same problems that characters in classic books have faced.

"I think that students need to have the context of knowing that the problems that their facing aren't new," Reeder said. "Whether its conceit from Odysseus or prejudice from Bob Yule in To Kill a Mocking Bird or whatever is happening in these books it's the same things that they're going through now and it hasn't changed."

Reeder said he thinks that history repeats itself and this lesson can be shown through reading classical books.

"They need to realize that, as human beings, we're essentially going through the same things in every generation," Reeder said. "So there are important lessons that the newer books maybe can't reach."

Liu agrees that the experiences that we go

through as high schoolers are the same as those that the people in these classic books went through as well.

"If you think about it, human experience remains the same over the centuries even though we're living in a different time period," Liu said.

Reeder said he feels that not only do classic novels impact you in the classroom, but outside as well since they become part of a community of readers after reading the classics. Reeder also said that students could miss out on jokes and references to the classics along the way.

"It makes you a part of the community of readers who have experienced these works of literature. There [are] so many jokes or references all the time in pop culture, whether its music or tv shows, that are referring to these works that everyone has read going through high school or college," Reeder said. "You don't want to be left out. You want to be part of that community that gets the joke. It's not fun being out of the joke."

Liu said that she remembers experiences where she was able to understand literary references after reading these books.

"On Jeopardy, they have questions a lot of times about literature and at one point there was a question about Boo Radley." Liu said. "When I was younger I didn't understand it and of course after sophomore year I picked up on it because I had read To Kill a Mocking Bird."

Mary Jean Corbet, Professor of English at Miami University Oxford, said she feels like students miss out if they have never read any of the classical books from the classical cannon.

"I do think you'd be missing out if you never read Pride and Prejudice and only read, say, Bridget Jones' Diary. I definitely expect a level of literacy about 'the classics' or 'the canon,' from my students, especially from English majors." Corbet said. "I think that high school students should be exposed to a whole range of literature, including, but not limited to, the canon. I would try to mix it up as much as possible, to encourage students to engage with literature."

March 30, 2007

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Hubley Driving School

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

Gabriele Simeliunaite

Favorite Classes: • English as a Second Language • All Science Courses • Ceramics

Class: Sophomore Involvements: • Rigorous course schedule consisting of Geometry and Biology.

• President of Mason International Club • Started newsletter for Mason Internation Club • Writing articles with limited English experience • Volunteer for Ziegler’s AIDS Angel Ride campaign • Kings Island employee • play violin (for 6 years) Personal Quote: “There is only one succes: to be able to spend your life in your own way, and not to give other absurd maddening claims upon it.”

-Christopher Darlington Morley

5606 Tylersville Road Mason, Ohio 754-8652

Future plans/Goal: “Since it’s my first year in the U.S., I’m not sure what I want to do with my life.

I’m not sure if I will continue to live here after I graduate from high school. I would love to be an attorney, so I might go to law school.”

-Gabriele Simeliunaite Teacher Quote: “Gabrielle is new to our school and country. She immediately started getting involved in the Mason International Club. She is very friendly and inclusive of other students and she is a good leader.”

-Shahrazad Kablan ESL teacher

Hubley Driving School

5606 Tylersville Road Mason, Ohio 754-8652

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March 30, 2007

STAFF POLICY The Chronicle is the official student newspaper of William Mason High School. The Chronicle is produced by students enrolled in Journalism I, II and III. Editorials reflect the staff’s opinion but do not neccesarily reflect the opinions of the school administration or the Mason City School District.

The Chronicle is published monthly.

Call 398-5025 ext. 33110 for information regarding advertising in The Chronicle.

The Chronicle reserves the right to refuse advertising we deem inappropriate for a high school publication.

As an open forum for students, letters to the editor are welcome, but are subject to be edited for length, libel, obscentiy, clarity and poor taste. Letters to the editor may be dropped off in room C110 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 Journalism Association for Ohio Schools.

CONTACT INFORMATION The Chronicle William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. Mason, Ohio 45040 398-5025

staff editorial

THE CHRONICLE STAFF

Warning signs should not be overlooked

Editor Olga Borodulin Associate Editor Stephanie Visscher Sports Editor Morrison Tracy Editorial Cartoonist Peter Springsteen Distribution/Circulation Manager Michelle Rotbart Business Manager Caroline Johnson Staff Photographers Michelle Rotbart Shea Davidson Technical and Graphic Assistants Peter Springsteen Beth Lipton Staff Writers Drew Allen Shea Davidson Stephanie Denzel Beth Lipton Kirsten McCafferty Amanda Miller Caroline Johnson Candice Philpot Jeremy Powers Coleman Sanders Rachel Slezak Peter Springsteen Jeff Stephens Sharon Stewart Danielle Williams Spencer Webb Tricia Wolford Adviser Mr. Dale Conner

A park becomes the grounds of a suicide. A road-block is ushered in after a drunk-driving accident kills three men. A lonely street in Sharonville becomes the site of a police shooting and police chase resulting in two arrests and one suicide. The local news may sound gloomy as it reports these tragic events, and so we hope to change the channel to dismiss any thoughts on the matter. But then a familiar face or name flashes across the screen and quickly our eyes well up with tears. You knew him.

There's a reason why the administration has created "No Empty Seats”.

Because of the fear that one Monday morning, administrators, teachers, and students will walk in to find an empty desk, half-filled notebooks in lockers, and one less name to speak at graduation. But through this small message they hope to remind us to watch our activities, and hopefully, those of others.

While we can't stop students from committing the acts they seem relentless to pursue, we can be good friends and conscientious observers.

The line between right and wrong varies from person to person, but there is a line between hectic and deadly; one that no one is able to shift.

Recognizing patterns of behavior or dangerous choices in your friends is an important step, but the next step is taking action. Perhaps the worst

feeling next to seeing your friends' name in the obituaries is knowing you could have done something to save them. You could have spoken to them about it. You could have tried to open their eyes to their own self-destructive choices. At least then, in some small way, they'd think of you before making a poor choice.

But in high school, peer pressure often makes one hesitate before saying anything. You want to fit in, be the friend that understands, and be the one that isn't scared to take it to the next level. But the greatest friends are the ones that care enough to say something; the ones who won't just allow their friends to flounder in the depths of danger.

And if you can't help your friends avoid mistakes, then make sure to not follow them. Don't be the person sitting next to them in the car when they're intoxicated. Don't be the one who agrees to steal with your friend.

Don't accept the "your best friend sits in prison beside you saying it was fun" scheme. It won't be fun. It won't give you the memories you want to have from high school, nor the lifelong friends you'd hope to keep. You'll be left with nothing but fleeting moments as the car tumbles through the air. And all we'll have to remember you by is an empty seat, half-filled notebooks, and one less name to speak at graduation.

Do you have a secret?

Do you have a secret that you just can’t keep to yourself any longer. Do you want to tell that secret and not have anyone know you finally let the cat out of the bag. If that sounds like you then drop off any secrets you have on a notecard, decorated if you’d like, to the mailbox in room c110 by April 16. Your identity will remain anonymous.The collection of secrets will be featured in our newspaper next month,and you’ll finally be able to get your big secret out!

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Mason doesn’t have a clique problem; simply groups of friends In the cafeteria, there are clear divisions between groups. Though students at one table are sitting mere feet away from other tables, interaction is minimal.

Some may find this to be evidence of cliques at Mason, while others believe it just shows that all students simply have their own group of friends.

The difference between a clique and a harmless group of friends is the amount of disdain

By Rachel Slezak the members have for other people. As long as seating arrangements reflect students' friendStaff Writer ships with the people they sit with more than antipathy for the people they don't, Mason has no clique problem. All this is true because having a group of friends is harmless.

There is a strong case for sitting with people one likes. In most of students' classes, there are people they don't know. All students realize that in everyday life, they will encounter people they don't like. Indeed, it would be difficult to find anyone who could truly say that get along with everyone they know. It isn't as if students are not used to interacting with people who aren't their friends, they just prefer, naturally, to spend time with their friends. Lunch provides the perfect opportunity to do so. It's a time to see people who may not be in any of the same classes and have

conversations that aren't guided by teachers' expectations. Students naturally capitalize on this freedom.

Even if students truly wanted to use their half hour of pure social time to reach out to others, that isn't necessarily possible in the cafeteria.

Space constraints dictate that each person can only sit with a finite amount of people. Of course, this finite amount could be made up of strangers, but it would be unreasonable for anyone to expect teenagers to stop having friendships. Furthermore, what purpose would sitting with different types of people serve?

According to some, this would break down barriers and allow students to peacefully coexist. This is a good thought, as barriers clearly do exist.

Naturally, when students sit with a group of friends, they form an identity whether it is conscious or not. Perhaps on purpose, but in most cases not, students then become friends with people they feel are a part of their group, be it AP nerds, band kids, or theatre folk. This can be construed, in some cases correctly, as a form of prejudice.

However, students are not always prejudiced in forming friendships.

The art of selecting friends, especially as students get older, is more complicated than formulaic thinking. To say that all students choose their friends because they fit the mold of a specific group is absurd. Giving groups labels is the only thing that keeps perceived cliques from simply being groups of friends.

Confession: I’m actually going to miss Mason High School I can still remember my first day of freshman year. My first class was health with Mrs. Shiverski and even though I recognized several people in the class, they all seemed different somehow. When I last saw them three months ago we were all merely eight graders, but on that momentous day we had become something more: high school students.

This glamour lasted well into the next two weeks until finally I think we all realized that

By Stephanie Visscher it was just school as usual. Four more years, I Associate Editor told myself. Just four more years.

You would think now that I’m in the last stretch of my high school career the closely decreasing number of days left would fill me with excitement, but to my surprise I’m starting to wane in my eagerness to leave MHS. I tutor every Wednesday at the Intermediate School and just walking into the building gives me an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. The building seems so new even though it seems it’s been forever since I last took classes in it. I walk by the rooms of old teachers, sometimes glimpse

them on them as I walk through the halls. People I used to see every day are strangers to me. I’m a foreigner in a building that once was my home for seven hours of every day.

One day, if I ever am lucky enough to return to Mason, the halls of the high school will hold the mixture of familiarity and “foreigness” for me.

The actual building will look the same, but it won’t be the school I went to. There will be different students, living in a different era. The administration could also be completely different. If I peeked into Dr. Allen’s office and saw anyone else behind the desk I would be totally freaked out. To me they would seem an imposter, but in reality it would just be a sign of change.

We all fool ourselves into saying how glad we are to be leaving high school (although there is no doubt that some of you probably really are).

But are we really ready to leave Mason behind? The back of one version of the senior shirts list ten reasons seniors are glad to be leaving Mason.

Yet as annoying as some of those things are, they’ve been a part of our daily lives for the past four years. We’re now venturing off from the familiar into the unknown. The shirt lists number ten as “Never having to hear the words Comet Country again.”

But to me hearing those words means that I’m home.

I’m glad my future has yet to be planned out for me I nervously push my spiraled locks out of my face and off my shoulder; maintain my posture, poise, and eye contact. With my arms restlessly by my side, I try my hardest to keep my lips spread in a warm, friendly smile in hopes to mask the nervousness and annoyance I feel. I am already aware and contemptuously anticipating the future-related question that slips from the mouth of the adult standing opposite me.

By Danielle Williams Their curiosity and confirmed knowledge of my name, age, and school undoubtedly gives them Staff Writer away. However, before it smacks me in the face, like the other previous future-related conversations with adults, I am prepared with a mental Post-It note of how I should answer, what I'm supposed to say, and the best way to positively deliver it with a sense of certainty.

It starts with the question, “where are you going to school?” Then slowly but surely follows with the question of “what do you want to major in?” Basically all stemming from and coming down to the infamous questions of “what are you going to do with your life?” and “who do you want to be?” “How is society going to view you and where are

you going to fit in?” Of course I answer with what sounds good, not a lie, but more of an elaborated version of the truth free from elusive statements. Moreover, in the frantic attempt to prevent the furthering of more questions, a seemingly harmless interrogation, I successfully avoid the blatant truth; the unfortunate truth of not knowing exactly where I'm going in life. Of course I have goals, but different experiences change a person, whether positive or negative, it molds and bends them along the path or journey called life. So where I'm going is beyond me.

Sometimes I question whether I even know myself enough to determine my future. Being college-bound is ideal in society and becoming a necessary stepping stone to survive, but is this just a ploy of conformity and an abandonment of self-discovery? Think about it, after college hopefully comes the job and then the family. Is there time to get to know yourself? Or will you become the deposit of your planned future. My opinion is not for all, but for those who are still in question about their futures.

Should we know exactly where we're going and who we want to be?

Life is unpredictable and to have our whole lives planned could start with unrealistic expectations and depressingly lead to disappointment. So to answer the question of where I'm going in life, my ultimate answer is in the future.

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feedback What clique/group do you feel you belong to?

"Drama club because I spend every waking hour doing something with them especially during musical time."

Dori Branch Sophomore

"The others because I don't care have another group to associate myself with."

Greg Stegbauer Junior

"The Beth group "The StuGo kids because I don't fit because they are into one group nice, cool, abut and everyone yet responsible." flocks to me."

Kris Ogungbemi Beth Easlick Freshman Senior

"The Black people because I can relate to them more."

Mimi Geberegeorgis Junior

"The Jocks because I enjoy sports activities."

Ian Free Freshman

March Madness is reason enough for every fan to call in sick Exhilaration, anticipation, and heart break; although seemingly unrelated, these terms blend mellifluously in the wake of March Madness. Every year the heralded field of 65 teams from all across collegiate athletics compete for glory and pride to last a lifetime, or just until next March. The one month that American business productivity plummets through the floor as every Jack and Jill hide behind their cubicle anxBy Morrison Tracy iously awaiting another tip off. A time for family Sports Editor feuding, leaving work early, and cutting class to catch every minute of each game. Friendships fall apart and reputations are built as the pride of picking the perfect bracket makes you in this era, nearly immortal. It is a national sick epidemic that sweeps across and suddenly makes half of the population too sick to work or attend class. It is the month of March, the time for the people's tournament, the time for the underdog.

But what is it about the tournament that makes you root for a teams you have never heard of? The acclaimed "underdog" always has a place in the hearts of millions as they cheer on the Virginia Commonwealths, Old Dominions, and Long Beach States at sports bars across the country in wake that the little guy might survive the David vs. Goliath battle. It is the small, relatively unheard of schools that make college basketball so exciting come tournament time. You see it every year on ESPN, sports websites and other sport forum pages where so called "experts" give you there picks and explain why they can pick the best bracket.

Seriously, how much do these guys really know? Has an analyst ever picked a perfect bracket? It's a possibility but come on; it's a very minute one. Sitting back and listening to all the talk shows got me thinking. Why is it that guys like Dick Vitale, Digger Phelps, and Joe Lunardi get more air time talking about what they can't really predict?

To me these experts are garbage. As a fan, most of the time you know the teams better than they do because aren't you the one who sits around scouting your favorites the entire 30 some odd game season? I can tell you right now that I know more than Dickie V about my Ohio State Buckeyes.

I could care less if he thinks Greg Oden doesn't have the experience to win a title. It's all about the gut feeling of the common fan. This is the time for you, the average Joe, to show that you can out pick the next guy.

It's the one time that it's you against 100's of other people in an office or class pool to show who knows the most about making the right picks.

Only the madness of March could bring such an opportunity as millions across the country huddle around TV's big and small and wait for that 16 seed to be leading the one with a couple minutes left. If it's not your team, you see yourself rooting for the little guy more times than not.

The pride and passion that comes with college basketball will loom throughout the month but as you watch the games just remember, enjoy it and live it up because it's the only time of the year that "excuse me boss, I can't come in today, (cough) I'm much too sick" will work because chances are he or she isn't coming in either. Get out there, watch the games and good luck with your brackets if they already haven't been destroyed.

"I don't associate myself with a group because cliques are not cool."

Woody Goldsmith Sophomore

"Jocks or church members because I play sports and I get along with everyone there. I have the same relationships with youth group members."

Kyle Shaner Senior

compiled by Stephanie Denzel

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March 30, 2007

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The Not so

OPINION

I’m sick of hearing people call athletes dumb jocks

By MORRISON TRACY Sports Editor The cliché phrase "dumb jock" is used with regularity as it relates to the life of a student athlete. When I think "dumb jock" I picture someone uneducated, stupid, and brain dead to anything but sports. They get behind the microphone during an interview and they just sound uneducated. From what I see everyday on ESPN, you can tell when people have their head in the right place.

This is not what the athlete of today entails by a long shot. Yeah you still do have kids and professional athletes like that but in today's time, playing sports is not only second in a lot of these peoples lives, it takes a back seat to the things that most people know is important, being a student.

I am sick and tired of the worn-out tag that these athletes get just because they enjoy playing sports. It's not like every kid that walks onto the field or court thinks they are going pro in whatever it is they're playing. Come on people, you have to think. Sitting back and saying people have no knowledge is crazy.

Guys like Craig Krenzel, former quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, are much more than the stereotypical "dumb jock". Krenzel majored in molecular genetics as a student and most certainly wasn't dumb. After four seasons as a back up quarterback in the National Football League, Krenzel has now decided to pursue his doctorate and start his own professional career outside of sports.

It is people like Krenzel and the others who strive to be more than just an athlete that really show those critics that they are more than just over exuberant, muscled up bone heads. I hate hearing the phrase; it needs to go. How can you possibly even think that with the standards there are today? You cannot get a job without a college degree and in order to go through college you need to be somewhat smart.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning attended the University of Tennessee.

While in school, Manning achieved a 3.8 GPA and was on the honor roll throughout high school and college. He could have went pro in something other than sports but the fact is he has one of the most amazing arms that professional football will ever see. In this case you can have brains and be one of the greatest of all time.

As years go by and kids come and go, standards will change. With the way things are right now, it will only get harder for those athletes that are not elite and heavily recruited.

They will have to be smart in order to succeed.

The odds of being a professional athlete is one in 16,000 and the odds of becoming a superstar; that's just about one in a million. I'm not saying having dreams of being that all athlete, no brain kind of kid, but think on the realistic side of things. You will go nowhere in life without some kind of education. If for some odd reason someone without a brain in this era becomes an all-star, you need to at least sound intelligent or you will be known as an idiot.

No one wants to be known as an idiot. I know it would bother me if someone called me an idiot and I know I have no shot in the world of becoming a superstar athlete.

Like I said earlier, it's an anomaly to see a high school athlete without some intelligence so why is the title "dumb jock" still around? I guess we should coin the term “dumb fanatic” because that’s who the the spotlight should go on sometimes. Have you ever listened to sportstalk radio? You want to hear stupid, well let’s just say you won’t hear any discussion about solving the world’s energy crisis.

Typically you see our sports pages in The Chronicle packed with sports stories highlighting the achievements of our athletes on the playing field, in this edition we’ve decided to talk about some of these incredible and accomplished athletes and what they’ve accomplished in the classroom. Sit back and enjoy, and check out these not-so dumb jocks.

chroniclesports 15

dumb jocks

MHS athletes put the “student” back in student-athlete

By COLEMAN SANDERS Staff writer

There wasn't as much pressure on students then as there is today.

Today, college is the way you've got to go."

Athletic Director Scott Stemple is another who played when Senior running back Matt Lucky has carried the football for the there were less stringent standards. varsity football team for the past two years. A sculpted 190 "In the 1970s, colleges focused less on academics for athletes. pounds, he is able to bench press twelve reps of 225 pounds. His You would see guys get a five, six or a seven on the ACT and biceps measure 15 inches in diameter and he has a body fat perstill get into college and be allowed to play," Stemple said. centage of 8 percent.

It seems that what took place in Matt Lucky also scored a 31 on years past is what created the "We refer to the term 'student-athlete' the ACT, which ranks in the 99th "dumb jock" stereotype. In conlightly, but really it is a special term. It percentile, and is taking both AP trast to that, today's student athreflects a special person, especially in a letes are required to meet academic Calculus and AP British setting where there are high expectations requirements to be granted scholarLiterature this year. both academic and athletic. It takes a Lucky is a prime example of ships, admissions, and playing the many athletes not only here time, some of which are quite high, special individual to excel at both." at MHS, but across the country, especially at distinguished sporting which are breaking the mold of being just a "dumb jock". It is a institutions, well-known ones being Miami University, Xavier, stereotype that may have been widely relevant in the past, but for and the University of Michigan. The NCAA requires that stutoday's generation, it falls well short of accurate description. For dent-athletes take core curriculum classes and maintain performmany student-athletes school, community service, and other ance as stated in the NCAA Guide for College Bound Students. "unjock-like" activities play just as an active role as sports in This is just the bare minimum though, as student-athletes follow their lives. guidelines for academic performances set by the individual colLucky feels that even though this is true, many people just leges and coaches. see the stereotype.

And that's just in college. Student-athletes here at "I kind of get the feeling that people think 'Oh this kid Mason High School have to meet requirements set by won't do his homework,'" Lucky said. "A lot of people the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the Mason seem surprised when I tell them that I qualify for scholathletic department, and by individual coaches just to arships." earn the right to play.

Other athletes feel that they too get bunched into a simBut instead of being discouraged to participate in ilar category. Senior Nick Elliot, who plays on the varsity sports by the academic challenges, many lacrosse team, feels that people sometimes see him too athletes today realize that the requireas just a person good at sports. ments are only there to help them "I do a ton of other stuff besides sports. I'm in focus on school. Most in fact, go National Honors Society, Honors Choir, above and beyond the requirements. and I do a lot of community service," Senior Kevin Wehby, who is Elliot said. "I think that it is preparing to play football for important because having qualities Capital University, knows the and experiences from things other value of schoolwork. than sports will benefit me in life."

"Education is what I'm going Elliot is one of many who realize to college for in the first place," that the chances of playing profesWehby said. "By having requiresional or even college athletics are ments it allows me to focus on both football slim. In the NCAA there are around 380 and school. I know that my diploma is what thousand student-athletes compared to the is going to help me in the long run." total population of students attending the 1200 colSo instead of the label of "jock" or athlete leges that make up the organization. Student-athbeing seen as something derogatory by nonletes today know that in order to get a well paying players, the time and effort put in by these job, one must usually have a college degree. young men and women to succeed both in the Much like the ads furnished by the NCAA, most classroom and on the field is something that student-athletes "learn to go pro in something should be lauded. other than sports".

Stemple is one who feels that sometimes It wasn't always like that though. Prior to the the abilities of students to balance school, emphasis placed upon college education today, social lives and playing and excelling at a many athletes were able to focus on their sport sport is overlooked. alone. Greg Richards, the varsity boys basketball "In today's age, it takes both commitment coach is one from that period who described himand responsibility to be a student-athlete," self as "just a jock".

Stemple said. "We refer to the term 'student"The 1970s, when I was in high school, was a athlete' lightly, but really it is a special term. lot different than it is now," Richards said. "A lot It reflects a special person, especially in a of jobs didn't require a college degree then. setting where there are high expectations College was just a place to go to play sports. both academic and athletic. It takes a special individual to excel at both."

Senior Matt Lucky is a top notch performer in the classroom and on the playing field.

photo art by Peter Springsteen

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March 30, 2007 DUMB JOCK DEMYSTIFIED: Niro Wimalasena, Junior

Conversation Soccer star wants to be corporate exec

By JEREMY POWERS Staff Writer

A CONVERSATION WITH...boys varsity track sprinter Brendan Caprio

Since you’re a student and an athlete, do you keep your focus on school or do sports take supremacy over school?

My top priority is school, but I want to perform the best I can in my athletics.

You are a member of both the soccer and the track teams; which sport do you like better?

I don’t like either sport more than the other but I’m usually more excited about the one I’m currently involved in. It helps so I don’t get burnt out out at one or the other.

What are your thoughts about the extremely undersized shorts worn in track?

My legs get kind of cold but I’ve learned to deal with the unmanly attire. Compression shorts and throwback 80’s high socks help compensate for the excessive leg exposure.

Since you are a two-sport athlete, do sports ever interfere with school work and vise versa?

Since I take pretty challenging classes, I have a lot of homework that can interfere with my sports, but I’ve learned to manage my time and it’s not much of a problem anymore.

With two sports and school occupying much of your time, do you have any hobbies you enjoy during your free-time?

I just love playing Xbox 360 so much and I love playing against my friends. Someday, hopefully, I can be a MLGer (Major League Gamer).

Do you have a favorite TV show or movie that you enjoy during your free-time?

Well, I’m not a big fan of movies, but I just love poning rookies so much and I hope someday that will help me be an MLGer. You seem to be a big video game fan. How do video games effect your school work?

Right now my mom grounded me because she thinks I’m a loser but I promise when I get back that controller back I’ll be beating rookies world wide. I’ll be back with a vegence.

You play sports, video games, and you compete for a high class ranking at school. Where does all this competitiveness come from?

I guess it comes from having an identical twin brother and having to battle for food and water and the ability to exist. It’s created this competitive fire.

Your brother is also on the soccer team; what is it like having a twin brother on the soccer field?

Since I have twin sensory perception, I can read his mind which gives us a distinctive advantage on the field.

What are your goals for the rest of this year in school, track and on the Xbox 360?

I want to continue doing well in the rest of my classes and hopefully make regionals in a few of my events in track. I would also like to consistently beat Jake Vogel in Halo.

Compiled by staff writer Jeff Stephens

The focal point in the day of a common student athlete is usually focusing on practice or getting mentally prepared for an important game after school. For junior soccer superstar Niro Wimalasena his studies mean much more, they mean a career.

Since a young child Wimalasena has tallied achievement after achievement in his life.

Wimalasena is a first degree black belt in karate, he is an active member of Student Government as the junior class president, and was the Co-Player of the year in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference as a member of the varsity soccer team. With all those accomplishments making up the story of his life, Wimalasena is that much more motivated to attain success.

"I'm not ok with mediocrity and whenever I do anything I strive to be the best."

Wimalasena said. "It is just an innate thing within me. I've always been determined to achieve more than my potential."

While Wimalasena has spent a lot of time and money in soccer by traveling around the country to be seen by college coaches; he still photo by Jeff Stephens ranks academics over the skill that he trains Niro Wimalasena blends his mindset from the soccer field into his school work. for every week. He knows that he can take a "I believe that success is rooted in discoverBeing a team captain and junior class presicareer path in which benefits his soccer career ing your greatest passion and pursuing it to dent, Wimlasena knows it is important to be over superior academics, but Wimalasena will the fullest extent." Wimalasena said. "I like to looked up to as a role model for his peers on not let soccer overtake a first-class education. believe I have done just that." the field and off.

"Although soccer is extremely passionate to Wimalasena feels that his mindset on the "As a leader of both my team and my class, me, academics will make field corresponds hand in I feel I have a responsibility to present myself me achieve greatness."

"I'm not okay with hand toward his approach as a role model for both my teammates and Wimalasena said. my classmates." Wimalasena said. "It is very mediocrity and whenever in the classroom. He "Currently I'm looking to important to me that I am able to influence play soccer at a school with I do anything I strive to likes to embody the approach Lance my peers through upholding my integrity and strong academics: either be the best. It is just an Armstrong takes on ath- carrying myself in a responsible manner."

Washington University in Unreal dreams are never a problem for innate thing within me.” letics in believing that St. Louis or Case Western one of the most redeemWimalasena whose diligent work has never let Reserve University." ing things about being an him down. With the perseverance he demonNiro Wimalasena Wimalasena's soccer brilathlete is redefining what strates as a student athlete he knows he will liance is not only proven on Varsity Soccer Player is humanly possible. be ready for any task that stands in the way of the high school turf but also "I like to think that the his life endeavors.

Junior outside the school. He has classroom and the field "In ten years I want to hopefully be managbeen the captain for the are almost synonymous as I am driven to ing some sort of engineering company such as 1990 age boys Olympic Development achieve my fullest potential in both settings."

Procter and Gamble and General Electric."

Program state team since 2004 and plays for Wimalasena said. "My determination transWimalasena said. "Besides that I hope to find Cincinnati United Premier (Red) which is the poses between the two because I have realized a wife and start a family." number three ranked squad in Ohio for boys the voice in both academics and athletics." under 17 years of age.

DUMB JOCK DEMYSTIFIED: Amanda Downey, Senior

Varsity tennis player among the top in her class

By COLEMAN SANDERS Staff writer

Third Singles title.

Although a champion, success did not come without hard work for Downey.

Entering her freshman year of high school "We practiced everyday," Downey said. in 2002, senior Amanda Downey had never "During the season, combined we had to compicked up a tennis racket before in her life. pete at 25 to 30 events. It was very time conNow, as she prepares for graduation and the suming and a lot of hard work, but it was very world beyond, she leaves behind numerous rewarding." accomplishments In addition to “I'm just interested in a lot of with the varsity girls practices and tennis team. In addidifferent things, and I feel that matches, Downey tion, also has the had to find having many different types of has highest class rank of time for both any student-athlete in experiences will prepare you for schoolwork and the class of 2007, various other life. Tennis taught me the with a GPA of 4.85, importance of being part of a team extracurricular good for 8th overall. activities. Her or group, which is definitely Prior to taking the high school trancourt for the Comets something you use later in life." script reads like a her freshman year, listing of the most Downey had been challenging classAmanda Downey involved in a different es at Mason. athletic activity.

This year she has Varisty Tennis Player "Before I started AP Calculus, AP Senior playing tennis, I was Physics, and AP a gymnast," Downey British Literature said. "My mother played tennis in high to work through. Downey doesn't think that school, so I thought it would be something it's too much to handle though. interesting to do."

"I think that by me challenging myself now, Downey feels that her gymnastics helped college will seem easier once I get there," prepare her for high school athletics.

Downey said.

"I learned how important it was to prepare And making that challenge even tougher is and practice for a sport," Downey said.

Downey's involvement in several extracurricIn her four year career, Downey made varsi- ular groups, spreading her time even more ty three times, the first player behind talents thin. This is her second year in National Ashley McCall and Emily Pham. To cap off Honors Society and this year she was a coher senior season, Downey seized the FAVC chair for the Pasta for Pennies campaign,

photo by Caroline Johnson

Amanda Downey has been a star on the court and in the classroom where she amassed over 100 hours of community service. She's a Senior Sib, assisting freshmen during homeroom.

Downey also takes part in groups not affiliated with the school.

"I'm part of a youth group that's associated with my church," Downey said. "We went to Nicaragua last year and helped out in a bunch of hospitals. We also organized a vocational bible school. It was very rewarding."

When told that some may perceive her to be an overachiever, Downey replied "I'm not.

I'm just interested in a lot of different things, and I feel that having many different types of experiences will prepare you for life. Tennis taught me the importance of being part of a team or group, which is definitely something you use later in life."

March 30, 2007

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chroniclesports 17

DUMB JOCK DEMYSTIFIED: Matt D’Auria, Senior

Track star used to long hours in pursuit of excellence

By COLEMAN SANDERS Staff writer Many of today's student-athletes quietly perform and compete, playing their sports while much of the school's student body is unaware of their participations. For senior Matt D'Auria this is nothing new.

"I guess a lot of people know me more because of school and not that I run track," D'Auria said.

D'Auria thinks it may have something to do with his performance inside the classroom.

"I think that the higher you go up the class rankings, the more people associate you to be an academic type of person and less as an athlete."

But D'Auria, a key component of three of the varsity track relay teams, is an athlete.

"I've ran track since the seventh grade," D'Auria said. "I was interested in getting into shape. My sister, who's three years older than me, also ran track and played soccer. I also played soccer for a little while, so you could say she influenced me some in my decision to play

sports."

During his sophomore year, D'Auria's 4x100 relay team was a regional qualifier and his 4x100m and 4x200m teams were named one of the Mason Top Ten All Time Best.

But like many student-athletes, D'Auria faces a serious time crunch, balancing school, sports, and extra-curricular activities.

D'Auria feels a lot of that comes from both track practice and the classes he is taking this year, which include Honors Anatomy and Physiology, Honors Wind Symphony, AP British Literature, and AP Statistics.

"Track usually goes from the end of school until about 5 pm, including primetime days. I'll have a bunch of homework from all of my Honors and AP classes, so I'll have to stay up late at night. Thankfully I usually don't have to burn the midnight oil like some people though," said D'Auria.

Another activity that D'Auria works hard at is music. On of three Drum Majors for the Comet marching band, D'Auria is required to lead the band once they take the field for both shows and

The Comet Culture Grid How do the Comets fit in?

What food has been in your fridge the longest?

What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

Seceretly a fan of...

What is the fastest you’ve ever driven?

What movie makes you cry?

This is why I’m hot...

CHASE CONN Sr., Baseball

Bologna

Stretch

Video Games

95 mph

The Lion King especially when Mufassa dies

Cause it’s hot outside

BRYAN FUSCO Sr., Baseball

Vinaigrette

Take my shoes off

DANIELLE WAGGONER Sr., Track

The Lion King

ADAM JONES Jr., Soccer

Jersey Mike’s subs

Meatloaf Probably pickles ... thats turned Honestly, pickles green

Take a shower

Trip over my dog on the way to the bathroom

The Price Star Wars is Right

I whizzed at 101.1 mph

RANDY HUBBARD Lacrosse Coach

Dancing with the Stars

90 mph 110 mph

Ice Cream

Disrobe

Take a shower

Emril Live

Nick at Night

I don’t drive all that fast

A Walk to Old Yeller The Green Mile Remember

Cause Because I Because I’m used to MIMS is steaming be 6’5’’ not like a pot before the train accident

HOLLY BASS Sr., Softball

Clearly

95 mph

The Notebook

Because I’m very nice like Borat

competitions. Last summer, the band attended several camps weeklong camps to work on their performances, drilling from dusk until dawn.

"Band camp is tough because it was twelve hours of work and dedication every day," D'Auria said. "It's difficult when you're out there in 90 degree weather. It all comes down to your passion for music."

D'Auria, who plans to become a lawyer, doesn't know yet if he'll continue to run track while attending college.

"It depends on where I decide to go," D'Auria said. "If it's a Division I school, probably not.

Track is your whole life when you're competing at that level. It would be hard to keep up with school work. But if it's Division II or III, then yeah, I'll probably run."

Whether he decides to run or not, D'Auria will keep what he learned from track and use it later.

"What I'll take away from track is the aspect of teamwork," D'Auria said. "On my relay teams I developed strong bonds and trust with my teammates. It's important to function well when working with others in the real world."

photo by Caroline Johnson

Senior Matt D’Auria has managed to balance his challenging academic and band regiment with the demands of track. D’Auria was a regional qualifer last season as a member of the Comet’s 4X100 relay team.

DUMB JOCK DEMYSTIFIED: Bly, Affatato, Grice

Coaches cite the influence of teachers on their career choice

By KIRSTEN MCCAFFERTY Staff Writer

his classes and he inspired me to get into education," Affatato said.

History is not the only subject coaches seem Most people tend to believe that high school to be flocked to. JV Basketball Coach Curt Bly, coaches' sole purpose for teaches English II and teaching is so they can III. He has a true inter"I did not go into college est in literature and is coach the sports they love.

But for many teacher and with the intent to coach, one of the most well coaches this tends to be misread teachers in the high I was inspired by a leading. Coaches at Mason school. Bly's amazing history teacher I had in talent of connecting High School have many differing interests and hobbies books he has read to high school who also besides coaching a great what the class is studywas the head football sports team. ing amazes many of his coach. I took many of his students.

Harold Grice, a football coach and freshmen history "Mr. Bly knows classes and he inspired teacher, has had an interest exactly what he's talking me to get into in history before he ever about in class and education.” started coaching. brings information he "I have always love histoknows from what he ry," Grice said. "My parents read and applies it to the Mr. Tony Affatato took the family on huge class," Bly said.

Guidance Counselor summer vacations when I Bly just like many was younger. We would stop other coaches had a cerFootball/Track Coach at all the historical markers tain inspiration from and battlefields. I would their past.

"My mother was an read about history and just "My love for literature developed a love for it." started when I was English teacher so I Being a football coach Bly said. "My grew up around books young," and history teacher seems to mother was an English and grammar. My mind teacher so I grew up be a long tradition at the school. set was molded around around book and gram"I use the lessons of histoMy mind set was literature and I began to mar. ry discipline, preparation, molded around literature realize that studying and mental toughness to and I began to realize carry over into my sports literature was studying that studying literature and coaching. There are a studying humanity humanity and man kind." was lot of correlations between and man kind." history and sports," Grice Coaches like Bly, said.

Grice, and Affatato Mr. Curt Bly Coach Tony Affatato has show great interest in English Teacher worked his way through the many different topics Basketball/Baseball Coach other than their sports. ranks of Mason High School, Starting as an This helps teachers and Honors World History coaches connect better "I have always love teacher, and now a with their students and history. My parents took athletes, according to Counselor. Affatato coaches football on the varsity level.

Grice. Student athletes the family on huge "Sports like football have begun to realize summer vacations when have always been a very large how connected they are I was younger. We would becoming to teachers. part of my life, But that is not what I went to college "Sports and stop at all the historical for, I wanted to teach," Academics are very markers and battlefields. much corresponding, all Affatato said.

I would read about Coaches like Grice and the coaches that I've had Affatato are proof that not as teachers I've done history and just all teachers are in education well in their developed a love for it." really for the perks of being a classes," said sophocoach. more Jessica Brown.

"I did not go into college "Not because they were Mr. Harold Grice with the intent to coach, I easy courses, but History Teacher was inspired by a history because I connected Football Coach teacher I had in high school well with the teacher who also was the head footboth inside and out of ball coach. I took many of the classroom."

18

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March 30, 2007

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chroniclearts&entertainment

19

Reviews Book Lullabies juxtaposes reality with innocence

BY RACHEL SLEZAK Staff Writer

photo by Spencer Webb

Senior Dylan Wiedlich and seventh grader Alyssa Cousineau work on painting the set for the middle school production of Treasure Hunt.

High school thespians mentor middle school drama crew on technical theater

BY SPENCER WEBB Staff Writer Mason Middle School drama students are working to produce their version of Tom Sawyer's Treasure Hunt But high school students are also getting in on the action.

Freshman Maddie Slutsky is the assistant director, and junior Dylan Weidlich and senior Jill Baily are instructing middle school students on the many different aspects of technical theater.

According to Slutsky, technical theater is sound, lighting, and building sets for the production.

Slutsky took it upon herself to help direct the Middle School production with high school teacher Elizabeth Imerie and middle school teacher Lisa Speiller, Slutsky hopes to be the assistant director of a high school production next year. Slutsky was able to get the position by contacting Speiller According to Slutsky, Middle School drama productions are not unlike high school drama productions at all. The only difference is the production takes longer than a high school production and they have one show night and two student performances.

"I wouldn't say it is less strict because it is still a big deal, nothing to mess with," Slutsky said.

According to Weidlich, they developed a specific way to divide the duties of set construc-

tion.

"We're trying to teach them all aspects," Weidlich said, "So if you're on the cutting team one day you cannot be on it the next day."

Having to teach the students new aspects of drama production, high school students found it difficult to allocate time in their schedules to instruct the Middle School students.

"It is hard to find appropriate times to go over to the middle school because of Brigadoon[a drama production of MHS]," Bailey said.

"We really should be staying [and working on Brigadoon], but they need us," Weidlich said.

Even if there are scheduling conflicts, Slutsky, Bailey and Weidlich still find this experience to be very rewarding and fun at the same time.

"Most of these kids are really eager to learn," Weidlich said.

The learning environment allows for strong friendships to be forged.

"We're all really good friends, we joke around with each other but they can still take [our] advice," Slutsky said. "One of the girl's mothers is my teacher and she told me her daughter looks up to me and wants to be my best friend."

Overall, the high school volunteers see promise in the middle school drama department.

"There is tons of talent when they're on the stage," she said. "There is so much enthusiasm."

Retired MHS teacher publishes novels

BY BETH LIPTON Staff Writer Though some people never get their chance to live it, everyone has some kind of dream.

After working 35 years as an English Teacher at Mason High School, Richard Orndorff has had the opportunity to write a novel, something he has dreamt of doing.

"This is something I have always wanted to do beyond teaching," Orndorff said. "I am living a dream."

Orndorff's book, Braided Dreams, is a fiction novel that tells the story of Merlyn, a Scotsman of the 16th century. The book is divided into chapters of the past, present, and future and connected through Merlyn.

"Merlyn has three dreams and they are all interconnected," Orndorff said.

Braided Dreams is the first book in a three part series. Currently, Orndorff is finishing the second book, which only took five months to write, and plans to have the third out by winter.

While writing the novel, Orndorff did not experience many problems.

"I've never had writer's block," Orndorff said.

When creating the story, Orndorff unconsciously lets himself write, not knowing what may happen next in the novel. He is the first reader.

"There is nothing in my head," Orndorff said.

"All of this comes from my unconscious mind."

Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill provides a new perspective on the lives of the poor in seedy downtown Montreal. Twelve-year-old Baby lives with her father Jules, a heroin addict. The two of them move from apartment to apartment, and Baby begins to feel more at home on the streets. Here, drugs, violence, and prostitution are common. Baby spends most of her time unsupervised with the other neighbourhood children, an eccentric mix of characters.

Though the main character is poor and has had several horrible experiences, the reader neither pities her nor fears for her safety. O'Neil, through twelve-year-old Baby, describes a seedy, crimeridden part of Montreal so cheerfully that Baby's situation seems normal. For example, in the first lines of the novel, Baby describes moving into a two-room apartment in a building where "all the walls had pretty graffiti painted on them." When she tells a friend she has magic mushrooms, he tells her he's always wanted to try them because "they sound so cute." It is easier to read about her experiences when they are told with such an unconcerned tone. Her surroundings don't seem as horrible through her eyes.

In the extensive supplemental reading at the end of the book, O'Neil describes the tone of the novel, saying, "even though the novel is set in rooming houses and the red-light district, it still exists in the childish realm of make-believe." As the book's title represents, in the novel the harsh realities of the street are often juxtaposed with the dreaminess of childhood. Though Baby has a very different situation than the majority of students at Mason High School, she is easy to relate to because her sense of childlike wonder is universal.

Music

BNL are Me filled with rich lyricism

BY SAM GOLDSMITH Contributing Writer In a music scene filled with angst and anger, Barenaked Ladies always seem to bring an innocence and purity to their work. The hugely successful Canadian band, which happens to be a Cincinnati favorite, worked in relative U.S. obscurity until their break-out 1998 hit, "One Week."

Artistic growth followed, with 2000's "Maroon," although the commercial failure of 2003's "Everything for Everyone" led to the band's decision not to re-sign with Reprise Records. Instead, BNL released this ambitious 29-song, two-record set on their own independent label.

Musically, the albums are their most mature, eclectic, and "arty," if you will, to date. Internet hit "Wind It Up" echoes Southern rock, "Adrift" and "Half a Heart" invoke varying styles of country, "Sound of Your Voice" is reminiscent of '50 pop (with their ever-smooth harmonies), and "Beautiful" even has a lounge-type feel. The most interesting song in the set, "Everything Had Changed," combines Greek folk, French cabaret, and nuevo tango for an intoxicating musing on love as salvation.

Even with previous experimentation with Native-American chant and tube percussion on previous albums, the Ladies never stop extending their potential. The band has gotten so good at eliciting a mood with their instrumentation, often times the listener can ascertain the atmospherics of a song before it gets into full swing. Jim Creegan, Steven Page, and Kevin Hearn each provide different classical arrangements to several songs on both albums, which add just the right touch to each track.

As anyone who has seen them in concert can attest, Page and Ed Robertson are two of the wittiest and insightful lyricists of our time. They are the band's principal songwriters. Here, however, every member of the band contributes to the songwriting process, whether in collaboration or as a solo.

On "BNL Are Me," they explore the world as its storytellers. They chronicle a failed bank heist in "Bank Job," a couple coming to grips with their emotional distance from one another in "Home," and a magician who wishes to enchant the woman he loves in "Vanishing." Creegan contributes the child-like tale, "Peterborough & the Kawarthas," that can only be described as vocally, musically and lyrically ethereal.

On "BNL Are Men," the band examines different aspects of the human psyche and shows how they can sometimes contradict one another. "Serendipity" is about innocence, "I Can I Will I Do" expresses pure love overcoming doubt, and "What a Letdown" describes petty frustration. "The New Sad" is depression defined: "Everybody knows that happy is the new sad/So I am going to go and imitate my old dad and never crack a smile again." "Fun & Games" criticizes President Bush and yet the contradictory "Angry People" blasts phony, pretentious, sanctimonious people who try to bring others down.

One is tempted to write about each one of the songs on these discs. There is so much richness here. Check it out yourself! This impressive band has here reached full artistic realization.

Movie

Wild Hogs drives home a simple comedy

BY BETH LIPTON Staff Writer photo by Beth Lipton

Retired teacher Richard Orndorff will soon publish his third novel.

Braided Dreams was released in December 2006, just before Christmas. Though the book is not on shelves, it can be ordered through Barnes & Noble or any bookstore and from Amazon.com, though Orndorff encourages people to borrow it from the West Chester Library.

"I did not write [the book] to make money," Orndorff said.

Throughout the process, Orndorff has considered himself lucky to not have a publisher telling him what to write or to change his ideas. Orndorff did not want any obligations when writing his novels.

"I want to be free and I want other people to see how they too can be free," Orndorff said.

If you are a Tim Allen movie fan, Wild Hogs does not disappoint. The movie is an amusing tale of four middle-aged men who hit the road on their motorcycles to escape their troubled lives.

Wild Hogs stars Tim Allen as Doug, a dentist obsessed with his job, Martin Lawrence as Bobby, a plumber controlled by his wife, William H. Macy as Dudley, a computer programmer who is anxious around women, and John Travolta as Woody, an entrepreneur who just divorced his wife and lost all of his money.

The four friends decide to hit the road and see where the road takes them. Along the way, they encounter different difficulties and unusual situations leading them to a small town that they need to save from a larger biker gang. Each instance reveals certain insecurities about each person along with comical and uneasy situations. Through the trip, the four friends each overcome their problems with their lives and themselves, gaining the confidence they each needed to be happy.

Wild Hogs is filled with its funny moments. It is a very low-intelligence kind of humor, but is still funny nonetheless. The plot was extremely predictable, but it did not make the movie boring.

Overall, Wild Hogs is good movie to go see with a group of friends for a good laugh and a good time.

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March 30, 2007

Losing Track of Time

New methods of telling

BY STEPHANIE VISSCHER Associate Editor

The advent of portable technology has perhaps brought with it the downfall of watches. After all, who needs a watch when their cell phone just as easily tells the time?

"There's better ways to tell time now, fancier ways," said junior Dacota Waits. "I have a cell phone and that's how I tell time."

Freshman Hector Medina said he hasn't worn a watch for two years ago.

"I just didn't need it," he said. "There were too many clocks in the school."

This trend isn't limited to young people.

Assistant Principal Tim Keeton is proof. Keeton

time have contributed to the decline of the wristwatch

said that he hasn't worn a watch in "This way at a quick glance you can tell the time. I about five years. don't know how people do it without a watch per"I have four watches in my sonally." drawer," Keeton said. "I wear According to Loewe, knowing what time it is them until the battery important in the business world. goes out. I don't think "In the business world it's a very “All of our cars have important thing because you have I've ever gotten a batclocks. There’s tery change for a watch. to plan things and you have to end According to Keeton, there clocks everywhere.” meetings on time," he said. "You are plenty of other ways to tell time always make a point to be early.

Tim Keeton without a watch.

How do you know if you're early?

Assistant Principal "Think about it, all of our cars now You wear a watch." have clocks" Keeton said. "There's While some people rely on mere clocks everywhere."

“You always make a clocks to tell time, others are able On the other hand, there still point to be early. How to tell time with the bare miniremain those few who are rather mum. Freshman T.J. Marcopulos do you know if you’re learned to tell time by looking at attached to their watch. Freshman Jeff Stegbauer wore his watch reguearly? You wear a the sun in Boy Scouts. larly up until a few weeks ago when "Not very many people know watch.” it ran out of batteries. how to do it," he said. While he Hans Loewe "I looked at my wrist wanting my said he could use this technique if Campus Supervisor watch to be there but it wasn't," he we was alone in the woods, he said. "It made me sad." added, "I wouldn't really be wonSenior Cory Richardson said he "There's better ways dering what time it is." wears a watch because people are Stegbauer also said he has this to tell time now, always asking him what time it is. He ability. fancier ways." said he even wears his in the shower.

"Sometimes I'm stupid and I Dacota Waits According to Richardson, people look directly in the sun and hurt have stopped wearing watches my eyes, and sometimes I'm Junior because they have become "lazy." smarter and take the time to do mathematic approximations," “I looked at my wrist Stegbauer said. He added, "I just wanting my watch to kind of guessed." be there but it wasn’t. Even Richardson said he could "give you about a three hour periIt made me sad.” od" when using the sun to tell Jeff Stegbauer time. Loewe, however, is skeptical Freshman of such techniques.

"You can't tell time by looking "People at the sun," he said. "Especially if there's clouds. don't want to The only way you can tell by looking at the sun is have extra things if you have a sun dial, and then it's not accurate, to think about in only an approximation." the morning," With these inaccuracies, students may have to Richardson said. "I end up wearing watches after all. To make wearing guess I'm lazy too a watch more appealing, some students offered up because I never take suggestions of gadgets that could be added. Medina mine off." suggested adding a "laser and grappling hook, Richardson started wearing his maybe tranquilizers." Waits said that having an mp3 watch when he was a little kid out of player would be "sweet." necessity.

Richardson suggested something that could be "I would always meet my mom in the considered more useful. mall and I would need to know what "I've always wanted a watch with a GPS system time it was," he said. "I didn't want to on it so I could see where I was," Richardson said. ask a stranger."

"Or the temperature outside, that way you would Campus supervisor Hans Loewe is yet know how to dress for the day." another person continuing to wear a Although he admitted he doesn't really need watch in despite the onslaught of cell online access on his wrist, Stebauer said "it would phones. be cool" to have the internet on a watch.

"I've always had one," Loewe said.

"Is that realistic?" he asked.

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March 30, 2007

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21

Three MHS boys make leaps on school jump rope team

BY STEPHANIE DENZEL Staff Writer

photo by Stephanie Denzel

Junior Michael Dulovich, junior Stephen Simpson, and sophomore Brendan Kelly are the only boys on the high school jump rope team, and admit that in this girl-dominated sport, they’re giving the girls competition.

Jump rope is thought of as a child's activity played by little girls during the summer. These boys have taken this image and have made a name for themselves as three boy jump ropers.

Junior Michael Dulovich, junior Stephen Simpson, and sophomore Brendan Kelly are the only high school boys on the Mason Comet Skippers.

Kelly says that he thanks his friend for getting him started in jump roping.

"My friend got me into it," Kelly said. "It was different at first, but I got used to it."

Dulovich got his start in jump roping in a similar situation.

"My sister was on the team before me," Dulovich said. "I got dragged onto the by the coach."

Though they all got their starts in different ways, their passion led them to the Comet

Skippers team.

The Comet Skippers is Mason's official jump rope team that travels to many competitions and performances. The team consists of 65 people ranging from first grade to eleventh grade.

"On the team, we are a minority," Kelly said.

"It was kind of weird, but you just get used to it."

With their passion in something that some would consider a girls sport, Dulovich, Simpson, and Kelly find it easy to disregard comments some may say.

"My friends think that jump rope is a girls sport," Simpson said. "But I learned to ignore it." "[People] who say it is not a sport don't jump." Dulovich said. "If you can compete, it's a sport."

Though they have all tried other sports, these boys have grown to love jump roping.

"Jump rope is creative," Dulovich said. "You have more freedom in what you can do."

Sixth grader saves neighbor’s dog from drowning

BY AMANDA MILLER Staff Writer Mason Intermediate School 6th grader Mackenzie Gerdes heard a crying noise from outside her Ashley Place home while walking upstairs on February 15. Looking out the window Mackenzie saw Tashia, a yellow Labrador belonging to neighbor Suzanne Evans.

"As soon as I saw her I ran over to [the Evans'] backyard, where the pond is. I went to get my friend, Courtney Hubbard," Gerdes said. "Then I ran back to get my mom, and she called the ambulance."

Gerdes' mother Lora Lee ran outside and to the pond, where Mackenzie knelt on the ice, leaning out towards Tashia.

"Tashia fell through a hole that had been made for the fish that live in the pond," Mackenzie said. "She must not have seen it because of all the snow."

Tashia was brought back to the Gerdes' home, where two police, firemen, and EMT were waiting. The responders placed warm towels on Tashia to keep her warm.

Suzanne Evans and her husband were not home, but their son Matthew was. Matthew was informed of Tashia's fall, and he called his parents so the police could also inform them.

"I have my own black Labrador, so I really felt for the dog," Mackenzie said. "I didn't know the Evans family very well, but I couldn't just leave Tashia in the pond. I wasn't even thinking about going through the ice myself; I was only thinking about getting Tashia out."

Lora Lee said as a mother, she was naturally concerned about Mackenzie. However, Lora Lee was not surprised by Mackenzie actions in saving Tashia, and was pleased that Mackenzie came to her before going out onto the pond.

"Mackenzie has always loved animals," Lora Lee said. "She wants to save all the animals.

Any time we see an animal on the side of the road or wherever, Mackenzie wants to take it home and care for it."

Lora Lee also looks at this as a learning experience for her daughter, and said that an accident like Tashia's can teach everybody a lesson.

"I definitely think that it was a growing experience for Mackenzie, for everybody," Lora Lee said. "It makes a person look at the situation and think about how the animal could have died, how they could have died if they had also fallen through the ice. It helps a person to grow, and mature by just looking at all the possible outcomes.”

photo by Amanda Miller

MIS 6th-grader Mackenzie Gerdes saved her neighbor’s dog from drowning in a frozen pond one month ago. This act made Gerdes feel closer to her neighbors and, ofcourse, Tashia, the labrador she saved.

First MHS girl to qualify for Intel International

BY OLGA BORODULIN Editor

photo by Olga Borodulin

Senior Ruby Kandah qualified for Intel International Science fair in Albequerque, New Mexico on May 13 to 19, with her project on improving mileage efficiency of hybrid cars.

Senior Ruby Kandah was sitting one late night in the summer, talking with her father on all topics: career paths, Nobel laureates, and third-world countries. While the three subjects seem unrelated, they somehow sparked an innovation that would get Kandah far. Farther than any girl in Mason High School has gone.

Kandah traveled to India this past summer and noticed how towns were only allotted five hours of electricity a day because of a countrywide shortage. This idea made her think about how to help the third-world countries with electric shortages-and how to do so through science. The answer came in the form of hybrid automobiles.

She first heard, from her AP Chemistry teacher Chris Ennis, the idea of creating a superconductor, a device that would convert atmospheric contents into an electrical current.

She then applied a similar idea to hybrid cars.

She knew hybrids stored energy through regenerative breaking-a system where mechanical work within the braking system is converted into electrical current, which is later stored in the battery.

The car can then use this energy when necessary. She also noted that in cities, regenerative breaking was more prevalent, creating more energy, while highway driving and areas without frequent traffic stops lacked breaking, creating less energy storage in the battery. She

decided to attempt to improve the mileage efficiency of hybrid cars by experimenting with this techniquebut relying on something that was always moving; the suspension system, and presenting her results at the Mason Science fair.

For her experiment, Kandah took the inside of a shake flashlight, attached a metal arm to the magnet within the flashlight, and then put her creation on a platform.

According to Kandah, her data found that using a spring as a source of energy capture improves mileage efficiency by ten to thirty percent. Kandah's work and results impressed judges at both the Mason and University of Cincinnati District science fairs, and now, she is the first girl to advance to Intel International's science fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on May 13 to 19.

Despite researching patent applications, and contacting automobile companies such as GM, Ford, and Toyota, Kandah does not regard herself as a scientific genius.

"I wouldn't consider myself the smartest person in my science class," Kandah said. "There are people who grasp concepts, book smart people. I come home and study like everyone else."

Kandah finds that any person who wishes to make it on such a level is able to.

"It's just something where if you want to improve something in the world, you put forth effort to do it," Kandah said. "You can conceptualize as much as you want, but to follow through and collect data is the hardest part."

22

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March 30, 2007

Despite their lofty status as mature young adults, students still can’t shake the kid cereal habit

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rav do c . n u isp aym n R okie Cr i t s u o ior J of C Jun taste p cris B Y C ANDICE P HILPOT Staff Writer It was the aisle that made any child's trip to the grocery store worthwhile. It seemed like there were endless possibilities; box upon box upon box. The characters that you had Senio r Mar grown to love: a deprived rabbit, a not ju in st for a Lakner pesky leprechaun, a sea captain who think kids. s Trix somewhere along the line must have are had a midlife crisis and an overly enthusiastic tiger are all before your eyes, and a choice has to be made.

While the cereal aisle may not hold as much excitement now, than in childhood; there are few people who can deny the fact that they still indulge in these childhood breakfast treats; even though we like to consider ourselves all grown up.

Sophomore Deanna Allbritten readily admits her appetite for children's cereal.

"I go to first bell everyday and pull out a bag of Lucky Charms, Trix, Fruit Loops; ather not seventy-five percent less sugar, would r g n o r t s ning. but real Fruit Loops, and occasionally nda Arm fruit any mor a m Apple Jacks," Allbritten said.

A r han Senio Loops t While Allbritten most often eats her it u r F have cereal at school, her appetite for Lucky Charms, Trix, and many other originated at home.

"We have cabinets stocked with high sugar content cereal," Allbritten said.

Allbritten's choice in cereal was not swayed by her age, or her mother. "[My mom] tried to back off and get healthier cereal, but at some point she just gave up," Allbritten said. "It's better than not eating at all."

Many of the students here at Mason High School also choose children's cereal for breakfast. In a Chronicle conducted poll, the majority of the students surveyed chose Lucky Charms as their favorite children's cereal.

"It's like eating candy," senior David Fritz said. "You always eat the marshmallows first and throw out the Senio r Kyle rest."

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Many others agree that despite age, Lucky Charms is the best breakfast cereal.

"Lucky Charms spans generations," senior Anthony Pham said.

Even with students approaching their adult years, consumption of these popular children's cereals are unlikely to decrease; but not only because of the colorful cartoon characters who are adorning the boxes.

"You only have a little bit [of fort in time] to be a kid," Allbritten said. s com ereal. d n i f a "Part of me eats it just because I still cibett f kid c Gina S t method o want to be a kid." r o i n Se -ea Junior Jenna Adams admits that her ur-and he po t interests in cereals stemmed from childhood, and are far from extinction. "[The cereal aisle] was always my favorite, besides the toys aisle when I was little," Adams said.

The cereal aisle itself, however, was not the only incentive for going down her favorite aisle. Prizes found in the boxes, such as small toys and action figures also encouraged Adams to purchase her favorite box.

Suprisingly enough, Adams still has in her possession these favorite prizes. "[My family has] had them for about eight years now, and there still in the kitchen drawer," Adams said. "I just love them because they're unique and fun."

However, many of the other cereal box toys Adams has collected over the years are Senio r Kara kept in a less glorious locaShane “snap , r c tion.

Rice K rackle, po loves the p” of rispie "They're in our toy bin," s.

Adams said. "We have all of the McDonald's toys from when I was little in a bin in the basement."

Roth, who favors Cocoa Puffs, is drawn to the jinglesinging characters most often seen in television advertisements.

"My favorite is [Tony the Tiger]. I like it how they always have the sports figures in the commercials, and you can relate [to them]," Roth said. ave

photos by Caroline Johnson, Olga Borodulin

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March 30, 2007

chroniclestyle

23

Fashion Wire Spring is a time for protecting your skin from sun damage attempt to be more active in order to feel more self-assured. Farren wants students to remember that having healthy skin is apart of having a healthy body and lifestyle.

Skin is known as the largest organ of the human body. No wonder " On spring break especially there are a lot of chances to burn, you that in my diverse second period Gender Viewpoints class all agreed can never use enough sunscreen and of course moisturize, moisturize, that having nice skin was a top characteristic in the ideal male and moisturize, because the sun takes a lot out of your skin!" Farren said. female. Healthy skin is synonymous with attractiveness, and no one Aside from moisturizing, another solution to keeping skin healthy wants to look like or touch a crocodile. Having a bad hair is acceptaccording to Farren is Arbonne. able, a raggy shirt will be forgiven, but poor "[Arbonne], is food for your skin, if you want skin is often remembered. A popular to be healthy and fit you eat well. You're not herbal/botanical solution for any skin woes is going to eat potato chips," Farren said.

Arbonne.

Some popular products in the market today Arbonne was developed in Switzerland by are known to contain synthetic chemicals and Peter Morck along with a group of biochemists be watered down. According to Farren, and herbalists in 1975. The products are manuArbonne products however, are 99.6 percent factured in California. Arbonne's claim is that natural and have less than one percent of it's Pure, Safe, and Beneficial. The company preservatives and contain no chemical fillers. markets a beauty line with cleansing gel, hand Some students have thought to question what cream, herbal foot cream, Reveal Facial Scrub, types of products they put on their skin.

Refinish Hydrating body lotion and much "Face washes tell us to use their products and more. clean our skin with it, but it's extremely dan"Everyone starts losing moisture in their skin gerous if we ingest it. How good can it be for at age 14, by their 30's and 40's people have our skin then?" Faulk said. lost much moisture," Karen Farren, District This spring season Arbonne should bring Manager with Arbonne International said. gleaming skin for those who seek it.

According to Senior Lyn Faulk, healthy skin "People work hard for their money; they photo contributed attracts one to a person and it's definitely a big Arbonne Products provide users with should get the best product available. Arbonne factor in being confident. allows for people to feel good about what's on easy, healthy and botanical skin and With the approach of bikini season, many stu- body care. their body and benefits their skin and health" dents will start watching what they eat and Farren said.

BY MICHELLE ROTBART Staff Writer

Express Yourself

Name: Adi Sandhi Age: 17 Style Inspiration: “Most probably music,the people in the bands I listen to, what I like and what i feel [best] in.”

Signature Color: “Black and red” Favorite Store: “Interpunk.com or hottopic.com, I don’t like going to the malls ” Wardrobe spice: “Band t-shirts, belts, gloves and hoodies” That’s got to go: “Those boots with all the fur all up and down them? Uggs or something?”

Best Creation: “Freshman year, I wore a blazer that I put all my favorite bands’ patches on”

“I own about different fifteen hoodies!”

Guys vs Girls His&Her Q&A When trying to attract the oppostie sex, some people just try too hard to impress others.

What’s your take?

His take

“Well, when trying to gain my attention some girls will wear scandalous apparel. In order to obtain my affection, I feel they should be more relaxed.”

Brandon Mason, Junior

? t a h t

Her take

Sarah Read, Sophomore

StyleStatistics As the summer months and warm weather approach, what are you doing to prepare for swim season?

Already look good 35% Exercing lightly/ watching what I eat 25% Hard core exercise, my glorious six -pack will turn heads!

20% Nothing 20% Based on a poll of 100 randomly selected students

A Special Invitation To Area High School Students To Preview The Most Exciting Prom Dresses In Cincinnati!

What’s up with

BY MICHELLE ROTBART Staff Writer

I have made a decision; I'm putting all my high heels in hibernation. Over the past several years every spring, I have mistreated, bound and scrunched my feet in to tight-fitting, uncomfortable, high -arched stilettos. I'm sick of it. After splurging on a spring break trip to Cancun, do you think I have enough money to get myself a pedicure at Venetian, to keep my toes fit to wear open toe- heels?

Imagine the liberation my feet felt when I noticed a plethora of heel-less flat shoes on girls in a range of colors and materials. Have all heels been sent on their own spring break then? What's up with that?

Currently, you can practically trip in your 3-inch heels and fall in to a store carrying flat shoes. Various types can be found in chic boutiques such as Mason's Girl Boutique (who currently has some leopard and embellished rhinestone flats on sale) to Target who carries many patent, round toe, sequin and cloth flats.

Many of us are constantly on our feet through out the day, from mounting the stairs to running errands and finally our 5 to 9 jobs. Not only do flats provide a chic alternative to heels and flip-flops but they are also convenient for all daily activities.

"I wear flats because they are comfortable for my feet, with three flights of stairs at school always wearing heels is hard to do," sophomore Michelle Malblanc said.

Just like many of us who collect our favorite signature pieces, Malblanc is starting her own collection of flats.

"I have six pairs and I want cheetah print ones," Malblanc said.

You can dress them up or dress them down for any occasion.

Not only do they look artsy chic but your feet will love you for them.

Match them with your buckled bag or your feminine embroidered blouse and don't forget that suede moccasins (which I drove in to the ground last year) are always good when running late to school for a last minute outfit.

"Flats are really versatile; I can put them with shorts and skirts opposed to some heels which don't match as well with them" Malblanc said.

Style Giveaway “I'm not a fan of the mixture of short skirts and revealing tops, it's unnecessary.”

PROM

Interested in Arbonne? This month The Chronicle is giving away an essential Arbonne Spring Break Package including: Awaken Body Lotion, Eye Shadow, In the Sun Hair Protectant, Shampoo/Conditioner Sample, Beyond the Basics skin care sample, Anti-Aging Skin Care Sample and a coupon for 30 percent off a future order. This has a value of $45. You win if you have a sticker somewhere on this page! Come down to room C110 by the end of the day and claim your prize!

Not this month's winner? Still interested? Want to really show off that gorgeous Spring Break tan? Contact Karen Farren at ksf@cinci.rr.com and mention this article to get 20 percent off bronzing powder that will make you sparkle & glow naturally. Also get 20 percent off luxurious talc-free eye shadows that go on and stay on.

You Really Can Win! Michelle Rotbart hands The Chronicle’s style giveaway, sparkly earrings and a belt from Camille La Vie, to last issue’s style winner Senior Amanda Downey.

W e want you to experience the fun of enjoying a day with friends to see our extensive collection of prom gowns sure to delight the eye and cause raves as you plan your special prom evening!

Chic, glamorous, sophisticated and pure fun. Sparkle, glitter, Bring your friends and celebrate PROM at Bella donna 1115 CONGRESS AVE. 772-

One mile south of the TriCounty Mall in Glendale Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10-5 Thurs 10-8

CLOSED SUN & MON

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