The Chronicle, 9.1 by The William Mason High School Chronicle

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The Chronicle

S eptember 30, 2011 Volume 9, Issue 1

W il l i a m M a s o n H i g h S c h o o l

photo by Megan McCormack

THEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE GOOD

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A.L.I.C.E. replaces old lockdown procedure

photos by Megan McCormack and Jami Bechard

THE BEAUTY BIAS Physical appearance reaps rewards in the business world SEE PAGE 16

C NEWS PAGE 2 | SEPT. 30, 2011

Trending Now Online View these and other stories and galleries at

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C Profile on Marcus Otte

Senior Marcus Otte goes from watching how-to YouTube videos to being varsity kicker. Check out thecspn.com to see how this kicking machine got his start in the football world.

C Student returns from Libya MHS student, Miriam Bugazia, and teacher, Shahrazad Kablan, return from Libya where they worked for radio and news stations in the middle of a revolution.

C Students broadcast live

Juniors Alex Day, Matt Beebe, RJ Thompson, Lee Sponseller and Jacob Hurley create the new Sports Broadcasting Club, alongside advisor Chris DeLotell. The club broadcasts live from sporting events as they comment on the game.

C TOPSoccer

A soccer league for athletes with disabilites comes to Christ Church at Mason where the MHS soccer teams and cheerleaders support the players.

C Homecoming wrap-up

Did you miss the Homecoming game? Want to see you and your friends participating in Spirit Week and the pep assembly?

So-long Seroogy’s

Senate Bill 210 legislation prevents sale of baked goods and candy bars SEE PAGE 11

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE A.L.I.C.E. empowers students to make their own decisions for survival Miranda Carney | Staff Writer

188 rounds of ammunition and two students with guns resulted in 15 total deaths at Columbine High School in 1999. For years after that day, researchers would try to find reasoning to why schools are trained to have students hide under desks in times of danger. According to Assistant Principal William Rice, Mason will be adapting a procedure that will provide students with options to better survive dangerous situations—A.L.I.C.E, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. “[When] you think about the old lockdown system and what [the school] did -- we turned the lights out, we locked the doors and we hid in the corner or underneath tables -- that was essentially it,” Rice said. “If that bad guy got in the room, [students and staff] didn’t have a plan for [what to do]. A.L.I.C.E. provides options. It says if the bad guy is in Z-pod, we [shouldn’t] lock down D-pod; we [should] evacuate those guys.” Many things have changed since Columbine, and after learning about A.L.I.C.E. at a conference in March, Rice said he and School Resource Officer Karli Smith proposed the idea of A.L.I.C.E. to The Safe and Inviting Schools Committee. After discussing real school shooting situations, it was obvious that the old lockdown systems were not useful, according to Rice. “There are 911 calls [from Columbine] where you can hear the frantic calls from teachers and students,” Rice said. “In [one] audio tape you can hear [a teacher] screaming to the kids, ‘Get down, get down, get under the tables and stay put.’ With A.L.I.C.E., [the procedure is] going to empower people to do whatever it takes to survive. If that means run, you run. If that means your best option is [to] barricade yourself in closet, barricade yourself in a closet.” A.L.I.C.E. is a procedure that will adapt to a dangerous situation in order to provide the best possible results, according to Rice. He said in some situations, the police will be involved in controlling traffic to get students

that can drive out of the area as fast as possible. He also said that an administrator will come over the intercom and distract the shooter by shouting out his name and location. “Part of what [the school has] to do is retrain ourselves to think [proactively],” Rice said. “We have to tell the kids [that] if they are faced with a deadly situation and [the] only way out of it is to throw a chair through a window, and [they] need to do that, [they are] not going to get in trouble for throwing a chair through a window.” After attending community training for the A.L.I.C.E. procedures, Keith Kociba, who is a parent of a freshman, eight grader and sixth grader in the Mason district, said that he feels both relieved and fearful about the new plan. “It’s great that [the schools is] introducing taking action rather than being a sitting duck,” Kociba said. “However, the risk is that when you take action, making a bad decision [or] trying to play the role of a hero could be very problematic.” Senior Bre McKinley said she thinks A.L.I.C.E. is a foundation to be built upon. Although she said she thinks it is better than the old lockdown plan, she still said she thinks the plan can be improved upon. “I think [A.L.I.C.E. provides] a good idea to plan for a different escape, but I’m not sure

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photo by Megan McCormack

Students listen to A.L.I.C.E. lecture by Assistant Principal William Rice as he discusses new procedures.

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that this is the final solution,” McKinley said. “I think it’s important that we learn about A.L.I.C.E. training, but [the students] shouldn’t end in [a] big group. In each individual classroom [we should] go over specific plans.” Just like the administrators and creators of A.L.I.C.E., McKinley said she has felt unsafe hiding under desks and not taking action in the old lockdown plan. A.L.I.C.E. emphasizes empowering individuals to be active rather than passive, according to Rice. “I feel like in the old lockdown system, [the teachers] were kind of going in and just lining us up,” McKinley said. “It felt weird that if [there was] a gunman in the room, I [was] going to sit under a desk.” Unlike McKinley, who has been expecting a procedure like A.L.I.C.E., freshman Chase Morrow said he was surprised by the new plan. “I was really surprised that we can react and take action against a gunman, and I was really shocked about that,” Morrow said. “If a person decides to take action, that person could probably get hurt or seriously injured. That is just one problem that I would point out [with A.L.I.C.E.].” Rice said that the school is required by law to have two practice lockdown procedures a year. Under the implementation of A.L.I.C.E., the lockdown drills will be different than previous years where students used to practice the “duck-and-cover” procedure. “My plan is to have teachers have real world conversations with kids and tell them, if [a dangerous situation] happened, what [we would] do,” Rice said. “We [will not] have a person come into the school and play the role of a bad guy.” McKinley said that she thinks the discussion about what to do in situations will be beneficial, yet she said she doubts students will be able to take A.L.I.C.E. as seriously as it should be taken, considering many students have never been in a dangerous situation. “I don’t really think that [students] will take [A.L.I.C.E.] seriously, just because it is something that we can’t really fathom,” McKinley said. “We usually use humor to cover up serious situations, and I think people will think it’s more of a funny thing than a serious thing.” Rice said he is not worried about staff, parents or students responding negatively to A.L.I.C.E. Although it is a big change from the old plan, and it brings up very serious topics, he said most people view this plan as common sense and feel empowered by the ability to make their own choices. “It’s an exciting time, because anytime you empower people to make decisions on their own or for their own safety, [it] is about survivability,” Rice said. “I’m not guaranteeing that just everyone is going to come out okay, but I am empowering you as a person who is faced [with] that situation, [with] what [you can] do to survive. The end game is survival.” infographics by Jami Bechard, statistics provided by Greg Crane and the Response Options Group

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Ma-

Rebekah Barnes | Online Editor

With the failure of the levy in November 2010, the Mason City School district has been cutting costs throughout the school system but, according to Debbie Delp, Board of Education President, the budget is now on the right track. “[The district’s] really stepped up to the plate all the way around…to put us on a healthy footing,” Delp said. According to Delp, cuts have been made across the district, which can be hard for the School Board to decide. “We’ve seen cuts that have impacted every level of the organization, and that’s hard to do,” Delp said. Mason High School Calculus teacher,

SEPT. 30, 2011

son budget

Kristina Broaddrick, said that she thinks that the Board and district do well at making sure students don’t feel the pressure of the cuts. “[Mason does] a good job of making sure the students are the last one to see the brunt of budget cuts that need to happen,” Broaddrick said. “I think in that respect, we are very fortunate at Mason.” However, according to senior Nadine Zaki, budget cuts are being felt by students through larger class sizes and cutting of courses. Zaki said that she thinks these cuts doesn’t allow for students to experience high school and find what they want to do in life. According to Broaddrick, whenever a district makes cuts, there is some sort of impact on student achievement in the long run. “I think any time you cut any kind of services you are going to see some type of effect,” Broaddrick said. “Our hope is to minimize that effect on student achievement.”

One area that the Board has cut back on is busing and transportation in the district, said Delp. By consolidating bus stops, the district will save $350,000 for the 2011-2012 school year, according to Mason’s “Cost Reduction Plan.” Delp said that this was an alternative to cutting busing all together like surrounding districts such as Lakota Local Schools. According to Delp, cutting busing would not make a large dent in savings, but it could make the public upset. “I know a lot of places [just cut busing] and…[it] get[s] people all mad,” Delp said. “That’s not one of the areas where you’re going to see the big impact [on finances] anyway, unless you are going to get rid of buses all together. It’s really not worth it.” For freshman bus rider Alex Stephenson, the movement of his bus stop meant an extra five to seven minute commute. “I was kind of mad because…I had to get up earlier to get the bus, and I didn’t really want to get up earlier,” Stephenson said. “[It takes] about five to seven minutes [to get to my stop.]”

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back on track Students and teachers feel the cuts made in the budget after failure of November 2010 levy

Another area of budget cuts that affected students was the new pay to play policy, where student athletes pay a fee to play sports -- $100 for middle school and $150 for high school-according to Mason High School Athletic director, Scott Stemple. Stemple said that because the fee is new to the district, the effect is not completely clear yet. “Being that this is Mason’s first year to have a fee, there are some unknowns,” Stemple said. “We are not sure at this time what type of impact the fee may have on participation levels, especially in multi-sport participation. Potentially, it could range from $200,000 to $275,000.” Zaki said that she thinks that the pay to play may effect student participation, holding back some athletes that may possess great talent. “Some people have a great gift, but maybe they don’t have the money to be able to [play],” Zaki said. Another cut that affect’s student’s high school experience is larger class sizes at MHS. According to Broaddrick, with the increase in class size comes a challenge to keep control and management throughout the classroom. “[Larger class sizes] bring more chaos into the classroom just because you have so many more people; it can be much harder to get through question and answer time,” Broaddrick said.

Not only does it get harder for teachers to answer questions, but the amount of grading increases as well, according to Broaddrick. “[Larger classes] increase the amount of grading, because I have the same number of classes, but I have a lot more students, so it takes longer to get through grading,” Broaddrick said. With these challenges, Zaki said that it just makes it harder for students and teachers to work together. “I think class sizes have been increased a lot more,” Zaki said. “It makes it definitely a lot harder for the teachers, and for the students to be able to get help as well. You can’t get as much one-on-one time [with teachers.]” Another area where the Board made cuts is in staffing throughout Mason. “Our biggest area of expense is staff and, unfortunately, that’s where we found we needed to make the most cuts this time around when the… levy failed in November,” Delp said. As a district, there was a RIF (reduction in force) of ten teachers, six administators, 14 paraprofessionals and six custodial/maintenance cuts, according to the 2011 Financial Update. However, since the RIF, the board offered the positions back if the teachers wanted them and nine new teachers were brought to the district. 28 teachers took a retirement incentive in the district as well, according to Mason’s “Cost

Reduction Plan.” Another cut teachers faced was a pay freeze that they offered to take, according to Delp, which has now been put in place. “One of the things that has happened…is the teachers offered to take a two year zeroincrease,” Delp said. “[Which means] two years without an increase in their contract.” Teachers also take on the task of being more “green,” according to Broaddrick, in order to cut costs. “We get e-mails a lot about [reminding us,] don’t forget to unplug things before you leave, turn off your lights, close your blinds, even adjusting the printers,” Broaddrick said. As the district heads deeper into the 2011 school year, Delp said that the main goal for the district and the board is to keep the budget steady through the year. “[We need to] watch the budget and make sure we’ve stayed on budget, [and] that we don’t kind of get lax about that,” Delp said. With all of the cuts, the board has been pleased with the cooperation with administration and equates that to the success of the district finances, according to Delp. “[The board has] been very pleased with the way the administration has kind of jumped on board and made the changes that we’ve needed to make [as a district],” Delp said.

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High school recipient of local grants Two high school teachers implement real-world practices into the classroom Grants from the Mason Schools Foundation, distributed on August 19 are being put to use for this 2011-2012 school year, according to the Mason City Schools district website. Environmental Science students third trimester will have the opportunity to participate in a brand new project with the money awarded, according to Mason High School Science teacher Charity Distel. Distel received the money from the Mason Schools Foundation grant in August for $5,718, which, according to Distel, she will use to incorporate a new project in the Environmental Science curriculum: designing and constructing a rain garden. “[Students] will analyze the school campus, determine where rainwater runs off [of the building] and use a landscaping software to design a [rain] garden,” Distel said. “A rain garden is a garden that absorbs and purifies rainwater run-off.” Approximately 130 students will collaborate and participate in this project, according to Distel. “It’s going to be this third trimester’s environmental science classes [who create the rain garden],” Distel said. “I will pick one top group from each class to present their designs to a panel...who will vote on the top two. We will actually build those gardens.” Instead of just talking about doing things to positively affect the community, Distel said her number one objective is to get students out learning and making a difference. “[The project] won’t just benefit students here, it could benefit the whole

community by cleaning Mason’s rainwater,” Distel said. Distel said the grant will help to make her vision for the environmental science class a reality. “I would love to not have any desks or chairs,” Distel said. “I want to go outside, to pick up a soil sample and say, ‘Let’s talk about what’s in this, how it’s affecting us and what we can do about it.’ [It’s about] taking traditional education to a different level.” A second grant, presented by the Mason Schools Foundation, will make learning come alive for support education students this winter, according to masonohioschools.com. Michael Planicka, Mason High School Support Education teacher, will use the $450 to purchase the “Veggie U” system, a curriculum from a farm in Milan, Ohio. “[Veggie U] is a program designed to teach kids how to raise their own food,” Planicka said. The curriculum, that comes with workbooks, grow-lights, seeds and soil, exhibits the type of hands on learning that fits students in his Applied Science classes best, according to Planicka. “It will really give them a chance to see the whole start and ending life cycle of growing something,” Planicka said. With the Veggie U system, students will be able to grow vegetables in the classroom, instead of waiting until spring to go outside, according to Planicka. Planicka said his main vision for the Veggie U system is getting his students

outside, and to have a garden to maintain somewhere on campus. According to Planicka, the students will get to bite into the results, literally. “[The vegetables] will grow quickly and [the students] can eat them,” Planicka said. “At the end [of the Veggie U curriculum] we’re also going to serve food to…staff members.” Learning is important, but according to Planicka, the emphasis is on fun. “I want them to have something that really gets their noses out of the textbook,” Planicka said. “I want them to see where their food comes from, and to discover and learn as much as they can. I really hope they have fun.”

photo art by Jami Bechard

Ashley Calvani | Staff Writer

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Kist-Kline takes over as superintendent Previous experience prepares Kist-Kline to take on new role

Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

The era of Superintendent Dr. Kevin Bright has ended, and with that comes the beginning of the era of Superintendent Dr. Gail KistKline. When Bright resigned this past March, the Mason School Board selected Kist-Kline as his replacement. She will be Mason’s first female superintendent. Kist-Kline, is hardly a stranger to the position, or being the first female to hold it. Prior to replacing Bright, Kist-Kline served as Wyoming City Schools’ Superintendent for seven years, where she was also the district’s first female in the position. Bright said he believes that Kist-Kline will be successful as Mason’s superintendent and as his replacement. “I consider Dr. Kist-Kline an outstanding educational professional,” Bright said. “I believe she is a terrific match for the school district and for the community. …She will accomplish great things at Mason.” In addition to working as a superintendent, Kist-Kline was a professor at Miami University, Assistant Principal at Lakota Schools, Principal and Curriculum Director at Princeton Schools and Principal at St. Joseph Consolidated School in Hamilton. Kist-Kline said she believes that

her range of experience in the field of education will be beneficial. As Kist-Kline dedicated herself to learning how Mason is run as a district, she looked to the staff for assistance-and found them to be extremely accommodating. “People are so helpful,” Kist-Kline said. “I ask a lot of questions, and... photos by Taylor Telford they’re willing to High school History teacher Vance Reid talks to Gail Kist-Kline during her walk take time and give through of the school. me answers.” can be transferred to a new place, but I want Through her questo first make certain that I am coming in and tions, Kist-Kline said she hopes to provide the staff with an opportunity to reflect on how they honoring Mason and its core,” Kist-Kline said. One difference that Kist-Kline said she will operate. need to adjust to is the increase in size. Mason “When I say, ‘So tell me about what we do,’ is a district with over 11,000 students, versus and then ask, ‘And why do we do it that way?’ the 2,000 students in the district of Wyoming. that helps [Mason’s staff] think, ‘Well Kist-Kline said she plans to make one of her wait a minute, why do we do it that main goals ensuring that students’ educational way?’” Kist-Kline said. experience is not negatively affected by the size Another method Kist-Kline of the student body. said she plans to use in order to “The challenge of a district as large as [Mabetter understand how to run the son] is to make sure that the experience for district is to frequently visit the students feels small,” Kist-Kline said. “We have school buildings. to make sure that students do not feel lost in “I plan to be in the buildthe shuffle, or like they are just a number.” ings a lot,” Kist-Kline said. Overall, Kist-Kline said that her main focus “This is something I like to as superintendent will be to guarantee that do because…it allows every aspect of the district is serving the stume to have firstdents. hand knowledge of “One of the things that I love about being what goes on in the in education is that it’s all about the students,” classroom.” Kist-Kline said. “I am committed to making Though she has student centered decisions.” been a superintendent According to Kist-Kline, focusing on stuin another district, Kistdents is a goal that is shared by all staff memKline said she recognizes that she will have to oper- bers, and Kist-Kline said that united goal is one of Mason’s greatest strengths as a district. ate differently at Mason “It doesn’t matter what your role is here -than she did at Wyoeverybody is here to serve our students…and ming. that keeps us all in alignment.” “Often times what worked in one place

C EDITORIAL PAGE 8 | SEPT. 30, 2011

Chronicle Policy

C Editorial Cartoon

The Chronicle is the official student newspaper of William Mason High School. The Chronicle promises to report the truth and adhere to the journalistic code of ethics through online and print mediums. The Chronicle is produced by students enrolled in Journalism I, II and III. Editorials reflect the staff ’s opinion but do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the school administration or the Mason City School District. The Chronicle is published monthly. Call 398-5025 ext. 33106 for information regarding advertising in The Chronicle. The Chronicle reserves the right to refuse advertising we deem inappropriate for a high school publication. As an open forum for students, letters to the editor are welcome, but are subject to be edited for length, libel, obscenity, clarity and poor taste. Letters to the editor may be dropped off in room C106 and must be signed. The Chronicle is a member of The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, The National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists and the Ohio Scholastic Media Association.

Contact Information The Chronicle William Mason High School 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. Mason, Ohio 45040 (513) 398-5025 The Chronicle Staff Editor-in-Chief Janica Kaneshiro Associate Editor Julia Halpin Layout and Design Editor Jami Bechard Online Editor Rebekah Barnes Sports Editor Katelyn Cain Business Manager Samantha Weaver Editorial Cartoonist Ajay Agrawal Staff Writers Ashley Calvani Miranda Carney Thom Carter Chloe Knue Branden Labarowski Katherine Hansen Corynne Hogan Ian Howard Nicole Huser Mitchell Matacia Megan McCormack James Nosek Joseph Spencer Taylor Telford Adviser Dale Conner

C Staff Editorial A.L.I.C.E. is only natural Though the new A.L.I.C.E. plan certainly gives students a better chance at survival as opposed to sitting in the classroom practically waiting to be killed, its implementation is really just giving the students the right to react how they would anyway in a violent situation. Even before, when the policy was to turn the lights off and pretend not to be in the classroom, upon facing an attacker who enters the room, we doubt many people would just remain seated and watch the violence that ensues. Like in any survival situation, adrenaline is the key player when it comes to people’s reactions, and adrenaline isn’t exactly associated with sitting and waiting. The previous lockdown policy is only the initial reaction for a very small percentage of students, and it certainly shouldn’t be mandatory. A.L.I.C.E. is basically stating that students have the right to react how they wish to a violent attacker—whether that reaction be to stand still cry, flee the scene, or fight back—but students were bound to let their natural reactions take over anyway, regardless of the policy.

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, Homecoming is a gathering of students at Mason High School. Over the past couple of years the administration has noticed there is a lot of physical activity happening at the school dances. I think this is something we could change if we really wanted to. The school, I feel like, doesn’t put enough into telling the students grinding and dancing provocatively is not allowed at the school dances. When we are warned that this is not allowed some of us are upset, and others like me are more comfortale at that point knowing there will be more approproate activity there. I think for freshman this is a challenge, because... if you are dancing all over everyone, people around you are looking at you and wondering why you’re is doing that. That is the reputation you will maintain the rest of your three years in high school. Is that the reputation you want to live with? I think as a high school student, we should work together and change what is guiding the attention of our students and the administration. This will help us to have a better reputation and some self-respect. Stephanie Garcia, Freshman

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PAGE 9 | SEPT. 30, 2011

Janica

C OPINION

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C Columns Punk culture has died

Brains are good-- brains and charm are better

Ian Howard | Staff Writer

Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

With so many cultural role models to choose from, our internalized rules are subject to change. The great counterculture icons of the 1960s replace today’s traditional authorities by idealizing unrestricted sex, recreational drug use and a carefree attitude. Artists like Wiz Khalifa, MGMT and Kid Cudi gain popularity in a new suburban stoner demographic. Although the vibrant hippie culture has been inherited, the once-strong punk craze has yet to enjoy a revival. The new hippies have taken a cafeteria style selection of values from the past. They dish up free love and routine drug use, while ignoring the main course, political activism with disregard to the government. The result is hedonism—doing what feels good whenever it feels right. But the punk movement, man: it was actually about being anti-establishment. The cultural mantra that anyone, (and I mean anyone) can play guitar is dead. Our generation was poisoned by flukes like Green Day, who candy-coated the punk aesthetic to be easily digestible by viewers of the Disney Channel. The few remaining real punk bands don’t enjoy mainstream coverage hiding under indie rock or hardcore labels, which leaves nonconformists to find refuge in the simplicity of recreational drug use or the confusing tenets of hipster culture (or both). The revisionist history of American counterculture will tell only of the great strides made by icons, leaving the gnarling punk frontmen virtually forgotten.

C What You Think “Depending on what class I had, I would probably throw my binder or textbook at [the shooter] and try to get him down on the ground. Then, [I would] run out of the room.” Sarah Jane Sambor, freshman

On August 24, 2011, Steve Jobs, in the midst of a long bout with pancreatic cancer, resigned from his position as the CEO of Apple Inc. What does this mean to me? Well, as a Windows user, not a lot. But for our society as a whole, it’s significant. Steve Jobs is the epitome of the modern-day visionary—not because of his intelligence or his dedication, but because of the sheer lack of work he’s been able to build an $8.3 billion empire on. When Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak first banded together to form Apple, Job’s didn’t actually do a lot of work. Instead, it was Wozniak who built and programmed the “Apple I” entirely by hand. And, needless to say, he doesn’t get any respect for it. Although everybody remembers Steve Jobs, nobody remembers Steve Wozniak. It’s a bit sad that the smart, passionate employee of the partnership has faded into obscurity while the money-grubbing salesman has achieved worldwide fame. But it’s also a bit realistic. As I enter my senior year, I can’t help but think that I’ve spent a disturbing amount of my high school career sitting in the back and keeping quiet. I’m pleased with how my GPA is turning out, but I’m beginning to realize that conventional intelligence isn’t the only thing that matters on college and job applications. If I had dared to get more involved and take a greater leadership role, I wouldn’t just be a more marketable person—I’d also be more at terms with myself. Maybe, I’d even grow up to be the next Steve Jobs. I get the feeling that, when Jobs was a student, he probably wasn’t an overachieving nerd who channeled every ounce of his energy into acing his optional Pre-Calc homework. Instead, he probably spent class time cracking jokes, talking with friends and in general thinking about everything in the world but Pre-Calc. After all, Jobs was never a genius so much as he was the perfect “mascot” for his company, an individualistic leader who put the “I” in iPod. In the cutthroat corporate world we live in, the real top dogs aren’t the Steve Wozniaks, the passionate ones who toil away night after night to get by. It might seem unfair, but most often it’s the charismatic Steve Jobs figureheads who rise above the faceless numbers. Now, more than ever, personality and leadership aren’t just traits—they’re invaluable skills. There’s nothing all that wrong with being a follower; after all, the world needs its Wozniaks. But if we aim to become multi-millionaires, then it certainly wouldn’t hurt to adopt a little of that “Jobs charm.”

Now that we’ve been through A.L.I.C.E. training, what would be your plan of action?

“If the shooter was in the room, I’d probably hide in the corner. If the shooter was in the hallway...I’d probably try to remain calm... [and] get out.”

“I would probably throw my text book, and then jump out the window.” Jimmy Slyby, sophomore

Marti Sumrall, junior

“I would barricade the door. ...I guess try to stop the shooter with a textbook.” Amir Karaman, freshman

“In a real situation... I’d be the first one to leave. I’d start running and I’d hope that everyone else was okay.” Khara Walker, senior

“If a shooter did enter…my first response would be to tackle the attacker… because if you run away, you’re just going to leave someone else in danger.” Cyrus Yang, senior

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“ It’s just a cool experience.”

VETS SHARE THEIR STORIES Schrock’s students preserve reflections of American vets Megan McCormack | Staff Writer

Mason Veterans are reliving the tales of war on camera through the Mason Veterans Project, according American History and Law and Criminal Justice teacher Jerry Schrock. This project, Schrock said, allows students to interview veterans about their military experience. “[Mason Veteran’s project] really is allowing veterans to tell their story,” Schrock said. “And that’s really what this Mason Veteran’s Project is: it’s where they get to answer questions that they want to have answered [about their military experience,] and [what they] want to be put out there for other people to see. Schrock said the purpose of this project is to give students a firsthand account of history and what it was like to be in the military. “I, as a history teacher, can try to give my students the opportunity to think about what that must have been like, but [veterans] can actually teach this firsthand,” Schrock said. Schrock said the project got started because he was inspired by two ideas that allowed veterans to tell their stories. “Historychannel.com actually had the idea,” Schrock said. “It’s called ‘Take a Vet to… School Day.’ They did a lot of different things where [teachers would] bring a vet to [their] class and let [their] kids ask them questions. Along with the historychannel.com, Schrock heard from Commander of the American Legion Post 194, John Looker, who served in the Army from 1967-1969, when he talked to the Social Studies Department about a way to get veterans more involved with students. “I actually listened to Mr. [John] Looker when he came to our Social Studies department meeting and [said he] really want[ed] a way to get our veterans more involved in

photo by Jami Bechard

Jerry Schrock overlooks Law and Criminal Justice students (senior Elise Rye, junior Austin Justice, senior Lauren Guarino) (from left to right) and shows them a video from the Veterans Project website.

what’s going on in school,” Schrock said. “I…put those two things together and…[we decided to] put [students] with the veterans, let them ask the questions and we’ll put this on the website.’” Senior Elise Rye, who took Schrock’s Law and Criminal Justice class last year, said that she interviewed a veteran she worked with, and if she got to do the project again, she would have asked more questions about his life. “I would definitely have a lot more questions,” Rye said. “I would make the questions varied, not only about his service experience, but also about his life in general and what he’s been through in his life.” Schrock said there are 21 veterans participating this trimester. Since the project began, he’s had 15 army, three air force and five navy veterans. Schrock also said he finds his veterans through Looker, but is willing to accept any veteran who wants to tell his or her story. “Some of the time, [the veterans] almost come in apologetic [because they] don’t have combat duty,” said Schrock. “[But,] we’re not really looking for combat duty. We’re looking for anyone who has military experience who has a story to tell.” Rye said she is grateful to have participated

in this project because it was a good experience. “If I had [never] been in [Schrock’s] class, I would have never actually seen veterans and been able to thank them,” Rye said. “By having all these people that you actually get to interview and talk to...it’s just a cool experience. For the future, Schrock said that he would like to see other history teachers replicate this project and use these stories in class. “I hope to see our history teachers using these interviews to help them further their studies and create new links with our local veterans as living pieces of American history,” Schrock said Though the basics of historical wars are taught in history class, the veteran’s stories and heroic acts are often pushed to the side, Schrock said. Because of this, he said he wants to tell veteran’s stories so they are remembered serving their country. “A lot of times we get so busy at school that we don’t have time to teach the stories of the veterans,” Schrock said. “We teach the politics of war, we teach the lessons we learn from war, but we don’t really get a chance to teach about the acts of heroism by the veterans, the bravery…[it] still needs to be remembered.”

SEPT. 30, 2011

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Bye-bye bake sales Senate Bill 210 has NHS and STUGO rethinking their yearly fundraisers

Janica Kaneshiro | Editor-in-Chief

No bake sales, no hot dogs in the halls and no Seroogy bars. Senate Bill 210, effective as of July 1, 2011, has hit fundraising at Mason High School hard, according to National Honors Society Vice-president of Fundraising, senior Nicole Rojas. “For NHS, it really affects Pasta for Pennies,” Rojas said. “It’s our biggest event, and our school does really well every year, and [Senate bill 210] will affect bake sales. Classes individually raise their money, and they can have bake sales to raise money. We raised $5,000 to $7000 just in bake sales. Last year, the winning class really won because of their hot dog sales every day in B2, so because of [Senate Bill 210], we’re probably going to lose that money.” Rojas is also a member of Student Government, and she said that the Seroogy sale, one of the most popular of the year, is currently not made possible by the standards of Senate Bill 210. “In STUGO, we have the Seroogy sale every January through February, and it’s obviously a really popular sale,” Rojas said. “As of right now, we can’t sell them…but what we’re trying to do is figure out new ways to raise money.” Though fundraising is becoming challenging due to the Senate Bill 210’s banning of bake sales, the main reason behind the ban is childhood obesity in America, according to Child Nutrition Supervisor, Tamara Earl. “I believe the reason behind [Senate Bill 210] is truly the recognition of obesity among children,” Earl said. “Right now statistics are showing one of every three [children] have obesity, …so I think that’s why there was support to

design nutrition standards that would not just affect what students are eating at lunch during the school day, which already has a lot of standards to it, but in addition to it, all of the other foods they might be offered during the school day.” Earl said that the removal of bake sales from the public school day plays an important role in teaching children that upon finding success, they should celebrate with other things than food, though she said that cross-over is difficult. “[Senate Bill 210] does raise awareness about classroom reward parties and [the celebrations] always being about food,” Earl said. “I know some of our companies we’re working with are doing more to provide prizes that have more to do with athletic events like pedometers, balls, things like that, so anything like that we’re getting, we’re trying to make that available in the classrooms and to the teachers, so they can use that as rewards. So, I think it’s all trying to show an emphasis that food [should] not always be used as a reward—as hard as that is.”

Senior Michael Carozza, president of NHS, said that while he sees Senate Bill 210 as a possible set-back for fundraising, he believes that fundraisers can come back from the loss of revenue through a little innovative thinking. “Bake sales are just a really easy way to get that money–you can pretty much say that high school [kids] will buy food,” Carozza said. “So, I think we’ll just need to be a little bit more creative in our approach. …I think our spirit of service will stay strong though. There’s just so many things we can do, like our senior service project [in NHS] is to actually go out and do things, not just fundraise, so I think our ability to serve is definitely not affected.” Rojas said that like Carozza, she knows that the upcoming year for fundraising will be one with many challenges, but she also said that she believes students will still find a way to help their cause. “I think there’s so much more to student activities than having bake sales or having a Seroogy sale; it’s more about being involved in what you do. Like in STUGO, it’s not about carrying around the boxes of Seroogy’s, it’s about the fact that you’re figuring our flavors and how many to sell, and that you‘re a part of a team. Or in NHS, it’s not about selling the food, it’s about raising money for a really good cause and helping the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with research, so that’s the driving force, not money.”

photos and photo art by Jami Bechard

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C FEATURE

Let’s Ride

Longboarders hit the pavement around Mason SEE PAGE 20

PAGE 13 | SEPT. 30, 2011

Big Time Business, Small Town Morals Chick-fil-A stays true to their morals remains closed on Sundays Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

photos by Jami Bechard and Corynne Hogan

Lauren Huff is pictured working at Chick-fil-A on Mason Montgomery road and also at a Chick-fil-A stand during tailgate September 2nd.

Many Mason High School students feel the urge to eat a Chickfil-A sandwich on a Sunday afternoon. However, no matter how strong their desire is, they will have to wait until Monday to satisfy their appetite. Instead of serving patrons the entire week, Chick-fil-A has chosen to close their stores every Sunday. Although this may turn away a massive crowd of patrons, Chick-fil-A’s closed on Sunday policy has continued throughout its existence. The tradition started when S. Truett Cathy opened the first store in Georgia, and it has stayed a company staple ever since. According to Chick-fil-A. com, Chick-fil-A continues to close on Sunday in order to give employees and customers alike an opportunity to rest, as well as attend church if they wish. According to Paul Brown, general manager of the Chick-filA on Mason Montgomery Road, this tradition is a positive thing for the business. “[The CEO of Chick-fil-A] is very fond of saying, ‘Our light shines the brightest when we’re out,’ and it’s very true,” Brown said. According to junior Lauren Huff, an employee at Chick-fil-A, this policy is greatly appreciated. “It’s a really great policy, because I feel like it gives me freedom on the weekends,” Huff said. “It gives me time to go to church and youth events, which are really important to me. …It shows that [Chick-fil-A] values what I value,” Huff said. According to Huff, it helps to give employees that work long shifts throughout the week a guaranteed break.

“It’s definitely a good thing, I think, for 99 percent of the [employees],” Huff said. “Especially the people that work there every day of the week. It guarantees them a break from their busy week, and guarantees that they’re going to get a rest, which is kind of the purpose of [the policy]; to respect the need to rest.” According to junior Tyler Swallen, an employee at Chick-fil-A, the closed on Sunday policy does have its downfalls. “I think it would bring a lot more money in [if Chick-fil-A was open on Sunday], since it’s a weekend and a lot of people go out to eat after church,” Swallen said. However, according to senior Carley Crain, an employee at Chick-fil-A, the policy ultimately does not affect the business of the company. “I don’t think [the policy] cripples [Chick-fil-A], because I work a lot and we’re always busy,” Crain said. “There’s never a dull moment where I’m not doing anything.” No matter the possible loss of revenue, according to Crain, there are benefits of Chick-fil-A’s closed on Sunday policy. “I think [the policy] puts [Chick-fil-A] on its own little pedestal, because what other business is closed on Sunday?” Crain said. According to Crain, the policy also shows what the company stands for. “I think [the policy] portrays them as a really respectful company because…it really shows what [Chick-fil-A] believes in and what their character is,” Crain said.

Sunday Business Businesses around Chick-fil-A choose to be open on Sundays.

Applebees

9660 Mason Montgomery Road

“Usually we do, we tend to get a lot of business [on Sundays] with the football games being on, and the baseball games. Sometimes people come into lunch after festivals or whatever else is going, and definitely after church -we get a good church rush too.” Kelsi Cunningham, Server

Burger King

9640 Mason Montgomery Road

“My store, my owners, yes, they think that we do benefit from being open on Sundays. If they didn’t make a dollar, they probably wouldn’t stay open.” Patty, General Manager

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SEPT. 30, 2011

Students record selfmade tracks in local studios Thom Carter | Staff Writer

Mason students moonlighting as musicians are now investing themselves and their music in studio time and equipment, unafraid to dedicate hours in the studio or convert their basements into functional recording spaces, according to senior Camden Moser. Moser is one of those individuals who have purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of recording equipment. “Around Christmas time last year I made a decision that I was going to start investing in studio equipment,” Moser said. “I ended up buying a lot of different components [and] spending a lot of money but I figured it was worth it. With [the band I’m in] now, we’re recording with better quality [equipment] and taking [the recording process] a lot more seriously.” That band is Vivid Youth, a group comprised of Moser (guitar, vocals), fellow seniors Tyler Gunn (drums), Zach Messer (keyboard, synthesizers) and 2011 Mason graduate Brad Kennedy (bass). Gunn said Vivid Youth’s music draws inspiration from indie pop bands like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and is meant to be unique, yet not overly complex. According to Gunn, the recording process itself is similar because of its simplicity and loose structure. “When we start off writing music, it’s just us messing around or playing around with the instruments,” Gunn said. “Once we feel we have something down, we kind of form it together like a sculpture.” Senior musician Dani Doucette is another Mason student to have invested time and money in studio equipment. According to Doucette, her interest in recording came when she visited Nashville where she had signed up for a vocal lesson and, for the first time, was able to hear her own voice through studio speakers. “I took a trip down to Nashville...and my dad had signed me up for some voice lessons down there,” Doucette said. “[The teacher] recorded me, and from there I thought it was a cool process of how [the teacher] did it, so I went home and [I] started working through and learning the [recording] process.” Unlike Moser and Vivid Youth, Doucette said she rarely creates original pieces, as she is still learning how to write songs. Instead, Doucette covers a large array of songs, mainly consisting of the pop and country genres, and lends her

Story continued on page 15

Sing Loud out

photos by Corynne Hogan

Dani Doucette (top) and Kyle Ebersole (bottom) sing in their recording studios. Doucette in her home studio, and Ebersole in Moonbeam studios.

SEPT. 30, 2011 recording experience and equipment to friends with originals of their own. “I’m an awful writer, ...[but] I am very good at covering [songs] or helping people to [record],” Doucette said. “First, [I] start [by recording the instrumentals,] and if there’s a few bumps we’ll smooth them out. Then, after we put all the instruments together...we’ll add the vocals on top of that, so it’s basically like layering things one-by-one until you get it all together.” Dan Marque, audio engineer at Moonbeam Studios and 2010 Mason graduate, said he first became interested in studio work after recording his band, On a Basic Thursday. Like Moser and Doucette, Marque said he invested in some basic equipment to get started. “When we started [On a Basic Thursday,] I got really interested in recording our original tunes, and I wanted to learn more about [the process],” Marque said. “I play sax[ophone] and piano, so I wanted to learn how to capture that sound, so I bought a couple little [pieces] of equipment; one microphone, one microphone stand and one input box. I just sat in my basement and recorded my voice and my sax and learned the basics of recording.” Marque is now entering his sophomore year at UC and first moved into the house that now houses Moonbeam studios the summer of his freshman year at college. Marque said he and friends Stephen Sargent and Kyle Ebersole completely renovated the house where they now live and operate their business in Clifton. Since building the recording studio, the team has spent thousands in equipment and recorded numerous local acts. According to Marque, the studio and professional equipment at Moonbeam can be more affordable for a band than buying equipment themselves. “[The] reason why people still go to studios is because they still want a professional ear and they still want somebody else to pay for the equipment,” Marque said. “It’s cheaper to buy three hundred or four hundred dollars’ worth of studio time than it is to invest five, ten thousand dollars’ worth of equipment.” According to Marque, the issue of money and purchasing studio time hasn’t become a deterrent for the younger artists in their teens that make up the majority of Moonbeam’s recording clientele. “I think the majority of artists that come

C FEATURE through [Moonbeam studios] are in the high school [age] range,” Marque said. “There’s a lot of talented musicians that are young, but up until now, [they] haven’t really felt a place in their culture. With social media and YouTube, they can feel important.” Because of the accessibility of the recording process and the potential exposure social media can bring, it allows a band like Vivid Youth to gain recognition, an element that Moser said he appreciates but is also frustrated by. “As much as I appreciate [the simplicity of recording] and as much as I think it’s a great thing for the music industry, it’s also giving a lot a talentless musicians the opportunity to grow.” Moser said. Doucette said because of the challenge of paying and fighting for professional studio time, it has become easier and cheaper for young artists to harness the advantages of the internet and purchase their own equipment. “For musicians, it’s becoming more of an online thing than actually sitting down and recording and getting tapes together, so it’s becoming more accessible,” Doucette said. “It’s easier for [musicians] to create their own studio rather than try to fight for a spot in a [professional] one.” Still, Moser said the increased emergence of teenage pop artists due to recording accessibility has worsened the music industry instead of improving it. “You look at [artists] like Rebecca Black and you see this 13-14 year old girl who, it’s arguable, but as far as I know doesn’t have very much talent,” Moser said. Instead of writing for the fame and fortune, Moser said he writes as a coping method, citing that it has helped him through tough parts his life. Music, Moser said, has the capability to be not only a form of therapy, but a form of celebration. “I write a lot of my music for myself as a coping method. It’s not something that I’m trying to be Taylor Swift-y about,” Moser said. “For a lot of people, I think [writing music is] very therapeutic and I hope that in some ways, anything that I write can be relatable to someone else.”

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Photos top to bottom: Kyle Ebersole listens back to his track after recording, guitars lined up at Dani Doucette’s house, Ebersol works with a switchboard, and Doucette edits her track after recording it.

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SEPT. 30, 2011 | PAGE 17

Beauty in the eyes

EMPLOYER

Employers focus on outward beauty when considering new job placement Julia Halpin | Associate Editor

Filling out a resume typically consists of showing off your work ethic, experience and accountability, but now, according to Daniel Hammermesh, writer for The New York Times and author of the new book, “Beauty Pays,” how much beauty a person has is a main factor in a your ability to win over an interviewer. According to Hammermesh, this stems from the theory that most normal American citizens like to buy from more attractive people, are more likely to cast a vote for a better-looking politician, and learn better from prettier teachers and professors. A study done by Hammermesh and Jeff Biddle, a professor at Michigan State University, stated that attractive people earned five percent more in hourly wages than their fellow employees who were considered less-attractive. America’s idea of beauty, according to English teacher Beth Celenza, is an idea unreachable by most American woman, and shouldn’t be promoted. “Your average model is going to be a size zero or a size two for females, where the average American woman is actually a size 14,” Celenza said. “[Americans] are promoting a standard that is not attainable by most women in this culture. “…There are people out there who are able to get muscular, and who are able to get down to a size zero and be healthy still, but most of us can’t; it’s not the way our bodies were made.” Senior Alexia Billing said that even though it’s sad that Americans hold this standard of beauty, the more beautiful person still has the upper hand when going into a job interview. “If you have that long blonde hair, those gorgeous sparkling blue eyes [and] you’re 5’7, I think…you’re going to get that job. Personally, I think that jobs are based off of looks.” According to Celenza, if two people are applying for the same job, the more beautiful person is more likely to get the job only if both people meet the standard qualifications the employer is asking for.

“I think there are a lot of studies that show…that [for] someone [who has] similar qualifications to another person, the prettier person is more likely to get the job,” Celenza said. “There are many reasons why, but there unfortunately is that standard that when people see someone who is good looking in their eyes, that there is a better chance this person is going to get the job over someone else.” Though beauty is a benefit, America History and AP Psychology teacher Danielle Lyons said that outward appearance is still not the only thing considered by employers. “[Beauty] is not something that’s a stand-alone,” Lyons said. “Of course, it’s a benefit, but, some people who are beautiful say it works against them, because they walk into an interview and people just think, ‘Oh they’re just beautiful and there’s not much more [to] them,’ so people could judge them another way, depending on how they judge beauty.” Celenza also said that depending on the field, a person’s outward beauty may or may not be considered when applying for the job. “I think there are some fields where the way you look doesn’t necessarily matter, and in that case then…it’s an even territory, but there are other fields where it does,” Celenza said. “I think probably the most obvious would be people who are in the media, people who are broadcasters, [or] anchormen. [Those employers] are looking for a certain look to these people and so, if you’re not pretty by American culture standards then you are going to have a lot harder time finding success in that field.” Catherine Hakim, writer for the London Evening Standard, said in her column, “Attractive wins and ugly loses in today’s rat race” that while it is most often considered superficial for beauty to be a factor in landing a job, physical and social attractiveness make a person, “more persuasive, able to secure the co-operation of colleagues and attract customers to sell products.” Though, Lyons said, most people don’t like to admit it, beauty is a factor in securing a job position, and that it’s simply a part of how humans think. “[Considering beauty] is part of the human condition and how we behave, and unfortunately, although

we all maybe critique it and wish we didn’t place value on it we still do,” Lyons said. While physical appearance might help you get a job, Billings said that being beautiful isn’t enough to make you a good employee. “I think pretty people have an advantage, honestly,” Billings said. “I feel like your looks can get you in the door, but…what’s going to keep you in the door? You have to be beautiful and smart. …I think that if you look good then you’re going to get that job, but you have to be smart enough to keep that job.”

photos by Megan McCormack and Jami Bechard, photo art by Jami Bechard

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Living half-way around the world

Rachel Noyes travels to China on month-long foreign exchange student trip

Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

Instead of hanging out around Mason this summer, junior Rachel Noyes explored the Great Wall of China, ventured through the streets of Beijing and indulged herself in Chinese culture as she took a one-month expedition to China with a foreign exchange student program. Upon hearing about the exchange program, Youth for Understanding, through a coworker of her dad’s, Noyes said was interested in attending a trip with them. “[Being a part of a foreign exchange program was] something my family couldn’t really afford, but it was an experience I really wanted to try and see if I could do,” Noyes said. After going through the application process, Noyes received the letter notifying her that she had been accepted into the program and was going to China. “[I was most] interested in learning what makes [humans] similar [to other humans] in general, [even though our] culture’s [can] vary so greatly,” Noyes said. “We’re all people, and I really [began to understand that when] I went [to China].” After winning the scholarship, Noyes made her way halfway around the world to Beijing that following July. For a month, she stayed in Beijing and spent a few days in Shanghai with a Chinese family she was selected to stay with by Y.U.. “I [stayed] with my host family…and they didn’t speak any English,” Noyes said. “The language barrier was kind of hard, but I was able to get over it. My host sister who was 14…was actually learning English in school, so she would try to practice with me. It was really fun trying to talk to her.” Noyes said that while she was in China, she saw evident differences between American and Chinese culture.

photos contributed

Rachel Noyes makes dumplings with her host family, chosen for her by Y.U. in Shanghai, China.

“In the [United States], there’s a lot about individuality [in the culture], but [in China] it’s more about the people and the community,” Noyes said. “In Beijing, they [were very traditional] and [in America], people sometimes shun ideas that they consider old fashioned. …I loved that [the people of China] embraced their culture like that.” According to Noyes, it’s difficult to have a religion in China. With the Chinese Communist Party in charge of managing the Chinese government, Noyes said religion isn’t necessarily encouraged. Noyes also said that she wasn’t the only one who was surprised by that aspect of the Chinese culture. “I’m a Christian, …[but in China], most people are non-religious,” Noyes said. “I normally go to church every week, and my volunteers were fascinated that I [was able

to do that].” Noyes said she encountered many rules and regulations China has, that America does not hold. “My host family didn’t have a dishwasher, they didn’t have Wi-Fi [and] they had an air conditioner, but they didn’t use it,” Noyes said. “Facebook [is] illegal [and the Chinese government] bans certain music there. …I didn’t realize how important [my freedoms] were to me until I had them [taken] away.” According to Noyes, she learned a lot about herself and how to treat others from her trip to China. “I learned a lot about respect for people because there were things that were so different there,” Noyes said. “You had to not refute [what they were doing] and just respect [it], even though it was completely different from what you do; you just had to go with it.”

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SEPT. 30, 2011

Addicted to asphalt

photos by Mitchell Matacia

Seniors Dean Morris and Chris Johnson longboard at Pine Hill Park.

Longboarding sparks new interest among high school students Mitchell Matacia | Staff Writer

A new activity in Mason has participants riding on four wheels, “bombing hills” and “sliding on asphalt.” According to senior Dean Morris longboarding has gotten people’s attention. “The first time I hopped on [a longboard], I thought, ‘Wow, I want to get into this,”’ Morris said. According to Custom-Boards.cz, longboarding derived from Santa Monica, California in the 1950s when surfers, skaters and snowboarders invented an alternative board. A standard longboard is up to five feet in length and a foot in width. The wheels are wider and softer than normal skateboarding wheels, allowing the rider to travel longer distances without moving. Recently, the activity has caught on among Mason residents. Morris said that he credits the internet for bringing the activity to Mason. “There are [longboarding] companies out in California that show what they’re doing through media sources like YouTube,” Morris said. “You can really see what is going on and how the sport is changing.” Since longboarding’s emergence from west coast shores, others have begun to follow the

tread marks of fellow boarders throughout Mason; one of these people is freshmen Sayaka Kato. Although she’s regularly a skateboarder, she said she has some longboarding experience. “I have this board called a cruiser,” Kato said. “It’s wider but has the elements of a longboard. It’s good for carving and going fast.” Despite the recent growth of longboarding in Mason, senior skateboarder Danny Fair said that longboarding doesn’t threaten skateboarders. “If anything [longboarding has] helped [skateboarding],” Fair said. “It introduces people to different things. If [someone] was a longboarder [he/she] might want to get into skateboarding.” Although Fair said he sees the activities comingling, he remains adamant about the continuing success of skateboarding. “[Skateboarding] has had 17 years of XGames,” Fair said. “I don’t know any ESPN competitions for longboarding.” Mr. Reid, World History teacher and former high school Skateboard Club advisor, said he regrets the discontinuation of skateboard club. Reid said however, that the reason behind the

closure of the club was not because of longboarding’s popularity. “We had a hard time having a skateboard club [at Mason] because of liability issues,” Reid said. Reid said he doesn’t think longboarding is jeopardizing skateboarding because the captivation behind longboarding is different. “When you’re young and you can do something risky, it’s a draw; it’s a speed thing,” Reid said. Fair said that it doesn’t matter if longboarding is risky or not, it’s becoming a trend. “Longboarders are everywhere, it’s going to catch on,” Fair said. “After many years, [longboarding] will [probably] die down and then come back. It’s how skateboarding is too.” Whether longboarding is soon to be cliché or a threat to skateboarders, one thing is for sure -- it’s prevalent in Mason and still remains a passion in the lives of many students according to Morris. “It could be a fad among some,” Morris said. “For myself, I constantly go out and I ride on my own because it’s something that relaxes me. It’s something that I really enjoy.”

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Split-second decision

Students form first impressions of teacher’s teaching style based on their rooms

photos by Katherine Hansen

photo by Jami Bechard

photos by Janica Kaneshiro

Photos left to right: Andrew Goetz teaches his Words from the Wild class in his simply decorated room which includes book shelves (above). Aimee Hansen said her whiteboard, (pictured above) gets students in the right “chemistry mind-frame.” Hansen is pictured in her classroom.Her moles are pictured on a shelf. Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

You can't judge a book by its cover, but, according to Freshman Tommy Barriga, you can judge a teacher by their room. Students tend to gain their first impression largely on classroom appearance -- forming an impression within moments -- according to Words from the Wild teacher, Andrew Goetz. "I suppose as a student, you come away pretty quickly of whether or not the teacher is approachable ... because first impressions have everything to do with non-verbal communication,” Goetz said. According to AP Chemistry and Chemistry teacher Aimee Hansen, teacher's choices in room decor play a big role in the first impressions students gain when they first walk in the door. In her case, the decorations consist of moles which she said may perplex some students. "I think [students are] probably a little scared ...because they see a lot of moles," Hansen said. "There's just junk all over my room, and they probably think, ‘This teacher must be a little nutty.’" Some teachers take a more subtle route to their room decorating, striving to not over-

whelm the students, according to Goetz. "My room is not decorated in the same kind of way that many of the other teachers' [rooms] are decorated." Goetz said. "It's not one of those super decorated places, so, you're definitely not going to get sensory overloaded in here. It's more of a quiet type of atmosphere."

“...First impressions have everything to do with non-verbal communication.” While teachers may hold true to the belief that chaos equals a bad impression, students tend to see it the other way around, according to Barriga. "Teachers who are organized usually are ones that give out a lot of homework," Barriga said. "I think teachers who are sloppier are more energetic." By looking at room appearance, students

naturally start concluding various impressions, according to Barriga. He said for students, forming these quick impressions becomes natural tendency. "It just comes to me," Barriga said. "Like [I think,] 'Oh they're boring,' or, 'Oh they're funny;' I don't have a system; it's just natural instinct." Even amongst the many impressions made from outside forces, teachers do try to give a good impression once they have their chance, according to Broaddrick. "I try to put the rules out there, but then also try to couple it with my presentation of personality," Broaddrick said. "Just by being approachable [and] trying to convey that I love what I do, and that I very much see students as a part of what I do." While teachers do their part to impress, students should be cautious to not rely on their intuition when it comes to lasting impressions, and allow the first day first impression to be replaced, according to Goetz. "You can acknowledge your first impression, but be more than willing to release that first impression," Goetz said.

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Defining “swag” Students create own definition for the generational term

swag

( n ) : 1. style, dress, or the way one presents oneself with confidence ( v ) : 1. “to swag out,” to praise or congratulate ( adj ) : 1. (of a person) showing qualities of coolness and confidence, 2. (of an object or concept) cool, desirable ( interj ) : 1. a greeting used to identify members of a certain subculture, 2. an exclamation of success or affirmation See also: (to) swag out, swagga-jacka, swagged-out, swagger Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

With appearances in dozens of popular rap songs and hundreds of Tweets each second, “swag” is quickly becoming a staple of slang. Teens have found ways to incorporate “swag” into almost every conversation, resulting in the word-of-all-trades becoming a greeting, an interjection, a noun, an adjective, a verb and a cultural phenomenon, according to senior Halim Abdullah. “[‘Swag’] is just a really cool thing to say,” Abdullah said. “If someone does something really cool, it’s like, ‘Swag.’” Although senior Matt Loehr said he admits to being unable to attach a single definition to the word, he said that “swag,” above all else, implies confidence. “[‘Swag’] is [being] confident in who you are,” Loehr said. Abdullah said he defines “swag” as the way a person presents himself or herself. “I feel like ‘swag’ is how you carry yourself,” Abdullah said. “Like maybe it’s your personality, …or maybe it’s the way you dress.” Abdullah said he recommends nice t-shirts, jeans and Air Jordans for students looking to improve their “swag.” Loehr, who said he recommends polos, said that the association of “swag” with preppy modes of dress stems from Mason’s culture redefining “swag” to fit its own idea of what constitutes “cool.” “Especially here in a basically white community, there’s going to be a lot of preppy white kids,” Loehr said.

photo art by Jami Bechard

“Swag,” however, actually predates modern subcultures by hundreds of years. According to “Is ‘Swag’ Here to Stay?”, an article printed in The Atlantic, “swag” has seen conversational use since the 1530s, when it was first imported into English from svagga, a Norwegian word for “to sway.” “Swag” made its way into the hip-hop scene around 2008, but it has only recently surged in popularity, according to The Atlantic. Abdullah attributed this increase in usage to two rap acts: Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, and solo artist Lil B. “I heard this word a long time ago, but the most recent people to ever bring it up are Odd Future and Lil B,” Abdullah said. The Atlantic credits Lil B with giving “swag” its modern-day popularity. In The Atlantic, Lil B said that he incorporated “swag” into his persona as a joke, only for rap aficionados to start taking the word seriously. Loehr said he also thinks “swag” isn’t an entirely serious movement. “I think [‘swag’] is more of a joke,” Loehr said. Although Loehr said he thinks of “swag” as a joke, he didn’t deny that it can prove a valuable life skill in a competitive world. Loehr said that “swag” helps him boost his confidence during soccer games. “When you’re out there [on the soccer field], you have to be sure of your abilities,” Loehr said. “You have to have a little ‘swag,’ because if you’re not confident you won’t play well.”

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C FEATURE

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Person of Interest Senior Gina Wei said she is a lover of all muffin types, a creative writing fanatic and a “go- withthe-flow” kind of girl.

Students create blogs based on their own interests photo by Megan McCormack

What’s a special talent of yours? “I really like to write, and I probably wouldn’t be so interested or passionate about it if people hadn’t pointed out that I was good at it when I was little, …so I got this impression that maybe I’m good at this.”

What do you want to be remembered for your senior year by your classmates? “[I want to be remembered as] someone who…stood out without consciously trying.”

What’s one thing you can’t do but wish you could? “Ride a bike. I never learned how to ride a bike. My boyfriend promises me that we’re going to go to Wal-Mart and he’s going to teach me in the aisles.”

Describe yourself in one word or phrase. “Marginally original because my name is in both of those words.”

What’s your motto to live by? “There’s this one quote by Regina Spektor, ‘None of it is part of a bigger plan, maybe I’m on a series of tangents the rest of my life.’ So, I guess she’s saying that not everything you do has to have this bigger purpose, you just have to go with whatever at the moment because that will lead you to where you’re supposed to be.”

compiled by Megan McCormack

photo art by Jami Bechard

Ian Howard | Staff Writer

Blogging, once “lamestream” media is now mainstream media, according to junior Vickie Shackelford. Shackelford writes her own personal blog, where she said she can operate in a realm of online interaction completely overshadowing of traditional social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace. “A couple of years ago, I thought blogging was really weird, just because people in TV shows who have blogs are weird, but it actually can be fun, and it’s normal now to have blogs,” Shackelford said. Blogging has not only become cool, but incredibly relevant, according to senior Andrew Morin. Morin started Musicandmor.blogspot.com, and later applied to become part of Allcitychessclub.net a site that gets 13,000 views a week. “I definitely think blogging is increasing,” Morin said. “It’s interesting because now people see blogging as a legitimate media source.” According to junior English teacher Nathan Coates, blogging is a very useful tool in the classroom. By replacing traditional journal writing, blogging helps students extrapolate what they have learned into future years. No matter what students are writing, they are constantly becoming better through experience and that is especially relevant in blogging, according to Coates. “I think the more you write the better you can become at it,” Coates said. “And the more you write for an audience, then you always become better because you think a little bit more about what you’re saying and if you’re communicating clearly, and you care a little more about not making silly mistakes.” Blogging can be just as well applicable to post-secondary education, according to senior Andrew Murray. Murray said

that he started Mursports. blogspot.com to share his passion for sports and his talent for making websites. “I’ve always thought about blogging, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to blog,” Murray said. “You see a lot of different people that have different kinds of blogs so, it’s really increasing.” Sophomore Meghan Harris said that she actually operates two personal blogs about two different topics. What is suitable for one is not suitable for the other, according to Harris. “I have two [blogs],” Harris said. “One is just whatever I feel like writing about the other one is more about religion and all Young Life stuff and how it affects my life.” Like Shackelford, Harris said that she finds Facebook too public an outlet to express the thoughts that she does on her blog. “There [are] too many people to like judge you on it and your opinions wouldn’t be as heard as much on Facebook,” Harris said. “I feel like I couldn’t do it on Facebook because I’d be judged too harshly. I would have second thoughts.” While it is more private than Facebook, according to Shackelford, the “everyonein-the-world-is-watching” elements shared by blogging can be just as enchanting. “I know that people I don’t know are looking at [my blog] because I can see who likes the pages and they’re no one I know, so, it makes me feel good that other people are actually looking up [my blog].” Regardless of audience size, the reason to blog is self-satisfaction, according to Morin. “I just enjoy it,” Morin said. “If I didn’t enjoy it, there’s no reason for me to do it. I wouldn’t feel forced to do it.”

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C SPORTS

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C Sports Columnist “Nobody wants to hear about winning championships or breaking records, we want sex scandals, arrests, and murders.”