The Chronicle, 9.6

THE FIELD FACTOR SEE PAGE 27

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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

MISLEADING MARKETING SEE PAGE 2

The Chronicle

M arch 16, 2012 Volume 9, Issue 6

thecspn.com

SEE PAGE 20

photo art by Jami Bechard

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Trending Now Online View these and other stories and galleries at

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C Our Latest Video The newest feature to thecspn.com is the “Our Latest Video” sidebar.

This features short clips of all the news around Mason. Check out thecspn.com to see reporting not only from The Chronicle, but the Mason Broadcast Crew as well.

Today’s featured video includes MBC Reporter Emma Harvey on the recent decision to close Mason Heights Elementary School.

CGymnastics team finishes fourth at state After their goal early on in the season to place top five at state, the girls team was successful with a fourth place finish. To read more about the team and their season, go to thecspn.com to get the full story.

Possible nuclear threat

Israel and the United States team up to plan future action.

SEE PAGE 4

Trendy packaging tempting teens Difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks nearly discernible Miranda Carney | Staff Writer

It’s no coincidence that the only visible difference between a can of alcoholic iced tea and non-alcoholic iced tea is the word “twisted” or “hard”, according to Digital Image Design teacher Aaron Roberts. He said several alcohol companies are beginning to market in ways that attract teen drinkers.

“They are definitely marketing towards a younger audience,” Roberts said. “[Teenagers] are young, [getting] into college, [and they] are familiar with drinking iced tea.

That seems to be how [alcohol] is being marketed. It’s being marketed to look like a fun, good time amongst your friends, and people tend to be young in the commercials, so it’s clearly being

marketed towards young people.”

School Resource manager Karli Smith similarly said that she thinks marketing alcohol to appear similar to drinks like iced tea appeals more to underage drinkers.

“When drinks are advertised to look like pop and iced tea, it makes students think it’s okay to do,” Smith said. “[Alcohol is being] marketed towards a younger audience. …Teenagers have such high peer pressure that [the marketing] is just something else to make them look cool.”

Senior Caitlin Marquart said packaging like this, which makes alcoholic drinks appear more like non-alcoholic drinks, makes it that much more appealing for teens to access the drinks.

She said brands like “Twisted Tea” are

sold in almost identical packaging as the standard non-alcoholic “Arizona Iced Tea” found in convenience stores.

Other alcohol companies like Smirnoff are selling flavored vodkas in whipped cream and marshmallow flavors. Marquart said when alcoholic drinks are flavored like this, it could attract younger drinkers.

“When we were [younger], we thrived off of juice boxes, milkshakes and lemonade,” Marquart said. “It’s only natural that we should feel comfortable with the same sweet, fruity flavors that we’ve been exposed to since [we were young].”

Senior Ryan Siegrist said he felt

Story Continued

C Comets for Wishes

fundraiser tonight Tonight at 7 PM in the auditorium, the Mason High School Dance team is hosting a fundraiser to raise money for the Make a Wish foundation, featuring performances by the dance team, MHS competition cheer team and the Comet Skippers. Read more at thecspn. com and about the goal behind it all.

compiled by Rebekah Barnes

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runners-up The MHS girls’ varsity basketball team earns the regional tournament runners-up title after their loss to Fairmont on March 10. Check out thecspn.com for more on the team’s postseason play.

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MARCH 16, 2012 that although the alcohol companies are appealing to a younger audience through flavors and packaging, they are really still trying to appeal to legal drinkers in their twenties.

“Alcoholic companies advertise to people that are in their twenties,” Siegrist said. “We aren’t very far away from being in our twenties, so there is a very thin line.

People who are under 21 understand all of this. They might be trying to advertise to legal drinkers, but we still get it as teenagers.”

Roberts agreed that marketing companies for alcohol may be trying to appeal to legal drinkers in their young twenties, but that market bumps up against the teenage audience.

“They might not be directly marketing towards teenagers, but they are marketing to a market that bumps up against teenagers,” Roberts said.

“Cross over to that market is certainly going to happen. If you talk to an executive about making these decisions in advertising, they’re going to say [they’re] not marketing to teenagers, but to…a group [that] certainly bumps up against teenagers.”

These marketing decisions, which make alcohol seem “youthful,” result in teens not seeing the consequences of drinking as so severe, according to Marquart.

“It’s clever, but also cruel, for companies to choose to produce vodka that supposedly tastes like whipped cream or lemonade-laced liquor,” Marquart said. “The temptation is all but irresistible when confused teens are presented with a perfect mixture of adolescent flavors and adult consequences in a bottle.”

The marketing of these beverages has brought the issue of underage drinking more into light, according to Smith. “[Underage drinking] has always been there, but it’s just now people are starting to realize the repercussions of it a lot more,” Smith said. “[Advertising] has a huge impact on teenage drinking because it makes it seem like it’s a cool thing to do. In teenage eyes, alcohol is alcohol, and it becomes a game to them of how

PAGE 3 Making the drinks appear youthful in nature, including appearance, commercial and flavor might lead some parents to feel like it isn’t as bad to permit underage drinking, according to Smith. Because of this, she said students start to look to those parents as a place to get alcohol.

“Parents [who allow teenage drinking] become an easy place to go,” Smith said. “There is a lot of punishment for that [because] you’re looking at contributing to the delinquency of a minor; you’re allowing illegal activity to happen in your home.”

Although Marquart said the “youthful” drinks may make parents think differently about underage drinking, she said she would be fearful if she were a parent.

“If I had a teenage child, I would be even more fearful because these kinds of drinks are available,” Marquart said. “It makes kids take drinking lightly when it’s actually something that should concern all parents.”

There could be many potential dangers of marketing alcohol towards a younger audience of drinkers, according to Marquart who said she had several concerns.

“Teenagers are starting to become more independent, therefore, [they are] more impressionable,” Marquart said. “The decision to drink at a young age could be a factor that affects your overall success and life-long health. So when alcohol producers try to make that decision easier for teens by appealing to them with taste, they don’t realize that their marketing [can be] changing kids’ lives in the worst ways.”

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much more they can consume until they feel ‘drunk’.”

Siegrist said he agreed that teenage drinking has become a problem because students face it as a game and a challenge to overcome.

“I think nowadays they have done so much to [stop underage drinking] that it has become almost a game,” Siegrist said. “Way back in the day, when the drinking age was 18, no one made as big of a deal about it.”

an

“The temptation is all but irresistible when confused teens are presented with a perfect mixture of adolescent flavors and adult consequences in a bottle.”

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United States hesitant towards intervention in Israel Israel pushing for hard line against Iran Katherine Hansen | Staff Writer Mitchell Matacia | Staff Writer

In 1951, the Iranian government voted to nationalize the British controlled Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. As a result, Britain and the United States, issued sanctions against Iran to cripple their economy, according to IranChamber.com and commondreams.org.

Today, Israel sees the growing nuclear capabilities of neighboring Iran as a major threat to their security. U.S. officials continue to warn Israel of the dangers of preemptive action.

On March 5, President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss courses of action toward Iran.

According to Modern Political and Economic Issues teacher, Micah Faler, Israel would hardly pause to notify the U.S. in the event of a preemptive Israeli move.

“If Israel is going to launch a preemptive strike, they may not necessarily tell the United States first, and that’s going to put us in a very binding situation,” Faler said.

While the U.S. is intending to wait for sanctions against Iran to take effect, the question still remains whether Israel will abide by the Obama administration’s wish to delay an Israeli attack. Sophomore Joseph Cohen, who was born in Israel, said that delaying such an attack on Iran is the best decision for a secure U.S.-Israeli relationship.

“I think that the United States should support Israel, but I think trying to have Israel hold off on an attack is probably the best idea,” Cohen said.

The Obama administration is advising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wait and see what happens as sanctions against Iran take effect, according to The New York Times.

“In the 80s Israel did a strike on Iraq to get rid of their nuclear facilities, so that’s actually a big reason why people think that Israel might just do an air-strike in Iran to get rid of their nuclear facilities,” Cohen said.

Israel’s history with Iran provides justification for a preemptive move from Israel, according to Faler.

“The reason they’re so apprehensive about anytime Iran not only gains nuclear capabilities, but any increase in their military strength is because it’s not an unfounded fear. Iran openly comes out and states that they have hostile intent.” Faler said.

The U.S. and Israel have grown a fairly cooperative relationship. Yet in regards to

reactions, the relationship breaks off, according to Faler.

“I think both Israel and the United States agree that Iran, left uncheck[ed], is extremely dangerous. But, at the same time, how you respond to that danger presented by Iran – that can create tension between U.S. and Israel,” Faler said.

Israel’s history confirms the potential ability to attack, according to Faler, and the possibility of a preemptive attack from Israel is not far.

“They are more than capable of defending themselves, but that’s because we’ve given them everything they needed,” Faler said.

Last May, President Obama called for Israel’s borders to be reduced to its lines from before 1967. The recent discussions among the U.S. and Israel to blockade Iran are an improvement in relations, according to Cohen.

“If Israel did not have the support of the United States they would not be in a good position right now,” Cohen said.

Despite this relationship, the uncertainty and lack of intelligence behind Iran’s nuclear program is the latest source of concern. The U.S. fears a preemptive move from Israel is signaling for a nuclear war in the Middle East, according to The New York Times.

“I think Israel is going to respond in a preemptive manner,” Faler said.

“Preemptive meaning, they’re not going to wait until something happens. That is what’s really causing a strain between Israel and the United States.”

Although Faler said Israel wouldn’t hesitate to attack, Cohen said he hopes such an attack won’t happen.

“I was born in Israel,” Cohen said. “I have family living in Israel. ...My grandparents live there, I have a bunch of cousins there, my aunt, my uncle, a bunch of family members. I wouldn’t want a war there.”

On a wider scale, the worries of the U.S. regarding an Israeli move are not considering the worries of Israel, according to Faler.

“We are looking at this from a very different perspective,” Faler said. “Israel sits miles from Iran. We sit an ocean away from Iran. Our proximity changes our perspectives.”

MARCH 16, 2012

Israeli Conflict Timeline May 14, 1948: State of Israel created May 15, 1948: Israel invaded, starts War of Independence 1951: Iran votes to nationalize Anglo-Iranian Oil. US and UK sanctions begin.

1967: Israel preemptive attacks lead to six day war.

1973: Yom Kippur War requires U.S. airlift.

1981: Israel destroys Iraqi Nuclear reactor.

1985: Israel and U.S. declare free trade policy with each other.

2000: Israel invited to WEOG branch of the UN. May 2011: President Obama calls for reduced Israeli borders.

Present: Iran nuclear program prompts sanctions; U.S. and Israel discuss best options.

compiled by Katherine Hansen and Mitchell Matacia photo art by Jami Bechard

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Mitt Romney campaign brings Mormonism into national spotlight Religious belief could play a major factor in Romney’s electability Thom Carter | Staff Writer

photo by Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to supporters during a campaign stop at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia, Sunday, March 4, 2012. Romney’s religion, Mormonism, has been in the spotlight since the beginning of his political campaign.

Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, and his religious affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has shifted the faith into the spotlight of voters everywhere, at times eliciting scrutiny from some GOP supporters, according to senior D.J. Belnap. Dallas Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress is one example of criticism aimed toward Romney and his affiliation. According to The Huffington Post, the pastor, who previously backed Texas governor Rick Perry, said last October that Mormonism was a “theological cult,” and in February he said that if Romney were to become the republican nominee, he would “hold [his] nose” and vote for him.

Mormon or LDS (Latter-day Saint) students at Mason High School have felt the effects resulting from Romney’s bid for the presidency.

Sophomore and LDS Gabrielle Honda said she is aware of the fact that her faith is currently a hot topic of discussion, but isn’t bothered by it.

According to her, faith and religious principles give her direction some people may not have.

“I’m Mormon because I choose to be,” Honda said. “Essentially, it makes me happy.”

Honda said she isn’t unaccustomed to the view that the general public and fellow students have of her religion. She said many people view Mormonism as either weird or foreign, but that it is a perspective that is neither a positive nor negative view of the religion. Honda isn’t offended by the common viewpoint, but said greater knowledge and awareness of the Church is required.

“You really need to walk two moons in someone’s shoes to really see why they think the way they think,” Honda said.

Sophomore Scott Jones is also an LDS. He said he agrees that since Romney’s campaign, Mormonism has become a larger topic but the disrespect that stems from when he tells others about his affiliation and opinions like the one expressed by pastor Jeffress bother fellow LDS Honda, who said differences don’t matter.

“Yeah, we’re different, but when you get down to it, really everyone is,” Honda said.

Belnap said he has noticed the increased criticism of Romney and the faith they share.

Much of it, according to Belnap, has arisen from southern states where Christianity and its values are held in high regard.

“A lot of the extreme, hardcore Christians don’t really like us [Mormons] that much, so it’s hurt him in the polls and in the primaries

of a couple states,” Belnap said.

The fact that people are voting based on their beliefs, according to Belnap, is good, but it doesn’t justify the wariness that many have with Romney’s Mormonism. When deciding on a potential presidential candidate, it is issues like religion Honda said that shouldn’t be at the forefront of criteria. Instead, scrutiny should be placed more on the policies of the candidates. This is, according to Honda, a pitfall for candidate Rick Santorum, a Roman Catholic who uses his evangelical beliefs “as a stepping stone to get more support.”

Sophomore and LDS, Megan Drake, shares a similar belief with Honda, and said that voters who hold disregard for Mormons will vote for Santorum based solely on the fact that they want to vote for a Christian, or in Santorum’s case, a Roman Catholic. According to Drake, it’s wrong to judge on faith alone.

“It’s right to criticize [Romney] as a person because he’s running for president, but I don’t think it’s right to criticize his religion,” Drake said.

Issuing support instead of criticism for a candidate centered on religious affiliation should also “take a back seat” said Honda, who said she doesn’t necessarily know whether she would even support Romney if he were to receive the Republican nomination. While having a fellow LDS in the White House is comforting thought, she said, supporting him based on religion alone would be hypocritical.

According to Jones, he’s also wary of Romney as president, noting that presidents rarely receive universal appraise and Romney’s faith may become a common scapegoat for critics.

“If he does something that is frowned upon, then everybody might be like, ‘Oh, it’s because he’s a Mormon,’” Jones said. “[Critics] always want to incorporate beliefs into what [politicians] do.”

Romney’s actions now reflect on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Drake, who thinks that Romney, now under an intense public spotlight, feels pressured to keep belief in his faith. This faith, according to Drake, is important because morality is a large factor in the decision making process, even as president. “…Standards [presidents] keep and things they believe in…are going to be the basis of every decision they are going to make when they’re in office,” Drake said.

C EDITORIAL PAGE 8 | MARCH 16, 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 Elvis tame compared to today’s artists For as long as music has existed, critics of the most popular artists have always claimed that the music they are producing is vulgar and they stand for a generation of misdirected youth.

In the mid 1950’s no other was so criticized as Elvis Presley. The adult generation stuck up their noses at his jirating and hip-thrusting. After Presley’s appearance on The Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956, the Weekly Organ, a paper by the Catholic Church pu blished an article titled “Beware of Elvis Presley.” In his time, Presley was at the top of the high-reaches of acceptable sexuality and public indecency in flashy costumes and his signature hip-thrusting--even his songs subtly hinted at sexuality. Society at that time thought Presley was the peak of vulgarity--that nobody could possibly be worse, but today’s top artists wouldn’t sneeze at Elvis in terms of pushing the vulgarity envelope.

Today’s Nicki Manaj, Lady Gaga and Rhianna are what older generations today consider vulgar with their obvious sexual lyrics, outfits that can barely be called such, and dance moves that would blow Elvis’ 1950’s critics right out of the water.

Elvis’ bellbottom pants and sexual undertones would be tame compared to today’s contraversial artists. It seems that the music industry is just always looking for the next person to break that barrier, but the question is, with today’s artists barely wearing anything and explicitly stating sexual themes in their songs, how much further can this envelope be pushed?

C Letters

to the

Editor

Negative ads have a place is politics Dear Editor, I have a different view on the negative campaign ads then in the article, “Negativity a Key Player in GOP Campaigns” when the mudslinging of republican Candidates is addressed. When running for office, one’s public image is everything. In a campaign, the nominee’s only and ultimate goal is to appear fitter for the position of US president than anyone else. For this to happen, a candidate can’t accept the immaculate public image that an opposer can build up over time, and is therefore forced to undermine their opposition’s image with defaming commercials.

The way I see it, a campaign can be like a war against your opposing candidates.

It would be far more effective in a way to try and eliminate (or in this case defame) your opponents rather than just to defend oneself (or in this case your public image).

Surprisingly, there have been even more forcibly negative campaigns in the past.

In the 1884 election, president Grover Cleveland had only just been elected by about one thousand votes in the pivotal state of New York, by some well-placed slanderous attacks at his opponent James Blaine. So if history would be any decider, negative ads would seem like a logical choice for most republicans running for office.

Daniel Eichler, freshman

Freshman need to look ahead to the future, too Dear Editor, When I first opened the newspaper, “Typical majors lead to unemployment” immedietly caught my attention. ... It was a little comforting to read it and keep up to date on these little things that could affect our future as leaders. I always hear the same words over and over, “You have time!” But do we really? Even as a freshman myself, don’t you think it’s important for us to begin narrowing our options for college majors? In the end, what will happen is most of us will reach junior year, unexposed to fields available and we will push ourselves into fields we may not even enjoy and will regret for many years later. If we, even as freshman, can have an idea of what options are really there, maybe we could start preparing ourselves through specific classes and building up for scholarships before time has run out.

Hira Qureshi, freshman

C OPINION

Follow these columnists online at thecspn.com Political affiliation causes bad decisions

PAGE 9 | MARCH 16, 2012

C Columns

Janica Kaneshiro

Cyberspace breeds unoriginality

C What You Think “The propaganda that has been slung at me over the past four years of my high school career has been outrageous, not to mention the peer pressure involved with alcohol. It’s made me feel very uncomfortable at many times throughout my high school career and I for one am outraged that alcohol companies target young children.”

Sam Arnone, senior

Finally, video games recognized in the Smithsonian

Thom Carter

Branden Labarowski

Women more than what’s shown on “The Bachelor”

Ian Howard | Staff Writer

Tweeting, trolling, blogging, vlogging, Skyping, Tumblr, Imgur, fbing, memes, words not in the common vernacular only two or three years ago are now the actions and highlights of generations of Internet users. The culture snatches brevity in its cardinal virtue, the golden rule being viewable in under 30 seconds. Are we what we are or are we but a collection of things that we “like,” “upvote,” and “favorite?” The intrinsic value of your own relevance stands in page views, Facebook friends, retweets and general popularity. Controversy valued over honesty, buzzwords valued over content.

Today, the Internet is freedom. In oppressed countries Twitter and Facebook spell mass communication for spirited rebels. On home computers, writers become published via blog whether the world likes it or not. However, in its excess, the Internet threatens misinformation and a promotion of materialistic artificiality. One viral image, originating from Twitter, showed a McDonald’s paper sign informing African American customers that they would have to pay an extra fee because of all of the robberies from African Americans. Of course, this sign never actually was put up by a McDonald’s. The arching generalizations made by web memes paint a vulgar picture of a world obsessed with slamming cartoonish villains. Unspecific corporations and political corruption form the butts of jokes told a million times a day. People are more concerned with fulfilling some cliché than finding the truth, so they believe what they want to believe and use the Internet as a canvas of their own terrible portraits.

The excess of the Internet culminates in its new role of satisfying a perpetually bored, ad-space substantiating people. We have all of the information power, what we lack is authenticity. Blogs such as Tumblr do not even attempt to mask this insincerity. Our blogs do not represent us or act as extension of ourselves.

Despite what we would like to believe, a bunch of really cool pictures and sites that we think are awesome stand for nothing, but a desperate track of running away from ourselves because we simply do not know who we are.

Perhaps I am too harsh.

Perhaps this is better than the former days of being defined solely by an occupation. The ability for self-expression is everyone’s to grab, not simply the artist or the patrician. Before the Internet, one could hold a pen and strike it against paper to make words. Anyone with less than a dollar could do that, they simply did not have a publisher. Can we be just as true to who we are in a public forum as we are in our own solitude? Does the Internet make us more superficial for tricking us into falling in love with our bare culture-loving aesthetic selves?

Coverage is everywhere. Everything stands to be micro-analyzed.

Coffee a necessity in life

Julia Halpin | Associate Editor

“Will you accept this rose?”

“Yes, Ben, Thank you so much.”

This has to be a joke. This dialogue is from my sad guilty pleasure, and a popular show among love-loving high school girls, “The Bachelor.” The show, centered on one strapping, wifeless man, travels the world with numerous women while constantly taping the “relationships” that develop.

And yes, they call them relationships.

I admit, I’m an avid watcher. Though the set-up is entirely fake, these girls are swept off their feet, traveled from hot destination to the next, all while being romanced by a guy on adorable only-seen-in-movies dates. It’s entertaining, to say the least.

But honestly, I feel bad for these girls. Like begging puppies, they sit around and wait for their pat on the head, their moment of attention. None of these girls have ever thought that this one man, who they’ve “had a crush on since they saw him on the show,” just might not be the right guy for them. All of the sudden, cheating is completely acceptable within the relationship. A common deal breaker, these girls are satisfied with their part-time boyfriend who woos other girls on a day-to-day basis, while at the same time, telling them to feel “secure” with what they have. These women believe every word that comes out of the bachelor’s mouth. They’re like toddlers who doesn’t know right from wrong, I watch as these women soak up his every word as the truth.

Sorry ladies, but this isn’t the love of your life. This, my sad friends, is television. And even worse, this is how television portrays women; completely pathetic.

I’ve never been the type of girl to beg for attention from anyone, let alone from a guy.

I’m kind of obnoxiously independent, and I don’t spend my time putting on an extra tight black skirt so a boy will look my way. Unfortunately, I watch other girls shift from boy to boy, hoping that this one will think she’s prettier than the other girls in Biology class.

Not to get too “girl power” on everyone, but my gender is more than just something for a boy to cart around as his trophy. Girls need to stop taking relationship tips from “The Bachelor” and maybe, instead, be okay, (uh-oh, scary thought) on their own. Relationships can work. I’m not saying every girl out there needs to dump her boyfriend, quit her job and stick it to the man; that’s not the point. What girls need to remember is that, in a relationship or not, a boy is not your whole world.

“Will you accept this rose?”

Sorry Ben, I have other plans.

Do you feel targeted by alcohol advertisements?

“I do not feel pressured by alcohol ads because with sports and stuff, alcohol doesn’t really mix well, so ads don’t really change my view on drinking.”

John Rye, sophomore “Usually, I just don’t let those kinds of advertisements apply to me because I’m not interested in that sort of stuff. So if I see it, I’ll just watch it for the advertisement but not the content, so I don’t feel targeted by advertisements like that.”

Shakib Islam, junior

“Yes, because people are naïve and we hear all this stuff about drinking and partying so we feel targeted by the commercials supporting alcohol.”

Alexis Enis, senior “Honestly, I do not feel the [ads] are directed toward younger people. I do not see a lot of alcohol ads. I do not really pay attention or notice them on the television channels I watch.”

Rachel Holloway, freshman

compiled by Thom Carter and Chloe Knue

“I don’t feel pressured by the ads for alcohol because of the way my parents have raised me and I’m a strong enough person and have enough confidence to not care what other people think when it comes to making my own decisions and choices.”

Courtney Richards, sophomore

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Board approves closure of elementary school to reduce costs Mason Heights for sale due to declining enrollment photo by Chloe Knue

Preschool, kindergarten and first grade will all attend MECC after the closing of Mason Heights. Second graders will be split up between MECC and Western Row depending on location, while all third graders will attend Western Row. Chloe Knue | Staff Writer

On February 14, the Mason City School Board recently approved a consolidation plan to combine elementary school buildings and put Mason Heights Elementary up for sale. This plan will be put into effect for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year in order to take advantage of available classroom space and increase Mason’s cost efficiency.

According to School Board projections, the plan is expected to save the Mason district $600,000 and also is estimated to save $1.3 million in future capital costs.

Under this new Coming Together plan, preschool, kindergarten, first grade and two-thirds of second grade students will attend Mason Early Childhood Center, and the entire third grade and one-third of the second grade students will attend Western Row Elementary.

According Superintendent Dr. Gail Kist-Kline, in terms of second grade students, who goes to which school will be determined by an attendance map.

“Parents can also preference a different school if they do not live within their preferred attendance zone,” Kist-Kline said.

Vice President of the School Board Marianne Culbertson said that this consolidation plan is appropriate for the Mason School District because the enrollment in the Elementary buildings has leveled off leaving several classrooms in all three elementary school buildings empty.

“This reduction in enrollment can largely be attributed to the economy,” Culbertson said. “We are no longer going to experience the growth [in Mason] that we saw in the 2000s. The availability of land has been reduced.”

Cutting costs and eliminating an elementary school building was the clear choice for the School Board, but the difficulty arose for its members when deciding to keep Western Row Elementary over Mason Heights

no offers to buy Mason Heights Elementary, and currently, the district plans to maintain the building and continue to heat, cool and keep the building safe and clean for the community. It will also be a back-up plan for the district in case the enrollment predictions for the upcoming years prove inaccurate.

Another advantage of Western Row is what it is worth financially. When appraised Western Row was estimated at 1.5 million and Mason Heights was approximated at 1.4 million. Although these benefits of keeping Western Row made it the best choice for the school board, Culbertson said she admits that there still remains a strong community connection to Mason Heights.

“They are both old buildings,” Culbertson said. “Western Row was built in 1962 and Mason Heights in 1967. …They have been around for a while.

Neighbors of Mason Heights are sad to see it go.”

One concern of community members has been over the student made murals permanently attached to the Mason Heights building that have been acquired in art classes over the years.

“We are currently searching for alternatives to moving these pieces of art,” Culbertson said.

Through careful consideration and multiple tours of each of the Elementary School buildings, the School Board is confident in the new consolidation plan.

“A number of reasons made [the plan] the best educational choice,” Culbertson said.

“Western Row was built in 1962 and Mason Heights in 1967. ...They have been around for a while. Neighbors of Mason Heights are sad to see it go.”

Elementary.

“There are two more classrooms at Western Row [vs. Mason Heights],” Culbertson said. “There is wood flooring in the gym and the kids have easier access to the music room from the stage…and [easier access] to the playground. Western Row has better access for emergency vehicles having three entrances available, whereas Mason Heights only has one.”

According to Culbertson, as of now, there have been

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Contraception controversy photo by Jami Bechard

Obama administration’s birth control mandate draws ire of religious groups Corynne Hogan | Staff Writer

In January 2012, the Obama administration introduced a new mandate stating that all employers must provide full coverage of birth control for their employees, excluding houses of worship but including those who work for religiously affiliated organizations, as a part of health care reform.

Since the Obama administration is requiring all organizations to offer contraceptives in health insurance plans, different religious groups are arguing that the government is requiring them to offer their employees something that they consider a violation of their religion, according to The New York Times.

Republicans recently introduced a new alternative that will allow employers and insurers to have the choice of whether they would provide contraceptives for employees or not.

However, Democrats have said the contraceptive policy will hinder women’s access to contraceptives, according CBS News.

According to senior Andrew Swartz, a self-proclaimed Republican, contraceptives aren’t a crucial aspect of a person’s health. He said that there are alternatives to the government’s decision.

“I agree with [the church’s] view mainly because I feel that health care should cover stuff that is necessary to your health, and [the contraception pill is] not something that is vital to health,” Swartz said. “If women want to go out and buy contraceptives, I don’t have a problem with that, but I do not think that it should have to be a part of health care because it is not something that is necessary.”

However, senior Lauren Burt, a self-proclaimed Democrat, agreed with the administration’s birth control mandate. According to Burt, though she doesn’t promote promiscuity, she believes birth control is something everyone should have easy access to, regardless of differences in beliefs.

“I agree [with the decision],” Burt said. “Everyone deserves the right to [have] birth control available, especially if they’re poor or can’t afford it. …The government’s decision should not reflect religious views. [church and state] should be a completely separate thing. People have the choice of whether to use the

freda said. “I think that it’s still…based on the person, rather than the authority or the hospital. It’s not really their decision [to make] at all.”

According to Burt, this mandate is an indication that the Obama administration has the best interest of the American women in mind.

“I think Obama is doing his best to give people the resources that they need,” Burt said.

Swartz said contraceptives are a social issue and a decision that the government should not be making for the individual.

“I think [Obama’s decision] is going against [what the church believes] because…the church is a big advocate of being pro-life,” Swartz said. “I think that anybody who employs somebody should decide what sort of health care plan they are going to offer. If their employees want something different, then they could talk to their employer about it, but it’s not something the government should be forcing upon them. It’s their decision what sort of health care they want to provide.”

According to Burt, the issue of contraceptives will always be an unsolvable problem for America because people won’t be willing to compromise their beliefs to help resolve the situation.

“I don’t think [this issue will] ever get solved,” Burt said. “People are never going to go against their religion. I think it’ll always be a problem. Even if the law’s changed, there’s still going to be a lot of backlash. …I think if people were more open to other people’s views and everyone just made a compromise, then... it could be resolved, but it’s not going to be resolved to one side.”

“I don’t think [this issue will] ever get solved. People are never going to go against their religion. I think it will always be a problem.” pills or not, and if it violates their religion, then [they] don’t [have to] use it.”

Junior Joanna Monfreda, a self-proclaimed Democrat, said that she believes that the decision of whether a woman needs birth control or not shouldn’t be dictated by the church or the government, but by the woman herself.

“I think that [attaining birth control] should ultimately be up to the woman, and I think that government and religion really shouldn’t get into it,” Mon-

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Staying single

Students see potential in a life without marriage

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“Butterfly Movement” spreads its wings Junior Mary Dee Dempsey finds “better” way to deal with depression Ashley Calvani | Staff Writer

photo by Corynne Hogan

There is no cookie-cutter way to define a struggle. For high school students, it can be anything from body image to bullying, and the different ways students manage are just as unique as the individual who deals with them.

After a bout of severe depression, junior Mary Dee Dempsey found a new movement that may develop into a common coping method for students everywhere: the Butterfly Project.

Dempsey first started struggling with depression at the beginning of her high school career. Dealing with divorce in her family, bullying, and insecurities all contributed to her gradual downward-spiral.

“Just like anyone else, I’ve always had insecurities, but the bullying really brought them out,” Dempsey said. “I started to feel really small. Bullying isn’t just something you just see in the movies. It emotionally drains you. My case wasn’t bad, but at the time, I had other stuff I was dealing with. I just didn’t need other kids calling me mean things at the same time.”

Feeling like all hope in her life was gone, Dempsey turned to cutting as an outlet for these feelings, but she said she knew there had to be a better way.

The Butterfly Project is an informal movement being spread throughout the Internet, and it was introduced to Dempsey through an email to her mother from a family friend.

“It works like this: whenever you feel the urge to self-mutilate, you draw a butterfly on your arm instead,” Dempsey said. “If you succeed and you don’t cut, the butterfly fades away on its own. You saved it, and that is the goal.”

Dempsey said she used the Butterfly Project as a tool to help her progress.

“At first, the butterflies just made me feel better,” Dempsey said.

“Later, though, they made me think of people who really cared about me because you can name the butterflies after people you care about.”

Dempsey also spent time at the Lindner Center of HOPE, a non-profit mental health center. It was there that Dempsey learned another way to channel her feelings: writing.

“Right up until a few days before I went the Lindner Center, I was getting worse day-by-day,” Dempsey said. “I even started having suicidal feelings, but I was tired of living like that. No one should have to live feeling like that.”

With willpower, friends, family and the Butterfly Project as a tool, Dempsey managed to pull herself up.

Dempsey said she wants to help others do the same. According to Dempsey, she plans to start a Facebook group for the Butterfly Project where people can talk and gain support. On top of that, she plans to be a listener and an advocate for success.

“I haven’t seen any butterflies yet around the school, but I’d like to,” Dempsey said. “I would love it for people to talk to me too; I’m sure I can relate. I know things never look bright or it seems like no one understands, but I realized that’s not true. I hope that I’m an example for others struggling.”

School Psychologist Jeff Schlaeger said that he can see the benefits of the Butterfly Project from the perspective of a struggling student, but he is still wary to promote it to the students he works with.

“I think it’s more a matter of addressing the actual issue,” Schlaeger said. “Anything is better than cutting, but it doesn’t necessarily solve any of the issues that would be tempting you to cut in the first place.”

Dempsey said that the Butterfly Project is indeed no way to get to the root cause of any of the issues. For her, it was merely a tool, and a better way for her to channel her feelings.

“You can’t just draw butterflies on your arm and expect the cutting and the problems to go away,” Dempsey said.

“Healing is a process.”

According to Schlaeger, there are a number of issues that can lead a person to self-harm: depression, anxiety, trouble with family life and manic behavior are among them.

Dempsey said that the butterflies should be used as a support tool for these issues, not as a way to get attention.

“My intention with the butterflies was to use it as a tool, and nothing else,” Dempsey said. “Maybe you don’t use the butterflies though, and come up with your own method that is meaningful to just you. If you can channel your feelings in a more positive way, it’s better than nothing.”

Dempsey said that she hopes she is proof to others that the Butterfly Project can help.

“I know it’s not for everybody, but it has been a success for me and my friends,” Dempsey said. “There is nothing better than seeing their improvement. My friends make me stronger, and I make them stronger. When we don’t do this stuff; we all help each other.”

Dempsey said that even though she still has bad days, she draws on the support of her family and friends that have brought her this far, and draws her butterflies.

“The butterflies symbolize hope to me, and as silly as it sounds, a reason to live better,” Dempsey said. “I think of the people I name the butterflies on my arm after. When I’m reminded to be strong for them, I’m strong for me.”

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MHS students’ fears go beyond things that go bump in the night Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

Monsters, darkness and heights are common fears for people worldwide. However, while most of these fears wane with age, some people experience more intense fears which can plague them their entire lives.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are three general types of severe fears or phobias. The first is called social phobia, which is a fear related to interaction with others and social behavior, such as public speaking. Another type is called agoraphobia, a fear sparked by a specific incident or situation on one occasion which is then avoided thereafter. The third type of fear is a specific fear, when an individual only fears a specific thing, like spiders or dogs.

Approximately five percent of Americans suffer from clinical phobias of some kind, and Mason High School students are no exception, with a number of students having phobias of varying types and severity.

In a culture where many teenagers enjoy spending time talking to their friends on the phone, senior Amy Haas is an outstanding exception. Unlike the majority of her peers,

Haas said that she is afraid of speaking to people over the phone, which would be classified as a social fear, as it relates to interaction.

According to Haas, talking on the phone is frightening and uncomfortable because the exchange is indirect and somewhat unpredictable.

“Whoever you’re talking to, they can’t see your facial expressions or how you are trying to talk,” Haas said. “I’m afraid of what [people] are going to say or what they are going to talk about.”

Familiarity with the caller does not make answering the phone any more comfortable for Haas. Whether she knows the person or not, Haas said she is still likely to ignore any call she receives.

“I’ll ignore every single person’s call, even my best friends’ call,” Haas said.

“They know I won’t answer the phone for them. Even when I know it is one of my friends, and I know that we’ll talk about something normal, I still won’t pick up.”

In situations where Haas is confronted by a potential phone call, Haas said that

she often has people other than herself answer her phone for her.

“I never answer it myself. If I’m with a friend and somebody calls me I will always have them answer it,” Haas said.

“And either [my friends] act like me, or they ask me what I want to say [to whoever is calling].”

While some fears are sparked by a specific incident, Haas said she has always been afraid of talking on the phone, and that her fear has intensified over the years specifically since she has gotten a phone

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MARCH 16, 2012 of her own—an action only taken so that she could text and be contacted in emergencies. “[My fear] has gotten worse over the past few years,” Haas said.

“Once I got to high school, I literally just stopped answering my phone.”

While social fears are common in America, affecting approximately 3.7 percent of adults, specific fears are even more common, with roughly 4.4 percent of American adults having some sort of specific fear.

Senior Olivia Kemppainen, who has a fear of thunderstorms, is a prime example.

For Kemppainen, her fear originated from a specific incident in her childhood which has since escalated.

“One time when I was little, there was a tornado warning, and me, my brother and my Mom were in the basement,” Kemppainen said. “My Dad was at work, and we were freaking out because he wasn’t home yet because of the thunderstorm, and I thought he was going to die. I was so afraid.”

Since then, Kemppainen said she has always feared thunderstorms, but that it is not an extreme or unmanageable fear.

However, in some instances, her fear of thunderstorms can be inconvenient—particularly when she plays outdoor sports.

“It was [difficult] when I played soccer and everyone would be telling me not to freak out,” Kemppainen said. “I would be crying and saying, ‘No, there’s a thunderstorm, we need to go back to our cars!’”

Like Haas and Kemppainen, senior Paige Hardman also has fears which can be extremely inconvenient and affect her activities and everyday life.

Hardman, who said she would describe herself as a fearful person, has a multitude of fears-- ranging from birds, to driving, to being abducted. For Hardman, the majority of her fears are borne out of a concern for her own safety. As a result, however, Hardman said she is constantly on guard.

“I’m just so nervous all the time,” Hard-

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Much of Hardman’s fears are a result of anxiety, which is a leading cause of extreme fear in approximately 40 million Americans. Anxiety often results in individuals having several types of fears which link back to insecurity and fear for their wellbeing.

In being so cautionary, Hardman said she struggles not to be overwhelmed or frightened by things she hears day-to-day.

Specifically, she said that stories she hears from other people or on the news can cause her to become worried about potential danger.

“I can’t even watch the news because it freaks me out so much,” Hardman said.

“It’s just so sad, and then I think to myself, ‘Well, that could happen to me.’”

While some people might be dismissive of events they hear on the news and consider themselves to be immune to tragedy or danger, Hardman says she feels it is much better for her to be aware and preventative.

“I just feel like I’d be naïve to think that nothing bad could happen to me,” Hardman said.

On some occasions being extremely cautious has led Hardman to deviate from traditional teenage behavior. Because she was afraid of the dangers inherent in driving, Hardman waited until she was 17 and a half to get her driver’s license, and only obtained it after going through substantial practice, including doing seven in-car drives with an instructor, as opposed to the necessary four.

Though being cautious for the sake of keeping herself safe could be considered a sensible quality, Hardman said she admits that on some occasions, she is guilty of being overly wary, even to the point of exaggerating or inventing possible dangers.

Hardman said that recently, while she was awake early in the morning, she became convinced that there was someone inside her house who might be trying to rob it or cause damage. In response, Hardman said she hid in the bathroom for a half an hour, despite hearing no noises or witnessing any signs of an intruder.

“I was so afraid there

PAGE 15 was going to be someone there,” Hardman said. “I didn’t even hear anything. It was all in my head, I just created this thing.”

Even though there are points when her fears get out of hand and become irrational, Hardman said that she finds a kind of comfort in trying to anticipate potential dangers so that she is never caught off guard. “[Considering possible threats] makes me feel secure,” Hardman said. “Some people put security in their fear because they want control, so I think, ‘Oh, if I can do this, this and this, then nothing bad is going to happen to me.’”

According to Hardman, the danger of being so preemptive when it comes to avoiding her fears is that she is oftentimes left at their mercy. According to Hardman, she said that trying to live day-to-day without being a slave to her fears is one of the biggest challenges in her life which she strives to try and overcome.

“Fears can control you, you just have to not let them,” Hardman said. “You just can’t live like that.”

Hardman said she recognizes the irrationality of many of her fears, as well as the unrealistic severity she regards them with. Hardman said she hopes to be able to continue to manage her fears and get to a point where she is not always on edge or feeling concerned.

“I wasn’t created to feel like this. It’s not how I am supposed to be,” Hardman said.

photos by Corynne Hogan photo art by Jami Bechard

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Backstabbers

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Disagreements among boys usually have a short life span; girl fights can have long-term implications

Rebekah Barnes | Online Editor Megan McCormack | Staff Writer

photo by Megan McCormack photo art by Jami Bechard

Sneaking around, tweeting about their problems, hiding behind technology and avoiding confrontation are all components of the allusive and sometimes shady teen girl fight in high school, according to junior Cherise Gruber.

According to Gruber, these fights between girls are very different than the physical fights boys will start in order to work out their problems.

“I think a ‘guy fight’ is just more physical; they can just fight it out and be over it,” Gruber said. “When girls fight, they attack each other personally more, and girls hold onto things more [than guys].”

Girls tend to take things personally, junior Alex Meyer said, which is where the most differences between girls’ and guys’ fights exist.

“Girls hold grudges,” Meyer said. “Guys will just hit each other and be like, ‘Oh, we’re fine.’ Girls can’t do that, obviously, so they hold massive grudges and talk…behind [each other’s] backs forever.”

According to junior Aarti Kumar, boys fight differently and get over drama more quickly than girls.

“There are two types of guys,” Kumar said. “One is, ‘Hey, I’m going to get angry. I’m going to punch him.’ But, most of the guys are like, ‘Okay, he said this about me, I guess we won’t talk for a while, but I mean, I’ll just be over it.’”

With these differences, Kumar also said that girls tend to involve as many people as possible in the fight in order to make a point or improve status.

“I think [the way girls fight] is just about getting more and more people involved until [they] can prove [they’re] right, but most of the time, girls just completely end up… losing [their temper] and then they lose a ton of friends,” Kumar said. “[Girl fights] are all about status, to be honest.”

The exact cause for girl fights, according to Gruber, is not always the same, and can include a chain of events to start drama.

“It can start from a bunch of different things, over a guy or [a] ‘she-said/ he-said’ kind of thing, or one girl confronts somebody else and another girls lies about it so that person gets mad and this

person gets mad, that kind of thing,” Gruber said.

According to Young Women’s Club advisor Katie Holmes, the cause of drama comes from an insecurity and immaturity in teen girls.

“I’m sure a lot of [the cause] is jealousy and just feeling threatened by each other,” Holmes said. “[Also feeling] betrayed and not trusting each other.”

Because girls try to get everyone involved, Kumar said they make themselves look bad no matter which side of the fight they are on: it never ends well.

“A lot of times, [girls are] just perceived as…complete brat[s],” Kumar said. “It doesn’t even matter if they’re fighting for something that maybe does make sense. …

In the end, it just makes you look completely stupid. It doesn’t matter whatever side of the fight. There’s not really a winner in high school fights because it becomes so much drama.”

According to Kumar, girl fights start indirectly, with a status update or a whisper to another friend, but never with face-to-face confrontation.

“Most of the time, it’s just a Facebook status, which is kind of discreet but indirect towards them,” Kumar said. “Second way [to start a fight] is to…completely trash that person and tell it to someone who is for sure going to tell that person. I don’t think girls would do that face-to-face ever; girls are really scared to do that.”

Kumar said that girls, in general, fight this way--talking behind each others’ backs-because they don’t have the courage to stand up to each other face-to-face.

“I think we’re scared [of face-to-face confrontation] because I think we’re scared to lose, to be put down. …[With someone] coming up to me face-toface…I think my self-confidence would go down because of that.”

After a fight continues for a while and escalates, Meyer said that taking sides can occur between friends.

“Girls usually take sides,” Meyer said.

“It’s awful. If it’s between my friends, I usually can’t…[because] then you risk losing a friend [when you pick a side.]”

Kumar said she’s had a hurtful experience with girl drama, and girls taking sides during the fight. She said that accusations play a key role within fighting.

“The worst thing that could happen [during a fight] is when a girl doesn’t give the other girl a chance to talk…it’s all about hearing stuff,” Kumar said. “This happened to me once…it was one of my best friends, and I had never said something behind her back, but she heard that [I did.] So, right away I was shut out of her life. It’s this immediate accusation…you don’t even have to do anything, and sometimes that can be the worst fight.”

Gruber said that the worst fights occur when there is lying and backstabbing between friends, or girls in general.

“Backstabbing and [the] ‘he-said/she-said kind’ of thing…that would probably be the worst thing [girls] could do,” Gruber said. “By the end of it all, you don’t even know who said the truth, and if someone’s lying or not. …It gets so bad because eventually everyone is involved in this big fight that never would have happened if someone had just kept their mouth shut.”

Technology, in general, contributes to the growth of fights and their continuation, according to Meyer. Meyer said that technology can add tension and fuel drama in the fight. “[Technology plays a role] because then anyone can say what they want…over text or written [down,] but it takes a really strong person to say that [to] your face, which most girls can’t do,” Meyer said.

Gruber said that using Twitter empowers girls to be gutsier with what they say about each other. “[Girls would] rather just have [fights] all over Twitter where they can just

say mean things, because some girls can’t be mean in person,” Gruber said. “So, they’ll be mean over the computer or over the phone because it’s a lot easier to say something mean [with technology.]”

Meyer said that it upsets her when girls get into fights because she said she feels they are unnecessary.

“It kind of makes me sad to see that everyone is still having tiffs, and I just think its really unnecessary,” Meyer said. “High school is enough pressure…without having to deal with the drama. …Forcing that kind of [drama] during high school is not fun for anyone.”

Gruber said there is no doubt that high school girls are mean and that everyone hits a point where they feel guilty about something they’ve said or done.

“Girls are definitely really mean,” Gruber said. “It’s high school, it’s not going to change like people want it to. I’ve been mean, my friends have been mean, everybody’s had that point in their lives where they’ve done something super mean that feel bad about.”

Holmes said she finds that with the maturity, shady drama gets left behind.

“I think adult women are usually a lot better [with drama],” Holmes said. “I want to tell high school girls all the time that its okay that it gets better because when you get older and become an adult, and definitely a parent, you can’t care about those things and [older women] usually leave each other alone.”

But, Gruber also said she wants to see more face-to-face confrontation instead of sneaky fighting between girls to stop and solve issues with drama.

“The thing is, girls…just need to stop with the whole Twitter thing and start… more confrontation [with] the person who said that,” Gruber said. “[They should say], ‘Why did you say this? Why are you doing this to me?’ and talk to [the person] rather than talking about them.”

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the melody Offensive lyrics prove to elicit inappropriate behavior in teens Ashley Calvani | Staff Writer

Of all the things that today’s Billboard-topping songs have, like catchy beats, popular artists and screaming fans, the one thing they sometimes lack is a positive message, according to junior Annmarie Lake.

In fact, Lake said, some songs are downright derogatory.

“Especially with the rap and hip-hop genre, a lot of the lyrics contain bad images and degrading lyrics,” Lake said. “Words lead to images, and I don’t want images some of those songs create in my head, or even in my little sister’s head.”

A recent study, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, examined the relationship between derogatory music and teenage behavior and found that though all music genres contained sexual content and allusions to risky behavior, the rap and hip-hop genre was most likely to contain lyrics that were actually derogatory. The study was also able to conclude, through multiple surveys, that listening to degrading lyrics makes teenagers of all races and genders more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior much earlier and have a more negative perspective of others.

Music plays much more of a substantial role in lives of teenagers across the United States than originally thought, too, because on average teens spend about oneand-a-half to two-and-a-half hours a day exposed to music, according to the study.

With so much exposure, Lake said listening to music could have such large effect on a teenager’s behavior because it’s always there in the background.

“I don’t even think most people even take in what they are listening to,” Lake said. “Girls sing along to songs that are degrading to them. Maybe it’s the catchy beat or they’re just not paying attention, but we all need to start taking responsibility for what we listen to, and make sure what we say is what we really believe.”

Junior EJ Prime-Orr said that he doesn’t think censoring music is the right way to go. He said it all starts with values.

“I fully believe it’s our parent’s responsibility to raise us in a manner so we all have an idea of the line between

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right and wrong,” Prime-Orr said. “We shouldn’t be shielded from all bad things and bad music; you don’t want to be clueless about the world. But, you should know when a message is good or bad, and know when it’s right or wrong to act on it.”

According to the study, adolescents gain information about society, social gender roles and expected behavior from music, and in many rap/hip-hop songs and music videos, males are portrayed as sex-driven, competing for females, who are viewed as sexual objects. This portrayal, and the frequency with which it is seen, may establish in teenagers the view that sexually degrading behavior is central in both male and female gender norms.

The study concluded that this view is considered derogatory for both men and women.

Despite this, Prime-Orr said that people can’t buy into stereotypes of rap/hip-hop music and their artists.

According to senior Lashawn Daniels, who is a rapper himself, a part of the problem is that rap and hip-hop is a misunderstood genre.

“Rap, on a real basis, is a form of self-expression,” Daniels said.

“Rappers are artists, free to rap about what they’ve been through, who they are, their goals, what makes them angry and sometimes that may contain explicit lyrics. Everyone brings different backgrounds, and they express themselves differently. What one person can get across without bad words, another one may use bad words to say it. It’s their choice, and I’m not going to say you should censor it or not.”

Despite this, Daniels said he agrees that derogatory lyrics can cause problems for teenagers, and that it’s not just music influencing society, it’s also society influencing music.

“Some girls grow up and are subjected to a bad neighborhood or bad people, and [they are] going to get called derogatory things every day,” Daniels said. “Unfortunately, [they are] going to be used to that, and eventually [they are] going to expect to be called that.

That’s how [they] grew up, and the words in rap lyrics aren’t unusual to [them]. Some people come from backgrounds like that; some people come from drugs, murder, stereotypes—that’s all they know.

When they express themselves through rap, that’s how it comes out.”

According to Daniels, there are rap and hip-hop artists don’t write on a real basis, meaning that some write lyrics just to make money.

Because sex sells in this day and age, Daniels said that could be a reason why music has become so explicit. But, Daniels also said that there are a lot of rappers who do perform on a real level, and although much less popular, their songs contain much of the same content. The lyrics should be unpacked, Daniels said, much like the way Shakespeare is unpacked.

“If the purpose of the lyrics is overlooked, it’s easy to get the wrong message out of the songs,” Daniels said.

Even then, Daniels said that while he doesn’t think music of this content shouldn’t be so prevalent in the world of kids and teenagers, it is still ultimately the student’s choice about what they listen to, and no one can censor rap and hip-hop artists just because they may not like what they sing about.

According to Lake, it all boils back down to responsibility, and with more than just music.

“Current media is disgusting,” Lake said. “It is explicit and crude. I listen to and watch things that make me happy, like the band Twenty One Pilots. Listening to certain kinds of music doesn’t make you a good or bad person, but you have to realize there is a message behind what you listen to. You need to be aware of what you are promoting. So much exposure to degrading music and media desensitizes you to the fact that behavior like that isn’t okay and, whether you mean for it to or not, it usually leads to something bigger.”

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photo by Megan McCormack photo art by Jami Bechard

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Information blockade

cartoon by Ajay Agrawal

Firewalls a necessary obstacle for Mason students’ safety Ian Howard | Staff Writer

What the school blocks is decided largely by Mason’s membership in the Southwest Ohio Computer Association (SWOCA), according to Associate Superintendent Amy Spicher.

“SWOCA is one of 23 information technology centers in the state, and provides vital information processing services and support to over 900 school districts, educational service centers, community schools and approximately 1.4 million students in the state of Ohio,” Spicher said. “SWOCA recommends the filtering levels for all of its client districts.”

Senior Matt Anderson said that he finds the Internet censorship in place to be very effective and better than most servers.

“They’ve done a good job allowing freedom of speech with more of like separation of church and state stuff,” Anderson said. “I know some places will go out and block things about atheism or anything else.”

The biggest problem with what the school’s Internet blocks is in the arts, according to Anderson.

“DeviantArt itself is just an outlet where people can upload their artwork so other people can see it, but rather than specifically blocking certain pieces they block everything,” Anderson said.

According to Spicher, the origins of school Internet censorship center around a concern with pornography.

“When the internet first came into schools, the primary concern was youth access to pornography,” Spicher said. “Filtering software was promoted as the tool to effectively deal with that concern. Current concerns deal more with what students are posting, as well

as how and with whom they are communicating.”

Sophomore Andrew Dubs said that while he admits that school censorship is necessary, some of the policies can be more of a hindrance than a help.

“Say that you’re trying to research a project [on] World War II and you can’t type in Nazi,” Dubs said.

“You have to find ways around that and it’s kind of hard to do that, especially since they have the safe search on. Your search is limited.”

According to Spicher, the blocking of historically relevant terms such as “Nazi” and “anarchy” can be inconvenient, but it is simply a piece of the paradox between giving students free rein and keeping them in a good learning environment.

“The intent is to balance open access with the need to protect students from being harassed by hurtful and inappropriate content,” Spicher said.

Despite SWOCA’s downfalls, Mason’s blocking system is more lenient and effective than others, according to senior Christian Kreunen. Going to school in Philadelphia, Kreunen said that he saw a much different approach to Internet censorship.

“We didn’t have video sites like YouTube to help us with presentations, so there were even more sites blocked,” Kreunen said.

The firewall situation boils down to a triage stratagem for facing computer viruses, according to Kreunen.

“You’re trying to protect them from viruses on bad websites, then they go on these other websites, these proxies that get them around the [firewall] and these

proxies are full of viruses as well, so you’re just kind of trading viruses in a way,” Kreunen said.

Controlled acknowledgement of blocked material, however, according to Anderson, can be important to a person’s development.

“I think you should be exposed to [questionable material] just to get an idea that there is that in the world, but I think it should be controlled,” Anderson said. “If it comes down to free information outside of a school ,when someone’s old enough to make decisions on their own I think, yeah, they should have access to it, but when we’re in a situation like this I think it should be controlled.”

As a technologically savvy student, Anderson said that he can pass the firewall if he so desires, but because the majority of students are generally unable, the school’s blocking system is still effective.

“If you really want to see something, you can, but in my case for someone who’s technology savvy,” Anderson said. “We’re quite a minority here and the world is growing up, so I mean if we want something we can do it and we can instruct other people how to, but I don’t think it defeats the purpose.”

The firewall ultimately means for Mason students a quickly disappearing protection, according to Kreunen.

“It may frustrate a few students here and there, but you leave school at 2:15, so you’ve gotten all of that time that you can look up things at your house with your own consequences for doing such,” Kreunen said.

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Battle of the books Fantasy novels create a following of committed fans at MHS Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer The National Center for Education Statistics reports that literacy in America is on the rise, a fact reflected

by Mason High School’s dedicated book fans. While previous generations spent their time obsessing over music, movies and TV, our generation is more likely to pass the time reading, buying and obsessing over book series such as J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter,” Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” and Suzanne Collins’s “The Hunger Games.”

According to English III, Best Sellers and Creative Writing teacher Nathan Coates, the recent interest in juvenile fiction can be traced back to “Harry Potter.” Coates said that although series existed before “Harry Potter,” none of them reached the same level of mainstream popularity.

“I don’t think there were any books that had that effect before ‘Harry Potter,’” Coates said. “There were books like ‘Lord of the Rings’ where people were fanatical about it, but they were a small group.”

Coates said that more recent series, such as “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games,” have been able to reach their level of popularity because of the success first achieved by “Harry Potter.” According to Coates, these books’ appeal come from their status as series, with overarching plotlines keeping readers hooked

through successive installments. “[Because] they’re a series, they’re longer, more involved pieces. So it’s a book you read but then you keep reading,” Coates said.

Junior Danielle Dean, a “Hunger Games” fan so dedicated that she finished the 374-page novel in two days, said she agrees that it was the suspense that kept her reading.

“Sometimes the way [Suzanne Collins] ends the books, they [leave cliffhangers] or foreshadow into the next book,” Dean said. “It…makes you want to go get the next book right away.”

According to Coates, one aspect that makes the recent book phenomena unique is their mass market appeal. For sophomore Kailey Schneider, buying into “Harry Potter” merchandise is part of expressing her love for the series.

“For the last movie, I went in my Gryffindor robe, my Slytherin scarf [and] my little wand,” Schneider said. “I was just full out geeking.”

Senior and lifelong “Harry Potter” fan David Gill said that the success the series has had with merchandising stems from readers’ ability to relate to the character of Harry Potter.

“It’s just the ability of everybody to connect to the idea of the small boy in the cupboard who’s just a little

MARCH 16, 2012 debate for “Twilight” fans calling themselves Team Edward and Team Jacob.

“With ‘Twilight,’ people get crazy,” Spaeth said. “They make shirts about it, they’ll… come up with reasons and debate over why [Team Edward or Team Jacob] is better.”

This element of a love triangle can also be found in “The Hunger Games.” Junior and “Hunger Games” fan Natalie Romaniw said she is a proud member of Team Peeta, a group of ”Hunger Games” fans who support the notion of a romantic relationship between the book’s protagonist Katniss Everdeen and her partner Peeta Mellark, much in the same vein as their “Twilight” predecessors.

“I’m in Team Peeta,” Romaniw said. “I always defend.”

Romance, however, is not the only aspect that draws readers to “The Hunger Games.” Junior Lauren Wood said she enjoys the series because of its fresh storyline. “‘The Hunger Games’ is just something different,” Wood said. “’Hunger Games’ is… this world in the future, so it’s a different topic that a lot of people like.”

As a “Harry Potter” fan who also reads “The Hunger Games,” Wood said that the series’s maturity is a reason it appeals to “Harry Potter” veterans. “[The ‘Hunger Games’ books] are more mature because a lot of older people read them,” Wood said. “Maybe it’s because Katniss is a little bit older… and it’s a lot more mature because it’s a life and death situation. ‘Hunger Games’ is fighting for your own survival, and it’s a lot more intense.”

“The Hunger Games” will be receiving a film adaptation on March 23, 2012, a fact which, according to Wood, has raised interest in the book series. “[The ‘Hunger Games’ books] are being made into movies, which makes [them] a lot more popular,” Wood said.

As film’s release date approaches, only time will tell if its fans prove to be as obsessive as their predecessors.

Regardless of how the movie fares, however, readers such as Dean will always look to fantasy novels for an escape from the monotony of reality.

“I can escape into [books],” Dean said. “I love fantasy books like that.”

“It’s just the ability of everybody to connect to the idea of the small boy in the cupboard who’s just a little different...” different, a little weird, but he knows deep down that there’s something special [about him],” Gill said.

Although “Harry Potter” may have started the trend of mass market merchandising and obsessive fan bases, it is not the only book series that has experienced this level of devotion. Senior Lesley Spaeth said that one of her favorite series, “Twilight,” has attracted an equally dedicated fandom. According to Spaeth, the “Twilight” fan base’s particular breed of fanaticism stems from the books’ use of a love triangle, a constant source of

photo by Megan McCormack photo art by Erica Boden

From left to right: sophomore Kailey Schneider, junior Natalie Romaniw and senior Lesley Spaeth read from “Harry Potter”, “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight”.

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Person of Interest Junior Shayda Ashraf won the talent show by playing popular song covers on the harmonica and piano.

What did you win the talent show for? “[I won for] playing piano and harmonica.”

What prompted you to play “Piano Man”?

“I wanted to play the harmonica and that is one of the main songs with harmonica in it.

And I like Billy Joel.”

How long have you been playing harmonica?

“Oh, only like a couple of weeks.”

Oh, seriously? You just picked it up for the talent show?

“Yep, [‘Piano Man’] the only thing I know how to play.”

How long have you been playing the piano?

“I’ve been playing for two or three years, and I’m self- taught.”

What prompted you to take up piano?

“I just thought it was the coolest instrument because you can have so many different options…88 keys is a lot. You can do whatever you want with it.

How did you teach yourself to play piano?

“I used YouTube, and I learned by ear.”

What is one talent you wish you had?

“I wish I could sing, so that I could sing and play piano at the same time. That would be amazing.”

How are you hoping to progress with piano?

“I’d like to continue it as a hobby, but also I’d like to volunteer and perform at different places.”

compiled by Taylor Telford

photo by Corynne Hogan

The single life MHS students look ahead to a future without marriage Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

The media is packed with images and stories about marriage. Channels such as E! News rave over Kate Middleton and Prince William’s fairytale wedding, and every tabloid magazine in the country would not stop talking about Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphrey’s divorce. Despite all the constant press that marriage and weddings get, some students at Mason High School want to take a different route after graduating college, and plan on staying single while their peers walk down the aisle.

According to senior Monique Alkiewicz, she does not plan on getting married in the future because the reason behind marriage has changed.

“I don’t really approve of the idea of marriage,” Alkiewicz said. “I think that [marriage] is just a form of consumerism, and people are tricked into thinking they have to get married. The main reason for marriage these days is the desire to spend money. The idea of marriage doesn’t really focus on the aspect of love anymore. It’s become more about financial security.”

According to sophomore Nicole Hartshorn, the career path she wants to take later in life has kept her from considering marriage.

“I want to go into a career where the money isn’t necessarily steady, which is an art career,” Hartshorn said. “In a marriage, you have to be dependent on each other and provide for other people besides just yourself, so for me the career that I want to go into doesn’t seem to fit well with marriage and a family.”

According to senior Sri Karanam, plans that she has for her future are one of the reasons she does not plan on getting married.

“I really want to be in the Peace Corps, so I would be in the military and be a doctor there,” Karanam said. “With a family, I wouldn’t be able to travel as much because I’d have to be committed to them. The Peace Corps would cause me to travel overseas and that would be hard to do with a husband and kids, so it’s best that I don’t get married.”

According to Alkiewicz, the way that her relationships develop in the future may be a little different

because of her opinion on marriage.

“There are obviously some men that really want to get married, and they’re really focused on that,” Alkiewicz said. “For example, Ted from ‘How I Met Your Mother’ always talks about how he really wants to be married. I probably wouldn’t date a guy like that, because our views are different from each other.”

Although the percentage of single adults has risen recently according to the Association for Consumer Research, older generations do not always appreciate the decision to not get married, according to Alkiewicz.

“My mom definitely wants me to get married and have kids, because she wants to be a grandmother,” Alkiewicz said. “I guess that my mom isn’t too supportive of my views on marriage just because she wants me to have my own family.”

According to Hartshorn, her parents think that her views on marriage are just a phase that she will grow out of once she gets older.

“My parents think I’m going to change my mind about marriage and kids,” Hartshorn said. “I tell them that I’m not, but they say that I’m still young and naïve, so they think that I don’t want to now but I will when I meet the right person. If I meet the right guy down the road then I might consider marriage, but it just all depends on the future.”

According to Alkiewicz, she has the chance to bond with other people besides just a husband later in life if she chooses not to get married.

“I definitely think that something you can have when you’re single versus being married is the aspect of friendship,” Alkiewicz said. “When you’re married, you’re expected to always be with that one person and it’s hard to make time to develop other lasting friendships. You don’t have the freedom to just do what you want without telling someone and checking in with them to make sure you’re on the same page.

When you’re single, you can go somewhere or do something when you want to, and have the opportunity to become closer with other people because you aren’t so attached to one particular person.”

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C Sports Columnist

“I bet every team in the NFL has some small goals and aspirations to injure other players; sadly that’s how this sports world is. It’s all about winning, if you like it or not.”

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PLAYIN’ THE FIELD Sophomore Jordan Horning practices her high jump technique at practice.

photo by Megan McCormack

Field athletes play a vital role in the sport of Track and Field; focusing on technique and repetition Chloe Knue | Staff Writer

The field athletes of Mason High School have the word technique embedded into their brains and a sore feeling in their muscles the day after a tough workout. Whether an athletes field event is pole vault, long jump, high jump or shot put and discus, all the field event participants at Mason have spent countless hours counting their steps or perfecting their form in order to receive points for Masons’ overall scoring at big track and field meets. For the 2012 season, both the girls and the boys field teams have been training throughout the entire winter offseason in order to replace key senior athletes that led the comets through critical meets including GMC’s, districts, regionals and even state.

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Story Continued from Page 27 Shot put and Discus

MARCH 16, 2012

Pole Vault

Chloe Knue | Staff Writer

Throwers start off track and field meets with the events shot put and discus. An onlooker to the throwers competition would witness some of the teams strongest and most technically sound athletes launching weights into the air in attempt to reach the longest distance for their team.

According to sophomore thrower Garret Ecoffey, shot put and discus are ‘strength sports.’ “[At training] we lift for an hour, usually focusing on upper body and legs,” Ecoffey said.

“But, technique is more important. You have to be very coordinated and able to move quickly and fluidly to get the best throw possible. The form does take a long time to get down.”

Even though the throwers are constantly working on strength and form in order to reach that personal best, Ecoffey said he emphasizes the awesome feeling when the labor finally pays off.

“The hardest part is definitely getting the form down and being able to do it consistently,” Ecoffey said. “But once you get the form down it is exciting. ...When you start throwing further, it is a lot of fun to watch yourself improve each meet.”

The Mason comet varsity pole vaulters do more than run laps on the track; they spend hours doing drills with poles in hand, they get in top-notch shape by swimming, practicing gymnastics and, starting in October, they endure tough two-a-day Saturday practices to prepare themselves for the important track and field meets, where achieving a good height, is vital for the team.

Junior pole vaulter Sydney Sloan, said that not only is all this time and effort dedicated to working on the vaulters fitness levels, but also learning the correct pole vaulting technique.

“To be a pole vaulter you have to have a strong upper body and core, and be pretty fast,” Sloan said. “But, pole vaulting is also about a certain technique that [the vaulters] are always trying to master. There is a certain way to do everything.”

Not only does Sloan want to master the correct pole vaulting technique and jump a good height for herself, she wants to jump well for her team, in order to contribute to the track and field teams overall score.

“When it gets down to third attempt to reach a certain height, I feel the pressure,” Sloan said. “Spots on varsity are not guaranteed so you are constantly fighting to keep a spot on the team. ...I put a lot of pressure on myself because I want to do well for my team and get a good height so I can place well.”

Long Jump

High Jump

In the event long jump, athletes launch their Training for high jump consists of many long hours counting steps and practicing the right bodies into the air and jump the furthest distance form, while constantly working towards one possible from the starting mark. According to goal--to emulate the perfect jumping technique, junior Alyssa Marmora, long jump can be an and, according to sophomore Jordan Horning, extremely exciting and suspenseful competition. it is extremely hard work.

“It feels awesome [to long jump],” Marmora “Training for high jump is a lot different than said. “Once you jump, you get out of the pit and [training] for a regular running event,” Horning wait for someone to measure the jump and you said. “With high jump there’s less running and never know what it is going to be exactly, when more technique. It takes a lot of practice to get the [officials] finally call the jump you can say to my form right, I really have to work at it.” yourself, ‘Wow, I jumped that far!’”

Horning said she hopes to see all the high photos by Megan McCormack In order to compete well in meets, Marmora From left to right: sophomore Garret Ecoffey practices his throwing technique. Junior Syd- jumpers training pay off at track and field meets said that the jumpers spend a lot of time working ney Sloan gets ready for her jump. Junior Alyssa Marmora practices her long jump and this season, where high jump, for the jumpers on their technique with repetition of jumps. sophomore Jordan Horning works on her high jump at practice on March 7. takes up the majority of the meet.

“If you do even the slightest thing wrong or “There are usually a lot of participants for high different, it can change your jump dramatically,” jump when you go to a competitive meet,” Horning said. “You get three chances to clear Marmora said. “In long jump a little goes a long way.” the height and after that the bar is moved up. The referee will tell you when you are comLong jumping also gives athletes the chance to contribute to the track and field team ing up by saying ‘in the hole,’ ‘on deck’ or ‘up.’”

According to Horning, she said she stresses the importance of high jump to the overall without being an extremely fast runner according to Marmora. teams scoring. “[Long jump] takes an entirely different skill set, so anyone can try it. ...We have “Field events such as high jump are just as important as any other running event,” Hornjumpers that do all sorts of other events, you could call it a melting pot of track events. ing said. “In track and field the team relies on every puzzle piece to complete the puzzle, we …We have some amazing jumpers this year…and everyone has the opportunity to all work together.” place.”

C The Numbers

4:50.96 4 Sophomore Zoe Thatcher won her first state title, for the 500 freestyle, in early March with a time of 4:50.96.

The Mason gymnastics team finished 4th at state, the best finish in the history of the program.

16.0 Senior Darin Harris ended the 2011/2012 basketballs season averaging 16.0ppg which was good for 3rd in the GMC. He also was announced 3rd team All-District.

5 The Mason girls’ varsity basketball team repeated as district champions after their 5 point win over No. 1 seeded Springboro (40-35) on Saturday March 3rd.

205.2 Junior Andrew McDonald lead the Mason boys’ varsity bowling team averaging 205.2 points a match. He was named 1st All-GMC.

results as of March 12

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Senior pitcher Zach Boden practices for the upcoming season, hoping to help the Comets toward GMC and state run.

photos by Corynne Hogan

Comet baseball team hopes for a State Championship run in the 2012 season Joseph Spencer | Staff Writer

The Mason varsity baseball team has adopted a state or bust mentality going into the 2012 season. It is an expectation that has been around for many years, acccording to junior Lee Sponseller.

“We have been playing together since 5th grade,” Sponseller said. “The whole team has been talking about winning state since then and with what we have returning this year, we should be something special.”

Returning this year includes 1st Team All GMC, junior Conner McVey and four year letterman, senior Josh Galloway. Also returning is, 2nd team all GMC, senior Marcus Otte, who may be the biggest believer in the Comets this year.

“We have the best talent as a whole that I have ever seen at Mason,” said Otte. “Now, we have to put it on

C Trading Punches Who will the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship?

the field and show the city and the state what we can do.”

According to Otte, winning the GMC is the first goal for the Comets before they eye a State Championship.

“In the GMC and in Cincinnati you never hear ‘the experts’ talking about Mason,” said Otte. “They are always talking about [Lakota] East and West, as well as Moellor and Elder. Never Mason. This is our year to show Cincinnati what Mason baseball is all about.”

Senior pitcher Zach Boden said he also believes that the Comets have a shot at the state championship, and said starting the season strong is key for the Comet’s.

“We open the year at the Reds Future Showcase against Lakota West,” said Boden. “Then we play [Lakota] East and then [Lakota] West again. We need to

Fear the Brow. The Kentucky Wildcats Joseph Spencer will win this years’ NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The reason being--they are hungry. The Wildcats are 30-1 on the season showing that have the skill. he one thing that will seperate them is their hungry for a championship.

Their one loss has been turned into a popular ESPN commercial only fueling the fire for the sqaud.

Congratulations to Kentucky for winning it all.

start strong in order to achieve our first goal, win the GMC.” According to Assistant Coach Kurt Bly, he believes that this year’s squad is very talented, and concentration on the day to day goal will lead to success.

“As a team you want to be confident and this confidence needs to corralte over to the day to day preparation,” said Bly. “We need to stay grounded in the moment today.”

Bly said that he thinks if the team can go game by game, then the team can do great things.

“You can’t walk about the long term without identifying the ingredients [for success],” said Bly. “If we do this and win each day you never know what can happen in high school baseball.”

The year 1998 is ringing in every Kentucky James Nosek basketball fan’s mind. The 14 years is killing this program (and that’s really not that long of title drought, trust me I know championship droughts). I believe this is the year to finally end those tough years (or not so tough). Their defense is the best in the country and having Anthony Davis controlling the car, I believe they will be putting up their ninth banner. If they don’t, welcome to the club Wildcat fans.

Although the Kentucky Wildcats are the team of the hour right now, with only Katelyn Cain one loss and a superstar in Anthony Davis, the NCAA tournament is always filled with upsets and cinderella stories. I’m banking on the North Carolina Tarheels to win the big dance. They’re coming off of a huge win against Duke where they avenged their February loss, and they have a fighting spirit that can carry them to the Championship. And sure, Kentucky handed the Tarheels a loss back in December, but it’s tough to beat a team with revenge on the mind.

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Local rugby club gains popularity among MHS students James Nosek | Staff Writer

Colin Gallagher doesn’t have to worry about the immense pressure of high school athletics. The senior said he receives the same competitiveness of playing a high school sport, but in a more enjoyable manner, through the sport of rugby.

Gallagher plays on the Indian Springs Jets Rugby Club, a non-affiliated high school club team, with nine other Mason students. The Jets club consists of Southwest Cincinnati high schools such as: Mason, Lakota, Princeton and Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

Now in his second year with the team, Gallagher said he has had a fun experience, mostly through the unique culture that rugby provides. “[Rugby] is different,” Gallagher said. “It is definitely something for me to do, even if it is an aggressive game. I can associate myself with kids from different schools and I get to be myself.”

Senior Jets player Connor White, who has played on the team the last two years, said although wearing no pads in rugby—besides the optional shoulder pads and scrum caps to protect a player’s ears—is a big difference between rugby and football, but he said the biggest difference is the speed of the game.

“Rugby is faster and a little more chaotic [than football],” White said. “If the ball goes on the ground, play doesn’t stop.”

Jets head coach Ben TerreBlance, who is one of the original founders of the Indian Springs Club and spent five years playing rugby in South Africa, said that rugby is a great way to get into a demanding sport either for something fun to be a part of or for more competitive reasons.

“I love to see the reaction of the boys since they started playing and how they have really enjoyed [their time on the team],” TerreBlance said.

As the sport of rugby increases in the United States, TerreBlance said it has allowed the growth of the

Senior Andrew Martinez, a new addition to the Jets Rugby club, scrimmages at practice.

Jets Program, which was formed in 2004, to increase as well. Just in the last year the club has increased tremendously, White said, and with the growth of the club, three teams—“A” and “B” under 19 year old teams and an under 17 year old team—will be available for this season, compared to only two a season before.

Coming up in 2016 Rio Olympic Games, rugby will be an official competition once again, in a game called “sevens.” The last two years to involve rugby, the 1924 games and the 1920 games, the United States won the gold medal and according to TerreBlance, it is ironic for the US to be the “defending gold medalists” considering how rugby is not as popular of a sport in the states compared to others. He added that because rugby is making a return to the Olympics, it is a big step to popularizing the sport to different mediums of the world.

photo by Corynne Hogan

“The fact that the sport has been added into the Olympics [once again], I think it is going to broaden the interest of it,” TerreBlance said. “It is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States; we are expecting to see the US invest some capitol in the sport. It is a good step for countries like the US.” One Mason student who has just started playing rugby this year for the Jets Club is senior Andrew Martinez. He said he got involved in rugby and even considered to try it out because of conversations with Connor White last year that influenced him to play.

Martinez said he has started to really enjoy rugby, although he is a competitive water polo player for the Mason High School team.

“I love water polo, but rugby is a strong second for me,” Martinez said. “Rugby isn’t something to do on the side; it is a real sport for me.”

C Sports Column The recent “Bounty” scandal involving the New Orleans Saints and other teams sheds a negative light on the NFL James Nosek | Staff Writer

So, currently I’m part of a plot to better my status on the newspaper. Actually, this is something that we have been doing for a while; the whole staff is involved as well. Basically, it goes like this.

I’m getting rewarded to do some behind the scenes dirty work. Let’s say I go to other high school publications, like the Lakota East’s Spark, and find a nice story idea, I get a nice little reward for it: my teacher/ advisor gives me extra credit for each story I get.

Okay, are you sick of this ridiculous non-sense?

Because I’m sick of writing it. Doesn’t this just sound absurd? If us at The Chronicle really did this to up our status and better advance our paper, it would be so asi-

nine, and we wouldn’t be around anymore. Well, this fictional story is something that isn’t that absurd if you think about it. This same situation is occurring in the NFL, minus the news reporting and extra credit.

The recent happenings regarding the New Orleans Saints’ “Bounty” scandal, is something that needs to be changed, it sheds a negative light on the league, no question about it. NFL players, specifically the Saints, are being paid to injure their opponents, kind of like if I was given extra credit for stealing sources or stories.

When you look at the relativity of the recent bounty allegations, it doesn’t seem that uncommon. I bet every team in the NFL has some small goals and aspirations to injure other players; sadly that’s how this sports world is. It’s all about winning, if you like it or not. But to pay players extra to injure someone, that needs to stop. Don’t get me wrong, deliberately trying to hurt

another player, through cheap shots and late hits, is something that needs to be stopped as well, but that won’t be plausible. That has been going on since the start of football.

If you look back at the 2010 NFC Championship game between the Saints and the Vikings, what was the common theme? Brett Farve on his back.

Every play the Saints defense looked to literally kill Farve through cheap hits, late hits and low body hits.

That makes a lot of sense now; they were getting paid to do it, and probably big bucks.

But it’s okay everyone, the Saint’s defensive coordinator said they could hit like they were, that makes it okay. He told them it was okay. Come on. If someone says to drive your car through someone else’s house for a nice profit, does that make it okay? Come on.

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