The Chronicle, 9.3

SEE PAGE 13

photo by Jami Bechard

D ecember 2, 2011 Volume 9, Issue 3

SEE PAGE 27

The Chronicle thecspn.com

MHS basketball teams set sights on GMC titles

WE ARE BEHIND U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, Predicts Gloomy Future if American Schools Fail to Raise the Bar SEE PAGE 2

photo by Megan McCormack

TAKING FLIGHT

COMING INTO FOCUS photo by Corynne Hogan

C

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

C NEWS

Money, money, money

Student loan debt surpasses the $1 trillion mark

SEE PAGE 5

PAGE 2 | DEC. 2, 2011

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C Winter Sports Previews

Check out winter sports previews of boys’ and girls’ swimming and girls’ gymnastics on thecspn.com to keep up with the start of the winter season.

C Girls’ Basketball Game

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C Support Education Dogs

As a way to teach social skills and interaction, the support education classrooms bring in therapy dogs on Fridays. Go to thecspn.com to read more about the therapy dogs and view pictures from one of their visits.

C First Boys’ Basketball Game

Look out for wrap-ups, pictures and more as the boys’ basketball team kicks of their season. The game is on Saturday, December 3 against Lebanon at home

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THE “UPHILL BATTLE” WAGES ON

Student’s futures at stake if education does not improve Janica Kaneshiro | Editor-in-Chief

America is falling further and further behind, according to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Not only has the US fallen from first in the world for number of college graduates to 16th over just the span of a single generation, but Ohio alone loses 46,000 students from ninth to 12th grade in drop-outs.

In a November 9 town hall meeting at Mason Intermediate School, Duncan said that though he has faith in American students, the education system in America is flawed, and part of his job is to get the US back on track.

“I’m convinced children here in America are as smart, as talented, as entrepreneurial as children anywhere else in the world, I just want to level the playing field, and frankly, I’m concerned because children in other countries are out-educating us,” Duncan said.

Duncan said the key to high-paying jobs in the future for Americans is the state of today’s education; a fact which he said concerns him.

“I really think we’re fighting for our country,” Duncan said. “I think we know the jobs of the future are going to go to the country with the most educated workforce.

The children are no longer just competing for jobs here in the City of Mason, Ohio, or the even the country, they’re competing for jobs in China, India, Singapore and South Korea.”

The “No Child Left Behind Act” is a broken system that has left American schools pushing students toward false standards, according to Duncan. Student Body President, senior Nadine Zaki said that after attending the meeting, it made an impact on her because she believes that standards of achievement are more than black and white.

“I took away that the most important thing was to encourage each person to find their own individual passion,” Zaki said. “Success isn’t necessarily defined by how good at math you are, success is found when

you’re passionate about something. People are more willing to do things they’re passionate about, and most likely to be good at them so…the best thing we can do as students is work on encouraging passion and expanding it.”

Though Duncan said he believes that passion is important, there are several roadblocks in the way of the climb to success for America.

“We have to keep getting better and the challenges are real,” Duncan said. “I’m worried about the decrease in funding. The fundamentals of education are investment and money spent. We need to continue to invest in early childhood education--that is desperately important. We have to make college accessible and affordable, particularly in tough economic times. I worry as a country that when times are tough, we quit investing in education, and we cut our noses off of our faces.”

America tends to take money away from education in tough economics, according to Duncan, which is exactly the opposite of what should be happening.

The proposed “American Jobs Act” would bring in $2 billion to the state of Ohio alone, which would eventually lead to an improvement in the education system in America, according to Duncan.

“The American jobs act would bring 60 million dollars into education,” Duncan said. “For the state of Ohio that would mean two billion dollars--one billion for teaching jobs, and one billion for renovation and rehabbing schools—making sure we have math labs, science labs and computer labs. This is frankly an uphill battle right now. With the tough economy, we see summer school and extracurriculars being cut back, and that just isn’t good for any of us, so we have to continue to invest, and we’re trying hard to get that done.”

Story continued on page 3

DEC. 2, 2011 Not only do Americans need to continue to invest in education, but they also need to respect the teaching profession, according to Duncan.

“In other countries they have elevated the teaching profession,” Duncan said. “In America, we have beaten it down. Teachers are valued the same as doctors and lawyers are in higher-scoring nations, and though we spend more money on education than other countries, we pay teachers less.”

Senior Nazharie Brandon, who also attended the meeting, said that she took away from the discussion the impact of the American view of the teaching profession.

“America is behind because of how we treat those who teach,” Brandon said. “We don’t have to pamper our teachers, but they’ve definitely got the short end of the stick today. We need to up their standards and in doing so, our [standards] will be [elevated] too.”

Duncan also said that budget cuts aren’t only concerning because money is being taken away from schools, but also because schools often get rid of extracurricular activities which are important in fostering a love for school within students.

Before the November 9 town hall meeting, about 30 students were invited to talk to Higher Education Youth Liaison, Robert Gomez, because according to Gomez, education is, “today’s civil rights issue,” and it’s important to first hear the student voice because they have first-hand knowledge.

Both Brandon and Zaki attended the meeting with Gomez.

Zaki said that she felt important that the Department of Education decided to talk to students first—a decision she said was a smart one.

“I think they were trying to make a statement to students that, ‘We care about you,’ and also it was good to talk to students first because students have good perspectives,” Zaki said. “Who better to tell you than the person who’s directly affected by it.”

After the conclusion of the meetings, Brandon was invited to create a blog post to put on the Department of Education’s website because of her participation in the events before and after the town hall meeting.

“I was asked to blog for the department of education about my experience at the student round table and the town hall, since I was an active participant in both,” Brandon said. “I’m really excited about it because my name is out there and this could open doors for me, and the president might read it.”

There was also a meeting after the town hall session specifically for parents because, according to Duncan, they play a major role in the betterment of American education.

“It’s so important to have parents step-up and take responsibility,” Duncan said. “Great teachers and great schools can’t do this alone; we have to be full and equal partners.”

Duncan also emphasized the importance of the student voice.

“The best thing you can do as a student is to challenge yourself,” Duncan said. “We have to reduce the drop-out rate, and you have to make sure you’re taking enough AP classes to challenge your personal standards. We certainly need the student

C NEWS voice. It’s you who is being affected; [the] student involvement is of huge importance.”

Zaki said the biggest thing she took away from Duncan’s presentation is that she too, had a voice in the state of American education and that she can do something as Student Body President, and also just as a student to improve educational standards.

“I took away the importance of pushing yourself and pushing your horizons, and not just sticking to old ways,” Zaki said. “When America raises the bar for level of education we expect, that’s when we’ll rise as a country.”

Duncan said that while he understands that the economy isn’t the best, he still urges parents to keep striving for the best education for their children.

“Everybody’s struggling,” Duncan said. “The districts, the cities and even nationally--we’re all struggling--but our children only have one chance to get a good education.”

If America remains “complacent” and continues to undervalue the teaching profession, Duncan said that American jobs and the future of America are at great risk. He said, however, that he remains hopeful that America can come out from its downward trend if, and only if America starts now to actively improve the state of education.

“There are a lot of challenges and I feel a real sense of urgency, but I’m also very hopeful because I think schools like [Mason] can get education where it needs to go,” Duncan said.

Brandon though, is less hopeful because of the state of the economy. She said she doesn’t foresee a sudden change because people have no money to spend.

“I think until we are out of our economic slump, education will remain stagnant,” Brandon said. “We need money to fix many of the problems, and until there is money flowing and readily available, we are at a deadlock of sorts.”

On the minds of many students entering the world of secondary education is the cost of college, and the Department of Education is doing its best to lower interest rates and make college affordable to all Americans, according to Duncan.

“President Obama recently passed the student debt relief plan,” Duncan said. “This has stopped banks from raising interest on loans and has reduced bank repayments after ten years, but there’s only so much we can do. The bigger problem is changing the [mindsets] of the American people.”

According to Duncan, a sign that America is improving can be found in the changed mindsets of students. He said that today’s education system has taught students to not just reach academic benchmarks, when they should be always striving to learn for their own benefit.

“In Washington, we’re doing our best to lower debt and make college accessible,” Duncan said.

“We’re trying to re-teach today’s students to follow their hearts and not just chase lucrative professions, because people are more successful when they love what they do. …Children need a set of options, once they have that then they can be successful and [America] can too.”

PAGE 3

photos by Jami Bechard and Corynne Hogan

Top to Bottom: Arne Duncan shakes hands with Nazz Brandon, parents look on while Duncan speaks, Nadine Zaki and Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline stand by during a press conference with Duncan and Zaki listens during the question and answer session.

PAGE 4

C NEWS

DEC. 2, 2011

photos by Taylor Telford

Senior Lesley Spaeth student teaches in Mrs. Karen Young’s fifth bell Biology class, junior Christina Vergara has lunch with the support education students, and junior Kees Burklow listens to a lecture in Teachers Academy second bell.

Future teachers press on

Despite economic prospects, Teacher Academy students continue to pursue teaching Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

The field of education has been under fire in the light of the recent economic down turn, according to Honors Teaching Profession instructor, Nathan Lynch.

Students in the Mason High School’s Teacher Academy class, however, are choosing to pursue careers as educators, despite the negative reputation it has gained.

Mason’s Teacher Academy, also called the Honors Teaching Profession course, provides students who want to become educators with the base knowledge necessary to enter their profession. The program, which is the same as the one available through Great Oaks, gives students both in class and out of class opportunities, even placing them in classrooms where they can apply what they’ve learned, and begin to practice education.

For junior Christina Vergara, teaching is about getting the opportunity to impact people’s lives and learn from others.

Vergara said she intends to be a Support Education teacher, where she would be assisting and teaching students that require special attention because of illness, mental handicaps and other disabilities, such as Down Syndrome.

“I want to teach [Support Education students] because I want to make an impact on their lives,” Vergara said. “I want to be able to help them….they are such amazing people and you can learn so much from them.”

According to senior Lesley Spaeth, being a teacher means breaking a negative connotation that is associated with the profession.

“A lot of people have been telling me that teaching is just what people do when they aren’t good enough to do anything else,” Spaeth said. “I just want to prove everybody wrong.”

Spaeth said she wants to be an Algebra or secondary math teacher because she is passionate about the subject, but also because she has had several math teachers that have impacted her, and she hopes that she can do the same thing for her students.

“I’ve had a lot of great math teachers, and I look up to them,” Spaeth said. “I’m really good at math, and I want to be able to take that knowledge and share it

with people and share life lessons.”

Entering the field of education is a risky move, considering the scrutiny and criticism the field has received-- and going into it within the next few years could be even more of a gamble, in the eyes of Lynch.

According to Lynch, a new version of the Ohio Pension Plan called the State Teacher Retirement System, or STRS, is about to be implemented in Ohio, which will result in many openings in the field of education-openings that will be filled with newly graduated teachers, who will be paid extremely low salaries.

Students in the Teacher Academy, such as junior Kees Burklow, are well aware of the projected decrease in salary, but they are prepared to face the financial difficulties, and do what is necessary to overcome them, while remaining in the field of education.

Burklow, who wants to teach either high school mathematics or fourth grade, said that he recognizes struggles presented by becoming a teacher.

“The cost of living could be a challenge,” Burklow said.

“I might need to get a second job to compensate from the lack of income from teaching.”

Burklow said that he believes teachers are unfairly criticized, and do much more work than the general public consider. “[Teachers] are here so much longer than students, because even when they leave they are taking their work home with them--grading papers, making their own curriculum on their own time-- and when you do the math, it divides out to something like $4 an hour.”

While they are aware of the difficulties posed by becoming teachers, students such as Vergara, Spaeth and Burklow are driven by a common belief: it is worth any amount of personal sacrifice and struggle if they are able to have a positive effect on the lives of the students they teach.

“If the kids are motivated; if they’re trying their hardest and you can see that they appreciate what you are doing for them…then it’s worth it,” Burklow said.

photo art by Jami Bechard

C NEWS

DEC. 2, 2011

Drowning

in

PAGE 5

Debt

College bound seniors forced to think twice about financing college Thom Carter | Staff Writer

This year, for the first time ever, student-loan debts will exceed the $1 trillion mark.

According to Dennis Cauchon of USA Today, the report comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the U.S. Department of Education and other private sources.

Senior Courtney Larkin, a prospective college student, has her eyes set on the University of Alabama and their nursing program, but said she will most likely be facing debt after graduation if she chooses the out-of-state school.

“I know it’s $15,000 per semester, and with other fees, [my family and I] are expecting to pay around $35,000 per year,” Larkin said.

The potential debt that Larkin and her family could incur would be similar to the average student and parent debt that, according to TIME, is $34,400 for 2010-2011. Larkin, however, said she isn’t fazed by the number.

“I’m hoping to go out of state so I can get that better degree to pay it off,” Larkin said. “I think the cost is worth what I’m actually getting there.”

According to TIME, obtaining at least a bachelor’s degree from some sort of college or university does pay off. In 2010, 4.7 percent of individuals with a bachelor’s degree were unemployed while 10.3 percent of those with only a high school education were unemployed.

However, Larkin said that the type of field a student chooses also has implications on how easy finding a job will be after college graduation.

“It’s [like] getting a degree in theater,” Larkin said. “It’s definitely risky if you can’t get a job after [graduation], especially if you have to go back to school and spend more money to get a degree in a field you can get a job in.”

Larkin isn’t alone in her belief, and according to Kristina Dell of TIME, a liberal arts education isn’t what it used to be.

“A liberal-arts education, the pride of the American undergraduate system, increasingly looks like a road to financial distress,” Dell said.

Senior Jacqueline Gazda is one student who is looking to pursue a liberal-arts education. According to her, she wants to pursue an English major at potential schools that include Kenyon College and Miami University. Gazda said that, despite its challenges, a degree in English has the potential to reveal a variety of future job paths.

“Although I know [pursuing] an English degree is somewhat tenacious, it actually opens up a lot

of doors,” Gazda said.

According to Gazda, Kenyon College, a private school located in the town of Gambier, Ohio, has a specific focus on writing, a must for her pursuit of an English degree. However, because Kenyon is a private school, Gazda said that before scholarships, she is looking at a total of about $52,000 per year to attend.

While Gazda said that cost is critical and will ultimately decide where she goes, the aspect of finding a job after graduating is not, according to her, the sole purpose of her receiving an education that may likely cost tens of thousands of dollars.

“When I look at what I want in an education, I’m maybe not as focused on solely getting a job,” Gazda said. “That’s definitely something I want to come out of it, but I’d also like to go to college for personal enrichment or else I don’t see the point.”

The college experience is only becoming more expensive, and while there is blame to share for the resulting debt crisis, Gazda said that it’s up to those paying for college to manage their money appropriately in order to avoid financial doom.

“A lot more people need to be taught how to manage their money well,” Gazda said. “People just need to… tone down their pride.”

photo art by Jami Bechard

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DEC. 2, 2011

C NEWS

DEC. 2, 2011

PAGE 7

A SAD ENDING, A NEW BEGINNING Fond memories of John Odell live on as the board chooses a new member

photo by Rebekah Barnes

Board members Marianne Culbertson, Connie Yingling, Debbie Delp and Kevin Wise share memories of John Odell at the Novemeber 17 board meeting.

Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

After a long battle with lung cancer, John Odell, a longtime educator and first-term member of the Mason City School District Board of Education, passed away on October 27, 2011. For the past month, the remaining Board members have been honoring Odell’s memory as they took it upon themselves to fill his empty seat.

According to Deborah Delp, President of the Board, Odell first learned he had cancer in late July of this year. Although he considered leaving the Board in fear of his sickness affecting the quality of his work, he decided to continue his work despite his affliction. “[Odell] was prepared [to resign] if we had asked him to resign,” Delp said. “None of us thought that would’ve been a good idea. ...He still had a lot to contribute.”

Delp said that Odell found ways to take part in School Board activities even when he was too ill to show up in person.

“We had an eight hour retreat in the end of September…and [Odell] chose not to be there in person in case he wasn’t going to feel good about it, but he was on Skype with us,” Delp said.

According to Kevin Wise, the School Board’s Vice President, Odell’s most significant contribution to the Mason City School District was his role in selecting our current superintendent, Gail Kist-Kline.

“He was active in [the] process of choosing our superintendent,” Wise said. “He [did] a lot of research on his own about qualities and responsibilities for superintendents.”

Delp said that the School Board members would have liked more time to mourn Odell’s loss, but it was their duty to find a replacement quickly. On November 3, 2011, they released an application for the open position which, according to Wise, focused on background, qualifications and future plans.

According to Delp, 15 people applied for the posi-

tion, and all 15 were interviewed by the School Board over the evenings of Tuesday, November 15, and Wednesday, November 16. By Friday, the Board had come to the conclusion that Matthew Steele was their best choice.

Steele was appointed to the Board of November 18, 2011. According to a press release by the Board, Steele’s term will last until November 2013.

According to Wise, the fact that Steele is taking the place of a publically elected official makes it all the more important for him to show the same level of commitment that Odell did. “[Steele is] filling the role…of someone who was elected,” Wise said. “[He doesn’t] have to be the same person [as Odell], but certainly [needs] to show the kind of commitment that is required [in this position].”

Steele currently works as an attorney for Reisenfeld & Associates and said he believes this background in law makes him especially qualified to work on the School Board. “[My experience in law] will help me to navigate the ever-changing legal landscape for schools,” Steele said.

“Law school has helped me to think critically about issues, and I think that is as important as anything else for my experience. Also, I do litigation, so I communicate with lots of different types of people and interact with different parts of government on a regular basis.”

Steele is bringing a new perspective to the School Board not only as an attorney, but also as a new parent.

Steele had his first daughter in August, and according to Mason City School District Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline, this factor played a role in Steele’s selection as a new Board member. “[The Board members] were impressed by [Steele]’s fresh perspective and his interest in serving the schools even prior to having children in the district,” KistKline said.

Steele said he hopes that his relative youth compared to other members of the Board will allow him to better relate to the students of the Mason City School District.

“My hope is that, being that much closer to having been a student myself...I can relate a little bit closer to what [students’] experiences are,” Steele said.

Although Steele has had experience with the field of education in the past, this is his first time serving on a school board. Delp said she welcomes this lack of direct experience, because she believes that now, with a new superintendent, no levies on the horizon, and a peaceable agreement between the Board and the teacher’s union, is the perfect time to show a new School Board member the ropes. “[Steele] has a chance to learn on the job,” Delp said.

Although Steele is new to the Board of Education, he is going into the position with set goals. Being accepted onto the School Board has finally given Steele his long-awaited opportunity to defend the student experience in our modern world of media and politics.

“I’ve been paying attention to the landscape of education in Ohio…and I just get the sense that teachers and schools and, as an extension, students are constantly under siege by the media and politicians,” Steele said.

“I’ve really been interested for awhile in jumping in and being part of the solution of trying to figure out what we need to do…to make sure the student experience isn’t lost in the shuffle.”

During his term, Steele would like to give a special focus to the relationship between students and teachers, a relationship he has pledged to defend with every issue confronted by the Board.

“If there isn’t an excellent experience for the student, or an excellent connection between the teacher and the student, you can’t have an excellent school,” Steele said.

C EDITORIAL PAGE 8 | DEC. 2, 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 In light of recent events at Mason High School, teachers have taken on a new role.

Branching outside of the everyday curriculum, the teaching profession now requires less power point presentations and more real life conversations with students.

When disaster strikes a student body, whether it be in the form of a student death or tragic accident, people need to come together. When teenagers walk into class with tears running down their faces, teachers take notice. Even if teachers are stepping outside of their job description, a crying student isn’t something to brush off their shoulders. No longer assuming that their friends will be there to comfort them, teachers realize they too, have to recognize the feelings of their students.

And this doesn’t just apply to teachers. Seeing an emotional status on Facebook can spark conversations between students who may not even talk in school. After something tragic happens to a fellow peer member, the student body has a new desire to reach out to one another, not just to hear the latest gossip. Though the entire student body isn’t best friends with one another, we still possess a certain level of care for each other. While this may not apply to every student walking the halls, as one student body we are fully capable of uniting over something awful, and have started taking small steps towards just that.

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, I read the “Struggling to Fit in” article, and I feel good about this story because sometimes, I feel like I dont fit in either. I am an ESL student, and I am from Vietnam, and I dont speak very well. It is difficult because some people can’t understand me, and I can’t say the things I want to say--sometimes, I dont have the words, but the longer I am here, I’ve met more friends. Maybe it will get easier.

Sang Tran, freshman Dear Editor, I read your article on “The Meaning of Popularity” and... I believe everyone you interviewed was almost perfect for this article. Someone with a different sexuality, type of clothing to wear, weight, being new at school and someone with different socializing views. ...I also thought that on the back of the page with the article over Jordan Southerland was phenomenal. I thought it was so good because he descirbes popularity perfectly.

I also thought this article was good because it is a good reference to show popular people what it would be like in the unpopular kids’ shoes.

If you wouldn’t have written this, I believe a lof of popular students would be loooking at the “nerds” in the same way they used to. For instance, I am not popular or un-popular, but somewhere in the middle, and now, I look at those kids who have different thoughts, clothing styles, and weights differently than I did before after I read this article. I see that they are human, just like me, the popular kids, and anyone else in this school. I think you did an outstanding job on trying to make this school a better place because if there weren’t popular people or unpopular people, everyone could be happy.

Nathan Bagby, freshman

Letters continued on Page 10

C OPINION

Follow these columnists online at thecspn.com

PAGE 9 | DEC. 2, 2011

C Columns

Violence as an art form Thom Carter

Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Lights are going up, radio stations are switching to Christmas music, and all and all, I couldn’t be happier. But as much as I enjoy getting into the holiday spirit, I can’t shake the feeling that, amidst all the red-nosed reindeer and frosty snowmen, the whole point behind Christmas—you know, Jesus being born—is getting lost in the gobbledygook.

Of course, it’s easy for me, as a Christian, to complain about my religion being forgotten. After all, millions of non-Christians celebrate Christmas, so maybe they have some sort of right to tweak the holiday’s background. But I have to wonder just why they’re so inclined to in the first place.

The truth of the matter is that celebrating Christmas is hardly a religious experience even for Christians nowadays—that’s what decades of Hallmark commercializing will do to a holiday. And the truly tragic thing about Christmas is that, before “Happy Holidays”-spouting humbuggers weighed it down with elves and toys, it had all the makings of a great holiday for Christians and non-Christians alike. Truly great holidays, after all, celebrate humanity’s common culture and history every bit as much as they celebrate religion, and whether you look at it as God-given truth or a silly, ancient fable, the Christmas story makes a number of interesting statements on humankind. It’s a fascinating historical memento from a day-and-age of emperors, wise men, and sixty-league treks across the Middle Eastern desert. It’s the complex, cyclical fulfillment of scores of centuries-spanning prophecies. It’s the timeless, ever-relatable story of how a couple so ostracized by society that they were forced to give birth to their son in a cold, dirty manger produced the greatest moral teacher in all of history. And whether you believe that Jesus is the Son of God or not, I fail to see what it is that makes Him less interesting than a fat guy in a red suit.

In a perfect world, we’d give Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Diwali, and all the other holidays equal standing for what they are—holy days; explicitly religious occasions with culture-defining histories that are worth celebrating whether you yourself are religious or not. But instead, we glaze right over most religious holidays and siphon the religion out of the ones that make it big, and by doing so, we’re really cheating ourselves. Regardless of your religion, there’s a cultural experience to be had with every holiday—if you can see past the singing elves.

“I’m not really worried about [student loans or debt] right now but...I don’t really worry about student loans. Debt I do worry about just because...I just want to make sure that... that I [will] be able to do what I want to after college instead of just paying of the loans and the debts, so I just want to make sure that I can… do that, so that worries me a lot.”

Natalie Romaniw, junior

Ian Howard

Colin Heim, senior

“My parents told me they’d pay for college, so I guess [student debts and loans are] not really a big decision for me and I’m hoping to get a scholarship either academically or athletically.”

Tori Blakeman, sophomore

Julia Halpin

Janica Kaneshiro | Editor-in-Chief

God forbid anybody say something that has been said before, do something that has been done before or think something previously thought.

These days, originality and superiority seem to be synonymous to high school students. No, I’m not a conformist wishing the world operated like it does in George Orwell’s “1984”; that, big-brother society scares me just like the rest of us. But a world in which everyone is laying their very own (and not to mention highly original) claim to every thought, every color and every movement in contrast is just as scary.

Honestly, this trend is not as much of a trend as it is a long-standing tradition. It bears remarkable similarity to the age-old act of copy-catting. Remember the days when copy-catting was the worst crime in the elementary school unwritten code? Even as five year olds we wanted to be the first to do, say and think everything.

You raised your hand just because I did. I wore pink yesterday, that’s why you wore it today. And my personal favorite: I was thinking that before you said it! Ah, childhood.

These ridiculous statements made everyday life a trial, and never failed to leave someone crying to the teacher. For some reason, that same feeling of standing trial over your own personal inventiveness has returned a decade later.

I was listening to that band before anyone else was. I had a sweater in that color before you got yours. And here’s a doozie: Oh… you probably wouldn’t understand, my taste is just really original. Ah, high school. We’ve taken a ciclical journey right back to those same days when we thought that being the first to tote a Furby to class made us cooler than everyone else. Now, it’s just music or glasses with no lenses.

People take this originality thing way too seriously. Sure it’s good to be original, but it shouldn’t infect your every moment. We’re all different because we’re different people.

That may seem obvious, but we’re missing that basic truth, and it’s driving people to act like fools for the sake of personal glory. Each of us experiences things through a different set of eyes which makes us, wait for it, original. We don’t have to strive so hard to be the odd ball and gain all of the credit for creating a following. Those things happen naturally.

Today, if anything is deemed remotely popular, originality snobs stick up their noses because their unheard of, entirely original taste is clearly superior. Personally, I don’t care if you listen to bands nobody else has ever heard of, or if you wear things that people cock their heads at, but being different just to be different and feeling the need to constantly prove it to everyone within earshot doesn’t make you any better than the people who listen to the radio or shop at the mall.

If you’re really different, you shouldn’t have to flaunt it, live it instead.

How do student loans and increasing debt affect your choice on where you go to college? “[Students loans don’t really affect my college decision] because I feel like no matter where I go I’m going to end up with student debts and student loans, so I think I’ll worry about that after college.”

Religious vs. spiritual--which is better?

Originality snobbery is for five year olds

Christmas cheer should be directed elsewhere

C What You Think

Emotions are pre-determined

“[Student loans and debt] really don’t affect my decisions because my parents said that they could pay for basic costs of everything. I just have to pay for…what I need to eat and any other extras.”

Madalyn Baehre, junior

“Definitely, I mean [student debts and loans are] the difference between the college that you want sometimes and the college that you can afford, and if you’re thinking in the long run, sometimes it just has to be sacrificing what you want with what you can actually afford.”

Andrew Carlin, senior

compiled by Rebekah Barnes

“If I have to go into a university even if it’s my top choice and I’m going to come out of there with, you know, $50,000 in student loans, I will not be able to go there because I want to have a future not impaired by extreme student loans when I go out into the wild, wild world.”

Nazz Brandon, senior

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Letters to the Editor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

DEC. 2, 2011

Taking a stand

Students take action for Invisible Children cause

Dear Editor, I would have to say that banning yoga pants is a bad idea. Outside of the self-expression, we have other things in school to worry about. I personally don’t wear yoga pants, but from one person to the next, if you ask them, they would probably say the same thing. I think it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. People should be able to express their ways through clothes, hair, piercings and even tattoos. I think we worry too much about being politically correct than we focus on what’s important in school. ...People should be free to do whatever they feel. Honestly, if someone told me I couldnt express myself the way I wanted to, I would do it anyways to rebell against the rules, and be who I really am, not what someones else wants because in their opinion it isn’t appropriate. Everybody has their opinions, that doesn’t mean either of them are right, it just...means whoever can be more persuasive will win the argument. Some argue they’re not appropriate, some argue, ‘who cares it’s my life.’

I argue focus on your own life, don’t say what’s right and what’s wrong just to make it a rule. photos by Corynne Hogan

Mandy Burnside, freshman Mitchell Matacia | Staff Writer

Dear Editor, I agree with the article, “Media Bias Sways Potential Voters.” Media has a ginormous effect on these potential voters. Any news station, or anywhere anyone talks politics is going to be biased, even news stations that don’t claim to be biased (for example CNN) are ever so slightly biased. Honestly, I think the media goes way too far when describing an opposing party’s candidate. I’m more left wing than anything, and even I can say that people have made republican Ron Paul seem like he’s just a random person from the misinformed audience that presidential candidates let debate with them. Even if you switch your TV to a popular teen station like MTV around election time, they are even trying to sway viewers to the left.

There is a point when we have to stop playing the blame game, and that time is now. Campaign ads really are just an attempt to turn you into a mindless zombie, always following their views. People, not just adults, but everyone, should start thinking for themselves; ignore the bias you see in just about everything you see, and start thinking what you think really happened. If people in any country allow higher-ups to start thinking for them, democracy is gone. America was built on the belief of democracy, not the belief that one or two parties should have absolute power. If you dont agree with the major two parties, so be it, at least you’re thinjking for yourself.

Caleb McDonald, freshman

While it may have been easy to pledge support to the Invisible Children organization as the video played in the auditorium a month ago, some students have chosen to harness their ambitions and take them a step futher.

Junior Julia Johnstone is one of the students contributing to the benefit to help the people of Uganda overcome their oppression. She has created a group at Mason High School to raise money for the cause.

“We’re going to try and raise the most money that we can [for Invisible Children] to be able to help as much as we can,” Johnstone said.

Meagan Haberstroh, junior at MHS said that all of the money that is donated through www.invisiblechildren.com/frontline from Mason students will accumulate to a page representing Mason High School as a whole.

“You can donate online straight through Mason High School, or everyone who is a part of the Frontline Campaign can set their own personal goal to raise money, and it [will] also sink into Mason High School’s page,” Haberstroh said. “So, if you’re a part of Mason High School, and you raise money, it also goes towards Mason High School.”

According to Haberstroh, the goal of the Invisible Children group at MHS is to raise $5,000 and hope to become a top fundraising school in the U.S. If Mason’s online donation page becomes a top fundraiser, one student from the school will be elected to take a trip to Uganda.

Johnstone plans to leave Mason early to contribute

her efforts to the Invisible Children organization by becoming a roadie.

Senior Katie Schussheim, who is also involved with the new Invisible Children group, said that she is planning community events to bring attention to the cause.

“I’m currently planning an event at my church to have a movie viewing for some local people in the community who have not yet seen the videos,” Schussheim said.

Jessica Miller, senior at Mason, is also aiding the child soldiers in Uganda. Miller initiated a benefit concert last year after the organization’s first visit to help raise money for the cause. Miller contacted local bands through Facebook and email to ask them to play.

“We did the concert, which was really really difficult,” Miller said. “It was moderately successful, [but] the turnout was less than I thought it was going to be.”

Miller said the Invisible Children follow-up this past month helped reintroduce her to the oppression that the child soldiers face in Uganda.

“I think [the movie we watched] reinstalled all of the thoughts that I had before from the first [movie],” Miller said. “You forget about [the cause] because you’re going through life here and you don’t remember things like that, and then you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s really happening.’”

Miller said that she was amazed that people weren’t taking action before the Invisible Children organization made themselves known.

“It’s ridiculous that nothing was done until the people within [Invisible Children] stood up and pressured society and pressured Congress to pass a bill,” Miller said. “Why weren’t people paying attention in the first place?”

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DEC. 2, 2011

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photos by Corynne Hogan

Dinnertime in Hi-Def

From the table to the tube: traditional family meals are a thing of the past Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

Teens still dine with their parents, but family dinners have left most American homes, according to a study

by The NPD Group. The study shows growing percentages of households eating anywhere but the table.

Even with this major decline of the family dinner seen in America’s past, students largely maintain a goal of family unity through much more lenient dinner expectations, according to senior Austin Campbell.

“Today’s society has a lot more stuff going on,” Campbell said. “Kids have a lot more to do, and parents are working. It’s just hard to get everyone together.”

The amount kids have to do is continuously increasing because the pressures for top ratings keepsincreasing as well, according to sophomore Danielle Smith, and force a focus on conventional family dinner to be sacrificed.

“Mason has very top ratings, sports and education-wise, and so the teachers and the administrators really want to keep our ratings higher,” Smith said. “So, they put more work on us which is a good thing and a bad thing, because it takes away from time at home and family life.”

Due to these countless schedule conflicts and pressures, consistent, traditional family meals have decreased drastically in many homes, and have been overtaken by higher priorities of individual family members, according to Campbell.

“People probably say that [family dinners] are important, but they don’t care a whole lot,” Campbell said.

“They probably see that it’s good family time, but they

have other stuff that comes before it.”

Interests outside the family take over the past-time criteria of a family dinner, replacing it with much more tolerance of the couch-side meal, according to CBS polls. The polls show 33 percent of families always watch TV during their family dinner.

The terms qualifying a dinner as a family dinner are lenient in many homes according to CBS, whether it be with TV, on the couch, or whilst texting. Senior Monica Lake said her family eats together for dinner probably five nights a week, and that the conditions

they are necessary every once in a while just to spend time with your family,” Lake said.

Campbell said he agrees that while the past’s typical family dinner is not as prevalent today, there still remains a major appreciation for family togetherness. “[Family dinners] are important just to have family time, but it’s not necessarily eating together that’s important,” Campbell said. “Just being together as a family is what’s really important.”

Statistics from Columbia University found that the amount of adolescents having family dinner has actually increased since 1998 by 23 percent, when dinners away from the table, but still together, were considered ‘family dinners’ as well.

According to Smith, traditional undistracted family dinners at the table are the best, but she agrees that with increasingly heavy workloads and hectic schedules, alternative family dinner situations have a time and place. “[The family dinner] is a mix,” Smith said.

“Some people have very busy schedules, so sometimes maybe a family dinner is in the car running through a fast food restaurant, but with other people they have more time to prepare dinner and eat at the table.”

According to Smith, the goal of her family’s dinners is simply to spend time together, not to gather round and eat.

“We talk about what happened at school, what happened in our day, and it’s just a time where everybody is not fighting,” Smith said. “It’s just us there and everyone’s together.”

“Today’s society has a lot more stuff going on. Kids have a lot more to do, and parents are working. It’s just hard to get everyone together.” necessary for a family dinner have changed to broader criteria as she’s gotten older. “[A family dinner is] sitting down, all at the same time, with all of the members of your family,” Lake said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a home cooked meal.”

According to Lake, the stereotyped family dinner is still practiced, but not as necessary, and a broad replacement for the term ‘family dinner’ has emerged.

“I don’t think [family dinners] are of great importance, like completely necessary, but I do think that

DEC. 2, 2011

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Students in the spotlight Mason students gain TV attention for their talents

SEE PAGE 15

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PATROLING

THE SKIES photos by Corynne Hogan and Jami Bechard

Junior Nick Thompson and the other cadets from the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program attend weekly meetings which include uniform checks and marching drills.

Student cadets feel the calling to protect American Skies Ashley Calvani | Staff Writer

Mason High School students in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program have futures that are cleared for takeoff, literally. MHS junior Nick Thompson, a cadet, said flying a plane is merely standard procedure. But, according to Thompson, the CAP Cadet Program is about a lot more than just flying planes.

The Warren County Cadet squadron meets once a week for two and a half hours at the Warren County Airport where a typical meeting consists of any combination of roll call, drills, participating in group leadership projects, listening to speakers, physical training, lessons and flying planes, according to Thompson.

The Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the United States Air Force, has a main mission to mold leaders out of cadets and provide aerospace education to them, Thompson said. Freshman Garrett Popovich, a cadet said his leadership abilities have improved.

“Before I was in this program, I was nervous to talk in front of people,” Popovich said. “Now I talk in front of 50 to 100 cadets. Also, though, I’ve just seen myself [become] more trustworthy. …my integrity has risen.”

Thompson said the values instilled in him at every single meeting are things that he carries into every aspect of his life.

“I feel kind of odd in high school because CAP pushes you to be such a leader and so much more mature than other people your age are, on average,” Thompson said. “You feel like a grown-up. …Our core values [are] excellence, volunteer service, respect and integrity. Those [values] have become drilled into my head, my mind and my heart.”

Thompson said he and his friends plan to use what they learn from the CAP Cadet Program to aid any career of their choice. Popovich said that only 50 to 60 percent of cadets are sure they want to go into the military.

“The others are looking for the leadership training… or to see if the career field they want to go into is right,” Popovich said. “We have a lot of cadets right now who want to be pilots, so they get that aerospace training in as well.”

Sophomore Tucker Gibson, a cadet, said he and a friend want to bring opportunities for students to get involved with military service by starting a Junior Reserve Officer Training Core, or JROTC, at MHS. “We’re going to invite a lot of kids [to the JROTC] so they can get an inside look at what the military does, just to bring it here to the school…and give students[an idea of what it’s like],” Gibson said.

In order for the cadets to receive the aerospace education aspect of the CAP Cadet Program, they can participate in orientation flights about once every month.

The cadet flies a Cessna 182 plane for 30 minutes, according Gibson. Popovich said orientation flights are only scary the first time. “[During] orientation flights you go up [in a plane] with an Air Force trained pilot,” Popovich said. “The first time I was nervous...but you’re with the best pilot you could ever be with; ex-military pilots volunteer their time to teach you.”

According to Thompson, the flying is incredible, but the most memorable moments from the program are

the humbling moments.

“I staffed the Dayton Air Show,” Thompson said.

“When I was on gate duty, I waved through the general of the Air Force. That was a moment where I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s in charge of everything about [the CAP Cadet Program,] and I just waved him through the gate.”

Popovich said he had a similar moment where he felt a part of something much bigger than himself.

“During one of our weekly meetings, we had the Lebanon Veterans of Foreign Wars Department come, and we had a flag folding ceremony,” Popovich said. “It really hit me hard when we were folding the American flag. …You’re defending this flag and this country and you just enjoy it so much.”

Thompson said that the CAP Cadet Program has allowed him to pursue his biggest passion: serving his country.

“I felt a call to serve,” Thompson said. “The call to serve is unlike anything else that you can ever experience, really. From the outside, you can’t understand it, and from the inside, you can’t explain it. I know that it means I’m going to go to war, and…that I’m going to protect the people here that are anti-American... that are unkind to veterans; I’m going to protect the people here that don’t support the war at all. But it’s not the government I’m fighting for; I’m not a war junkie or any of that. It’s just my country; I want to keep my country safe. No matter who you are, you’re an American. I want to keep America safe.”

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DEC. 2, 2011

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A HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP Comet Skippers hope to show America they’ve got talent Ian Howard | Staff Writer

Three senior Comet Skippers have taken jump roping to the next level by auditioning for America’s Got Talent, senior Teddy Thieken said. According to Thieken, the group is motivated not only by the show’s million dollar prize, but also by improving jump roping’s reputation as a sport.

“Really, we just want to get the sport out there and get it recognized and known,” Thieken said. “Our ultimate goal is to get it into the Olympics, and just by publicizing it, we want people to appreciate it.”

According to senior Comet Skipper Lauren Zambello, publicizing the sport is not an entirely new concept for them. Zambello said that they have traveled around the world spreading the joy of competitive and professional jump rope.

“We do a lot of traveling for workshops and performances and during the summer we go to camps, like we went for the last three years to Germany over the summer,” Zambello said. “Some of our team has gone to worlds and this year it’s in England, or South Africa the time before that, and so we’ve been all over the U.S and [are] starting to branch out to the world too.”

Thieken said that the group has had only a small amount of preparation time despite their great results. The group has only been together for a tiny amount of time, according to Thieken. Some members are not even on the Comet Skippers and have never practiced with Thieken or Zambello before.

photo by Ashley Calvani

“We only had one weekend to make up our routine because we flew in somebody from Louisiana and somebody who lives in Cincinnati,” Thieken said. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen.”

According to senior Comet Skipper Jeress Pendleton, one of the biggest issues for the team is their inability to practice altogether. Between all of their busy schedules and the fact that a member of the team lives all the way across the country, there is little room to practice, according to Pendleton.

“We’ve been looking at flights and stuff and whenever [the member that lives in Louisiana is] available is whenever we’re all available,” Pendleton said. “We all have jobs so we’re all trying to work out schedules and request certain days off so we can have time to practice.”

As a potential act on America’s Got Talent, practice is obviously incredibly important, Pendleton said. The group will have to juggle multiple routines in order to do well in the show, according to Pendleton.

“We thought we did well,” Pendleton said. “We did the best to our ability so now what we’re looking at is that we need to start practicing more.

If we do get that opportunity to be on the show, we’re going to need back-up routines. If we don’t have those routines

we’re going to be even more behind.”

Zambello said that appearing on television is not as big of a deal for the already overwhelming publicity felt by the Comet Skippers on a regular basis.

“I feel like we’ve already done so many performances at this point that it being on TV or for a basketball game with a bunch of people it almost feels like the same thing,” Zambello said.

Unlike previous jump roping acts on America’s Got Talent, the group, originating from the Comet Skippers, has a progressive fusion style, according to Thieken.

“We used to have a more traditional style of jumping where you’d just do tricks and try to make them as difficult as possible,” Thieken said. “But recently at jump rope events we’ve invited Japanese jumpers, and [there are] jumpers from Belgium, and [fusion style] is what there forte is. [Fusion is] a lot more entertaining, and it involves the crowd more.”

The fusion style also equates to a better orientation to television , Zambello said.

“I think we have a different competitive edge than some of the other people that have tried out before,” Zambello said. “We have a different style that is more appealing to an audience than maybe the other teams before that have tried.

While the group has yet to hear back from America’s Got Talent, Thieken said that he is very optimistic about the results.

“We went in for our first audition, and we did pretty well,” Thieken said. “We didn’t have any misses; it was flawless.”

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The Art

of

DEC. 2, 2011 | PAGE 17

Argumentation

Speech and Debaters have arguing down to a science Megan McCormack | Staff Writer

Some Mason High School students are taking arguments to new level. Not only can these students debate under pressure with professionalism in a tournament setting as a part of the Speech and Debate team, but according to senior Wei Sun, they can also develop strategies that help them in and outside the classroom.

Although she is well versed in debating in a professional manner, Sun said that the skills she learns in debate apply to some classes she’s taken here at MHS. “It’s so applicable, especially in

classes.

For example, AP Comp…we would have debates. It’s really easy to come up with arguments now that we do it on a normal basis,” Sun said. “We do it three times a week and then on weekends as well, so it really helps me in class.”

Senior Nikita Nambiar, also a speech and debate member, says that her arguing skills have not only helped her in class, but she knows that she will use them later in life.

“It helps a lot in classes because you’re more comfortable with getting up and speaking, and I know in jobs, too, if I ever had to do something like that, I would be really comfortable with doing it instead of being really intimidated and shy,” Nambiar said.

While she can utilize her argument skills in class, Sun said that one of the most important things to remember in the middle of an argument is to not get lost in your own thoughts.

“You just have to remember what you’re thinking,” Sun said. “You just have to follow your thought process and you have to have confidence in what you’re saying or else…no one’s going to find you credible. So you really have to think [through] your argument before you go up there and tell other people.”

According to Speech and Debate team advisor Melissa Donahue, being successful in an argument lies within knowing the topic you’re arguing about and knowing it well.

“I would say just having a solid grasp of the topic [is really important to being successful,” Donahue said. “[You need to know] the debate resolution inside and out, [be] familiar with evidence that is going to back up that debate resolution, because once you get into that debate and your opponents throw something at you that you’ve never heard before, it’s next to impossible to counter those arguments.”

Donahue said that before you begin an argument, you have to think through the topic fully and be able to approach both sides of the arugments.

“The big thing is starting to do brainstorming on the topic, thinking about how you are going to approach the resolution from the affirmative side, from the negative side, doing a lot of brainstorming early on and then from there really the tips and suggestions are stepby-step to get through case construction,” Donahue said.

Nambiar said that to successfully win an argument, you have to consider how to extend your argument while also deconstructing the other person’s.

“You basically have to strengthen your own case while at the same time taking down your opponent’s case contention by contention,” Nambiar said. “You go through them logically and explain why you put them down.

According to Sun, thinking quickly yet efficiently has helped her argue well.

“You just have to be really logical and think things through. You have to weigh the impact and the probability of something happening and then, practicality if you’re talking about implementing something,” Sun said. “You really just have to think about what you’re going to say before you say it because if you say something wrong,

the other team is going to get you for that.”

For her to argue successfully Nambiar said that she has to learn to speak quickly while educating your opponent and tearing their argument down simultaneously. “[You need to work on] speed and talking and actually make sense,” Nambiar said. “You have to be able to educate them and prove…that your side is stronger than [their’s]. …

You address things with knowledge. You have to prove your point with concrete support, and public speaking [skills] are important.”

Nambiar said that being able to construct and argument and prove it will be present in all aspects of life.

“In any kind of situation that you’re trying to prove a point, you have to be able to support; that’s just going to hold true wherever you are,” Nambiar said.

Donahue said that arguing has its place in everyday life and will help people get jobs in the future.

“Those skills are going to carry over to all facets of life: the skills regarding critical thinking…refuting and offering a way in which to encounter evidence,” Donahue said. “Being able to communicate, being able to think critically, it’s probably some of the most important things that employers are looking for.”

Although she has the skills and techniques to argue well, Sun also said she has also learned to speak up for her beliefs which will help her beyond professional and classroom settings.

“It’s more than just arguing, it encompasses so much,” Sun said. “Not only just general knowledge about politics and current events, but it also helps you speak out and not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and what your argument is. I know this is going to carry on for the rest of my life.”

photos by Megan McCormack

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A Colorful Vocabulary Cursing serves as an outlet for stress relief among high school students Julia Halpin | Associate Editor

Junior Sara Honaker, has never said a swear word.

Though the hallways are always filled with profanities, according to Honaker, she has never felt it necessary to say a curse word. According to her, there are better words to use than the four letter curse words that most students have in their vocabulary.

“In the bible it talks about how everything is supposed to be uplifting and encouraging to others, so I don’t think that cursing is encouraging to others at all,” Honaker said. “There’s better ways to say things than using curse words.”

With cursing being so prominent in today’s culture, Honaker said that saying swear words has become the “norm” of our society.

“Our culture is kind of more accepting of the curse words now, and so people just see it as a way to relieve stress and anger, and they might not even see anything wrong with it,” Honaker said.

Not seeing the wrong in cursing, senior Melissa Iannuzzi said that using swear words shouldn’t be seen as an ethical issue.

“It’s always been hard for me to see why people make such a big deal about swearing, because at the end of the day, they’re just words with seventeenth century origins that someone decided were ‘bad,’” Iannuzzi said. “I don’t get offended easily at all, but I’d be more offended by someone’s actions than what words they choose.”

Junior Patty Faas said while she admits to cursing, she does think it has become too commonly used in everyday language.

“I think the more that people [curse,] the more that it becomes part of their normal language,” Faas said. “[They’re] just words, so it doesn’t really make a difference, but the words have power, they have an impact and they mean things; they have a greater meaning. I think we have too much [cursing]. …It’s because you’re around it so much, it becomes your vocabulary. It’s not like I want to go say all that and everything.”

Because everyone isn’t comfortable with curse words, Faas said she usually changes her vocabulary depending on the people she is surrounded by.

“[I swear] when I’m angry, but sometimes I do it to be funny,” Faas said. “I wish I didn’t, but I feel like because I’m around people that [swear] all the time, …I just get their vocabulary and some of the funny things [and] just [the] normal vocabulary [they use], but I know my limits. I don’t do it with my friends; I know my audience.”

Admitting to swearing frequently, Iannuzzi said that for her, swearing helps to rid her of stressful feelings.

“Swearing kind of gets rid of stress for me when I’m really upset about something, but for the most part I barely realize it when I swear, which probably isn’t good,” Iannuzzi said.

According to Faas, she naturally swears more frequently when she is upset. She also said that saying multiple swear words when she is angry typically helps her express how she is feeling in the moment.

“If I say a bunch of [swear words], I feel like it helps me get out my feelings and everything, but if I just say one it doesn’t do anything,” Faas said. “Like, if I stub my toe and I say [a curse word] then it doesn’t do

Story continued on page 19 photo art by Jami Bechard

DEC. 2, 2011

anything.”

For Honaker, she said she can see how swearing could help people deal with their emotions, but for the most part, she doesn’t attribute the reasoning for swearing to anger.

“I think [swearing] could [help relieve anger], but then that’s also just because [it’s] the norm again, and they might just do [curse],” Honaker said. “It’s just another word in their vocabulary; they might not even see it as that meaning of a word.”

Honaker also said that she can see how saying a curse word could add to the stress a person is already under.

“Because the word is so negative…it could add more stress, and it could make your situation more stressful because you’re using that strong of a word,” Honaker said.

Rather than using a swear word to express her feelings, Honaker said in stressful situations, she tries

C FEATURE

to calm down and look at the situation with a new perspective.

“I just kind of step back, I just slow down my breathing if I’m really upset, and I just kind of think about why I’m mad, and then I sometimes ask God to calm me down,” Honaker said. “[I] just like, look at the situation in a different perspective and see it as how I could get some blessing through it. Or I’ll just [say] ‘shoot’ or whatever; I’ll use a different word.”

Seeing the benefit in using curse words, Faas said that if swearing helps someone to calm down and express their feelings, then they should say them to help themselves talk their emotions through.

“I think that [swearing] does [help deal with stress] as a way to express your opinions basically, because I feel like when I do it, and I just talk out my feelings… then I just feel better about myself,” Faas said. “If you just talk it out you can feel better about yourself. If

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you’re saying words that mean really negative things, [and that] is how you get it out, then I think that you should do it. …It’s what you feel, if you want to feel less stress then you should do it, and I feel, at least for me, that it relieves stress; just talking it out.”

Though some people may believe swearing can’t benefit a person, according to Iannuzzi said that when it comes down to it, swearing just gives her a better way to express her feelings.

“At the end of the day, swearing gives me a more severe--for whatever reason--range of words to choose from when I want to express myself,” Iannuzzi said. “I guess it doesn’t benefit me because people may judge me because I swear a lot, but I don’t really care. They should be more concerned with my actions than a made up word that I say when I’m mad.”

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Anxiety Attack

DEC. 2, 2011

photo by Jami Bechard

Students cope with Anxiety Disorders while trying to balance high school activities Miranda Carney | Staff Writer

things with Social Anxiety Disorder. I’ll walk down One in eight teenagers deals with anxiety on a dai- feeling the crunch,” Schlaeger said. “[Parents] are the hall, and [wonder] what this person is thinkly basis on top of the normal stresses of high school, saying [that their] kid needs to get into the best according to The National Institute of Mental Health. schools because that’s the best ticket to getting out of ing of me, and what’s going through their mind. If someone just glances at me, they might not even be Junior Meghan Reinertson, who has been diagnosed this economic climate, so I think that’s a big part of with Social Anxiety Disorder, said normal tasks like it. I also think that we’re just so big now, and I think looking at me, but I’m like, ‘What are they thinkwith Mason being so big, the classes are bigger, and ing?’” coming to school and going to parties have become it becomes that much harder to get that personalSenior Marissa Edwards, who was diagnosed with a challenge for her because of her anxiety. ized attention that a kid might need.” an anxiety disorder her freshman year, said her anx“I’ve been dealing with anxiety for a long time,” iety is heightened by the Reinertson said. “Last typical stresses of grades year, I was diagnosed with “I think that [my anxiety] making me more worried and and peers in high school, social anxiety disorder. which makes day-to-day The social part--coming stressed out definitely [has] a negative effect on my activities like studying and to school when there’s grades. I get so worked up about things that probably going to parties a chal3,000 people and it is a lenge. big social setting--causes aren’t as big of a deal as [they are] to me.”

“My freshman year, I a lot more anxiety. I was had an anxiety attack, and diagnosed with Social I didn’t know what was Anxiety Disorder and also The competitive nature of Mason is one of the going on,” Edwards said. “From there, I kept having depression last year, so the mix of that.” factors that affects Reinertson’s anxiety, according attacks. Moving from middle school to high school A major contributor to anxiety in students has to her. Along with that, she said one of the major was a huge change for me, and it affected me a lot been the large school setting, which causes a lot of challenges for her is just walking down the hallway in negative ways. That was when I started having societal and competitive pressures, according to amongst hundreds of students going from class to anxiety, and it mixed with my depression that I’ve the School Psychologist, Jeff Schlaeger. He also said class. had for a while, which makes it worse. That’s why I there is a lot of pressure to get into college in the “I think a lot of my anxiety is preparing for college think my case is worse than others.” harsh economic climate. because that can be very stressful,” Reinertson said.

Schlaeger said many students find transitions “With the competitive nature of schools now, “Fitting in can be a big part of that too, like you’re into high school to be stressful, which is one of the and getting into schools mixing with the economic anxious what people think. That’s one of the main climate, I think parents and kids together are both Story continued on page 21

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DEC. 2, 2011 reasons he thinks more teens are finding themselves dealing with anxiety at this age.

“I’m not trying to restrict anxiety to seniors; it’s across the board, but every year [of high school] there is a reason why anxiety is spiking,” Schlaeger said. “Freshman year is the big transition from having that team in 8th grade [to having] much more independence. Sophomore year classes are usually a second level of foreign language, and you get to that next level of thinking and the OGT. Junior year, you’re starting to think, ‘I’m not going to be in this place much longer, I need to figure out what I’m doing.’ Senior year it’s, ‘Where am I going?

What am I doing?

How do I figure this out?’ Transitions are very stressful to kids.”

Edwards said her anxiety disorder has caused her to have to miss some school and lose focus easily, causing her grades to drop.

“It’s hard in class, because [I] get so stressed out studying for tests, and so it makes [me] more worried.” Edwards said. “I think that [my anxiety] making me more worried and stressed out definitely [has] a negative effect on my grades. I get so worked up about things that probably aren’t as big of a deal as [they are] to me.”

One of the hardest things, according to Edwards, is that some people don’t understand that her anxiety disorder is out of her control. She said when she has a panic attack it is like someone else is taking

over her body.

“I know I’m having [a panic attack] because I don’t feel like myself,” Edwards said. “It almost feels like someone took over. I can tell when I’m starting because I’ll hyperventilate a little bit, and I’ll shake.

I usually get really angry, and I’ll end up crying.

It’s kind of scary. It’s weird because I’m consciously aware that I’m having one but it doesn’t feel like it’s me.”

Anxiety Disorders restrict students from perform-

PAGE 21 cally, socially, and possibly health-wise.”

Unlike Edwards, whose anxiety affects her mostly in school, Reinertson said that after she has an anxiety attack, it is difficult for her to confront her friends about why she can’t attend a party or why it makes her nervous.

“It’s really hard to go to a party or big social events,” Reinertson said. “Having to confront students about why I haven’t been [there,] and saying it’s because I’m anxious, is [hard too]. The dance team is one of my biggest support systems. Along with them, my family and my friends are all [understanding].”

Despite the anxiety attacks that sometimes prevent Reinertson from going to parties, finishing a test, or going to school, she said is a part of her life that has helped define who she is.

“Don’t be ashamed of your past, because your past is what got you to the present,” Reinertson said.

“The present is what’s going to get you to the future.

I always try to remember that because in my past, I’ve been hospitalized for depression and anxiety.

All of that are things that high schoolers [would] not want to tell people. I think if you could be more open about it and accepting, and accept the fact that you deal with that, it’s going to make it a lot easier for you in the future. It’s made me a stronger person.

I got through that so I can get through a lot of other things.”

“I know I’m having [a panic attack] because I don’t feel like myself. It almost feels like someone took over.” ing at their full potential, according to Schlaeger.

He said many other students performing highly in school don’t understand that some of their peers fail to achieve as highly not because they are incapable, but because they are restricted.

“If you are suffering from a true anxiety disorder, it affects every aspect of life,” Schlaeger said.

“It affects your ability to learn. You could have no learning issue whatsoever, and be very bright and be very learning-equipped, but if you’re worried about anxiety, whether through tests or as you walk through your school day, or whatever, that’s going to distract you. You’ve got that on your mind, and you’re trying to learn Brit Lit. It’s going to distract you from learning; it’s going to affect you academi-

photo by Megan McCormack

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DEC. 2, 2011

Person of Interest

What’s something interesting about you?

“I make my own electronic music. …I’ve always had a love of music, and I felt like a way for me to give to my love of music is to make my own.”

What made you start putting up your crazy Christmas lights with music?

“Back in 2005, I saw Carson William’s display here in Mason, and I was absolutely, completely fascinated by it and I really wanted to do that. So, for the next three years, I spent researching how he did that.

So in 2008, I finally purchased the necessary stuff to be able to do that tiny light show in my yard and it’s just taken off from there.”

How do you pay for it?

“I have a summer job and that helps pay for some of it. My parents help a lot. People have actually given me donations; I got well over $200 in donations last year. The whole thing is…my thing that I do, but friends help me with it because it requires a lot of labor.”

An old trend is beginning to make a comeback with Mason High School students, who set out to set the record straight.

The “old school” way of listening to music, vinyl, is a trend that is slowly making a comeback.

Instead of listening to music on their ipods or on the radio, teenagers have begun to use a more classic way of hearing their favorite tunes: through eight tracks and record players.

According to senior Kylee Alvarez, who listens to records frequently, vinyl brings something special to music that digitally produced songs cannot. “[Vinyl] may not be as good quality as digital music, but that almost gives it a more original, unique feeling,” Alvarez said.

According to sophomore John Kincaid, who prefers listening to music on vinyl, older music has a deeper thought process behind it than more modern songs.

“There’s a lot more thought put into the music, because now people pump out songs without even thinking about it, and they’re pretty simple, but back then they were more complex,” Kincaid said. “It’s got a lot more feeling in it.”

According vi to Kinn

sb

uy

to in

compiled by Megan McCormack

Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

r ole ho Sc

If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

“Invisibility because then I can get away with things and people wouldn’t know who did it.

d r o

h Hig

If you could meet any celebrity who would it be and why?

“Marilyn Manson because he’s a really controversial figure, and most people just see his outward appearance and they are really quick to judge him by what they think he does. But, if you take the time to watch his interviews, read about him, he actually stands for a lot of good values that people overlook in contrast to what most people think of him.”

For t

he

Junior Beau Lahrmer said his claim to fame is his annual light show set to music in his front yard.

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yl

tr e

nd

photo art by Jami Bechard

caid, the grainy sound produced when listening to vinyl, which many see as a negative quality, is a major factor in its appeal to him.

“There’s a certain sound that you get to it that’s not perfect, and you can hear those little cracks in the music,” Kincaid said.

“I don’t know; it’s just kind of a novelty.

That’s how it was supposed to be played.”

Although some students may say that it is too difficult to find records and record players in this day and age, it is not difficult to stumble upon them, according to Alvarez. “[Vinyl and record players] really aren’t hard to find,” Alvarez said. “You can go to Half Price Books and find a lot of different records there.”

Half the fun of vinyl is finding interesting places to shop for the records at, according to Senior Jimena Esaparza, who loves the originality of vinyl.

“My favorite place to go is in a town called Yellow Springs, and it’s an hour away from here,” Esparza said. “[There’s] this little old record store on top of a building, and it has all sorts of records, but they’re all old and they’re cool. I like going to places that aren’t really known because they have the most unique records.

Ultimately, the fact that listening to records is more interactive than other forms of listening to music is what makes vinyl so unique, according to Alvarez.

“There’s a satisfaction in being able to hold the record, put it on the record player and press the needle to [the record],” Alvarez said. “Listening to music that way makes it more hands-on and unique than just clicking a button on [the internet].”

Although listening to music on an iPod may be easier to carry around, listening to music on vinyl still supersedes the more modern ways of hearing songs, according to Kincaid.

“I mean it’s more convenient to have it on your ipod because you can carry it around with you, but there’s that novelty of having it on vinyl and hearing it the way it was supposed to sound,” Kincaid said. “Plus the covers are really cool--the sleeves are just sweet.”

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C Sports Columnist

“If you look at it, Mason has been one of the top GMC teams and yet they are still inexperienced in the conference.”

PAGE 27 | DEC. 2, 2011

SEE PAGE 30

EYE ON THE PRIZE

photo by Corynne Hogan

Senior Bri Glover (pictured above) and the girls’ varsity basketball team have set lofty goals this season, among them, winning a GMC title and making a deep run in the state tournament.

Coming off a strong 2010-2011 season that took them to the sweet sixteen, the girls’ varsity basketball team looks to advance deeper in the state tournament.

SEE PAGE 28

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TIME TO...

Comet basketball teams feel they have the talent, team chemistry,

Joseph Spencer | Staff Writer

photo by Corynne Hogan

The Mason girls’ varsity basketball prided ourselves in strong defensive team has set some lofty goals for the play, and this year we hope to take that 2011-12 season, goals that include not to the next level.” just a GMC championship, but a trip The Comets open up the year with to the state’s final four in Columbus. two of the three teams that tied for secThe expectations are the highest they ond in the league last year, Sycamore have ever been for the girls’ varsity and Colerain. basketball team, according to senior “Night in and night out there are five center Bri Glover. The Comets return to six teams this year that will compete six players who saw action in 18 games for the GMC championship,” Matula or more last year, including Division said. “This is big for us because it will One basketball recruits, Bri Glover, prepare us for a run come tournament committed to Xavier, and Kayla Mctime due to the great competition we dowell who has received offers from will be facing.” numerous Division One schools.

Junior Kayla McDowell believes that “Our goals for the year are to win the opening with the Aves is helping the GMC, and to make it to Ohio State,” team by providing extra motivation in Glover said. “With the girls we have practice. returning, we are aiming just high as “The Sycamore game is great motiany other year, but we have the opporvation for us because starting of the tunity to do something great this year.” season with such a big games and Though these goals are extremely winning will set us on the right track,” high, especially in the tough GMC, McDowell said. “Every day we know head coach Rob Matula believes that that we have to practice as hard we We’ve got your back: senior Bri Glover, (center) returns with strong supporting the team can achieve them due to the can to prepare for the GMC, but also a team members senior Jayla Garner, sophomore Jenna Gunn, sophomore Ashley closeness of the team. pivotal game one.”

Brown and junior Aly Herren (left to right).

“Chemistry will be huge for us this year” According to McDowell, the team has the the team.”

Matula said. “We have played together for two to three mindset that they can win any game due to the closeAccording to Glover, with this season’s increase years and ness of the girls. in strength and speed due to offseason workouts, “Right now we are playing with great chemistry, and the team hopes to continue a long tradition of great this will help us greatly during the season,” said Mcdefense at Mason. our team chemistry will be our strongest attribute this Dowell.

“Being able to trust each other is huge for our “This year we are going to win games with strong year, due to each girl being able to trust the other to team and will hopefully help us win the GMC.” defense,” Glover said. “As a program we have always have their back on the court and to do their part for

C The Numbers

7 Seven football players earned First Team GMC recognition.

Seniors Zach Boden, Josh Dooley, Kevin Niehoff, Conner Noe, Marcus Otte, Joesph Spencer and junior Darryl Johnson were first team all conference recipients.

0 The amount of losses the Comet chess team has as of November 28. The team is currently 5-0 with wins over Lakota East, Colerain, Fairfield, Hamilton, and Middletown.

81 The amount of points Mason High School has currently towards the GMC All Sports trophy. The Comets are in first place after the fall sports season, 8.5 points ahead of second place Lakota East.

6 The MHS ice hockey team won scored six goals in a 6-0 shut over rival Indian Hill on November 19.

100 Senior volleyball player Anna Carley is a part of the Under Amour All American Team as one of the top 100 senior volleyball players in the country.

Results as of November 28

DEC. 2, 2011

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PUT UP OR SHUT UP and swagger to make a serious run at GMC post season titles James Nosek | Staff Writer

photo by Corynne Hogan

Boys’ basketball coach Greg Richards defensive side of the ball they will still believes now is the time for the Comets to rely on that same stingy man-to-man get over the hump. Despite winning nearly defense which has been the trademark 55 percent of their games in the GMC since of Richard’s teams. joining the conference in 2008 and compilOffensively, the Comets look to be ing an impressive 16-6 record a year ago, more versatile, trying to get more fast the Comet head coach has the team focused break opportunities to go along with on one goal this year-- “be the first.” their famous “flex” offense. “‘Be the first’ is something that if you “We want to spread teams out,” senior instill over a long period of time, hopeTim Reale said. “We have adopted fully, you start to believe in it and do it,” Kentucky’s ‘pen and pitch’ offense Richards said. “We are really excited for the as we look to create more matchup season because of how hard these guys have problems.” worked in the offseason; hopefully we’ll be The Comets will be led by seniors the first.” guard JD Sprague and Harris. And Senior forward Darin Harris said that even though they will provide a bulk of Richards has used this motto loosely in the production for the team, Richprevious years, it’s always been a goal for ards said he is relying on the seniors, the Mason program to win a GMC title, like Reale and center Michael Van but this year it is something they are really Kleunen, to make major contriburunning with. tions. “[‘Be the first’] is something we have at“This years’ senior class has shown tached to; we made it our own,” Harris said. the leadership qualities of a champi“I know it definitely can be our year, we onship winning team,” Richards said.

We’ve got your back: senior Darin Harris (center) returns with strong supwere short last year, and don’t want to come porting team members senior Todd Reed, senior Tim Reale and junior Drew Matula As the Comets look towards the up short like that again.” season, there is only one goal at hand (left to right).

When Mason made the transition from built around three words and that is not winning the conference. the FAVC four years ago, they looked for better comsomething that is particularly special to this year’s “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and been petition, and since they have been a part of the GMC, team, according to Reale. through league changes,” Richards said. “So I’m not that wish has become a reality. After winning 12 FAVC disappointed... it takes time to adjust.”

“Sometimes a team will get a motto and just say it titles, including a stretch of three in a row from 2004and don’t back it up,” Reale said.“We’re not just saying As the 2011-2012 season kicks off tomorrow night 2007, the transition to a new league has been tough, [‘be the first’] to say it, it means a lot more to us, and it at home against Lebanon, the Comets may look a little but Richards said he is happy with the results, despite will help us achieve our goal of...winning a GMC title.” different on the offensive end of the floor but on the

C Trading Punches Army -Navy, Ohio State - Michigan, Auburn -Alabama Texas -Texas A.& M. With many rivalries throughout the world of sports, college rivalries still are important to college students and fans.

What is the most storied college football rivalry in America?

Michigan vs.

Ohio State is the most storied college rivalry in America. Woody Joseph Spencer Hayes went for two when is team was beating Michigan by more than 30, the reason why “he couldn’t go for three.” Michigan’s current coach, Brady Hoke, will not wear red or say the words Ohio State.

These two school hate each other more than any other and always provide a classic game on the Satuday of the season every year.

What makes the ArmyNavy rivalry so powerful is the fact James Nosek that these guys want to kill each other on the field, but at the end of the day, once graduation occurs, these patriots take pride in joining forces and fighting for this country. I think that’s pretty special, they’re fighting for the same team after schools over.

It’s like in Top Gun, “Maverick” and “Iceman” hate each other when they’re in school but once they “graduate” and defend this country, they are one.

The most storied college football rivalry in America really just depends on Katelyn Cain where you live. Most anyone in Ohio or Michigan would say that it’s Ohio State vs.

Michigan, just like anyone from Texas would say Texas vs. Texas A & M. And that’s true for all sports.

Because Ohio State fans hate Michigan fans. So of course they think that they have the deepest rivalry ever, because their hatred runs deep.

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DEC. 2, 2011

photo by Corynne Hogan

GOING FOR THE THREE-PEAT

The wrestling team will be returning state placer senior Ruben Victoria, and two time state qualifier, senior Kyle McIntyre, as well as six other returning starters.

Amidst growing competition in the GMC, the varsity wrestling team hopes for a third GMC title

Katelyn Cain | Sports Editor

The varsity wrestling team is fighting for a third consecutive GMC title, and, according to head coach Craig Murnan, it won’t be easy.

“Our schedule is very tough,” Murnan said.

“This will be the hardest season our program has ever faced.”

Over the course of the sesaon, Murnan said that Mason will wrestle several of the top five teams in the city from 2011 in dual meets, and will travel to Medina, Ohio to wrestle in one of the top ranked tournaments in the state and nation. Additionally, the team will also wrestle the preseason number two ranked team in the country, Graham High School.

According to Murnan, in order to compensate for the difficult schedule, the underclassmen will need to step up.

“We will need our underclassmen; especially

our junior class to step up and fill in the holes left from last years graduating class in order to accomplish our team goals,” Murnan said. “These kids have trained hard for their opportunity. They will now have to step up at the next level of competition, and believe that they can be successful.”

Murnan said that with the combined forces of state placer Ruben Victoria, and other returning seniors, plus the enthusiastic underclassmen will hopefully lead the team to a third consecutive championship.

“We are returning eight starters from last season that had significant varsity time,” Murnan said.

“We hope that the depth of their program, combined with strong underclassmen can improve on the winning tradition that has been established in their program.”

Murnan said that besides having eight returners,

the team has welcomed talented freshmen and two new coaches, coach Lynch and coach Kuykendall.

“Our younger kids are coming in with more experience and a better knowledge of what is expected of them,” Murnan said.

According to Murnan, in order to approach their tough schedule, the team has been very focused on their goal--to win the GMC. “The team this season has as a very focused approach,” Murnan said. “The energy level and competition in the room is at the highest level since I have been at Mason. The energy and enthusiasum is coming from the freshman class who are intergrating nicely into the culture and tradition of the program.”

C Sports Column Winning a boys’ basketball GMC championship could be in the near future; they just need adjusting time James Nosek | Staff Writer

It is appropriate to describe the boys’ varsity basketball team’s four year transition into the GMC as a learning experience.

They still have yet to win a conference title but that’s not to say it’s been four unsuccessful years. Really if you look at it, Mason has been one of the top GMC teams and that’s being inexperienced in the conference. Forty-eight wins since 2008 is the third best among GMC teams, behind only Middletown and Princeton and don’t forget they have made the sectional tournament twice in that stretch.

So with this success, why haven’t they won a cham-

pionship yet? Well that answer is easy, it’s all about adjusting. You have to remember that the GMC is no pansy league, just slightly behind the GCL among the most competitive conferences in Ohio, it takes time to adjust.

Going from the FAVC to the GMC, Mason has done a pretty good job, Head Coach Greg Richards even said they “have held their own,” since the conference change. Last year Mason finished the first eight games undefeated until they lost a heartbreak, overtime game to Princeton. Actually, the first Princeton loss was one of two close overtime games the Comets lost last year, just think about if they won them, they possibly could have brought home a GMC championship because the

other overtime loss came to the eventual conference champions, Lakota East.

The history of this program has been surrounded by the phrase “adjusting.” When the Comets transferred in 1999 from the Cardinal, a smaller division of the FAVC, to the Buckeye, it took around five years to win a title.

So if Mason is on the same path as they took when they were adjusting to new leagues in the FAVC then a title could be on the horizon. It’s only been four years in the GMC it takes time to change leagues, especially to a very intense league like the GMC. If this program is willing to wait and get accustomed to better competition, then it can be a successful forthcoming.

DEC. 2, 2011

C GMC all conference The Mason Comets have been busy this fall as they are first in the race for the GMC All-Sports Trophy and have compiled 58 All-Conference athletes. For the full list of athletes and more winter sports previews check out thecspn.com

First Team All Conference Football

Boys’ Golf

Reeve Bergesen (senior) Pj Greene (junior) Eric Swoyer (junior) Thomas Vonderhaar (senior)

Girls’ Golf

Jamie Ellison (senior) Macy Hubbard (senior) Tara Liebert (junior) Jenny Zhang (Freshman)

Girls’ Volleyball

Anna Carley (senior) Maddy Colton (senior)

Boys’ Cross Country

Tom Clark (sophomore) Alex Notton (junior)

Girls’ Cross Country

Mackenzie Jensen (senior) Monica Lake (senior) Tori Martin (junior) Bridget McElhenny (senior) Lauren Wood (junior)

Girls’ Soccer

Morgan Cole (senior) Madison Melnick (junior) Jami Pfeifer (junior) Sami Rutowski (junior)

Boys’ Soccer

Jack Clark (sophomore) Pedro Diaz (junior) Matt Loehr (senior) Noah Zelkind (junior)

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SO YOU THINK YOU’RE A DIVISION ONE

ATHLETE? Athletes competing for Division One scholarships have to train harder as more and more athletes compete for the remote opportunity to play at a college level.

photo by Corynne Hogan

Zach Boden (senior) Josh Dooley (senior) Darrly Johnson (junior) Kevin Niehoff (senior) Connor Noe (senior) Marcus Otte (senior) Joseph Spencer (senior)

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Chloe Knue | Staff Writer

In today’s world of sports media hype and ESPN obsessions, every high school athlete calls themselves the next big thing – everyone thinks they have what it takes to be Division I. In reality, less than one out of every 100 high school athletes receives a scholarship of any kind to a Division I institution according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

For athletes who think they have what it takes to be Division I – college coaches are looking for more than impressive statistics – they are looking for the total package.

Dan Hipsher, assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Alabama said few athletes have what it takes to be a Division I athlete and perform at the most prestigious of levels, as the expectations that coincide with being a Division I athlete are high.

“During the [recruiting process] I look for a lot of things; academic eligibility, basketball skills, athleticism, mental and physical toughness and leadership qualities,” Hipsher said.

“The process is extremely competitive and I spend a lot of time actively evaluating [potential recruits] in high school and AAU settings.”

Michelle Munoz-Trenz, a Mason High School 2001 graduate known for her basketball achievements while wearing the green and white, went through the recruiting process to go on to play Division I at the University of Tennessee and then Ohio State University.

College scouts today are looking for the total package-- someone who is gifted both on the field and in the classroom.

Acording to Munoz-Trenz, colleges are looking for the best of the best with star-like qualities.

“To be a Division One athlete, it takes God-given talent, hard work, sacrifice, level-headedness, commitment, toughness, focus and a desire to be great,” Munoz-Trenz said. “It is a full-time job when you are there [playing]. It is a great experience, but you have to know going in that it is a big commitment.”

According to Bob Muro, member of the Ohio High School Coaches Hall of Fame and former men’s head soccer coach at the University of Cincinnati, being a star in your high school is great - but to reach that Division One level - you are competing with a lot of other stars, at a lot of other high schools- that is why it is so important to remain a star in the classroom.

“Coaches are looking for not only skillful players,” Muro said. “But athletes that are academically solid.”

According to Robert Niehoff, former Division I football player at the University of Cincinnati and former Cincinnati Bengal, he said the competition to reach the Division I level can be described as nothing less than tough – tougher more so now than it has ever been.

“Today, athletes have to train all year round to compete,” Niehoff said.

“All the plays can be put on the internet and sent to all the colleges and recruiters instantly, this gives athletes more exposure but more competition at the same time – the sports industry is growing – college recruiting and play – everything is to a larger scale.”

For those the possibility of playing Division I athletics is pretty remote.

And for those who aspire for something, beyond Division I, chew on this statistic – one in 16,000 high school athletes will attain a professional career in sports.

Alvin Hall, former defensive back and punt returner for the Detroit Lions from 1981-1987, said that playing professional football is a dream. But there is only a minute possibility of making it there.

“But it is possible,” Hall said. “The dream of making it pushes you forward - but dreams dwindle. Going through college I learned what it took...Making it to the [NFL] no longer became ‘do or die’ for me. The passion players had to make it to the big time, slowly turned into passion to receive a diploma...All I wanted was a shot - I made it. I got my shot and a diploma that’s whats important.”