The Chronicle, 8.6

William Mason High School

The Chronicle Volume 8

Friday, March 11, 2011 Issue 6

Physical education exemption may endanger teachers

Community News Deerfield Towne Center experiences loss of Borders

Bobby Gibler | Staff Writer

With the national bankruptcy of Borders, the Deerfield Towne Center location of Borders will be closing. Additionally, stores such as Yagoot will be moving into Deerfield Towne Center this year.

Throughout this fluctuation of the number of businesses in Deerfield Towne Center, the shopping center still holds value to Mason High School students.

The new physical education waiver policy effective for the 2011-2012 school year may impact teachers’ jobs and students’ well-being, according to Mason Middle School physical education teacher Stephanie Brittingham, who was a physical education teacher at Mason High School for three years. The waiver will allow students who complete two full seasons of an interscholastic sport to opt out of high school physical education classes.

“We know that teachers are going to be cut from the Physical Education Department.”

The waiver is a state-level option based upon Section 3313.603 of the Ohio Revised Code. Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart said the waiver is an option the district is employing as a way to reduce district spending for the upcoming school year. “[The waiver] is available for districts and it’s been there for quite a while,” McCarty-Stewart said. “We want to protect the core [curriculum]; it’s a way for us to make reductions and it can be seen as a good thing for students, an opportunity. So it’s available as a tool to help us.”

Brittingham said the waiver may cause physical education teachers to be laid off in upcoming years. According to Brittingham, students may also be negatively impacted.

“Teachers are worried about their jobs,” Brittingham said. “We know that teachers are going to be cut from the Physical Education Department.

[But,] we are [also] worried about what’s going to happen with all the kids that choose not to continue being physically-active once they’ve finished with their sport or activity.”

According to Brittingham, the Physical Education Department will be one of the first to experience the see PHYSICAL EDUCATION page 2

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photo contributed

English Language Learners teacher Shahrazad Kablan (center) protested in front of the White House on February 20, calling for a no-fly zone over Libya.

Unrest in Middle East hits home Thom Carter | Staff Writer

As calls for revolution echo throughout much of Northern Africa and the Middle East, students at Mason High School with family in the area are feeling the repercussions of the protests that have taken violent turns. According to senior Nooran Enany, both of her parents were in Egypt during the 18 days of protests that left 365 dead.

“It was scary,” Enany said. “[My mom] could hear bombing, people were stealing, banks were broken into. ...It was total chaos.”

After 18 days of protests beginning on January 25, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s autocratic president, was forced to resign. After both Tunisia and Egypt mounted successful protests, numerous countries in the regions of Northern Africa and the Middle East including Libya, Bahrain and Yemen, have been experiencing their own revolutions.

Sophomore Miriam Bugazia, a Libyan-American, said she expressed her right to speak out against the violence in Libya and the need for revolution when she travelled to Washington D.C., joining a1,000person march on February 20. According to Bugazia, the decision was

made hastily after her mother, Mason High School teacher Shahrazad Kablan, was informed of the protest that was to occur in front of the White House. “[We wanted to] bring awareness for people to do something about [the situation in Libya],” Bugazia said. “We all have the right to speak up and say what is necessary.”

Kablan said that the aim of the protest was to call for a no-fly zone over Libya because of the violent tactics Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s autocratic leader for over 40 years, has employed in order to put down protests that have threatened his regime. Kablan said the tactics have included bombing his own people as well as hiring mercenaries from other African countries to open fire on protestors, causing serious casualties.

“Imposing a no fly zone is not an easy thing to do, but it has to be done,” Kablan said.

Kablan said she stayed in Washinton D.C. the entire week following the protests and said she has quickly become an activist from her home in Mason, doing all she can to help her family and fellow Libyans thousands of miles away.

“I’m sitting at home here doing a lot of networking with distant groups that see MIDDLE EAST page 3

Heard it in the halls Choir concert to benefit Ellie Find a Voice Foundation The Mason High School Women’s, Bel Canto, Honors Concert Choirs and Mason Middle School boys’ chorus will be performing at a benefit concert to raise money for The Ellie Find a Voice Foundation, choral director Jacob Cook said. The concert will take place on March 18 at 7:30 p.m. Headlining the concert will be the Southern Gateway Chorus.

The concert will help purchase voice devices for children with multiple disabilities, according to Cook. Tickets are $10.

Mock car crash on March 25 A mock car crash will be presented to the upperclassmen of Mason High School on March 25, according to Assistant Principal William Rice. MHS will be partnering with Miami Valley Hospital’s Careflight, as well as Mason police and fire departments for the mock crash, according to Rice.

The crash is scheduled the Friday before Spring Break, Rice said, to make an impact on students before travels.

“The purpose is to show a real world situation that can result from irresponsible decisions, such as drinking and driving,” Rice said. “[MHS] chose this date because it is the day before Spring Break, when we see many of our students traveling on their own for vacations.”

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

Physical education: new waiver causes job uncertainty

photo by Carlie Sack

Mason City Schools’ Superintendent Kevin Bright gives a statement regarding Stacy Schuler’s indictment to local press organizations immediately following the February 8 Board of Education meeting.

Superintendent’s role increasingly includes media relations Miranda Carney | Staff Writer

In one of the biggest school districts in Ohio, it has become necessary for school administration to become increasingly involved in dealing with media concerning issues within the district, according to Mason City Schools’ Board of Education President Debbie Delp.

Both Delp and Superintendent Kevin Bright said that the situations over the past few months including the failed levy, the indictment of Stacy Schuler and the district’s budget cuts have been an especially difficult time for the district’s administration.

“I think we are one of the most highly-regarded [districts] in the area, so [events in our district] make better news,” Delp said. “We are also one of the biggest [districts], which means a lot of people are interested in what is going on.

And that alone makes the media more interested. The timing of [the last few months] couldn’t be worse. But, we don’t see this happening every day here or anywhere else, but [difficult situations] happen in every school district.”

Delp said that Bright’s role is to be in charge of the operations of the school district and set goals within the district to best benefit students.

According to her, the role of administration changes to be flexible with the issues going on in the district. That role involves addressing even the most difficult issues and getting the truth out into the community, which has recently become more important. “[Dealing with these issues and media] certainly becomes a part of the job whether [the administration] wants it to be or not,” Delp said.

“If they choose not to be a part of [media], [the district has] to then deal with the repercussions of having other people be the source of information and that is not exactly accurate. There isn’t a choice but to be a part of what is going on in the media and to make sure that the right information is out there.”

Along with the numerous media inquiries, Bright has had to deal with police authorities in the past few months and getting the truth known in and outside of the school district, according to Delp. “[Bright] operated with authorities like police for a case they had to investigate,” Delp said.

“It made it hard for us to say anything initially because, for all we knew, there wasn’t going to be any real charges. So once charges were filed, we took the steps [that] were required.”

A part of being the superintendent, according to Bright, is not only working within the school

district but also dealing with situations that might be out of his previous comfort zone.

“I am seen as the leader of the school district and, oftentimes, especially in crisis situations, the face of the school district,” Bright said. “It’s important for me to perform my duties and responsibilities with grace and dignity and not do anything that would reflect negatively on the school district or student[s], staff or parents.”

Although Bright said he knows the media is responsible for reporting news to the community, he has felt personally attacked by some members within the community on certain issues. The media and similar pressures in the community are demands that Bright never faced as a teacher in his previous job.

Bright began his career as a middle school social studies teacher in his hometown of Lucas, Ohio 37 years ago. Bright then taught at Findley High School and became a part-time vice principal where he said he moved up through the administrative ranks. He has been the superintendent at Mason for 14 years and a lot has changed in his job since he began as a teacher, he said.

“In a classroom, I might have dealt with a few hundred dollars for supply materials and equipment each year and today I am dealing with a one hundred million dollar budget and 1,450 staff and 11,100 students,” Bright said. “The decision-making that I have on a daily basis has an impact on things that happen in the school district” According to Delp, the administration in the central office has less direct contact with students than the administration inside of each school building.

“Administration in [the] central office [is] going to interact more with the community in terms of letting [it] know what is going on with the district, what’s happening [and] what steps are being taken to make sure that families feel comfortable,” Delp said.

Bright said that there is never a way of knowing what will come up in his job and sometimes he has to deal with difficult issues he never would have imagined having to deal with.

“After having been in the job for nearly 14 years, it’s kind of like a glorious burden,” Bright said. “It can be really difficult at times. No matter what your preparation with previous experience in the job or your educational experience, you’re [never] completely and adequately prepared for all that you face, as is evidence from the past several weeks. No amount of classwork or job experience could have prepared me or others for what we faced these last several weeks.”

continued from page 1 results of the district’s fiscal changes. Brittingham said she feels the majority of the Physical Education Department is saddened and disappointed by the waiver’s implementation.

“There are community members and administrators that support physical education,” Brittingham said. “I think [some physical education classes are] the first to go because [they’re] not focused on the classroom. The school board has said that they want to focus on the students and take away as little as possible from them by the cuts that are being made.”

Physical education Mark Sullivan said that he agrees with Brittingham in that he believes teachers are concerned about their positions possibly being cut in following years.

“I think once the levy failed, cuts had to be made,” Sullivan said. “It’s been talked about for a while and we’re not the first district that’s done it. It’s actually become a very common practice. I think it’s mainly due to [financial needs]. [Teachers are] definitely worried about [the waiver]. It could affect any physical education teacher in the entire district. It could definitely affect a job.”

Health teacher Gary Popovich said he expects the amount of physical education teachers to slightly decrease in upcoming years.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” Popovich said. “We’re playing the waiting game because [this is] something we cannot control. There’s a little frustration within our department, but it’s the time that we live in. We value what we do, but the cuts [cause a little stress]. I think some people may lose their jobs. But I think [these changes are a result of] the culture of education.”

Sullivan said that while the waiver could potentially result in the loss of jobs, he feels that the waiver is simply a part of many changes that will affect the district.

“I think our department’s going to be smaller [in a couple years],” Sullivan said. “Obviously, we’re not happy about the decision mainly because it’s going to affect our numbers. [But] this decision has not changed my dedication to physical education. [Sometimes,] you have to go along [with decisions that are made]. I’m still going to be an effective teacher like I always have been.”

“Physical activity and physical education are two different things,” Brittingham said. “It’s not about lifetime wellness when they’re involved in a sport.”

However, Sullivan said students’ abilities to opt out of taking gym classes could potentially be problematic.

“I see some [issues] with [the waiver],” Sullivan said.

“What do you do with kids who are hurt? They make the team and break an ankle and then they’re out.

Should that count as an exemption?”

According to Brittingham, students’ option to forego physical education classes is not beneficial, since some students may not participate in physical activity after the end of a sports season. “[The Physical Education Department] value[s] education,” Brittingham said. “[While] the kids participating in sports are getting physical activity, physical activity and physical education are two different things.

It’s not about lifetime wellness when they’re involved in a sport. They’re missing that whole education piece.”

Physical education teacher Tiann Keesling said the changes implemented by the waiver are very disappointing because of their effects on students.

“The first day [the waiver] went into effect, I was walking down the band room hall and I heard a student yelling and screaming about how they were [happy that] they were taking marching band and didn’t have to take [physical education],” Keesling said. “As an educator, that kills me because that is my passion.”

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

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Abortion legislation a priority in Kasich’s agenda Rebekah Barnes | Staff Writer

With Governor John Kasich in office since January, his priorities regarding changes in the state have been set, with abortion issues ranked high, according to Ohio House of Representative member Lynn Wachtmann of District 75.

Abortion is a important topic, Wachtmann said, especially for the pro-life Republican representatives in the Ohio House of Representatives.

“The pro-life issues are very important to the Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives,” Wachtmann said. “So [abortion is] a very important, big issue, but it’s one of many big important issues.”

A main focus for Kasich and the state government is stimulating jobs and the economy, according to Kasich’s Deputy Press Secretary Connie Wehrkamp.

“Kasich’s number one focus…is to create jobs and restore Ohio’s reputation as a national and world economic leader,” Wehrkamp said.

Kasich has signed his first bill to law, House Bill 1, which Wehrkamp said will help stimulate jobs in Ohio with the creation of JobsOhio, a private sector focused on job creation.

Wachtmann said that there are many goals for the Ohio legislature that range from deficit problems in Ohio to Medicaid. Four bills have been introduced to the Ohio House regarding abortion since Kasich took office in January.

“The governor believes deeply in the sanctity of life and is opposed to abortion,” Wehrkamp said. “It’s

not [the governor’s] policy to take formal positions on every bill that is introduced, but the governor is supportive of ensuring every needed protection exists for unborn children.”

The bills that have been introduced include different aspects of abortion laws in Ohio. The ‘Heartbeat Bill,’ would outlaw abortion after a baby’s heartbeat is detected. The other bills concerning abortion are House Bills 63, 78 and 79. House Bill 63 would require judicial consent for minors before an abortion. House Bill 78 would revise criminal laws concerning postviability abortions and House Bill 79 would ban certain qualified health plans to cover certain abortions, according to Katheryn Steveline, Wachtmann’s legislative assistant.

Steveline said that abortion legislation is an important issue with the governor and the Ohio House and has large support in the House.

“Governor Kasich is pro-life,” Steveline said. “On the ‘Heartbeat Bill,’ there are 49 other representatives who are cosponsoring the bill with Representative Wachtmann. I’m sure that House Bills 63, 78 and 79 also have a good amount of support behind them…so I feel like [abortion legislation is] pretty important in the legislature just by the amount of bills that have been introduced.”

However, a pro-life organization, Ohio Right to Life, will not back the ‘Heartbeat Bill,’ according to Ohio Right to Life Public Relations and Communications Manager Rachel Schlater. According to Schlator, the thought that when the bill reaches the Supreme Court,

it could contradict the ruling of the 1973 trial Roe v.

Wade, which extended women’s rights to have abortions, and therefore will be declared unconstitutional.

“Ohio Right to Life is…a proponent of any legislation that will stop the practice of abortion in Ohio,” Schlater said. “We are not supporting the ‘Heartbeat bill’ because of the fact that [the bill] will get to a certain point and then be proved unconstitutional [in court]. ...The bill that we are really are supporting [is House Bill 78]. That’s the bill we are really getting behind because we believe that it will become a law; it will actually save babies’ lives.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said NARAL disagrees with steps to making abortion harder to get or eventually illegal in Ohio.

“We support the framework set out in Roe v. Wade and believe that the decision about whether to continue a pregnancy or not must be made by the women, not by judges or politicians,” Copeland said. “Outlawing abortion doesn’t make it go away, rather if makes it dangerous because some women turn to unsafe and illegal methods to end their pregnancies.”

According to Copeland in a press release, she said she disagrees with a focus towards abortion legislation so quickly in Kasich’s governor term.

“Ohio’s new legislative leadership campaigned on a promise of creating jobs and revitalizing the economy,” Copeland said. “Instead, at the first available opportunity, these politicians are pushing an anti-choice agenda that is out of touch with Ohio’s values and priorities.”

Less state focus on social studies, writing Carlie Sack | Editor in Chief

photo contributed

Sophomore Miriam Bugazia and her mother English Language Learners teacher Shahrazad Kablan attended a 1,000-person protest in front of the White House.

MIDDLE EAST: overseas protests affect MHS students continued from page 1 are providing financial and medical support to the Libyan people in Libya,” Kablan said. “We’re here fundraising and sending money, medical supplies [and] food through the borders [of] Egypt and Tunisia. …I have been under this regime for over 40 years. My people are giving up their lives, their blood and they’re not afraid. The least I can do is to provide the support that I can from here.”

The Libyan protests were inspired much by the 18 days in Egypt that changed the face of the country’s government. Junior Nadine Zaki, an Egyptian-American who said she visits Egypt every summer, said she was stunned when she first heard of the violent protests that had broken out in a place she knew so well.

“I was really shocked,” Zaki said. “I wasn’t expecting [a revolution] at all.

I go to Egypt every summer and it’s always been a place where it’s peaceful and everyone gets along with [each other]. …It’s a country I have good memories in and I don’t want to see it like that.”

In a response to the protests, Internet in Egypt was shut down for an entire week, which Zaki said only added to her worry brought about by the violence.

Zaki said her family in Egypt nearly became victims of the violence and lack of order in the capital city of Cairo.

“It’s definitely very stressful,” Zaki said. “At first, it was really hard to communicate with [family in Egypt] so it made [my family and me] really worried. Our TV was on 24/7. …My family...they almost got their car stolen and people were trying to break into their house.”

Kablan said that two of her nephews were shot as a result of their involvement and that her brother-in-law had been kidnapped in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and his whereabouts are still unknown. Kablan said that the violence her family is facing has impacted her enough that she hasn’t returned to her job as an English Language Learner teacher at Mason High School for two weeks.

“I can’t do my job while my family is being slaughtered and my people are being slaughtered in the streets,” Kablan said.

As protests continue in Libya, both Bugazia and her mother, Kablan, are fully aware of the cost that freedom will take.

“We [Libyans] know that freedom’s not free, and to be free you have to give up young souls and brave hearts,” Kablan said.

The Ohio Department of Education is decreasing emphasis on writing and social studies, according to Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Social Studies Coordinator Dan Langen. Since Curriculum Dan Langen the spring of 2010, the writing and social studies section of the Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) have been suspended, Langen said. “[The Ohio Department of Education] decided that we have big testing, both with the state [tests] and the SAT [over] language arts, science and math, and so if you have to cut, [social studies sections] were the most expendable,” Langen said.

Writing and social studies sections may not return either, according to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Amy Spicher, making the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) the only Ohio standardized test to include social studies and writing.

“We don’t know yet, but most people are estimating that [the sections] will not probably come back until 2014 [or] 2015,” Spicher said.

Despite this decreased state focus on writing and social studies, Mason City Schools has continued its previous programs in these areas and “still has a great emphasis on writing,” according to Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator Jenny May. Even though Mason City Schools continues its previous writing and social studies curriculum, Langen said his position as Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator will be eliminated next year. While Langen said the district was not out “to get

rid of social studies,” cuts had to be made, as made apparent by the district’s January announcement of a $5.8 million dollar budget cut.

“In tight economic times, you’re seeing…a contraction overall [while] social studies is viewed as not quite as essential in light of [state] testing,” Langen said.

Mason City Schools’ Board of Education President Debbie Delp also said that the decrease of state social studies standards contributed to the cut position.

“The state has dropped social studies and writing on [some] state tests, so it’s going to be [an emphasis on] math, science and language,” Delp said. “We’re eliminating one and a half [curriculum leaders], but [the elimination will be] probably in one of those areas where the demand to respond to state requirements isn’t going to be as high.”

The Ohio Department of Education places more emphasis on reading, science and math skills, according to Langen.

“What [the Ohio Department of Education] said is the state is running short on cash, so [the state] feel[s] that science, math and reading are essential,” Langen said. “You kind of get the hidden message there.”

Langen said the focus on math and science in the country can be attributed to international competitiveness and the desire for economic stimulation. “[There is a sense that] in order to drive our economy and let our economy grow, we have to be innovators, which means we need people in the math and science fields,” Langen said. “[It’s] kind of like that Sputnik era when…there was this huge amount of money in America thrown into science and math. …You get that same sense right now.”

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 PAGE 5 | C

Number of businesses in Deerfield Towne Center continues to fluctuate Samantha Weaver | Staff Writer

With the recent bankruptcy of Borders, Deerfield Towne Center is losing one of its popular places to shop, according to junior Glory Hagerty.

Hagerty said that she loved to visit Borders to do some shopping for friends or just to browse around for herself, so she will be sad to see it go.

“My friends love to read, so [Borders] has always been a good place to go to get gift cards for them if I am looking for presents,” Hagerty said. “They have a lot of books, so if I can’t find anything at the library that catches my eye I will go to Borders and can usually find [a good book] on display.”

Borders is one of the only stores that gets attention to the fact that it is gone, according to junior Chris Johnson.

“Teenagers won’t notice when most stores in [Deerfield Towne Center] leave, because there aren’t many stores [of interest] for them,” Johnson said. “Borders is [a more popular] store with students because everyone needs a book at some point.”

Borders is one of many stores to leave not the first store in Deerfield Towne Center unexpectedly, according to Johnson, who remembers when Macaroni Grill left.

Johnson said that the fact that many stores have left Deerfield Towne Center shows that some stores may not be getting the revenue that they need to keep going.

According to Johnson, teenagers will care if places of value to them move, but at the same time, they won’t care that much if a store that they aren’t interested in leaves Deerfield Towne Center.

With the fluctuation of business, there has been loss of some places that teenagers do care about in Deerfield Towne Center, according to sophomore Emily Turjanica, who said that she was upset when Deerfield Town Center lost Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and Treatery.

“I remember when Maggie Moo’s went out of business,” Turjanica said. “My family used to go there all the time and get ice cream, but then [it was] suddenly not there anymore.”

Even with losses of stores and restaurants in the past due to a bad economy, Deerfield Towne Center is doing well currently, according to Deerfield Towne Center Property Manager Lisa Chapman.

“We still have a lot of [businesses], even though there have been some [stores moving] in and out,” Chapman said.

New stores in the past year such as Charming Charlie’s and Buy Buy Baby have increased the amount of customers visiting Deerfield Towne Center, according to Chapman.

Stores do go out of business off and on, but Deerfield Towne Center will experience the addition of new frozen yogurt shop Yagoot in May, according to Chapman.

“Things are definitely improving for Deerfield Towne Center right now,” Chapman said. “And we are very excited for the way things are heading.”

One place that brings a lot of teenage business to Deerfield Towne Center is Regal Cinemas, according to Sophomore Mariana Garcia. Garcia said she goes to Deerfield Towne Center about once a month and that her favorite thing to do there is to go to Regal Cinemas with her friends.

photos by Samantha Weaver

Since Deerfield Towne Center’s construction in 2004, many businesses have opened and closed, including the now-closing Borders.

“One thing that my friends and I do a lot over the summer is walk to WalMart to get snacks, and then go to a movie at Regal,” Garcia said. “It is something that a lot of people do.”

Even though visiting Deerfield is something fairly normal for her to do, Garcia said that other teens might not feel the same way.

“There aren’t a whole lot of stores geared for teens in Deerfield Town Center, except for maybe Charming Charlie’s [and] Regal Cinemas,” Garcia said. “So it isn’t really popular with all teenagers to hang out there.”

With few stores for teenagers to

find clothes at, Deerfield Towne Center is only important to teens for entertainment purposes like going to the movies, according to Garcia.

Deerfield Towne Center is valuable for teens, but not as valuable as it is for adults, according Garcia.

“There are places for adults to find clothes and stuff they need there, so they will find [Deerfield Towne Center] important to the community,” Garcia said. “But teenagers don’t usually like the same stores that adults do, so Deerfield [Towne Center] won’t necessarily be the first place to go [to] on their list.”

English language provides common ground for globalization Ian Howard | Staff Writer

English has evolved from the commonplace language in America and Great Britain to a platform for global unification, according to junior Tania Mathews.

Mathews said that she moved from India to Mason in May 2010 after her father’s job was transferred.

“Because India was colonized by the British and [got its] independence in the nineteenth century, English is very important in India and most scholars teach all their subjects in English,” Mathews said. “We have Hindi kind of like our second language the way [Americans] learn Spanish.”

The need to learn new languages in a culturally diverse area is also similar in Switzerland, according to senior Daria Glock. Glock said that in Switzerland people speak Swiss German, which is distinct from regular German, French and Italian. Glock said that her parents are German and she learned French as a second language before learning English. However, the English language is one of those last taught in Switzerland, according to Glock. “[In Switzerland, students] started learning English very late in seventh grade and they learned German way before that,” Glock said. “So not a lot of people speak [English], but a lot of people go abroad to study it for a year or a summer.”

Before moving to America, Glock said that she learned some of her English from the American cultures that coincidentally surrounded her.

“Most of [the English I know], I learned here [in Mason] from the classes…and even watching the movies that had English subtitles, but were in French,” Glock said.

The English language’s role as a unifier is seen in South America, according to sophomore Gabrielle Nogueira. Nogueira said that he moved to America with a makeshift knowledge of English as a result of the Venezuelan education system. “[In Venezula,] we have to learn English because English is like the international language of the world,” Nogueira said.

Nogueira said that the cultural similarities between South American countries and America aided him in getting acclimated to American culture. “[Venezuela is] pretty Americanized, so it’s pretty much the same thing [culturally], except for some laws,” Nogueira said.

Mathews said that she is more comfortable speaking English than Hindi and has studied English since the age of four. However, Mathews said her knowledge of America expands outside of the classroom.

Before leaving for America, Mathews said that she had already seen many examples of American cul-

ture.

“There are a lot of American shows that come on Indian channels and they are typically in Hindi, but [the Indian networks] have all of these English shows,” Mathews said. “‘Friends’ is not necessarily the best example, but ‘Friends’ has been airing in India for as [long] as I can remember.”

Despite the changes that it entails, moving to a different country and learning English is important, according to Glock.

“When [my family] moved to the United States, I was pretty excited because it was just another language to learn and [a chance for a] new experience and it was fun,” Glock said. “Most people in the world speak English, so for my parents, it was very important for me...to know [English].”

While Mathews said that she is happy that she got the chance to live in America and learn the culture and the language even further, it does not shake her resolve to go back home.

“Since [my father’s transfer will last] three years, I might have to stay back [in the U.S.] to finish my college education,” Mathews said. “But then I will be going back [to India]. I’ve always kind of wanted to come [to America] just to visit the place. But, I am definitely very patriotic, so I want to go back [to India].”

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Contact Information The Chronicle William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. Mason, Ohio 45040 398-5025 The Chronicle Staff Editor In Chief Carlie Sack Associate Editor Beena Raghavendran Editor Intern Julia Halpin Online Editor Janie Simonton Business/Circulation Manager Cady Meece Technical/Graphic Manager Jami Bechard Editorial Cartoonist Ajay Agrawal Staff Writers Rebekah Barnes Katelyn Cain Miranda Carney Thom Carter Bobby Gibler Ian Howard Janica Kaneshiro Megan McCormack James Nosek Joseph Spencer Samantha Weaver Adviser Dale Conner

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

Editorial Cartoon

Staff Editorial

Important world issues change, students remain aloof With complicated world issues arising in Libya and other Middle Eastern countries and state issues concerning the adjustments to and the agenda of a new governor, adults have plenty of good topics to argue about. We high school students, too, have concerns about where our world is going, right?

Maybe not. We aren’t uncaring people, but, as students, we’re sometimes sheltered from hard-hitting news. It’s like attending school has put us in a secluded bubble that we can’t see past in order to care about the “big issues.”

Sometimes, we don’t even know what is happening on the outside at all.

Anyone can be well-informed, be it in suburbia or in a big city. But, for the students who spend seven hours each day in a classroom, worldly topics are often filtered out before they even reach our ears by topics that more closely concern us.

Maybe we feel that, as students, these “big issues” adults are always concerned about may not directly affect us, and so our concern is lacking. These issues are affecting the very world we live in and we just accept it as normal, not noticing the effects on us.

We just hear from our parents a little of what’s happening in snippets at dinner or around the house; rather than reading or watching the news, our outlet for information is Facebook.

The information we get is something every one of our friends will care about: information that is tailored to us. True,

this information gained from random Facebook statuses is relevant to us, but this knowledge is not exactly necessary for us to understanding our changing world.

How often is there a status update about the freedoms being restricted by governments in the Middle East or new legislation passed in Ohio? The truth is we don’t know because we don’t read those kinds of statuses; we don’t get that kind of information. We hear about the difficult homework in chemistry class or about a classmate’s weekend vacation because those are the issues that visibly affect us.

We have the opportunity to obtain any information that we want through the Internet, yet we set Facebook as our home pages instead of CNN.com. Why? Because Facebook gives us information about us and our friends: seemingly important things.

Outside of our school lives an ever-changing world that we miss because we remain sheltered in the confines of our high school.

When there’s a violent suppression of protestors in Libya, we hear about it surely, but there’s so much distance between us and the heart of the conflict that we don’t think it will affect us. The information goes ignored.

Few of us even realize that filling up our cars with gas is more expensive and can be traced to the conflict in Libya. Ohio Governor John Kasich is making many changes to our state, including legislation regarding job creation, abortion legislation and various policies regarding education and workers’ rights. Our world is changing, a world that we will eventually have to become a part of, and we don’t even realize it.

Our schooling remains the same despite the radical changes happening overseas and pending state legislation, for the most part.

High school is said to be a time to concentrate on grades and athletics.

It’s about reaching milestones and “finding ourselves.” We do homework, play school sports and, the rest of the time, we’re either sleeping or in class.

If something isn’t directly affecting our school lives, then it’s likely we won’t even know it’s even happening. All of these things keep us trapped under rocks where we cannot relate to the news that is really affecting us.

It’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that we’re uninformed. We keep track of our own homework schedules, practice schedules and personal agendas, along with our friends’.

In a matter of years, we will enter a world that is constantly changing.

Because of our packed schedules, we stick to retaining the information that seems to directly impact us, sometimes ignoring some of the most important changes in our community and our world.

Email feedback.chronicle@gmail. com to have your voice heard.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

C OPINION

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Column

Dating the bad boy: relationship happiness stems from picking the right guy

ers to serve him alcohol, though he’s just 16, he gets kicked out of schools, runs away to hotels, talks to prostitutes; he is entirely I want to date “bad.” Yes, I know he might not be good for Holden Caulfield. me, but that’s irrelevant. I can fix him. With Nothing too serious a healthy dose of my optimistic attitude, or fancy, just a casual Holden will be out of juvenile delinquency relationship where he and on to a promising life where he can use listens to my insight that sophisticated and intelligent mind of and loves me unconhis for the greater good. Oh, the potential ditionally. Like I said, he has. nothing too serious.

For those of you who opted out of reading While I would love to embark on this assigned books your junior year or for any romantic escapade with him, Holden is fictional. He is only a figure in my mind underclassmen, my dream boy is the narrator of the infamous “Catcher in the Rye.” made up to be someone I could date. The sad thing is, girls in high school seem to He’s mysterious, confused, rebellious, and have this same “I will fix you” attitude when overall, the epitome of the bad boy. finding real boys to date during their teenAnd I want to date him. age years.

Girls seem to like that cliché “bad boy” The “bad boy” stereotype is intriguing; I aspect that some males posess. Holden’s got that going for him. He persuades a bartend- get that. But let’s face it ladies, how likely is Julia Halpin | Staff Writer

it that our bad boy will change just because we’re around? Continually, teenage girls seem to come up with this sad idea that even if we know a guy is bad for us, we can still have a relationship with him in hopes that he’ll become our Prince Charming. The cliché leather-jacket-and-motorcycle characteristics portrayed in movies like “Freaky Friday” and even on TV’s “Gilmore Girls” makes it seem like these boys will just fall in love with persuading teenage girls and come out changed men.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but it’s just not going to happen.

It’s a fantasy only appropriate for me and Holden, really. He’s from a book, which means I will never dive into this fake realm

In each issue, you will find two columns in print and two columns on our online companion, The Chronline.

Keep up with your favorite columnist on The Chronline at

Column

Seniors stuck between diligence and senioritis

Janie Simonton | Staff Writer

I don’t know how to feel.

I’ve spent the last 11 trimesters of high school consumed with AP courses, frantic trips to Edline and four a.m. wake-up calls to finish the homework I couldn’t get to the night before. Granted, I’m a control freak. I need to know when everything is happening and why it’s happening. But I’m also obedient to a fault. Tell me to do something, and I’ll do it. I hate breaking the rules.

But here we are. The twelfth and conclusive trimester of high school is finally nigh, and the way I’ve functioned during the last eleven may cease to be relevant. You see, I’m torn between remaining the way I’ve always been and

C

Andrew Kenniston, sophomore

www.masoncomets.org/features/chronicle/

loosening up a little, because colleges don’t see my grades this trimester. So, realistically, I should be fine abandoning my devotion to schoolwork and reveling in my ability to, finally, kick back and relax.

But, I don’t know if I can.

How can something that’s been so inherent, and such a way of life for long, simply not be necessary anymore? If I can get by not submerging myself in my work, then why should I? Yet, I can’t bring myself to.

I’m sitting here, like Buridan’s donkey, paradoxically stuck between the temptation of the satisfaction of hard work and the pleasure of being carefree.

And, frankly, it scares me.

When something has been a part of me for so long, I’m not sure how easy it will be to abandon it just for a good time. Is it sensible, in the last fragment of my adolescence, to completely change who I am?

W h at Y o u T h i n k

“Doing a sport… with all the preparation [and] all the conditioning and cardio is basically the same as [physical eduaction]. …[Sports] could be detracting from [physical education] itself, especially if you do multiple sports.”

of dating a bad boy. Girls in high school need to come to this same conclusion about the boys they pick to date. Just because a guy seems intriguing and dangerous never means he will treat you right, be nice to your parents or talk to your friends.

Try picking a “nice guy” for once. Even if movies and entertainment have made that category of males to be boring and weird, changing a boy is never going to work out like girls have it dreamed up in their heads to be. Nice guys will be the ones that your dads will actually appreciate, that will come inside the house rather than honking from the driveway and maybe will make your high school years a little happier.

How will the physical education exemption affect students next year?

“I think people…that can get out of [physical education] are going to be really happy that they don’t have to take [it] anymore.”

Sarah Hibner, sophomore

“The quality of the [phyiscal education] class might drop because usually…athletes are the ones who bring up the physical quality of that... class. …[Athletes] do well in those classes.”

Lahiru Wimalasena, junior

“It’ll just make [students] think that [physical education] class isn’t as…important; it’s just a filler. [Students will] have more space for other stuff [they] would rather do.”

Maddy Baehre, sophomore

“I feel like [students will] treat [physical education] as more of a joke and, if they do take it, it would be just something like a slack-off class.”

Johnson Thomas, freshman

I don’t know yet.

The jury’s still out.

But, then again, I’m still in high school. We all are. As much as we’d like to believe we’re adults, we’re not yet. We may be at the cusp, but our lives aren’t so serious yet that every decision we make requires months of planning. So you know what? It’s okay that I don’t know how this last trimester is going to play out. It’s okay if you don’t know where you’re going to college yet. I say, in this last puff of time we have here, we make a decision of indecision. This is the apex of our youth, the last time we can push off making a decision and get away with it. So, let’s take things day by day, not worrying about the decisions we have to make, and, instead, stopping to smell the Spunkmeyers wafting through the commons, in our last chance to do so before we have to grow up.

“[Physical education] was never very useful to [athletes], because if [they]’re in a sport, [phyiscal education is] more of a waste [of] time where [a student] could be practicing that sport or using that time to study.”

Tori Blakeman, freshman

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

SPORTS C Wrestlers, swimmers hope state experience equates to future state titles

How ‘Sweet 16’ it is

TRACKER

GMC All-Conference Awards

First Team All-GMC Junior Ruben Victoria (Weight Class 103) Senior Brian Luria (112) Senior Jacob Mescher Senior Brian Luria (145) Junior Eoin Walden (152) Second Team All-GMC Senior Jeremy Artrip (119) Junior Jorge Gonzales (125) Senior Aaron Walden (160) Junior Jake Suess (171) Senior Erich Myers (285)

Boys’ Swimming & Diving

photo contributed by David A. Moodie

Senior Sarah Hunter cuts down the net to celebrate her team’s district title on Saturday.

Comets hammer Centerville to capture district title

Joseph Spencer | Staff Writer

Freshman Zoe Thatcher continued her first high school swimming season with a finish of third at the state meet in the 500-yard freestyle, with a time of 4:52:27.

“I was extremely happy with my finish in the 500,” Thatcher said. “I finished very close to the two top girls in the state.”

While Thatcher swam well, she admitted to having some nerve problems at her first state meet. “[Because it was] my first state meet, I could feel the pressure from the meet and the atmosphere,” Thatcher said. “I was…slightly intimidated by the girl who finished first, because she is going to be swimming in the Olympic trials this summer,” Thatcher said.

These two medal-earning finishes by Thatcher helped Mason get sixth place overall at the competition. The team finish was also helped by a fifth-place finish by junior Morgan Emter in the 100-yard breaststroke and a seventh-place finish by the 200-yard medley relay. The team consisted of freshman Maureen Sullivan, junior Morgan Emter, senior Katie Heywood, and senior Betsy Stemple.

Another point-receiver was sophomore Madeline Sewell who finished fifth in the diving competition.

Varsity head coach Mark Sullivan said he was also shocked at his team’s great finish.

“We had an outstanding state meet,” Sullivan said. “We were a very inexperienced team and finishing so high [was] great. We got many points from all sides of the meet [in] swimming and diving.”

TEAM

Wrestling

Joseph Spencer | Staff Writer

Thatcher satisfied with first state

Representin’ the

PAGE 9 | C

Senior wrestler Brian Luria ended his high school career with 32 wins, 11 losses, 14 pins and a seventh place finish in the 112 lb. weight class.

Three wrestlers place at state

At this year’s state wrestling tournament on March 4 and 5, the varsity wrestling team placed three team members at the state meet.

Seniors Brian Luria, 112 pounds, and Aaron Walden, 160 pounds, placed seventh in their respective weight classes. While junior Ruben Victoria placed third in the 103-pound weight class. This was a big year for the team at state, according to Luria.

Being at state for the first time can be very intimating for first-time wrestlers, Luria said, who was attending his second state meet.

Coach Craig Murnan said the inexperience of the team and the change in setting that can impact wrestlers did not affect his wrestlers as much it could have.

Overall, the team broke the team goals set at the beginning of the season, according to Murnan.

“At the beginning of the season and going into the state meet with [the wrestlers] who qualified, we wanted to beat the school record and place three [wrestlers] in one year,” said Murnan. “We were able to do that this year with Walden and Luria finishing seventh and Victoria finishing third. This was an amazing feat for our program and will benefit us in the years to come.”

Katelyn Cain | Staff Writer

The girls’ basketball team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back defeating Centerville 57-41 in Saturday’s district finals.

With the win the Comets advanced to play in the regional semi-final Tuesday, March 8 agsinst Kettering Fairmont.

The Elks made a couple comebacks but were never able to close the gap, according to head coach Rob Matula.

“We were feeling pretty good because we had a nice lead pretty much the whole game,” Matula said. “At one point, we were leading by 16 points and it was cut to eight, so that was nerve-racking, but I never thought that we were going to lose.”

According to senior point guard Sarah Hunter, this district was a great accomplishment for the team because the team has had a tougher season than two years ago; the last time they won the district finals.

“This season has been harder [than two seasons ago], but we’ve had the best possible team to take it on,” Hunter said. “It feels even better that we’ve made it this far because we’ve worked harder for it.”

According to Hunter, this district win is getting them one step closer to the team’s goal -- the final four.

“After the game, I felt so proud that we were actually getting to where we wanted to go, because one of our goals is to make it to the final four,” Hunter said.

Matula said he was proud of his team for achieving such a tremendous accomplishment.

“I’m just proud of the girls,” Matula said. “They’ve worked very hard since the beginning of October to now, and to see that their hard work is paying off, it makes you feel good.”

Matula said that going into the regional finals; he just wants the team to appreciate how far they’ve come.

“I [want them] to enjoy this point and how far they’ve come,” Matula said. “They should understand that it’s only a game, and if we play as well as we’re capable of playing, then we’ll have a chance to win [regionals].”

First Team All-GMC Sophomore Sean Sargent (1-meter diving) Second Team All-GMC Sophomore Eric Chen Sophomore Sean (200-yard Individual Sargent Medly (I.M.)) Third Team All-GMC 200-yard medley relay Honorable Mention Senior Jacob Grant (1-meter diving, 200yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay)

Girls’ Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year Mark Sullivan Athlete of the Year Freshman Zoe Thatcher First Team All-GMC Freshman Zoe 200 yard medley relay Thatcher Thatcher (200-yard freestyle) Senior Betsy Stemple (50-yard freestyle) Sophomore Madeline Sewell (1-meter diving) Thatcher (500-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay) Junior Morgan Emter (100-yard breastroke, 400-yard freestyle relay) Second Team All-GMC Junior Morgan Emter (200-yard I.M.) Junior Megan Helwagen (1-meter diving) Senior Katie Heywood (100-yard butterfly) Senior Abigail Allen (100-yard backstroke) Third Team All-GMC Junior Breanne Keenan (200-yard I.M.) Sophomore Emily Faas (100-yard freestyle) Freshman Autumn Carter (500-yard freestyle) Honorable Mention Allen (200-yard I.M.) Junior Brittany Shaw (50-yard freestyle) Freshman Sydney Carr (1-meter diving) Freshman Maureen Sullivan (100-yard backstroke)

C | PAGE 10

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

Six seniors on the ice hockey team are more than just teammates; they are the

James Nosek | Staff Writer

After tension and a confrontation at the ice hockey team’s practice before the Miami

Tournament in December, coach John Benham challenged his team to be like Mason’ High School’s football team, according to senior goalie Dan Roy. He wanted his hockey team to act and perform like the football team in terms of its hard work, dedication and the theory of a family. Benham said that a real team doesn’t operate without these qualities; its team members don’t fight with each other, according to Roy. Then Benham mentioned the word “brotherhood” to the team, which has stuck ever since.

Roy said that the team wants to be just like the football team, meaning it tries to incorporate pigskin philosophies into the world of hockey.

“We want to bring that element of [hard work and family] into hockey,” Roy said.

The Mason football team was not the only influence in the making of this hockey brotherhood. Another brotherhood served has a muse as well, according to left wing senior Jon Gruseck: the Miami University ice hockey team.

“The brotherhood was also developed [with inspiration from] the Miami University [hockey team], which is also a brotherhood; so we…adapted that [to our team],” Gruseck said.

This idea of brotherhood helped the Comets accomplish a 17-3-2 regular season record, giving them a spot in the state tournament as they clinched second place in the city, according to captain senior DJ Smith.

Gruseck said the team has become very close since the transition to the brotherhood; it helped the team bond on and off the ice. The team chemistry has improved tremendously and is stronger than ever since the implementation of the brotherhood philosophy, according to Smith. Senior left wing Mat Fischer said that they have seen this strong team chemistry on the ice as well.

“We know [as a team] where we are all going to be [on the ice],” Fischer said.

Senior defenseman Ryan McVey said the chemistry makes it easy to atone for each others’ mishaps.

“If we are down in a game, it is so easy to pick each

other up,” McVey said.

When put up against other teams in the league, Gruseck said that other schools’ team chemistry does not even compare to Mason’s. “[I think we are] a lot closer [to one another] than other teams [are to their teammates] because...our team

photo by Jami Bechard From left: seniors Mat Fischer, Dan Roy, Jon Gruseck, Ryan McVey, DJ Smith, Chris Rupp.

is strictly Mason players,” Gruseck said. “A lot of other teams are combination of multiple schools. [For example,] Princeton and Wyoming are all one team.”

Within the brotherhood of the team lies another

brotherhood, the seniors which Roy refers to as the “big brothers” on the team. The “big brothers” consist of Smith, Gruseck, Roy, McVey, Fischer and forward Chris Rupp. They have been friends since the first grade and have been on the same hockey team since the seventh grade, according to Gruseck.

Gruseck said that his “brothers” have gotten very close with each other over the years and that this relationship with his teammates has improved their team cohesiveness exponentially. He said that they get to trust each other on the ice and know what each other is thinking. “[When] you have played with [the same people] for so long, you know what they [can and cannot] do,” Gruseck said. “[It has created] great chemistry; we know each others’ strengths and weaknesses.”

According to Roy, the members of the senior brotherhood are all going their separate ways after high school.

But Roy said that even though the “big brothers” will be all over the country, the idea of brotherhood, which they helped start, needs to continue in the program.

“What we are really trying to do is just hand down the brotherhood [to the next teams to play for Mason],” Roy said. “Where it goes for us isn’t as big [of] a deal as keeping [a brotherhood] with Mason Hockey.”

Smith said that this brotherhood, regardless of distance, will keep in touch.

“We will keep in touch [during the] summer and [during] breaks,” Smith said. “We’ll definitely play some puck together.”

photos by Jami Bechard

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 PAGE 11 | C

Trading Punches

e c i t c a r p t a , e m i t e n o s So, thi

Sports injuries range from common fractures and breaks to more unusual ones Katelyn Cain | Staff Writer

When most athletes get injured, students hear stories about broken legs and arms, stress fractures and pulled muscles. And when they hear how these injuries happened, most of the time it’s usually the result of a bad fall. But for some athletes, the injuries they got and the way they got them are just plain weird.

Broken Collarbone

Concussion

Seth Schwartz, senior Sport: football

Nick Whitmore, sophomore Sport: cross country

Although senior Seth Schwartz said he is “very devoted to Judaism,” he decided to skip services for Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday, in order to play against Colerain in the biggest game of his freshman football season.

According to Schwartz, the day started with Jewish services and a P.F. Chang’s fortune cookie that read, “Today is a great day, and one of your greatest moments is soon to come,” and ended with Schwartz breaking his collarbone during the game.

“We had scored a touchdown and were going for two, and, as I was throwing, a kid came and hit me and I landed on my collarbone, which I later found out was broken,”

Sophomore Nick Whitmore got a concussion -- while running in a cross country race.

“I was running in a race and ran into a tree,” Whitmore said. “I couldn’t remember anything after that, like who I was or what my life was like. I couldn’t remember anything until 11 days afterward.

After [that], I woke up and began realizing things like Cheerios don’t go on plates and common sense stuff like that.”

Whitmore said that he knows that getting a running concussion is no ordinary thing.

“I was on the Internet looking up things about concussions and [found that] it’s really weird to get a concussion from running, obviously, so it’s a really rare injury,” Whitmore said.

Dislocated Knee Cap

Eye Injury

Erica Boden, sophomore Sport: cross country Sophomore cross country runner Erica Boden dislocated her knee cap during the 2009 season, leaving her out of running for seven months.

“It was July 27, 2009, and I had waffles for breakfast,” Boden said.

“I was at cross country practice in the morning and it was raining.

We were warming up before our run and we started to do karaoke, [a stretch similar to the grapevine].

Halfway we’re supposed to turn and do karaoke facing the other side, and as I was turning my right foot remained planted while the rest of my body turned...and I fell.”

According to Boden, she not only

photo by Katelyn Cain photo art by Jami Bechard

Jake Roehm, junior Sport: Nerf Wars fell; she also dislocated her knee cap.

“I was lying on the ground and I tried to get up, but then I looked down and I saw that my knee cap was on the side of my leg,” Boden said. “Then I went to the hospital... and...they slid it back into place.”

Boden said that after it happened, the cross country team ran to her house for practice to see how she was doing.

“Three days after it happened, my whole cross country team ran to my house, which was awesome since I was a freshman,” Boden said. “They all stood in my yard and it made me feel really special,.”

Nerf Wars is a time-honored tradition at Mason High School, filled with strategy, action, stealth and even injuries, according to junior Jake Roehm. During last year’s Nerf Wars, Roehm said he suffered an eye injury.

“During Nerf Wars, [my team] use[d] PVC pipes [instead of guns], and I was trying to tug [one] away from my friend,” Roehm said. “[But] then he let go of it, and it went straight into my eye. I had to get six stitches in my bottom eyelid and two on the top.”

Roehm said that getting injured during Nerf Wars is not something that he thinks happens often.

“Not many people get pipes shoved in their eyes, and not many people get injured playing Nerf Wars,” Roehm said.

Outside the Lines...

SPORTS IN PRINT

SPORTS IN VIDEO GAMES

Michael Oher, the offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens and the inspiration for the film, “The Blind Side,” takes on a new challenge in his life: writing his first book. In “I Beat the Odds,” Michael Oher collaborates with Don Yaeger to tell the story of all the positives and negatives he has faced in his life. It tells his experiences before and after the Hollywood blockbuster and is in stores now.

3-D technology has come to movies, television and now video games.

Madden NFL Football for the Nintendo 3DS, to be released on March 27, brings favorite players to life in 3D. In Madden NFL Football, whether the player is a Rookie or an All-Pro, there are three types of play-calling options that provide the right amount of depth for every player, and with the Call Your Shots feature and the 3DS Touch Screen, players can draw your own plays right on the field, enabling calling of plays at the line of scrimmage.

-compiled by James Nosek

-compiled by Katelyn Cain

SPORTS ON TELEVISION On March 18, a new movie will hit theaters: “Win Win.” “Win Win” chronicles the story of a boy who goes to live with his grandfather after his mother disappears because of drug problems. The local wrestling coach takes him in as his own son and the boy turn out to be a fantastic wrestler with hopes of using his sport as a means to get to a better life.

-compiled by Joseph Spencer

Due to a recent change in athletic budget, the University of California has decided to eliminate men’s baseball and men’s gymnastics, but not women’s lacrosse and women’s gymnastics. Was this decision influenced by Title IX, although the university maintains that it was not?

Because the university decided to cut two men’s sports rather than Katelyn Cain women’s sports, it shows that the university was influenced by Title IX. When making a decision regarding athletics and which sports to cut, a school can’t not consider Title IX, because under this title, the college has to make sure that women aren’t discriminated against.

In this case, the University of California wanted to make sure that female athletes didn’t feel like they were automatically going to get their sports cut because of their sex.

Bull! This is a direct influence by Title IX. You would not cut sports that have Joseph Spencer a higher attendance and that have won national titles. That’s right, University of California baseball has won two national championships and the gymnastics team has won four national titles. Title IX is a direct cause of this cut.

I think it is a risk to take away two sports programs, James Nosek one including a big, mainstream sport, like baseball, to keep lacrosse and gymnastics. But I believe they are doing the best for the university and I would love to watch some women’s lacrosse.

photos by Beena Raghavendran

Coach’s Corner Kelly Wones Head Gymnastics Coach Fifth Year Head gymnastics coach Kelly Wones led the team to three straight Cincinnati City Championships, where it set a new school record of 139.075 points. According to Wones, her coaching motto is simple.

“It’s an inside joke with my team [to say], ‘repeat after me: yes, coach,’” Wones said. “On [a] more serious side, [my motto is], ‘the one who thinks he can and the one who thinks he can’t are both right.’”

-compiled by Katelyn Cain -photo contributed by Mason Sports Information Director Dan Hillen

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The

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 PAGE 13 | C

not-so-nuclear family

Janica Kaneshiro | Staff Writer

The television show “Modern Family,” which airs Wednesday nights on ABC, has served as an introduction to the lives of everyday modern families all around the U.S., such as blended families and homosexual-couple families which are featured on the show, according to senior Kenny McNulty. For Kenny, having two moms makes his family a modern one, though he said his family isn’t much different from a family with heterosexual parents.

“Life is really no different,” Kenny said. “I’ve just known [a lifestyle with homosexual parents] for so long; it’s really never been a problem.

[My moms] both work, so they’re both out of the house most of the time. They both cook and share duties like that, so it’s really no different than having a mom and a dad.”

Sophomore Ryan McNulty, Kenny’s brother, said he also feels his family is no different than a family with heterosexual parents. He said that marriage is something that is based on love, not whether or not the state allows it.

“Marriage isn’t by law,” Ryan said. “It’s based on who you love, not a signed sheet of paper.”

Freshman Greer Kirk-Shook was born into a

two-mom family and she said people think that’s a distinctive fact about her.

“Most people think it’s cool and unique because they don’t know many people with two parents of the same gender,” Greer said.

One of Greer’s moms, Libby Kirk-Shook said that while many people are accepting about her lifestyle as they are to Greer, she has run into problems with people even in Greer’s lifetime.

“When Greer was a baby, we had gotten a babysitter, and we didn’t explain our family situation because I don’t always think that’s necessary,” Libby said. “Well, shortly after babysitting for us, she stopped answering our calls and stopped babysitting for us. I guess it was because she was a Christian and it was against her belief[s].”

Junior Austin Storie also has a two-mom family and though he wasn’t born into it, his half-brother was. Jennifer McKettrick, Storie’s mom, said that even though her family may be a modern one, as parents, the McKettricks have the same ultimate goal as opposite-sex parents.

“We’re just a different family doing the same thing every family does,” McKettrick said. “All families are different, and we’re just doing the best we can to raise beautiful children.”

“Life is really no different” for Mason’s modern

the Storie/McKettrick family

the Morgan/McNulty/ Waddell family Janica Kaneshiro | Staff Writer

The creation of Kenny and Ryan’s modern family began when their mom divorced their dad. After the divorce was final, Kenny said his mom confronted him about her sexuality.

“Not too long after [the divorce], my mom pulled me aside, and told me she was a lesbian, and it didn’t bother me,” Kenny said. “I remember telling her, ‘As long as you’re happy, Mom, I’m okay with that.’

That made her happy because she was afraid [I] would be more hesitant toward hearing that [she was a lesbian].”

Shortly after the divorce, Kenny’s mom, Karen Morgan, said she entered a partnership with longtime neighbor and friend, Kim Morgan. From the partnership, Kenny gained three new stepsisters, including senior Andrea Waddell.

“It’s actually kind of interesting and fun because you get to learn different things and understand different life lessons [than kids with heterosexual parents],” Waddell said.

Ryan said that the biggest life lessons he’s learned from having two moms is openmindedness. “[Kids with heterosexual parents] wouldn’t learn to be as open to any opportunity or situation,” Ryan said. “There are exceptions. There are people with hetero-

sexual parents who understand things outside of their family, but most people aren’t [exposed] to this [kind of situation] until later in their life, so they’re more hostile towards it.”

Morgan said the decision to come out after being married and having children was a difficult one, but one that changed her life for the better.

“I came to realize a truth about myself that I had kept buried, and, at that point, I didn’t know what to do,” Morgan said. “But after struggling a lot, I realized I had to be true to myself. I chose to live honestly and end my marriage and be with Kim. The way I describe it to people is that my life went from black-and-white to color. Falling in love with her was a profound difference for me.

It was a new awareness that changed who I was.”

Though gay marriage isn’t legal in Ohio, Kenny, Ryan and Waddell’s moms had a marriage ceremony in their backyard to symbolize their commitment to each other. “[My moms are] in a partnership,”

families

photo by Janica Kaneshiro photo art by Jami Bechard

The Morgan/McNulty/Wadell family. Back row, from left: senior Andrea Waddell, Morgan Waddell, Karen Morgan, Kim Morgan, Meredith Waddell front row, first from left: senior Kenny McNulty; front row, third from left: sophomore Ryan McNulty; first row, from left: senior Kenny McNulty, Justine McNulty, sophomore Ryan McNulty.

“We’re just a different Kenny said. “We had a whole thing in the backyard. [Gay marriage is] not legal here in Ohio, but they’ve had a ceremony. So, to them they’re married, but legally, they’re not.”

Waddell said the wedding ceremony between her moms was an emotional experience that had all the elements of any traditional ceremony.

“We had [around] 50 people come,” Waddell said. “The kids sat up front, and everyone else sat in the back. There was a priest, and [my moms] united with rings like any other marriage. It was kind of emotional. It was really loving and everyone was happy.”

Since his mom’s partnership, Kenny said his opinion of gay marriage has changed,

When Storie was four years old, his modern family began to take shape when his parents got divorced and his mom remarried a woman.

McKettrick said that though samesex marriage isn’t legal in Ohio, 11 years ago she and Cheryl McKettrick had a wedding ceremony at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church. Storie said that while the wedding was a good experience, the pastor who married his moms ran into people with religious objections to marrying a same-sex couple. “[My moms] had a ceremony, and it was good, but the priest actually got fired because he married them,” Storie said. “At that point, [the Presbyterian Church] didn’t believe in gay marriage.

There was this big Presbyterian case about whether he should keep his job or not and he won, but he quit right after because he didn’t want to belong to the church anymore.”

McKettrick said she’d like the right to be married because she doesn’t understand the benefit of having laws against same-sex marriages.

“Gay rights are plain old citizen rights,” McKettrick said. “There are about 1,500 legal benefits to married couples that we don’t get. I could be on my eighth [heterosexual] marriage and have more rights than my partner and I do after being together for 11 years.

the Kirk-Shook family Janica Kaneshiro | Staff Writer

family

doing the same thing

every family does.”

but he said understands it is a complicated issue.

“Before [my moms got married], I really didn’t have an opinion on [gay marriage] because I was so young, but after seeing my mothers, and how much they love each other and how much they want to be together, I’m a strong advocate for gay rights and gay marriage,” Kenny said. “I really wish [governments would] make it a standard, but it’s a little harder than that.”

Waddell said that the fact that she has two moms doesn’t make her home life any different and she treats her stepmom like any other typical stepparent.

“There’s nothing really different,” Waddell said. “At night, we sit down to dinner all together. We all watch TV together. We

all help each other out. We make breakfast in the morning and all sit together.

It’s kind of the same. I ask to go places to my stepmom. She’s pretty much like any traditional stepparent.”

Morgan said she thinks when it comes down to it, love is what’s truly matters.

“What are really important in life are your relationships,” Morgan said. “The fact that both Kim and I happen to be women isn’t as important. What’s important is that we care for each other. What played into my decision [to be with Kim] is if I’m happy, then I’m going to be a better mom.

Being with her, I knew was a better place to be. It helped me in terms of my relationship with my kids.”

I’d just like to have the same rights as every else.”

McKettrick said that besides feeling discrimination under the law, she has, at times, experienced it in Mason as well.

“A good example [of discrimination] is something we’ve run into in Mason,” McKettrick said. “We can have a family pass to Kings Island and a family membership at Lifetime, but we aren’t allowed to join the [Mason] community center as a family. We also can’t have a family pass to the Mason pool. We have to buy individual passes or something like that. To me, that’s unfair. I pay taxes here, but [the community has] have a very narrow definition of what a family is sometimes.”

McKettrick said she is understanding that people have differing opinions, but her lifestyle isn’t all that different from the heterosexual couples surrounding her.

“I respect people’s different religious views or political views on this topic, but it’s all about being fair and equitable in the United States [when it comes to law],” McKettrick said. “We’re grown adult women. There’s nothing deviant about our situation. We live a very suburban life, and we do the same things our neighbors do.”

Greer said she has never viewed having two moms as abnormal because she was born into a two-mom family.

“Well, [my moms] were together before [having me],” Greer said. “They wanted a kid, so they used a sperm donor and through that, they had me.”

Libby Kirk-Shook, one of Greer’s mothers, said she and her partner Michelle decided to have a child because, like any opposite-sex couple, they wanted to have their own family.

“Back when I grew up, a lot of people assumed if they were gay, they kind of accepted the fact that they couldn’t have kids,” Libby said.

“After we had been together for a while, I said I had always wanted children and so did Michelle, so we just decided

to have a baby. We found out my insurance covered a lot of procedures needed, and we went to a sperm bank. Then, we had Greer.”

Greer said her family is just like any heterosexual couple family.

“Well, [having two moms] is just normal to me,” Greer said. “We just act like a regular family, but with all girls.”

As a parent, Libby said she’s seen Greer benefit from having two moms.

“I think [Greer is] very tolerant of a lot of people, which is funny because she hasn’t really experienced any intolerance towards her,” Libby said.

“She never tried to hide that [she has two mothers], and we raised her that way. She knows you shouldn’t be ashamed of anything. We just try to tell her, ‘Don’t judge people. Let everyone live their life the way they see fit.’”

As for Libby, she said she doesn’t see why people oppose gay marriage.

“As far as whole marriage thing, I know a lot of people are against it, and I don’t really understand how my getting married will affect them,” Libby said.

Libby said one of the biggest misunderstandings about homosexuals is the choice in the matter. She said that choice for her doesn’t lie in being gay but instead in being happy.

“Well, I feel like you have to be true to yourself,” Libby said. “Some people think being gay is a choice, and I can honestly say the only choice I made is to make myself happy.

I chose to live this lifestyle, but I didn’t make a choice to be gay. It is just the way I feel.

[It’s the] same as a person who has a feeling that red is their favorite color.”

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” d e r i w “ i’m

Megan McCormack | Staff Writer

Since Apple, Inc. launched it in late 2001, the iPod has evolved from the classic iPod to the Shuffle, the Nano and, most recently, the iTouch. As our technology has advanced, more and more people have iPods on their persons at all times, becoming “wired” to the devices, according to sophomore Kyle Bonomoni.

Bonomoni said that the iPod and its headphones have become standard accessories for students walking through the hallways of Mason High School.

“[I see people with iPods in the halls] every day,” Bonomoni said. “I always listened to music outside of school, and…when I first got to high school, I saw a lot of kids [listening to their iPods].”

Music has always had the ability to influence emotions, according to junior Caleb Steege.

He said that he feels content when listening to his music, which is why he so often sports his headphones in the halls.

“I feel content or happy [when listening to my music],” Steege said. “I guess the sounds of the music just kind stimulate me or the lyrics make me happy, something like that.”

Junior Dani Doucette said that, like Steege, music makes her feel better and relieves her stress while in school or working on school work. She said that classical music helps her focus because she’s not listening to lyrics to distract her from her work. “[Listening to music is] very stress-relieving,” Doucette said. “[Music] gives me a song in my head which usually calms me down. …

And usually, if I’m doing a project, I’ll listen to just orchestra or classical music. Because [of lyrics in songs], I start focusing on [the lyrics] and lose focus [on what I’m doing].”

Sophomore Brooks Strosnider said that music puts him in a better mood, as well, and comforts him while he’s at school. He said he feels more focused when listening to his iPod through the halls. “[I] feel good when I listen to my iPod,” Strosnider said. “I’m happier [and] more relaxed than [I would be] walking through the halls doing nothing. Music is uplifting. When I’m not listening to my music, I’m just pretty much walking, not thinking about anything.

But when I am listening to music, I can listen and think at the same time.”

Bonomoni, like Strosnider, said that for the most part, music relaxes him. He also said, though, that he has different types of music for different moods. “[What I’m listening to] depends on my mood. …I have a lot of songs for different moods,” Bonomoni said. “If I’m trying to get pumped up, I have a certain song. But, [in general, music] just calms me down.”

Sophomore Carrie Vorbroker said that during high school, music is a constant in a world that is always changing which can relax students in stressful situations.

“With high school, there are a lot of things going on, and there [are] a lot of choices that you have to make for yourself,” Vorbroker said. “So, if [music] is constant and…you know [it] calms you down, it can help relieve some of those stresses and some of those worries and the chaos of everything else that’s going on.”

Doucette said that because more students are listening to their iPods in school, our generation is more connected to music because of how it makes students feel. “[Listening to iPods in school] shows not only that we’re more electronically-hooked to music, but it just defines who we are, like how…we just love listening to different things,” Doucette said.

Strosnider also said that just because more students are listening to their iPods now doesn’t mean they are anti-social; he said iPods are just more available now.

“I don’t think [listening to iPods in school] really makes us anti-social, but I think it gives you something to do in between classes and I think more people have them now because they’re cheaper,” Strosnider said. “The development of iPods makes [listening to music] easier.”

Steege said that because the technology is so available to our generation, it’s logical that students use it.

“We have the technology available to us, so why wouldn’t we use it?” Steege said. “It doesn’t really define us…but we have it, so why not use it?”

Bonomoni said that more students are “wir-

photo by Megan McCormack photo art by Jami Bechard

ing” themselves to their iPods. He said that being “wired” to an iPod could have a negative impact on student social lives. “[Listening to your iPod is] kind of a spreading thing because more and more kids are… wiring themselves,” Bonomoni said. “Definitely a lot of kids do it. It could have a negative effect because if someone is trying to talk to you, [you’re not listening].”

According to Vorbroker, iPods have become more prevalent in the halls because music is being used to bring people together now more than it has in the past.

“Music is a lot more popular than it used to be and it’s bringing a lot of people together these days and it’s a lot more publicized,” Vorbroker said. “I think that [listening to iPods in school is] just becoming a bigger thing among students and something more people are exposed to.”

Strosnider also said that our generation uses iPods more because students use music to cope with stressful situations.

“Some people use music to cope,” Strosnider said. “I think throughout all generations, people have used music. It was more old-school back…in the 1960s when they did jazz and stuff. But people today use music to cope.”

Strosnider said that because music and his iPod are so available to him, having his iPod and listening to music lets him relax and forget about his worries while at school. “[Music] helps me relax,” Strosnider said. “It just…takes you away, you don’t really think about what you’re doing.”

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A Home away from Home

B3-pod teachers build comfortable, energizing classroom environment

Janie Simonton | Staff Writer

Paula Schroer

Cody

Megan York

Rachel Cronin

Gina Fox

Barb Shuba

S

tudents actually want to learn in B3, according to junior Tyler Blount. The B3 pod creates an environment that engages students, something Intervention Specialist Paula Schroer, of B304, calls “pod-araderie,” her wordplay on “camaraderie.”

Betsy Carras

E

nglish teacher Andy Goetz of B308 said that the sense of community comes from the Kreager teachers’ general love of their occupation.

“We just really enjoy being [in B3],” Goetz said. “We enjoy being together; we enjoy being here; we like what we do, and I think that comes through. We have fun.

And there’s definitely education; there’s a lot of education that goes on in here.”

History teacher Vance Reid of B311 said that the B3 teachers try to do more than just impart facts to students.

“I think we have a pod that…not only loves kids, but teaches to the whole child,” Reid said. “Not that other pods don’t do that; [I just know that here] they have put together a group of people that really tries to instruct the whole child, …teaching kindness and manners [in addition to educational material].”

According to Goetz, part of the enjoyment that crops up alongside the lesson plans comes from the idiosyncrasies and traditions specific to B3.

“We used to do free [high] fives on Fridays,” Goetz said.

“Then [English teacher Thurman] Allen [of B306] and I started goofing around and decided to move to free folk song Friday. Now we just play [our guitars in between classes], all three songs that we know how to play. Every Friday morning, we have our little pod breakfast, and we’ve collected people along the way. People who have been in B3 just a year or so…[are involved in] any kind of tomfoolery, shenanigans and monkeyshines we engage in.”

Senior Chris Oglesby said that he feels that bond between the teachers contributes to the warm environment students feel. “[The friendship between the teachers] helps [brighten the environment] a lot. Mr. Goetz, Mrs. Carras [and] Mr. Reid [are]…like [the] Three Musketeers,” Oglesby said.

“They just know how to run things [and] they’re always so nice to each other.”

S

Andy Goetz Harold Grice

ome of these aforementioned “shenanigans” include holiday festivities, Goetz said.

“We’ll decorate [for holidays],” Goetz said.

“Mrs. Schroer helps us coordinate…our decorations for Halloween. So, we did the creepy campout this past Halloween. It was delightful; we had a good time.”

Goetz said he agrees that the pod staff

Vance Reid

Thurman Allen Melissa Donahue Susan Rosselott

strives to make their working environment a cheerier place. “[Students are] compelled by the state to be here,” Goetz said. “[They] don’t have a lot of choice, so we like to [look on the bright side and] have fun. …I think people are comfortable up here.”

Oglesby, who said he has been taught by Rosselott and Schroer, Allen, Reid and English teacher Betsy Carras of B309, said that the quirks and traditions of B3 are some of the things that make it so loveable.

“The music [and] the guitars [are fun and] the teachers are so nice,” Oglesby said. “You just want to come back to talk to everybody.”

S

chroer said that in addition to the goal of brightening attitudes, B3 teachers also strive to create a relaxed environment and have fun, to lessen the stress of the high school experience.

“If the bell rings and we’re out in the hall singing and playing [guitars], then we keep singing and playing,” Schorer said. “If you’re late to class, well, it’s okay, because you were outside singing with us. And that’s okay.”

Intervention Specialist Susan Rosselott, who shares B304 with Schorer, said that the relaxed environment has created a “nurturing” atmosphere that makes students feel comfortable.

“Every kid knows they can come up here and they can talk to…Goetz or…Allen or…Carras or...[English teacher Rachel] Cronin [of B310] or Reid, and it all depends on what kind of personality they want that day,” Rosselott said.

“Whether they want someone who is loud or stern or serious, [they can find it here]. It’s like there’s a little bit of everything, all wrapped up in this one [pod].”

The disposition of the teachers also gives students a willingness to learn, according to Oglesby.

“Being around the teachers…makes you want to learn… because…the way [the teachers] are [and] the way they come about [allows] you [to] always just have a good time around them,” Oglesby said. “They teach, but they know how to have fun.”

The personalities of he and his co-workers is something Reid said he thinks adds to the “fun” atmosphere.

“All of us are social butterflies, and I think that transfers over to how we teach,” Reid said.

A

ccording to Goetz, the teachers use their effervescent natures to go out of their way to make students feel at home.

“When you’re a freshman [and] you come into the building, [you know] this is [going to] be your place for four years,” Goetz said. “What we try to do is…create…a place where young people, especially the freshmen coming in, … can feel comfortable. …I hope [we] give off the vibe that you don’t have to be intimidated. [High school] is not some place that we have to be real[ly] freaked out about.”

Oglesby said he agrees that B3 is a welcoming environment, and it’s why he spends time in the pod even when he doesn’t have classes there.

“I feel like everyone feels welcome there and everyone goes up there to hang out with the teachers,” Oglesby said. “I go up there all the time.”

Oglesby’s inclination to return to the third floor is a sort of “retention rate” that Goetz and Schroer said is something B3 strives for—continuing relationships even with those not in the physical pod anymore.

“Once you’re B3, you’re always B3,” Goetz said. photo art by Jami Bechard

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p

Technology, drive to succeed impacts night sleep Beena Raghavendran | Associate Editor

Next school year’s start time is being bumped back ten minutes, which means Mason High School students will get another ten minutes to snore under the snooze button.

But a ten-minute sleep-in can’t make up for lost hours. Humans need sleep -- though the specific reason as to why is still unknown -- as its theorized benefits include restoration, memory filtering and a steady body rhythm, according to “The Encyclopedia of Sleep and Sleep Disorders.”

At MHS, as noted by frequent student complaints of tiredness, sleep deprivation is causing yawns throughout the generation, according to senior Claire Molitors. “[A lack of sleep among students] is way more prevalent now,” Molitors said. “It existed back in the day, but it’s definitely upped a little bit.”

Junior Alex Malblanc said sleep, from dreamers to nappers to insomniacs, “has a hand in defining” this generation.

“Sleep plays an integral part in our life, because how much sleep we get or how we sleep can affect how much energy we have during the day,” Malblanc said. “It’s not the defining factor, but it helps change your perception of the world and how you act.”

The dreamer

Molitors said she is a dreamer -- when she can get some shut-eye, her through-the-night sleep is peppered with dreams, she said.

“I dream a ton,” Molitors said. “I always remember my dreams when I wake up and they’re really weird.”

Despite the frequent dreams, Molitors said she is sleep-deprived. She attributes the widespread deprivation to late-night technology.

“People are so obsessed now [with technology],” Molitors said. “I don’t turn my phone off when I go to bed, and I’m not a big texter or [someone who is] calling people all the time, but still, I just don’t disconnect.”

The napper

Freshman John Kincaid said he is “a napper.”

“I nap a lot,” Kincaid said. “Waking up early for school and running just tire me out, and I take naps...from around six [p.m.] to possibly nine [p.m.].”

Though his bouts of napping leave him refreshed, Kincaid said he is sometimes a victim to technological distractions that prevent him from sleeping.

“If people are on the computer or phones or iPods, they might be too distracted [to go to sleep],” Kincaid said.

“I could say that sometimes happens to me.”

The all-nighter The Lucid Dreamer

Malblanc said he is a lucid dreamer. Lucid dreaming takes shape when the logic part of the brain goes into hibernation, resulting in the dreamer’s ability to control his or her dream; Malblanc said he lucid-dreams once every few weeks.

“I’ll be doing something [in a dream] and then I’ll just kind of realize that it’s a dream,” Malblanc said. “From there, it’s kind of awesome because you can control everything you do, and that makes it very interesting.”

While Malblanc said he sleeps through the night, he finds the five- and four-hour nights commonly slept by students is a result of an earlier drive for success. “[Sleep deprivation] is starting a lot earlier,” Malblanc said. “It’s making its way down towards high schoolers, [who are] starting to lose sleep over homework. ...The rising standards for education...[are] resulting in a shift in sleep habits.”

Junior Samantha Kom said that at night -- despite her overwhelming sleepiness -- she can never fall asleep.

“I never can sleep; I always wake up,” Kom said.

She said technology is a source for what she thinks is a sleep-deprived generation.

“There [are] more electronics that distract people, so [they] just get in the way of sleep,” Kom said.

And though she resists distractions and has a willingness to fall asleep, Kom is left wide-awake late at night, she said.

“I need to sleep, but I just can’t,” Kom said.

“It’s just not a good thing.”

cartoons by Ajay Agrawal

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15 inches

good ol’

of fame

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

heese

Many Mason High School students have a favorite color that they enjoy sporting occassionally. But sophomore Carolyn Hilley, among singing in the pop-jazz acapella group Note-orious, has a wardrobe full of several purple articles of clothing. photo by Megan McCormack

How would you describe yourself to a stranger?

“I’m positive and I’m always energetic.

I love to laugh. I love to tell really stupid jokes.”

What irks you?

“People that stand in the middle of the hallways and don’t move; they just talk. It’s kind of annoying.”

What’s your favorite word? “‘Snazzy.’ That is my big word. My Facebook picture is…just [the word] ‘snazzy’ written out. And I say that all the time in front of my friends.”

If you could trade places with someone for one day, who would it be?

“My sister because she’s in eighth grade and I’ve been through all those classes, so it would be a lot easier and I’d make her take my hard work and I’d get her easy classes.”

What’s something interesting that you do?

“I love the color purple. …I’m obsessed with it. I have a lot of purple clothes that I like to wear. Some weeks, I’ll have an entire week where I wear purple every day.

On my birthday, I wore a purple dress.”

What’s your biggest fear?

“Losing something I love, like my sister.”

If you could do one thing without any consequences what would you do?

“I would probably go to a store and eat endless cookies for free. I love cookies.”

Nutella or Peanut butter?

“Peanut butter, because I love peanut butter.”

Harry Potter or Edward Cullen?

“Harry Potter all the way. I actually like both the books, but the [‘Harry Potter’] movies are so much better and JK Rowling is a much better writer than Stephanie Meyer.”

-compiled by Megan McCormack

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col·umn inch (n) - an area one column wide by one

inch deep, measuring the type that fills the space

photo by Jami Bechard

American dish varies between box brands, homemade and random combinations Julia Halpin | Staff Writer

From Kraft to Velveeta and even to Wal-Mart brand, macaroni and cheese, nicknamed “mac n’ cheese,” has definite popularity among high school students, according to junior Monica Lynde. She said that while the box brands of “mac n’ cheese” are popular, her homemade organic style is better than the rest.

“I think [the way I make ‘mac n’ cheese’] is pretty original,” Lynde said. “I use actual cheese that I buy from the store and I make my own pasta and just mix it [together]. …I make [‘mac n’ cheese’] a lot, [and] I usually add pesto [to it]. …I use mozzarella [cheese] because that’s just my favorite type [of cheese], so [my ‘mac n’ cheese’] is kind of different.”

Senior Elizabeth Redwine said that “mac n’ cheese” is her favorite food, but she often adds her own kind of cheese to make it taste better than the typical box brands.

“I like to spice up my ‘mac n’ cheese’ by adding all different kinds of cheeses that we have in the refrigerator, [so I can] make [the ‘mac n’ cheese’] extra cheesy and good, not just like the normal Kraft stuff,” Redwine said.

After trying various brands of “mac n’ cheese like Kraft, Lynde said that she is thankful for her unique way of making the cheese-and-noodle combination. “[My cooking method] takes about fifteen minutes,” Lynde said. “First, you make the pasta, and when it’s still hot you put the cheese in and mix it together. …I’ve only tried [box brands of ‘mac n’ cheese’] once or twice since I’ve lived [in Ohio] and I don’t like [them]. [Box brands of ‘mac ‘n cheese’] don’t taste natural at all. I can tell there [are] greasy chemicals in it and it’s just not homemade.”

According to junior Luke Discher, “mac n’ cheese” is one of his favorite meals, and finds the box brands are just as satisfactory as anything homemade. “[‘Mac n’ cheese’] is heaven,” Discher said. “I think I could survive on ‘mac n’ cheese’ for the rest of my life. It has everything. It just doesn’t get old. You can put pepper in it, kind of switch things up, [put] a little spice in there. …Then, put some butter in it, you got to have butter.”

Growing up with “mac ‘n cheese,” Redwine said, is what makes her so comfortable with eating it, and said its simple recipe contributes to its popularity.

“I’ve just been eating [‘mac ‘n cheese’] pretty much my whole life and it’s always there,” Redwine said. “It’s just a good thing to eat for lunch or dinner, or even just [for] a little snack. …It’s just one of those things that kids have grown up

eating. It’s a safe food for pretty much everyone to eat, it doesn’t have any weird things in it that people don’t like, and most people aren’t allergic to the things that are in it. It’s just really easy to make. If you’re a bad cook, at least you can usually make ‘mac n’ cheese.’”

The nutritional value of “mac n’ cheese” depends on the producer, but said she would always opt for her home-made cooking. “[The nutritional value] depends on the brand or the kind [of ‘mac n’ cheese’],” Lynde said. “Most of the time with the Kraft [brands, they’re] not good for you at all because [the ‘mac n’ cheese’] has all those chemicals. I just go for the more organic stuff so I have more control of what’s going in my body without being unhealthy, …and I like to make it.”

The perfect bowl of “mac n’ cheese,” Discher said, is created by having an equal balance of cheese and noodles. “[You can’t be] heavy on the cheese, but [you can’t be] light on the cheese either,” Discher said. “There’s a perfect in-between. It’s not just the ‘mac n’ cheese;’ you have to be in the right atmosphere. I guess it would have to be a candle-lit dinner with a girl, and you would have ‘mac n’ cheese.’ I think that would be the perfect bowl.”

Redwine said she thinks “mac n’ cheese” is popular among high school students mainly because of its convenience. “[‘Mac n’ cheese’] is really easy to make, especially the Easy Mac that you can put in the microwave,” Redwine said. “People can just make [‘mac n’ cheese’] really fast, because high school [students] are usually pretty busy.”

Lynde said that with “mac n’ cheese” being one of her favorite foods, she understands the connection Americans have with the food, and why teenagers eat it so often.

“I think that [‘mac n’ cheese’] is an easy snack to make if it comes in the box and [teenagers can just] pour the powder in,” Lynde said. “I think to some people they grew up with it so it’s probably something they’re used to and they like it.”

With so many people eating “mac n’ cheese”, the special features of the meal are what make the meal so enjoyable, according to Discher.

“You get to eat your favorite ‘Toy Story’ characters and ‘SpongeBob’ characters [in a bowl of ‘mac n’ cheese’],” Discher said. “There’s no other ‘SpongeBob’-shaped food, and it’s just delicious. …[The shapes] definitely affects the taste, and the whole atmosphere of the bowl of ‘mac n’ cheese.’ [Macaroni and cheese are] just the perfect couple.”

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