The Chronicle, 6.3

News: National recession impacts local businesses and families

Chronicle Sports: Female athletes ditch dainty stereotypes on the court

The William Mason High School

Volume 6

NEWS BRIEF

Orchestras will perform in New York Mason High School’s concert and symphony orchestras will travel to New York City on April 2, 2009 for a concert at the famed Lincoln Center, returning on April 6.

Junior Faith Prunty, a second violinist in symphony orchestra, said that other than state contests, the MHS orchestra has not participated in such a large-scale concert.

“We’ve just gone to state contest but that was just a general thing,” Prunty said.

In addition, according to Prunty, Mason will be one of only twelve schools from around the nation represented at the event.

Prunty said that she recognizes the stellar opportunity the orchestra has been given.

“It’s a real honor for us to be going,” Prunty said. “I’m really excited about it.”

TODAY

First Black Hole game of the year Last year’s schoolwide phenomenon, the Black Hole, will be returning for tonight’s varsity basketball game against Glen Este. This year, the group will be led by seniors Pat Koman, Mike Sparks and Brian Snodgrass.

Today is the last day for the Comet Zone’s t-shirt and ticket sale, with the package priced at ten dollars. Wear your t-shirt to tonight’s game to support the Comets.

Celebrate Christmas in Mason Christmas in Mason will be hosted

by Festivals in Mason from six to nine tonight. The event will include traditional stands such as caricature artists, ice carvers, wood carvers, and food and craft booths. As always, there will be a parade and horse-drawn carriage rides, and stage entertainment will be featured.

Regular shuttles to the celebration will be available from Grace Baptist and Saint Suanna churches.

The Chronicle William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Road Mason, Ohio 45040

December 5, 2008

Issue 3

Whoever said...

Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me?

] G N O R [W

They were...

Danni Simms | Staff Writer

In the hallways of Mason High School the n-word is heard, causing students to question who should and shouldn’t be able to use the term.

The n-word: a word that has been used throughout history to convey a strong emotion of hate, but now is heard on a daily basis by some people at MHS. A word that, according to senior Maya Antoine, is very hurtful.

Looking back in history, the n-word has served as a label for African-American people who have been considered less than human and enslaved throughout history, according to Abolishthenword.com.

However, in more recent times the word that was considered largely derogatory has begun to be used by African-Americans.

“The definition of the n-word was a lazy person with no self respect,” Abolishthenword.com said. “African-Americans started using the n-word to refer to themselves in the 1920s taking the ‘-er’ off of the end of the word and adding the letter ‘-a.’”

Antoine said that she’s offended by the word’s use, even in a classroom context.

“It makes me really uncomfortable,” Antoine said. “Either skip over the word, or don’t read that part out loud.”

Although the n-word is taught in school to be known as a racial slur, some students use the word in two separate contexts.

One connotation is positive, generally stemming from a variation of the n-word,

while the other meaning is negative, according to sophomore Geneva Boyd.

“The word has changed over the years,” Boyd said. “Some African-Americans use the word to greet someone [in a friendly manner], and then sometimes it is used negatively. To me it is just another word.”

Boyd said she doesn’t believe any certain type of person should be forbidden from using the word, as long as it isn’t used in a negative light.

According to junior Sam Simpson, the connotation of the n-word can be judged through its suffixes.

“The suffixes determine the real meaning: ‘-ger’ is a slander and ‘-ga’ is more casual,” Simpson said.

Simpson said he only uses the word when another person uses it around him in order to make sure the other person is not opposed to its use. Simpson said he doesn’t believe there should be two meanings for the n-word; however, he believes race should not determine who should use the word. Either everyone uses it, or no one at all.

Sophomore Dasia Hood said the n-word is a part of daily language she hears, even though she doesn’t say the word. Hood

See DEROGATORY on page 2

photo by Ellen Duffer

With construction finishing on the new high school addition, the district faces an uncertain financial future.

Bright warns economic forecast for school district is gloomy Ellen Duffer | Associate Editor Next November, Mason City Schools may be facing the implementation of a multi-million dollar operating levy. With the current national economic situation continually worsening, public officials are concerned about the city’s financial future, according to Mason City Schools Treasurer Dick Gardner.

Gardner said that the current fiscal climate requires a levy, the level at which he said he doesn’t want to be at or exceeding $10 million.

“Based on the economy, based on the fact that property values are not increasing as much as they have been, based on the fact that construction in Mason is down significantly, based on what the state is doing to us including removing tangible property taxes -- from a financial standpoint, we need to go on the ballot in 2009,” Gardner said.

Gardner said that the fiscal cycle usually results in the proposal of a levy every three years. That time period passed in the early months of this year, as the last passage of a levy was in May of 2005; so, according to Gardner, Mason’s levy is overdue.

“We promised the voters that we wouldn’t be back for at least three years,” Gardner said. “It will have been four years [in January]. We’ve looked at what it would take to stretch it to five years, but it’s just too much: it will have an impact

See SCHOOL FINANCE on page 3

PAGE 2 | NEWS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 | THE CHRONICLE

Identity Crisis | Preserving cultural heritage

DEROGATORY: Some feel no one should use the word continued from page 1

said when the word is used in a positive light, it is because the person does not know the word’s true meaning.

“Now people use [the n-word] more like they throw around ‘love,’” Hood said. “They use it but they don’t really know the real meaning behind it.”

According to Hood the usage of the n-word by people with whom she associates makes her perspective of them change. As a result, Hood said she doesn’t use the word because she doesn’t want others to think it’s okay.

photo by Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/MCT

President-elect Barack Obama jokingly referred to himself as a “mutt” at his recent press conference after meeting with the Transition Economic Advisory Board at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, November 7, 2008. The election of an African American president has brought the issue of racial identity in America to the forefront.

Students struggle with American identity while trying to hold onto cultural heritage Jessica Kantor | Staff Writer Not everyone wants to be American.

Some students at Mason High School with diverse backgrounds have chosen to hold onto parts of their diverse backgrounds instead of succumbing to American culture.

MHS students of all races and cultures are struggling with the definition of American.

Junior Ian Callander said people have to consider the law when deciding who should be American.

“Legally, you have to be born here to be American,” Callander said. “Regardless of if you approve of the way the government works, you have to respect the legal definition of ‘American.’”

For other students, being a member of American culture isn’t the most important facet of citizenship. Junior Corina Marziano said she is proud of her Venezuelan culture. When her family moved to Mason during her third grade year, she didn’t speak any English.

Marziano said that even now she still feels much more connected to Venezuela than America.

“I argue with my sister in English [now], but my parents try to speak mostly Spanish at home,” Marziano said.

“They don’t want us to lose our second language. It’s our culture and heritage and we don’t want to let go of that part of us.”

Marziano said she would prefer not to be called American.

“I am definitely not American,” Marziano said. “I would definitely prefer to be called Venezuelan rather than American and I take pride in my culture. It’s natural to pick up a few traits of American culture when you live here, but I’m not fully American.”

Although some students such as Marziano still have extremely close ties with their

culture, other students said they feel disconnected and relate more to their American culture.

Junior Margaret Zhang said she definitely feels more American than Chinese.

“My parents wanted me to be American,” Zhang said.

“Lots of other Chinese people don’t get involved in sports and activities, but I was encouraged by my parents and my brother to get involved.”

Zhang has been involved with soccer, ballet and piano in past years. She currently participates in cross country, Student Government and National Honor Society and plays the Chinese violin.

Even though Zhang said she has become a classic American teenager, she still tries to hold onto her Chinese culture.

“The fact that my parents are from China helps [me retain my Chinese heritage],” Zhang said. “Their work ethic, Chinese traditions and morals are a part of me. Being surrounded by other people who are Chinese definitely has an influence on me. Chinese is what I come from and a large part of who I am and what I believe in, but I am definitely American.”

Callander said he agrees that surroundings affect a person’s ideals.

“People are surrounded by different environments even within America,” Callander said. “The city [they live in] affects their ideals and how they personally think America works.”

Zhang said she enjoys being called American.

“I like being called Chinese, because I like that part of me, but it also bugs me when people say I am not American,” Zhang said. “It’s usually in a joking way, but it’s something I’m really sensitive about.”

Junior Nadira Long said she would like to be referred to as African American.

“For me, it’s not about

being connected to African heritage,” Long said. “[African American] just sounds more acceptable and humanizing to me than ‘black’. It’s up to the person though; whatever the person feels is good for them is what they should be called.”

Long’s family has celebrated Kwanzaa in the past and has planned a trip to Africa, but Long said she doesn’t feel as much of a connection to African culture.

“Since we are living in the US, that part of my ancestry is far back in my past,” Long said. “If you consider America your home and culture, you’re American. It should be okay to soak up some of American culture and hold onto your own background too.”

Long said she thinks that you are American as long as you believe in American ideals and feel that you have an impact on America.

“One of the first aspects of being American is believing you are one,” Long said.

“Culture enriches the US, and everyone has an impact on the country. Believing that you can live life to the fullest and chase your dreams makes you American.”

Zhang said she has her own definition of who should be called American.

“The fact that [someone is] an American citizen or is born in America is enough,” Zhang said. “If a person takes hold of opportunities, wants to be American, and has American ideals, that is enough to make him or her an American.”

Callander said he agreed that the title of “American” should be based on ideals.

“Your ideologies should reflect the rest of America,” Callander said. “American ideals are not set by religious belief, culture or ethnicity -- they are set by the Constitution and Bill of Rights as the American precept.”

“Now people use [the n-word] more like they throw around ‘love.’ They use it but they don’t really know the real meaning behind it.”

“It makes people sound ignorant when they say it,” Hood said. “You are basically insulting yourself or your peers when you say it. I don’t want others to think it is okay for them to say it, so I don’t say it myself.”

Though the n-word is a term that is used in daily vocabulary for some people, Hood said she does not believe it should be used by anyone.

“I don’t think anybody should use it,” Hood said. “Words are words.

There are words you should use, and there are words you shouldn’t.”

Outside of the social setting and inside of the classroom, Antoine said it is not necessary for the word to be read out loud in order to get the full gist of it.

Though there are many times when the n-word could show up in a piece of required literature or documentary in history class, World History teacher Micah Faler said he also feels like the word should not be repeated in class. According to Faler, watching a documentary that uses the word or reading a book that uses the word is one thing, but speaking and writing the n-word isn’t necessary.

“I don’t think it is appropriate for a student or teacher to use the word,” Faler said. “It’s one thing to observe how it was used in history, and it’s another thing to… [speak] it today, or have a student write it.”

Multicultural Literature teacher Meg McKinnon deals with situations where the usage of the n-word in different cultures is addressed. The reasoning behind this discussion is to understand the n-word’s value, according to McKinnon.

“It’s imperative that people study the existence of the word and its function in language in order to evaluate its purpose,” McKinnon said.

According to McKinnon, if the nword is used in her class it is never in a hateful light.

“If the word is ever uttered, it’s in the context of its existence as a word,” McKinnon said. “It is never used as an insult or a label.”

Faler said he has heard the n-word used in the hallways by students, but only by African-American students and he didn’t confront the students.

“I didn’t address it, and I don’t know how to address it,” Faler said.

While coaching, Faler said he heard

the word used by a white student, and immediately addressed the student.

According to Faler, the n-word is like a four letter curse word, but it is hard for him to address the black students because the word is supposed to be derogatory towards them.

However, Faler said he doesn’t feel like it is right for black students to use the word, and that the difference in punishments encourages white students to use the word.

“Personally, I don’t think [a black student using] it is a appropriate either,” Faler said. “I think a lot of students then see it as: if an AfricanAmerican student can use it and they think it’s acceptable, then why isn’t it acceptable for a white student? Even though that isn’t necessarily the case.”

McKinnon said she believes there should be a standard punishment for any use of hateful language in school, no matter the word, the student, or the grade. Assistant Principal George Coates said he also believes the n-word should not be used by any student. However, the punishment for the usage of the n-word, according to Coates, varies case by case.

“We’d like to say that every student should get the hammer during situations like that,” Coates said. “It doesn’t happen all the time. It just depends on the circumstances and how it affects the person who gets [called the n-word].”

One of the situations that Coates has encountered was when a student was overheard using the word, but the person he said it to was his friend and wasn’t upset. According to Coates, this kind of situation allows for a lighter punishment because the student the n-word was directed towards was not upset.

“Personally I don’t think [a black student using] it is a appropriate either.

I think a lot of students then see it as: if an African-American student can use it and they think it’s acceptable, then why isn’t it acceptable for a white student? Even though that isn’t necessarily the case.”

As the n-word is being discussed in MHS, its use is also being discussed nation-wide. A recent episode of Dr. Phil was devoted to a debate about the usage of the n-word. Abolishthenword.com is a site devoted to abolishing the word’s use in society. In Flint, Michigan a group of students at Southwestern Academy High School have begun a campaign to renounce the n-word.

Though who should or shouldn’t use the n-word does not have a clear cut answer, Boyd said at least one thing that people on every side of the issue can agree upon is to err on the side of caution.

“Be careful what you say around people,” Boyd said.

THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

SCHOOL FINANCE: District faces radical cutbacks if voters don’t approve levy in fall of ’09 continued from page 1

on the classroom.”

This January marks the beginning of the period in which Mason will have deficit spending, causing Gardner to push for the request that the community allot money to the schools in the near future. This would allow the levy to be active starting in January of 2010.

“I look at the need to go for a levy in association with the first year that a school district runs a deficit for the year,” Gardner said. “[This is] not necessarily [when a district] runs out of cash, but actually in a given year when the expenditures exceed the revenues. Our expenses are going to exceed our revenues this year.”

If the recommended levy fails to pass in November, Superintendent Kevin Bright said that it would be damaging to Mason’s schools.

“If it doesn’t pass, it would be devastating to the school district,” Bright said. “Then, instead of $5 million in reductions, we’re looking at a list of $11.5 million in reductions. Then, we’re talking about reductions that really would cut into student achievement and opportunities for students.”

Regardless of whether an operating levy is employed within the coming year, Bright said that the district’s current financial plan must change to suit the general economic circumstances that differ drastically from what was predicted.

“I believe that we need to reinvent ourselves,” Bright said.

“If we’re not going to get any changes in school funding [from] the state, we’re going to have to handle public school instruction in a very different way. I’m prepared to go talk with the state superintendent, Deborah Delisle, and also Ted Strickland about this and volunteer Mason to be at the forefront of that change.”

Before a radical change in structure can occur, however, the district must obtain money to fund the current system, according to Bright. Reductions in spending throughout Mason schools will be made, though Mason Public Information Officer Tracey Carson said that the school board will attempt to ensure the cuts are felt minimally within learning environments.

“We’ll try to minimize the impact on the classroom, but people will feel those cuts,” Carson said. “We’re going to try to work on energy conservation [and] we’re going to be doing a hiring freeze, but there are definitely some harder things on the list [of cuts].”

Among some of the other objects and services at risk of not being obtained are new textbooks and teachers, according to Bright.

“We’re looking at delaying textbook purchases two different years, and that’s a savings of half a million dollars and $800,000, [but] we don’t think that’s going to be that detrimental,” Bright said. “We’re also looking at reduction of positions as people leave, but [have] no specific targeted positions; [reduction] is

only as people retire or spouses are transferred [or] if people resign to take another position.”

Mason City School District is also lacking the benefits of a tangible personal property tax, which has allowed the district to collect money from businesses with physical inventory like furniture. For the past several years, Mason schools have received significant amounts of funding from this tax, but starting in November of 2008, collection of this tax has stopped, due to a state decision.

Because this decreases the amount of money a school system has in its possession, Ohio is partially reimbursing districts.

However, according to Gardner’s forecasts, Mason will still have a deficit of about $2 million in 2009, $12 million in 2010 and $16 million by 2011.

To account for the deficit spending increase, Gardner said he wants to propose a property tax that would effectively tax businesses, as well as citizens, which are currently at an advantage, because of the end of the tangible personal property tax.

“Another property tax is probably more appropriate,” Gardner said. “The idea there is to phase it in and understand what the community wants.”

To prepare Mason citizens for the likely levy, community forums will be held starting in February 2009. The forums will open discussion regarding what the community values in its schools and the level at which people hope students perform.

The forums will help shape the details of the levy, including the total amount for which money is asked.

“Mason has tried to always talk a lot to the community and I think particularly this time, I know that’s the direction that our board wants to go in, in an even bigger way,” Carson said.

“It’s a good time to talk to the community about what their expectations for student achievement [are, and] opportunities for students.”

Bright said that the school board will also attempt to learn exactly how much the community is prepared to sacrifice for the students. “[One] key question we need to ask during the community forums [is]: ‘At what level is this community willing to support students?’” Bright said.

Essentially, Carson said she wants the Mason to be able to take ownership of the levy by the time it reaches the polls, so it has a greater chance of being approved.

“I would hope that after listening, the community would feel that it’s the community’s levy,” Carson said.

To stress the importance of the passage of the levy, Bright said that discussions with the community are imperative, despite the high dollar amount fixed to the appeal.

“It’s going to be a difficult request,” Bright said. “That’s why we need to have dialogue with our community. This needs to be a priority: we’re talking about the future of our youth.”

NEWS | PAGE 3

City of Mason not immune to economic woes Alyssa Howard | Editor in Chief The effects of the economic downturn have hit the Mason community. Local stores and chains alike, such as Linens-N-Things, the Red Door, and Mix It Up Cereal Cafe, have closed Mason locales, and even the Comet Zone is feeling the tightening of students’ wallets, according to store manager senior Cara Baarendse.

“We’ve seen a decrease in sales since last year,” Baarendse said. “People aren’t as likely to spend money on things they don’t necessarily need right now.”

Despite worsening economic conditions in the immediate community as well as nationwide, the country is not yet in an official recession.

According to Recession.org, the pronouncement of economic recession is dependent upon the National Bureau of Economic Research, which defines an official recession as a “significant decline in economic activity lasting more than a few months.” However, since this is a relatively vague definition and measures the economic state for a nondescript amount of time before commenting, upon NBER’s declaration of a national recession, the country will have already been in one for a period of time.

Despite lack of official indication of a recession

by NBER, AP European History teacher Charles Dugan said he believes that the country has been in a recession for the majority of the past year.

With this, Dugan said that he has seen a drop in consumer confidence in Mason as a main attribute of a recession’s impact in the area.

“You start to see a shift in what’s being bought and sold,” Dugan said. “Some of the factories

that are in town are starting to close down, like International Paper.”

As the economic decline continues, Dugan said that the impact on the community could potentially be monumental.

“Mason went from being a small town to a decent-sized city based on the establishment of factories,” Dugan said. “If [the factories] start to close down, it [could] have a tremendous effect on…the housing market.”

According to Dugan, if the economy persists in its lagged state, the way that Mason High School functions as well as the lives of students in the future could be affected. “[The current recession] could have an impact on our student population, put some stresses on students’ lives, and really cause instability to occur if it’s a prolonged situation,” Dugan said.

photo by Alyssa Howard

During this time of unofficial recession, Mason shop The Red Door is going out of business, ending with a close-out sale.

Mason Parks Foundation develops plan for integrated park facility Rachel Schowalter | Staff Writer Mason will be building a park accessible to all levels of disabilities between 2009 and 2010. The park will incorporate playground equipment that will help stimulate children with handicaps.

According to Beth DeGroft, board member of the Mason Parks Foundation, the park will be built off of Route 42 near the Mason post office. DeGroft said she estimates that the park will be open by late 2010.

“If we start the project in 2010, I would hope that it would be open by the end of that year,” DeGroft said.

The idea of creating the allinclusive park was presented by the foundation’s president, Rachel Kopfler. All-inclusive parks under the name “Common Ground” have been built throughout the country, from Lakeland, Florida to Fairfax County, Virginia. According to Kopfler, the parks were built to go “above and beyond” the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a document passed in the 1990s to create equal opportunities in the workplace and public places.

“For a playground, if you have ‘x’ number of play components that you have to access via stairs, [the act requires] you to have ‘x’ number of ground-level components,” Kopfler said. “It’s meant to help somebody who is disabled be able to get around the playground. It’s kind of the bare minimum, if you will, and what we want to do with Common Ground is more.”

DeGroft said the playground will be built with a unique motif, including a butterfly-shaped wall that will enclose the playground.

“One of the things that parents have mentioned to us is that children who are autistic tend to run when they’re in an open area, and that was a concern of ours being in close proximity to a road,” DeGroft said. “There will be a wall all the way around the outside of the playground with a gate, so that children who are playing will be enclosed in the playground and parents can keep an eye on them.”

Although the Mason Parks Foundation has not picked the actual equipment that will go into the playground, they have been looking at features designed to address all levels of disabilities. According to Kopfler, the park will include balance beams and stepping stones -beneficial activities for children with Cerebral Palsy and other neurological disorders. Mirrors will be added to the playground to help stimulate children with psychological disabilities.

According to DeGroft, the foundation is looking to include “boat-shaped” equipment that will give children in wheelchairs the sensation of swinging. They are also planning on adding metal slides for deaf children, whose hearing aids are often damaged from the electricity created by plastic slides.

According to Kopfler, the park is currently being funded by private donations from community members and grants from local corporations. DeGroft said that

photo contributed

A new park designed to fit the needs of handicapped children will incorporate a butterfly-shaped wall and playground equipment that will help stimulate mental and physical progression in the disabled.

Mason residents can visit the foundation’s website, MasonParksFoundation.org, in order to get involved in the project. During the spring, the foundation will be including Mason schools in the fundraising for the park.

Kopfler said that she hopes the park will not only benefit disabled children, but give all members of the community a chance to play.

“We think of playgrounds as a luxury, but in reality, they’re much more than that,” Kopfler said. “[They’re] not just for special needs kids: [they’re] really for the entire community to work together and all become much more productive members of society.”

PAGE 4 | NEWS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 | THE CHRONICLE

Membership has its privileges, and its costs too; senior year can be expensive Woody Goldsmith | Staff Writer Every year students and parents complain about the growing cost of college tuition. But before the first semester begins, the average Mason High School senior will encounter the costs of graduation, AP exams, senior pictures, standardized testing and college applications.

According to a study by USA Today, college applications can cost upwards of $75. Multiply that amount by seven schools, the amount of colleges to which senior Annie Durham is applying, and the money can add up. Durham said she is applying to seven colleges with the hopes of getting into at least one of them. She said that she is outraged by the high cost of applications.

“I think college application fees are stupid,” Durham said. “You’re going to attend their school and pay, for the schools I’m applying to, upwards of $40,000, to go to the school. So I shouldn’t have to pay, like, $35 to apply. But I guess if they need $35 . . . whatever floats their boat. I have no idea why they make them so much.”

Standardized testing can also provide a financial burden on high school seniors. According to collegeboard.com, the SAT Reasoning Test is $45; that doesn’t include the price of sending out scores ($9.50 per school) or any repeat testing. According to the ACT website, the ACT plus writing is $46, without retakes. But both prices still disregard the cost of SAT/ACT prepatory classes.

Senior Nirupa Manohar attended a Princeton Review SAT prep class, with the hopes of achieving outstanding scores.

The classes can range from $799 for a classroom-style learning environment to $1500 for a small group tutoring session. She also purchased SAT/ACT practice books. She took both tests twice, and said she thinks that the costs of the classes, books, and the tests themselves are too high.

“I feel like [the classes] didn’t help me and that they were a waste of money,” Manohar said. “I feel really bad, because my parents are paying for all of it, and I feel really bad asking them for everything, because they are spending all of their money on me.”

Manohar said that she feels that the companies who control the prices of these senior necessities are taking advantage of the senior class.

“They’re just taking advantage of us,” Manohar said.

“Because they know that especially in junior and senior year, you are going to college, and they know you want to do well, so they are like, ‘We can help you, but you need to pay money.’”

However, not all senior costs are academically oriented.

Another high cost for seniors comes from the production and printing of senior pictures. Session fees, wallet sized pictures, and full portraits are just some of the charges of one shoot. Sessions alone can cost up to $300 in some locations, while package prices can start at $299. That’s almost $600 to add to the ballooning costs of senior year.

Senior Allie Fruchey said that she spent over $1500 on her pictures, and that she recognizes the over-priced cost of a basic want. “[My mom and I] really liked the pictures,” Fruchey said.

“When they gave us the calculations [for the pictures], we were pretty shocked. But my mom was like, ‘This is what I want,’ so she just went off with that.”

Fruchey said that the cost of senior pictures should not be as high as it is. She also said that she recognized the business aspect of the senior picture companies.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Fruchey said. “It’s a business because I think they know they can get the money out of you, because so many people want them, but I’m glad I’m not the one paying for them. I think it’s overpriced majorly.”

Advanced Placement tests are yet another way that senior year can take its toll. According to the MHS guidance office, AP tests are going to cost $86 in the spring of next year. Senior Michael Verleye is taking four AP tests this year alone, not to mention the other three tests he has taken over the past three years.

“Especially for [the tests] being in the seventy or eighty dollar range, I think it’s a little pricy,” Verleye said. “Especially for kids who are taking five. When you’re paying over a hundred dollars just to take a test, it seems a little high.”

Finally, graduation also takes its toll on the wallets of seniors. According to Graduateserviceinc.com, caps, gowns and tassels alone cost $33, while an additional tassel costs an extra $7. But any of the additional graduation packages (which can include t-shirts, key chains, announcements, name cards, and scrapbooks) can cost anywhere from $136 to $437.70.

Senior Bonnie Smith said she spent about $180 for her cap, gown, and invitations. She said that little things, such as pens and stickers, were too costly.

“A lot of the stuff you could go out to like, Wal-Mart, and get a lot cheaper, and probably the same quality.” Smith said. “I think it’s way overpriced. There was no reason to be spending so much.”

photo by Kirsten McCafferty

The toll of senior year’s costs become a major factor of senior year.

While the price of senior year can seem daunting, some students at MHS find that the senior year experience is worth the price of the necessities.

“Senior year is a one time thing,” Fruchey said. “There’s a lot of money that goes into it. But like I always say, in the end, it is worth it.”

Verleye said that he is unhappy with the rapidly rising cost of senior year.

“It’s pretty pricy for people,” Verleye said. “If you throw in graduation stuff, graduation parties, and all the pictures . . . it’s a lot. The price of high school stays pretty level but then in senior year, it just jumps way up. It’s certainly very expensive to be a senior.”

Nevertheless, future classes will have to accept that the costs of being a senior are not only high, but they are also growing, according to Verleye.

“I think for most students, [the price] is still in the affordable range,” Verleye said. “But with how everything keeps going up, I don’t know what seniors are going to do in two or three years.”

Students play delicate balancing act; raising money for college can put grades in jeopardy Samantha Stulen | Staff Writer Many high school students are familiar with the typical after school job, but for some students this job -- to be put towards college savings -- may just be hurting their chances of getting into colleges.

Science teacher Sue Ellen Radcliffe says that she can notice a difference in quality of work between students who work and those who do not. “[There is a difference in students’] homework and in their participation in class because they’re always tired and slumped over the table,” Radcliffe said.

The jobs acquired that are supposed to help these students gain more college money, in fact hinder their grades that act as their tickets to college.

Senior Kayla Desayutels works 30 to 35 hours a week at Walgreens as a sales clerk.

Her hours during the week are from 4:00 to 10:30, and only has time to do her schoolwork during a thirty minute break.

“I really only get about thirty minutes on my break to do schoolwork because if I stay up any longer after work I won’t be able to get up in the morning,” Desayutels said. “Studying is just here and there when I can.”

Studying is not on the top of Desayutel’s list when she gets home from work, despite the amount of homework.

“If I get home [between 10:30 and 11:00] then if I stay up to study, I won’t get any sleep,” Desayutels said. “So, it’s like I have to pick, and I’d rather sleep than study.”

The choice between sleeping and studying holds consequences. According to Desayutels, she does not perform well on tests due

to the time constraints.

“The only thing I really get to do outside of working and school is hang out with friends,” Desayutels said. “I don’t really do much for school. I hang out with my boyfriend when I can.”

Even though she is working for college, the fact that her job takes up most of her time could hurt her chances to get into her colleges of choice.

“Some students don’t have to have a job,” Desayutels said. “I have to pay for things...

They have more extracurricular activities which looks better when you’re applying to college. They have an advantage at some point, but I have the advantage that I have the [job] experiences.”

The lack of extracurricular activities also disqualifies Desayutels from some scholarships that she had considered. The job cannot be forgone, because of how she has to pay for car insurance, her cell phone and other necessities, Desayutels said.

Even though Desayutels has been working since she was 14-years-old, the job will not add up to the same amount of weight as in involvement through the school.

“It’s hard with not having extracurriculars to get the scholarships that I’ve been looking at and I can only save so much because taxes is what’s killing me,” Desayutels said.

“It’s a lot of money -- I get about $300 to $400 back every year, but I could have used that to save money because I earn interest when I save.”

“It’s just that I’m paying so much monthly,” Desayutels said. “College is expensive.”

With the rising cost of college, it is not a desire to work but a necessity. College

tuition jumped six percent in 2006 according to MSNBC.com, and continues to increase.

However, some students like junior Alexa Hill do not see impacts on grade point average with working schedules.

“I still study the same amount time, I just get less sleep,” Hill said. “[The job, though,] makes it harder for me to get the same grades, but I get them.”

Hill said that she works six days a week and usually with shifts from 3:00 to 7:00 or 4:00 to 9:00 at Kroger as a courtesy clerk, or bagger. Hill is also involved with Future Teachers of America and Photo Club at school.

Guidance counselor Lindsay Kearns said that with a job and academics, it is a balance, just like sports. Some kids, though, need jobs to pay for extra things and have to get a job and colleges will take note of those special circumstances, Kearns said.

“I think if you’re going to have a job you still need to keep your grades up,” Kearns said. “If you’re going to play sports you need to keep your grades up as well; so I think the same goes with having a job.”

If a student filling out his or her college application finds that he or she does not have many extracurricular activities because of his or her job, there is room for colleges to see leadership through position advancement, Kearns said.

“I don’t think colleges are going to say, ‘That’s okay -- you have low grades but you had a job,’” Kearns said. “There’s nowhere to explain that unless you have some sort of extenuating circumstance as to why you had a job.”

On the walls & In the halls Information that can be found on the walls of MHS: COMET ZONE: The school store will have special holiday hours from December 8-19. It will be open from three o’clock to seven o’clock every Monday through Friday during this period of time.

FRENCH CLUB: Every Tuesday, the club meets in A107. The group will go see movies and partake in other various outings.

Members will help with tutoring other French students after school, as well.

AUDITIONS: All students aged five through 18 are invited to audition for Acting Up’s next production: Annie Jr. Auditions will be held on Monday, December 8 from six to eight o’clock p.m. and on Tuesday, December 9 from six to nine o’clock p.m. in the cafeteria of the 4/5 building in Mason Intermediate. Visit www.ActingUp.com for more information.

Views THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

Chronicle 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 The Chronicle Staff Editor In Chief Alyssa Howard Associate Editor Ellen Duffer Senior Staff Writer Mandy Chiara Business/Circulation Manager Kirsten McCafferty Technical and Graphic Manager Caleb Schowalter Staff Writers Deanna Allbrittin Jordan Berger Duncan Fischley Woody Goldsmith Scott Hutchinson Jessica Kantor Cady Meece Rachel Schowalter Danielle Simms Sam Stouffer Samantha Stulen Adviser Mr. Dale Conner

Feedback

In my Opinion

Do you think the election of Barack Obama has improved race relations?

“No, I think it’s made it worse, because people are accusing people supporting McCain of being racist.”

Chelsea Vaccariello Junior

“I don’t know, because there are always going to be extremists on both sides. It’s a controversial question.”

Ethan Brown Junior

“I don’t think it made a difference.”

Jessica Fawcett Senior

“Yeah, because he’s crossed a humongous barrier of whether or not a person of a different ethnicity can be president.”

Jordyn Rentfrow Junior

“No, because of what happened at our school.”

Samone Banks Sophomore

“No. Now people are mad that there’s a black man president and it’s created more tension.”

Randall Robinson Senior

“I hope it will, because he’s an African-American president. Hopefully any differences that are still there will be improved.”

Chloe Crites Sophomore

“I think it reflects improved race relations in the US, otherwise he wouldn’t have been elected.”

Suprasanna Mishra Junior

Staff Editorial Moving forward in the spirit of cooperation Respect is an underrated value.

As one party of arguably the most intense presidential election in American history emerged victorious and the other came up short, people of both political persuasions seemed to abandon the golden rule that most learned in early youth: treat others as you wish to be treated yourself.

When did we lose the basic courtesies of citizenship that have served to unite us on so many other occasions?

Both sides need to gain perspective from the other end of spectrum. The democrats’ enthusiasm was well-founded, as a liberal candidate won the presidency for the first time in twelve years; conversely, the republicans’ faced reasonable disappointment in a candidate with originally optimistic poll-day expectations. But it’s over. It’s time to look ahead to the pivotal horizons that our nation currently faces.

With a deepening economic crisis and looming questions about involvement in a highly controversial war, America is undoubtedly at a crossroads. And as we blaze ahead to formulate the basis for further successes and developments to our country, we, as citizens, need to live by that phrase so over-utilized by politicians during the election and “reach across the aisle.” As cliché as that may sound, we need to realize that while we must be intelligently discerning in our support of political

EDITORIAL | PAGE 5

ideologies, that we must also have tolerance for well-meaning opinions opposing our own.

The democracy that we have fought to maintain depends upon this respect between differing opinions, as well as the participation of citizens to stamp out beliefs endangering the freedoms and rights of the American people. Even as young participants in democracy, we all need to practice open-mindedness to progressive politics, as well as ideas that vary from our own. And this goes for both ends of the political spectrum. Closed minds on either side will only heighten any political tensions, so let’s make the conscious effort to incorporate a cooperative attitude. Let’s ditch puritanically partisan politics and opt for what’s actually best for America.

In our society based upon democratic mores, we have to realize that everyone is not going to get their way all of the time, that give and take is the name of the American political game.

Bottom line: if we could disregard our differences and unite in the face of impending crises, we might just be able to create a future that would best fit the most citizens. And if we could stop our divided gloating and pouting for a moment, we could realize that in this age of political transience, our generation could be the solution.

Swimming in a sea of individuals Ellen Duffer | Associate Editor “Strive to be yourself!”

“Everyone is special in his or her own way.”

“That’s not weird -- it’s unique.”

The common mantras instilled in our budding minds from elementary school onward stress the acceptance of each person as an individual; each trait is something to praise and encourage.

No longer are we taught to try our hardest to conform to the standards of society, pressured into living along the same path as thousands of others that never bothered to “find themselves.”

Now, those who give us guidance during the impressionable years of our chaotic teenage lives offer advice on soul-searching when we claim to want to just fit in and be liked.

“Don’t try to force yourself into one group because you think you should,” some will say. “Don’t push yourself into an accepted clique like a square peg trying to match with a round hole.”

Those kids who dress in bizarre, nonsensical clothing aren’t condemned for not looking “normal.” Not at all. Now it has become more difficult to define “normal” in the first place. There is an immense number of people in the world that defy stereotypes, break barriers, push the envelope and act just plain weird. But weird is merely what is different from your own mannerisms and choices, and if you are an individual, then your actions aren’t like anyone else’s; so, everyone is weird.

There stands a society comprised of individuals: a collection of extraordinarily different people.

However, in a country populated by billions, is it wise to promote such extreme individualism? It’s frightening to think of what could occur if each person became so different that they felt isolated. Of course, that would result in an automatic mass-bonding through similar emotions of remoteness. But isn’t the sensation of being “different” and “alone” what is attributed to a variety of heinous crimes?

Contrariwise, forced assimilation would create conflict between those who are proud of their strong individuality and others who seek to be inclusive by forming a few distinct cultures.

But an overwhelming teaching of discovering your personal characteristics and strictly adhering to them is not always beneficial to the living, breathing organism of society. Some traits can hurt overall morale or cause rifts that spark the emergence of concealed issues on a grander scale.

Can’t it also be comforting to have the ability to announce that you are a valuable contributor to a group? In many situations, a clearly unified organization can have loads more power and success than a few strongly-opinioned individuals hastily strung together in the hopes of forming a magically invincible bond.

In a country struggling to reach agreements on solutions to economic problems, race relations and the use of war to achieve peace, actual unity may be the key.

Compromise; sacrifice; think about the long-term goals for a broad audience.

Sometimes, individual goals have to be tabled to benefit the community -- to bring us together.

PAGE 6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 | THE CHRONICLE

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NEWS FEATURE | PAGE 7

Do you Facebook?

If you don’t, you’d better start; many MHS clubs now use popular social networking site to communicate with members Cady Meece | Staff Writer When sophomore Geneva Boyd joined the Mason High School Winter Guard, she had no idea that having a Facebook account would be a necessity for participation with the group.

Although registering on Facebook was not mandatory, Coach Chad Foremen suggested utilizing this system to keep in contact with him as well as the rest of the team, according to Boyd. Boyd said that being in constant contact with the team is extremely important because she receives all practice and competition information.

“I didn’t want a Facebook originally because I thought that it would be too much to keep up with and to check everyday,” Boyd said.

“It wasn’t mandatory, but if I didn’t sign up, I wouldn’t get any notices from the team and it would be more difficult to find out information about competitions and practices.”

According to Boyd, having a Facebook would only add another task to her already busy everyday schedule. She said that she didn’t want to have to worry about checking Facebook every day along with long school days, constant color guard and winter guard practices and homework filled evenings.

Boyd said that she can’t understand why students should be coerced to join Facebook, especially when some don’t have computers.

She said that there are other means of communication that are more practical.

“I don’t like [the idea of using Facebook for school], because we shouldn’t have to use it if we don’t already have it,” Boyd said.

“Cell phones work perfectly fine for me. It’s not fair to those people who don’t have computers at home to be left out of the loop.”

According to Boyd, now that she has a Facebook, she doesn’t use it at all except during the Winter Guard season.

While Junior Maduhri Kosuru wasn’t pressured to get a Facebook, she said that the majority of the time she uses it, she uses it for school use.

“I usually only use Facebook when I have a question about homework or an assignment that we have to complete in groups,” Kosuru said. “If

I can’t get online, I can just use the phone but Facebook is usually more convenient.”

According to Kosuru, while she’s logged onto Facebook, her homework takes longer than it would if she wasn’t.

“I don’t really concentrate well while I’m online because I end up chatting with friends that I don’t see during the school day, “ Kosuru said. “In the end, I do better on homework because I can get help from my friends who can help me understand the material better.”

Even though some students are pressured into this system of social networking, others choose to simply not participate. According to junior Zach Schapper, Facebook is a lazy way around personal confrontation. “[Facebook] is just a silly alternative to talking face to face with someone,” Schapper said.

“I don’t really see the point in it.”

According to Schapper, having a Facebook as a requirement for a club is a horrible way to communicate with your team.

“I don’t think that having a Facebook should be a requirement for any club because it is sort of an easy way out of a phone call,” Schapper said. “If you just call the person in the first place, you will know that they get the message and you will know that they understood the directions right away.”

According to Schapper, he misses out on some things by not having a Facebook, but not much.

“Sometimes my friends send out party invitations over Facebook, so I don’t get them obviously, but I hear about them

eventually around school and I check with the host to make sure that I’m invited,” Schapper said. “When my friends are talking about a funny picture or something, I sometimes feel a little left out, but not a lot.”

According to Schapper, he is often made fun of for not participating in Facebook.

“A lot of the times, my friends will tease me because I’m like the only kid that doesn’t have one,” Schapper said. “It doesn’t really get to me that much because I know that I don’t have a very good reason for subscribing to Facebook.”

Sophomore Matt Benton said that he doesn’t care that he doesn’t have a Facebook.

“When my friends talk about [it], I don’t really care that I don’t have one,” Benton said.

“I don’t get jealous or anything like that, I just try to ignore it and talk about something else.”

According to Benton, rumors about Facebook only made his decision not to get a Facebook more firmly negative.

“I heard it was really, really confusing and hard to use,” Benton said. “Plus, I don’t have the energy to even sign up for it, let alone check it every day.”

According to Benton, having a Facebook requirement for an extracurricular activity is completely ridiculous.

“I think it’s an unfair requirement because some people might not even have computers at home and there’s always a possibility that your computer could crash,” Benton said.

Benton said that the only thing that he really misses out on by not participating in Facebook is not being able to communicate with some of his friends.

“The only real reason I would have to get a Facebook would be to talk with some of my friends that don’t have a Myspace,” Benton said. “Luckily, most of my friends have [a Myspace], so I don’t plan on getting one any time soon.”

Benton said that, for him, Myspace is much easier than Facebook to use and he is happy with only a Myspace subscription.

“Personally I think Myspace [is] much better than Facebook,” Benton said.

“Just when I watch my friends use Facebook, I get really confused so I don’t really feel too bad that I don’t have one.”

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PAGE 8 | NEWS FEATURE

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 | THE CHRONICLE

While You Were Teaching Some students find other hobbies while tuning out Deanna Allbrittin | Staff Writer Sleeping, doodling on binders with white-out, playing games on calculators, staring into space. These are all alternate activities in which students indulge instead of paying attention to their teachers.

Teacher responses to these activities are equally varied.

Some teachers make students keep their heads off of their desks; other teachers let students sleep right up until the bell rings.

The type of class is also a factor in how much freedom students are allowed. Computer Programming teacher Gregg Kummer said he takes a different approach to inattentive students because of the computer-oriented nature of his class. Kummer said that the set up of the classroom makes it hard to know that students are even doing something.

“It’s kind of hard especially since they’re behind the monitors,” Kummer said. “When I’m up here doing my work and they’re behind their monitors, I’m assuming they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing, namely working on their projects or working on material in the class.”

Kummer said he gives his students plenty of lab time to work on projects and trusts them to finish a project before doing something else.

“I give them an ample amount of time on the computer to get the projects done in class,” Kummer said. “If they tell me they need extra time on it and I remember they were jacking around or they were doing somebody else’s homework, or they were out on YouTube, or they were up on the Internet, not doing the programs they’re supposed to be doing, I say, ‘Hey, you had ample time to do it, you just chose to use your time doing other endeavors.’”

AP European History teacher Charles Dugan also gives his students the choice of whether to pay attention or not.

He said the way he treats his different classes is based on their levels.

“When I have upperclassmen like AP Euro or the current events type of class, I pretty much treat it like it’s a university-level class,” Dugan said. “If students choose not to pay attention and choose not to become engaged, I leave a lot of that to them. “ Although Dugan does not treat different forms of inattentiveness differently, he does have a limit to what students can do when not paying attention.

“If [a student is] doing something that’s preventing someone else from learning, then that would change the way I look at that,” Dugan said.

What drives these students to the point of inatten-

photo by Deanna Allbrittin

Some students choose not to pay attention during a movie, deciding to sleep, talk, or complete other homework instead.

tion is not always that specific teacher or class. Sometimes previous knowledge of the material can drive a student to lack attention, according to junior Christina Lokar.

“If we’re going over stuff I already know, I don’t pay attention at all,” Lokar said. “Or, if we’re going over homework and I know I got the right answer, I totally don’t pay attention.”

According to senior Richie Eckenrode, the mental strain of a previous class also effectively probes students out of the academic world. Eckenrode said after his first bell AP Physics class, he doesn’t pay attention because he said his brain has a limited capacity.

“My hardest class is AP Physics,” Eckenrode said. “I usually use most of my brain power for AP Physics and then I have to rest it for the next day’s AP Physics.”

Senior Scott Abernathy, who is taking four AP classes this year, said that taking advanced classes allows him to nap more often during the day.

“In AP classes, the teachers aren’t there to baby you anymore: they’re there to teach you, like a college course,” Abernathy said. “If you go fall asleep in a college course, the professor’s not going to come and wake you up.”

Although his college-like courses allow him to drift into sleep, Abernathy said he does everything he can to pay attention.

“I know I’m not supposed to fall asleep,” said Abernathy. “I really want to stay awake, but I just can’t do it.”

Abernathy said keeping himself awake is a task in itself and that sometimes it has the opposite effect he wants it to.

“Usually I end up doodling or playing on my calculator, but then it doesn’t even help because I’m not paying attention anyway,” Abernathy said.

According to Eckenrode, the anticipation of lunch can make it easier to watch the clock than watch the teacher. ”When I’m hungry I just stare at the

clock and wait until it’s lunch, so I don’t pay attention,” Eckenrode said.

According to Lokar, lunch helps get her back in the academic zone.

“I’m more awake after lunch because I eat and I have more energy,” Lokar said.

For Eckenrode, lunch has a differing impact. After thirty minutes of complete disassociation from class work, eating, and socializing, Eckenrode said it is hard to reengage.

“Lunch definitely makes me tired. I fall asleep in my fifth bell class most of the time,” Eckenrode said. “I just can’t keep my head off the desk.”

Eckenrode said that because he gets good grades, most of his teachers do not mind when he sleeps or plays games on the computer. Kummer said his beliefs are in line with Eckenrode’s.

“As long as you can prove that you’ve got your work done, I’m not a really big stickler,” Kummer said.

Eckenrode also said he admits that each class and teacher is different.

“Mrs. Killian was kind of big on keeping me awake,” Eckenrode said. “She made me stand up in the back of the room once.”

Kummer said that the freedom only lasts as long as students finish what they are supposed to finish and understand the material. If they have not been responsible during class time, it reflects in class.

“As far as consequences are, obviously they’re misunderstanding,” Kummer said. “I will find that sometimes they won’t pay attention to me when I’m doing a certain thing and then 5 minutes later they’ll raise their hand asking why they aren’t doing it right on their computer.”

However, according to Lokar, Eckenrode and Abernathy, they usually do well in their classes even when they are not paying attention. Though, there are some negative consequences that come with not paying attention, according to Lokar. She said she had one instance in particular where the habit of not paying attention caused a small problem.

“In [class] last trimester, I was so used to not paying attention [when we went over homework] that sometimes when we went over homework that I didn’t exactly know, I would lose some of that material.”

According to Abernathy, he knows there are consequences so he tries hard to stay attentive. Abernathy said that when his brainless activities like doodling or repeatedly punching buttons on his calculator fails, he resorts to extreme measures in order to stay awake.

“In calculus, we learned that if you pull the hairs on the back of your neck, it helps keep you awake,” Abernathy said. “I’ve tried that before and it kind of works.” photo art by Ellen Duffer

THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

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Pierced Mason students find creative places to put holes in their bodies Mandy Chiara | Staff Writer Senior Katie Weaver has pierced her own ears, the right and left side of her nose, the right and left side of her lips, and the underside of her tongue -- out of boredom.

“I think everyone should have more holes than they were born with,” Weaver said. “I used a sterilized hot needle or a [piercing] gun from Sally’s [beauty supply store].”

According to Weaver, piercings are almost an addiction, and sophomore Brittany Pelopida said she agrees.

“Every time I get a tattoo or a piercing, it makes me want to get another one,” Pelopida said.

Weaver’s interest in body piercings has led her to looking into becoming a body artist at a studio when she graduates early.

“When I graduate in February I will probably apprentice at a place on the side of another job,” Weaver said. “You don’t have to have a license (to pierce).”

Pelopida has her ears, nose, belly button and tongue pierced, although unlike Weaver, she said her piercings were done professionally. According to Pelopida, her dad had a lot of tattoos and piercings. Pelopida’s dad took her two years ago to get her tongue pierced the same time he got his tongue pierced and his nipple re-pierced.

“My dad made me go first because he knew I would run out if I watched [him get his tongue pierced],” Pelopida said.

“It didn’t hurt,” Pelopida said. “The clamp [around my tongue] hurt the most.”

Tongue piercing is the most dangerous of common body piercings because of the large collection of nerves in the tongue that affect the eyes and brain, according to the Associated Press. According to the American Dental Association, side effects of a tongue piercing can be a mild as inflammation or scarring or as severe as chronic infection, hepatitis B and C, shrinkage of gums, tetanus, abscesses or boils, nerve disorders and prolonged blood loss.

Despite having her ears and lip already pierced, senior Elizabeth Meyer said she would never get her tongue pierced.

“I researched it [and there are] a lot of piercings-gone-wrong and my friend has it,” Meyer said. “Do you know how bad it feels when you bite your tongue? I can’t imagine [getting my tongue pierced.]”

But MHS students who decided to get piercings insist that the decision was long desired and well thought-out.

Meyer said she wanted to get her lip pierced since the seventh grade and was heavily influenced by the “music scene.” Weaver, who knew she wanted to get a facial piercing since she was thirteen, drew on her “Monroe” piercing with a marker for about a week before she got it.

“It’s an experience, you need to know what [piercings] look like,” Weaver said. “I think piercings are better than tattoos because [if you are unhappy] you can take them out and they can heal.”

Junior Nick Holderbaum, who has a bridge piercing between his eyes on his nose, feels that gauges can often cause more damage than piercings.

“You can blow, flip [gauges]out,” Holderbaum said. “If [the skin] looses it’s elastic-

ity the hole is going to stay. [For the bridge] they just had to take forceps and pull out the skin [away from my face].”

With gauges and a Bridge, Holderbaum said he has received some strange stares.

“You can’t get a bar through your nose and not expect people to look at you differently,” Holderbaum said.

Meyer said she caught people staring at her piercing and at first the looks would bother her.

“People were probably staring because the first four weeks it [looked] gross,” Meyer said.

Weaver, however, said that she believes her peers and teachers have barely noticed.

“A lot of people didn’t notice,” Weaver said. “[My friend] sat on the opposite side of the class from me and never noticed. When people stared they were probably staring at my blue hair.”

Weaver, who said she is unafraid of what others think about her, plans to attend a Suspension Convention in Nashville, Tennessee this summer. According to Weaver, metal hooks will temporarily be placed in her back and cables attached to the hooks will lift her into the air for a certain amount of time.

“It’s been proven that the human skin is strong enough to lift you,” Weaver said.

“There’s tons of people who do this every day. I’m not worried.”

It cost Weaver 20 dollars to sign up for the convention and will cost 100 dollars or more to be suspended, depending on how many hooks she decides to get in her back.

“The hooks are usually metal; that’s why it costs so much,” Weaver said. “And they have doctors there.”

Weaver first heard about the convention from her uncle who lives in Nashville and usually attends the Tattoo Convention.

“My family will drive with me and probably watch, but me, I will be the only one [being] suspended,” Weaver said.

Family is often the final deciding factor for MHS students who wish to get a body piercing because most studios require a signature and a legal guardian to be present. Meyer and Pelopida both bargained with their parents to get a body piercing.

“I have a really messy room,” Meyer said. “[My parents] said that if I cleaned it, I could get [my lip pierced.]”

Meyer’s mother went with her to get her lip pierced.

“My mom was holding onto the wall,” Meyer said. “She almost passed out.”

According to Meyer, the artist pulled her lips out and marked her skin to make sure the piercing would hit below her gum line. Now Meyer said she rinses her mouth with two different mouth washes, a salt water rinse and Listerine without alcohol twice a day to clean the piercing.

“My dad’s like, ‘I don’t get it,’ ” Meyer said. “‘But if that’s what you want.’”

According to Pelopida, her parents told her that if she kept her grades up she could get her belly button pierced. But even without good grades, her mother let her get the piercing early.

“We had to hide it from my dad,” Pelopida said. “He was kind of [mad] off at first [when he found out], but he was like ‘Whatever’.”

THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

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THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

FEATURE | PAGE 13

Cussing is becoming more acceptable despite popular taboos

Woody Goldsmith | Staff Writer

“What the #&!@?”

As far back as preschool, the students of Mason High School have been told to keep their mouths clean of profane language -- or else.

Now, it’s hard not to go through the halls of Mason High School without hearing a frustrated “*%$#” or an angry “#@%&.”

The evolution of cussing has created a certain acceptability within not only rty MHS, but within the rest of society as well. Cussing has transformed e f f Ca Mc from a taboo, forbidden source of controversy into part of n e irst the vernacular. Those who used to think of cussing as morally yK b oto and ethically wrong are no longer too afraid to express their ph R-rated frustration.

Senior Matt Van Slyke said that he has come to realize the usefulness of cussing in high school; he has since become a serial cusser.

“When I lived in Columbus, I went to Catholic School, and when I moved to Mason, there was a lot more cussing in my environment,” Van Slyke said. “My parents don’t care that I cuss, and most of my friends don’t care either.”

Van Slyke said that he sees the influences on cussing in the school environment and in society.

“People do it more and more often,” Van Slyke said. “And a lot more movies are rated R because of language, and then the music that people listen to these days has more swear words in it.”

Van Slyke said that he enjoys the freedom of cussing, and that he uses swear words at school and at home. He also said that his views on cussing clash with those of society.

“I think it’s a personal choice,” Van Slyke said. “I don’t think that other people should be able to judge you if you cuss. [But,] I still feel like every time people cuss, they are still going to get in trouble for it. There’s still going to be that authority out there that’s going to make it wrong.”

The necessity of cussing has not only affected the upperclassmen at MHS, but it has also spread to the underclassmen. Sophomore Lexi Eddy said she is not a rookie cusser; high school is only an extension of her cussing history. She said that she had no true influence to start cussing, and that her friends and family, for the most part, are tolerant of her dirty mouth.

“There wasn’t an influence,” Eddy said. “I don’t think that you should say [cuss words] to your teachers and adults, but I think with your friends, it’s okay.”

According to Eddy, cussing should not be exclusive to any particular person or group. “[Cursing] should be for everyone,” Eddy said. “More and more people do it all the time. I bet if you went back fifty years, you’d never hear [people cussing], but now, [people cuss] all the time.”

But not everyone at MHS sees cussing as glamorous, acceptable or necessary. Senior Mackenzie Touby said she hates cussing, and that she constantly gets into fights with her friends over the acceptability of cussing in general.

“I think that swearing is unnecessary,” Touby said. “I think you can express yourself without saying those words and explain yourself better.”

Touby said she believes that the upswing of cussing at MHS can be explained by the need to act older and more mature in everyday conversation.

“Everything in culture now is about showing how mature you are,” Touby said. “It’s become more acceptable because people have become less conscious about what they say in society. Having respect for yourself isn’t as big of a deal as it was in the past.”

According to Touby, cussing should not be acceptable anywhere, and the students of MHS should use more appropriate language in everyday situations.

“I can understand when people get angry and swear,” Touby said. “But swearing in regular conversation makes you sound unintelligent. [However,] we’re all human; it’s okay as long as you’re not trying to.”

Touby’s hatred of profane language is shared by the MHS administration. According to Assistant Vice Principal George Coates, the rules clearly prohibit cussing in the halls and around the school. He said there are harsh punishments for those who curse and that the severity of the punishment is dependent on the word and its use.

“Not only does the word [matter], but also how it’s used,” Coates said. “So if you have a student who drops the f-bomb in the classroom, in a teacher’s presence, that’s a ten-day suspension with a recommendation for expulsion, regardless of how it’s used.”

Coates said that the potty-mouths at MHS need to learn to control their frustration.

“I don’t like it,” Coates said. “These words, however used, say a lot about your character, and if you’re speaking that way, it kind of represents you and if you don’t want to be represented that way, you shouldn’t be speaking that way. It’s unanacceptable.”

But some students at MHS said that they see cussing as more than just a release of frustration. And regardless of the administration’s view on cussing, these students said that they will continue to swear around school; because, to the students at MHS, cussing is more than just words; it’s a way of life.

“It’s just a habit now,” Van Slyke said. “There are instances where I feel like it’s necessary, or that it’s the proper word to use. I do it, and I hear it, and it’s just a part of me now.”

THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

FEATURE | PAGE 14

Toilet Talk From the halls to the stalls Jordan Berger | Staff Writer Between class periods, the constant bustle outside the women’s restroom increases as the wooden door swings open, closed and back open once again, revealing girls gathered inside either in line, or just casually chatting.

Meanwhile, the neighboring men’s bathroom door opens one-fourth the amount of times compared to the girls’, with one-fourth of the talking and giggling. The small fifteen-foot distance between the two doors does not reflect the vast differences of what lies behind each entrance.

At first glance, the outside appearances of both bathrooms are similar: wooden door, metal handle. But the appearances on the inside are almost opposite according to junior Brendan Nolan.

“There is writing almost everywhere on the stalls [of the men’s bathroom],” Nolan said.

While the walls of the men’s restroom and backs of stall doors are smothered with writing and sometimes obscene drawings or phrases, the room also holds an individual characteristic that screams “boys’ bathroom”: the tidiness, according to Nolan.

Crumpled paper towels once wadded into basketballs sit on the floor outside the basket, soap drips under the spout and water gathers in puddles along the sink’s edge, according to Nolan.

“There are always paper towels on the floor everywhere and it’s generally gross,” Nolan said.

An entirely different environment lies fifteen feet away. Turn right past the sinks, left towards the door, and take another left into it: the girls’ bathroom.

“Sometimes there are paper towels on the ground, but other than that it’s pretty clean,” senior Allie Kolish said. “I’ve never really seen any drawings on the walls.”

The motives and reasoning for males to go to the bathroom is simple and common. Nolan said he only goes to the bathroom . . . to go to the bathroom. However, this is only one of the various excuses females use, according to senior Caitlin Snyder.

“I’ve seen girls straighten their hair in the bathroom and I think it’s dumb,” Snyder said. “Just put your hair in a ponytail because nobody cares enough about hair for you to straighten it at school.”

Kolish said she agrees that styling hair at

school is a little excessive, but understands small fixes.

“If I’m having a bad hair day and my hair falls down, sometimes I go to the bathroom to put it back up,” Kolish said.

Some students even use school bathrooms for miscellaneous uses such as personal hygiene or simply a place to converse.

“I’ve even seen somebody talking on the phone in there,” Kolish said.

From makeup application to getting out of class, the increasingly vast array of female bathroom excuses are perhaps the reasoning for the constant crowding, Snyder and Kolish said.

“Between second and third bell, the line gets really long,” Snyder said. “The wait is sometimes two to three minutes which is a long time when we only have five minutes between classes.”

However, the long lines may draw away the awkwardness of the girl’s bathroom, unlike the times female students take bathroom trips during class only to find one other girl already in there, according to Snyder.

“It’s best to avoid the girl if you don’t know her because it’s awkward,” Snyder said. “You just try to go in the bathroom stall as quickly as you can and not make eye contact.”

According to Kolish, The reasoning for the not-so accidental ignoring of bathroom occupants doesn’t stem from pure desire to disregard them, but rather from students’ previous encounters in school bathrooms.

“I hate when you go to the bathroom and you’re having a conversation and the person keeps talking through the [stall],” she said.

Kolish said not talking to the other girl in the bathroom can often make it more awkward.

“If you’re the only two in there, you have to talk to [her],” Kolish said. “Usually, it’s about classes or teachers.”

Crowding and the issue of conversation are much less debatable subjects in the boys’ bathroom, according to Nolan. The line: not an issue. The conversation: there’s never one.

“We never talk in the bathroom because it’d just be weird if we did,” Nolan said. “And there’s no crowd . . . usually there’s no one in there.”

However, when the situation arises when there is more than one male in the bathroom, junior Evan Harris agrees that it makes the situation more awkward.

“If I’m standing next to someone, there is no way I will talk to [him],” Harris said. “But if there are a few people in the middle and he’s down further, there’s a better chance I’ll talk to him.”

The discomfort of male bathroom conversations is not only a matter between students, though, according to Harris.

“By far the worst situation is when you’re standing next to a teacher,” Harris said. “It’s the most awkward thing, especially if they initiate a conversation. . . . And it’s even worse if they give you a pat on the back.”

The differences between the men’s and women’s bathroom may be immense, but the two will always share a common uneasiness, according to Kolish.

“No matter what, the bathroom is almost always awkward,” Kolish said.

photo by Ellen Duffer

Sports THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

The Press Box

Fans often want to have their say. The Press Box is a forum for Comet fans to voice their opinion on the latest games.

What winter sport do you think will do the the best this year?

Basketball, because there [are] a lot of tall guys in Mason and good sportsmanship.

Gavin Docherty, Sophomore

Wrestling because they have strong players left from last season.

Naureen Asif, Senior

Basketball because Zach Brown, Luke Sutphin and Austin Brune are returning.

Brian Muff, Sophomore

Girls Varsity Basketball because we are building our program right now and we have talented people.

Anna Carley, Freshman

-Compiled by Danni Simms

SPORTS | PAGE 15

Women’s Basketball | Getting Physical

Comets aren’t very lady-like on the court Scott Hutchinson | Staff Writer

Elbows fly through the air, heads slam together, and bodies fall hard onto the floor. Blood gets wiped from noses as loud grunts echo throughout the room. While this scene may sound like the finale of a James Bond flick or an episode of WWE Wednesday Night Raw, this is in fact, a typical day here at Mason. Well, typical for senior Meg Roussos, at least.

Roussos, a forward for the Lady Comets Varsity Basketball Team, said that come game time, she is a member of a group that is steadily growing here at Mason: aggressive female athletes. In a world where fans often dismiss women’s sports as soft, and where girls are thought of more for their glam than their game, Roussos said she and her fellow hard line female athletes do their best to disprove such stereotypes.

“A lot of people expect female athletes to play soft and be all gentle because we’re girls,” Roussos said. “We might not be as strong as the guys, but we can still bring it.”

As one of the most tenacious forwards in the Greater Miami Conference, Roussos said she knows all about the negative stereotypes surrounding girls’ sports. While she hears the talk about the boring play and a lack of intensity that female sports are thought to offer, Roussos said she likes nothing more than making critics eat their words through her tough play on the court.

“I’m all for being laid back away from the court,” Roussos said. “But, come game time, I fight for myself and my position. I’m not afraid to throw some ‘bows.”

While she said she enjoys this physical style of basketball, Roussos said she also knows that without this style of play, her numbers would be greatly limited.

“I’m probably the shortest forward in the photo by Scott Hutchinson GMC,” Roussos said. “That’s why I play so tough Senior Kinsey Bryant-Lees (right) battles for a rebound in practice. out there. If I didn’t, it would be hard for me to son,” Werner said. “Once I’m on the court, I tend to transform a score or rebound with everyone else being so little bit.” much taller than me.”

Whether it comes naturally to her or not, Werner said she is While she said she takes pride in her hardnosed approach to willing to take whatever bumps and bruises may come along with the game, it’s not all about toughness for Roussos. Like most high physical play. While aggressive athletes can often find themselves school girls, she said she enjoys hanging out with friends and on the receiving end of the same blows they dish out, Werner said living the life of an everyday teen. Still, according to Roussos, this that having her hard work will pay off as the final buzzer sounds doesn’t mean she’s going to let up on her opponents any time makes it all worth it. soon.

“I’m not violent, I just do whatever is needed of me in order “I’m really a nice person off of the court,” Roussos said. “But to win,” Werner said. “If I need to be quiet, I can be, if I have to when you come in the paint, you’re in the danger zone. Just know play aggressive for us to win, I will. Winning is the best part of the that.” sport.”

Sharing the court with Roussos is another small forward, senior Here at Mason, disguised behind giggling, gabbing, and glamorCara Werner. While many sports enthusiasts feel that the small ous outfits, are tenacious female warriors, and while you may not forward position doesn’t require quite as much of an aggressive see this side of them at school, they’re just waiting to unleash attitude, she, like Roussos, said that she does her best to play themselves come game time, according to Roussos. tough each and every play despite maintaining a fairly mellow “Mason athletes of both sexes tend to be pretty tough kids,” personality off the court.

Roussos said.

“Outside of basketball I’m not always the most outgoing per-

Team Tracker

photo contributed

Following a tough season plagued by injuries and illness, the Mason Gymnastics team hopes to rebound as they prepare for the new season with six new girls. While post-season success does not come easily in the sport of gymnastics, former state-placer senior Kiersten Wones said she has high expectations for the upcoming season.

“If we can stay healthy this year, I think we can have success within the city competition and hopefully make it to state,” Wones said.

Having suffered only two losses last season, the freshman boys’ basketball team hopes to continue its success throughout 2009. Three freshmen impressed the coaches enough to be moved to the junior varsity squad, but despite losing these valuable players, freshman Josh Dooley said he still feels strongly about their chances this season.

“We have had a great loss with three guys moving up, but I’m still confident that we can have a great season,” Dooley said.

photo by Scott Hutchinson

PAGE 16 | SPORTS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 | THE CHRONICLE

Men’s Basketball | Erasing bad memories

Experience to play a key role for Comets Alyssa Howard | Editor in Chief After the Mason Comet men’s basketball team saw its streak of 17 straight years with a winning record come to a halt last year, the team is assertively approaching its second season in the Greater Miami Conference with the intent of erasing that memory, according to senior Luke Sutphin.

“The seniors are really confident about this year,” Sutphin said. “We know how good [of] a team we can really be.”

With six returning varsity players, including the return of senior point guard Zach Brown after an injury sustained junior season, Sutphin said that the team is setting high expectations for its performance in the GMC. “This year we want to have a winning record,” Sutphin said. “Also, we want to win the GMC and get a good seed in the playoffs.”

According to Coach Greg Richards, the team will immediately be

faced with a challenging schedule, including Princeton, last year’s GMC and district title winner, and Middletown, the district runner-up last year. However, Sutphin said that the team’s familiarity with each other’s playing styles and athleticism will be major advantages for the Comets this season.

“This year we have experience, great teamwork, and though we aren’t that tall, we are athletic,” Sutphin said. “We are all in good shape so we can get out and run.”

Sutphin said that the team will benefit from the infusion of some talented underclassmen.

“We got a few new kids,” Sutphin said. “Some size is coming up from the underclassmen. We have a good talent pool to pick from.”

The Comets hope to get key contributions from juniors Austin Brune, who is sidelined with a concussion, and Sam Stouffer, along with sophomores Ethan King and Brian Carden.

The Comets, who have always been

known for their patient flex offense and stingy man-to-man defense will once again rely on the offensive talent of Brown, who has already committed to play at Division I Lipscomb University next season. However, it will take more than the senior guard to crack into the upper echelon of the GMC, with Princeton returning a line-up that features three Division I college recruits and Middletown, who has a talented cast which also boasts two major college commitments.

Along with a grueling GMC schedule, the Comets will also take on backyard rival Kings, Winton Woods, and Loveland with its talented sixfoot-nine starter Bobby Capobianco who has signed to play for Indiana University next season.

“They’re doing well,” Richards said.

“They just want to get back that winning record.”

The Comets open the season photo by Duncan Fischley tonight against former FAVC rival Glen Senior Luke Sutphin passes the ball back into play during Este. one of the earlier practices of the season.

Women’s Basketball | Taking the next step

Comets considered among the favorites in the GMC

Danni Simms | Staff Writer Going into this season, the motto for the Mason women’s varsity basketball team is “One Team, One Dream” according Head Coach Rob Matula. Matula said the dream is to reach the state championship this season.

The team finished up last season 14-9 overall and tied for third in the Greater Miami Conference. According to Matula, senior Michaelea Kleist will be a strong player and a major force on the team this upcoming season.

Other strong players on the court this year will be junior Kayla Lamotte and senior Cara Werner who both made All Conference teams last year. According to Matula, all of the players need to be leaders, but Kleist and Werner will be a clear source of guidance for the team.

“Most of our seniors have taken on leadership roles, but Michaelea Kleist and Cara Werner are our two biggest leaders,” Matula said. “We really believe that all of our players have to be leaders in order for us to do well.”

Before the opening game against Glen Este, Matula said

the team successfully scrimmaged against Kettering Fairmont, Little Miami, Walnut Hills and a number of teams at Urbana High School.

“The scrimmages have gone well,” Matula said. “We are trying to find out who can play at the varsity level and who can’t. We are also finding out what our substitution rotations will be.”

The team faced Glen Este on November 29, and lost 37 - 30 in a non-conference game. Though talent isn’t an issue for the team, individual playing could be, according to Matula.

“We have enough talented basketball players that we should have a good year,” Matula said. “The talent is there to have a wonderful year, but if we play as individuals and not as a unit, we will not reach our true potential.”

Kleist also said she believes working together will help the team have a successful season.

“Working together as a team as a unit will help,” Kleist said. “[Also] we’ve been playing together for a few years, which will also help.”

Four games into the season, the Comets will play against last year’s GMC top finisher Lakota West who, according to Kleist, will be the main competition for the team. The Comets will also face Princeton, Oak Hills and Colerain who all finished top three behind Lakota West last year.

According to Matula, the girls will have one of the hardest schedules in Ohio.

Matula said he wishes that this upcoming season would have more support from the school than has been displayed in past seasons.

“The team really wants our student body to come out and support the team,” Matula said. “Most of our girls support the Black Hole and would like the Black Hole to come to as many games as they can to support the team.

Kleist said if the team continues to work hard they will make it far this season, however, Kleist said she also would like to see a lot of support for the team this year.

“If we get our stuff together we definitely will be in the top two of the city,” Kleist said. “Come out and support [us].”

Wrestling | Brutal Schedule Awaits

Team gears up for tough season Sam Stouffer | Staff Writer Brutal, intense, and grueling: three words that describe the Mason wrestling team’s schedule, according to Coach Craig Murnan. Not only does the team duel the top five schools in the city, they also wrestle the number one team in the nation. Although they have such a punishing schedule, Murnan said he hopes positive things come with it.

“Our schedule is brutal,” Murnan said. “My goal is that by the end of the year we will be prepared for the state tournament. We will grow early on from our challenges.”

The challenges include much more than the tough schedule, according to Murnan, youth factors in as well.

The team graduated ten seniors last year and is looking to only have two to three seniors in the lineup. Inexperience may be a word that comes to mind when there are only a few seniors in a varsity wrestling lineup, but Murnan said that is the least of his worries. The team is returning four starters; all are sophomores and juniors this year.

“The beauty is where we put them in a position and [give them] an opportunity to really step up,” Murnan said. “This team is young, but also experienced. They have come up through the program and I think they are prepared for the challenges this season.”

The Mason Wrestling team is returning sophomore Jeremy Artrip, junior Robert Shepherd, junior Christian Gonzalez, junior Andy Porter and senior Dan McCormack. According to Murnan, wrestlers will be going head-to-head weekly to claim the remaining spots for upcoming duels or

tournaments. With so much competition within the team, the line-up may be altered week to week, Murnan said.

Consequentially, the lineup is always up in the air because everyone on the team tries to work harder than the person standing next to them, according to Murnan.

“Every day these kids come ready to get better,” Murnan said. “It is important to know photo by Scott Hutchinson how hard they work. There is Junior Mason Kana takes a shot on junior Andy Porter during practice. seriousness to the room each and every day. I just hope they getting stronger.” can live up to their own expectations more than anything.”

Getting stronger is definitely a point emphasized in Murnan said he credits a lot of the team’s success and Mason wrestling, according to Murnan. The wrestlers hard work to their newly improved wrestling room. The compete not only for their spots in the lineup, but to be team has raised money within the program to have the the strongest within their weight classes. Murnan said that necessary equipment that is not provided by the regular with the brutal schedule ahead, strength and endurance weight room. The wrestlers additionally use a throwing will be vital components of the team. dummy (which they affectionately refer to as Bill), a speed “Pound for pound, we have the strongest kids in the bag and a standard punching bag. Murnan said they only school,” Murnan said. lift in the weight room two days a week because they have As the season approaches, Murnan said the team knows all the tools they need in the wrestling room. success will not come easy, but feels that through hard “The wrestling room is very important in what we do,” work and dedication, anything can happen.

Murnan said. “We need all our equipment in the wrestling “It is evident that this group wants to step up to the room so we can do our Olympic lifts and really focus on challenge,” Murnan said.

THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

SPORTS | PAGE 17

Varsity Swimming | Big shoes to fill

Comet swimmers expected to once again dominate the GMC Duncan Fischley | Staff Writer A dominant force in the Greater Miami Conference last year, as well as in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference in seasons past, the boys’ and girls’ varsity swimming teams will face a challenge this year.

According to Head Coach Mark Sullivan, the boys’ team lost many of its top swimmers to graduation as the girls continue

to maintain a strong front with such returnees as junior Danielle Jansen, 2008 state champion in the 200 freestyle. With the boys’ losses, this year’s seniors have high expectations to achieve, according to Sullivan.

“We had to replace people,” Sullivan said. “The seniors have huge shoes to fill this year. Spencer Hewes, Nick Steege, Brad Langford, Brandon Evans, Jonathan

photo by Duncan Fischley

Senior Chad Griffiths is among the team’s top male swimmers, expected to contribute to its bid in the Greater Miami Conference.

Joyce: those were [five of] our big losses.

They were all state finalists and state scorers for us.”

Some state qualifiers from previous years have also graduated from the girls’ side, but Sullivan said that the impact of those losses is not as severe as it will be for the boys’ team. According to Sullivan, the majority of the scorers are back on the girls’ team, alongside Jansen. For both teams, no matter the difficulties they face, Sullivan said that the goals they would like to maintain stay constant: reassertion of the league title and getting as many swimmers as possible to the state championship.

“Last year we took sixteen people to the state tournament,” Sullivan said. “With the boys’ graduation losses, I don’t think we will be able to repeat that same number.

Optimistically, I think that the girls have a shot at the top three at [the] state [tournament].”

To achieve these goals, the swimming team is fitting in nine practices a week: three in the mornings before school, five during the weekday evenings and one on Saturday morning. When they could be spending time playing games or just hanging at their houses, they choose to dedicate their winter lives to the water, according to Sullivan.

“I know that there is a little complaining, but they are doing an awesome job,” Sullivan said. “When you add morning practices at five thirty in the morning, then practice usually on Saturday, and every day

after school, it puts a tremendous burden on them. I can’t be more thankful for all of their dedication.”

Along with the motivation of the team, Sullivan said the increase in the amount of students who have wanted to contribute to the swim team has been stunning. Sullivan said that since the pool was built for the high school, the team’s numbers have increased from the 30 students that were originally on the team when Sullivan came to coach in 2002, to the 90 that are on the team presently.

“I am stealing Kevin Costner’s quotation from Field of Dreams: ‘If you build it, they will come,’” Sullivan said. “With the new aquatic facility, more people have come out for swimming. I have actually had to cut some people these past couple of years.”

Now as the team gets into gear for the season, Sullivan said the varsity team is building towards the top. Both boys’ and girls’ swimming teams face strong competition such as St. Xavier and Ursuline, but Sullivan said that success against these teams is not the biggest focus for Mason swimmers. Sullivan said he believes that the only thing that really matters is at the end of the year: the post season.

“We try to take on all of the top programs in the state, [but] what we do the regular season has no bearing on us at all when it comes to seeding at the end of the year,” Sullivan said. “We all go to sectionals.”

PAGE 18 | SPORTS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 | THE CHRONICLE

Game Changers

Getting To Know...

Mark Allen

Junior Matt Kahl, a third-year runner for the Comet cross country team, was among the Comet’s top finishers all season long and continued his terrific running into the postseason. Kahl finished 29th overall in the state meet, helping to lift the varsity boys to their first ever state championship.

Bowling over the competition Senior Mark Allen has dedicated most of his life to the sport of bowling. He is one of the few student athletes who has been offered scholarships for his sport. Receiving interest from colleges such as University of Louisville; Pikeville College; Bellarmine University; and Wichita State, Allen shows that bowling isn’t just another fun game it is a way to live.

If it’s true that the greatest athletes perform best when under pressure, sophomore golfer Erin Michel certainly proved her greatness this fall. Michel, a second year varsity golfer, helped lead the Mason girls golf team to its first ever state championship, posting the Comet’s lowest score. Michel used only 153 strokes on route to securing a third place position on the overall leader board. While she was awarded for her championship performance, Michel also performed strongly throughout the regular season, earning a bid as a first team All-GMC athlete for the 2008 season.

What is your pregame warm up?

I don’t really talk a lot before I bowl. I’ll look at videos of myself bowling; it helps me correct my mistakes from the last time. I will go frame by frame looking to see what I did wrong. I will also make sure I eat before I start, whatever is available to me.

What do you like most about yourself?

I am pretty much an open book, if you ask me pretty much anything I will respond to it. If anyone asks for help I will give it to them.

Least?

I wish I was taller; I would still be playing baseball if I was taller. I was a pitcher and being tall helps give you leverage when you pitch.

Just when you thought you had him all figured out, Principal Dave Allen has qualified for one of the nation’s most coveted races, the annual Boston Marathon. Allen said that in order to qualify, he ran in the Columbus Marathon on October 18 within a timeframe of three hours and 15 minutes. Allen, an avid runner, has been training before and after school for the marathon that will take place on April 20, of next year. Just like any great athlete, he said he looks forward to putting his skills to the test.

What do you love most about bowling? love the sense of accomplishment that I get when I know that I helped my team win.

I

Sports Talk

What do you listen to on your iPod? I’ll listen to anything; I have a little bit of everything in there. Right now I am listening to “Enter the Sandman” by Metallica.

What is your opinion regarding the BCS Bowl system?

What do you do when you get home?

I either watch bowling on DVR or I am getting ready to go bowling. Sometimes I am online learning about bowling, hanging with my friends or I might be preparing for a bowling trip. I have gone to Vegas, Detroit, Atlanta and Columbus for bowling tournaments.

“The BCS system is horrible. Even the future president thinks that there should be a playoff system.”

Alex Duncan, Senior

What is the strangest thing you have ever done?

My friend and I were messing around and I stood on the left lane at a bowling alley, and lofted my bowling ball over the gutter, straight into the next lane and got a strike.

“The BCS is not fair. The best teams are left out of the championship because they aren’t big name schools.”

Kaler Hazen, Junior

Do you spend a lot of money on bowling?

Yeah, it has been extreme this year. I have spent about five thousand dollars. I spend it on entry fees for tournaments; I spend a lot of money on bowling balls. I usually buy five balls a year. It adds up to be a bunch of money.

“I think there should be a straight playoff, like March Madness. Imagine the possiblities.”

Alex Lehr, Sophomore

How many bowling balls do you have?

A lot: I had to build two ball racks in my basement, they each hold fifty balls and the second ball rack is almost full. I have sold a few balls to people but I am going to give some of them away to the school team for next year.

“There should be an eight-team playoff.”

Colleen Waggoner, Junior -Compiled by Scott Hutchinson

-As told to Duncan Fischley

Comet Culture Grid

Stat of the Month

Name

____ Should Be a Mall Santa

One thing that I have got to have

My Pre-game Food is...

My Super power of choice

Dream Date

Junior Andy Porter, Varsity Wrestling

Sam Osborne

Gummy Sharks

Subway

X-ray vision

Angelina Jolie

Senior Meg Roussos, Varsity Girls Basketball

Coach Matula

Country CD’s

Powerbar

Teleportation

Matt Damon

Sophomore Ethan King, Vasity Boys Basketball

Sam Osborne

Females

Quiznos

Chocolate Milk shooting out of my eyeballs

Tara Buesking

5 .

72 Points

Mason Fall Sports, Second Place in the GMC All Sports Trophy

THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

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