News: High divorce rate has varied effects on perceptions of marriage
Chronicle Sports: Lacrosse filling the void of a spectator sport in the spring season
The William Mason High School
Volume 7
NEWS BRIEF
Taste of Cincinnati next weekend Over Memorial Day weekend, May 29-31, Cincinnati will host its 32nd annual free “Taste of Cincinnati” event downtown. The event covers six blocks of Fifth Street, spanning from Race Street to Broadway. Featuring over 100 types of food from restaurants serving all genres of food (ranging from “pub fare” to “Cajun/Creole” and everything in between), the event will also include several live performances, from musical to comedic, and a Memorial Day procession. The booths at the “Taste” will offer various samples from the restaurants they represent, with each of the samples costing a minimum of $1, and not exceeding $5. Restaurant entrants can also be eligible for “Best of Taste” Awards, given annually. The “Taste” is reported as the “nation’s longest-running culinary arts festival,” according to the “Taste of Cincinnati” website, and administrators of the event are expecting roughly 500,000 people to attend.
May 21, 2010
Issue 8
Healthcare hazard
TODAY
Eighth-graders visit high school today Two groups of eighth-graders will visit the high school today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. According to the schedule provided by Student Activities Director Lorri Fox-Allen, eighth-graders will walk over from the middle school, watch a presentation including a video tour of the building, eat lunch in the commons (at special lunches occurring before A lunch and after C) and tour the building with Student Government, Senior Sibs and Student Ambassador members.
OHSAA track and field meet today Atrium Stadium is holding the Ohio High School Athletic Association Southwest District Track and Field meet today. This district meet qualifies athletes who place in the top four in their event (either individually or in a relay), for the Regional meet. As of print date, 18 area teams are attending.
The Chronicle William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Road Mason, Ohio 45040
photo by Rachel Schowalter
Tanners feel the initial impact of new health care plan Ellen Duffer | Associate Editor Indoor tanning is about to get expensive. Following a July implementation of the 10 percent federal tax on ultraviolet (UV) indoor tanning services, many salons will close if they do not defer the tax to customers, according to William Klum, owner of Maineville’s Tandemonium Tanning Salon and Spa. Collection of the “Tan Tax,” Klum said, will result in increasingly frequent closings of tanning salons that make too small a profit to remain financially stable while assuming the burden of the tax. “Because this is a federal tax, it’ll affect everybody on a national level,” Klum said. “On the client side, they’re going to suffer, because I’m sure there [are] going to be [fewer] tanning salons for them to go to, so [it will] inconvenience them. Every tanning salon is going to pass on some sort of cost to the client. ...Some of the surveys done by some of these lobbyist groups I belong to say that anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of tanning salons will go out of business.” As more than two-thirds of tanning salon owners are female, according to CNN.com, and 70 percent of clients are white women between the ages of 16 and 49, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the “Tan Tax” will largely affect women. According to Klum, this proves the tax’s discriminatory nature.
“[The ‘Tan Tax’ is] kind of set up like a sin tax,” Klum said. “There’s a tax on alcohol; there’s a tax on tobacco. What the problem is that...alcohol and tobacco [taxes cross] all the gender lines, [cross] all the racial lines...So, [they’re] just fair tax[es]. A hundred percent of [tanning salons] are small business[es]. I don’t know any tanning salons considered a large business, as far as the...government’s determination. So, right there, you’re hitting a gender-specific business owner, not to mention the client.” The “Tan Tax,” an element of the recently passed health care bill, comes as a replace-
“Anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of tanning salons will go out of business.” -William Klum, owner of Tandemonium ment for the originally included “Bo-Tax,” a five percent tax on voluntary cosmetic surgery. Although “Bo-Tax” was expected to raise $5.8 billion in federal revenue in the next decade, while the “Tan Tax’s” expected turnaround is $2.7 billion, according to The New York Times, David Pariser, President of the AAD, said he hopes the “Tan Tax” will deter potential customers from partaking in the dangerous
trend, thus reducing the amount of health care dollars spent on skin cancer treatment; exposure of individuals younger than age 35 to the UV radiation produced by indoor tanning, according to the AAD, increases the chance of developing melanoma by 75 percent. Alternative tanning options that avoid contributing to the risk of skin cancer may become more popular with the institution of the UV-associated “Tan Tax,” according to Klum, who said he has already seen an increase in the purchase of tanning packages that refrain from using UV light. “I’m [also] an airbrush tanning salon; that is probably about 20 percent of my business,” Klum said. “So...I think that will only grow over time and UV tanning will be [used] less and less.” Those customers choosing to continue use of UV-assisted indoor tanning after July 1, however, are willing to accept increased prices, Klum said, though they would take action to reduce the tax’s financial impact through less time spent in the tanning beds. “For the most part, people would say that they would pay the extra ten percent,” Klum said. “Probably what they would do is tan less, or buy smaller packages.”
see TANNING TAX on page 5
PAGE 2 | NEWS
Stage Lineup Student bands to play on second stage This year’s Red, Rhythm and Boom festival will be featuring local musical acts on two different stages. Here are the line-ups:
Kid Zone Showmobile Stage 2:30-3:10 p.m. Access Denied 3:15-3:55 p.m. Twelve-Eight 4:00-5:00 p.m. Sonic Sledgehammers 5:05-6:05 p.m. JAB Band 6:10-7:10 p.m. Smiling Rhinos 7:15-8:15 p.m. Cold Smoke 8:20-9:05 p.m. Zilla 9:10-10:00 p.m. Welcome to Nowheresville
Main Stage 2:30 p.m. Ben Lapps 3:00 p.m. Saffire Express 4:45 p.m. Ground Floor 6:00 p.m. Ben Lapps 6:15 p.m. Rusty Griswolds 8:15 p.m. Ben Lapps 8:30 p.m. Off the Hook 10:30 p.m. Rozzi’s Fireworks
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
Red, Rhythm and Boom to feature student bands Samantha Stulen | Staff Writer Mason’s Independence Day festival, Red, Rhythm and Boom, will showcase live music by several Mason High School student bands this year. Twelve-Eight, Zilla and Welcome to Nowheresville were recruited after the National Honor Society talent show to play at the Independence Day celebration, which will occur on July 3rd at 2:30 p.m. at Corwin Nixon Park. Running the festival is Angie Gardner, Recreational Manager for the City of Mason, who said that this year, the fair will feature local and regional talents due to its lower budget. “We are aware of what’s going on in the economy, so we are trying to do the best we can to provide a great service and a celebration for Independence Day,” Gardner said. “Along with that, we were looking at what local talents we have and regional talents we have and what cost-breaks they would give us in order to still put on a really exciting event.” The student bands were recommended by Student Activities Director Lorri Fox-Allen to Recreation Coordinator Richard Back. Seniors Nick Holderbaum on bass, Dan Marque on piano and Tim Neumann on drums in Welcome to Nowheresville are looking forward to the exposure to older audiences the concert will bring them. “[Red, Rhythm and Boom will] be the best opportunity for us to get our stuff out there past just the high school audience,” Neumann said. “A lot of times, we play for [only] high school kids.” Red, Rhythm and Boom attracts 20,000 to 30,000 people annually; but last year, due to Huey
Lewis and the News present as the headlining act, over 60,000 people of all ages attended the festival, according to Gardner. After last year’s festival, Gardner said the idea was pitched to use local acts in 2010, City Council then decided on the bands and the budget for the festival. “We work on Red, Rhythm and Boom [for] a complete year; as soon as we’re done, we’re working on the next year,” Gardner said. “[After Huey Lewis in 2009, the idea of local bands was pitched, and] we checked with City Council to ask for their direction; we gave them opportunities to look at what it would cost for national, regional [and] local acts, [and we gauged] interest from the people who called the council [explaining] what they thought, and [the] council voted on a direction.” The festival’s attendees include a wide range of families and ages, while the bands usual audiences are comprised of high schoolers. Senior Alex Cunningham, Zilla’s lead guitarist, said that to maintain the diverse audience’s attention, the band (made up of senior Tony DeLotell on rhythm guitar, senior Gator Schrand on drums, St. Xavier senior Aaron Carnevale on bass and Mason alum Mike Timmons, a current senior at Walsh College in Massachusetts) will be playing covers of well-known hip-hip songs such as “Get Low” by Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boys and “Lemonade” by Gucci Mane, as well as “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit and “Inside Out” by Eve 6. “I don’t think we’re appealing to the older demographics, but I think we’re definitely trying to appeal to most of the people,” Cunningham said.
Marque said that Welcome to Nowheresville will be appealing to older generations, due to planned covers of ‘80s songs, but will appeal to everybody, with the band’s original songs as well. “We definitely want to hit up the younger generation with our originals, [and] we’ll play some covers; it’ll be good for everybody,” Marque said. “[Also,] we have a few tricks up our sleeves, as far as gimmick-y things, [and] as far as song choice, our songs should keep everybody entertained and our stage [energized].” Gardner said that this year there will be two stages for bands to perform, and the student bands, including Twelve-Eight, will be on the second stage. Making up Twelve-Eight are seniors Tim Miller on drums, Eric Nikolaides on guitar and freshman Kevin Nikolaides on bass. Miller said that playing at Red, Rhythm and Boom this year will be just for the band’s enjoyment: he said he does not expect anything major, such as a record deal, to come of it, as the festival comes a month before he and Nikolaides leave for college and Twelve-Eight breaks up. While Zilla and Welcome to Nowheresville said their music appeals to all, Miller said that not everyone enjoys the blues: according to Miller, the genre of music Twelve-Eight plays will appeal more to the older generations, as he said young people may not like the band’s blues as much as parents may. “We generally appeal to an older audience: 35 or 40 and up,” Miller said. “Usually, I don’t feel like teenagers are so hip to what we’re doing. It’s just not a style that’s particularly popular with young people.”
Library and fire levies pass in May primaries Danni Simms | Staff Writer The primary on May 4, 2010 resulted in the approval of two issues specific to Warren County, as well as the nomination of several incumbent and new candidates. In Ohio’s closed primary, citizens can vote for one party’s ballot in order to select candidates for the general election in November; they also vote on national and local issues that show up on every ballot, regardless of party affiliation. New to the elections this year was the ability to request ballots for the Green, Constitution, Libertarian and Socialist parties. According to The Enquirer the change was the result of a 2008 Ohio Appeals Court ruling and a 2009 directive by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. One local issue on the ballots was the library tax, which passed with 57.67 percent of the votes in its favor. Director of the Mason Public Library Sarah Brown said the owner of a $100,000 house will pay $22.96 in taxes as a result of the levy, which may extend library hours. “The first thing I’m sure the [library] board will want to do is get back to where [it] was before [cuts] in October 2009,” Brown said. “We need to reinstate hours, [make] money available for purchasing new materials and...[institute more hours] for staff.” The Deerfield Township fire tax levy, which passed by 2,014 votes, will result in an increase in taxes that will account for costs that arose after the restructuring of the fire department, according to The Western Star newspaper. The owner of a $100,000 home will pay an additional $85.76 in taxes, according to Warren County Auditor Nick Nelson. Also as a result of the primaries, in Ohio’s second district, the candidates running for the House of Representatives in November will be Republican Jean Schmidt and Democrat Surya Yalamanchili. In District Three, the candidates for House will be Republican Mike Turner and Democrat Mark MacNealy.
Shoes simulate barefoot running to reduce injuries Jessica Kantor | Staff Writer A shoe that simulates barefoot running is retraining Mason High School athletes’ feet and leg muscles to perform as they naturally would without shoes. Sophmore Ryan Mumma, who runs track and cross country, said that the shoe, called the Vibram Five-Finger, has taught his feet to run so that injuries, such as strained muscles, are prevented. The shoes, he said, also allow him to run more comfortably. According to VibramFiveFingers.com, the shoes provide “optimum balance, increased stability, less impact and greater propulsion.” The impact reduction (less pressure when the foot lands) allows the runner to perform better and stops injuries to the feet and legs. After multiple injuries, Mumma said he wanted to find a permanent solution. He found the shoes in a book he read while trying
to find a solution to his repeated injury. “I read about the shoe in a book called Born to Run,” Mumma said. “It is all about a tribe and how they do not have any [running-related] problems despite running [constantly].” The shoes imitate barefoot running, which, as a style of running, has been shown to reduce running-related injuries. Mumma said that he chose to purchase and wear the shoes based on the company’s promise that they would improve his form during running. He also said that the shoes have also allowed him to run more consistently without pain or injury. “I use the shoes for training and any kind of running [outside of track and cross country meets],” Mumma said. “I researched barefoot running because I had severe knee and hip pains. All research says that going down to a basic running stance, as in barefoot running, gets rid of hip and knee problems and [helps
you] become a healthier runner.” The Born to Run tribe’s ability to run without injury is attributed to barefoot running. According to VibramFiveFingers.com, the shoes, designed to simulate barefoot running, “train the foot to naturally land on the forefoot, which is less damaging than landing on the heel of the foot.” Mumma said that he had been acquiring injuries from running incorrectly -- landing on the wrong part of his foot. The human foot, when walking or running, is made to use the ball of the foot to push off from the ground, according to the website. “The shoe [trains you to] stop landing on your heel and instead land on the balls of your feet or the arch, because it cushions you more, and that’s what your foot is built for,” Mumma said. “It also builds your lower calves, which helps with joint problems. [The shoes] feel the exact same as running barefoot, except [with] a bit more comfort.”
Mumma said that the company’s promises of more comfort and a proper running stance have held true and that he has seen immense improvement in his running form and muscle. “I don’t have any injuries anymore,” Mumma said. “I have more calf muscle because I land on the balls of my feet, so I have to use my calves more. I have gotten better [at running], because [I have the ability] to run more and more comfortab[ly].” Despite all of its benefits, Mumma said that MHS track coaches have not yet taken a stance on their runners wearing the shoe. “My coach is kind of indifferent about it,” Mumma said. “He says to wear more high-tech shoes with cushioning; he wants us to stay healthy. If you run barefoot and do not get injuries, he is fine with it. He says [to] go with what your body is used to.”
photo art by Caleb Schowalter
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
NEWS | PAGE 5
TANNING TAX: Customers may face increased prices continued from page 1 To stave off a decline in the number of tanning customers, Klum said he will attempt to absorb at least part of the “Tan Tax,” instead of immediately deflecting it. “I’m going to make [the] decision [of whether to increase prices] sometime in late June,” Klum said. “I’ll look at the financials and see how much I can eat and how much I can pass on, to make it fair to everybody.” Klum said his experience in the tanning industry has resulted in a flexible business system that adapts to varying financial situations of customers. The advent of the tanning tax will only enhance producer-consumer relationships as he works to distribute the weight of the “Tan Tax” reasonably among customers and the foundation of his business. “I have to be empathetic,” Klum said. “This
is my business -- I have to make a profit, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. But, the tanning industry is kind of unique with the type of clients you have. They’re fun-loving; they’re quite warm people from all walks of life. I’m a deal-maker. Everybody’s different and they all have their own situations, so I make it the most comfortable pricing, tanning and everything. That’s just the way I am.” Money acquired through the taxation of indoor tanning will unfairly hurt customers who had no input on the creation of the tax, according to Brandi Mosley, co-owner of Mason’s TANtalize Tanning Studio, and will ultimately fail to achieve its revenue goals. “We [at TANtalize] feel that the ‘Tan Tax’ will cost our community, and other communities, jobs and tax revenue,” Mosley said. “In a weak economy, this large tax will hurt thousands of small, largely female-owned businesses
nationwide, forcing many to close and/or lay off employees. We believe that it will cost the government more in revenue than what it raises when declining tanning revenue and administrative costs are factored in. Overall, the math does not add up.” The “Tan Tax” addition to the health care bill, Mosley said, was not a product of thorough research and will affect Americans more negatively than the proposed “Bo-Tax.” “We feel the ‘Tan Tax’ is completely political,” Mosley said. “[It] was added into the bill without studying its effect at all. The [‘Bo-Tax’] was lobbied to be removed. This tax on botox injections and other cosmetic surgeries would have had less impact on society and would have raised more revenue to pay for this bill.” As tanning salons close and increase prices (unexpected consequences of the hastily inserted tax, according to Klum, by Congress),
customers and the government alike will be disappointed by the “Tan Tax’s” less-than-profitable results. “I can’t see where it will be a win-win for anybody,” Klum said. “It’s going to diminish the amount of small businesses [and] it’s going to diminish the amount of revenue that is made by those small businesses. Then, they can’t buy as many products from their vendors, and then [government officials are] not going to get what they wanted out of it. ...They’re only [going] to collect 40 to 50 percent of what they were going to collect [from ‘Bo-Tax’], so the government’s not going to get their money out of it either. So, to me, it’s just [losing] all the way around.”
Increasing divorce rates not a deterrent for students’ dreams for marriage Carlie Sack | Staff Writer Marriage is confusing. As statistics of increasing divorce rates are constantly referenced in everyday life, high school students can become fearful of entering a marriage that they think may not last, according to junior Samone Banks. The divorce rate for first marriages is between 40 and 50 percent in America, according to Deerfield Township Family Counseling Center therapist Pamela Gerdes, but this high rate drops after a couple has been married for several years. “The statistics are kind of misleading, because [the] rate [of divorce] is high during the first couple years; [then,] if people can kind of figure out what’s going wrong, [the marriage is] fine,” Gerdes said. According to Banks, the divorce rates can still be intimidating when looking to the future. “It’s so confusing, because all these statistics say that people get divorced usually after four or five years, [that] the divorce rate is high and that people…are happier before they got married,” Banks said. “I would like to think that people stay married. …I think that a lot of people are maybe getting married too early or marrying the wrong people for the wrong reasons.” Senior Erin Peery said she feels this confusion of her generation about marriage and divorce. “I think people, especially [those] our age, look up to that point [of meeting their spouses]; those doubts [of marrying the wrong person] are constant,” Peery said. “There’s always the ‘What if?’ question when you’re young. Girls especially have that worry in the back of their minds.” But junior Tate Honaker said his worry about marrying the wrong person is minimal, as long as he incorporates his spirituality when finding a spouse. “You’re always going to worry a little,” Honaker said. “[But,] if your family approves, [you will know you found the right person]. They know what’s best for you. …And [you will know] if you pray about it. You will just know.” Peery said that she is unafraid of picking a spouse because there will be an instant connection with her future husband: she said she knows that her God will ensure that she makes the right choice. “God created someone else for you to be with,” Peery said. “God has someone out there for me. …I don’t think I’ll marry the wrong person. I think once I meet him, I’ll know and I’ll be confident.” Gerdes said that this instant connection between two people is healthy and is one important part in establishing and maintaining a healthy marriage. “We just assume that [a successful marriage is] going to be automatic; a lot of times people are going to be brought together because of those initial hormones,” Gerdes said. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s a wonderful time, but then, when you get to [know] who [you] really are, you think, ‘Why did I pick them?’ You picked them for really good reasons, but we kind of overlook [those initial reasons at difficult points in a marriage].” But pinpointing the characteristics that initially bring a couple together can be a baseline for solving problems that cause the pair to drift apart, according to Gerdes. “Sometimes, [the healing process is] just defining why people are doing what they are doing and then kind of understanding how the two [people in a relationship] become one,” Gerdes said. This understanding of how two people work together is important because a person’s behavior in one relationship will repeat in a successive one. “Your relationship with your parents right now is crucial,” Gerdes said. “And figuring out those family dilemmas; that’s really what it’s all about. …Think, ‘What makes a good relationship?’” Understanding the characteristics of a healthy
relationship is vital, but cannot always solve all problems in a marriage, Gerdes said. “If you try something and everybody did everything they can to make it work, …and it doesn’t, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with shaking hands and being best friends,” Gerdes said. “It depends on how people handle [the divorce]. It doesn’t have to be [a bad thing].” Banks said that she agrees that divorce does not necessarily have to be negative, as long as the decision is not made hastily. “I don’t want to say divorce is always better or divorce is al-
ways good,” Banks said. “But, people get divorced for a reason and…at least they put some thought into it.” Even if the decision to get a divorce was made thoughtfully and is justified, the process and consequences of a divorce can be emotionally tolling for the entire family, according to Gerdes. “It’s not an easy situation,” Gerdes said. “There’s nothing better than a secure base in the family -- [but], all [of] the sudden, somebody’s gone. …[The children] start internalizing some of the anger that’s going on, and then, all [of] the sudden, it’s [the child’s] baggage.” When children experience divorce in their own families, their perceptions of marriage are changed by learning from their parents mistakes, junior Morgan Bamberger said. “I think for the people that have been through divorce [in their family, their perception of marriage] will definitely be d ifferent,” Bamberger said. “[Divorce] affects how you look at a relationship, like you know your parents’ mistakes in their marriage, so you can try to avoid those. ...I’ve seen the pain and everything that it can cause to a family. That’s something that I’ve always told myself: I’d never do that to my kids. I would never get a divorce and put them through that.” But having divorced parents does not necessarily mean the child will enter an unhealthy marriage, according to Gerdes. “That’s kind of the neat part about human nature: we can all learn and not repeat,” Gerdes said. “Sometimes it’s easy [for a child] to repeat [his or her parents’ patterns of marriage], but 80 percent of the kids [of divorced parents] are absolutely okay [in their own marriages].” Even with individuals’ abilities to learn from relationships that they have observed in the past, Honaker said his generation will likely follow in its parents’ patterns of marriage. “I would like to think the divorce rate will go down,” Honaker said. “[But,] the older generation has set a bad example: unfortunately, divorce is accepted. Divorce causes a lot of pain. Marriage is supposed to last forever; it’s not supposed to be broken apart.” But Gerdes said that the frequency of divorce will possibly increase in the future because individuals will be more financially independent from their spouses than past generations. “I think that economics [and] financial freedom allow people to have a whole lot more choices,” Gerdes said. “So with [the next] generation, with more and more people working, no one is going to be as financially dependent on people. I think that’s going to be a factor [in the divorce rate in the future].” But these factors of the divorce rate do not change people’s fear that their own marriage will not live up to the high expectations portrayed by the media. “Marriage is always going to be flawed,” Banks said. “I mean, we watch these movies and we think, ‘Oh, we’re going to be happy all the time,’ but the reality is everyone fights and everyone probably goes through their rough patches. You just have to work to get over them.” The attempt to improve conflicts in a marriage should truly begin before the marriage does, according to Gerdes, with an honest conversation about each person’s expectations in life. “Really sit down and know what each person wants in life; [ask,] ‘What’s important to you?’” Gerdes said. “You have to look at professionally what you want. …Do you want kids? If you do, how many? Who’s going to stay at home, if you’re both working, and take care of them? I think when people start to work things out like that, then [the marriage truly] begins. That’s the beginning.”
photo art by Caleb Schowalter and Jami Bechard
PAGE 6 | EDITORIAL
Views
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. 33106 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 C106 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
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
Round Table
Does the responsibility to pay for college fall on students or parents?
photo by Julia Halpin
From left to right: Liz Rapp, Erica Yancey, Melissa Iannuzzi, Jacob Groene, Marin Rebella, John Stewart
The Round Table is a forum-based discussion. The students picked for this edition were selected due to their opinionated natures. To be involved in the Round Table, please contact The Chronicle in room C106. Liz Rapp
Erica Yancey
Melissa Iannuzzi
Jacob Groene
Marin Rebella
John Stewart
Senior “I don’t think parents should be responsible for paying for all of their child’s education. If your parents have the capability of paying for your college education and they’re going to do it, then that’s great. But, no one has to go to college, and if you’re smart enough to get in a school, then you’re probably also smart enough to find yourself a job and some scholarships. Paying for your own education allows you to actually own it, and you’ll care much more about your studies than if you rode on your parent’s money.”
Senior “It bothers me when parents say that they ‘worked their way through college.’ Yes, this is totally true, but the cost of higher education back then was equivalent to the car they drove -- pretty pricy for a minimum wage job, but nothing near the cost of what some of my classmates are doling out to go to the university of their dreams. That being said, I believe that paying for college is a team effort. Getting a good education is ultimately in the hands of the child, and learning to struggle a little is a part of life.”
Sophomore “I think a parent should pay for at least part of their child’s education. It’s not necessarily their responsibility, but they should sacrifice at least a little for their child’s future, because that’s what being a parent is about. It would be more encouraging to go to college if you knew you wouldn’t be in huge debt by the time it was all over. So, parents who care about the well-being of their child should pay for their education to the best of their abilities.”
Junior “I think that it all depends on the financial situation of the family. While it is the student’s education, the parents should pay for what they are able to pay for, and the student should pay for the rest. If people pay their own way through college, they are going to try harder and do more work than if it were their parents’ money funding their education. It’s the understanding that if they mess up, it’s their own money that was wasted.”
Junior “My parents are not paying for mine; so, I am going to have to work a lot before and during college. I think it would make it easier if my parents paid, but it really depends on the situation. I think that parents should pay for at least part of their kid’s college, because it will help them out and make college more enjoyable and hopefully a little less stressful. Plus, I think any student would like to avoid paying back student loans.”
Senior “I think that a college education is the responsibility of the parents. If you were to ask me about parents paying for their kid’s cars or giving them gas money, I would say that it’s not their responsibility, but I think that college kind of falls under the job title of parents preparing their kids for their futures as best as they can. On the same token, a lot of college kids I know drink too much when they should be studying and skip class just because their parents have paid for college for them, so it doesn’t hold the same value.”
The Chronicle Staff Editor In Chief Alyssa Howard Associate Editor Ellen Duffer Business/Circulation Manager Griffin Frank Technical and Graphic Manager Caleb Schowalter Staff Writers Jami Bechard Jordan Berger Tony DeLotell Rachel Giesel Julia Halpin Ian Howard Janica Kaneshiro Jessica Kantor Trevor Maxim Cady Meece Kris Ogungbemi Beena Raghavendran Carlie Sack Rachel Schowalter Danielle Simms Janie Simonton Samantha Stulen Adviser Mr. Dale Conner
-Compiled by Julia Halpin
Staff Editorial
Don’t lose momentum during third trimester Third trimester. Just the sound of it causes students to drift off sleepily. The warm summery evenings lure us from our homework. Our grades may not be the same as they were first trimester, and our concentration definitely isn’t. We try to find the easiest route of doing our homework and final projects; we are less likely to study for exams than we were before. We worked so hard all school year, so we of course deserve to loosen the reigns a bit and hold ourselves to lower standards. But this attitude is self-destructive. After putting forth such a great effort to balance our sports teams, homework and clubs for several months, why cheat ourselves now? Why slow down in the final leg of the race? Our fast, steady pace we used to make it to the end of the school year is suddenly abandoned during the final lap. Why not set a personal record?
Still, we find ourselves with more time on our hands and less motivation, as after school sports and clubs come to a close. But during third trimester, while we are mentally winding down, we receive recognition for our hard work throughout the school year: sports banquets, academic awards ceremonies, club achievements. These recognitions send us the message that it is acceptable to slack off at the end of the school year; we are able to justify our lack of effort with these awards. They make us feel good about ourselves, we feel accomplished and we receive a sense of closure. Even with extracurricular activities coming to an end, there is one thing that is still running at full speed: school. Our school year is not truly “closed” until the final bell rings after the last exam; but we already feel like it is finished when we receive a sampling of summer during Spring Break. When we return, the sum-
mer weather comes to Mason, and instead of concentrating on school work, we begin the countdown until summer. This countdown is counterproductive though; it does not help anyone, including ourselves. Don’t we deserve to continue the end of the school year as we began it, as the busy students determined to reach our goals? Then nine months later, we have given up on those goals. That certainly isn’t fair to our previous efforts. Much like the many seniors suffering from “senioritis,” high school students of all grades don’t put as much effort into their studies as they did in the fall or winter. Many seniors have lower grades than the rest of their transcript shows, they are involved in less activities possibly or simply don’t have the same passion about school. After being accepted to colleges, seniors are less determined to achieve academically.
But after the extensive effort taken to get as far as the third trimester of senior year, wouldn’t seniors want to finish high school with a bang and leave behind a legacy? Instead, many seniors’ focus drains away. Maybe we should all resolve to truly stick to our goals that we maintained throughout the first and second trimesters and finish the school year in the same manner that we started it. Perhaps we could find a happy medium for this third trimester syndrome: persuading the teachers to assign less homework or grade assignments easier? Unlikely. Or maybe the students could simply retain their concentration? Also unlikely. But one thing is for sure: when the sun shines later and later each evening and Whippy Dip opens for business, there is no denying that summer is drawing nearer.
Sports THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
The Press Box Fans often want to have their say. The Press Box is a forum for Comet fans to voice their opinions on the latest in Mason athletics.
SPORTS | PAGE 7
Not LAX on attendance
Lacrosse heats up as this spring’s spectator sport
What is your favorite MHS sports moment from the past four years?
“Some guy on Sycamore had a fast break, went up to dunk and got stuffed by the rim. Then Zach Brown passed it up to Jordan Heatherly for a dunk.” Ian Hill Senior
photo by Trevor Maxim
The Varsity Lacrosse Senior Night on April 30 drew immense crowds; enthusiastic and stuffed stands are now a staple of home games.
“[During our] freshman year regional final [softball] game, Katie Wills hit a base shot over first, and it scored the winning run. That was intense.” Mary Anne Crone Senior
“[My favorite sports moment was] winning the homecoming football game in the rain this year.” Jessica Kenneally Senior
“The senior year GMC meet [for cross country] I sprinted ahead, and I was in first place for the first quarter mile. I just wanted to feel like [junior] Zach Wills.” Alex Mumma Senior
Trevor Maxim | Staff Writer With the Black Hole being the prominent force behind student attendance at varsity football and basketball games, lacrosse may be filling the void as the spectator sport of the spring season, according to senior Chad Singleton. “I think it’s definitely on its way [to becoming a prominent spectator sport],” Singleton said. “People go to the football and basketball [games] for two reasons: the fast-paced and even the contact aspect of it. That’s something lacrosse can offer over the other spring sports.” Singleton said that he sees varsity baseball as the other main competitor for audiences during the spring, but that lacrosse still has an edge. “There is a dwindling amount of people who are going to the baseball games, [but] an increasing amount of people going to the lacrosse games,” Singleton said. As one of the newer sports to Mason High School, lacrosse is still not a part of the Greater Miami Conference or the Ohio High School Athletic Association. According to US Lacrosse, the national governing body of the sport, youth participation in the sport has grown over 138 percent since 2001, to nearly 300,000 participants. Even with this lack of varsity recognition, the sport is still gaining popularity in terms of the number of spectators, according to Singleton. Senior Andrew Roussos said he has played lacrosse all four years of his high school career,
including three years as a varsity athlete. He said he agrees that the sport’s popularity is increasing. “[Lacrosse’s popularity] is going to go nowhere but up,” Roussos said. “Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in America [in terms of number of athletes].”
“The guys are playing really well, probably the best season they’ve had since we’ve been in high school. And with the wins and killer scores...comes the attendance.” -Senior Chad Singleton As a player, Roussos said that the larger crowds have had a positive impact on his experiences during games. “I like the [bigger crowds] because people yell at the refs all the time, and when people score the fans are crazy,” Roussos said. Over the years that Singleton has watched the lacrosse team, he said that he has noticed a significant increase in the number of students in the stands. He said he attributes this increase mainly to the level of play exhibited by the team. “The guys are playing really well, probably the best season they’ve had since we’ve been in high school,” Singleton said. “And with the
wins and the killer scores and all the [other aspects]…comes the attendance.” Singleton said that given the makeup of the team, which includes many strong junior players, it is likely that the level of play for the team will be even higher next year, leading to even larger crowd turnouts. The junior players on the varsity lacrosse team make up almost half of its total players, according to the varsity lacrosse roster from MasonComets.org. There are 28 players on the team for the 2010 season, 13 of whom are juniors . “Since the junior class has a lot of good players, I could see even more people coming to games in the future,” Singleton said. Roussos also said that he attributes the sport’s popularity to the success of the team, that people are attracted to victory when it comes to watching sports. “Well, one [reason for the change is that] we’re getting better and winning more games so I think it’s exciting to see… a good Mason sport,” Roussos said. Singleton said that he has been attending lacrosse games since he was a freshman. Although he has never played lacrosse for a school team, Singleton said he enjoys watching the sport and plans on playing on a club team this summer and in college. “[Lacrosse] has just been a sport that really intrigued me,” Singleton said. “It’s a fastpaced, physical sport, and those are just two aspects of the game that I really like.”
-Compiled by Tony DeLotell
Team Tracker Men’s volleyball is catching up in the leage, despite its relatively young program, starting with the junior varsity team, according to junior player Doug Brown. “When our freshman class this year is seniors, hopefully we’ll have a chance to get to state,” Brown said. “This year we’re doing really well. We’ve only lost a few games. So, compared to last year we’re doing really well.” photo contributed
While the varsity softball team has taken its first Greater Miami Conference championship, similar success in the form of a strong winning season can be seen from its junior varsity counterpart, according to Coach Erica Minner. “We’re really fortunate to have a really strong sophomore class and a lot of girls that are very dedicated to the program,” Minner said. “That is just something that Coach Castner has built over the past seven years.” photo by Ian Howard
PAGE 8 | SPORTS
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
Anatomy of Mason’s perfect athlete Jami Bechard | Staff Writer In an attempt to create the ultimate athlete, The Chronicle has found the top athletes on seven different sports teams at Mason High School and used these athletes’ best strengths to compile the perfect athlete.
The brain is a winning member of the chess team. Going into the last three games, Tseng was 15-0 to help the chess team succeed during its season.
The left arm is leading the varsity baseball team in hitting and is a part of the top five hitters in the league. He was also invited to play in the All-Star League.
The right arm had a major victory for the varsity tennis team when he won his match against Zachary Mueck from Lakota East.
The left leg
The right leg
The left foot has been a leader on the girls’ varsity soccer team this season. She will be a four-year varsity player next year and recieve the All-region status.
The right foot is a part of the Mason dance team. She received a national championship award for her solo at the AmeriDance competition in the Junior Jazz division.
photo art by Jami Bechard
Loyalties to club teams sometimes outweigh commitments to high school athletics Tony DeLotell | Staff Writer Senior Tyler Galley plays on the varsity soccer team as well as the Thunder United, a Lebanon-based club team. Galley said the school team is the more time-consuming team. “I’m with the school team every day of the week and sometimes we have games on Saturdays,” Galley said. “We have one game a week and two practices for an hour and a half apiece, so there’s way more time with the high school team than the club team.” While Galley said he shows more allegiance to the high school team, he recognizes that some players spend all their time with club teams because of college exposure. “A lot of times with soccer, clubs are what get you looked at by college coaches; so, a lot of kids put more focus and time into traveling with their club teams rather than their high school teams,” Galley said. “Some kids don’t even play high school soccer because they want to play club.” Senior Rhett Durbin plays on both the school baseball team as well as the Cincinnati Storm, his club team. While Durbin spends more time practicing with the school team, he said the summer season is much more relaxed. “I probably spend one to two hours per day with the school
team,” Durbin said. “Our practices are shorter in the summer. During school ball they’re a lot more strict and harsh. During the summer you’re just going out there to have fun. The school [coaches] care more.” Senior Preston Carr plays with Durbin on the Cincinnati Storm as well as the school baseball team. Like Durbin, he said summer ball is much more laid back because the possibility of getting cut is not a factor. “School ball is definitely stricter than summer ball,” Carr said. “I think summer ball is more relaxed because there’s no pressure of making a team because you can always find a team.” Sophomore Matt Loehr also plays for Thunder United as well as the school soccer team. Players seem to get more excited for club tournaments because of the possibility of college scouting according to Loehr. “Some of the tournaments you go to [with club teams] say that there will be college scouts there,” Loehr said. “So a lot of people would be more revved up to play in those games, rather than playing for a high school a lot of times knowing that there is probably not somebody there looking at you.” According to Galley, playing on club teams helps the individual players down the line, but school spirit also suffers because of it.
“I think it can be good for the players because they get a chance to play at a higher level when they move on,” Galley said. “But at the same time, it’s taking away from the high school’s [ability to be] competitive and [to give] other students something to have fun watching.” Durbin said that he is happy with the amount of college exposure he has gotten and he doesn’t think that athletes choosing to not participate in school sports is a bad thing. “I don’t [think choosing not to participate is] bad,” Durbin said. “For me, it’s worked out fine because I play school and summer and I’ve gotten plenty of college exposure. So, in my opinion, it doesn’t really matter.” Carr said that not playing for your school team is not only disrespectful, but robs the athlete of potential exposure. “I would say it’s a bad thing only because scouts come more to your school games because it’s more organized and they know where all the players are going to be all the time,” Carr said. “Not playing for your school team is kind of a slap in the face to your school district. It shows that you don’t really care. I feel like you have to play [for your school] to get that constant exposure.”
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
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SEN10RS
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
SEN10RS
Popular fads through each year of our education see page 14 College destinations of the Class of 2010 see pages 12-13
Ask an alum Recent graduates share college advice with the Class of 2010 Nick Tuell (Mason Class of 2009) met Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner as a part of an Ohio University Interns program.
Courtney Gunn (Mason Class of 2007) camped out for front-row seats to a basketball game and was able to meet ESPN college basketball commentator Dick Vitale. photos contributed
Alyssa Howard | Editor in Chief As the Class of 2010 gets ready to move on to post-graduation plans, The Chronicle solicited the advice of recent Mason graduates. To give current seniors an accurate depiction of college life, college students responded to the following: 1. What is the first thing that you would want to tell a graduating senior about college life? 2. Do you think that your experience so far in college has measured up to your expectations? Why/why not? 3. In what ways do you think MHS prepared you for undergraduate life? Were there things for which you weren’t prepared? 4. Have you kept the same major? Has your idea of what you’d like to do after graduation stayed the same?
Courtney Gunn
Jackie Swoyer
University of Kentucky Class of 2011
Wake Forest University Class of 2012
1. The first thing about college life [that] everyone already knows to some degree [is that] you become like those you spend most of your time with. [This occurs] even more so in college, because you become more independent from your family and the way you were raised, so others may have more of an influence on you, which is why your closest friends should be chosen wisely. 2. From an academic standpoint, I expected college to be a lot tougher than high school. In some ways it is, and in some ways it isn’t. Obviously, more is expected out of you in college, but you don’t have homework and the stress of getting a lot of small things done all at once like in high school. The stress comes from having fewer things that count for your grade, but the fewer things have a lot more weight on your grade. If you do just a little bit of studying and work each night, you’ll more than likely be just fine. It’s the procrastinators who will find college to be more challenging than high school. You can’t just coast your way through college; you really have to work hard. 3. I really feel like MHS has prepared me well for writing at the college level. There is lots of writing in college, so this has helped me out tremendously! 4. My advice for selecting a major would be not to go in to it too fast. Most of my friends have changed it several times, which isn’t a big deal, but it does push your graduation time back. Choose something you’ll love. If you don’t know what you’ll love to do right away, take basic undergraduate classes that everyone has to take anyway, and choose one after getting some experience in college level classes. Your advisor can also help you with this. My major has stayed the same (elementary education), but there were times when I considered other options. But, I definitely know that I want to be a teacher.
1. My biggest piece of advice: don’t forget why you are in college! You are supposed to be seeking something you are passionate about studying, and you should treat going to school like it’s your full time job -- realistically, if you opted not to further your education, then you would be working full time instead, anyway. ...But when it all comes down to it, if you don’t remember to take care of yourself, go to class and work hard, then all you’ll be left with is a semester-long cold, the freshman-15 and a shot GPA. (I’ve seen it all happen!) 2. For the most part, yes, I do think it’s measured up to my expectations. ...[But,] I can say that a lot of typical college stereotypes I always pictured aren’t as true as people make them out to be. ...One thing that always killed me in [Animal House] is that they play sororities off like they are just these groups of girls who like to have latenight pillow fights or something. Coming from experience, sororities are actually a lot more than that -- I’ve been able to get involved in so much more on campus just through volunteer opportunities because I’ve been associated with Greek life. 3. Taking honors and AP Classes at Mason definitely helped to prepare me for college level classes. One in particular that I have continuously appreciated is AP Composition. I took that my junior year with [Lori] Roth, and every technique we learned in approaching difficult readings...has been completely invaluable to me. ...Beyond just regular classes, though, I think one of Mason’s biggest advantages is that it offers so many opportunities to get involved. 4. One final word of advice on this subject: don’t let your senioritis carry over to college with you! By the end of your senior year, I know it seems impossible to have to start taking real classes again, but I know a lot of people who never graduated from senioritis as freshmen in college, and let’s just say their GPAs showed it after first semester!
Nick Tuell Ohio University Class of 2013 1. As you are graduating high school, keep in mind all the people who have been there through your years. What you need to do is thank all that need to be thanked and apologize to everyone you need to apologize to. Yes, this includes family, mentors, teachers, friends and boy/girlfriends. In the back of your mind, you’re guilty for that thing that happened forever ago; apologize and get it off your chest. This could be your last chance. College is a huge change in everyone’s schedule. When you eat, sleep and study is all going to change. You need to adjust your lifestyle to college, not the other way around. Find a method that works and stay with it. 2. Yes, I have come to a college that has met all of my expectations (OU). I have met many different people, and I expect to be friends with them for a long time. School is tough, but it’s college. And yes, the OU weekends are incredible. You don’t need to worry about your appearance as much in high school. Nobody cares. It’s your personality that gets you far. Be a genuinely good person, and stick to what you believe in. People really come out of their shells in college, and you should, too. 3. Mason has prepared me to being used to seeing people everywhere! As far as classes are concerned, it’s a little different. College does not require petty daily homework assignments like Mason does. In college, expect two to three tests a quarter that represent your entire grade for the course. I feel [that Mason] doesn’t enforce the need to study as much as Mason should. Don’t get me wrong, there is homework in college, but it’s worth less than half of a test. 4. Join clubs of your interests. You meet friends incredibly fast. Most of my best friends are in my clubs. You will get to know upperclassmen and receive advice about what is the correct path to take. Plus, being hands-on in a club allows you to get a taste of what you might want or help you realize what you [wouldn’t] want to be your major.
Commuting an option when looking to avoid costs and roommate situations Kris Ogungbemi | Staff Writer The traditional college experience usually evokes images of late nights in the dorm and getting to know a new roommate. Some Mason High School seniors, however, have chosen to stay to stay at home and commute to college. According to senior Megan Browning, who is commuting to Xavier University, where she has chosen to live will not have a negative effect on her college experience “I think everyone’s college experience is different,” Browning said. “Even if you’re comparing two people living in a dorm, they’re going to have different experiences. So, I think it will be different, but I don’t think that has anything to do with not living in the dorm.” Unusual health circumstances, that according to Browning could be fatal, will restrict her from living in a dorm while in college. “I’m commuting because I can’t live in a dorm due to health reasons, such as allergies and an immune deficiency disease,” Browning said. “Germs are part of the reason I can’t live in the
dorm. My specific one [disease makes] my immune system produce [a protein in my blood that my body] is allergic to.” Browning said for her, the excitement of college outweighs where she will live. “I feel like most of the excitement is just getting into college, rather than the housing aspect of it, and my parents have overcompensated because they feel like I’m missing out,” Browning said. “But, I don’t really feel like I’m missing out.” Rather than make a roommate learn to handle the details of her disease, Browning will live at home with her parents that are aware of the particulars of managing the illness. “[My disease] can cause breathing issues, so if I stop breathing in the middle of the night, my mom is really the only one that knows how to handle it,” Browning said. “I don’t want to go up to my roommate and be like ‘Hey, if you hear some weird noise at night, can you make sure I’m alive, and if not, can you hook me up to this machine?’ That would be awkward. So, [I’m] just going to avoid entirely.” Senior Lindsay Potts, an incoming freshman at the University of Cincinnati, has chosen to commute for different reasons.
Potts said that she made the decision in conjunction with her parents, based on the financial situation housing on campus would leave her in. “It wasn’t my decision,” Potts said. “My parents pretty much decided for me. They didn’t care if I lived on campus, but if I did live on campus I’d have to pay for it, and I didn’t want to have to pay for it. I didn’t want to take out a loan. It didn’t seem [like] that big of a deal to me.” While Browning said she thinks her college experience won’t deviate too far from the traditional, Potts said she is more worried that her ties to the campus will not be as strong as those of the students who are able to live in conventional college housing. “From people I’ve known who have lived on campus, they have much more of a connection to their school and the people around them,” Potts said. “I feel like I’m not going to have as strong of a connection. I’m afraid I’m not going to enjoy it as much as I could.”
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SEN10RS
SEN10RS
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 photo art by Caleb and Rachel Schowalter
| PAGE 13
MAPPING OUT OUR FUTURES Rachel Schowalter | Staff Writer
The William Mason High School Class of 2010 is made up of over 750 students. In the coming year, these students will disperse throughout the country in pursuit of their futures -- residing in more than 30 states, 107 cities and 150 colleges.
Key
Hawaii Alabama Auburn University Lindsey Heim Cody Rutowski Samford University Kristen Eberhard
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Stephen Hendrickson Clare Hover Jessica Kenneally
The University of Alabama Katie De Grazia Amanda La Rue Andrew Lattocha Megan O’Neil Anjana Venkatesan
Indiana
Arizona
Butler University Tommy Carns
Arizona State University Gianna Mocilnikar
California Stanford University Danni Simms
Colorado University of Denver Angela Ianniello
Connecticut Yale University Margaret Zhang
Florida University of Florida Morgan Russell Robbie Winkler University of Miami Trevor Maxim Patrick Vorbroker
Georgia Clark Atlanta University Mike Walker Emory University Nisha Giridharan Savannah College of Art and Design Tyler Pawlak Anyssa Selkirk
Hawaii Hawaii Pacific University Sami Miller University of Hawaii at Manoa Riane Petersman
Illinois Loyola University Chicago Jordan Berger Northwestern University Alyssa Howard
11-50 students
5-10 students
1-4 students
0 students
University of Chicago Michelle Lee
Anderson University Emily Gamble Ball State University Lauren Ringel
Earlham College Corey Campbell Grace College Jaja Smith Indiana Institute of Technology Hilliary Melnick Josh Puckett Indiana University at Bloomington Danielle Aden Kasim Ahmad Megan Findley Julia Lamorelle Kristin Leist Brianna Terrell
Morehead State University Kayla Lamotte Northern Kentucky University Angel Caudill Griffin Frank Megan Frye Becky Hunt Matt Larcomb Lauren Murray Jessica Smith University of Kentucky Amy Allen Andy Aylmore Ashley Crawford Mary Anne Crone Megan Dykes Katie Earhart Ryan Egan Andrew Galyan-Mann Katelyn Gaunt Alex Hamm Hannah Quirk Sammie Stein University of Louisville Alec Schlosser Rodney Walton Western Kentucky University Allison Linn Kelsey McNally
Indiana Wesleyan University Amber Lee
Louisiana
Purdue University Kate Delaney Nancy Fu
Grambling State University Breanna Dyson Brittany Dyson Lyndsey McCall
Taylor University Josh McBride
Tulane University Cari Caprio
University of Indianapolis Nick Wehby
Maryland
Iowa Emmaus Bible College Catherine Than-Win
Kentucky Centre College Jake White Eastern Kentucky University Megan Robertson Amy Snider Hannah Zimmerman
Johns Hopkins University Nithin Banda University of Maryland Gabe Shreve
Massachusetts Boston University Rachel Schowalter Emerson College Ellen Duffer
Georgetown College Jonathan Balmer
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alexander Chernyakhovsky Dennis Tseng
Kentucky Wesleyan College Maison Kana
Tufts University Simonne Dubois
North Carolina State University Sam Mizener
Michigan Michigan State University Austin Rabah Lauren Yorio
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Danielle Jansen
University of Michigan Abbey Thomas
Antonelli College Ashley Macheledt
Missouri
Art Academy of Cincinnati Jamie Burkhart
Avila University Kara Nicholson Missouri University of Science and Technology Dalton Gillispie
Ohio
The Art Institute of Cincinnati Ethan Chaput Lindsey Kappa Ashton Limpert Elaena Warfield
Southeastern Missouri State University Ashland University Sasha Khan Tom Grant St. Louis College of Pharmacy Madhuri Kosuru Washington University in St. Louis Olivia Jordan
New Jersey Princeton University Robert Shepherd Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at New Brunswick Marissa Piloto
New York Adelphi University Colleen Raga Colgate University Cody Dorsino New York Institute of Technology Scott Spencer Pratt Institute Ossian Mendoza Rochester Institute of Technology Kevin Bradley St. Bonaventure University Courtney Hoenicke
North Carolina East Carolina University Taylor Edwards Kelsi Harris
Cincinnati Christian University Kelly Ossim Zachary Smith Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Logan Campbell Devin Elfers Trevor Handermann Miles Koutny Peter Medico Aunye Miller Jamie Polan Dave Richmond Amy Taimourzadeh Brad Zinnecker Cleveland State University Caleb Eastham College of Mount St. Joseph Zach Borgemenke Cody Nolan
Aveda Frederic’s Institute Becky Dunn
Columbus College of Art and Design Seth Simmons Katie Young
Baldwin-Wallace College Ian Hill Tina Mathur
Columbus State Community College Izzy Giovis
Bowling Green State University Jon Adams Matt Adams Lindsay Buck Joey Budynkiewicz Megan Cooper Amber Court Autumn Court Megan Gamm Amy Haake Samantha Heimann Logan Howell Cydnee Oglesby Faith Prunty Victoria Sliger Deonta Whigham Bradford School Li’Ana Jackson Capital University Rhett Durbin Sanaya El-Naggar Tyler Plank Ashley Wales Case Western Reserve University Prathima Cheeti David Chrzanowski Laura Davis Sid Dey Prithvi Jami Neal Sachar
Denison University Olivia Davidson Great Oaks Emadeddin Jamous Hiram College Sarah Neuss Hocking College Scott Case Molly Gimbel Hondros College Bethany Bromley ITT Technical Institute Daniel Chen John Carroll University Christian Gonzalez Kent State University Matt Kahl Sarah Lacca Jordan Lewis Jordyn Rentfrow Live Oaks Kyle Bradish Dylan Wade
51+ students
Miami University, Hamilton Eric Arroyo Livvy Berry Matt Bond Daniel Cayse Sam Crum Tony DeLotell Malaysia Denby Alese DiFabritus Ian Free-Poffenberger Danielle Holste Kieran Keane Ryan Kuzner Michealia Little Andres Olivo Sarah Seiler Amber Snyder Amy Underwood Miami University, Middletown Kevin Baute Charlie Cryder Nick Payne Miami University, Oxford Austin Brune Maggie Burich Taylor Celestin Tristan Clark Jamie Clendenen Alli Cryder David Dehner Grace Eichler Theo Frantzis Madison Gilmore Kaler Hazen Brittany Hutton Emily Johnson Kyle Kamphaus Jessica Kantor Brendan Kelly Lindsey Kidd Ben Kleykamp Patrick Knapp Rachel Mann Hannah Marshall Brooke Mason Van Morris Paige Mularoni Alex Mumma Jordan Odor Collin Pagenstecher Nick Pasquale Joe Patrick Joey Pfeifer Nick Reynolds Nikki Riemen
Miami University, Oxford (continued) Christian Romanchek Nathan Roser Andrew Roussos Kyle Searer Shannon Slattery Emily Stephens Courtney Strosnider Heather Taylor Sever Trifan Chelsea Vaccariello Ben Van Winkle Linnea Wilson Mount Union College Ryan O’Shaughnessy Muskingum University Junior Mapati Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Sneha Kolli Notre Dame College of Ohio Chuck Hammond Ohio Dominican University Aly Fosnot Ohio Northern University Kimmy Connor Christin Miller Ryan O’Connor Samantha Stulen Scott Wyenandt Ohio University Kieren Astall Jordan Barnes Caleigh Bourgeois Chelsea Coleman Carlie DeMann Kait Devaney Molly Diesel Pat Eagan DJ Engelman Alex Evdokiou Stephanie Gort Kyle Hack Rachael Hardy Esther Kim Katie Lamb Lauren Loncki Hannah Moore Alex Nobis Bianka Nguyen Scott O’Lone Corinne Patton Katie Peterson Cameron Powell Alex Randall Anna Reuter Blayr Richie Shane Riley Cody Romani Julianne Rushton Sam Simpson Sam Stouffer Maggie Wilson
The Ohio State University Andres Alcala Evan Armentrout Omid Behbahani Jenna Bookman Abbey Bowley Sarah Brindza Erica Burton Kathleen Casey Lauren Catron Ashley Chiu Kate Creutzinger Dacia Cripe Andy Crone Alex Cunningham Heather Davis Kelsey Dickerhoof Sarah Ditzel Alex Farren Kevin Fitzgerald Josh Fukatsu Melina Glock Shelley Granitz Andrew Greenfield Alex Harvey Daniel Hoffman Nick Holzman Jacob Huerta Ronny Ipach Ali Jamali Anthony Jones Heather Jung Nikki Kehres Phil Kester Maggie King Andrea Knabe Matt Krupcale Daniel Labarowski Daniel Lacy Aditi Lele Josh Levine Anna Lin Shaista Mallik Davis Mann Emma Mason Matt Miller Suprasanna Mishra Katie Morris Ritesh Patel Kristin Pursel Brian Riley Lindsay Romaniw Kyle Schneider Gator Schrand Tyler Siekmann Angela Slanova Maddie Slutsky Paul Sommer Jenna Stauffer Prathayini Subarajan Andrew Taggart Stephanie Tape John Tererri Mallorie Thomas Rachel Trenaman Cynthia Tsai Kyle Van Blaricom Jacob Vanwinkle Aubrey Warren Mike Wilhelm Tyler Willett Erica Yancey Nick Yeung The Ohio State University at Marion Stephanie Saculles The Ohio State University at Newark Becca Shreve Ohio Wesleyan University Sarah Wells Paul Mitchell School Laura Wilson Scarlet Oaks Sarah DuBose Greg Miller Shawnee State University Jake Aldrich Sinclair Community College Mandy Adkins Cheyenne Biggerstaff Matt Evans Stephen Firsdon Stephanie Hassert Joey Hill
Sinclair Community College (continued) Frank Inzerello Thang Nguyen Sam Osborne Holly Rardin Kaylee Stubblefield Robby Wakeley Tiffin University Jaime Swigart University of Akron Sam Templeton University of Cincinnati Amara Agomuo Mickey Amend Trent Arnone Michaela Astall Yuliya Azirbayeva Kevin Baas Ally Barham John Bovenzi Jeff Breig Amy Brignole Annie Brockway Emily Brown Stephen Brown Joey Bruening Omy Bugazia Ryan Butts Chad Carman Preston Carr Abby Conkright Nick Corey Dara Deboy Kyle Dodson Becca Doppes Rebecca Dritt Kendall Ebaugh Tyler Eifert Brittany Elam Amanda Feldmeyer Kira Fluker James Formica Tyler Galley Kayla Gates Jonny Glandorf Andrew Grage Jacob Groene Jason Grosskoph Jackson Guo Jessica Haines Andrew Hare Eric Hauser Megan Hazlett Nick Holderbaum Michael Hubsch Carli Hudson Collin Huggins Robin Igney Matt Izumi Lori Jackson Maddie Junge Sso-Rha Kang Yohan Kang Vince Katlein Jacob Kinnett Anthony Lagory Alex Land Hillary Landry Sophie Lebowitz Josh Lehenbauer Justin Lightfield Jim Lothrop Sam Lyon John Marquart Dan Marque Dan Matthias Brooke Mattina Jessie McGregor John McIntosh Hector Medina Evan Metelko Tim Miller Bhavik Modi Tim Neumann Brittany Newswanger Katy Ngo Kyle Oaks Lexi Orlando Danny Parrott Maddie Petrey Dan Pierson Andy Porter Lindsay Potts Elizabeth Rapp Sri Rajamouli Karla Rich Kelsey Roat Jessi Rosin Ramin Salehi
University of Cincinnati (continued) Daniel Santos Gabi Schneider Matt Schoch Caleb Schowalter Dan Scurry Matt Scurry Alex Simpson Cameron Sippel Connor Small Caitlin Smith Marissa Sneed Ashley Sojda Laura Soria Kristy Stephens Katelyn Stetler Kelly Stevens Sarah Stoffolano Scott Strait Chelsea Sturtevant Maggie Sullivan Elise Tappan Tayler Tarvin Sarah Taylor Isaiah Vodenik Lizy Volk Tina Vuotto Colleen Waggoner Hannah Warncke Hanna Wein Matt Weldon Marina Yasnogorodsky Sheroz Zindani Jackie Zinsmeister University of Cincinnati, Raymond Walters College Dean Baggett Taylor Barnett Jacob Burress Dina DeRussy Joe Gaffin Henry Haskamp Julia Heslop Dustin Hoekzema Mary Hoover Megan Izumi Anastasia Kachva Larra Lapid Cindy Lucero Miranda Marshall Vy Pham Courtney Pryor Alex Richards Brian Robey Amelia Rufft Eric Severson Tyler Siska Alyx Taylor Val Tsukanov Kyle Webb University of Dayton Andrew Bernhard Shane Carmichael Chuckie Chiara Courtney Dvorsky Jared Dvorsky Katelyn Dvorsky Kara Esler Ian Fitzpatrick Stephanie Gill Nathan Hartshorn Alexa Hill Brennan Kallmyer Nina Lokar Emily May Ryan McCoy Erin Peery Chad Singleton University of Northwestern Ohio Taylor Jones AJ Schappacher Zach Stigers Jordan Zoutis University of Phoenix Gary Chadwick University of Toledo Emilie Bloebaum Nathan Buddemeyer Bre Carden Charles Dunn Lisa Kingsolver Lee Scott Kayla Wiemers Jason Zeek
Wilmington College Olivia Hutchison Alex Radle John Stewart Wittenberg University Molly Alderson Erin Barsan Emily Christy Ariana Larson Deanna Mychalishyn Natasha Pekarik Nicki Perry Wright State University Stephanie Bohanon Chelsea Buzza Daniel Clark Emily Delman Katelynn Elliott Andrew Ellis Nicole Gibson Mike Hagle Zach Hess Alyssa Miller Jacqueline Pettis Monika Rudolph Jack Sauer Mohsin Sultan Kayelin Tiggs Kathleen Wylds Xavier University Maddie Adams Megan Browning Moira Cevasco Chelsea Hoffmaster Zaki Khalid Scott Klever Corina Marziano
Pennsylvania Alvernia University Chloe Colton Drexel University Kris Ogungbemi Gannon University Alex Bollman Amit Samba University of Pennsylvania Christina Westley University of Pittsburgh Tiwa Akomolede Carmen Bizzarri Rohit Rao
South Carolina Clemson University Amanda Allen Megan Hanschke Matt Radomski Bobby Starnes
Tennessee Belmont University Tyler Stargle Johnson Bible College Allie Hauck Lilly Mueller Middle Tennessee State University Rebecca Herman SAE Institute of Technology Ethan Brown University of Tennessee, Knoxville Kellie Morris Vanderbilt University Kevin Lu Joey Starnes Michael Zhou Didi Zhu
Texas The University of Texas, Austin Alex Khadr Eric Nikolaides Zach Schaefer
Utah Brigham Young University Amy Davis Emily Drake Sophie Johnson Taylor Noe Spencer Stucki University of Utah Sami Peterson
Virginia Liberty University Zach Pippins Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Peyton Hoge Wyatt Lowdermilk
Washington University of Washington Emily Slezak
West Virginia West Virginia University Katy Hunsberger Allie Williams
Wisconsin Marian University Jeff Stegbauer
Canada University of Manitoba Lindsey Fetterly Air Force Brandon Florea Eli Hujo Tiffany Oberst Army Benjamin Edwards Brennen Meyer Abel Rodriguez AJ Spaeth Chris Sun Corey Wane Marines Franklin Ebersole Lauren Hall Shane Mounce Chris Richardson Drew Tremblay Josh Wright Navy Chase Cannava Devin Demers Eric Sarringar James Zeigler Other Andre Allen – Police Academy Jordan Al-Rfai – College, then taking over father’s business Nick Angstadt – One-year internship at the Honor Academy Cody Besl – Working for a year, then school for criminal psychology Kevin Boylan – Playing Junior Hockey Ib Chaudhry – Applying to medical school in Pakistan Jillane Douglass – Peace Corps Devan Edwards – Getting cosmetology license and working in salon Amber Egelston – Year off, then University of Cincinnati for nursing Brendan Flannery – Year off, then transferring to four-year school Karen Garcia – Moving to Mexico Amanda Guarnieri – Moving to Brazil Matthew McKenney – Mission work, then college Devin Newman – Training to be sushi chef Eduardo Olivo – Moving to El Salvador Evan Sherman – Going to school for graphic design Bianca Sidoti – Taking year off to focus on music career
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
SEN10RS
| PAGE 14
See the best and worst fads experienced by Class of 2010 Jordan Berger | Staff Writer For some, the harsh sounds of corporate file cabinet drawers will become the monotonous daily comfort. For others, unsettling, repetitive waves will fill eardrums after completion of the Naval Academy. Academic details such as the Periodic Table of Elements, the Law of Sines and Emily Dickenson provided common ground for graduating seniors, but as each student finds his or her niche, one individualized path becomes the focus, leaving behind common connections with classmates. However, when division sets in, when graduation parties cease, college graduations pass and careers are chosen, we will still have the Pokémon cards, Furbys and Chia Pets that have united us through each of our grade school years.
Clockwise: Kindergarten: Furbies First grade: “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65 Second grade: Heinz EZ Squirt Colored ketchup Third grade: Captain Underpants series Fourth grade: Poo-Chis Fifth grade: GAP sweatshirts Sixth grade: Trucker hats Seventh grade: Popped polo collars Eighth grade: Sudoku Ninth grade: mock Chanel bags Tenth grade: Moccasins Eleventh grade: Gladiator sandals Twelfth grade: Cambelbak water bottles
photo art by Alyssa Howard, Ellen Duffer and Carlie Sack
SEN10RS
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
| PAGE 15
CLOSING REMARKS By The Chronicle staff members of the Class of 2010 Chronicle seniors bid final farewell
As the Class of 2010 quickly approaches commencement, senior staff writers and editors of The Chronicle reflect over the past four years.
Ellen Duffer
Jordan Berger I think it started a long time ago -- the division, I mean. The partition that separates us from each other has been determined by our focuses, and over time we have unknowingly conditioned ourselves regarding with whom we associate. And we thought Brave New World was intangible. Soma isn’t just a fictional pill; internal numbness determines whom we pass in the hallways and at whom we smile, monotonous actions that come with comfort. But what I’m having trouble coping with is why it’s awkward to tell someone you’ve never met that you care about him or her, showing genuine compassion. I’m not sorry I didn’t study more throughout the past four years. I’m sorry that I didn’t start loving something bigger than myself earlier. And I keep trying to find the point when school became about GPAs and senior year started being spent wondering when we could finally escape, when it should have been spent getting to know the junior in my physics class. I’m trying to fathom the moment when humans decided that family doesn’t include everyone around us. I’m not sure why we hide our hearts or why we have defensive exteriors, but I think it has a lot to do with when we fell into the cutting mulch as children and decided that risks are dangerous.
Loyola University Chicago
Class of 2014
Tony DeLotell Ever since we started receiving homework back in intermediate school, teachers have been telling us to use our time wisely. To educators, that means taking the extra time after a droning lecture or quiz and either catching up or working ahead. In other words, every minute of every hour of every school day must be spent doing work in order to, forgive the cliché, get a leg up on the competition. As a child, and even as a high schooler, I never realized that I was in a competition. The sad thing is that education has turned into a universal race to a figurative finish line. I was never the kid who was reading ahead in the textbook or studying next week’s spelling words. I always just did what was expected of me. Not much more, not much less. Many may say that I was lazy or that I didn’t take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that are available to us here at MHS, but I don’t see it that way. During all those nuggets of time that I could have been gaining academic ground, I was able to befriend some of the best people on this earth, people that I hope to stay in touch with for the rest of my life. I may have wasted a large amount of time in my grade-school career, but I’m okay with that, because I wasted it with the right people.
Miami University Class of 2014
I closed the door of the car, shivering, and paused: the tip of my glove was pinched against the frame. I gave it a tug, and turned to walk away. But my hand remained in the air, touching the door. In a split second of horror, I realized my finger was stuck. In the door. Which was shut. All the way. There was no way it wasn’t broken. My mind was flooded with worry: What if the bone never re-grows? What if my finger stays crooked? My uninjured body was ruined. I’d never broken a bone, much less gotten anything more than a surface laceration. All of my previous injuries had healed within a matter of days; I absolutely did not like the idea of living within a body that had been unintentionally physically altered. With a crooked finger, I’d be different. Not myself. A departure from originality would have been absolutely unacceptable, representing a downward shift from the way I was to the way I would be forced to become. Despite the fact that I would have been constantly conscious of an unnaturally offset bone, however, would it really have changed anything? Maybe I would have trained myself to hold a pencil or carry a bag differently. Or I would have gotten used to it. Small events don’t mean radical changes. I can adapt.
Emerson College Class of 2014
PAGE 16 |
SEN10RS
Griffin Frank My life is contained within a two by fourinch piece of metal and plastic. My BlackBerry lets me know my entire schedule for every day: when my meetings are, all doctor appointments and the limited free time that I have. Each scheduled event has been put on my desk calendar, BlackBerry and on my Mac weeks in advance. My life consists of an unfailingly rigid calendar of events. For the past seventeen years, I have planned every minute of every day, and I always knew what was coming up, always arriving early. I leave high school with a plan: to go to college and get a job. But when I leave college, where am I going to live? Which job will I get? Anyone can plan what he or she wants to do in life, but no one can decide now what exactly they will do. It’s not knowing that’s weird; I don’t know if I am ready for that. Although I will continue to map out my busy schedule, on my BlackBerry, and I will still have my calendar, gone are the days when I had that control. I have to let go.
Northern Kentucky University
Class of 2014
Alyssa Howard
I spent too much of high school putting my life into compartments. I neatly sorted my personality traits and groups of friends into shelves, each cluster to be distinctly organized and extracted for use at separate times. I created an identity to verify what was readily apparent at school. In my younger years, I was that lost kid who looked for self-validation in my grades. And so, that deeply flawed mentality presented itself in my attitude towards those I met. I was at such a loss to step outside of my perceived role that I inevitably missed out on a multitude of great friendships. I had been so content to sit on my self-made shelf that I accepted myself in a one-dimensional sense. Retrospectively, I regret all the time I wasted with this mindset. But, I realize I have not been the only person here to subscribe to such a philosophy. Maybe this is just my personal observation, but every year I’ve witnessed the senior class discard some of the divisive playground politics that had previously ruled, (some being the operative phrase). In the face of graduation, people finally begin to forsake the labels that brand us into categories. What I wish for the Class of 2011, and all other forthcoming classes, is to remove the self-installed blinders earlier -- the view is much more satisfying.
Northwestern University
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
Jessica Kantor
Yes. That single word haunted me grades three through nine. My need to please people surpassed my ability to do what was best -- even if it meant sacrificing school work, friends or family time. I will never forget sixth grade. My friends and I became a group that would “vote” people in or out. Since none of my friends were actually rude enough to carry out the rejection of others, I said “yes” to the job, because I did not want to be the next person “voted out” or to let my friends down. After one voting session, I approached him, a boy named Jake, at recess. “Jake, we don’t like you. You’re not in our group anymore,” I said. Then I walked away. I still feel sorry for the people who I treated with disrespect. I realize now that the people my group “abandoned” were better off: they were away from the people who made me negative. When I first said “no,” it made me feel rude; not being able to please people who mattered to me was difficult. But, by developing a sense of self and a backbone, I have been able to take advantage of more opportunities that benefit me and do not hurt others.
Miami University Class of 2014
Class of 2014
Trevor Maxim
“Welcome to four years of Hell, my friend.” The voice came from what seemed like a fully grown man, towering over me at a height of at least seven feet and boasting a beard that would make even the most rugged lighthouse attendant ashamed of himself. He was a senior in high school. It was the day before the start of freshman year. I was standing at the front desk, waiting for my first class schedule. I felt like I had just received a death sentence. Only death would have been easy; this was high school. Fast forward four years. I remember the encounter with a laugh, but I can’t help but wonder -- was he right? Is that all the past four years have been? Hearing the alarm blaring at 6:00 a.m. every morning did not get easier. The school days only got longer and the tests only got harder. But I realize now that the time I spent here also had a purpose. While I spent at least half of my high school career counting down to graduation, I know that the experiences I had and the things I learned about myself were necessary steps that could not have been skipped. My advice: don’t listen to the bearded man, even if he does bear a striking resemblance to a homeless professor.
University of Miami Florida
Class of 2014
Kris Ogungbemi
Countdowns litter my Facebook News Feed as I try to focus on my AP Government practice quiz. Outside my window, the temperature hovers around 72 degrees, and a slight breeze tousles leaves. My cap and gown taunt me, and the brilliant blue sign outside my house mocks me. How am I supposed to do anything productive in conditions like these? When is graduation? The clock started ticking on September 6, 2006. Since then, graduation has been the light at the end of the dark, monotonous and terribly tiring tunnel. But now that the day is upon us, I’m fighting to remember where the time went. We can’t wait to get from preschool to kindergarten and are incredibly excited to move on to the exciting world of writing and ‘rithmetic in elementary. Then, there’s a scuttle to move on to the land of fake drama in middle school. And then high school. We can’t wait to get here. Then, once we’re here, we can’t wait to leave. What are we rushing towards? College? Marriage? Retirement? In all stages of life, enduring the pain of that rite of passage is necessary. Although the past four years (720 days, 5,040 hours, 302,400 seconds) have been long, it’s resulted in my growth. So, slow your roll and enjoy the hallways.
Drexel University Class of 2014
Rachel Schowalter
At some point during every freshman homeroom, my teacher would assume her defiant stance next to her desk. When our Senior Sibs were done talking, she would quickly slip in her proverbial two cents: “High school goes by fast. It’ll be over before you know it.” For my first two years of high school, she was wrong. With an eternity looming before me, I convinced myself that if I focused solely on my schoolwork, those four years would fly by. My days were marked by tests, projects and papers -- subsequently, the years went by at an excruciatingly slow pace. By the end of my sophomore year, I was burnt out. Two years of my life were already wasted, and I didn’t want to witness the desecration of two more. I had learned the academic facts that I needed for the moment, but as for the skills necessary to grow as an adolescent: my hands were empty. I decided to give myself some time to relax and socialize. There was only so much school could teach me about being a teenager; the rest I had to learn from my own experiences. Once I realized that, high school went by fast. It was over before I knew it.
Boston University Class of 2014
Danni Simms When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. My “lemon” during high school has been the bubble that surrounds many Mason students. As a result of my peers’ lack of exposure to realities other than middle-class, conservative Mason, it has been uncommon for me to go a day without hearing disappointing comments about inner-city youth, homosexuals and other aspects of life infrequent in Mason. As a black student, I often hear statements such as “I would be scared to be in a room full of black people.” In order to make my “lemonade,” I made the common mistake of placing impossible measures on myself for success. In order to be successful, I believed that I had to eliminate a large number of people’s ignorance; I was missing, however, one invaluable word: “try.” Even though by many standards, I failed, the important part was that I tried. When your best isn’t good enough, well, you don’t end up with lemonade. Sometimes you end up with something a little too salty for the average person to consume. But in the end, if you did all you could, then you have to be fine with the finished product. Sometimes success is found in intentions.
Stanford University
Class of 2014
Samantha Stulen Type “Samantha Stulen” in Google and you will immediately stumble upon a plethora of mediocre pixilated tennis tournament results and newspaper acknowledgements. The second page of search results, however, is a little more humorous; it included a Xanga entry. The middle school user had an affinity for Culvers and One Tree Hill. She did not enjoy, to my dismay, the Mason Middle School production of Shoestring Theatre, where I played the crazy flower lady. This is her review of Wednesday, March 16, 2005: “umm well today we had the stupid play thingy. ...Samantha stulen is very weird.” As a middle school student, I was anything but the subject of peoples’ envy. I kept my sanity in check by repeating my mother’s mantra, “High school isn’t middle school.” High school comes: I am king. This is the only environment I can openly sing “Baby Got Back” in English and wear my father’s sweaters. High school has taught me to fly above the haters and embrace my eccentricities. For others who are the subject of criticism, the best part of high school is that it isn’t middle school, and Xanga is so passé.
Ohio Northern University Class of 2016
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
PAGE 17
PAGE 18 | FEATURE
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
Extensive academic programs fill summer months Ian Howard | Staff Writer
Starnes said that early in his high school career, he had trouble finding an internship, but he was Although some students associate summer with motivated in the search in order to secure a path to beaches and relaxing vacations, several students’ sumhis planned occupation in medicine. mers look a bit more academic. Junior Lynne Liao said “I worked with mice all summer,” Starnes said. “It that she will likely be attending a college program at was like a sickle cell anemia project.” Carnegie Mellon University, Texas Technical Institute The initial novelty in caring for sickle-cell-anemiaor Miami University over the summer, while her twin stricken mice was quickly offset by the demanding sister, junior Jenny Liao, said that she will help prepare schedule, according to Starnes. a program with college professors at Miami. This is, “I never really had a summer job before last sumhowever, not a new trend in the Liao summer agenda, mer, and going into 45 hours was a lot,” Starnes they said. said. “It wasn’t too bad -- it was what I thought it photos contributed “[Last summer], me and Jenny and three other would be, but I wouldn’t do it again this summer.” From left: the class of students at the school the Liao sisters taught in over the summer; girls…went to [a town in] China where I lived for a Lynne said that she also had difficulty in enduring Lynne Liao smiles with her students in China. lot of my life when I lived in China,” Lynne said. “We her summer involvements. basically went to their high school and taught roughly “[Teaching English to Chinese students] was every Seenivasan said that he was motivated to obtain the internship 500 kids.” day, and we did five classes a day,” Lynne said. “It largely because of his dreams to go to college and work his way Lynne said that she was largely motivated to teach English to was actually really hard, because, first of all, there’s no air conup in the film industry. Chinese students during the summer because of the rigorous ditioning; it was during the summer, it was hot and there were “I would probably start out as an apprentice editor and then college acceptance process that will make it difficult for her to chalkboards. It was really tiring, and we had to grade the kids’ work my way up to directing,” Seenivasan said. pursue her dream occupation. papers -- and there’s a lot of kids.” The summer was not all film, however, according to Seeniva“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was a little kid,” Lynne said. Lynne said that she prefers academic activities to a blank san, who said he also participated in several humanitarian Jenny said that she also plans on pursuing a career in science, schedule during the summer, however, because of how she feels efforts in India. and she has summer plans to correlate. about summer in general. “In India last year, I was part of a non-profit organization called “I will probably become a computer scientist,” Jenny said. “Summer is fun for me the first three days, but after that, it the Banyan, [which] helped women and children in poverty,” “I might end up minoring in something art-related, or maybe gets really boring,” Lynne said. Seenivasan said. “I volunteered there: I did some of their combio[logy] or chemistry, because I do enjoy those two also.” Junior Kushant Sunkara, who worked as a hospital intern in puter work and I also helped with food distribution and stuff like Jenny said that she will be conducting her own computer-reIndia last summer, said that he has a different outlook on the that.” lated project this summer. meaningfulness of summer academia. Junior Nisarg Bakshi said that he also plans to visit India this “This summer, I’m going to help with development of a [sci“Doing any work over the summer isn’t fun, but it was benefisummer, and not just to visit his family. ence] program,” Jenny said. cial,” Sunkara said. “This summer, I’m going to India to clinically observe a hosJenny said that she will work on the Graphical User Interface of Jenny said that the beneficial nature of exploring academics pital,” Bakshi said. “Since I want to be a doctor, I thought that the program, which is the screen that interacts with the user of over the summer is underscored by the passion that she feels would be a good option.” the program. naturally for learning. Students do not have to go far to work in a hospital internship Jenny is not the only student involved in scholarly activities “Setback-wise, there’s not really much besides that it cuts program, however, according to senior Joey Starnes. during the summer, according to junior Kunal Seenivasan. down on my preparation for classes next year and summer “Last year, I worked eight weeks down at Children’s Hospi“Last summer, I had an internship at an animation company homework,” Jenny said. “Yeah, I have to wake up early, but it’s tal,” Starnes said. “There was a program through the [National in India called Accel Animation Studios,” Seenivasan said. “I really exciting for me. I enjoy it and I like to learn something over Institutes of Health] that funds two or three juniors or seniors. was basically an intern there and I learned about the different the summer.” processes that went into the making of the final movie. I want to I worked, like, 45 hours a week as an intern down there in the lab.” go into film, so that kind of helped.”
Yoga increases in popularity as a form of exercise and stress relief Beena Raghavendran | Staff Writer
photos by Beena Raghavendran
Stacy Schuler demonstrates various yoga poses. Above: Tree Pose. Clockwise from top: Half Moon Variation; Downward-Facing Dog; One-Legged King Pigeon Pose Variation; Yoga Split.
Tree Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, Sun Salutation -- these different asanas, or poses, are becoming common vocabulary at Mason High School, as more and more students venture out into the world of yoga. While students said they find yoga to be a stress reliever, MHS Physical Education teacher and next year’s yoga instructor Stacy Schuler said true yoga entails a separate lifestyle altogether: one of finding a blending of peace. “‘Yoga’ actually means union, and there [are] a lot of different interpretations of what that means,” Schuler said. “It could be union of the body and the mind. It could be union between yourself and your higher spiritual self. …A lot of people think of yoga as a physical practice, and that’s just one little piece of yoga.” Yoga, according to Morgan McGowan, manager of the Symmes Township yogahOMe yoga studio, encompasses thousand year-old traditions and practices of balance and quiet that still hold true today. “Yoga dates back as far as five to ten thousand years ago,” McGowan said. “It was started in India and...it was, more or less, a lifestyle that incorporated the same sort of generalized rules that you get in most religions. ...The constant tradition [of yoga] has pretty much been: bring yourself to a quiet mind [and] live a balanced life.” Since yoga’s introduction to the United States in 1893, it has gained popularity rapidly; a 2008 Yoga Journal study showed that Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products -- an 87 percent increase from the previous 2004 study. Schuler said yoga is entering MHS’s curriculum this fall because of the new credit flexibility options; she said this will give students course options outside of school, making yoga an alternative to unspecialized
gym classes. “Based on the fact that there are [credit flexible] options now, [the administration] see[s] that…not as many students are going to want [to] take the traditional health and PE classes,” Schuler said. “There was a push this year to increase [gym’s] desirability to…a wider group of people and not just the traditional athlete.” This soaring increase in yoga’s popularity in America is because of the new trend in society to always be on-the-go, Schuler said; according to her, yoga’s relaxation methods are used to fulfill the leisure many need. “Today’s society is fasterpaced [and] high-stressed,” Schuler said. “[These factors are] pushing people, because they see the negative effects of stress and what it’s doing to their bodies and their lives.” Junior Matt Winters, who has participated in yoga before football games, said yoga has a positive impact on the average teenager’s busy schedule. “Any high school student should be a little bit stressed out, just because they have studies and such to deal with,” Winters said. “Yoga helps to kind of get rid of that stress.” A decade ago, Schuler asked her aerobics class students what yoga was and they “looked at [her] like [she] had five heads;” today, she said the reaction is very different, signaling yoga’s emerging popularity in Mason. “A lot of groups have said, ‘Wow, we see the benefit; our athletes perform better after doing [yoga],” Schuler said. “People are starting to become more open to [yoga] -- there’s not just one way to get to your goal.” Senior Carmen Bizzarri has done yoga with Schuler before track meets, and she said that it has helped her focus on her goals and lessen her pre-meet nerves. “[Yoga] definitely helps me lose some of…my nervous energy,” Bizzarri said. “We do it the day before [track] meets, and you’re just all worked-up...and [Schuler]’s just like, ‘Breathe through your pain, think about what you want to do [and] focus on it.’
…The next day, you just feel awesome.” Schuler said that though some practices seem to achieve relaxed environments, she thinks true yoga means living a yogic lifestyle, contrary to what many Americans think. “There [are] people who practice yoga [in the West] because they say, ‘I want to be physically fit, I want to gain more flexibility, I want to be balanced,’” Schuler said. “To those people, that’s yoga, but if you really want to have the lifestyle of yoga, you [will be] incorporating the physical practice, the mental practices of compassion and peacefulness, and the relaxation. …Overall, you end up achieving that peace and relaxation because of those practices.” McGowan, however, said that yoga lends itself to what each person needs. For example, she said that while one student might need the eight limbs of yoga in their daily lives, another may be perfectly fine with just the asanas once a week. “Even if all you’re doing is listening to your breath…and that’s all you’re getting out of yoga, then that’s what your body needs,” McGowan said. Ultimately, yoga’s qualities of peacefulness and respect shine on and off the mat, McGowan said. “The more you tend to know yourself off the mat, [the more] you know what you’re capable of doing,” McGowan said. “I think that... translates into more of a mindfulness outside of the yoga studio.”
THE CHRONICLE | FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
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PAGE 20 | FEATURE
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
Young drivers get lost without technology Janica Kaneshiro | Staff Writer Teens today are becoming dependent on technology to get them places when driving rather than relying on their own knowledge of local geography, according Paul Plominski from Jack’s Driving School. He said it’s actually fairly common to get students who don’t know where they’re going when completing in-car requirements. “[Finding students without a sense of direction is] pretty common actually,” Plominski said. “When students don’t pay attention when their parents are driving, they can get disoriented really easily when it’s their turn. I think texting, video games and other [technology] has a hand in that.” Senior Scott O’Lone said that while he isn’t completely helpless with directions, his parents definitely aid when he’s lost, especially when he’s on the highway. “[Driving] around Mason in general, I usually have no problems [navigating],” O’Lone said. “Once I get on the highway [though], I don’t know which exit to take, but my parents know how to get everywhere. Usually I call them, [or] they write down directions if I don’t know where I’m going.”
drove [somewhere] in [the] winter, and now it’s summer, then I get lost, too. It’s a very visual problem.” Sophomore Katie Piezer said she also struggles with directions when traveling places outside of her everyday route. “If I’m going somewhere I don’t go every day or almost every day, I tend to struggle with getting there,” Piezer said. Piezer said she also relies on peers when she finds herself lost while driving, but when they can’t help, she seeks assistance on the internet. “I don’t have a GPS, but I usually ask my friends if they can give me directions,” Piezer said. “If not, I just use MapQuest, but that usually takes too much work, so [as a last resort] I just guess.” Bizzarri on the other hand, said that her parents had to pay for a GPS system on her phone, because she was getting lost in neighborhoods around Mason. “After I kept getting lost, [my parents]
Senior Carmen Bizzarri said that her directional problems worsen in neighborhoods and that she even gets disoriented if there’s a change in the time of day or the
season. “Neighborhoods get me the worst, but I get lost [depending on the time],” Bizzarri said. “[For example, if] I’ve driven [somewhere during the day], and I have to leave at night, the differences between day and night confuse me. Or, if I
paid for me to get a GPS on my phone,” Bizzarri said. “It proves to be helpful all the time. That was definitely worth [the money] because even in Crooked Tree, I get lost. I know it’s, like, five minutes away from my house, but it’s just confusing.” Plominski said that he often gets students who don’t know any roads in Mason and can’t write directions from the class to their house. “[Jack’s driving school] requires students to write directions to their house on a folder to get them to start looking at roads and so we can pick them up for in-cars, and honestly some just can’t do it,” Plominski said. “In fact, we get students who don’t know where Mason-Montgomery and other main roads are. About 30 to 40 percent of our students can’t write directions on their folder to their own houses. …Teens today are becoming very dependent on GPS, Mapquest and all that technology.” According to Piezer, most of the times she ends up lost are due to a false sense of security. “The problem is that I think I know where I’m going, but I really don’t,” Piezer said. Without navigation technology or help from peers or parents, O’Lone said he wouldn’t be able to figure out how to get anywhere outside of Mason. “I would probably need to stop and ask for directions at a gas station,” O’Lone said. Bizzarri said that most adults are understanding when she’s late due to getting lost, because they expect it from new drivers. She also said that to improve her directional skills, she has tried several methods. “I try so hard,” Bizzarri said. “I have [tried to map] things out. I really do have a Mason map in my car, and I have to make people explain it to me, even though I’m really embarrassed. I’ve even driven places [the day] before I have to get there, so I’ll [get there on time] when I actually have to be there.” O’Lone said that with all the current navigation technology, it’s no longer a necessity to have a general sense of direction and that this generation specifically is becoming more dependent upon these methods. “It could just be our generation, because we rely on technology a lot,” O’Lone said. “People use GPS and [other technology], and we just think it will tell us where to go.” Plominski said that while a sense of direction doesn’t necessarily make a good driver, it certainly helps with the whole process of driving. “I think [a sense of direction] definitely helps [with good driving], but the state of Ohio’s driving school enforces driving techniques that make a good driver,” Plominski said. “But, a sense of direction helps you stay oriented. It certainly saves on gas, because you cut down on mileage, and it’s an advantage to have it as opposed to not. It has everything to do with timeliness.”
photo art by Caleb Schowalter
Finding unrelated twins in hallways Janie Simonton | Staff Writer The popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother defines them as dopplegangers. Other popular terms include “twin,” “double” and “duplicate.” For sophomore Courtney Wilson, seeing her “twin,” freshman Mallory Pontius, is “like looking in a mirror.” “Someone introduced us because they thought we looked alike,” Wilson said. “[We’ve been Logan Christensen Junior friends] since the beginning of [this] year.” According to Pontius, the girls decided to play a joke with their similar looks. “[We] made up a story about [us being] sisters, [and just] decided to tell people that,” Pontius said. Wilson and Pontius, who said they often get confused for each other in the hallway, are among a group of students who have been deemed to look like each other. Included are pictures of the other Shane Carmichael so-called dopplegangers walking Senior around Mason High School.
Charlie Moertle
Casey Whited
Lawson Wishard
Junior
Junior
Junior
Nick Reynolds
Mallory Pontius
Courtney Wilson
Senior
Freshman
Sophomore
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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 | THE CHRONICLE
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