The Chronicle, 6.8

News: Administrative pay freeze prompted by economic downturn

Chronicle Sports: Popularity of fighting sports attracts growing number of students

The William Mason High School

Volume 6

NEWS BRIEF

Community Center to build addition The breaking of ground on the expansion of the Mason Community Center started the construction process on May 19. Plans include 31,000 square feet of medical office space, a rehabilitation center, additional fitness space, a therapy pool, an expanded Kids Korner child care area and another entrance on Main Street.

After years of being unable to sustain itself with revenue from passes and memberships, the Community Center chose to partner with TriHealth to attempt to end the payments the city has been making to cover costs of maintaining the facility.

Eventually, TriHealth plans to position doctors, therapists and a pharmacy at the Community Center. The space will become a comprehensive medical center.

The project is expected to cost around $26 million.

The new additions to the Community Center are expected to open in late 2010.

TODAY

Sibs/Ambassadors applications due Applications for Senior Sibs/Student Ambassadors 2009-2010 are due today.

This will be the first year Senior Sibs and Student Ambassadors are merging. An application (found on the Senior Sibs Edline page), photo of yourself and $20 check to Mason High School must be delivered to Betsy Carras or Andrew Goetz in B309 and B308, respectively.

Donate clothing to local veterans

Donation boxes for the Veterans Clothing Drive are located in the Commons today. The Veterans’ Clothing Drive accepts clean, unused clothing for both males and females. Donations will be delivered directly to the veterans of Cincinnati.

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

May 21, 2009

How do you measure up?

Mandy Chiara | Senior Staff Writer

The ominous fear of a dress cut no longer prevents Mason High School students, particularly females, from breaking the dress code, currently posted on the doors of many teachers’ classrooms, according to junior Allyson Barham.

Barham said she has received three verbal reprimands regarding her attire this year, significantly less than the record she set last year.

“I got 18 [dress cuts] last year, I think,” Barham said.

According to Barham, she continues to wear the shorts that have gotten her in trouble because, perceptually, they are not short to her.

“The thing is, I don’t wear the shortest shorts I have,” Barham said. “I don’t like long shorts. I wear shorts because I’m not wearing jeans. ” Many other students and teachers at MHS, however, do not take the matter so lightly.

English and Gender Viewpoints teacher Melanie Milligan said she believes that not only is inappropriate attire distracting in a school environment, but that it is potentially damaging to young females. “[Revealing clothing is] objectifying to females and it’s trying to make the school environment about something it is not,” Milligan said. “I wish sometimes females were more aware, that they would realize what [they’re] buying into is very derogatory towards them and very disempowering.”

According to senior Courtney Collins, who said she received her first dress cut on May 13 of this year, the stores simply don’t carry shorts that go past the fingertips anymore.

“It’s hard to find longer shorts because a lot of stores think it’s really popular to have short ones,” Collins said. “I think the shorts thing is an issue [at MHS]. [They should] at least make [the rule to have shorts] to the thumb, if not the wrist. I just feel like the people who made the rules don’t understand.”

While Collins said she believes that the dress code is in need of a revision due to recent fashion trends, Milligan said she thinks the dress code defends women against the way society and the media portrays them.

“I think some girls probably feel like the school’s being ridiculous, that the school is being too hard on them,” Milligan said. “But that’s not what school is about, and it is actually even protective of females.”

Senior Mackenzie Touby said she agrees with Milligan, that the dress code enforces selfworth and protects us from the mindset of our society.

Issue 8

“When you dress like that you have just given everyone an image of you, and you have no control over what they do with [that image],” Touby said. “My personal values are that I don’t want to show my boobs and butt; I’ll save that for my husband. I don’t want everyone to walk around with a little piece of me.”

According to Milligan, media and clothing stores are partly to blame for the recent trouble with females adhering to the dress code. She said that females do not fully comprehend the damaging messages with which they are being bombarded on a daily basis. “[Females] are giving into the whole thing that has been created by society that says females are objects and they are to be looked at for their appearance,” Milligan said. “I think if you said to any female who is dressed inappropriately, ‘Do you view yourself as an object?’ She would say, ‘No, I have goals, I have a personality and I am a valuable person,’ all of which is true.

But what she doesn’t realize is that she is buying into what society has told her: your importance is based on your appearance and your sexuality.”

Touby, an avid consumer of fashion magazines and a member of the drama club, said she follows the styles of actors and actresses. She said the role attire plays into power and recognition is clear, and it is no wonder it is mimicked in high school.

“You don’t see an actress that’s ugly; that’s an oxymoron,” Touby said. “For example, someone might not have heard of Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, but everyone has heard of Megan Fox from Transformers. Culture continues to focus on appearance and showing off your body.”

For females, affirmation and authority is obtained through clothing, or, according to Milligan, lack thereof.

“When you look at the see DRESS CODE on page 2

phtoto by Mandy Chiara

PAGE 2 | NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

DRESS CODE: Suggestive clothing a tactic of competition continued from page 1 celebrities and you look at the people in magazines that are supposed to be looked up to, they wear very revealing clothing,” Milligan said. “Some females may on some level think that dressing like that is getting them some power, when actually it is the opposite.”

Touby said she believes that the instant gratification received from appearance is what is attractive to girls, since the chance of being recognized for anything else is considerably more difficult.

“It’s a lot easier to get attention from [dressing provocatively] than for accomplishments during school and during other activities,” Touby said. “And it’s hard because there will always be people that are better than you. If you wear a shirt with your belly button showing, the attention is instant; you don’t have to work for it.”

Collins said she feels a compromise is the best option.

“I feel like there is a happy medium where you can find shorts that aren’t showing your butt,” Collins said. “There is an extreme [to dressing in a suggestive way], and if [shorts] are way too short, I think it represents girls showing off for attention.”

But the attention received by these girls, according to

“When you dress like that, you have just given everyone an image of you, and you have no control over what they do with [that image]....I don’t want everyone to walk around with a little piece of me.”

Senior Mackenzie Touby Milligan, is often negative.

“It’s so sad because those same girls [who dress inappropriately] are probably called derogatory names by other females,” Milligan said. “I think tearing other females down and making fun of them for dressing like that is

in no way the kind of motivation you want to use to get somebody to change and feel good about themselves.”

According to Touby, dressing in revealing clothing is a way to send a message to intimidate other females.

“I think dressing sexually is a way girls warn other girls,” Touby said. “If a girl sees another girl wearing revealing clothing she is like, ‘Oh, I can’t compete with her, because look at her legs, boobs, butt and etcetera.’ “ The attention girls who dress promiscuously receive from other people, whether wanted or not, is given to them because their bodies are put out for people to see, according to Touby.

“When you have boobs hanging out, people are going to look,” Touby said. “You’re getting attention regardless of if people want to give it to you or not.”

Milligan said that talking and creating awareness about the messages girls are sending with their clothing could help girls avoid hurtful comments or negative attention. “[Females] need to educate other girls and inform them,” Milligan said. “They don’t realize that [their attire] is advertising their body in a sexual way, and who wants that? Females have so many valuable things about them.”

First ever pay Ivy League dreams become reality for several freeze initiated District administrators volunteer to refuse pay increase for one year Ellen Duffer | Associate Editor

Mason City School District administrators have volunteered to be the recipients of a yearlong pay freeze, designed to save the district hundreds of thousands of dollars. It will begin on August 1, 2009 and end on July 31, 2010, according to Mason City Schools’ Superintendent Kevin Bright.

A pay freeze translates into a lack of individual salary increases for all Mason school administrators, according to Mason City Schools’ Treasurer Richard Gardner. “[A pay freeze] simply means that our administrators’ individual salaries will remain the same for the next year, as they were this year,” Gardner said. “No salary increases. All administrators [will be affected]: principals, assistant principals, directors, supervisors, assistant supervisors, technology staff, assistant superintendents [and the] assistant treasurer. The superintendent’s and treasurer’s salaries were already frozen for all future years.”

According to Bright, the motion to freeze salaries resulted from the upcoming decrease in state funding, due to a change in the collection of taxes, and the country’s economic situation.

“The decision was reached because of the economy and what we’re facing in the future, with the loss of revenue from the State of Ohio,” Bright said. “The administrators involved in budget reduction discussion -- our District’s Administrative Council -- are the ones that stepped forward and volunteered to do this.”

The pay freeze, Gardner said, will save the school district money in the attempt to reduce the impact of a loss of funds. “[It will save the district] $250,000 per year [and will result in] permanent savings for every year into the future,” Gardner said. “[So, it] saves $2.5 million over the next 10 years.”

Every Mason school principal encouraged the enactment of a pay freeze, according to Gardner.

“This was recommended unanimously by our principals during our cost reduction identification meetings that have been held over the last nine months,” Gardner said.

The pay freeze is the first for the school district to institute, according to Bright, but in the past, other decisions have been made to alter the distribution of salaries to save money.

“It’s true that this is the first true pay freeze, but three years ago, the administrators took a zero percent [pay] increase,” Bright said. “The difference was that at that time, steps were still given [to change pay based on] experience and/ or performance.”

Woody Goldsmith | Staff Writer A total of 29,112 students applied for entrance into Harvard University’s Class of 2013, according to IvySuccess.com.

Of those 29,112, seven percent (2,046 students) were admitted. One Mason High School student is enrolling.

Senior Peter Chen is joining the small group of Mason students to attend an Ivy League school after graduation. He said that the appeal of the college came from the prestigious education program, but also said that other factors contributed to his decision.

“Harvard has all the pieces that I want,” Chen said. “I like East Coast schools, because I like the weather there. I like the Boston area; I like big cities, so I wanted a school in a big city.

I like lacrosse, and it’s pretty big on the East Coast. They have a really good music program, and they have the [John F. Kennedy School of Politics]. I’m going to study government, so to have that school is a big draw for me.”

According to Naviance, since the graduating class of 2004, there have been 12 Mason students to attend Ivy League schools after graduation. Some schools, including Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania, have had zero Mason students since 2004.

Chen said that his motivations to apply to Harvard were solely based on his desire to attend the university; some of the other eight schools to which he applied, including Yale and Princeton, were suggested by his parents.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Harvard,” Chen said. “But obviously, my parents would love for me to go to one of those

schools, so they definitely pushed me to apply to some [Ivy League schools].”

Senior Joyce Li said that her parents had little influence in her decision to attend Yale University, another Ivy League school. She also said, however, that her parents and teachers were quick to recommend Yale.

“My parents think that the people you meet [at Yale] are so motivated, it kind of helps push you,” Li said. “There is that name recognition. Even my guidance counselor was saying that there are so many more opportunities that you wouldn’t necessarily get at other colleges.”

Li said that the challenges at Yale are expected to be strenuous, but the dream of attending Yale overpowered the fear of academic challenge.

“I visited a while ago, at the beginning of high school,” Li said. “Obviously we weren’t sure what we were doing; we were just visiting. But I fell in love with the campus; I just thought it was a great school,” Li said. “I’ve heard it is so much harder [at Yale]; everyone is so smart. I guess I’m just used to doing well [academically], so hopefully I’ll do well there. I think there is pressure to do well, but I think that would be the same in any college.”

Senior Tong Zhan is also attending Yale University in the fall. He said that though the dream of attending an Ivy League has been ever-present in his life, the thought has not been all-consuming.

“I kept [the dream] in the back of my mind, but I didn’t really think about it very much,” Zhan said. “I just kind of did what I wanted to do. And in the end, I guess this is what turned out as a

result.”

Zhan said that the appeal of attending an Ivy League school goes beyond the need for a quality education.

“In the end, I chose [Yale] because it has a really well-balanced liberal arts education, [because it] is important in the end to find a balance between different academic areas,” Zhan said. “I also hear that it has a very good social life, which in college is something you should probably have. Overall, it has a good balance, not only academically but non-academically as well.”

Chen said that attending an Ivy League school is not important in principle. He said that the reason he is attending Harvard has little to do with its reputation.

“There is sort of a stigma,” Chen said.

“If I’m going to Harvard, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you’re going to Harvard. Whoa.’

But for me it’s more that I have a great opportunity and I should take it. I know they have a great education [program], but you can get a great education almost anywhere. There are small schools that will give you the same education, but there are different factors that play in.”

According to Zhan, the opportunity to attend Yale is an honor. He said the challenges of attending Mason have prepared him for the challenges of attending an Ivy League school.

“I think [Mason] has prepared me well to enter a college that is that prestigious, has good academics and has other positives and strengths,” Zhan said. “Going [to Yale], I can take what I learned here, the things I’ve gotten from Mason, and use them when I get there. I guess it’s showing what Mason can do.” photo art by Ellen Duffer

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

NEWS | PAGE 3

Students commit to serve in Armed Forces Danni Simms | Staff Writer Eight Mason High School students have joined the United States Armed Forces and after graduation, their service will begin.

They have initial commitments to the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marines for four to six years, but can then choose to extend their length of service. Their expected date of departure for training varies from student to student; senior Ragin Roldan will be leaving the day after graduation.

“I’m enlisted in Marine Corps [for] four years in the Infantry,” Roldan said. “[Currently,] I’m in the Late-Entry program, and what you do is prepare for boot camp. I’ve been in it for a year and I leave next month for boot camp -- the day after graduation.”

According to Roldan, the Late-Entry program is where the participant learns and trains with recruiters and other active marines about things they’ll be doing in the future. They are taught using hand to hand combat, football, paintball and drills.

Roldan said that even though he decided his freshman year that he wanted to join the Marines, his parents are not as positive about his decision.

“My parents don’t really want me to [do it],“ Roldan said.

Senior Brandon Brewer said he has known that he wanted to join the Army since age nine, giving his parents time to adjust.

“Me and my friends, [when we were younger], used to dress up in combat [attire] and we’d put the face paint on and everything,” Brewer said. “We’d draw up tactical battle maps at his house or my house, and we’d do missions to spy on his parents who were watching television in the living room.”

According to Brewer, in order to join the Army, applicants must be seventeen and have a slip signed by his or her parent(s), affirming that the person has the maturity to make the decision to join the Army.

“I joined 34 days after I turned 17,” Brewer said. “My parents signed the papers [without a] problem. I didn’t even really

have to talk to them about it, because they to any college and get a registered nursing knew it was coming. I’ve been talking to degree.” recruiters since I was 15, just [to find] out Brewer said that what motivated him to what I wanted to do.” join the Army was because of how involved Brewer said he will switch from reserves the work would be. duty to active duty after graduation and “It was something I always thought that he will relocate to Texas on June 10. [sounded] exciting,” Brewer said. “I didn’t “[I’ve been in the Army Reserve] since want something where I’d be corporate, August 12,” Brewer said. “In the reserve, wearing a tie and having to sit at a desk you’ve got every day. one weekend I wanted a month. You something put on your where I could uniform, take be up moving classes [and] around.” you do practiSenior Dalcal stuff, [like] ton Moorshoot guns. head’s reason And then you for joining go back home the Air Force and live your stemmed normal civilian from what he life. But when wanted to acyou’re [on] quire from the active duty, experience. it is like an “Basically, I everyday type realize I don’t of job. You do have the something for structure and the Army evdiscipline to ery day [and] go to college that is your photo by Danni Simms right now,” main career. “ Senior Brandon Brewer, entering the Army, salutes the Moorhead Brewer said American and Prisoners of War/Missing in Action flags in said. “I’d front of Mason High School. that he is probably fail going to be out because a combat medic. Being a combat medic of my lack of effort. I need [the Air Force] means that his job outline involves fightto move on in my life. I need the structure ing, but if someone gets hurt in combat, and discipline [that I will gain].” he is expected to pull them to safety and Moorhead said he has wanted to join give them medical attention. Brewer said the Air Force since freshman year and that he will not be expected to fight until his he has focused all of his efforts on joining. two years in Texas are over.

Moorhead has committed to four years in “While I’m doing my time and service order to get a taste of what the Air Force in Texas, in addition to working as an will be like. Six weeks to a year of his fourEMT (emergency medical technician) on year-long commitment will be devoted to base, I’m going to be taking classes to training, but if he ends up not wanting to start working towards a nursing degree,” be in the Air Force long term, then MoorBrewer said. “When I finish there, I will head said he can go to college. have the equivalent credit hours to take it “I’ll have $40,000 for college,” Moorhead

On the walls & In the halls Information that can be found on the walls of MHS. ART DISPLAY: Senior art students have the opportunity to display their pieces in a designated display case until the end of the trimester. Students should sign up on the list posted on the door of C103A (the art office).

There participants can obtain a handout for further explanation.

NOODLES: Today, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm, 25 percent of sales made at Noodles & Company will go to funding Mason HIgh School atlehtic programs.

To ensure that your purchase is contributed, mention the Mason Athletic Booster Association.

TREES FOR ACRES: Until tomorrow, May 22, drop off your gently used t-shirts in boxes located at the end of each pod. The t-shirts will be recrafted into bags, as part of a recycling initiative.

said. “[The Air Force gives you] $10,000 for every year that you’re [serving].”

Senior Ryan Ackerman said he has agreed to be in the Army for six years, and he will also have a paid education.

“All my education is paid for [by the Army],” Ackerman said. “They give you the money and you can go to any college you want to.”

Ackerman said he will leave for Boot Camp in July, and will be in the Army Reserves for two years, then he will switch to active duty. Ackerman said his decision to go into the Army was made during his junior year.

“Since last year, [I’ve wanted to go into the Army],” Ackerman said. “They had a recruiting station here and I just went up and talked to them. [The Army] just sounded like what I’m supposed to be doing.”

According to Ackerman, his mother did not initially feel the same way.

“My mom flipped out,” Ackerman said.

“But, I knew she would.”

Since Roldan and Brewer have outings while they are in uniform, they said they are often recognized and thanked by civilians.

“I have had some people come up to me and shake my hand,” Roldan said “I told them they should shake my hand after I come out of boot camp, because I don’t deserve anything right now. I haven’t done that much.”

Moorhead said that even though he hasn’t been thanked personally, he believes that his choice to join the Air Force was something everyone should do.

“I don’t really think I’m a hero -- more of a patriot,” Moorhead said. “This is just what I think all civilians should do.”

The danger that is associated with a career in a branch of the armed forces is recognized by Ackerman, Brewer and Roldan.

They said, however, it isn’t something they think about often. “[During] boot camp I don’t have to worry,” Ackerman said. “After that, it’s kind of scary. I just know that this is my job and I’ll just do what I have to do.”

Alternative to public school found online Jessica Kantor | Staff Writer Whether caused by a school expulsion, a truancy issue or just a desire for a faster-paced education, online school is becoming a more popular option for high schoolers. Online schools provide a secondary option for students that may not have graduated otherwise. On the opposite end of the learning spectrum, self-paced learning allows for students to graduate early.

Junior Jack Sauer, who has attended an online school called Ohio Virtual Academy since seventh grade, is returning to Mason High School for his senior year.

“It’s been an idea of mine to return to Mason for my senior year for a while,” Sauer said. “But some more recent events have spurred me into making it official.”

Sauer said he has several reasons for returning to high school.

“Most prominently, I need to get back into learning in a classroom before I go away to college,” Sauer said. “I also want to do some of the extra-curriculars and things that Mason offers that are just not possible to do through an online school.”

Although there are many academic benefits to attending an online school, Sauer said that the lack of a social aspect is the biggest downfall.

“While there were loads of social opportunities in middle school, as I got older, the social interaction became less than sufficient,” Sauer said.

Principal of Warren County Virtual School Brian Barot said he agreed that one of the biggest downfalls of online school is that there are few social gatherings for students. Warren County Virtual School serves high school students within a 50 mile radius of Lebanon, and the current enrollment is 280 students.

“There aren’t any extra-curricular activities available through our school,” Barot said.

Sauer said that while he is looking forward to starting back at Mason, he will miss the ability to create his own schedule.

“The flexibility of scheduling is probably the biggest

benefit,” Sauer said. “I’ve really enjoyed having the ability to attend class whenever I choose to. I’ll definitely miss the flexible scheduling, especially sleeping in.”

Barot said that students have daily requirements for online school. They must do a minimum of one lesson a day, which usually lasts about four or five hours.

“The students are required to log on and complete one lesson per day,” Barot said. “A student must complete 36 lessons to earn one full credit. Students can work on assignments 24/7. They can make and adjust their own schedule, which gives them the ability to graduate early or recover from a credit deficiency.”

Sauer said that most of his classes he has been taking online are equivalent to those he would have taken at Mason.

“My credits are transferring over just fine,” Sauer said.

“The guidance office was very good about making that aspect go smoothly. In terms of core academics, the listing [of classes] is almost exactly the same.”

Although most of Sauer’s classes will transfer easily to Mason’s credit scale, Sauer said that there are some classes he still needs to take to graduate.

“Until this year, my online school hasn’t offered many electives,” Sauer said. “So I’ve only got 17 credits and need 24 to graduate from Mason, which means I need to fill my schedule. Other than having to take ECA-A and B, I’m taking the same courses as I would have taken as a senior in online school.”

Barot said that each student’s schedule is tailored to their graduation requirements and credit needs to graduate.

“Students graduate all throughout the year,” Barot said.

“When all state requirements are met, the board members approve our graduates at monthly meetings. Students don’t have to wait until the end of the school year to receive their high school diploma.”

Sauer said that he has done a lot of thinking to compare his options before deciding to come back to Mason.

“Each method has its own difficulties, so I wouldn’t say that one is easier or harder than the other,” Sauer said.

“There’s definitely going to be an adjustment.”

PAGE 4 | NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

Volunteering no longer ‘for the good of the community’ Rachel Schowalter | Staff Writer Significant community service hours have always been beneficial to put on a college resume. With the increasing competition amongst college applicants, the true meaning of service has gotten lost, according to junior Nithin Banda. Banda said students are becoming more concerned about how community service will look on their resumes than the service itself.

Banda said he started a math tutoring program during his sophomore year with his friends after taking the advice of his father, who suggested tutoring as a form of community service that would allow him to stand out amongst college applicants.

“Initially, I had no interest in [starting the program], but it was more for increasing my chances of getting into a good college,” Banda said.

According to Banda, selective college admissions have caused students to overlook the compassionate message of community service.

“By the time you come to high school, we become really obsessed with ourselves and how we want to get ourselves into college,” Banda said. “Getting into college is a competition, and when there’s competition, you really don’t want to help people out: you try to look out for yourself. When you go to get volunteer hours, it’s more about increasing your own chances and not really helping [others].”

Banda said his initial attitude toward community service changed once students kept returning to his math tutoring program. “[My friends and I] didn’t really understand how bad some of these kids were at math, and most of it was because their parents at home didn’t care,” Banda said.

“We actually grew close to some of the kids that came on a regular basis and there have been kids who have consistently showed up at every single tutoring session for the last year.”

Senior Michelle Malblanc, National Honor Society’s Secretary of Service, said she has seen community service progress into something students see as a “hassle,” as opposed to something they want to do for the good of the community. Malblanc said many NHS members perform community service only because NHS requires them to complete 30 service hours by the end of their senior year.

“They just want to meet the requirements and have NHS on their resume for college,” Malblanc said. “They don’t want to actually put in all the work or go above and beyond the requirements; they just kind of do the bare minimum.”

As Secretary of Service, Mablanc said she is responsible for collecting and logging all of the members’ community service verification sheets. With her experiences, Malblanc said she has noticed how NHS can be divided into two distinct groups.

“There is a group that does hundreds of hours and they give me sheets regularly,” Malblanc said. “On the other hand, there are kids who don’t have any [hours logged].

Right now is the last time to turn in hours, and we have kids who are scrambling because they don’t have any hours at all.”

Junior Margaret Zhang, who will be NHS’ Secretary of Service for the upcoming school year, said it will be difficult to change student perception of community service because it is often done solely for college resumes.

“A lot of people do it just for the college credit and it’s sad to see, because you want people to get into the spirit of actually helping others,” Zhang said. “It’s hard to make

people see that they have so much and there are so many people who need help.”

According to Malblanc, the officers for NHS made many events mandatory for its members in an effort to increase participation in community service. Malblanc said that although it did make members more active in community service, it didn’t motivate many effectively.

Zhang said that mandatory service hours can make it difficult for students to do service without automatically connecting it to a service verification form.

“The big thing is that people feel that they need recognition for whatever service that they do,” Zhang said. “I think that goes against the meaning of service and just caring about people. On the other hand, any kind of service that’s required gets people’s feet in the water about doing service projects.”

Zhang said students need to be motivated to do community service without receiving acknowledgment afterwards, a mindset that has been ingrained in students since childhood.

“We need a revolution in the way that we think,” Zhang said. “With the way that things are set up in school right now, not just in school but how we’ve grown up, it’s always been, ‘Do something: incentive.’ I think what we all need is a little inspiration; with us jaded teenagers, that’s hard to do.”

Both Banda and Zhang said students should find service projects centered on what they truly enjoy, whether it’s volunteering at a hospital because of an interest in medicine or tutoring elementary students because of aspirations to be a teacher.

“Find something that you care about and it will make you feel like you’re making a difference in the world,” Zhang said. “That kind of feeling is really empowering.”

MORP emerges as anti-prom Alyssa Howard | Editor in Chief Amidst the annually rigorous preparations made by Mason High School students attending prom, a group of high school students from the area involved with St. Susanna Church’s LIFE youth group experienced a very different kind of dance on April 26. According to Youth Minister Jodi Mott, the idea for MORP, traditionally an anti-prom event held on the night of a school’s prom, originated about six years ago within the youth group students.

“Back in about 2003 or so, the students just wanted to have a dance at the end of our LIFE year and, since it was prom time, they decided to have a sort of anti-prom with goofy dresses, toilet seats for the MORP King’s ‘throne,’ [and] dead flowers for the MORP Queen,” Mott said. “The

students had so much fun that it was repeated year after year, and now it’s a LIFE tradition.”

Senior Nicole Denzel, who has attended LIFE’s MORP since her sophomore year, said that the annual tradition has turned into a laid-back meeting that wraps up the school year. “ ‘MORP’ is ‘prom’ spelled backwards,” Denzel said. “There’s no point to it; it’s really just a dance party, just to have fun and get everyone together at the end of the year.”

While some MORPs are exclusive of upperclassmen, Denzel said that St. Susanna’s event is wholly inclusive for all high school students. Although she said that MORP does not serve as a substitute for prom, it is a good way to get the students from varying schools together at a dance.

“The point of MORP is to get people in the youth group together, since we’re all so close,” Denzel said. “Normally we don’t hang out with those people in school.”

According to Denzel, the small event has benefits over the sweaty, anonymous photo by Alyssa Howard crowds that are Students in the L.I.F.E youth group gather annually at St. Susanna for characteristic of MORP, to play cards and dance. prom.

“At prom you don’t know everyone that “You’re surrounded by people you know you’re surrounded by, and it’s a lot less hot and you can trust [at MORP],” Denzel said. at MORP than at prom.”

Noises Off! nominated for awards in high school drama critique program Cady Meece | Staff Writer For the first time in four years, the Mason High School Drama Club will perform at the formal Cappies Gala on May 23.

According to Allen Young, the producer of Noises Off! and acting teacher, the Cappies are a critique and award program that was started in Washington D.C., in which students involved in the production of a play critique other performances at different schools.

“The Cappies allow students in the drama department to improve on their writing and see a variety of shows performed by other schools,” Young said.

According to Young, the Cappies Gala is a formal awards ceremony held at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati to recognize whole plays and some specific actors or actresses across the country. Cincinnati is one of many districts involved throughout the country.

In the Cincinnati district, each school is only scored based on one of their plays from that year.

“Each year, only one play can be eligible for consideration,” Young said. “Then, those plays are voted on and a few are chosen to be performed at the awards ceremony.”

According to Young, the Cappies Gala is a big deal for students in the drama department.

“Sports have their own award banquet and the art department has an art show, but this is the way that drama students are recognized for their hard work and talent,” Young said.

According to senior Sam Rutherford, the Cappies Awards

is something that is unique to the drama department that shows recognition for every aspect of a play.

“The Cappies Awards are just a cool way to be recognized by a greater group of people outside of the school,” Rutherford said. “It is a really great experience for everyone who participated in the production of the play.”

According to Young, Mason is nominated for several awards this year at the Gala, including several individuals for best lead actor and best comedic actor.

“This year, we are nominated for 11 awards,” Young said.

“Our play Noises Off! is nominated as well as several actors and actresses.”

Senior Matt Van Slyke, a nominee and critic for the Cappies Awards, has been involved in drama for several years and is excited to be going to the Cappies Awards.

“This year I am nominated for best lead actor in the play Noises Off!,” Van Slyke said. “I have been acting for seven years and this is one of the more exciting events that [has] happened.”

Rutherford said he has been acting for only two years through the school and he is already nominated for an award.

“This year I am nominated for best comedic actor in Noises Off!,” Rutherford said. “ I have been acting for two years through the school, and I really enjoy it.”

According to Van Slyke, the most exciting part of the Cappies Gala is performing.

“I am really excited to perform at the awards,” Van Slyke said. “We will be performing a section of our play on the actual stage of the Aronoff, so it’s a really exciting thing.”

According to Rutherford, he is excited to perform, but is nervous.

“The most exciting part about the Cappies is performing on the actual Aronoff stage,” Rutherford said. “Although, I just hope that we don’t mess anything up while we’re up there.”

As a critic for the awards, Van Slyke said opinions from others that are not your friends can be eye-opening.

“As a critic, I think it’s interesting to hear different sides from people that could be your peers,” Van Slyke said.

On the other side of things, Van Slyke said, critiquing can be a difficult task.

“A lot of times, the hardest thing is the politeness part of the critique,” Van Slyke said. “They say that the objective is to ‘spread the wealth,’ but sometimes it’s really hard to give criticism without offending anyone.”

According to Van Slyke, critiquing with his friends and sharing ideas is the best part of being a critic.

“When we, as a group, go to a show to write critiques, it’s really fun to bounce ideas and opinions off of each other,” Van Slyke said. “Sometimes, it’s shocking to hear that someone didn’t like a play that you really loved.”

According to Van Slyke, critics always have to find the positive in the worst situations.

“Sometimes, it is difficult to critique a show that you know maybe isn’t the best you have ever seen,” Van Slyke said. “When you’re in that situation, you just have to sift through everything to find the shining stars of the show.”

Views THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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 Tony DeLotell Duncan Fischley Woody Goldsmith Scott Hutchinson Jessica Kantor Trevor Maxim Cady Meece Rachel Schowalter Danielle Simms Samantha Stulen Adviser Mr. Dale Conner

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EDITORIAL | PAGE 5

In my Opinion

Why do you think people perform community service?

“A lot of times, people need hours just to be in an organization.”

Nick Holderbaum Junior

“People do community service because it is good for the community.”

Tyler Willett Junior

“They are bored.”

Seth Barot Sophomore

“People have to [do community service] to get into college.”

Zach Amann Freshman

“People start doing community service because they need hours, but then they realize that they like it.”

Bobby Gibler Sophomore

“People do it to feel better about themselves.”

Vibha Ramesh Senior

“They do it to help out the community.”

Morgan Iler Freshman

“People do community service to put it on their college application.”

Amy Clippinger Senior

Staff Editorial

Hating high school is unproductive We find ourselves now at that awkward portion of the year of transition. The dawn of May marks a month during which five grades of students are preoccupied with high school.

The incoming freshmen, having already meticulously created their first high school schedules, nervously anticipate the academic rigors and social changes that ninth grade will surely bring. Meanwhile, the graduating seniors prepare to finally leave Mason High School, busy formulating the plans that will carry them through the foreseeable future.

Some call this four-year period of our lives the golden years; others refer to the last years of primary education as a hellish nightmare.

Wherever your personal opinion falls on this wide spectrum, it can be acknowledged that we are all united under the mandatory nature of high school. We are all obligated by law to complete the four-year tenure responsible for pulverizing spirits and highlighting young lives.

The grossly overused cliché comes to mind: “We are all in the same boat.” There are days for everyone that slam us back to the grounding reality that we are all compelled to be here. Even those who idealize high school some days struggle to leave the comfort of warm beds for cool cinderblock classrooms.

So, we must ask ourselves: since we are all thrown together for this fleeting phase, why do we consistently fail to maximize our experiences? Why waste precious years of existence

in a miserable state just to remain in vogue with the perceived coolness of hating high school?

In the spirit of really defying societal norms, we could instead turn our attentions to utilizing these four years to our benefit, whatever that may mean. As many already do at MHS, we could build relationships, based on trust and similar interests. But, we can still be realistic: our high school friends will most likely not be the ones we consider lifetime companions, although this does happen for some. We shouldn’t expect that the friends we make, the projects with which we’re involved will be lasting and monumental in magnitude.

While high school is an unabashed period of transition into adulthood and more importantly, independence, it is ludicrous to believe that this natural progression to the rest of our lives must be miserable. Since the current system of education has existed, teenagers have struggled and celebrated, succumbed and succeeded. We are no different. So, let’s finally learn something from the high school scars of previous generations by collaborating instead.

A revolutionized mindset of individuals could form a more compassionate community. We need to ditch our sitcom-esque expectations of high school and alternatively focus on the people and elements of our lives that are truly significant. And only then could we create an experience of transition tolerable for all.

Dreaming in excess sacrifices reality Ellen Duffer | Associate Editor The future, the present, the past; what might be, what should be, what could have been. Hours of sleeping and waking are laced with dreams, perfectly detailed and crafted so beautifully that shaking the reverie is disheartening. The fiction our minds create caresses us, grabbing our attention wholly and expertly.

To procrastinate on antagonizing tasks, we can easily sink into our imaginations and experience an alternate more pleasing reality -- one in which we want to be involved. Eventually, our fabricated lives become all together more inviting than the tangible world.

We spin loops of exciting situations around our minds; we keep ourselves occupied with movie-like circumstances, full of heightened thrills and perfect flaws.

An alternate sequence of events, acted at only the desired speed, is molded just the way we think it should be. Meetings and appointments can be as disastrous or satisfying as we deem necessary.

Our futures line up ideally when they are formulated within our minds -- careers and relationships work themselves out to be perfect. Nothing can be better than we imagined when our realities are housed in our imagination, where the possibilities are truly without limits.

The amount of energy invested into the stories locked in our minds escalates as we escape from the drudgery of reality.

We anxiously await lulls in our schedules, aware of their blankness in scheduling that screams for a period of daydreaming that will partly satiate our craving for personal fiction for the day. Reality becomes intolerable as we become too accustomed to the imagination.

But, as we immerse ourselves in ideas that may not necessarily ever translate into actual events, we inevitably ignore facets of reality that may positively catch our attention. We pass up assignments and invitations, fearing their possible quality of tediousness. We glide through life in a daze, choosing not to invest ourselves in anything that has no relation to our ever-deepening dreams. Focusing on dreaming of the future, our sole goal is making such fantasies come true, despite the high probability that this is an impossible feat.

We fail to live when we dream in excess or live for the purpose of weaving tales of fiction instead of experiencing reality.

The moment we devote our existence to dreaming, when fantasies begin to eat away life in actuality, vitality disappears.

Daydreams are a nice way to quicken the pace of a dull lecture or a frustrating visit with irritating relatives, but a life stocked only with dreams and not with experiences is breathless.

Don’t spend your time building an escape when you could be seeking a tangible and enjoyable method of spending time.

PAGE 6 | VIEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

Scott Hutchinson Deanna Allbrittin Four years ago, I looked at the neon Mason High School activity booklet and decided that somehow I was going to do at least half of the 50 plus activities and sports listed. After all, hadn’t I been told that I could do anything I set my mind to? Why not every sport and club I set my mind to?

So I tried, for four years, to perform the ultimate juggling act between my interest and involvement in the swim team, drama club, Relay 4 Life, marching band, the Walking History project, National Honor Society and Prom Fashion Show, Senior Sibs, Mason African-American Students for Change, the subsequent Black History Month Assembly and playing BINGO every third Saturday at a nursing home.

At some point, I realized that although I held some leadership positions in some of my activities, I never achieved the “greatness” I had in mind when I imagined my high school career. I didn’t act and sing my way into every play and musical; in fact, I didn’t even have enough time to try out for all the shows.

I was never a champion swimmer or a top Wind Symphony clarinet player.

I was only a member and although I enjoyed everything I participated in, I couldn’t devote myself completely to all and had to accept that. More than accept, I had to be happy being fairly ordinary at everything I did. The only alternative was to make hard decisions, something I was never prepared to do.

Once, I walked into the guidance office stressed, and Mrs. Kummer said that for the sake of my sanity, I needed to prioritize and make a list of the three activities most important to me. After four days, I was still unable to create the list. So, I continued to bounce from meeting to meeting, from the pool to the stage.

In the meantime, I had a built-in handicap for not being superior. Devotion to one sport or club with a couple less important activities has become the norm while those of us who put all of our activities on equal footing have to make juggling look easy.

Believe me, doing everything is possible, but doing everything well...I guess I’ll leave that to the superheroes.

It happens every year.

Following the inevitably too-short Spring Break, the hallways fill with neon Panama City Beach t-shirts and an over-exaggerated hatred for the education system. Senioritis spreads like the swine flu at a daycare and the senior class lazily slumps into a downward spiral towards academic failure. No one’s having fun; everyone wants to leave. And now we’re all left wondering how we missed the vibrant days of high school that we had so anxiously awaited.

What happened to the third grade versions of ourselves, idolizing older high school siblings (the ones we threatened to unleash on playground bullies who stole our Lunchables)? Where were those fairytale romances with white horses and sunsets and sappy dates that would leave Taylor Swift jealous of our suaveness?

Since the day I first walked into Mason High School I’ve been looking for that Saved by the Bell experience. I wanted a four-year stay complete with a varsity jacket and sideburns.

Unfortunately, aside from the lack of jerry curls and unnecessarily tight pants, there have been holes in the sitcom-like high school plot that I had written out for myself. Most regrettably: I rushed it.

When I was a kid I used to dream about high school. Then, on that awkward “I can’t believe these kids have beards” first day of my freshman year, the countdown to college began. From college to marriage, from marriage to kids, the plan never seems to pause. Hanging out with friends takes a back seat to AP test number thirty-five, and the present is clouded over by the anticipation of next year. We run as fast as we can only to look back and realize that the few pauses we made are the only moments that truly mattered.

Its cliché, but when someone said, “take time to smell the roses,” I think they were talking about high school. Only the roses were late nights at White Castle with your best friends and being on a first name basis with those same friend’s moms. I’ve missed a lot in high school; we all have. But now, in the spirit of the human race, it’s time to move on to the next step in the cycle: college. Maybe I’ll just take it at a little slower pace.

Senior staff members reflect on a memorable four years

Woody Goldsmith

Duncan Fischley It has been called many things: a calculus graph, a giant “M” and even a mountain range. The first thing that people notice about me is my usual youth group shirt and my Marianist Life necklace. But these details go beyond a style for me; they hold a deeper meaning for me. Although I proudly display these symbols of my life on a daily basis, they are not meant for show. I choose to wear my necklace and my shirts as constant reminder to myself about the life path I have taken.

I have had some great times in this high school: Mr. Whitney’s ape costume my freshman year, working on my Hamlet video this year or the four years of wrestling are all really fond memories that I will have forever. My entire life here at the high school has become a part of me -- but it doesn’t define who I really am. My faith does.

Morals, behavior, friends, actions -- everything about me has been anchored in my faith. In middle school they called it Faith Alive. It was the first place I felt accepted in life. Some of my best friends in high school I met back in Faith Alive.

After middle school, the Living In Faith Experience, L.I.F.E, a youth group just for high school students, reinforced my life and brought me to some major decisions, like my career and college choice. When I was there, encircled by those who loved and accepted me, I showed who the real me was.

I truly do love this school.

It has been good to me and I will be sad to leave.

But leaving now, I will be able to take off that mask I have been wearing here in school. It covered the real me during the school day.

The only part that was able to show through the cracks was my faith. It remained constant in my school life.

All I had to do is glance down at my necklace or my shirt and memories of who I was would rush back.

My necklace and my shirt have become a physical representation of who I am -- who I should have been here at Mason High School.

Kirsten McCafferty Mandy Chiara The notion that “these are the best days of our lives” is ridiculous. I refuse to view my life as a timeline running from womb to coffin with bouts of surreal happiness in high school followed by a long dive plummeting into black sadness afterwards, disguised by the purchase of a house, marriage, children and grandchildren. Instead, I am crossing my fingers that high school, like a sunburn, stings and then fades away -- and that for the rest of my life I am never content with sitting in a desk seven hours each day pretending to prepare myself for a “real” world that I am not allowed to be a part of yet. I fear stillness. I hope I never get comfortable enough in my schedule, in my career, in my puzzlepiece place in society to reject the glimpse of brighter sails embracing the open water.

Perhaps that is why people say the things they do about me -- they mistake my devotion to sculpt my mind and body into a figure I am proud of, for whimsicality. Tell me how I can know what I am capable of becoming unless I experience everything, unless I am constantly shifting to find the best me: the most compassionate, strong, inventive and happy me. I hope “well-rounded” does not even begin to describe me and my journey here at the high school.

My desire to fully immerse myself in opportunities I believed would steer me in the direction of a more whole being has driven me to spend countless nights marching with friends to the hum of Dr. Beat, dance under the warmth of theatre stage lights, swing in sync with seven other girls rowing on the water and write, of course, for a paper produced by some of the most bizarre and impressive personalities in this school building. I like the woman I am becoming.

She is strong. She is bright.

And she is outta here!

You can only imagine the awkward procession as groups of inseparable friends and lovers with longing-filled eyes are divided through the rows of alphabetically assigned seats filling the floor of the Cintas Center on this year’s hot graduation evening. As you peek through your peripherals down your neatly situated row, you make uncomfortable eye contact with the face of “that one kid from freshman English” or “that girl from gym class,” and you begin to wonder: How could I have passed that face by? In a graduating class of 690 students, it is easy to become segregated into a certain faction of our school.

My situation is a strange and different circumstance.

I have grazed elbows with the majority of the class of 2009 in some way, waving and making shallow conversation as I proceed down the hallway with ease. Throughout high school, I have made my way through the intertwining groups of people in this unique graduating class, and as I walk down the halls I take fleeting glances at each senior and remember some moment I’ve experienced with each.

In a school where everyone has found their niche, how in my four years at William Mason High School have I seemed to slip through every crack and never found a perfect place?

If I were to define myself as most people do in a grade as big as ours, I wouldn’t count myself in as a jock, and I sure as heck would not be placed in the academic category; I would categorize myself as a wanderer, experiencing everyone else’s view of high school without ever really having my very own.

In the four years you experience in these crowded halls , don’t hesitate, let people know who you are and experience every remarkable aspect of you.

If you don’t, you may just miss every inconceivable memory you never want to miss.

When something as final as graduation -- or death -- comes around, the tendency is to think of cliché Rascal Flatts songs or the only famous song by Vitamin C. I’ve been thinking a lot about graduation, and the one thing I keep coming back to is the episode of Boy Meets World, appropriately titled, “Graduation.” In the episode, Shawn Hunter, the token miscreant of the series, publicly laments his lack of effort in high school; “I could’ve done better,” he says.

As much as I can’t wait to get out of here, I can’t help but think of Shawn. Now, I know that we don’t live in some sitcom fantasy land.

There are few people in this world whose biggest worries are equivalent to whether Kevin and Winnie will get together or what crazy antics Screech will get into next. But the sitcom star raised an interesting point. What if I had done better? What if I had taken more (any) art classes?

What if I had gone to more parties instead of work?

What if I had kept the same friends I came here with?

The real question is: who cares? It sounds cliché, but in twenty years, it won’t matter who we partied with on the weekends or what football games we went to. What matters are the memories we choose to hold on to.

If you had asked me in the beginning of freshman year if I would be where I am today: star of the stage, ace reporter, A-student (I’m being facetious), I would have laughed. And now it’s the end, and all I have are the classes I’ve taken, the friends I’ve held on to and the decisions I’ve made.

And that’s not to say that’s a bad thing. I’ve had a lot of great (and by “great,” I mean “tolerable”) times in this school. The decisions I’ve made have kept me alive, healthy and happy (for the most part). I just wish I could have done everything (or anything) different, just to see how it could have been. I just wish I could’ve done better; I know I should’ve done better. But I know I could’ve done a lot worse.

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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PAGE 8 | NEWS FEATURE

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

Lost and never found

iPods, clothing and baby strollers among piles of unclaimed objects Deanna Allbrittin | Staff Writer At Mason High School, the vast array of lost and found items suggests that few students are reclaiming their possessions.

In the MHS Lost and Found there are currently four iPods, seven cell phones, various baby accessories and approximately 20 shelves of clothes. They are all items that have been misplaced by MHS students and never claimed and according to Campus Supervisor and Lost and Found Director Kim Rowland, an entire closet is needed to store all the lost items.

“I let things sit down there [in the security office] for a couple months,“ Rowland said. “After that I’ll take them up to the closet. Then if anybody comes in and says, ‘Hey, I’ve lost this or that,’ I’ll take them up to see.”

Rowland said that with the growing size of the Lost and Found, the school has come up with a process meant to allow students a chance to find their pos-

sessions and aid charities.

“The kids can come in and claim [lost and found] all summer long and at the beginning of the school year we clean the closet out,” Rowland says.

National Honor Society members annually clean out the closet. This year, senior Rumy Varbanov was responsible for taking the leftover items from the 2007-2008 school year to be donated.

“Last time I did it, I had [seniors] Katie Erbeck and Brittany Voorhis help me out,” Varbanov said. “Then, we just drove it down the street to Christ Church of Mason. They have a place where they accept donations.”

Varbanov said that the amount of items he found in the closet was stunning.

“I was shocked,” Varbanov said. “Even when you walk in it looks full, but you’re just surprised because you have to keep coming up and up. We had to make ten trips of a huge cart [to take] it to our cars.”

Although twenty-two 55-gallon garbage bags were needed to clear out the closet, Rowland said that those were not all the lost clothes.

Some also go to the nurse’s office or the special needs rooms. Varbanov said that the students cleaning out the closet are also allowed to take some items they see and like. The quality of the clothes was equally as shocking as the quantity, according to Varbanov.

“Brittany ended up pocketing a jacket,”Varbanov said. “It was a nice North Face one. Mrs. Shuba was like, ‘If you find something you like, you can have it.’”

Assistant Principal George Coates said that he gets items more expensive than some of the clothes left. Every day, the lost cell phones, iPods, cameras and jewelry go to Coates to be locked up.

“If I’m able to figure out who they belong to, I just send them back to the people and they don’t have to claim it,” Coates said.

“The items that go unclaimed are items that students fail to put their names in or any other contact information. Frankly, we have some students that don’t care; they’ll just get another one.”

According to Coates, by the time he is able to give items back to some students, they have already moved on and bought replacements.

“I’ve had students that have had things lost and say, ‘Oh thanks, but I’ve already got another one,’” Coates said.

Rowland said that as the school can only hold items for a limited period of time, students should also know that whatever they do not claim either become involuntary

donations to charity or get sold to sponsor school events. “[Coates] puts out a website, and he sells the [unclaimed] stuff,” Rowland said. “The stuff that he gets money for goes into a bank account that we have, and that goes towards freshman picnics, special ice cream days and other thing we have for you guys.”

Unlike the mainstream Lost and Found, the cost of many of the items Coates holds requires specific measures to make sure the right person claims an item.

“They have to be able to identify and be able to describe something in [the item],” Coates said. “I don’t just give them a list and say, ‘Ok, which one’s yours?’”

Rowland said that expensive items are not limited to cell phones and iPods, as many expensive clothing items get left at school functions.

“Come down after prom, and you’ll see a bunch of shoes,” Rowland said. “[Some] girls leave their stuff so we usually have quite a few shoes and those little purses.”

According to Rowland, students are not the only ones losing items and not claiming them, as parents seem to inadvertently leave belongings behind, too.

“We’ve got a… brand new Greco baby stroller with a diaper bag,” Rowland said. “I have no idea where that came from. Nobody ever called about it.”

Rowland said that she believes some items may not be claimed because many students do not know where the lost and found is and don’t ask.

At the same time, there are also students like senior Lauren Caserta, who said she often frequents the Lost and Found and had no problem asking for the location of the it.

“The first time I lost something, I asked Mr. [Harold] Grice where [the Lost and Found] was” Caserta said. “I went down to the front office and they took me to the tiny one in the security office, and then they took me to the mother of all lost and founds.”

Rowland said that she believes a socioeconomic factor may also play a role in the amount and value of the items inhabiting the lost and found.

“There are kids in this community that need the clothing,” Rowland said. “Unfortunately there [are] other [students] at the other end of the spectrum, too, who are like, ‘Oh well, I’ll get a new one.’ I think that’s why they don’t look for their new [winter] coats.”

According to Caserta, although she frequently misplaces things, the thought process described by Rowland has never occurred to her.

“I lose things often and I always go look for them because if I don’t go look for them, my mother will kill me,” Caserta said. “She will not buy new ones for me and I have a high school budget, which means I have to go look for my stuff.” photo by Deanna Allbrittin

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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PAGE 12 | THE CHRONICLE University of Cincinnati George A. Adly Zachary Anderson Maya Antoine Brian Avery The University of Akron Courtney M. Barnett Jacob M. Dugan Elizabeth C. Baugher Daniel M. Sileo Jordan T. Benson Daniel J. Berning The University of Alabama Lauren Bertrams Brian Hough Jeffrey Brown Megan A. Jarvis Ryan R. Burgstahler Kelly O’Neil Diego Cadena Ryan E. Rocheck Lindsey M. Calabrese Edward J. Carlin The University of Alabama at Birmingham Timothy Cassani Rachel Harley Ryan Church Amy Cohen Alabama State University Tyler P. Curry Justin C Bethea Timothy J. Davison Bradley J Dawes Allegheny College Thomas N. Dominick Tyler Torbet Ryan N. Doughton Tess M. Eger Anderson University William R. Elam Shannon Hebel Ayah N. Enany Nicolas Fakham Angelo State University Alexander D. Faulk Ryan C Morris Erin Fox Christopher J. Frey The University of Arizona Andres Garcia Rachel P Howie Eric Gardner Daniel Sweeney Bria J. Garner Arif S. Ghasletwala Arizona State University Jacob Gibson Ann E Niedzwiecki Mohamed A. Gomaa Alex T. Gormley Army Chad T. Griffiths Brandon M Brewer Anne M. Grossmann Ryan M Ackermann Brandon T. Hardee Joseph I Rocco Andrew Hill Stephanie R Sloan Megan Hinson Mallory Hogan Art Academy of Cincinnati Cory Honkomp Glorimar Garcia Mir Z. Hussain Evan M Lautzenheiser Ninad M. Inamdar Bonnie T. Jacob The Art Institute of Cincinnati Catherine R. Jurman Amber N Benningfield Brent Kane Shannon Niehaus Rebecca Kautz Brennan Eden Megan Kelley Kristen E. Kemp Ashland University Hyen D. Kim Kristine Novicki Patrick Koman Zi H. Kong Auburn University Rebecca E. Kroeger Connor Bradley Brendan J. Lathrop Jennifer Bieszczak Stephanie Macke Kiersten E Wones Jessica Madden Taylor L. Maher Aveda Cosmetology Jahaan D. Maiden Justine C. Thomas Adam J. Marlow Kirsten S. McCafferty Ball State University Iain G. McDavid Skylar Chew Melissa T. Meyer Kyle W. O’Connor Gabriela Montes Frank F. Moore Bellarmine University Zachary J. Morey Amanda H. Chiara Lauren Moushey Molly Culbertson Stan Nasilevich Mahina Nasirzoda Bowling Green State University Nuri C. Nelson Jessica Brown Boitran S. Nguyen Christopher Downer Brittany L. Palmer Hannah R Harrison John L. Palmer Meredith Klohe Abhishek Pandit Alexandra D Macfarland Bansari J. Patel Evelia Mendoza Zachery D. Patterson Whitney A Pelfrey James A. Philippo Adrianna Piontek Brigham Young University Nathan P. Rapp Erica Davis Bruce Ray Laine C. Reedijk Butler University Pavel S. Reshetin James Apke Nicole Ritter Reese A Cosimi Jenna L. Rubin Lauren King Megan Rudy Christina M. Rump Carnegie Mellon University Shyamal Ruparel Sarah Read Logan P. Sagle Courtney T. Wittekind Artur Salavei Armin Salehi Case Western Reserve University Christen L. Sambor Natalia R. Carvalho Stephen D. Sargent Nathan D. Mckinley Garrett Sauter Hakop Nagapetyan Kristen T. Saxton Emily Pham Naeem S. Shahrestani Vibha Ramesh Alexander M. Shaw Derek S. Shively Cedarville University Linsey Shreve Nathaniel S. Franklin Hope I. Slater Alyssa M. Springsteen Bonnie D. Smith Brian Snodgrass University of Central Florida Darius C. Staples Katelynn Finklea Megan Steele Kayla Mackey Maggie Straub Air Force Dalton C Moorhead Shelby Money

(University of Cincinnati, continued) Madeleine C. Tepe Daniel S. Tracy Demetrios Trester Akhilesh Vadlamani Kelsey A. Wagner Joseph Wittman Jacob Wolf Tricia L. Wolford Kirsten Worth Andrew G. Yingling Paige E. Young Mercene Zalants Evaldas Zizniauskas University of Cincinnati Clermont College Alok Varma University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Aaron Bartos University of Cincinnati, Raymond Walters Mackenzie Ahlum Bryan D. Dao Dale R. Hupke Scott D. Lee Thomas S. Lizzio Timothy J. O’Shaughnessy Sajani S. Patel Brenna Principato Sukhrob Radjabov Evan T. Sliger Brooke E. Stevenson Bradley J. Wattenhofer Cincinnati Christian University David M. Leopold Cincinnati Tech and Community College Jordan Beatty Clifford Fox Graeme Guinup Austin K. Huff Steven Scavo Brandon Wolf The Citadel Michael Sparks

DePauw University Alexander C. Muetzel Dimmed Oaks Lauren M. Hardy Eastern Kentucky University John Dunn Michaelea R. Kleist Eastern Michigan University Kelly N. Egelston Elmhurst College Ali E. Siebel Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Nathan T. Hudspeth Emory University Hailey Morris The University of Findlay Anthony Patti Furman University Hannah M. Swoyer Georgetown College Matthew G. Fritz Georgia Institute of Technology Mary K. Wunderle Andrew Hanson Georgia Southern University Courtney L. Collins Georgia State University Rebekah G. Wooten Grove City College Rachel Brockhage Harding University Brittany L. Wilson Harvard University Peter Chen Heidelberg College Ednekqwa C. Lang

Cleveland State University Macall F. Sheppard Hocking College Eric Bloebaum Coast Guard Brian Kurz Kelly Mounts University of Illinois at Chicago College of Mount St. Evan M. Boes Joseph Andrea M. Emmert University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Columbus College of Art Eric Wei and Design Samantha Kisker Indiana Institute of Technology Taylor Vogel Devon L. Davis Thomas K. Jarrett Cornell University James Langlois Indiana University at Bloomington Ryan Arsenault Deanna Allbrittin Lauren J. Bridges Cosmetology at Regency Allison C. King Franchesca L. Isaac Taylor Reed Caitlin M. Snyder University of the Mackenzie F. Touby Cumberlands Grant Taylor Destul Huff Indiana University University of Dayton Purdue University, Columbus Danial E. Bernhard Troy M. Boyer Alexander Court Taylor C. Craig University of Indianapolis Megan Dailey Ian M. Brastauskas Katherine Dowrey Alissa M. Fink ITT Technical Institute Duncan Fischley Daniel Romine Paul G. Griffin Anne E. Kujawa Johnson & Wales University Shannon E. Larkin Lauren E. Merritt Bradley R. Lonsway Elizabeth Melena Kent State University Brett R. Meline Lauren Day Sarah Mulkie Jacob M. Dooley Sophia Raptis Suzanne I. Hampel Brendan Rice Kjetil Marstrander Erin J. Roark Molly Sharrah Heidi Schmid Emily R. Staresinic University of Kentucky Fernanda Victoria-Bojalil Logan Collins Christopher R. Gort Denison University Alex J. Lucky Kinsey B. Bryant-Lees Matthew J. Montes

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

(University of Kentucky, continued) (Northern Kentucky University, Kyle R. Taylor continued) Spencer Webb Brittney C. Rousseau Adam W. Troescher Liberty University Breona S. Walker Megan E. Loukinas Katie N. Weaver Allison Wehrman Lipscomb University Zachery Brown Northwestern University Xiaomin Zhang Los Angeles City College Phillip A. Storage University of Notre Dame Michael C. Verleye Malone University Daniel McCormack Oglethorpe University Clay B. Northcutt Jordan M. Reeves Marines Engineering Kyle Wicks Marines Infantry Mark A. Anzer Ragin S. Roldan University of Maryland, College Park Haley Bull Miami University, Hamilton Alexandria L. Assell Kayla Blount Kylie Gardner Ryan Rice Miami University, Middletown Kyle A. Kom Nathaniel Garland Michael Geering Miami University, Oxford Alissa Bunn Amber M. Celesti Sara E. Coyle Woodrow Goldsmith Kashika G. Goyal Madelaine Hudson Chloe Kerrison Allison L. Kolish Abagail C. Lauter Anchin Liaw Taylor Lovett Sara A. Magrino Ashley C. Malin Tyler C. McCarthy Jamie M. Neuss Andrew F. Reed David C. Ringel Namratha Sandella Ainis Supronas Caroline M. Troughton Benjamin H. Weaver Cara B. Werner Kelsey Wood Randy Yim

Ohio Northern University Anne E. Durham Phillip C. Maddux Ohio University Sarah Beckstedt Kevin Bohn Dorothy L. Branch Aaron T. Brodie Megan E. Currie Lauren Custis Kendrick A. Davis Nicole Denzel Kaci Durham Kelsey Egan Taylor B. Gasper Madison Gazda Whitney Graf Shelby A. Hamet Stephanie Henry Jennifer R. Hewitt Amanda Homan Morgan Hunt Scott L. Hutchinson Isaiah W. Justice Michael A. Justiniano Erin L. Lamontagne Andrew Laux John Laux Jennifer A. Leetch Ariel N. Levine Kelsey Loftus Matthew Lutz Mackenzie Mayerik Samuel Mink Alec J. Prusinski Mary-Megan Roussos Brittany M. Scheidt Preston Sheaks Caitlyn R. Stewart Nicholas Tuell Matthew R. Van Slyke Kendra F. Washington Michael C. Womack

The Ohio State University Scott Abernathy Kyle Ammons University of Michigan Samantha M Antenucci Lauren N. Caserta Jenifer Bare Rachel Barnes Morehead State University Michael L. Bean Jacob M Hayes Kyle Bene Alyssa C. Branigan Mount Vernon Nazarene University Laura E Brignole Melissa R. Nabel Jonathan Burgbacher Tallie R. Van Vuren Jerry M Carr Andrew Cook Navy QM Laura Beth A Cook Alex Clark Bradley W Corfman Rachel Crenshaw New Mexico Institute of Mining and Jordan Cripe Technology Daniel P Crowley Nathan B. Finnern Whitney Cubilla Brandon P Dennison Northeastern Ohio Universities Richard B Eckenrode College of Medicine Katie Erbeck Swetha N. Chatla Nathan E Fisher Allison M Fruchey The University of North Carolina at Bradley T Helwagen Chapel Hill Kelsey E Hess Stephen W. Cooper Brittany S Holzmacher Charles Zheng Daniel P Huerta Sheheryar Jamali Northern Illinois University Anupama T Joseph Melanie L. Adams Garrett M Leeson Sarvabhauma Karri Northern Kentucky University Benjamin A Kushner Amy K. Clippinger Jason Lamb Elyssa M. Comperchio Laura K Lasonczyk Kyle E. Ebersole Michelle K Malblanc Victoria M. Frye Nirupa Manohar Jordan J. Grant Alexander R Martinez Rebecca L. Hubbard Alexander C Mayer Elizabeth R. Meyer Andrea R McWhirter Elizabeth Nebraski Nicholas Miller Carson Newman Michael R Mintz Brittaney Oberle Arthur A Mogilevsky Randall D. Robinson Ian Molitors

(The Ohio State University , continued) Usman S Muhammad Corin Newman Boihoan A Nguyen Eddie A Norse Sara E Olson Jennifer N Peischl Arvind Pitchai Akshaya Ramani Cloey Rebholz Lukas R Rudd Samuel A Rutherford Nisha A Sachar Thomas J Shutrump Brittany Spaeth Riley E Stanforth Katie Stigers Jian Su Luke W Sutphin Kelsey M Swift Raymond Tan Michael C Tape Jacqueline N Tesorero Nicklaus J Theobald Eric T Trexler Matthew J Tyler Roumen Varbanov Britney A Voorhis Benjamin P Wagner Alexander Widmeyer Nikhil Wilkins Brittany M Wilson Kristin N Wood

THE CHRONICLE | PAGE 13

Keeping a Radar on the

Class of 2009 photo art by Caleb Schowalter

Transylvania University Jordan D. Besecker University of Tsukuba Nanami Ikemoto University of Utah Samantha A. Lawson Valparaiso University Rachel Defrank Stacie A. Scheper Valencia Community College Chelsea Muennich Vanderbilt University Ray Wang Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Cara E. Baarendse Wake Forest University Taylor A. Walston Washington University in St. Louis Kelly B. Loughead Drew B. Sinha Western Kentucky University Elizabeth Grimm Western Michigan University Megan Matula Wilmington College Matthew D. Higgins University of Wisconsin, Madison Alexis Nelson Wittenberg University Emma L. Cevasco Timothy Huesing Lindsay Miller Wright State University Sean W. Achberger Nicholas E. Barot Edward C. Coleman Christina Duncan Kiley M. Hammond Steven D. Hutson Mahmoud Kamel Ashley M. Paola Leslie W. Spencer Samantha L. Taks

Pennsylvania State University, University Park Edward Y. Wang

Xavier University Naureen T. Asif Jessica Bowlin Abigail R. Bruck Julien C. Grayer Katherine Hodulik Tyler Imfeld Marissa D. Martinez Aziz R. Nuritdinov Carly Renner Whitney Rohr Michael J. Venere

Pikeville College Mark K. Allen University of Pittsburgh Jared M. Kolwyck Point Park University Renee Rabenold Princeton University Flora Massah School of the Art Institute of Chicago Danni N. Wu Shawnee State Jordan S. Deeds Sinclair Community College Ryan N. Allen Kaiser G. Bitar Daniel Calvert Kayla N. Desautels

(Sinclair Community College, continued) Paige T. Diehl Sarah M. Henry Sonoma State University Lauren P. Maxwell Karin Noguchi Thomas R. Peery Allison Peyton University of South Carolina Sarah E. Turecky Danielle Minter Grant Westrich Rachel N. Pfirrman Scarlet Oaks Nicole Jackson Joshua A. Peters

State University of New York at Buffalo Zachary Rice

Texas A&M University Keagan Cox Thomas More College John O. Desotelle Taylor University Ariel Bloomer University of Tennessee, Knoxville Anthony P. Pilone

University of Tennessee, Martin Emily R. Crye Candice M. Fulcher

Tiffin University Lauren Merriman

The University of Texas Yiling Wu

University of Toledo Priscilla M. Clark Sean M. Steele

Yale University Joyce Li Tong Zhan

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

Blip Full Color

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THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

FEATURE | PAGE 15

Crowded cafeteria pressure results in creative lunch-line strategies Trevor Maxim | Staff Writer Each competing to maximize the lunch period of only 30 minutes, students are forced to develop strategies in order to pass through the lines quickly, according to junior Bhavik Modi. Relating the crowded state of the lunch line to the packed roller-coaster lines of Kings Island, Modi said he tries to strike a balance between time spent waiting and precious minutes for eating and socializing with friends.

“The longer you have to wait in the line, the less satisfaction you receive from the food or from the ride,” Modi said.

Senior Siri Karri said he sees the speed of the line as a pressing issue and traces the congestion in the cafeteria back to its source.

“The economic prosperity of Mason has caused a population boom, which has caused the student body to swell,” Karri said. “Spending time in the lunch line reduces the probability of sitting in close proximity to one’s friends.”

Karri said his lunch table is constantly becoming more crowded, causing added pressure to make it through the line efficiently. With so much motivation to move quickly, Karri said there are multiple aspects that one must consider. The most obvious technique of cutting in the line, however, adds the risk of being ‘snitched on’, according to Karri.

Junior Jessica Kenneally said she is not as hesitant to cut through the line if given the opportunity, as long as the risk of being caught is relatively low.

“I look for friends that will let me cut [the line] with them, if there are no angry people around,” Kenneally said.

Karri said that cutting in line can be necessary due to the disruptions caused by cash payments, which have the most potential to delay the wait. Although it is a substantial problem, he said that predicting these payments can be difficult.

“Kids tend not to show their intentions to pay with cash until they have reached the register,” Karri said.

Even when Karri successfully maneuvers through the lunch line, he said that there are disadvantages. In an effort to minimize his time in the line, Karri said, he often

settles for what he views as lesser food.

“If the café feature line is too long, I go to tacos,” Karri said. “If that [line is] too long, it’s pizza,” Karri said.

The cashiers of the cafeteria notice the anxiety among students, according to cafeteria employee Biva Kumar. As one of only two full-time cashiers, she said she observes the flow of the line for the entirety of the lunch period. She said that she frequently notices students’ strategies in action in the form of regulars among the crowds.

“There are many kids who come through my line every day,” Kumar photo by Trevor Maxim Maneuvering around the main lunch line requires a thought-out plan and alternate preferred said. meal choices, according to senior Siri Karri.

According to Kumar, her line is unique in that whether teachers are there,” Modi said. it is the only line where The real reason for avoiding the crowded line, according teachers may skip ahead to the front at any time. This varito Modi, goes back to the value of social interaction which able has a large impact on the students who wait in the both he and Karri share. They said that their main motivaline, Kumar said. tion for this and all of their lunch-line strategies comes “Sometimes [the students] do [get angry] because the from the desire to spend time with friends. teachers don’t bring change and most of the time they “Sometimes that extra minute [caused by] a teacher bring $50 bills,” Kumar said. “If all of the teachers had cutting you [in line] can lead to you [losing] your spot at a their ID [cards] and they had their money ready, the line crowded lunch table,” Modi said. would be faster.”

Going through the line efficiently is essential to a good Modi said he agrees that the line with teacher preferlunch period, according to all three students. Kenneally ence should be avoided in favor of quick line navigation. said its importance can be summarized simply, as she According to Modi, the combination of teachers moving detests waiting. to the front and the usual backup of the line makes it “I never wait in long lines,” Kenneally said. “Ever.” especially undesirable.

“That [line] tends to be a longer line regardless of

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

Hot Shots Full B & W

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THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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Sports PAGE 20 | SPORTS

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 sport do you want to see introduced to Mason High School?

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

Popularity of combat sports explodes in tri-state Scott Hutchinson | Staff Writer

“Frisbee Golf, because it’s a combination of two great sports.”

Tom Lizzio Senior

“Field Hockey, because it looks really fun and interesting.”

Gabi Schneider Junior

“Rugby, because it’s good for taking out anger and stress.”

Lindsey Kappa Junior

“Coed sports, because girls are underestimated.”

Livvy Berry Junior

-Compiled by Tony DeLotell

In a town where ill-fated professional sports teams and a powerhouse college football dynasty have captured the attention of sports fans everywhere, a new type of sport is quickly planting its roots.

Often thought of as a violent pastime, combat sports such as boxing, karate and mixed martial arts have become a popular choice Mason students both follow and participate in. Whether it’s evidenced by teenager-packed sports bars during Ultimate Fighting Championship events or by the growing fad of fight apparel such as TapOut, these sports have established themselves as a legitimate source of fun and fitness for many Mason students.

Senior Zach Morey said it was the physical demand and the competitive nature of fighting sports that drew him into the boxing ring.

“After I stopped playing football, I realized that I wanted to keep participating in sports,” Morey said. “Boxing was just something new and exciting, and I knew I could throw a punch, so I figured, ‘Why not?’”

Morey, who is currently training at The Jorge Gurgel Mixed Martial Arts Academy in West Chester, said he has watched his boxing career transform from a mere hobby to a sport that he lives by. Morey trains several times a week and has recorded multiple victories in local tournaments, as well as a win in Rochester, New York.

Still, while he enjoys tallying up the wins, Morey said that the mental challenge of the sport entices him just as much as its physicality.

“Obviously, I like boxing because you get to punch kids in the face, but I also like the fact that it’s an individual sport,” Morey said. “You don’t have to rely on a team or anything. It’s just you and the guy across from you, and its all about your technique versus his technique. I love it.”

At The JG Academy, Morey said he has had the privilege to train alongside some of Ohio’s elite fighters and some of the men who are most responsible for the recent popularity of fighting sports in the area. UFC fighters Rich Franklin of Cincinnati; Matt Hammill of Loveland; Dustin Ha-

zelett of Louisa, Kentucky and Matt Brown of Xenia have all trained at JG and found success in the sport of mixed martial arts, a sport that sophomore Seth Harrison said he has become deeply involved in.

Harrison, who has spent the past year training in the art of Muy Thai (a fighting technique that employs striking with hands, elbows, feet and knees) at the Sacan Family Martial Arts Academy, said that he has noticed an increased interest in combat sports throughout the tri-state and expects to see an even larger spike in its popularity as the years go on.

“Old people like to watch boxing, little kids like professional wrestling, but everyone can enjoy MMA,” Harrison said.

“There’s so much technique involved and it’s a little bit of everything. Plus a lot of the professional fighters have almost godlike talent so it’s never boring to watch.

The sport is huge right now and I don’t see any reason why it would stop growing [in popularity].”

This recent infatuation with martial arts is an exciting trend, according to sophomore Shelby Konrad, but the world of combat sports is nothing new to the Konrad family. Though the physicality of these sports has given them a reputation as

“men’s sports,” Konrad said that she has taken pride in being a female martial artist for the past 11 years. Konrad said she has defeated both females as well as males en route to becoming a two-time United States Junior Karate Team member.

“Most of the time I’m matched up with girls, but at some of the larger out-of-state tournaments I’ll occasionally get matched up against a guy,” Konrad said.

“It’s fine, though, because I usually beat them anyways.”

While she has been lucky enough to amass numerous victories throughout her Karate career, Konrad’s success has not come without tribulation.

“The physicality of Karate doesn’t bother me at all, because it’s just part of the sport,” Konrad said. “But I have broken all ten toes twice.

I’ve broken my nose a few times, and I’ve torn a bunch of muscles. I’m used to it now, though.”

As more and more Mason students dedicate themselves as fans and participants of fighting sports, Konrad, Morey and Harrison all said that it seems inevitable that boxing, mixed martial arts and all other combat practices will continue to sink into the culture of Mason and the nation as a whole.

“Everybody loves a good fight,” Harrison said. “Everybody.” photo by Scott Hutchinson

Team Tracker

photo by Trevor Maxim

The men’s junior varsity tennis team has compiled an impressive undefeated record for the 2009 season. Highlighted by a victory over traditional tennis powerhouse St. Xavier, the season far exceeded preseason expectations, according to sophomore Shinya Michimi. “I thought we stacked up really well this year,” Michimi said. “I just hope that next year we can get more wins.”

The Great Miami Rowing Center youth team, which includes members of the Mason High School Rowing Club, placed first in the Girls’ Varsity four-boat race and third in the Boys’ Novice four-boat race at the Oak Ridge Tennessee regatta. “Since last year, our youth team has become more competitive,” Executive Director Frances Mennone said. “The team has certainly met and surpassed its goals for the season.”

photo contributed

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

SPORTS | PAGE 21

Parents voice their support and disgust from the sidelines at Mason athletic events Tony DeLotell | Staff Writer

trying to help him perform better.

“I take everything my dad says into In the late innings of a tie baseball consideration,” Hammond said, “He is game last summer, junior Chuck Hamonly trying to improve my skill on and mond said he watched his father get off the field.” into a heated verbal altercation with a Hammond said however, that in severe coach of the opposing team. Charles circumstances the athletic department Hammond, Chuck said his dad claimed should sometimes step in to diffuse that some players on the opposing certain situations. team were tagging his players in the “In some situations [the athletic face intentionally. Hammond said that department should intervene], but not all he could do was watch as his father as long as they’re not directing it toward exploded with a tirade of insults to the the coach,” Hammond said. “If it gets opposing coach. to a point where they start insulting the Hammond said he understands why coaches then [the athletic department] his father decides to yell at officials at needs to look into monitoring it.” his games. He said his dad’s involvement According to CNN, 85 percent of parin his sports can be attributed to the fact ents have witnessed parents or coaches that he also played high school sports. become verbally abusive during youth “[My dad] is pretty vocal,” Hammond sporting events. Assistant Athletic Direcsaid. “He is a guy that gets pretty intense tor Eric Silverman said that the problem with everything because he used to play at Mason is consistently below the sports for Mason, and so he knows what national norm. According to Silverman, it’s like. He thinks he should be the one verbally abusive parents have not been out there making the calls.” a serious problem when it comes to According to senior football player Mason athletics.

Nikhil Wilkins, his father believes that it “Parents understand that the kids are is his duty to scream at officials during photo by Tony DeLotell out there to have fun and the its not the Mason parents maintain vocal involvement in games without crossing the line into verbal abuse, ac- end of the world if they lose the game,” his son’s games.

“He thinks it’s something he needs to cording to Assistant Athletic Director Eric Silverman.

Sliverman said. do,” Wilkins said. “He even brings those Hammond said he agrees with Silvergames since he started playing sports. mini megaphones to the games.” man. He also doesn’t think that verbally abusive parents “My dad has been overly vocal at every sporting event Wilkins said that his father will antagonize officials even since I was seven years old,” Harris said. “He has been very are a problem that needs to be addressed. when his children are not participating in the games.

“I don’t think it’s a problem until [parents] start making outspoken at my hockey, baseball and [soccer] games.”

“One time he went to my friend’s sister’s freshman baspersonal insults at coaches and officials,” Hammond said.

Harris said that the anticipation of his dad’s criticisms ketball game, and he forced me to go,” Wilkins said. “We “When personal insults are used, then it crosses the line.” can sometimes even have a negative effect on his perforwere about halfway through [the game] when he started All things considered, Wilkins said that there is really no mance. yelling at the referees. He says stuff like, ‘Are the coaches way to stop verbal parents.

“When I make an error in baseball, I know my dad will be paying you off?’ or, ‘Is your nephew playing?’”

“I don’t think it’s a problem,” Wilkins said. “It happens. yelling at me,” Harris said.

Junior Evan Harris, who currently plays baseball and There are crazy people that do crazy stuff. Its unavoidHammond said that he looks at his father’s vocality in hockey said that his dad has been a vocal participant at his a different light. He said he realizes that his father is only able.”

PAGE 22 | SPORTS

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009 | THE CHRONICLE

Game Changers

Getting To Know...

Senior varsity volleyball player Arthur Mogilevsky finished third in the Greater Miami Conference in kills with 215. Headed to The Ohio State University next year, Mogilevsky said he attributes his successful season to playing with the Cincy Classics’ Junior Olympic team in the offseason. “I played Junior Olympics for the first time this year,” Mogilevsky said. “I played against all the best players in the state.”

Finishing the season with a 19-8 record, junior pitcher Dennis Hammond led the varsity baseball team in earned run average and saves. Contemplating entering the Major League Baseball draft after his senior season, Hammond said that he believes the team lived up to its preseason goals.

“We had some pretty high expectations, and I think we’ve lived up to them,” Hammond said.

Junior Kristin Pursel is currently second on the varsity softball team with 28 hits, boasting a batting average of .341. Pursel said she bats second in the order, and is relied on to make contact and move runners into scoring position. “If [junior] Christin Miller, who is our leadoff batter, gets on, my job is to move her over,” Pursel said. “I need to get her around for our three-hole and four-hole hitters to hit her in.”

Sports Talk

-Compiled by Tony DeLotell

As a fan, would you rather win the Superbowl with a team of convicts or lose every game with a team of choir boys?

“I’d take the good ol’ choir boys. Just ask the Bengals. The criminal game obviously isn’t working.”

Nate Franklin, Senior

“Given the choice, I would go with the team of convicts. It’s all about winning as far as I’m concerned.

Ray Lewis killed a guy, but I’d love to have him on the squad.”

Rhett Durbin, Junior

“Even if the team was bad, I would cheer for good character players. You have to go with the good guys. Plus, if they were bad it would make it that much more exciting if they ever did win.”

Kelly Ossim, Junior

“I’m all for a losing team. I can respect a loser, as long as they have good character in the end.”

Shelby Knapke, Senior

christin miller THE FLAMETHROWER

Although she leads the varsity softball team in both hitting and pitching with a .493 batting average, junior Christin Miller said her interests fall far beyond the softball field. Miller said the sport takes up the majority of her schedule, but she still maintains diversions ranging from listening to country music to going on romantic picnics. Miller said she is looking forward to the conclusion of the 2009 softball season and is already looking ahead to next year.

What is your ideal date?

To go do something fun outside -- to be picked up, have a picnic or something and just go around the park. I don’t like it when I make people feel like they have to spend money. So [my ideal date would involve] just being outside; it’s more simple, and it’s more me. I don’t like the frilly stuff.

What song is stuck in your head right now?

I was listening to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” from [her album Fearless].

What are you looking forward to most about senior year?

Probably softball, honestly. I can’t wait for senior year; we’ve got a big group of seniors for the team.

Where would you go right now if you could have a plane ticket to anywhere in the world?

I would go to Rome, because I want to go to Europe -- I’ve never been to Europe, [so] that would be fun. Or [I would like to go to] the Caribbean Islands, because it’s warm there. It’s nice and sunny, and that would be fun.

What shows are on your DVR right now?

I really don’t follow any; I don’t have time because I’m busy with softball and homework a lot. If I’m not at softball, I’m studying and doing homework.

My sister watches American Idol, but that’s about it.

What was your first thought this morning?

I wasn’t feeling very good, honestly. [Yesterday, waking up] I was just ready for [the] Princeton [game]. We were playing against Princeton yesterday, so I was wanting to play against one of my friends.

What is the background on your phone right now?

I have two: a picture of my friends and me from Homecoming, and [one of junior] DJ [Engleman] and me after we won regionals.

What is the most annoying part of the school day for you?

Waking up early…[but] that’s not really the school day. How about trying to get through the halls?

That’s really annoying.

What will a typical day be like for you once summer starts?

It depends; if it’s on a weekend, I’ll be at a [softball] tournament all day -- from morning until it gets dark. And then on a weekday, I’ll probably wake up and run, and then I’ll hang out with my friends a little bit and do stuff around the house. Then I’ll have [softball] practice two to three nights a week.

What is your biggest fear?

I don’t like guns. I don’t like any type of weapon.

I guess that’s my greatest fear: to have a gun around me and someone trying to use it.

How do you cram for a test if you forget to study?

In the morning I’ll get here, and before first bell I’ll study some.

-As told to Trevor Maxim

-Compiled by Scott Hutchinson

Comet Culture Grid Name

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

______ is my hero

I would never want to step in...

My favorite way to spend money

I’m looking forward to...

Tyler Galley Varsity Volleyball Junior

A good bowl of Frosted Cheerios

Kyle Oaks

Spaghetti

Any way, as long as it’s not [my money]

Going to South Africa with my soccer team

Macall Sheppard Varsity Softball Senior

The thought of a new day

My family

A bed of snakes

Shopping

College

Gabe Shreve Varsity Boy’s Lacrosse Sophomore

Fruit Loops

My dad

Quicksand

Lacrosse Equipment

Playoffs

Stat of the Month

5 1 2

Kills by senior Arthur Mogilevsky, varsity men’s volleyball

THE CHRONICLE | THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

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