The Chronicle, 9.4

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

LEADING THE WAY SEE PAGE 27

J anuary 20, 2012 Volume 9, Issue 4

The Chronicle thecspn.com

LIVING UNDER THE ROOF OF A PARENT WHO SMOKES SEE PAGE 16

photo by Corynne Hogan and photo art by Jami Bechard

DANCING QUEEN

SEE PAGE 24

C NEWS

Learning from the best

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performs with MHS’s Honors Symphony Orchestra

SEE PAGE 11

PAGE 2 | JAN. 20, 2012

Trending Now Online View these and other stories and galleries at

thecspn.com

C Grant Update Want to know how the “Veggie U” program, funded by grant money, is working in the high school?

Check out thecspn.com for an update with Michael Planicka and his efforts towards getting his students’ “noses out of the textbooks.”

C Mason Black Hole is the “sixth man on the court”: With the basketball team rolling through their season, the Black Hole is back again. With their new motto of being the “sixth man on the court” the Black Hole gets spirit going in the boys’ basketball games.

C Noteorious Concert Tonight:

The Noteorious pop-acapella choir performs their first individual concert tonight from 7-9 p.m. See thecspn.com to find out more details and to what to expect from the show.

C Girls’ bowling team off to a

great start: With a 7-3 overall record, the girls’ bowling team is off to a good start to the season. See more on how the girls take this individual sport into a team effort on thecspn.com.

College crime goes underreported Campus crime a red flag to potential students Ashley Calvani | Staff Writer

Few prospective college students give crime a second thought.

Yet, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, crime on college campuses hinders stability and social growth and is one of the most pressing social problems in the United States today. In light of recent crimes springing up on campuses across the U.S., such as the 2011 shooting at Virginia Tech University that ended with the death of two police officers, perhaps it’s time to make safety a larger priority, according to Deepika Hebbalalu, a senior at Mason High School.

Hebbalalu, who will attend Miami University next fall, said she is not the only one amongst her peers who didn’t put much thought into staying safe on campus.

“I didn’t really consider crime and safety,” Hebbalalu said. “We don’t pay enough attention to crime because we take for granted that Mason is such a safe place.”

But according to Melissa Lucchesi, Outreach Coordinator and Lead Victim Advocate for Security on Campus, Inc., it is important for students and families to do their research when it comes to crime on campuses.

“This is probably the first time most students have been away from home like this, and research backs that a large portion of student victimizations happen between the time a student gets arrives at college and the start of thanksgiving break in their first year,” Lucchesi said.

Brenna Hallum, freshman at The Ohio State University and 2011 MHS graduate, said that entering college is a whole new world compared to home.

“I’ve had to brush up on my common sense skills,” Hallum said. “Though I feel pretty safe on campus, I do get scared. When you’re out at night, and your parents aren’t checking up on you and reminding you to be

Experts Say:

safe, you have to remind yourself.”

Recently, a string of armed robberies has left OSU’s administration working to improve safety on campus, according to an article on OSU’s thelatern.com. Hallum said one night she heard the sound of gunshots go off on a fraternity street.

“It was freaky,” Hallum said. “OSU isn’t really known for crime, but obviously, there is danger at any school you go to. It’s learning about how to be aware and stay aware of your surroundings.”

According to Lucchesi, prospective students should take note of safety programs already established on campuses when making judgments about how safe a school is.

“Because crime is generally underreported – especially more personal crimes like domestic violence and sexual assault – looking strictly at crime statistics is a bad idea,” Lucchesi said. “I would suggest prospective students and their families educate themselves about the safety programs in place. Does the campus safety department have prevention education programs? Do they have awareness programs? Are they talking about alcohol as it relates to crime? Are they talking about sexual assault? Go beyond the statistics.”

According to Lt. Ben Spilman of the Miami University Police Department, 90 percent of sexual assaults go unreported to campus police, and the natures of those crimes are to mostly to blame.

“In our experience here, sexual assaults involve acquaintances, and there is alcohol involved,” Spilman said. “Victims might not feel comfortable reporting to police because they are underage and there was alcohol involved. But if you are a victim of crime, we aren’t going to hold you responsible for underage alcohol con-

Story

continued on page

“The prime time for crime is 11p.m. to 3a.m., be especially cautious if you are out during those hours.”

Lt. Ben Spilman

C Gymnastics pictures from

1/14 meet: Looking for coverage from the January 14 Comet Cup gymnastics meet? Check out thecspn.com to view photos, results and more of the meet.

“Don’t leave personal belongings out or unattended in public places.”

Lt. Ben Spilman

“Subscribe to the Emergency Text Messaging system.”

Melissa Lucchesi

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JAN. 20, 2012 consumption. We just want criminal activities reported to us so that we can prevent someone else from becoming a victim as well.”

Whether students agree that crime statistics are useful or not, they have been made available to everyone.

In 1990, lawmakers passed the Clery Act (then called the Campus Security Act), which requires all colleges to publish their crime statistics, issue timely warnings in events of emergency and uphold a Sexual Assault Victim Bill of Rights.

Spilman said that the Clery Act issued in a new standard for reporting criminal activities on campuses across America.

“With these new guidelines, families can compare crime activity on campuses in a kind of apples-toapples fashion because definitions of crimes have now become standardized,” Spilman said.

Law officers did their own statistics research. According to an article on washingtonpost.com, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Education and the Secret Service worked together to compile an analysis of violent attacks carried out on U.S. college campuses in the past century. The finding: three-fifths of campus attacks in a 108-year span occurred in the past two decades.

Lucchesi said that victims of crime, especially serious crimes like sexual assault, need to be aware that they have rights. The Victim’s Bill of Rights requires that all colleges and universities participating in federal aid student programs afford all sexual assault victims basic rights and the school to notify victims of their option to report their assault to the proper law enforcement authorities, according to secuirtyoncampus.org.

“The Victim’s Bill of Rights…is helping victims to be really fully supported and protected by the university through the process of getting justice on campus,” Lucchesi said.

Though knowing how to deal with crime on the campus is beneficial, college students shouldn’t have to worry about their safety constantly, according to Hebbalalu.

“Though there are going to be unsafe situations in all schools you consider, I don’t think I’d be able to fit into an environment where I have to constantly worry about safety,” Hebbalalu said. “When you’re trying to

“Report instances of strange behavior or a crime if you see it.”

Lt. Ben Spilman

worry about your education, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about your safety. …Hopefully you feel comfortable.”

Hallum said that students are not worrying alone, though; services provided by campus security such as emergency buttons make it easier to stay safe. But there are flaws to the system.

“One time, I was walking back with my friends from the Twilight premiere, and we called campus security to come pick us up,” Hallum said. “They were booked for the night, though. It wasn’t an emergency, but not everyone can get help all the time. There is only so much the security services can do for so many students. They do their best, but it’s still a little concerning.”

Spilman said that common sense and instincts are important to rely on in a campus setting.

“We’ve got feelings and instincts for a reason,” Spilman said. “If you’re constantly ignoring signs and signals from instincts of personal safety, eventually you’re going to find yourself in a dangerous situation.

Listen to those instincts.”

According to Lucchesi, though prospective students and their families need to be thinking about personal safety and crime on campuses, college doesn’t have to be scary.

“We can’t always 100 percent prevent crime,” Lucchesi said. “But there are always things you can do.

Educate yourself as much as possible on what’s going on in your campus and the resources that are available. Be aware of the people you’re meeting because the majority of crimes happen with people that you know and potentially trust. Be aware of your surroundings. Trust your gut; if you have a bad feeling that something is going to happen, you’re probably right.”

Hallum said she is still learning her new environment.

“Be cautious, you’re just meeting everyone, and everyone is just meeting you,” Hallum said. “There are some people who might take advantage of that, but there is no need to be scared; safe is definitely doable.

Be smart. You’ll be okay.”

“Lock your dorms like you would your front door.”

Lt. Ben Spilman

PAGE 3

The Emergency Call Box Emergency call boxes are located various places across campuses Use the call boxes for: emergency assistance and information, medical assistance, fire alert, reporting crimes or suspicious persons, reporting vehicular accidents, or if you feel unsafe for any reason.

Emergency call boxes call 9-1-1 and connect you to the University Police dispatcher when the button is pressed Push the button, and you will be able to communicate with a safety officer Officers will respond to the call location immediately Information provided by www.muohio.edu and www.kenyon.edu

“Take advantage of campus transport systems.”

Lt. Ben Spilman

compiled by Ashley Calvani

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JAN. 20, 2012

SOPA bill draws fire

The Stop Online Piracy Act threatens to “interfere” with first ammendment rights

Ian Howard | Staff Writer

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill finds a new focus in blocking, or firewalling, foreign host sites that allow users to download illegal content, according to Legislative Assistant to Representative Steve Chabot, Jaclyn Louis.

“The problem with a foreign host [site] is that we don’t have jurisdiction with them, so we normally can’t force them to come to court, and even if we could, we can’t enforce anything,” Louis said. “This [bill] is an effort to cut off the revenue stream and cut off some of the viewership by not allowing Americans to visit those sites.”

The original version of the SOPA bill allowed copyright holders to block advertising and payment services before a hearing, according to the Washington Post’s Wonkblog. Since SOPA’s misinformed debut into the blogosphere, many amendments have facilitated a compromise between tech giants such as Google, and massive media industry conglomerates such as the Motion Picture Association of

America, according to Louis.

“We tried to make the changes to get [the bill] in a place where different industries [and] different groups of people could get on board, so we really tried to find a compromise,” Louis said.

According to Louis, the amendments also limits the targets of the bill. “[The amendments] really narrow the bill so that it only applies to foreign hostess sites, and they have to have a primary purpose of distributing illegal content, so it can’t be a Twitter, or a Facebook or a Youtube,” Louis said.

Senior Sahir Rama said that the bill goes as far as to interfere with our First Amendment rights. Once one site is blocked, an infrastructure and precedent for further censorship is formed, Rama said.

“I think often times [copyright laws] are becoming abused,” Rama said.

“It’s becoming extreme. It will start out now blocking sites to secure copyright, but it can go on; it’s a slippery slope.”

Blocking sites can be okay as long

as it is fully proved that the site is using copyrighted material, according to senior Alex Mezhvinsky.

“Piracy is not about the free speech, it’s about property rights and taking them from someone else,” Mezhvinsky said. “If you want to put up a website that says what you want to say, that’s under free speech law, but to facilitate the stealing of property from someone else, that’s where it becomes a problem.”

However Mezhvinsky, like Rama, said that the actual downloaders should be prosecuted rather than the sites, especially for user uploaded sites such as Pirate Bay that would be affected by the bill, where the site does not necessarily knowingly facilitate illegal downloading. The sanctity of cyberspace is in question, according to Rama.

“Right now the internet is a free thing where ideas can be transferred freely,” Rama said. “The law wants to change that and have it overseen by the government.”

photo art by Jami Bechard

JAN. 20, 2012

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photo art by Megan McCormack

“Heartbeat Bill” divides pro-choice activists Controversial bill proposed in favor of stricter abortion guidelines

people may think, ‘Well, yeah, that is true,’” Hartshorn said. “They’d probably believe the baby is alive once it After passing in the Ohio House, and with sights set has a heartbeat.” on Supreme Court, the newly controversial “Heartbeat The bill has gained many supporters from former Bill” has been put on hold in the Ohio Senate, due to factions of Ohio Right to Life; ones that have broken confusion over the multiple modifications proposed away after learning Ohio Right to Life would not be at the December 14 hearing. House Bill 125, the supporting the bill. Much of the 10 local Right to Life “Heartbeat Bill”, proposes banning abortions after the groups, six county chapters including Cincinnati and fetal heartbeat can be detected, typically at six to eight former President of National Right to Life, Dr. John C. weeks into pregnancy.

Willke, have turned their support to Janet Porter, President of Faith2Acthe new pro-life group, Ohio ProLife “Outlawing abortion will not make it go away. My own tion, and David Forte, a law profesAction, instead. sor at Cleveland State University, grandmother had an illegal abortion during the Great De- Although the proposed bill has have been credited with the drafting garnered much attention on all local, pression. Outlawing abortion makes it dangerous.” and writing of the bill that would state and federal levels, Hartshorn leave exceptions in cases of medical does not believe it will push the danger to the mother, but not for bill to its ultimate goal of reaching situations of rape or incest.

Yet opponents to the bill are not only found in federal legalization.

The bill’s primary sponsor, State Representative Lynn Ohio’s various pro-choice advocates. Within Ohio’s “I don’t think they’ll legalize [House Bill 125], just Wachtmann, got the bill passed through Ohio’s House pro-life force itself opposition has come out. Ohio because I think there’s a large amount of people who in June with a 54-44 vote, and is now awaiting the bill’s Right to Life, formerly the fore-front leader of many would still believe that you can get an abortion,” Hartsfuture in the Ohio Senate. Similar bills have arisen in at Ohio pro-life forces, does not support the “Heartbeat horn said. “There are certain situations where it’s better least 10 other states aside from Ohio.

Bill,”claiming it to be too weak of withstanding legal if you have an abortion than if you have the child.”

“Everyday emergency workers encountering patients oppositions and a threat to the group’s other efforts at Contrary to Ohio Right to Life’s fears, Forte said first check for a pulse,” Wachtmann said. “Why then stopping abortions. the bill will have no negative penalties if it gets to the should we ignore this critical indicator of life when it “We’ve tried to shine light on the unintended conseSupreme Court and can only help the pro-life cause. comes to the very young?” quences of the ‘Heartbeat Bill,’” Gonidakis said. “This “If a majority of the court at that time exalts aborSeveral pro-choice activists, such as Kellie Copeland, division is unfortunate because it takes us off message tion over innocent human life, then we are in no worse Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, have and does not help one mother or protect one baby.” position than we are without the ‘Heartbeat Bill’,” Forte attacked the bill on the grounds that illegalizing aborHartshorn said she thinks the talk about the bill and said. “If the court has a majority that understands the tions will not stop abortions. its consequential split in Ohio’s chief pro-life group will Constitution correctly, then this bill is ready to make “Outlawing abortion will not make it go away,” be beneficial to the pro-life forces overall. history.”

Copeland said in a Senate hearing of the bill. “My own “I think it will help [pro-life forces] because then Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer

grandmother had an illegal abortion during the Great Depression. Outlawing abortion makes it dangerous.”

Sophomore Nicole Hartshorn supports pro-choice actions for the same reason, fearing the dangers of illegal abortions to women.

“I’m pro-choice because when I think about abortion being illegalized, I believe many women would then go to backstreet procedures, and then that would hurt the women,” Hartshorn said.

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JAN. 20, 2012

Delp steps down, Wise steps up Former board President Debbie Delp retires, previous Vice President Kevin Wise takes her role Julia Halpin | Associate Editor

After serving for eight years on Mason’s School Board, former President Debbie Delp has retired from the board, effective as of January 1. Taking over as board President is former Vice President Kevin Wise, who will be serving with newly appointed Vice Debbie Delp President, Marianne Culbertson, who has served on the board for over 16 years. Delp, who was President of the board for two years, said that as her term comes to an end, she is very proud of what they have accomplished as a team. “[The board] always [has] to remember that we only have any kind of influence or power, if you want to call it that, as a board,” Delp said. “Every single accomplishment that I can point to was a result of a lot of give and take [from] every single one of us. I’m very proud of the last eight years; we had a lot to accomplish, we’ve seen a lot of change in the district and to have been able to influence what that looks like… [which] really makes me feel very proud.”

According to superintendant Dr. Gail Kist-Kline, Delp’s contributions to the board were something that greatly impacted the community and district as a whole, and her special attention to students was something that made her a great leader.

“Mrs. Delp’s attributes as an advocate, a listener and a child-centered person were a guiding force in creating an atmosphere in Mason which recognizes and is sensitive to the individual needs and differences

of children,” Kist-Kline said. “[Her] high standards and devotion to children are the cornerstones of her career. ...As a thoughtful and quiet leader, she has been a positive influence on the superior quality of education in this district.”

Knowing that her service on the board was not going to last forever, Delp said that her time on the board was a gratifying experience, and is happy that she was able to make an impact on the district.

“I can say that I never went into it thinking that I would be a lifetime board member,” Delp said. “I wanted to have an impact, I wanted to make a difference and I think I’ve been able to do that, but I also recognize that we have a really strong community and there’s a lot of people who have an impact to make and a perspective to share, and [retiring] seems [like] the responsible thing to do.”

With the recent appointment of Kevin Wise as board President, Wise said that he is very excited for his new position on the board and believes that the current board will be able to handle the challenges thrown they’re way throughout the year. Wise said that these challenges will include future financial planning, and the continued support of Dr. Kist-Kline and the administration team.

“I feel very honored to be appointed by my fellow board members, and as far as the upcoming year, I think we have one of the strongest boards we’ve had in a long time and I’m very confident that we can continue to help support the district and move things forward,” Wise said.

With the addition of two new board memnbers Matthew Steele and Courtney Allen, who was appointed on the January 10 meeting, Wise said that he feels the board will be able to continue progressing.

“We were very pleased with the addition of Courtney Allen and Matt Steele, and I thinkthose two will bring their own

unique skills and experiences,” Wise said. “Ithink those [two] will, not replace, but just enhance what Debbie wascontributing while she was on the board. That’s a sign of an effective board; it’snot reliant on one individual, but really the function of all five individuals,so I think with their individual skills and talents it will allow us toeffectively move forward.”

Going into his new position, Wise said that he has different talents then Delp, but hopes to bring in her contributions to the board and continue growing.

“My strengths would be more of the in the area of finance and our forecast,” Wise said. “I hope to take her strengths that she’s contributed to the board and add those and, going forward, hopefully we have an even stronger board.”

While the future of the board is bright, Delp said that she will always encourage the board members to, “do their homework” a campaign slogan for Delp and something that she said holds true when being a member of the board.

Though Delp has decided to leave the board, she said that she will continue to be present in the community, and is open to many ways to stay active within the district.

“I’ve got some things that I’m going to continue to be involved with, but I don’t know which of those will expand and take up more time or whether it will be something totally different,” Delp said. “I know I’m not just going to sit home and knit.”

Being greatly impacted by the death of former board member John Odell, Delp said that this death showed her the importance of using your time wisely, and will now be able to focus on using her time in other areas.

“If anything [Odell’s death] confirmed for me that I need to take time for my family; I need to take time for some other things,” Delp said. “[Time] is precious, it’s very very precious.”

photo by Julia Halpin

From left to right: Matthew Steele, Connie Yingling, President Kevin Wise, Vice President Marianne Culbertson and Courtney Allen, at the first board meeting of the year on January 10 2012. This was the first board meeting in eight years where Delp was not serving on the board.

JAN. 20, 2012

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C EDITORIAL PAGE 8 | JAN. 20, 2012

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 The School Board is facing an extremely difficult time in the near future and, despite a past record of disagreements amongst the members of the board, it is crucial that they get accustomed to working together and coming to a quick decision in the next few months.

Along with the retirement of eight-year president, Debbie Delp, the board has added two new members in the face of financial and ethical responsibility associated with the education reforms passed last year which compounds their list of potential problems.

The reforms, which include higher benchmarks for student progress and in turn, heightened pressure on teachers to reach those standards, are sure to cause some sort of dissatisfaction or confusion amongst Mason’s large staff.

Also, the reforms include new standards for teachers’ pay,which is sure to be a hot button topic over the course of the next few years and more so when at the beginning of next year when these reforms are implemented.

The bottom line is that the newly rearranged school board has a rocky road ahead and they need to brace themselves now for impact.

C Letters

to the

Editor

Dear Editor, I read the article “Originality snobbery is for five year olds.” I agree with this article. It’s always good to think for yourself and not let others change you, but there is nothing wrong with going along with the social “norm.”

We can all...like similar things without stealing the idea from [an]other.

When we were little, we called someone a copy-cat because they did what we did when we should [have] been happy that they liked what we did... . I think having your own ideas is a good quality, but I don’t think that it’s fair for someone to be [unable] to do something that you already did. I think that people should be proud that they thought of something, but also be okay with others doing it. I believe that we can all feel original and be a blend of each other’s ideas. That’s what helps create today’s culture. It’s okay to feel special for discovering something new, but don’t be a snob about it, just enjoy that you can share it with your peers.

Sydney Wiegel, freshman Dear Editor, Cursing in the hallways around others shouldn’t be allowed. There are some kids in our school that really take to that kind of thing [as offensive.]

I think that the article “A colorful Vocabulary” covers this topic really well.

It says how some kids curse to relieve their stress. I don’t agree with that.

There are other ways for students to relieve their stress without offending others. If they are going to curse, they should only say it to them[selves.]

Curse words can be really offensive, and there are other words to get the point across. If you are mad at someone, this doesn’t mean you need to cuss them out just because you are angry with them. You can use normal words that aren’t so offensive to get the main idea through to them. I find it really annoying when kids think it’s cool to cuss in the hallway. I feel like they’re just doing it for attention that they don’t need.

Cari Nichols, freshman

C OPINION

Follow these columnists online at thecspn.com Changing your expectations

PAGE 9 | JAN. 20, 2012

C Columns

Janica Kaneshiro

Republican candidates are lackluster options Ian Howard | Staff Writer

Thomas Jefferson, Jimmy Carter, John Adams and John Quincy Adams were all great men, however, none of them were great presidents. Jefferson’s entrance into sainthood in modern politics today poses a terrible threat to America’s stability and democratic tradition. Jefferson may have written the Declaration of Independence, but that is not to say that his practices as a president were completely airtight. He made humongous cuts in the military that left America unprepared at the outbreak of the War of 1812, and in 1808 his Embargo Act was an economic catastrophe. This deceives many about the lackluster excellence of Jefferson’s actions, as opposed to his flamboyant craft as a wordsmith. Jefferson’s sainthood has brought extremist fiscal conservatives a north star that is unlikely to line up with true north. A strict interpretation of the Constitution manifests itself today in libertarianism.

Libertarianism is a movement seen as a compromise between the social programs of the left and the financial programs of the right, but in practice it cannot work in modern industrialized nations. Ron Paul and other candidates that hold onto this false promise should not win the Republican nomination.

Under Paul’s presidency, or an analogous policy of fiscal conservatism, corporations would literally rule America on top of the rampant lobbying that happens in Congress currently. Remember child labor laws, the working weekend and the Clean Air Act? Those were regulations made lovingly by a congress that was aiming to help its constituency. Imagine what it would be like for us, as Americans, if our president no longer saw it as his or her right to make these fundamental changes that have stopped the uncontrollable onslaught of corporations? Yes, corporations create jobs. No, that does not mean that they will always be acting in the best interests of people.

The problem extrapolates beyond the domain of the idealistically government-hating Ron Paul, to the general postulate of corporate championship in conservatism. The recession is proof of the negative energies in deregulation.

Despite what many would like to believe, the recession was not caused by overregulation, it was caused by capitalism-sanctioned greed. Irresponsible homeloan practices to make money in the short-term, and deregulated insurance firms that became too big to actually be monitored, led to this crisis. Meanwhile, ill-informed fiscal conservatives ask why government should be given any more power when everything that has operated has failed. As a Democrat I will probably vote for Obama in the 2012 election, but as an American I feel disturbed at the prospect of an election without two sound candidates.

C What You Think “The prevalence of crime in college campuses will not affect my choice because I’m not going to a bad college – no one should go to a bad college – and if there’s a good college and it has a crime rate, a significant one, I’m going to go there anyway because it’s a good college.”

Jared Miller, freshman

Gay marriage and The Bible Julia Halpin

Branden Labarowski

Rating system goes too far Thom Carter | Staff Writer

From as long as I can remember, I’ve battled the toils of the Parental Advisory sticker, banned book list and M for Mature rating.

I was constantly nagged by my elders not to buy a record because it “contained an F-bomb” or to choose a book that was “more suitable for my audience.” As a result, I was stuck buying clean albums from Wal-Mart and reading “A Series of Unfortunate Events” until I wanted to burn the books for their frustratingly morose tone and catastrophically dull characters.

Amidst the bleeps and often laughable replacements for curse words on cable, I began to realize what I was missing. Granted, I wasn’t actually aware of what I was realizing, but something seemed to click when I saw my first R movie. On a flight from London to Cincinnati, the in-flight entertainment was the then-new “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”

Admittedly, it’s not the most proud choice for a first restricted movie, but I emulated my peers who regularly watched harder R’s like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th” (in retrospect, not so impressive), emerging from them without an ensuing barrage of nightmares. I needed some credibility, and judging by how stringent I once thought my parents were, Renee Zellweger in a naughty British rom-com was my only chance.

Reminiscing about that flight, I realize now how utterly useless a ratings system is. As it may provide sufficient warning for helicopter parents, it only fulfills social taboos that impede our ability to view what needs to be seen. The MPAA, an association that rates the movies we know and love, is a heinous gathering of individuals who slap bold letters onto films formulated to make audiences “aware” of what they’re about to see. The ratings, climaxing with the infamous NC-17, would be better defined as public deterrents.

An egregious number of films have been assigned the virtual death-sentence that is the NC-17 rating, forcing directors and producers to either accept it along with the lack of revenue that results, or bring the axe to scenes that warrant such a rating. I don’t want the axe. I don’t want a rating. I judge things not for the public and what their reaction might be. I judge them for myself.

Regulations, however, will never be entirely abolished. There’s simply a natural order to things. No child should be able to freely stroll into “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” despite the title’s innumerable merits. What children see is at the discretion of parents, not the MPAA. Shielding the eyes of offspring is a protective impulse—they don’t need daunting font to tell them how to draw an opinion.

Abolishing the ratings system wouldn’t create a crisis, only increased awareness and, in effect, better parenting. Besides, word of mouth regarding suggestive movies quickly spreads and pervades into the minds of overbearing guardians. Ratings only instill an immediacy of illogical judgment, thus diminishing hopes of not only film, but all levels of modern art and entertainment. As an audience, we’re suffering.

In terms of safety--will the prevalence of campus crime affect your college decision?

“Oh, yeah, definitely. I want to go to UC but it scares me because it’s an inner-city and I hear a lot about the crime there, so it makes small-town colleges more appealing.”

Andrea Seggerman, senior

“Probably. I mean, if there’s going to be a lot of crime I’m probably not going to go. I just want to feel safe where I’m going.”

Sarah Cedrone, Junior

Don’t get let down by the American dream

“Yes, [prevelance of crime] will affect my decision because I don’t want to get robbed or stabbed.”

Sarah Matthews, senior

“Not really, because I don’t really think that would be that much big of a deal because it’s a college so a lot of big stuff’s going to go down.”

Ethan Salsbury, sophomore

compiled by Branden Labarowski

“I think it would because I think if people were more aware of how dangerous places could be, they wouldn’t want to go because then they would have a bigger risk of being injured or assaulted, so they would probably choose a safer place that’s like closer to home where if something bad happens they can get help from their parents easily.”

Almithra Daroga, freshman

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Setting The Record Straight In the December 2 issue of The Chronicle, Teachers Academy Instructor, Nathan Lynch, was misquoted in the story, Future teachers press on. This is The Chronicle setting the record straight.

“It was referenced in the article that I had said that teachers are paid extremely low salaries, and that entering the Nathan Lynch teacher profession is a risky move. That is not my belief. Starting teacher salaries are similar to other entry level positions.

Every industry has been impacted by this economic downturn, and teaching is not exempt. However it is not a more risky move to enter education in comparison. Actually due to changes in STRS many teachers will be retiring before 2014 and will result in more teaching jobs. Other areas of the country are in drastic need of teachers. For example Tampa Florida holds a city-wide job fair annually and hires teachers on the spot following a 15 minute interview. Certain jobs within education are always in high demand, such as special education and high level math/science teachers. I believe teaching is the greatest profession on the planet, and have never regretted for one moment making the decision to pursue a career in education.”

Nathan Lynch, Teacher Academy Instructor

C NEWS

JAN. 20, 2012

Tearing down the house

photo by Miranda Carney

Demolition of Fire House 51 upsetting for local residents Miranda Carney | Staff Writer

Fire Station 51, originally known as the James J. Knott fire station, survived years of memories, tornados and change, but didn’t survive the wrecking ball.

This historical landmark, built in 1964 was removed

by January 31. According to City Manager, Eric Hansen, this was a sad goodbye full of many memories.

“Several firefighters have memories of working and living in that building,” Hansen said. “I have memories of meeting, luncheons and different city events held there. There are many fond memories, which is why the Historical Society is holding a farewell event for those folks.”

Junior Bernadette Brown, who lives on Church street and has walked to school for the past five years by passing the fire station, said she was sad to hear the building was being torn down because of her connection to the station.

“Some people want [the building] to be an arts center and I agree because it would be a way to preserve the building,” Brown said. “I’m afraid [that] soon [all downtown Mason] could become newer because they have tried to put in new main-stream restaurants, so I feel like things like that could take over all the old buildings.”

Although the building had many great memories and history attached to it, Hansen said it has many safety hazards and is actually preventing the road improvements made along Mason-Montgomery and Church Street from being used the right way. He said that is why the building needed to be taken down.

“The building itself was not safe,” Hansen said. “The portion of roadway there is not functioning right because the fire station building interferes. We actually had to stripe the road differently to temporarily accommodate the station. The road will need to be restriped to allow it to work the way it was designed and improve traffic safety.”

For Marilyn Taylor, the firehouse being taken down

was especially sad because it was a piece of family history. The fire station was dedicated to her dad, James J. Knott.

“I remember when this one went up, how proud they were,” Taylor said. “They worked so hard to get this building. They were all very proud, and it was finally here. It shouldn’t go down so fast. This is not an old building. It is bittersweet. It is very bittersweet.”

A farewell gathering took place on December 18, and brought together a tight-knit group of people who grew up in Mason at a time when everyone knew and helped each other, according to Taylor.

“I love today because they are bringing all these people together, and you don’t see that anymore,” Taylor said. “It’s just bittersweet because they are going to tear it down, but it’s not an old building. I am thankful for this event, and I want to pay tribute to the people who put this together. I just don’t like them telling me the building is outdated. I still think about how much the new firehouse cost and if it was greater than how much it would cost to renovate this.”

The new fire station, Fire Station 52, opened in September 2010, and has since provided emergency vehicles with quicker response times according to Hansen. Fire Auxiliary member Jim Spaeth, who knew James Knott as a teenager, said that even with the building gone, they will remember the man it was dedicated to.

“I hope to find a way to make a memorial for James Knott and hopefully that will bridge some of the gap between new Mason and old Mason,” Spaeth said.

“There are some folks who are newer to the community that say the old folks are going to have to get used to it and step aside. No, we’re not stepping aside.

We’re going to let you know how it got here, why things happened a certain way. We’re going to have our ideas and they have their ideas, and we blend our ideas together to make something better of it all.”

JAN. 20, 2012

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Playing with the pros

photos by Jami Bechard, Megan McCormack and Katelyn Cain

Orchestra students gear up to play with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Megan McCormack | Staff Writer

While Mason City School’s Orchestra Program celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Mason High School’s Honors Symphony Orchestra will be performing with professional musicians of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on February 2, according to Orchestra teacher Stephanie Jones. Honors Symphony Orchestra will play along-side the CSO in the opening piece to the CSO’s program.

“The Cincinnati Symphony is actually doing a collaboration with us this year,” Jones said. “[The CSO] is going to do a full program besides our piece at the beginning; [it’s] the exact program they’re going to do downtown that weekend. So, the opportunity to have a concert for our community of that quality…to have them come, bring their whole orchestra and get to play a whole program is so exciting for us.”

Even though the orchestra program is only celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, they have grown a lot, which has helped attract such an elegant concert to Mason, according to Jones.

“The orchestra is actually celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, as a district, and it’s only the seventh year that we’ve had orchestra at the high school,” Jones said. “We have four orchestras here at the high school now, so it’s grown from being the first class of sixth graders ten years ago, [which] was 70 or 80 students, and this year we have almost 1000 students, six through 12.”

Jones said that CSO is working on reaching out the communities, schools and orchestra programs around Cincinnati, which is why they chose to do a concert in MHS’s auditorium with Mason students.

“They’re looking for community outreach,” Jones said. “They want to reach out to the communities that are maybe a little further away from downtown and don’t have the opportunity to go downtown all the

time. They’re reaching out to the school districts as well; reaching out [to] the orchestra programs.”

According to junior Kaitlyn McGowan, the Honors Symphony Orchestra has been practicing with sectional coaches from the CSO in order to prepare for the concert. During the practices, coaches give students advice about how to play to the piece.

“We have group lessons [with the CSO], so we play the piece with them and they’ll give us pointers and they’ll help us with the tempo,” McGowan said. “And then we’ll have a really long rehearsal beforehand.

We’ve been preparing this song since the beginning of the year, so a lot of work is going into [it].”

Senior Mackenzie Shivers said that the sectionals coaches who come help them with their technique when playing the most difficult sections for the song.

“They will have us play through hard sections of the song that we’re playing and tell us how we can fix it; how we can better with our bowings or if there’s a better fingering we can use,” Shivers said.

Because the Honors Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras are going to Washington D.C at the end of February, Jones said that this concert will be good practice for them to play with the National Symphony Orchestra.

“Our Philharmonic and our Honors Symphony Orchestras are both going to Washington D.C. this year at the end of February to work with the National Symphony Orchestra,” Jones said. “So this is kind of in preparation for that, but also it is a separate and unique opportunity, and it [is] also a fundraiser for us to go to Washington DC; it kind of serves multiple purposes.”

Jones said that she is hoping this concert will bring more attention to the orchestra program at Mason since it is so young, and that it will show people the how dedicated the students are to their music.

“I hope that it kinds of brings a little more recognition, for the student’s sake, to what they’re doing and what they’re accomplishing because they’ve been working really hard and they’re fabulous kids,” Jones said.

McGowan said that the band gets more recognition than the orchestra because the orchestra is not as well known or as well advertised as the band. “[Orchestra] feels that band gets a lot more attention,” McGowan said. “But the orchestra does just as amazing things as the band and sometimes people don’t even realize. This concert isn’t evenly as publicized as band would have been. I think that’s part of it: when people think music [at Mason,] they think band, and the fact that there’s marching band, too a lot more people think [of] band.”

McGowan said that as a young musician, it’s an honor to be able to play with professional musicians because they’re well-established in their field.

“It’s a lot different than playing with people you know or playing with Mrs. Jones,” McGowan said. “The fact that you know they’re so good and they’re taking time out of their day, you just really want to pay attention and, personally, I just want to be as good as them some day. It’s just a really cool experience to be able to play with someone who’s that amazing.”

Jones said she wants the community to recognize that the orchestra program has something good happening that they’ve been able to attract an orchestra such as the CSO. “These kids are great kids, they’ve worked really hard, they’ve played wonderfully, they’re wonderful musicians,” Jones said. “Hopefully it will show other people can recognize, ‘Wow, they’re playing with the Cincinnati Symphony, there must be something special going on there.’”

JAN. 20, 2012

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A real family bond

Cast of “Anne Frank” works hard to depict historical Frank family

SEE PAGE 19

PAGE 13 | JAN. 20, 2012

#Tweeting The Numbers C The top 5 most popular Twitter users are Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, and Britney Spears.

C As of June 2011, Twitter users are now averaging 200 million tweets per day, as opposed to only 5,000 tweets per day the first year Twitter started, in 2006.

C An average of 460,000 new Twitter accounts are created each day.

C Twitter ranks 9th in the world’s most popular sites.

Information provided by marketinggum.com and twittercount.com complied by Nicole Huser

Creating

#following

a

Twitter serves as new outlet for real-time news and entertainment Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

Tweeting is no longer just for the birds. As of this year, there are 200 million tweets each day on the Twitter.com, a website that was established in 2006. Not only is Twitter a place for friends to share information between one another, but popular news sources and celebrities have also caught on to the trend--celebrities such as Lady Gaga, who has roughly 16,726,661 followers.

Senior Chase Scheuer, a frequent tweeter, said he believes that Twitter is a more simple and easy to use site than Facebook.

“I think [Twitter] is better, because it’s not as selfpromoting,” Scheuer said. “With Facebook you have pictures on your wall and you’re always seeing pictures of people. It’s much more cluttered on Facebook, especially now with all the advertisements they have off to the side. Twitter is just more basic; It’s a quick and easy way to see what everybody’s doing.”

According to junior Maggie Etherington, who prefers to use Twitter over Facebook, said that part of the reason why Twitter is becoming so popular is because MHS students want to be a part of the new way to socialize.

“I feel like people are jumping on the bandwagon,” Etherington said. “When someone has a Twitter, they want all their friends to follow them, and it’s a competition of how many followers you can get and stuff. I think a lot of people want to experience the new technology and get more information from [Twitter].”

Though Facebook is still considered more popular than Twitter, with 31 percent of all Facebook users logging in several times a day compared to 20 percent or Twitter users, Twitter offers things such as direct interaction with celebrities while Facebook does not.

Celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon and have joined Twitter, tweeting quick snippets about what is going on in their personal as well as professional life.

According to Scheuer, Twitter makes it possible to feel closer to celebrity news.

“On Twitter, …it’s actually the stars tweeting and talking to you,” Scheuer said. “It seems more legitimate than something you’d find on Facebook.”

Junior Maggie Etherington, who believes Twitter is an all-around better website than Facebook, said that learning about celebrity gossip is much easier to do with Twitter. “[I follow] E! News on Twitter [and] everything that E! has on Twitter is what’s on their news that night, so I don’t really have to watch [E! News],” Etherington said.

“It’s a shortcut to what you want to know.”

Not only can you follow big name stars, but Twitter can be used as a way to get fast and reliable news, according to Scheuer.

“Sometimes you’ll see breaking news if you’re following CNN or MSNBC,” Scheuer said. “It’s a legitimate site because it’s the reporters themselves, so they bring the news to you first instead of hearing it through different people on Facebook.”

Twitter has proven to be not only a social-media website, but also a way to get information out quicker than through texting or Facebook, which can save lives.

According to The Christian Science Monitor, an international news organization, Twitter allowed officials at Virginia Tech to send a campus lockdown notice to students seven minutes after the shooting of a police officer on campus. This quick way of contacting students stopped the shooting from progressing.

Although Twitter has many pros, it has its downsides just as any social-media site does. There’s a rise of Twitter usage amongst gangs, according to the Huffington Post, in order for them to call out a snitch or organize their gang.

The rise of gang use on Twitter may not seem relevant to a suburb such as Mason, but even without such violent acts at MHS, the website still has its downfalls.

According to Scheuer, some people don’t realize that tweets may have consequences just as a Facebook status would.

“I think with Twitter you can say whatever you want and not be “judged” because no one can like your status or comment on it,” Scheuer said. “So I think people feel they can say more on Twitter than they could on Facebook which isn’t true, because you can still get into trouble based on what you post.”

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JAN. 20, 2012

Breaking down the

communication barrier Chloe Knue | Staff Writer

One size does not fit all for people with autism. Each individual has unique needs, different obstacles, and special stories to tell. Four boys that walk the halls of MHS, each with a form of autism, have one thing in common, pride in themselves and what they are able to accomplish.

Sophomore Ethan Shearer has a high functioning level of autism. He is very “gifted and intelligent” according to Mother Rachel Shearer who said there are a lot of different factors that contribute to one’s success.

“Probably the biggest challenge for Ethan is - he is a teenager,” Rachel said. “Autism is the inability to understand another’s perspective...It is a communication disorder and if you think about all

the ways we communicate with body language, especially in high school, you can see how tough it is for him.”

According to the Mason City School District Coordinator of Special Education Services Susan Klein, students with autism have a wide range of strengths and needs.

“Some students are able to fully participate in courses and activities offered at Mason,” Klein said.

“Some students need a specialized curriculum and classroom environment in order to meet the unique needs related to their autism in the areas of communication, social, sensory, and academic skills. Other students need supports in order to make social connections and manage their unique challenges.”

Ethan enjoys video games, science and comput-

ers, whereas school does not rank high on his list of priorities.

“It is difficult for Ethan to understand the importance of all the school subjects,” Rachel said. “...He struggles to stay organized in school, so Ipad’s have been really helpful to him. Ethan does not want to learn about the Renaissance, he wants to learn about technology.”

According to Rachel, Ethan has always been interested in how everything around him works.

Ethan said he likes everything to be “specific,” and science is a good outlet because it is very definite.

“Throughout his entire life, Ethan has had a great spatial sense,” Rachel said. “He understands how everything works visually. He is able to see how everything in technology is connected. Technology is very concrete, there is no communication

Story Continued

Freshman Chase Morrow sits in Mr. Tim Molnar’s World History class which he now transitions easily into after much adjustment to the Mason district.

on

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photo by Corynne Hogan

JAN. 20, 2012

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Autistic students refuse to let communication obstacles hold them back involved with it, and that is why he loves it.”

Intervention Specialist Jessica Krohn works with teenagers in support education, including those with autism. According to Krohn, her job is different every day.

Through her experience teaching Study Skills, she has come across many students with autism who have a strong interest in a particular school subject, like Ethan.

“The students I work with do face challenges and obstacles,” Krohn said. “But they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to. The special education programs really benefit students with special needs by teaching them the skills they need to become independent learners. Each student I have on the autism spectrum is unique. Some have an exceptional ability in a specific academic or interest. ...And with that we develop goals and accommodations to help each student become successful.”

Senior Shane Thompson aspires to be a physicist and go to college. He also has a very high functioning form of autism, and what he said remains his biggest challenge is social interaction.

“It is hard for me to talk to new people, work in groups, and ask teachers for clarification,” Thompson said. “Yes, I have autism, but I still like to do regular teenager things just like everyone else. I like to hang out with my close circle of friends that I’ve had for a while and watch movies on the weekends. Autism does not hold me back; I can still do awesome things.”

Senior Brett Sanders has Asperger’s, a level of autism, and he agrees that having autism does not keep him from doing things. Sanders enjoys running for the Mason track and cross country teams where he feels like he fits in with his teammates.

“Even though I have autism I can still take the same classes and participate in sports just like anybody else,” Sanders said.

“I do not feel like I am treated differently by people especially my teammates -- they are very accepting.”

According to freshman Chase Morrow, feeling accepted is really important to him, and now, in his second year in the Mason School District, he is finally starting to feel like he’s settled in.

“I attended a special school for kids with autism for six years,” Morrow said. “When I started at Mason Middle School in the 8th grade it was a very hard transition for me. At my old school, the curriculum had not focused on academics that much.

In my first trimester at Mason, I really struggled to get good grades, and that year I may have made one friend.”

Despite communication issues that are associated with autism, Morrow said he always had hope and slowly things started to get better.

“I am thankful for what I have been able to accomplish in the last two years,” Morrow said. “I am thankful for my gift of how I view the world around me. I look at some people who have it tougher than me and have more problems processing information, and I really am so thankful for what I, myself, can do.”

According to Rachel, she is proud and accepting of the person her son is.

“I think one of the biggest things for parent’s is they want their kids to be typical,” Rachel said. “This is something of a disservice. My advice is to not try to make people perfect. We have to accept the way people are wired. Too many times we worry about autism in the public eye and what is socially acceptable. I have to let Ethan dream and allow him to be himself.”

Morrow said he encourages people to be open minded.

“A lot of kids in high school judge people with autism,” Morrow said. “They think we cannot be social or accomplish the same things. But my message is this: everyone has a challenge or a problem in their life, everyone has a mountain to overcome.

Autism is my mountain, and sometimes you have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes - and accept them for who they are.”

photo by Corynne Hogan and Megan McCormack

Senior Brett Sanders practices his starts for track, and Senior Shane Thompson plays his bass clarinet in Band class.

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JAN. 20, 2012 | PAGE 17 photo by Corynne Hogan and photo art by Jami Bechard

Smoking, hazardous to your reputation

Children with parents who smoke try to escape the smoking stigma Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

With health lectures and D.A.R.E programs at Mason High School devoted to educating students about the risks of smoking, most students are aware of the dangers of the hazardous addiction. Although some students opt out of smoking, others are forced to face this struggle within their own households.

According to The United Health Foundation, the percentage of smokers in Ohio has risen from 20.3 to 22.5 in the past year, despite the banning of indoor smoking and the overt warnings for the dangers of this habit.

Sophomore Collin Kehoe, whose parents smoke on a daily basis, said he believes that the heightened rate in smoking roots from America’s shaky economy.

“With the economy being the way it is, you’re [going to] have a higher stress rate,” Kehoe said.

“So you will have more people going to different forms of ‘happiness,’ like addiction and drug abuse. Tobacco could be one of those [outlets].”

Kehoe, although not supportive of his father’s and step-mother’s choice to smoke, said he remains neutral on how he feels towards his parents decisions. He said that regardless of whether he agrees or disagrees, ultimately, it’s their choice.

“I don’t negate the fact that they do [smoke, and] I don’t support it [either],” Kehoe said. “[But] I [remain] neutral on the subject…because I know that it is [their] addiction. [Consequently, it’s] hard to stop. I like to push their ideals to stop, but I also don’t like [that] it’s very stressful for them [to stop], so I don’t want to put them in that position as well.”

Sophomore Brittany Cruse, whose mother is addicted to

smoking, said she is ultimately very concerned for her mother’s health.

“Cancer runs in both sides of my family,” Cruse said.

“Seeing some of my grandparents die from cancer [was] really hard [because I had] to see them suffer. My grandma had breast cancer. I remember going to her house and seeing her cry from the pain and just [watching] how much it hurt [her]. …I don’t want [my mom] to get cancer because…it’s really hard on the family. …I just wouldn’t be able to take it [if she died].”

Although his parents themselves smoke, Kehoe said that both his parents realize it’s unhealthy and discourage him and his sister from using. “[My parents] are more parental about [not smoking],” Kehoe said. “They know that it is bad for you and they don’t want us to start doing [it], so they’re more cautious of it. …[My mom] had a bad high school life dealing with smoking and I guess she just doesn’t want it to effect [me and my sister’s] lives [either].”

According to Kehoe, he doesn’t think people should make judgments about him because of his parent’s addictions to smoking.

“I don’t care [how people perceive me] at all because it’s a widely used thing,” Kehoe said. “If [my parents] were [publically] shooting up heroin, then yes, I would be kind of concerned about image, but I kind of think that everyone should [understand that] it’s [their] choices.”

Not only does Cruse worry for her mother’s health, but for her emotional state as well.

“People are really judgmental about smokers,” Cruse said. “They [will say to smokers,] ‘It’s unhealthy, so why would you do that? You’re uneducated and unintelligent.’

So I worry…if people say something that’s sarcastic or rude [to my mom, how] that makes her feel.”

Penelope Cruse, the mother of Brittany Cruse, said she considers smoking just a habit of hers rather than an addiction. Penelope said she smokes, on average, a pack

a day and she’s been smoking since her mid-high school years.

Penelope said that her habit originated out of the curiosity as to why everyone else was smoking. She said at the time of when she started smoking, tobacco didn’t have the same stigma as it does now. She said now looking back, she holds regret for her decision to start and aspires to quit.

According to Penelope, her habit of smoking plays out to have only a few minor effects on the household. She said that it’s something she has always done and her family has grown up with it.

“I don’t disregard [my family’s] feelings for me smoking, it’s just a part of our life,” Penelope said. “Brittany was born with me smoking, as well as our other children. It’s not that I [smoke] because I’m selfish—I enjoy smoking.

It’s just one of the things I do. ...It’s really the only thing I do that my family doesn’t like.”

Penelope said she never thought about the hazards of smoking, or was directed to see them, until she started nursing school.

“When I was in nursing school, I was on the cancer floor,” Penelope said. “[I saw] a lot of people [in] chemo or radiation [therapy]. That was the moment when I realized that it wasn’t the greatest thing in the world to be doing.”

According to Penelope, she said she feels as though people label her off as a hard and self-seeking individual, rather than attempting to see who she really is as a person.

“When people hear that [I smoke,] there’s automatically a stigma,” Penelope said. “[They say,] ‘Oh you have to be that person because you do those things,’ but that’s not necessarily true. …I don’t think I have the stereotype that [others] label [me] with. I’m probably the complete opposite. I’m a caring, selfless, giving person, but others think, ‘She has to be selfish since she [smokes].’ I have [this] label that is not who I am.”

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Anne Frank cast remakes history

photos by Corynne Hogan

Cast of “Anne Frank” builds family bond over first play based on historical events Thom Carter | Staff Writer

said that the role of Otto is a challenge because of his dynamic qualities, requiring a great deal of preparation inside and outside of rehearsal.

“In one rehearsal, we spent about half-an-hour just talking about what our tactics were to become closer to our characters,” Tilley said. “What I did for this production was I printed a picture of the Frank family and put it up in my room, and I’m trying to become mentally part of their family.”

Junior Andrea Ramos, who will play the title role of Anne, said she has also created a method that has allowed her to grow closer to her character’s emotional and personal state.

“I’m keeping a diary…as if I was in Anne’s point of view,” Ramos said. “It really helps because when you start writing as somebody, you start getting [in to] their mindset.”

independently playing their roles with little involvement concerning their counterparts.

This winter, the Mason High School Theater Depart“A lot of the times, actors [will] do a lot of character ment will present “The Diary of Anne Frank,” adapted development, but they won’t work with the other actors, from the book of the same title. According to Artistic and so one of the things I wanted to do as the beginning Director Allen Young, it is the first play in his tenure that of [“Anne Frank”] was for them to come up with a comis based on true events drawn from primary source matemon history [and] have a common idea of what’s going rial. on,” Allen said.

Young, however, will not be directing the play, and As Tilley and his peers employ methods encouraged by instead the chair will be filled by English teacher ThurAllen, he said the subject matter has also had an effect on man Allen. Allen said it will mark his first time directing the overall tone of rehearsals. at Mason.

“People are more solemn now in rehearsal,” Tilley said. “[Directing] is something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” “A lot of the times there’ll be a lot of joking and a lot of Allen said. [“Anne Frank”] jumped out at me just because laughing, but…the subject matter is taken more seriously it’s a very powerful play.” just because it’s something that really did happen.”

From the start, Allen said he wanted to focus upon the The fact that the events behind “The Diary of Anne reality of the play despite the great liberties the script had Frank” are true is what Tilley said creates the intense taken when adapting Anne’s feelings on and off stage. diary. According to Allen, According to him, the writ“I don’t want the audience to think of Anne as a character on research on part of both he ing of the script inspired by stage. I want her to seem as real as possible.” and the actors has allowed Anne’s diary has the ability realism to become the point to evoke concern for the of emphasis throughout production.

According to her, the role of Anne Frank has been reader and the viewer. It’s the emotions caused by such “I’m not creating pictures as much as I am creating a particularly demanding, yet she enjoys the difficulty of material that Tilley said has led him to a realization after feeling in the audience that these are real people, these are embracing the realism and emotional power the character only a short time rehearsing. families,” Allen said. has.

“I’ve had the epiphany—I guess you would say—of Senior Ben Tilley has performed in the last two “I don’t want [the audience] to think of [Anne] as a what these people really went through,” Tilley said. “How productions presented by the theater department and will character on stage, I want her to seem as real as possible; not only physically torturing it was, but emotionally and fill the upcoming role of Otto Frank, Anne’s Father. Tilley as relatable as possible,” Ramos said. spiritually.” said that in comparison to the previous titles he has been According to Tilley, in order to achieve such authenticWhen the play opens in January and the audience leaves in, “The Diary of Anne Frank” is drastically different. ity, Allen one day asked his cast to, instead of rehearse, their seats at its conclusion, Allen said he hopes they exit “The past two [productions] I’ve done were “All Shook go out and bond as the family’s portrayed in the play. In with an emotion instilled upon them; one they would not Up” and “Dracula,” and those have been a lot of fun—reTilley’s case, his family was the Franks. have felt before entering the theater. ally exciting and engaging,” Tilley said. “Now, [‘The Diary “We bonded and developed a synthetic family,” Tilley “One of that last lines of the play is, ‘I still believe at of Anne Frank’]; it’s fun and exciting…but in a different said. “We came up with family memories and inside jokes heart, that people are still good,’” Allen said. “I hope [the way.” and things to make the whole psychological aura of [the audience] walks out with tears in their eyes, but I hope In “All Shook Up,” Tilley portrayed Jim Howard, a play] more realistic for us.” they walk out feeling: as horrible as things can be, there’s character that, according to Tilley, was static. Instead of Developing such a bond on stage is what Allen said always hope.” approaching a simplistic character in “Anne Frank,” Tilley will have the actors relating on a familiar level instead of

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Back in the

Game

Students return to gaming classics in spite of modern technology Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

As technology improves, cutting-edge videogames are whisking players away to photorealistic worlds of combat and fantasy. Although most gamers have embraced the improvements time has brought to gaming, some MHS students retain a fondness for the long-past days of inch-wide pixels and blocky graphics.

One such student is senior John Mostowy, who said he reserves a special place in his heart for Pokémon due to the series’ nostalgic value. Mostowy said he does not feel alone as a high school student who finds nostalgia in Pokémon.

“When [people] are in high school, they want to return to the past after so many years,” Mostowy said Mostowy said that, because of the franchise’s mass media presence during the 1990s, Pokémon stands as a common element of his generation’s past.

“Everyone either collected the cards or played the games or… held a Pikachu stuffed animal in their arms,” Mostowy said.

ECA and Theater teacher Allen Young said he

C FEATURE reminisces fondly on Nintendo’s Mario because he was introduced to the series in a particularly unusual fashion during college.

“I had this crazy girlfriend, and we were walking up town at OU, and I mentioned that they had a Nintendo Entertainment System in the window and [that] I wouldn’t mind having one,” Young said. “Three weeks later she shows up at my door [with] a big box with a bow on it, and she’s like, ‘I went out and sold blood plasma every time I could to buy this for you. I bought this for you with my blood.’”

Memories, however, are not the only draw to classic video gaming. Young said that the “mano-a-mano” experience found in older games is another aspect that makes them appealing.

“It’s you against the machine,” Young said. “It’s either you against the cards [in] Solitaire or you against the Goombas in Mario.”

Collectability is another factor that adds appeal to classic gaming. Senior Elias Magana is so dedicated to his series of choice, Legend of Zelda, that he has amassed a collection of every Zelda game complete with boxes and manuals. For Magana, hunting for exotic games adds a new layer of uniqueness to the gaming experience.

“I like the rarity of finding a Japanese version of a game,” Magana said.

As a collector, Magana continues to buy Zelda games and is currently playing through the series’ latest installment, Skyward Sword. Similarly, Mostowy has tried the latest Pokémon game, but he believes it to be inferior to the games he grew up with. According to Mostowy, modern games are often plagued by marketing gimmicks that detract from the unbridled creativity of the original.

“Sure, things are going to look cooler with brighter colors and everything, but… newer games [are] always marketed towards making money, so [the developers say], ‘Let’s add this weird aspect,’” Mostowy said.

According to Young, however, not all game series

JAN. 20, 2012 have mangled their roots over the years. Young cited Mario as a series that has remained true to its original concept even as technology has changed. “[Mario] is a classic example of… with the advent of more and more powerful hardware, really adapting that core gameplay experience to go in different directions but maintaining that core,” Young said.

According to Magana, Zelda has stuck to its roots over the years as well. Its goal-driven gameplay, he said, makes it stand out among duller game series.

Other gamers, however, embrace newcomers to the videogame market. Although senior Gardenier Ware enjoys both modern and classic games, he said that the classics are not without their faults.

“A lot of [classic games] were bad... but the ones that were good were good in the right places,” Ware said.

“Even though [they were] monotonous, you could do it a thousand times.”

Young said that this idea of “monotony” is something that videogames have abandoned over the years.

Although Young recalls spending 17 hours to score 1 million points on Missile Command, he said this kind of experience is being lost as games become easier.

“I remember [when] games were so simple you would play them for hours… and it was the same repetitive thing,” Young said. “It was really hard. And now games kind of hand-hold you.”

Young, however, said that contemporary games may be returning to the play styles of the past as they attempt to widen their audience. “[Game developers] want to expand the audience [for videogames]… and for them to do that, they really have to simplify [them] and make it so that anybody can come and pick [them] up just like you could with an old Atari,” Young said.

Regardless of what’s in store for the videogame industry, the fact remains that older games will still be played. For students such as Mostowy, the games of yesteryear will always remain a portal to a simpler time. “[Pokémon] has been such a big part of my childhood,” Mostowy said. “You can’t let your past go.”

photo illustration by Jami Bechard and Ajay Agrawal

PAGE 22

C FEATURE

JAN. 20, 2012

PAGE 23

Role Reversal

Mason High School students take on responsibilities associated with parenting Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

Some Mason High School students are tackling a challenge that generally doesn’t come until later on in life: an indirect form of parenthood. Students such as senior Andrew Carlin, junior Katie Darrah, and junior Brandon Kerr all said that they have stepped up within their families to take care of their younger siblings, which allows them to experience something very similar to parenthood.

Carlin is the second oldest in a family of eight children. Since the age of ten, Carlin has been expected to look after his six younger siblings. In doing so, Carlin said he has been asked to perform a range of different tasks that are ordinarily carried out by a parent—from grocery shopping, cooking, shuttling siblings to various activities and picking up their friends.

“I’ve done pretty much anything you can imagine; pretty much anything that can be asked,” Carlin said.

Since he has taken on these duties, Carlin said he feels that, in the eyes of his siblings, he has transcended the role of brother and become something more: a paternal figure.

“Because of the age difference and how I am usually in control and in a paternal role, I think [my siblings] view me as more of a parent,” Carlin said.

Kerr is also frequently in charge of looking after his younger brothers and sisters.

In Kerr’s eyes, however, he said that he believes he has achieved a level of balance and holds a position that includes aspects of both brother and parent.

“I joke around with [my siblings] enough, so that they know I’m their brother, but at the same point they know that I will bring down the hammer if they misbehave,” Kerr said.

Because he is so accustomed to serving as a paternal figure, Carlin said that at times it can be challenging to adjust in the presence of his parents and go from authority figure to brother.

“There is definitely a big switch, especially from when I am home alone with the kids to when a parent is around,” Carlin said. “It’s kind of hard to step down and let them take charge.”

Darrah, who also said she steps up within her family to become an acting parent because both of her parents work full-time.

Darrah said that sometimes being responsible for her siblings puts her under a lot of pressure.

“It can be kind of stressful because when my mom has to work and be in 10 different places at once it kind of stresses me out, pulling me into [her parental duties and stresses].”Darrah said.

Though it can be stressful at times, Darrah feels that she has gained much from her experiences taking care of her siblings. She appreciates the fact that her duties allow her to have one on one time with her family members.

“It’s great to have time I get to spend with my siblings one on one even if it’s only for 5 minutes while we’re driving somewhere.

It’s a big household, six people, so sometimes you don’t get to talk to everybody every day.”

Regardless of the straining effects of her responsibilities, Darrah said that she would never want to change her circumstances so that she would no longer have to take care of her siblings. Darrah said she believes that through her experiences serving as a parent, she has gained insight and maturity that kids with lesser responsibilities may not have.

“It’s given me a taste of the real world and of responsibilities beyond myself,” Darrah said.

Carlin also said he thinks that he has grown and matured through looking after his siblings. According to Carlin, he has also grown to truly appreciate the time he gets to spend with his family as whole.

“Even just a family dinner is an event; having everyone around the table because it’s so hard to sync up our schedules and have everyone be together,” Carlin said. “That doesn’t happen much anymore because everyone is growing up but when it does happen it’s really cool.”

Through all of his efforts and duties, Carlin said that he feels he has learned what it takes to be a part of a successful family-especially one with a lot of members.

“It’s definitely helped me a lot with responsibility and patience.” Carlin said.

“And it’s taught me which battles to pick and how to look at the greater picture in order to make sure that the whole family is happy rather than just pleasing myself.”

photos by Janica Kaneshiro

Senior Andrew Carlin helps two of his younger siblings into their car seats in the family’s ten-seater van.

Photos by Jami Bechard and Rebekah Barnes

PAGE 24

Rebekah Barnes | Staff Writer

As the show “Dance Moms” grows in popularity on the Lifetime Network, Mason High School freshman Victoria Wood earns a spot as a dancer for the second season of the show and is thrust into the limelight and pirouettes that the show has gained.

The season premiere was on Tuesday, January 10 at 9 pm and Wood said immediately after the second season starts, third season filming begins.

The show “Dance Moms” follows the dancers and their mothers of the Abby Lee Dance Company, and Abby Lee herself. The show has received notoriety for the, “friction between doting and driven mothers and Miller, the straight-talking, sometimes-abrasive alphafemale dance instructor,” according to the Pittsburg Tribune.

The season premiere was on Tuesday, January 10 at 9 p.m. and Wood said immediately after the second season start, third season filming begins.

Wood has danced since she was four years old, she said, and is a member of the Starstruck ADA (Amy’s Dance Academy) studio. According to Wood, her coach currently is very “supportive” of her being on the show.

Wood said that she auditioned against about 200 other applicants to be a dancer on the show at Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. According to Wood, this opportunity is once in a lifetime for a dancer. “[I’m] excited, I mean, it’s a big deal that I can actually see myself on TV,” Wood said. “I never really [have been on TV], I mean I’ve done a couple things, but [nothing] like a show…and it’s [been] my dream to be on TV.” Wood said that she was nominated to try out for the spot and traveled to Pittsburg where she earned a spot along with another girl. While the other girl will be moving out to Pittsburg to live, Wood said that she opted out of moving and decided to be a returning character for now.

“This year I am only doing [‘Dance Moms’] part time…because I want to go school…this year and really don’t want to leave,” Wood said. “I am doing a taping and then I’ll do a couple more, but pretty much

C FEATURE

JAN. 20, 2012

From the studio to stardom Freshman Victoria Wood dances her way to Lifetime Network show “Dance Moms” [Abby Lee] is making a story line where [I’m] going to come in randomly.”

According to Wood, Miller said to her “I will make you a star” through her training. “[Abby’s] really nice…she’s a really creative person,” Wood said.

According to Wood, she knows the reputation the show and the mothers on it have, and understands that she’ll get a lot of questions about the moms on the show, but she said she knows all the drama is not really what it seems on TV. “People will probably be like, ‘Oh my gosh… your mom’s probably going to be psycho’ and I’m like, ‘No, my moms really not like that.’”

Wood said. “They make it up as they go, and my mom did say, ‘I’m not changing what I act like to just be on the show.’ People will probably say stuff, but you kind of just have to tell them, ‘no.’”

According to Wood, her family shared mixed reactions, but were all happy for her to earn the spot and accomplish this in her dance career.

“My brother was so psyched,” Wood said. “My mom, she was really excited, but she was like, ‘I don’t want to be on that show, they’ll make me look bad’ and I was like, ‘Don’t worry’, because my mom’s not like that, but you know how the parents are, [some of the drama is] just kind of scripted in a way.”

Miller has worked with numerous Broadway and professional dancers, forming them into the dancers that they’ve become. According to her site, abbyleedancecompany. com, she has alumni working in Broadway shows such as Wicked, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and has dancers on the competition television show, “So You Think You Can Dance?”

Wood said that Miller said to her “I will make you a star” through her training. “[Abby’s] really nice…she’s a really creative person,” Wood said.

One goal Wood said she has for

“Dance Moms” is to get her name out in the industry for future opportunities. When she is older, Wood said, that she hopes to major in dance and minor in business so she can run and teach her own studio. “[My goal] is to ,I guess, to get seen by other people, do more things on TV and…to get my name out there,” Wood said.

Wood said that getting on the show is the biggest accomplishment in her career as a dancer. She also said she participated in many events with the show, “So You Think You Can Dance?”

“I do a lot of stuff with ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ people,” Wood said. “They teach and it’s…a neat experience because you kind of get [noticed by people] to work with, and then Mia Michaels, who is a judge for ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ [has] a clinic… that I go to every year.”

Wood said that she competes in all styles of dance, while contemporary dance has grown to be her favorite over the years.

Dance and competing can be stressful with school, according to Wood, as she dances 25 hours a week on top of going to school. Wood said that it can be hard, but she goes home, get’s her homework done, goes to dance and comes home and is still a straight A student.

“I’m really excited [for the show],” Wood said.

“It gets really hard traveling a lot too. …[and] with homework…and I get really tired with me dancing at another studio and then driving back and forth and I’ve been driving to Canton, Ohio to do filming.”

Although it can be hard at times with dance, Wood said that her family at the studio helps her get through anything.

“Dance has been there like all my life, so I guess it’s kind of like my second family; if I have a problem, I know where to go,” Wood said. “People there are always there for me…you can tell them anything…it’s

C FEATURE

JAN. 20, 2012

Person of Interest

PAGE 25

Striking it rich Students support themselves financially by starting their own businesses

Junior Colby Singleton said she is most passionate about her music and she values her independence.

Mitchell Matacia | Staff Writer

What’s something interesting about you?

“I’m a musician. I play the guitar, I sing and I write some music on paper.”

When did you get started with music?

“I’ve been playing the guitar for about a year, and that’s when I also picked up singing, and I taught myself, and it just clicked.”

What are your plans for the future?

“I want to get a degree in marketing and business so I can manage myself in music.

I won’t have to hire someone to do it for me.

I’d feel accomplished getting a degree.”

Who are your musical inspirations?

“Dallas Green, I love Band of Horses, and I also like harder rock like Chevelle.”

What is your ultimate goal?

“I want to make music for other people instead of just myself. I want to be someone people can look up to and [say,] ‘Wow, she had a lot of drive to do that.’ I want to manage myself, so I want [them] to [say], ‘Wow she went to school and got her degree and can take care of herself and she wasn’t afraid to take on the challenge of doing everything herself.’”

Describe your best musical experience.

I was playing at a random coffee shop in Madeira, ... and I went there, it started raining, and I was just starting to pack up when this guy... walks by, and he’s like, “Will you play me a song?” And so I was like, “Yeah.”

I played him my song, and he gave me my first tip in my guitar case. I still have that tip in my wallet behind my license. It was my first ever tip dollar.”

compiled by Corynne Hogan

It’s common to see a high school student working at a fast-food chain or in a department store; few students, however, turn towards the alternate route of entrepreneurship to make their money. Senior Bryan Weis and junior Adilnur Sultankazy of Mason High School are two students who do just that.

Bryan Weis, a self-proclaimed resale veteran, has been making his own money for years by discovering his interests in entrepreneurship. Weis buys items and sells them for more--particularly during the holiday season.

“It started a couple of years back; It was the tenth anniversary of the Tickle Me Elmo,” Weis said. “My mom was talking about how they were so hard to find. So we went to Walmart, and I picked a couple up, and I sold them on eBay the following day, and I made $20 off of each of them.”

This year, Weis sought the potential pay-day of a popular Elmo toy. Despite his projections of the toy’s success, he failed to gain from his purchase. But according to Weis, there isn’t a big risk in resale because of return policies.

“I started off buying about 20 Let’s Rock Elmos,” Weis said. “They were supposed to be one of the hot toys. They weren’t, so I returned all of those, no loss or anything.”

Without financial loss to worry about, Weis said he tried to resell again during Black Friday, this time choosing the Xbox 360 as means for profit.

“On Black Friday I went out to Walmart [because] they had the Xbox Kinect bundle,” Weis said. “For some reason it was limit six per person, so I was like, ‘Why wouldn’t I get six?’ So I got six of them for $150 each and then resold them for $250 on Craigslist.”

Weis said he sold all six Xbox’s with a return of 700 to 800 dollars. After he put an ad on Craigslist people began contacting him to buy the Xbox’s and even offered to trade him for the video game system.

“One guy actually offered me a gun for an Xbox,” Weis said. “It was like a 9mm or something. I just didn’t answer him. Some of the offers [I get] are crazy.”

Sultankazy also makes money by reselling, but instead of seasonal toys, he makes money from his occasional selling of cars.

“The first car [I sold] was a Hyundai Sonata; It was a 2004 [with] 114,000 miles on it,” Sultankazy said. “I tinted the windows on it to make it look better, and after that I just posted it on Craigslist [for more]. If you don’t count fees that

you pay, like registration, [I made] $1,100 or something like that.”

Sultankazy is now in the process of selling his second car for more than he bought it for. He said that he is trying to resell it after getting it repaired.

“My second car I got on Craigslist because there was a good deal,” Sultankazy said. “The price was $5,000 but [I] found some flaws and lowered the price. I took it to a shop and fixed it, and now I’m trying to sell it for a lot more money than I got it for.”

According to Sultankazy, his idea of selling cars for more money stemmed from his parents who ship and sell cars overseas. “[My parents] buy cars here for $20,000 or something and then they ship it to Kyrgyzstan and [the cars there] are more valued so [my parent’s] will sell it for double,” Sultankazy said.

Despite his parents’ influence, Sultankazy said that he doesn’t see himself turning car resale into a career but he said that he will most likely continue to resell cars for extra cash on occasion. He plans to purchase a better car each time with money earned, and sell it for a higher profit.

“I’m not like some crazy used car salesman, but I did get excited when I sold the first car,” Sultankazy said.

“The idea was that I work up the ladder and see myself improve. So my dad pretty much said, ‘We’ll start off by getting you a first car, so if you make profit off of that car, you can use the profit money to buy a better car, resell that for more money and resell that for more money.”

Unlike Sultankazy, Weis said that he wants to turn his entrepreneur ways into a career. He said that he will major in finance and minor in entrepreneurship when he gets to college - future practices that he enjoyed even as a kid.

“Back in 5th grade I made an eBook on how to play [Runescape] better,” Weis said. “I sold [more than 300 copies] on eBay for $5 each. I was making money back then even. So I mean for a 5th grader, that’s pretty profitable.”

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C

JAN. 20, 2012

C SPORTS

PAGE 27 | JAN. 20, 2012

C Sports Columnist “The “Kobe System” isn’t more than a well thought out ad campaign, but for Kobe Bryant and everyone who joins in as well, the “Kobe System” is what you make of it.”

SEE PAGE 30

THE BIG THREE

photo by Megan McCormack

Left to Right: Seniors Michael Van Kleunen, JD Sprague and Darin Harris have led the team in scoring at least three times each this year, scoring 536 of the 739 total team points.

Varsity basketball team’s “Big Three” leading the way as Comets challenge for a GMC title James Nosek | Staff Writer

Behind the constant joking and laid back attitude of Mason seniors JD Sprague, Darin Harris and Michael Van Kleunen, lies three players who are currently taking the GMC by storm. Representing the second (Harris 16.2 ppg), seventh (Van Kleunen 14.5 ppg) and tenth (Sprague 14.0 ppg) spots in the GMC scoring leaders, Mason’s “Big Three” have done their part in contributing to the varsity boys’ basketball team’s 11-1 record and, according to Harris, it has been a total team effort.

“When we play together, that’s when we really click and that’s when we win games,” Harris said. “It doesn’t have to be us three either. When we get the whole team involved, we play that much better.”

The overall success of the team is due to a mindset

of not being caught up in the baggage that comes with their individual achievements this season, Sprague said, but instead due to their team goal of “be the first.”

“We are taking it one game at a time; we aren’t thinking of the season as a whole,” Sprague said. “It all goes back to our pre-season goals, if we are going to win the GMC, nobody can be selfish on being in the top ten in scoring or whatever it might be. We don’t care about that as long as we win.”

Head coach Greg Richards said he is happy with where the team is halfway through the season, as they are currently second in the GMC, but he said it is hard to look past the successful year for Sprague, Harris and Van Kleunen which has been a huge key in the team winning games.

“It’s nice to have three guys who can score, “Richards said. “There are so many times when you go into a season where you only have one or two guys who can score, and that becomes easier to shut down, but with three players, it’s tough to stop.”

Even though the “Big Three” have scored 536 of the 739 points scored this year, it has been an even scoring

Story Contintued on page 28

C SPORTS

PAGE 28

C What

Continuted

you missed

Girls’ Basketball The girls’ basketball team lost their first game to Reynoldsberg High School in the classic in the country tournament on January 14, 42-35, making their record 8-3.

Boys’ Basketball The Boys’ basketball team upset LaSalle HS 54-47, the top team in the city, on January 10 behind 15 points from senior Darin Harris, 13 points from senior JD Sprague and 12 points from senior Michael Van Kleunen. LaSalle’s Josh Lemons scored a game high 22 points.

C Quick Hitters Castner

Indian

Page 27

distribution between Sprague, Harris and Van Kleunen as they all have been the leading scorer in a game at least three times this year. Sprague said it goes back to all three being very unselfish and not caring who puts the ball in the basket--if they get the win.

“We have all been the leading scorer at different points during the year, and there have been points in the season when we weren’t the leading scorer, but we did other things crucial in the game to contribute to the win,” Sprague said. “We are all smart enough not to think, ‘Oh I’m one of the top leading scorers, I have to go out there and force up a shot,’ and that’s why we all score, because we know we can feed off of each other, and we know not to force anything.”

With all three knowing each other since the fifth grade, when Harris moved from Tennessee, Sprague said it is a “relationship on and off the court,” that has made their success that much more special.

“It feels like we have been playing with each other for 10 years,” Harris said, but in actuality they have only played together in five season since the fifth grade, including the last two years at the varsity level. A strong relationship off the court has kept these three together

and in turn, helps their play on the court.

“We know how to motivate each other, and we know when to back down and not say anything to each other,” Center Michael Van Kleunen said for their on the court presence. Harris added that it is pretty much the same way off the court, just at a more comical level through an inside joke between the three them, and the five other seniors, called, “the point system.”

“I don’t think there’s ever a serious moment off the court,” Harris said. “I mean, there are serious times when we need to [have them], but it’s not often because we just joke a lot with sarcasm and make fun of each other.”

For the “Big Three,” scoring is not the main priority on their minds, if it helps their team win, then Van Kleunen said they will try as hard as they can to continue their first half success. He said what really matters, is playing together with the whole senior class for the last time.

“It is our senior year; the last year we will get to play with each other,” Van Kleunen said. “We are playing for that; we want to leave our mark ,and make this season as memorable as possible.”

Meet Mason’s “Big Three”

recieves award

Head football coach Brian Castner received the 2011 Southwest Ohio Region 15 Coach of the Year award which was presented to him at the January 1st Cincinnati Bengals-Baltimore Ravens game.

from

JAN. 20, 2012

Darin Harris

Michael Van Kleunen Senior

Senior

cup victory

The gymnastics team won their second event of the year, the Indian Cup at the Cincinnati Country Day Invitational, on January 7.

JD Sprague

6’5” 210 lbs.

6’5” 200 lbs.

16.2 ppg

14.5 ppg 4.5 rpg

6.2 rpg

Senior

6’1” 190 lbs.

14.0 ppg 3.9 rpg

C The Numbers

15.0 Junior Kayla McDowell leads the Mason girls’ basketball team averaging 15.0 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game.

0 The chess team completed their season back in December with a perfect 18-0 record.

51.8 5

3349

The boys’ basketball team is shooting 51.8% (263/508) overall from the floor which is good for first in the GMC as of January 13.

The girls’ bowling team finished first at the Eastern Lanes Holiday Tournament on December 29th as they totaled 3349 pins.

There are five wrestlers who are first place in the GMC in their respective weight classes. (Patrick Kearney, Eion Walden, Tommy Davis, Jake Suess, Daniele Tedoldi)

Results as of January 15.

C SPORTS

JAN. 20, 2012

PAGE 29

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT

Senior Eric Hildebrandt and the men’s varsity team row at the midwest junior rowing championships in 2010 in Ohio, where the team placed sixth overall.

photo contributed

Two Mason seniors take advantage of rowing’s growing popularity Joseph Spencer | Staff Writer

While sports such as track and football at Mason have more than one hundred participants per season, there are a few athletes in Mason who participate in a mostly unknown sport, rowing. Seniors Eric Hildebrandt and Mitch Evans row at Greater Miami Rowing in races that range from 2000 meters to 1200 meters with four to eight person boats. Hildebrandt began his rowing career when he first entered high school.

“I started rowing after I stopped playing lacrosse my freshmen year,” Hildebrandt said. “Rowing quickly turned into my passion: the mental, as well as physical aspects of racing and finishing a race are what grows on a rower.”

According to Hildebrandt, he said he believes that the mental aspect of rowing is what makes the sport so difficult.

“The mental aspect of being able to push yourself at the end of a mile-long race as well as being able to keep

C Trading Punches Is it such a big deal if Denver Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow is religious?

James Nosek

Katelyn Cain

your rows in pace with your fellow teammates makes the sport challenging,” Hildebrandt said.

Hildebrandt said that being able to finish races is key as he rows in the back of the boat and is the power of the whole operation.

“I am the powerhouse of the boat,” Hildebrandt said.

“I work from the stern (back) of the boat and keep pace of the boat as a whole.”

Hildebrandt rows with fellow senior Mitch Evans, who works from the opposite side of the boat as Hildebrandt.

“I sit in the bow (front) of the boat and set the pace for the race,” Evans said.

Evans said he also started rowing as a freshman and is most attracted to the speed of the sport.

“The best thing about rowing is the [feeling] of having an eight person boat at top speed with every rower in unison,” said Evans. “At top speed with the feel of

the wind at your back atop the water, you feel unstoppable.”

Both Hildebrandt and Evans said they think that rowing will continue to grow in its popularity and gain college status.

“Rowing is broadening immensely”, said Evans.

“Within the last 10 years we have seen three clubs rise in Cincinnati alone. While it will never be at a level of football rowing is on the way to becoming a major college sport.”

As rowing continues to grow, both seniors’ rowing careers are growing as well. Both are being recruited to row at the collegiate level at schools such as Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Cornell, The Naval Academy and Yale.

“I look forward to rowing in college,” said Hildebrandt. “It is an opportunity to keep doing the sport I have grown to love.”

There’s no problem with Tim Tebow being religious, but I think the bigger issue is his football career. He is a proven winner; no doubt about it, but this rollercoaster ride of amazing emotions and the classic underdog story will eventually die off. I don’t think Tebow can continue this magical run for the rest of the playoffs, one, but also for the next few years. I think Tebow will be a short term success, not a long term one and I hope he can prove me and all the haters wrong, but I don’t see that happening.

It is a big deal in a good way that Tim Tebow is religious because now there is someone that people can look up to in the NFL. Shouldn’t the NFL be looking for players with attributes like Tebow? You can say all you want about is game, sure, but his religious side is the best part of his game; it makes him throwing 316 yards even that more magical. I don’t understand why people would say that his being religious is bad. It’s a good thing.

Shouldn’t parents everywhere be thanking the NFL that their children can finally admire someone with qualities like Tebow, instead of someone like Plaxico Burress?

C SPORTS

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JAN. 20, 2012

Signed, Sealed and Delivered photo by Corynne Hogan

Mason coaches play a large role in the signing day process for athletes Katelyn Cain | Staff Writer

While most people know that signing day is a great day of accomplishment for the athletes who are committing to Division I, Division II or Division III colleges, it is also a day of celebrating for the high school coaches who are a large part of the recruitment process for their players, according to Head Varsity Football coach, Brian Castner. “[In] football, [coaches] play a very big role in the recruitment process,” Castner said. “You know a lot of sports are different, but as far as football, it’s a huge role and its very time consuming. But, at the same time, it’s a very rewarding role because you get see a young man fulfill his dream and it’s a big part of his life.”

According to Castner, the recruitment process is very long and involves communication with several college coaches.

“It’s a two way street,” Castner said. “You’ve got to get out film to the coaches; you got to get the information out to them--whether it’s their stats, their grades, their address--on top of all the tapes of their play.”

Castner said that during the recruitment process sometimes comes stress that a player may not be recruited.

“There are times when it becomes stressful because sometimes coaches don’t want your players, and there’s schools that will call and say they’re not interested, when you’re really telling them from a biased opinion that you love the kid so it’s hard to really give them a subjective opinion,” Castner said.

According to Castner, when athletes are recruited, it is a huge sense of accomplishment.

“It’s a great feeling [when players sign],” Castner

said. “Wholeheartedly, it’s a great feeling. It’s just not signing. It’s the fact that we’re going to send around 10 players to go play college football from the 2011-2012 class. And every kid that decides to go play college football is a huge success. It puts a big smile on my face to see a kid sign a paper, or even verbally tell me that he’s going to play [in college.] It makes me very happy.”

Castner said that overall, signing day is a great day all around for athletes, families and coaches.

“It’s a great day to recognize all of our athletes in a similar setting, not just football, but every sport here at Mason,” Castner said. “It’s a celebration to what they’ve accomplished and it’s a great day for each athlete because they’ve got that reward; whether it’s a full ride, [or] a half ride; I think it’s just a great day all around.”

C Sports Column The new “Kobe System” by Kobe Bryant is more than just a shoe for basketball players-- it’s a “Kobe” lifestyle for anyone James Nosek | Staff Writer

“What’s higher than the top of the charts,” multi-platinum rapper beckons in the new “Kobe System” commercial.

“Can you put a ring on a ring?” star-USA soccer player Landon Donavon added.

They’re both great philosophical points, but does Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s new innovative piece of athletic footwear make Richard Branson really feel the need to “buy a planet” as he says in the commercial.

Probably not, but it did make a great point.

The new “Kobe System” is the seventh installment in Bryant’s Nike shoe collection as a hybrid; “two shoes in one,” mixing a low cut athletic shoe with a high top basketball performance shoe that has a built in ankle

brace. Yes, I did say built in ankle brace. But come on, who cares about this stupid shoe? That is Kobe’s point and it’s mine as well.

Who cares about the shoes, it’s more than shoes; it’s a lifestyle, or at least Donavon thinks so.

In a teaser video in association to the commercial, it’s titled “adaptation,” and it basically shows Kobe switching the inserts of his new shoe and running around on a dark court. Fun right? And the ending is so Kobe.

“It’s all about you having to adapt,” is the closing statement as the screen fades to black.

For Kobe, it is about adapting, especially with his loads of recent problems, and trust me, a “you know what” was one. Mistresses, possible trade talks, no more Phil Jackson, a divorce, and my favorite, just being Kobe, are all issues that he has had to “adapt” to.

Now in his 15th season at the age of 33, Kobe is

hitting the decline that every superstar athlete hits at this point in his career, even if last week Ric Bucher did rank him the top NBA right now. But really, Kobe doesn’t care about all that banter, he’s already done everything he needs to, even if catching up to Michael Jordan in the ring department is his obvious obsession.

The “Kobe System” isn’t more than a well thought out ad campaign, but for Kobe Bryant and everyone who joins in as well, the “Kobe System” is what you make of it, just like the multiple celebrities in the commercial.

The new shoe might not make your jump shot any better or help you get on your high school basketball team but who knows, it might make you want to “do stand-up in a volcano,” like Aziz Ansari, it’s whatever you want it to be.

Go to pressboxperspectives.wordpress.com to watch the “Kobe System” commericial

JAN. 20, 2012

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