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CLASS OF 2012 GOING THE DISTANCE

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M ay 18, 2012 Volume 9, Issue 8

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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

KILLER SEASON

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Creationism controversy

New Tennessee legislation sparks debate in schools

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PAGE 2 | MAY 18, 2012

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C An affair of the heart— Online Exclusives Learn more about Forrest and Dan, featured on the front page at thecspn.com. Read exclusive web content, video and pictures all in one place, thecspn.com.

“Gifted” replaced by high school credit programs

C Athlete of the Year

You nominated. You picked your top four—Monica Lake, JD Sprague, Josh Dooley and Jenna Bovenzi. And after final voting, you picked your “Athlete of the Year.”

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Miami University Mason High School will have more future RedHawks than any other US High School. Read more about this on thecspn.com!

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photo by Miranda Carney

Miranda Carney | Staff Writer

Above: Seventh-grader Reagan Snyder participates in the gifted program during the school day.

The middle school Gifted program, which provides students who have an IQ above 130 with opportunities to think outside the box, is being replaced after the end of this school year in order to provide students with more opportunities to earn high school credit, according to Mason Middle School Principal, Tonya McCall.

“We are providing new opportunities for all students, including those students who are identified as gifted,” McCall said. “Mason Middle School students will have the opportunity to earn high school credit over the next two years. Some Mason Middle students can earn up to two and a half high school credits before entering Mason High School.”

Gifted teacher, Amy Hammond, said that it is important to provide alternative ways for gifted students to push themselves, so the new programs will make sure students are still challenged.

“I was told in February that there would be no more Gifted class next year,” Hammond said. “Just like the population with an IQ less than 70 needs a curriculum with accommodations, our gifted population with an IQ over 130 clearly needs a curriculum that caters to their special needs.”

Along with extra high school credit being offered, McCall said that a new Program of Merit is starting next year, which will be aimed at getting Gifted students to extend their learning beyond the classroom.

“The Program of Merit was created to provide opportunities for students to explore their interests and make connections to what they are studying in class,” McCall said. “Through this program, students study topics in more detail [and] pursue solutions to real world problems through problem solving based learning.

Students may [participate] in Social Studies, Language Arts and Science.”

Junior Maddie Baehre, who took gifted classes in middle school, said she isn’t concerned about gifted programs being removed because they are being replaced with other challenging opportunities.

“I don’t think [removing gifted programs] will affect students too much,” Baehre said. “Now they’re start-

ing to move a lot of things into the middle school, like you can take Spanish, and they’re moving a lot more opportunities in that way, so that by the time you get to high school, you’ll be ahead already, so it kind of balances out.”

Although she said removing the program won’t be much of a problem, Baehre said that she saw the value of taking gifted in middle school pay off in high school by preparing her for harder course work. “[Gifted programs] prepare you for the higher expectations that there are in high school,” Baehre said. “In most middle school classes, [school work] wasn’t that challenging [to me]. We [got to] look at some resources that we wouldn’t usually get to [in normal classes].”

Seventh-grader Reagan Snyder, who is currently in Amy Hammond’s gifted class, said that she thought that removing the program would prevent future students from having the experiences she currently has.

“I really enjoy [gifted],” Snyder said. “[If it gets removed], I don’t think [students] will get a chance to do the fun activities we get to do. We learn different things than in a normal classroom, and we get challenging [experiences].”

Although Snyder said she really enjoys the gifted program, she said she currently participates in the Program of Merit for Social Studies and looks forward to participating in the expanded program.

“For this year, [the school offered] Social Studies for [Program of Merit],” Snyder said. “You do an independent research project each trimester. I will do it next year too when they expand it to different classes.”

Hammond said that in her own experience teaching gifted curriculum, she has seen the growth that comes from students when they are challenged intellectually, and that is why it is important to her that the gifted program is replaced with a new challenging program.

“Not only is the curriculum fast and rigorous, but it is introspective and focuses on the whole person, especially their life beyond my classroom,” Hammond said. “[It is] a precious age to encourage students to think about their goals, choices and habits.”

MAY 18, 2012

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MAY 18, 2012

Matters of the heart Janica Kaneshiro | Editor-in-Chief Julia Halpin | Associate Editor

in the Army, and Forrest already enlisted Seniors and twin brothers Daniel ain medic the Marines, but by the beginning of February and Forrest Theiss are identical in Daniel was beginning to experience the first signs something was wrong. more ways than just looks. Within that “I was enlisting into the army, and I was at their three days of each other, both processing center when one of the doctors there boys had aortic aneurisms caus- discovered that I had a slight heart murmur,” Daniel said. “I didn’t think much of it because… they said ing them to undergo open heart it was small. So, I came home from it feeling pretty surgery. The condition that led up to good that I was going to get in, [but] then I [felt] pains in my lower abdomen and lower back.” their aneurisms should have killed sharp After several doctors’ visits, both boys were told them long before their sur- that they had connective tissue disorders in their hearts which would need to be operated on in June. geries, but due to a “miracle,” both boys The Turning Point: lived.

Three weeks later, on February 23, both boys

Before:

Before the surgeries, Daniel said he and his brother were “just like everybody [else].”

Growing up as twin brothers, Forrest said that they shared a strong brotherly bond despite sibling rivalries.

“When we were really little, we would fight a lot,” Forrest said. “There was a lot of tension, just between us. We’ve always had fun, especially with tricking people. We’d always try to switch spots, he would say he’s Forrest and I’m Dan.” Going into their senior year, Daniel and Forrest moved to Mason from Long Island, New York. With Mason being such a big school, Forrest said that making friends was difficult.

“I thought [moving] would be fun, and we were pretty much like ‘whatever’ about the move; we’ll deal with it,” Forrest said.

“But, Mason is kind of a hard school to move to because it’s so big and there’s such a variety of people. So, it’s kind of hard to find your niche, especially being a senior when everybody’s already got their friends and stuff, but you know, we managed.”

Both boys had their futures mapped out, with Daniel planning on becoming

went to school expecting a normal day. Minutes into first bell, Daniel said he was starting to feel similar pains that he had felt before. After going down to the nurse, he was rushed to Children’s Hospital where Forrest was expected to visit him later.

Before going to visit his brother, Forrest began experiencing symptoms similar to that of a heart attack, and was brought to the same hospital where his brother was then receiving emergency care.

It was at that time that doctors discovered Forrest’s aortic tear, and while Daniel was still getting tests done, doctors in Cincinnati Hospital were trying to figure out how to save Forrest’s life, and heart.

When approaching this type of open heart surgery, there are generally three options doctors have: to save the current heart valve, replace it with a mechanical valve, or replace it with a pig valve.

According to the boy’s step-mom Kathy Theiss, the boy’s father, Matthew Theiss, decided that saving the boys’ valves was the best option, and made the life-changing decision to transport Forrest to the Cleveland Clinic, four hours away. “[Matthew made this decision] because we wanted to save his valve,” Kathy said. “We didn’t want him to have a mechanical or pig valve because then he would be on blood thinners his whole life. … My husband drove all the way to Cleveland, [and] was listening to the Bible. He had…[Forrests] heart literally in his hands, [and] he was freaking out, but he knew in his heart-of-hearts that [Forrest] would be okay once we got there.”

As Forrest was being transported to the Cleveland Clinic, his mortality rate was increasing five percent with each hour that passed.

But, according to Matthew, when they arrived to the Clevland hospital, he knew it was worth the risk.

Story

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MAY 18, 2012

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“When we got to Cleveland, I felt so much better because they had the OR waiting,” Matthew said. “[The doctors] showed me exactly what was going on. …He’s the first doctor, Doctor Rosseli and his team, that I ever trusted.”

From there, Forrest went into immediate open heart surgery, and three days later, on February 27, Daniel was airlifted to the Cleveland Clinic where the doctors would perform the same exact procedure on him, not knowing that he also had an aortic aneurism until he was in surgery.

For Forrest and Daniel, freaking out during this time was not an option, and amidst all of the chaos, they were able to stay calm.

“What else can you do?” Forrest said. “I mean, if you’re going to die, you’re going to die, it’s not like you have control over it.”

After:

Though they weren’t personally afraid, both boys said that when it came time for surgery, what they were most worried about was each other. Once the surgery was complete, both boys spent 18 days in the hospital recovering and dealing with unexpected complications. For Dan, he said this was one of the toughest parts of the process.

“I woke up and [thought,] ‘I’m just glad to be alive,’, Dan said. “[Then,] you just think of everything you can’t do. I got really depressed in the hospital because they said that I would only be there for five to seven days and I didn’t have that many complications, so every day they just kept on saying that [I] had to stay another day. I was just so excited to get out once I got out. ...Once you leave the hospital, it’s just the greatest feeling knowing that you’re getting better and you can finally start doing normal stuff.”

Coming home, according to Forrest, was his lowest point throughout his experience. “[My lowest point] was probably when I got home, because the

The

medication was kind of wearing off,” Forrest said. “Sleeping in general with all of this is just really hard; you have a lot of chest pain, and you want to go to your side sometimes and then you can’t. You’re just staring at the ceiling [thinking.]’”

Now, both Forrest and Dan continue to work towards a full recovery by going through rehab and attempting to gradually build back up to their normal, active selves.

Unable to go into the Marines and the Army because of their conditions, both boys plan to work towards a career that will help save lives.

Because of this experience, Kathy said that their family has been able to come together in support of Daniel and Forest, and that it has brought the entire family closer to one another.

For Daniel and Forrest, leaning on their family and laughing through it all has helped them the most, and, according to Forrest, staying calm, even when faced with death is the biggest thing he has learned.

“I learned [that things] happen,” Forrest said. ‘It’s out of your control.

military mindset

James Nosek | Staff Writer

Daniel and Forrest Theiss have hearts of soldiers.

The two boys have had aspirations to join the military since they were young children growing up in New York. Daniel, who wanted to join the Army, and Forrest, who always dreamed about being a U.S. Marine, developed a passion to serve their country in one of the branches of the military.

But unfortunately—as they found out this year—their hearts aren’t healthy enough for any military service.

Forrest, who was already enlisted in the Marines, was discharged after he received a letter from the Military Entrance Processing Station, which informed him that he wasn’t eligible for service anymore. For Daniel, he wasn’t enlisted in the Army yet, but he said he saw the letter his brother got in the mail and realized that the Army was out for his future career path.

When Forrest read the discharge letter, he said he was sad initially, but eventually faced the reality of the situation, the way a marine would.

“At first I kind of wanted to just throw [the letter] out or torch it,” Forrest said. “[But] the

PAGE 5

Marines are different, you just don’t feel emotion, and you move on.”

Daniel also remained laid back about being discharged from the Army, but he said it took a little more time to soak in the situation.

“It was a little bit harder for me,” Daniel said. “But when I saw the letter, I was thinking about it, and it was for the best.”

Up until his surgery, Forrest has always shown off the attitude of a Marine, Kathy said, but there was one day in particular that has stuck in her mind.

On the same day Forrest was rushed to the hospital for his emergency surgery, he finished his normal day of school and disregarded the possibility of dying so he could drive to Lebanon and turn in his Marine discharge papers.

“I wasn’t thinking about death,” Forrest said. “I was like ‘screw it,’ my sergeant has been waiting for like two weeks, and I’m fine right now. I was thinking ‘If my arm gets numb, I’ll just drive with my other arm.’”

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C EDITORIAL PAGE 8 | MAY 18, 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 While high school seniors prepare to move from students to adults, the rest of MHS still has at least one year of high school ahead of them. For those with their future still within the walls of Mason High school, counting down the days till graduation isn’t the way to spend your next years as a student.

Though the thoughts are tempting; individual freedom, college classes and no parental control, incoming freshman, juniors and seniors still have many more high school memories too be lived. Looking forward to more AP tests, rounds of the ACT and 7:15 morning bells isn’t the most exciting thing, but high school is more than just academics. High school can still be enjoyed without focusing on the less than desirable moments. More importantly, these four years in high school shouldn’t be looked at as something to drag yourself through. With those tough moments comes Friday night football games, Panera study dates and homecoming dances that makes these years of high school, something to keep close to the heart.

For those still stuck between class bells and quiz dates, don’t wish these days away. The future is exciting; high school can be just the same.

C Letters

to the

Editor

MHS should encourage cultural awareness Dear Editor, I think that there should be more articles concerning different cultural aspects of all the different students within Mason High School. I think this would encourage cultural awareness and breakdown stereotypes.

Aisha Jordon, senior

Unique and diverse personal styles walk the halls of MHS Dear Editor, I really enjoyed the article, “Old Fashioned Influences.” I thought it was a really neat to reflect on the style of students who walk the halls at MHS. The students here are so diverse and unique, so I really liked how we could learn and visualize someone’s personal style. I think that The Chronicle should do something like this each issue. We can meet new people and learn about the styles that roam the halls.

Mallory Young, senior

C OPINION

Follow these columnists online at thecspn.com Nostalgia is necessary in life

PAGE 9 | MAY 18, 2012

Candidates attempts at youth vote polarize Thom Carter

Janica Kaneshiro

C Columns

High school girls lose their innocence too soon Julia Halpin | Associate Editor

“You’re so innocent, Julia.”

I’ve gotten this line from people throughout my high school career, more times than I can count.

My tendency to wear floral and my naturally small stature seem to give off a naïve vibe, whether I like it or not. (Though identifying myself as Christian probably doesn’t help either.) Those who don’t know me very well shriek when they hear me say a curse word, and sexual references do have a way of going over my head. My peers who take time out of their day to note this about me, usually get the same response: “Sorry?”

I can’t seem to find more words than that. Should I be sorry that I appear innocent? That maybe I don’t give off a “been-there-and-done-that vibe”?

I haven’t been-there-and-done-that. My high school career was never filled with wild parties or a new boyfriend every couple of months to have at my disposal. And, for some reason, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Girls in high school seem to strive for this sophisticated, grown-up mentality by wearing as little as possible and posting not-so-flattering pictures of themselves on Facebook. Our generation of women seems to think that “hot” is more of a compliment than “respectable.”

I don’t want that. I don’t want to leave high school and have people remember me as the girl who was too intoxicated to remember most of her weekends; I never desired to be the girl who the whole football team thought was “hot.”

So, I’m okay with being innocent. At eighteen years old, I don’t need to have partied or had sex, or any of that. Being called innocent is a small trade-off for being viewed as more than just something for a guy to gawk at.

Innocence, maybe, should be something we try to keep more of. Like saving your gas until your tank lands on ‘E’, our generation of women should save their innocence, rather than throwing it away at the first invitation to a high school party. Some say I won’t be prepared for college, that I’ll be eaten alive by the swarms of beer cups pushed my way.

To them, I would say that I think I’m better off because I didn’t lose every ounce of innocence I had in my four years of high school.

And, in college, I’m still going to wear my floral dresses.

Ninja Turtle capitalism: a love story Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

I have stared into the abyss. I have seen production stills from Nickelodeon’s new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon.

They got everything wrong. They gave half the Turtles different weapons. They gave Donatello buck teeth. They threw out the series’ old hand-drawn animation, dripping with integrity, in favor of stilted CGI. They turned April O’Neill, the Turtles’ twentysomething human companion, into a teenager, just to make her more relatable to “the kids.” It’s as if they were trying to shell out (pun intended) the wholly inspired piece of work that was Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman’s original “Ninja Turtles” graphic novels to our modern, mass-produced world of frivolity in the worst way possible.

Maybe I wouldn’t be so angry if not for the fact that the whole fiasco represents a disturbing trend in the media world. Anyone who’s followed “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” as long as I have can tell you that the franchise has stood as a fine example of the American Dream in action since day one: Eastman and Laird, after all, got their starts as mere starving bachelors, but their love of comics managed to propel them to worldwide success—success that they wouldn’t give up for all the money in the world. That is, until 2009, when Peter Laird, after nearly 30 years of neglecting his family and home life to manage his sprawling multimedia empire, finally sold the rights to his brainchild. Now he, like so many other unwitting victims of surprise success before him, can only watch on as the moneyed megacorporation alters his life’s work at whim, pasting buck teeth and CGI wherever they feel is appropriate.

Whether I like it or not, though, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®” is now the property of Nickelodeon©, a subsidiary of Viacom™, and one of the last creator-driven franchises in entertainment media has fallen. And that’s just the problem with our system of economics and intellectual property: as perfectly tailored as it is to helping young aspirers like Eastman and Laird achieve their goals, it seems designed to yank them away in the end. The creator is always doomed to die a literal or figurative death, leaving his or her work in the hands of suits and sophists who could care less about the original creative intent. Just look up the other properties that make up Viacom’s $22.801 billion net worth sometime; it’s a sobering experience: they lay claim to everything from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to “Dora the Explorer,” and behind each and every property is a fallen creator whose life’s work has been seized by the tentacles of corporate greed.

Hundreds of years from now, when our society is long forgotten, archeologists will dig up a book holding all the information they ever could’ve wanted about the culture of our day. A veritable Codex Gigas or Nag Hammadi library of the 21st century, this book will detail everything that ever entertained or educated in our time. Adorning its cover will be the words “Copyrights Registered to Viacom, Inc.”, as well as an illustration of a CGI Donatello baring a bucktoothed grin.

Seriously, whose brilliant idea was that?

C What You Think “Being a junior there is a lot more pressure. I am excited to be an upperclassman but I feel like the school work is going to be harder [next year]. It will be the last year with my brother in the same school as me, but he will still drive me next year so I do not have to drive and I can have a senior spot. I am going to live it up next year because I am just going to.”

Alison Ebel, sophomore

compiled by Chloe Knue

What expectations do you have for the upcoming school year?

“I expect to have a lot more responsibility but also a lot more freedom. I am also expecting to learn a lot about who I am. I am going to learn a lot about growing up.”

Morgan Liddic, senior

“I think about having to prepare for the OGT’s. Sophomore year, I think is the year you start thinking about colleges and worrying about your grades more.”

Daniel Blust, freshman

There will probably be a lot more homework next year.

There will be a lot of studying for the SAT/ACT, and you know, stress preparing for senior year. I am excited to be an upperclassman and become a role model.”

Panos Skoufalos, sophomore

“I think [senior year] you have to become more of a leader in the school. You could take track and field as an example, [as seniors] we will have to step up and show the freshman what to do, and Jasmine Robinson, junior

“I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I am excited to be a senior and be on top of the food chain but nervous to get out of here [MHS] and start a real life…

Growing up is a huge responsibility.”

Peter Mintz, junior

C NEWS

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Letters

to the

Continued

from

Editor Page 8

“No Bullying” campaigns don’t always work Dear Editor, I find that although there are a lot of “No Bullying” campaigns, especially online, it still happens.

Although most people participating in bullying aren’t aware that they are hurting someone else.

What starts out as some innocent fun taunting each other on Facebook or Twitter can easily become damaging to someone. It’s hard because there is a fine line between a funny comment and a mean comment. Also, on Facebook and Twitter, people can’t tell if someone is being sarcastic or not.

Mehvish Ilyas, senior

NBA playoffs affected by player injury Dear Editor, The NBA playoffs are in full swing now and a few interesting headlines have popped up.

First, it’s interesting to see how the competitive advantages of each team are affected by injury.

For example, after Chicago lost Derrick Rose to a torn ACL, they have lost three straight games and sit on the verge of an elimination. There is no “I” in team, but the Bulls have a thorn in their side without Rose. Secondly, the playoff system if playing a series of seven games takes away a lot of pressure of the playoffs. In the NFL, the playoffs operate under a win-or-go-home system. If the NBA used this system, I think we would see an increase in the intensity of the playoffs. Plus, the length of the playoffs is rather taxing, and forces you to watch a lot of game.

Kaushik Chagarlamudi, senior

Ecomomy not the only factor in upcoming election Dear Editor, The economy is not the only thing that should matter in the upcoming election. Social issues have takem the backburner in recent years, and it’s time for them to come forward. Certain people, if elected would make strides to remove the rights of minorities. This is un-American (movement in America have always dealt with expanding rights) and unacceptable. People have to realize that they have the power to stop this from happening. They need to become more interested in the rights of those who can’t change the course of their own future. They need to demand more from their leaders. So, while the economy is certainly important, it’s not the only thing that should be on the minds of voters as they had to the polls. I simply ask people to vote wisely.

Sonny Ramos, senior

MAY 18, 2012

Creationism controversy inches north towards Mason science classrooms Nearby states vote to include Creationism in science curriculum Branden Labarowski | Staff Writer

On April 10, 2012, Tennessee passed the Teacher Protection Academic Freedom Act, according to The Star Press. The act has attracted a flurry of media attention as potential means for teachers to introduce Creationism into the classroom.

According to Public Radio International, the law permits teachers to help students “understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories.” Biology teacher David Broxterman said that the law’s intention—to assess the validity of scientific theories—is good.

“It’s a good thing…for students to see firsthand what kind of evidence is out there for existing theories,” Broxterman said.

Broxterman, however, said that the law’s effectiveness will depend on how it is interpreted in the classroom.

Broxterman said that although he supports the act’s intent, he believes that Creationism, as a religious idea that isn’t testable by the Scientific Method, does not have a place in the science curriculum and would be better suited to another class.

“I would say Creationism would maybe be more of under a theological study, and wouldn’t really be appropriate for a science class,” Broxterman said.

Senior Sahir Rama said he was also concerned about the law’s religious implications, as focusing on the Christian concept of creation would violate separation of church and state.

“They’re teaching a Christian belief in a public school, which is a violation of the First Amendment,” Rama said.

According to Broxterman, each state’s Science curriculum is determined by its Department of Education, and Ohio’s curriculum emphasizes evolution “as one of the main scientific theories.” Biology teacher Deirdra Ware said that although the current curriculum gives a good deal of focus to evolution’s validity as a scientific theory, its drawbacks and weaknesses are not as thoroughly discussed.

“In our current curriculum…there is a great amount

of focus on the strengths…of the theory, but I can’t say that equal amount of energy and effort is being spent on [its] flaws or issues,” Ware said.

Broxterman said that the scarcity of DNA and fossil evidence left over from Earth’s early years is one reason why some people are inclined not to believe in evolution. However, Broxterman said that one of the biggest reasons for doubt of evolution is religious conviction, which does not always line up with what the scientific community believes.

“One of the main foundations of evolution is that there is a common ancestor for all organisms,” Broxterman said. “I think that challenges some of the religious views, [like the idea] that certain animals were created separately and did not evolve from previous living things.”

Senior William Osler said he believes that there is enough evidence for Creationism to be discussed as a theory in the classroom, as long as it is discussed alongside evolution and both theories’ strengths and weaknesses are addressed.

“There’s a good proportion of evidence that you could use to claim that Creationism is a valid theory,” Osler said Rama, however, said that most scientists agree with the theory of evolution, and that he believes the curriculum should focus on what the mainstream scientific community accepts.

“What you should teach is what is accepted by the scientific community,” Rama said.

As this same debate rages on in Tennessee, only time will tell what the future holds for science standards nationwide. Regardless of what happens, however, Ware said she recommends that students think for themselves and reach their own conclusions when assessing the material taught in school.

“Whether it’s evolution or Math or History, when students take the time to process and line up what they’re learning…with things they already know and their own experience, it leads to a more meaningful learning experience,” Ware said.

photo by Miranda Carney

MAY 18, 2012

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C SENIORS

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PAGE 12 | MAY 18, 2012

Ciao

Bye Farewell Adios Peace out

Janica Kaneshiro Indiana University

Later

Goodbye

Deuces

Bye

Sayonara Julia Halpin Columbia College Chicago

As the graduating class of 2012 moves forward, the seniors on The Chronicle staff reflect on their four years of high school.

Jami Bechard University of Kansas

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editor

Layout and Design Editor

When I was little, The Bedtime Prayer really spooked me. I think it was the “If I die before I wake” line, if you can imagine. I used to spend hours staring at the ceiling wondering what would happen if I were to die before I were to wake. Yes, I over-analyzed everything at that age as well. The part that plagued my mind the most, though, was the intense worry that people would forget me.

As i grew up and moved every couple years or so, this fear deepened. Every time we received a new duty assignment, I would shower my friends with notes and memorabilia from our time together, and make them promise to never forget me: that we would be friends forever. We never failed to separate though: our calls becoming less frequent, our lives becoming more separate.

After moving just before entering high school, I knew I had until graduation at most to make meaningful relationships. That’s a lot of pressure, and to be honest, I can say I only salvaged a few. Nothing at all like I was picturing when I walked through these doors nearly four long years ago. In a way, I felt I had let myself down by not doing anything remarkably unforgettable.

Earlier this year, I read the book The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green, and I stumbled upon a quote that changed my perspective.

Who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it-or my observation of it-is temporary?

I read this line about a hundred times over until I realized why it really pulled me in. I’ve spent so much of my life aching to be noticed by the universe, that I’ve never taken the time to pause and take notice. Life is more about soaking in experiences, relationships, knowledge, than leaving your stamp on the world.

I don’t carry with me the memories of others; I have only my own ramshackle collection of memories to take with me. So, if I die before I wake, I’ll take these precious slices of time to find satisfaction in ordinary life-- to notice the unmistakably beautiful things taking place all around me. Now, I seek not to be remembered, but, instead to make my own memories.

I was born with a unibrow.

No, I didn’t come out of the womb with one eyebrow, but as my hair grew in, my parents realized that my eyebrows were indeed, not separated.

My unibrow served as a large part of my identity when I was younger; the boys at recess never failed to comment on it, the younger girls would shyly ask me why I didn’t just shave it off. In the second grade on the bus, as the mean boys made fun of me, the boy my parents called my “boyfriend” stuck up for me, stood up out of his seats and told the mean boys to shut-up; consequently standing tall for the ugly girl with the unibrow.

I really never saw anything wrong with having one eyebrow. Yes, I was made fun of, but it never truly phased me. I didn’t realize that I was any different than the other blonde haired girls in my class who had two thinly shaped, lightly colored eyebrows, perfectly separated.

My sisters plucked my unibrow when I was eight.

Sitting me down, one sister with tweezers in hand, the other with a baggie full of ice, my one eyebrow disappeared. I laid on the ground, crying in agony at each hair being plucked out one-by-one. Right before my eyes, with each pluck of hair, my image was altered; I became a new woman at only eight-years-old.

At my graduation party, everyone will see the infamous, “unibrow pictures” of me as a child, happy as can be, with only one eye brow. My relatives will all note on what a “beautiful woman I’ve become,” no more unibrow to mark me with the sentence of ugliness.

I am no longer the unibrow girl. My unibrow left, along with my identity for my eight-year-old self.

You are constantly changing. High school is just another phase in the cycle.

My tiny pink ballet shoes squeaked across the wood floor as a scurried into the dance studio. I was three years old. All the other little girls were afraid to leave their moms, afraid to move on to a new adventure, albeit even if it was just for a short hour. But I wasn’t afraid. I had been counting down the days until I got to wear my new purple leotard. As I turned and waved back to my mom, I gripped the bar, prepared for anything.

Ever since my first dance class, I’ve never spent a day out of the studio. The dance shoes have grown from the tiny three-year-old feet to my humongous size tens.

I’ve grown up with dance. Each year wearing ridiculous costumes with my hair pinned and sprayed, my parents applaud from the audience every time.

As I started my senior year, I knew it would be full of last times. When the last practice rolled around, I dipped my hand in sparkly green paint and put my handprint above the door in the studio next to my fellow seniors. As I signed my name and scribbled “Class of 2012,” I knew my days of endless hours spent with these girls had come to an end. I didn’t want it to end. I couldn’t let go.

I thank my mom every day for signing me up for my first dance class fourteen years ago. I remember turning and waving her away, wanting to move on to new adventures and new challenges. Now, having to turn around and wave away all my memories from high school, I realize how difficult it is to let go of all of these memories. Fourteen years ago, I was prepared, I was ready, I was brave. I didn’t think twice about starting my new adventure, and I have to do the same now.

As we take the next step and wave away these past four years, we have to realize it can only bring us more opportunities and memories for the future. We have to just let go. photos by Corynne Hogan

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C SENIORS

Miranda Carney

Thom Carter

Ball State University

As a little girl, I learned I had an older sister who died shortly after birth. I never knew her, but learning that somehow defined me from that moment on.

Who would she have been? A runner, a writer, a dancer, an artist?

Take one look around my room and you’ll see the perfection I struggled to maintain for years after that day—for myself, for my parents, for the sister I never knew and for the younger sister I felt I had to protect. Hundreds of ribbons line my walls as if to reassure me, you are good enough. Not only did I have to be perfect, I had to be perfect at everything.

On the night of my 18th birthday party in September, the perfect world I knew was suddenly and completely shattered. My sister’s best friend committed suicide, and I painfully realized I had spent so much time trying to hide my weakness behind ribbons and grades and awards that I went numb.

But there was so much beauty in that imperfection. I only wish I had known that at the beginning of high school. I didn’t learn it from practicing for hours on the band field, or from running endless races, or from breeding goats, or from staying up all night doing homework.

Months after the tragedy, but with the pain still lingering, my sister came into my room with a brave look on her face.

It’s okay to not be perfect all the time, she told me.

And somehow, learning that defined me from that moment on.

Ian Howard

Northwestern University

Abraham Lincoln once said “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is not a state of being, it’s a state of mind. You can either have a miserable four years or a rock-and-roll high school four years. I wish that I could go back in time and follow my own advice, because I am probably the worst example of this. I did not have a rock-and-roll high school and it really is not the end of the world, but there’s no reason for you to not have a great high school experience. You should talk to strangers as much as you can just don’t get in their cars. OK? You should not be so uptight. You should learn to dance confidently before tribal instincts take over and you find yourself dancing alone passionately, aggressively in your bedroom. You should be earnest with your convictions and goals without forcibly broadcasting them on others. Test things for yourself. Veer away from conventional wisdom until you have figuratively shot a firecracker at your face. Do not actually shoot a firecracker at your face. Eat the sand that people kick in your face because there will always be those that kick it. Appreciate finiteness because there are really only 200 countries, seven oceans, eight planets and one limited universe expanding limitlessly.

MAY 18, 2012

University of Missouri

On extended trips that generally demand interaction, I shirk social assumptions that enjoyment is achieved through shared experience. That was my plan going into an Orchestra trip to Washington, D.C: remain inconspicuous; speak only when spoken to.

Shortly into an “illuminated tour” of the sights, we left the bus. Shivering at the front gates of the White House, my peers were engaged in brief sessions of photography interrupted by photo-bombing. When our five minutes were up, I was being tailed by two sophomores who I had unwillingly sat next to at dinner—for some reason intrigued by my silence—when a voice piped up.

“Thomas, you’ve changed.”

I’m in my most naked position when others make accurate judgments of me. Exposed, I choke under feeble attempts of explanation, producing garbled sentence fragments that have no business of telling who I am or why.

According to the voice, I had become quiet, reserved. I thought about my friends, family, values; anything that could have resembled valid reasoning.

Nothing came to fruition. I hadn’t even been aware of my apparent change from talky Brit to introspective hermit. I simply thought: I am who I am.

Change is inevitable. In some cases it is purposeful, subconscious in others. Our reasoning may not always be evident, but it is there all the same— for better and for worse.

Branden Labarowski Ohio University

I grew up in a household where obeying the law of the Lord was the only thing more important than obeying the law of the land, and I’m proud to say I did pretty well on both accounts. That’s why my parents were shocked when, one day, the principal called to inform them that I had just defaced a cafeteria table and would be punished shortly.

To my first-grade mind, the scheme made perfect sense: I was but a fading ember, here today and gone tomorrow, and what better way to leave a mark on the world than by leaving a mark on that table? Hundreds of students would walk by the name etched there in Crayola Washable Marker and realize that, long ago, someone named “Branden Labarowski” did in fact exist.

And remember they did—I was reported to the principal within the hour.

Getting in trouble for the first time ever felt awful, but in retrospect, the whole experience taught me more than erasing my own washable graffiti ever could. Eleven years later, I’ve finally fulfilled the mission I started when I first picked up that marker. From the doodles I’ve left behind wherever appropriate to the sweat, blood and ink I’ve poured out into this very newspaper, I’m confident that I’ve left my legacy—and I haven’t had to deface a single table to do it.

C SENIORS

PAGE 14

Mitchell Matacia

MAY 18, 2012

Megan McCormack

Ohio University

The Ohio State University

I remember sitting in the Middle School Auditorium laughing to myself when the administrators mentioned college preparedness in eighth-grade.

Now, in twelfth-grade, it feels too soon.

Throughout all of this chaos of graduation, of college enrollment, the scholarships, the requirements, the deadlines - I couldn’t feel more removed. Four years of high school coming to an end with college on the brink and the only thing I feel is indifference.

Am I missing something monumental? Isn’t this supposed to be a cornerstone in my life?

I’ve started to wonder if I’m doing what I want to do with myself during this time period. I feel passive and unable to control the end of high school or the start of college or the commitments in between like work and registration forms for my new life. It’s not that I don’t understand what needs to be done; it’s just frustrating when what needs to be done encompasses everything else.

But, I have found solace in this situation--summer. Not for the parties and celebrations, or the reiterations of “seniors!” shouted to the sky, I want to write and read and make videos and watch Clint Eastwood movies and listen to Arcade Fire while riding my bike.

Instead of saying all of those things, I simply say “yes” when family members ask me if I’m ready for college. The truth is, I’m not excited about these rapid changes in my life at this point in time. I’m more excited when things slow down. That’s when I have a chance to look around a bit.

James Nosek

University of Missouri

There’s a 3153 piece puzzle that is about to be finished for the 2012 school year. It’s pretty extraordinary. I’m not really sure what the main picture looks like, but that’s everyone’s problem. Each separate piece represents a different person in the school. The bluish, white mixture of painted strokes surrounds the outside of the puzzle. Towards the bottom, the forest green represents plants and grass flowing into an explosion of red and yellow. The gold and fire-red interior sets off the core of the puzzle. Every puzzle-makerwants to be in that core. It’s the most distinctive and bold portion of the final product.

Trust me when I say people will do whatever it takes to be the coolest part of the puzzle. It’s inevitable. Even if the piece doesn’t fit, they will try anyway.

Bending and morphing their own piece so it can fit into a spot that doesn’t quite hold it in place. But why? The true puzzle makers realize where their piece of the puzzle belongs and they laugh at the others who try and force their piece into an uncomfortable spot. These people might not be in the most bold or conclusive part of the puzzle-- like in the red and yellow-- but they find themselves happy on the outskirts of the core—maybe in the blue or green. Everyone eventually finds the part of the puzzle that fits, but most of the times, it’s beyond high school.

I’ve spent a solid amount of my life buried in books: immersing myself in stories like that of Harry, Charlie and Scout: forgetting my world and slowly descending into the new one set before me. Sinking deeply into a sea of words, it’s always been easier to run to my favorite characters for comfort than to deal with whatever issues are going on around me.

Yes, I do tend to use books as an escape—to run away from not only my problems but also the problems of the world: grades, college, stress, family, friends. Leaping into a fictitious world has been and always will be easier than facing whatever scares me, whoever hates me. But, in the end, I know that I can’t stay in my fictional worlds forever.

They can’t fix everything. And they can’t make my life worth something.

The goal was always to feel “infinite,” as Charlie did in Perks of being a Wallflower. Not just for a moment, but to live in a way that couldn’t be forgotten. But reaching that infinity is impossible if I run away from what’s hard or scary or uncomfortable.

Books have always been there to comfort me, to make me feel better, to make things easier. They make me feel safe. But I can’t achieve my goal if I’m safe. Discomfort is where risks are taken, new things are experienced and boundaries are broken.

Discomfort is where you feel “infinite.”

Joseph Spencer Illinois University

It was fifth-grade the first time I pushed someone to the ground and got praised for it. I was the new kid in town and decided to try out for football because I couldn’t find a soccer team. At first they promised me that I’d be a running back and a linebacker. My father beamed at the thought of having a “skilled” position in the family. But those dream were quickly smashed due to my very apparent lack of speed or ability to hold on to ball. So to the offensive line I went. At the snap of the ball I would waddle off and push the guy in front of me as far back as I could. Seemed simple enough but, I never thought that it could turn out to be so life changing.

Football has been huge for me during my high school career. A connector to most of my best friends. A stress reliever from the immense pressure of taking AP classes at Mason. A certain amount of pride coming with being recognized as a leader of a team. While my time here has been filled with ups and downs the win on senior night with about half of our senior class rushing the field seemed like a fitting end to my career. Coming full circle, even if it does mean being remember as the big guy who just pushed kids down, my life is forever changed because of my years playing Mason Football.

C THE MAP

PAGE 12

PAGE 15 | MAY 18, 2012

Class

of

2012:

road to the future

University

of

Halim Abdullah Patrica Ablordeppey Kelechi Agomuo Toba Akomolede Carlie Anderson Paige Armentrout Reda Baig Kevin Biggers Tyler Bloom Hailey Bollinger Maggie Bostwick Jenna Bovenzi Erin Bradley Kelsi Brady Tracey Brignole Joshua Budin Andrew Burns Lauren Burt Hannah Caddell Ashley Campana David Canavan Yanise Carr Tim Carson Erin Celesti Alec Coughlin Adam Court Carley Crain Kierstyn Crowe Courtney Curtis Ryan Decker Lauren Dennehy Luke Discher Chad Ebersole Megan Esterkamp Abbey Falcone Kayla Fields Jessica Galley Josh Galloway Ashley Gerhardstein Nick Gilliand Audrey Greenstone Glory Hagerty Jennifer Hassert Diane Hernandez Mehvish Ilyas Taylor Inskeep Amanda Kahl Nick Katlein Erin Kearney Libby Knapke David Kramer Chris Lamm Andrew Lan Austin Larrick Soula Liaros Britney Llewellyn Megan Loveless Samantha Mackzum Alex Malblanc Darakshan Malik

Cincinnati

John Marshall Ashley Martin Colin Martin Zachary Messer Scott Mueller Nikita Nambiar Ashley Newman Christopher Niehaus Ben Nolan Stefanie Ornelas Deepa Patel Gaurav Patel Amanda Patton Katie Piezer Leslie Pil Prathiba Prabhakar Nicole Price Allie Purvis Momina Qureshi Alex Rabah Lindsey Randa Todd Reed Taylor Rice Chris Riffle Jake Roehm Abigail Rohlinger Brett Sanders Nicole Schmidt Katie Schussheim Alexander Schut Nick Schweppee Andrew Seiler Ashish Sharma Jyoti Sharma Logan Shively Cory Singleton John Sloan Tyler Smith Rachel St. Clair Megan Stanford Caleb Steege Austin Storie Shelby Suess Christine Szabo Jeremy Taylor Ben Tilley Amanda Vanderbilt Jordan Waid Dominic Wallace Dean Ware Brandon Watson Ryan Watts Holly Weaver Megan Wehrman Bryan Weis Josh Wheaton Chad Wilking Lauren Winters Alex Yellig Karen Zhang

The class of 2012 will graduate 738 seniors. Of those, most will attend University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University or Ohio University, as listed on this page. The following pages recognize those attending other Ohio schools, out-of-state schools and those taking alternative paths after high school.

The Ohio State University Matthew Anderson Thomas Antenucci Samuel Arnone Lauren Baker Katherine Baruk Katie Bean Brooke Benson Alex Besse Zach Boden Nathan Bratcher Eizayah Bull Nick Burt Michael Carozza Sarah Clippenger Madison Colton Chloe Crawford Sebastian Dangond Ashwin Datar Michael Dearworth Akhil Dhamija Alexandra Ducker Alexis Enis Emily Enslen Steven Erbeck Ashley Erickson Kevin Feng Harry Fox Matthew Francis Sarah Fultz Lauren Gaurino Emma Green Ben Grismer Brooke Johnson Justin Helton Stephen Herman Eric Hildebrandt Andrew Holderbaum Ivan Huynh Brooke Johnson Christi Kehres Nathan Kitchen Christian Kreunen Jessica Lacy Phil Lauer Ruth Liang Lynn Lipps Ryan Little Ted Liu

Matt Loehr Megan McCormack Alex McWhirter Sebastian Mejia Alex Mezhvinsky Jonathon Miller Rachel Monin Dean Morris Kendall Murphy Kevin Niehoff Molly O’Connor Erin O’Shaughnessey William Osler Marcus Otte Neha Patel Paige Pfennig Kaitlyn Pontious Thomas Probel Jason Reitzel Caey Robinson Michaelanne Sauer Tjana Scheinderman Cody Schrand Molly Simeur Jessica Singer Gauthum Sivakumar Emily Sones Faith Stagge Maria Stang Nick Stelzle Nathaniel Stewart Priya Subramaniam Cailin Sweeney Daniele Tedolodi Nathaniel Theobald Jessica Villagran Khara Walker Annie Wang Alexander Ward Nate Webb Connor White Lauren Willet Lahiru Wimalasena John Wunderle Esther Yim Elizabeth Yuan Li Fend Zhu

* Not included in map: Jeremy Artrip, Alec Branigan, Evan Clark, Brett Hall, Victoria Kleykamp, Christopher Koch, John Marley, Michael Miles, Jessica Mueller, Alexandra Mullins, Emily Phelps, Ashley Posik, Staci Siska, Robert Sloan and Aaron Wyrick.

Ohio University Justin Abudaggah Amy Achberger Brian Aldrich Shannon Allen Nikole Apke Brenden Begley Victoria Belegrin Tyler Blust Katherine Brooker Dalton Clark Haley Coleman Julia Cory Morgan Crawford Jack Cranfield Mychelle Davey Ross Dickerhoof Michael Greive Abbey Gustafson Amy Haas Morgan Hamet Wesley Hemmelgarn Nick Katlein Brad Kelly Sarah Kent Brent Kitchen Brian Kolish Ian Koutny Branden Labarowski Tyler Lawson Nick Lewis Kyle Loftus Mexico Lucero Morgan Marvar Mitchell Matacia Chris Mosley Josh Orlando Jessica Pasquale Jeress Pendleton Cristen Rebholz Nick Richardson Kyle Schoonover Nick Schwab Brittany Shaw David Speier JD Sprague Elise Rye Abby Sullivan Teddy Thieken Allie Topper Winston Troy Kristina Weitzel Courtney Wilson

Continuation

of

Ohio

schools on

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C THE MAP

PAGE 16 | MAY 18, 2012

Ohio Continued Art Academy of Cincinnati Jessica Miller Art Institute of Cincinnati Dillon Dunihue Samantha Gilkison Ashland University Krista Lewis Baldwin-Wallace College Kadi Tucker Bowling Green State University Madison Anderson Alana Armstrong Katherine Bland Michelle Calloway Taylor Cole Shelby Carter Alex Cumbow Sarah Darff Katie Kraatz Eric Lamorelle Kera Lamotte Amy Lewis Melissa Maddux Wesley Osler Diana Thorton Zachary Tibbs Brittney Williams Kaitlyn Wimmers Aubrey Wisler Butler County Community College Zach McMinnville Capital University Adam Brandt Chris Frantum Kyle Krabbe Case Western Reserve University Jacqueline Dowling Emma Headley Colleen Kennedy Cedarville University Lauren Zambello Cincinnati Christian University Matthew McCann Alexander Owens Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Jacob Artrip Alex Bowling Symone Byrd Daniel Coleman Shannon Collins Erik Dow Alexander Evras Jacob Franz Zach Frey Zach Garland Nick Greiwe Logan Mitchell Lauren Roberston Bryce Romancheck Danielle Tuell Ian Viox College of Wooster Elliot Valentine Columbus College of Art and Design Austin Burnside

Columbus State Community College Aaron Vandemark Defiance College Rachel Simon Hocking College Miles Campbell Nick Hartshorn Austin Jackson Kent State University Jennifer Dickhaut Ethan Green Miami University Oxford Brittany Boosveld Matthew Buchko TJ Butler Maria Chouinard Chandler Cornett Brad Denzel Josh Dooley Jessica Dusing Patrick Ebeling Allie Eckes Victoria Ellis Taylor Groeschen Jacqueline Gazda Regina Goldsmith Josh Hall Deepika Hebbalalu Cameron Hughes Chris Johnson Patricia Kelly Deepa Kosuru Morgan Liddic Jonathan Lucy Cailtin Marquart Alex McGary Breanna McKinley Kelsey Mitchell Brandon Mueller Michael Mumma Leah Niswander Kathleen Parker Sarah Prunty Kate Randall Taylor Reid Zachary Reynolds Ellie Roth Kristin Rudy Christopher Rueda Stephanie Sloffman Lesley Spaeth Taylor Spaeth Erich Staehling Jake Suess Rueben Victoria Linh-Thuy Michael Vu Jordan Waid Vanessa Wesley Katherine Wicker Jordan Young Mallory Young Miami University Hamilton Colin Baker Zane Fields Mike Guilfoyle Ryan Siegrist Garet Stone Jessica Swonger Miami University Middletown Hannah Matthews

Sarah Matthews Ashlynn Miller Chris Wermes Muskingum University Sarah Browning Megan Naglich Ohio Dominican University Jamie Ellison The Ohio State University Newark Gavin Docherty Victoria Konoenko Ohio Northern University John Mostowy Paige Torbet Ohio Wesleyan University Alexandra Reistenberg Rhodes State College Alyssa Marsteller Scarlet Oaks Zolia Garcia-Ortiz Franki Gibson Adam Horwarth Holly Kratzer Breanna Landry Meredith Mckeenan Geoffrey McPherson Joshua Slusser Zachariah St. Pierre Nikolas Rigsby Shawnee State University Ryan McDermont Sinclair Community College John Emerson Megan Henry Christopher Mounce Kevin Richmond Dawn Marie Robertson Kayla Rousseau Sarah Smith Maria Staley Daniel Theis Thomas More College Jessica Shumate Katelyn White Tiffin University Adam Hillen University of Akron Alex Sheppard University of Cincinnati Blue Ash Skyler Adleta Holly Avery Ahmed Baig Bonnie Carson LaShawn Daniels Michael Davis Kyle Evans Austin Gast Alexandra Gastreich Jordan Hull Woojin Kang Rachel King Jared Kuhn Steven Ng Etka Patel Tabby Rakes Osmin Olivo Thomas Peters Mitchell Smith Christopher Theis Taylor Tribbey Joshua Van Voorhis

Bethan Walsh University of Cincinnati Clermont College Matthew Morua Tyler Tomich University of Dayton Cali Charnas Alex Christensen Ryan Cosimi Nadia El-Naggar Bridget McElhenny Carson McKenzie Nicole Mueller Jillian Richardson Mackenzie Shivers Hibba Sumra Cody Taylor Alejandro Trujillo Thomas Vondehaar Lindsay Woehrmyer University of Toledo Austin Campbell Lauren Lonsway Nick Kremcheck Dylan Lettie Jessica Post Connor Thygerson Urbana University Michael Nocerino Ursuline College Jayla Garner Wilmington College Michael Hudson Wittenburg University Marissa Edwards Ryan Mumma Wright State University Tyler Blount Luke Banks Teddy Bow Christina Casciotti Casey Damron Paige Foley Cameron Gordon Hannah Greve Andrea Herren Emily Hutton Le’Onidia Rainge Alexander Roberts Caitlyn Rodriguez Shelby Stevenson Jacob Stites Brandon Twitty Christine Wagner Youngstown State University (Northeast Ohio Medical University) Bhanu Banda Kaushik Chargarlamudi Amythest Guatheir Bilal Muhammad Sohini Sameera Shairani Subarajan Xavier University Briana Glover Kayla Hauck Aisha Jordan Grace Kim Brandon Lipman Umeirra Savani Andrew Sullivan

MAY 18, 2012 | PAGE 17

Out-of-State Alabama

Auburn University Ashley Bradley University of Alabama JC La Rue University of North Alabama Connor Gibbs

Arizona

Arizona State University Erin Hamister

California

California Institute of Technology Monique Alkiewicz California State Polytechnic University Andrew Martinez De Anza College Ya Ting Kang Stanford University Gina Wei

Colorado

Pikes Peak Community College Saajan Kanchanal United States Air Force Academy Alex Moushey

Connecticut Yale University Katelyn Kang

Delaware

University of Delaware Daphne Collias Breanne Keenan Justin Kolwyck

Florida

Florida International University Daniela Ferrato Florida Southern University Joe Janus Florida State University Stacey Hanson Lynn University Tanner Lily University of Central Florida Tyler Peterson University of Miami Meghan Holzmacher University of South Florida Tampa Srmiukhi Karanam

Georgia

Art Institute of Atlanta Brittany Lucious Clark Atlanta University Alexia Billings

Georgia Institute of Technology Colin Heim Andrew Schwartz Savannah College of Art and Design Justin Couchot

Illinois

Columbia College Chicago Julia Halpin Loyola University Monica Lynde Northwestern University Ian Howard Olivet Nazarene University Emily Combs Roosevelt University Mackenzie Money School of the Art Institute of Chicago Tyler Gunn University of Illinois Joseph Spencer Western Illinois University Shannon Drake

Indiana

Anderson University Connor Adkins Ball State University Miranda Carney Katy Nicholas Butler University Melissa Iannuzzi Katie Pilone Becca R. Stewart Hanover College Morgan Cole Michael Van Kleunen Indiana Wesleyan University Meghan Beegle Indiana University Annie Coyle Jimena Esperza Kevin Hyland Janica Kaneshiro Anthony Rabas Purdue University Abby Lebowitz Tania Matthew Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Chris Grable University of Indianapolis Claire Wehby

Kansas

University of Kansas Kylee Alvarez Jami Bechard Samuel Zobel

Kentucky

Centre College David Baker Gill

Other

Eastern Kentucky University Mary Asher Heather Zimmerman Georgetown College Katie Baker Eric Balmer Northern Kentucky University Chloe Brown Alyssa Cousineau Jonathan DeLotell Chag Fagan Andrew Murray Carrie Thompson James Weingand Meagana Wilkins University of Kentucky Kaitlin Cash Jordan Clatterbuck Alison DiGennaro Brandon Engleman Margo Hutchison Abbey Klever Dillon Leisure Chelsea Mullen Chase Scheuer Zachary Taylor University of Louisville Alex Henn Alex Morris Western Kentucky University Ryan McNally

Maryland

United States Naval Academy Mitchell Evans

Massachusetts

Harvard University Sarah Sohn New England Conservatory of Music Andrew Bass Northeastern University Jonathan Chen

Michigan

Eastern Michigan University Brad Lebling University of Michigan Olivia Kemppainen Tina Pan Nicole Rojas Varsha Swamy

Mississippi Mississippi State University Alexis Daulton

Missouri

Missouri State University Maggie West

St. Louis University Rachel Hawthorne University of Missouri Thomas Carter James Nosek Washington University in St. Louis Diana He Daniel Lang Kathleen Yang

New York

Fashion Institute of Technology Annie Clark New York School of Interior Design Aparna Avasarala New York University Wei Sun Nadine Zaki Parsons The New School for Design Nick Caserta United States Military Academy Kaeleigh Warfield

North Carolina

Duke University Qian Wang Emma Zhao Wake Forest University Anna Carley Western Carolina University Mackenzie Jensen

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University Monica Lake

Pennsylvania

Grove City College Stewart Bowman Pennsylvania State University Maria Hurtado University of Pittsburgh Mili Patel

South Carolina

Clemson University Reeve Bergesen Andrew Carlin Alyssa Crossley Megan Helwagen Jamie Sobotka Coastal Carolina University Tristyn Kuehn University of South Carolina Chad Curtis Lauren DeLuca Sheida Ketabchi Shelby Laterza Andrew Morin Maggie Stouffer

Winthrop University Taylor Walton

Tennessee

Belmont University Courtney Brackman Danielle Doucette Paige Hardman Camden Moser Lauren Taylor Lee University Sidney Hays Mackenzie Walters Lipscomb University Elias Magana Tennessee State Univsersity Karima Davenport Tulsculum College Gabrielle Whitt Vanderbilt University Nazharie Brandon Cyrus Yang University of Tennessee Courtney Larkin

Texas

Baylor University Alex Woelk Texas A&M University Sahir Rama

Utah

Brigham Young University Doug Belnap Kayla Christensen Michael Duplisea Connor Noe

Virginia

Sweet Briar College Taylor Klos Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Greg Crabtree Luke Woodward

Washington DC Howard University Jasmine Staples

West Virginia

West Virginia University TJ Burich Morgan Emter Ashley Frye Wheeling Jesuit University Darin Harris

Wyoming

University of Wyoming Jake Wittman

Kelly Abbott—Working Joey Albondante—Army Batchuluun Byambakhuu—Working Kyle Biser—Navy communications/mechanics Ruud Boosveld—Working Jennifer Boylan—Undecided Jessica Chambers—Amry Military Police Matthew Chisholm—Unsure Tyler Christen-Davidson—Join a temp service Joey Collins—Unsure Kylie Corey—Constant Companions and Charleston Club Dechassa Demeksa—Air Force Adam Doty—Air Force Explosive Ordinance Disposal Wesley Doper—Taking a year off Alexandria Duritsch—Navy Electrician or Nursing Spencer Eddingfield—Working Daniel Fair—Taking time off Jonathan Frye—Marines Infantry Colin Gallagher—Army Eric German—Working Jorge Gonzalez—Going to school in Mexico (Escuela Superior de Ingeniera y arquitectura) Cody Hawkins—Motorcycle Mechanics Charles Hensely—Air Force Will Hirst—Unsure Noah Holbrook—Becoming a mountain man Aubrey Ingram—Undecided Jacob Inzerello--Unsure Shanna James—Taking a semester off Elyse Kautz—Going to beauty school Anthony Keene—Navy, Fire fighting Nicholas Krekeler—Working Mouna Kodali—Going to school in India (NRI Medical College) Samantha Kom—Moving to Arizona Aaron Lattocha—Army Special Forces Lizbeth Martinez—Going to beauty school Christopher Masters--Unsure Mark McAlpine—No plans Kyle McIntyre—Working Alicia Moreno—Undecided Andrea Morgan—Taking a year off Jack Middleton—Moved to England Alex Miller—Air Force SAR & Para-rescue Ann Murphy—Working Tammy Novicki—Working Kishan Parikh—Unsure Alex Perkins—Traveling Cody Pridemore—Working Tim Reale—Going to St. Andrew’s Preparatory School Killian Richardson—Air Force Aircraft Loadmasters Jessica Rodriguez-Velazquez—Working Matthew Rutherford—Working Lee Schneider—Working Suzu Shibayama—Going back to Japan to apply for college Madison Sloan--Unsure Russell Smith—Working Rebecca D. Stewart –Mission work in Uganda Daniel Theiss—Taking a year off Forrest Theiss—Taking a year off Josh Thierauf—Working Shane Thompson—Undecided Jared Violet—Going to trade school Eoin Walden--Undecided Jessica Whitater—Going to cosmetology school Danielle Wiley—Going into the army Dylan Williams—Working Amanda Witt—Moved to Kentucky Shoko Yamashita—Going to Japan Ignacio Yanneris—Going to University of Guam in Guam

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C

MAY 18, 2012

C FEATURE Other paths PAGE 12

The weight of Prom

MHS girls anticipate Prom night

SEE PAGE 20

PAGE 19 | MAY 18, 2012

to success

With Prom tomorrow night, the countdown begins for seniors; there are eight days left of the 2012 school year and with waiting comes anticipation for the future. For some students this means college life is just a summer away, for others it means the alternative.

Jorge Gonzalez Mitchell Matacia | Staff Writer

When seniors look for colleges, generally, their scope is limited due to the lofty expense of out-of-state tuition. In most cases though, moving away from their hometown is enough to reclaim some form of adventure. However, senior Jorge Gonzalez, who was born in Morelia, Michoacán, will most likely be traveling back to Mexico with his family to attend college. “[My parents’] plan was for [me] to finish high school here,” Gonzalez said. “They didn’t really worry about me applying to colleges here. They were just like, ‘You can go down there, you can study at college [in Mexico].’”

If he moves back to Mexico, Gonzalez said he’ll probably focus his attention on mechanical engineering in college, as for the specific college, he’s undecided.

“I mean there are plenty of [colleges] down there, I

really haven’t looked into like which one I want to go to,” Gonzalez said. “It’s still a process of [whether] my family is going to move down there or not. “ Gonzalez said that the benefit of attending college in Mexico is not only being home with his family, but also the reduced cost, making his options more available. He’s continuing to look at colleges that offer him the tools to support his desired hands-on training in his field.

“College down there is a lot cheaper than it is in [the U.S.],” Gonzalez said. “I’ll just have to see around.”

Despite being offered to wrestle in college in the U.S., Gonzalez said he’ll go back to Mexico with his family.

“I was going to probably wrestle in college, but then it came that my parents might be moving,” Gonzalez said. “I had a lot of offers, but I didn’t really look into it. I don’t think they wrestle down there.”

As for him and his parents, they’re anticipating living around their relatives again, who would have previously lived a nation away. “[My parents] have been here for a long time,” Gonzalez said. “They miss their family too.”

Spencer Eddingfield Mitchell Matacia | Staff Writer

A person who knows their interests, the college they like and their potential career path at an early age, is often considered fortunate.

However, senior Spencer Eddingfield is one student faced with indecision when selecting a college major. Instead of going right to college after high school, he plans on staying in Mason for another year.

“I plan on just working full time, being able to save up some money [for the first year],” Eddingfield said.

Eddingfield plans to keep his full-time job at Kroger in the following year and during that time, decide on a career path. Originally, he planned to attend college after his senior year, but without a

major, he didn’t feel it made sense.

“Last year I figured I’d just go to college immediately after [high school], but it really hit me like, ‘Oh, I have no idea what I want to do.

Should I rush into it or could that be a really bad decision?’”Eddingfield said.

Although Eddingfield won’t be enrolled in college for the 2013 school year, he does plan to attend college later on. He said that attending the University of Cincinnati might be one of his future options.

“I definitely plan on going to college,” Eddingfield said. “I’ll probably go to UC for the first year and then I can transfer to a more specific college if I need to.”

According to Eddingfield, however, college shouldn’t always be the immediate approach after high school. He said that there are alternatives that people overlook.

“I feel like a lot of people completely dismiss the idea of learning a trade,” Eddingfield said. “There are some careers you can be successful in and make a decent amount of money in without getting a degree.”

Kaeleigh Warfield Taylor Telford | Staff Writer

Like many seniors graduating this year, Warfield is going off to college. She, however, will be attending the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. According to Warfield, West Point will provide her with a vastly different college experience than the majority of college students will have.

“It’s going to be a lot harder than a regular college,” Warfield said. “I will have gone through some things that regular college students can’t even imagine.”

Because West Point is a military college, its students are placed in programs designed specifically for success in the military. According to Warfield, all West Point students take an engineering track, as well as participate in rigorous physical training. Warfield said that every student will undergo periodic tests of their fitness, and if a student fails to pass two consecutive tests, they are kicked out of the school.

Unlike the majority of colleges, West Point students are not required to pay tuition. On the contrary, they are actually paid by the school for their participation through a stipend program which provides students with a monthly cash payment, uniforms, food and necessary materials like textbooks.

In its’ severe discipline and regimented lifestyle, West Point is void of the typical experience many young adults seek when attending college. However, according to Warfield, it is worth it to miss out on the freedoms of a traditional college experience in order to follow a dream and grow into a stronger person.

“I know I’ll be missing out on partying and doing whatever I want to whenever I want to, but I know it will make me a better person in the end, and that’s really what I’m going for,” Warfield said.

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Pressures of Prom

Prom night preparations begins months in advance Nicole Huser | Staff Writer

Tomorrow could possibly be the most important night of a teenage girl’s life. Prom marks the end of a school year, and for upperclassmen it is an opportunity to look their best and be with friends. In order to have the full Prom experience, some girls at Mason High School begin to prepare for the big night much earlier than tomorrow morning.

According to junior Ilayna Busch, in order to cut a few pounds before Prom, she has been sticking to a strict diet and exercise plan.

“Every weekend on Friday and Saturday I have a personal trainer that I go to out in Kenwood,” Busch said. “I’ve been cutting [the size of] meals down as well. A lot of the things I used to eat I don’t eat as much of anymore. At lunch I’m a lot more careful, especially about carbs. The diet that I worked out with my personal trainer focuses on getting my carb intake down. It sounds really lame, but I also do the ‘lose it’ app on my iPhone.”

The ways that some girls choose to cut weight leading up to Prom can be unhealthy, according to Busch.

“I definitely think there’s a healthy way to prepare for Prom and there’s an unhealthy way to do it,” Busch said. “I know of girls who won’t eat at all to lose weight. Those are fast results, but in the long run you usually end up gaining back double the amount you lost. It’s unhealthy for your metabolism as well.”

Prom seems to center around the common theme of looking picture perfect, according to senior Jen Dickhaut.

“I do think Prom focuses a lot on looks, because girls tend to spend a lot of money on a dress and spend a lot of time getting ready for Prom,” Dickhaut said. “But, it’s also the one time during the year that you really do want to concentrate on looks. You don’t really have to worry about your looks every day at school if you don’t want to, but Prom is the one time where you should try to look your best.”

According to Busch, magazines and other media outlets influence the way that girls think they should look the night of Prom.

“In all of the Prom magazines, the models are so skinny and tan,” Busch said. “They all look so perfect, and it’s not realistic at all. I think that it makes people believe that they have to go tanning, and they have to lose a bunch of weight. I personally don’t go to the tanning bed and I’m not starving myself, but there are plenty of girls that take it to those extremes.”

The way that girls should feel towards Prom has been instilled in them since they were very young, according to senior Annie Coyle.

“We always see girls having fun at Prom in movies or on TV shows, and girls hear stories about other girls enjoying themselves at Prom,” Coyle said. “As little girls when you’re growing up you just see Prom displayed all around you.

It’s a tradition that’s been around for so long, and there’s so much hype in getting to get dressed up and go[ing] to Prom. It’s portrayed as this big, magical thing.”

According to Dickhaut, the measures that girls take to get ready for Prom could almost be compared to a wedding.

“I can understand the similarities [between Prom and a wedding], because it kind of is like a mini-wedding,” Dickhaut said. “You don’t have that many opportunities in your life to get your hair and nails done, and wear a really pretty long dress. Obviously your wedding night should be 100 times more special than Prom. Prom is just a great experience to have where you go and dance with your friends.

Prom is a really special experience though, especially for seniors, because it’s kind of the last shebang before you graduate.”

Although Prom is a special night, it will not compare to events in the years to come, according to Coyle.

“Prom is really fun, but it definitely won’t be the best night of your life,” Coyle said. “For a high school student though, especially a girl, I can see why it’s considered such a big deal because it’s one of the biggest events that they’ve experienced so far in their life.”

Regardless of the things that girls have to go through to make their Prom night perfect, according to Busch, it is all worth it in the end.

“Prom is important to me because it’s a night where it’s just about me and my friends, and I don’t have to worry about anything else but enjoying myself,” Busch said. “I want to look my best on that special night.”

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Women break down barriers in comedy Success in ‘Bridesmaids’ and other hit shows puts women on the comedy map Thom Carter | Staff Writer

On the heels of the female-driven comedy “Bridesmaids,” women, according to sophomore Lauren Magness, are put into comedic perspective, gaining recognition never before experienced in the field of humor.

The film’s writers, Annie Mumolo and “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kristen Wiig, received an Oscar nomination at the 84th Annual Academy Awards for best original screenplay. “Bridesmaids’” accolades came after SNL alum Tina Fey, creator of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series “30 Rock,” garnered individual Emmys for outstanding comedy writing as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Magness, a stage actress since the age of six, said its Fey’s ability to not only act, but to write successfully that makes her a standout.

“It shows that she knows the material well and that she not only has to have the comedic timing in performing it, but she also knows how to write material for other performers,” Magness said.

The success of Fey and Wiig are what Magness said is allowing women to emerge from stereotypical roles they have been cast in in the past. She said that the comedic success has let women step out beyond parts in soap operas and chick flicks and, instead, obtain roles not only in typically male dominated comedies—comedies that, according to film critic Roger Ebert, have leveled the playing field between men and women.

“It definitely proves that women are the equal of men in vulgarity, sexual frankness, lust, vulnerability, overdrinking and insecurity,” Ebert said.

C FEATURE According to Magness, the characteristics of “Bridesmaids” that Ebert described in his review are progressing women’s roles into unfamiliar territory.

“The woman’s role in movies isn’t necessarily to sit at home or to be like the good little Christian cheerleader stereotype,” Magness said. “In the movie, ‘27 Dresses,’ the main character’s best friend—how she’s always drunk and hitting on groomsmen—that’s kind of showing how that’s not necessarily a taboo element of society and movies now.”

Senior Danielle Tuell said it was “Bridesmaids’” ability to turn typically taboo and embarrassing material into aspects of womanhood worth laughing about. “[‘Bridesmaids’] took things women are usually embarrassed about and turned them into something funny, because that’s how we think,” Tuell said. “I feel like we deal with so much that all we can do is joke about it.”

As a performer, Tuell said that being female does have its disadvantages when approaching a role that requires a comedic edge.

“When you’re a female, it takes a while to figure out what the line is saying, how to say it and…how to make it funny,” Tuell said.

Magnness also said that there are limitations when it comes to females and their brand of humor. According to her, women must go at comedy differently from men.

“If women come at comedy the same way men do, it can just be seen as abrasive or weird,” Magness said.

“Guys can go too far and it’s just hilarious, whereas girls, if they do that, it’s not seen the same way. It’s something that you have to live with and you have to work around.”

The gender-driven theme has been evident recently as well. Tuell said director and producer Judd Apatow

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illustration by Ajay Agrawal

MAY 18, 2012

(“The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up”) centers much of the humor on his male leads, less on the women who also star in the movie.

“I don’t know if I agree with Judd Apatow and some of his movies,” Tuell said. “I guess some of his female characters are funny, but it’s always the guys that are funny in all of his movies.”

Apatow has had a role lately in bringing some prominent female comedies to theaters and television. He produced “Bridesmaids” and in currently producing the show “Girls” on HBO, written and directed by 25 year-old Lena Dunham.

An ongoing theme of sexuality, particularly women’s, is present in “Girls,” which premiered in April. In an article entitled “The Bleaker Sex,” New York Times columnist Frank Bruni said the show “amplifies a growing chorus of laments over what’s happening on the sexual frontier.”

The upfront nature of both “Bridesmaids” and “Girls” are what Magness said has bridged the gap between men and women and how they approach comedy, suggestive material including sex and overdrinking being part of the cause.

Tuell said that after being ignored for so long, it’s time for women to do and say what they want on the public stage.

“We’ve kind of gotten overlooked or outshined by men who are able to do so much when we can do so little,” Tuell said. “Now we’re able to say what’s on our minds in front of the camera.”

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Moving on up

C FEATURE

MAY 18, 2012

Each grade prepares to move up to a new year of high school Ashley Calvani | Staff Writer

photos by Ashley Calvani and photo art by Jami Bechard

Eighth Grade

Freshman Sam Hodge said that despite the anxiety about freshman year, it wasn’t as bad as it was made out to be.

“When you actually get here, it’s so much easier than you think it will be,” Hodge said. “I was surprised at how easy of a transition it was.”

The hardest part about the transition was the reality check that came with it, according to Hodge. “[Not being on top of the school] was definitely a shock for a lot of people,” Hodge said. “For the most part, though, I have seen everyone get the hang of high school and realize what they have to do to be successful.”

Hodge said that continuing that success shouldn’t be too hard because, although sophomore year includes tougher classes and more work, he feels prepared for the pick-up in pace and is excited to meet even more people.

“A lot of freshmen are in small friend-groups, and it’s hard to split those groups and get them to join others,” Hodge said. “I’m expecting that to change. When you get in [the high school] and you start to have classes with different people, you meet new people you never even saw before [that are] in your grade.”

Although he realizes he still has a long way to go in high school, Hodge said he is ready and waiting for his sophomore schedule to come out.

“This year went by really fast,” Hodge said.

“I’m ready to see what’s coming, ready to do big things.”

“Everyone has just really come into their own,” Dean said. “We don’t necessarily have defining moments, but individuals have become defined.”

Dean said that this year she learned to be more positive, confident and to give others the benefit of the doubt.

“There has been so much to learn about college, AP classes and writing,” Dean said. “Junior year, a lot is thrown at you…but because of that, you figure out what you’re interests are and more about who you are as a person.”

The funny thing about high school, Dean said, is that it is always sure that more change is yet to come.

“I’ve heard that [senior year] is awesome,” Dean said.

“We get to be the leaders of the school. A lot of people say it’s so easy compared to junior year, and that they don’t do any work, but I’m still taking harder classes. It will be a lot less stressful, but still challenging. …I still have to worry about college. Mostly, though, everyone says that senior year is bittersweet.”

Despite the fact that a lot of people feel sentimental, Dean said she can’t deny her excitement.

“I don’t think I’m going to be that person who is crying [when it’s over],” Dean said. “You see people crying on senior nights, but I’ll probably be the one [cheering].

It’s exciting to me.”

It will be surreal, according to Dean, to not have anyone else above her.

“I’m worried about picking schools and scholarships, but I think we’re all probably worried about stepping up and making [senior year] our own,” Dean said. “There’s no one else above us now. This is the final year, and we’re the role models. We’ve come a long way.”

The junior

Junior Dani Dean said that the juniors this year are defined by a newfound individuality.

Junior

The freshman

Sophomore Johnson Thomas said he has watched the sophomore class this year grow closer and take on a brighter mentality.

“No matter what our class has been through, we’re always able to roll with the punches,” Thomas said.

“We are still able to stay positive, never forget, and take everything as a learning experience. Our [hardest times] were the times when we were the closest and the strongest.”

Thomas said that for sophomores, becoming closer brought extra support as everyone was learning how to handle more responsibilities.

“The biggest thing I learned this year was that I can be there for my friends, but in the end I have to be there for myself as well,” Thomas said. “You have to balance everything. I know that my friends are always going to be there for me, but my school work is the only thing I can’t go back and change.”

According to Thomas, [high school] will only get tougher based on what he has heard from upperclassmen this year “I went from taking one AP this year to three next year,” Thomas said. “I’ve heard that junior year is just a time when a lot of stuff gets packed on to you. …I’ve also heard its fun though, because you have Prom, and everyone is starting to reach that age where you are mature about more things. Once I get there, that’s when I’ll find out what I’m capable of. ” According to Thomas, the sophomores still have a lot to figure out.

“We’re anxious about being able to find that balance between everything, but mostly about finding who [we] are in high school,” Thomas said. “For everyone, high school is different. Hopefully, when I look back, I won’t have any regrets.”

Sophopmore

Each class at Mason High School must adapt each and every year to new transitions and stages of life. Some are on the brink of new beginnings, and some have come to endings. For eighth-grader Monica Touby, high school on the horizon is a substantial new beginning.

“Our teachers have started saying that the high schoolers aren’t going to accept [some people’s behavior] next year, and that [they] need to make sure they’re more mature for next year,” Touby said.

Touby said that hopefully that maturity will come soon, because she sees the lack of it carried over into drama and cliques that are so prevalent amongst her eighth-grade peers.

“I don’t feel like I have a clique to be in,” Touby said.

“It seems like a lot of people have found their group though, and that is what people like me worry about [going into high school]. ...It is a big transition, especially socially. I’m excited for the freedom that you get in high school, though. I know there will be more freedom and options.”

That freedom can be daunting when you’re doing it alone, Touby said.

“I’m just nervous about finding where I fit.”

The sophomore

Freshman

The eighth-grader

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MAY 18, 2012

Person of Interest Senior Alex Rabah is an involved singer and actor, inside and outside of MHS, who said performing has shaped who he is today.

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Tech speak

Technology influences modern language and conversation Rebekah Barnes | Online Editor

Describe your experience in theater.

“I really like to sing and perform. [They are] definitely [things] I want to keep on doing throughout my life, whether it’s [with] community theater or theater in college. …I like the freedom you have to be whoever you want. With theater, you can just take on a lot of different characters and personalities and you can just be someone different for the time that you’re on the stage. I think that’s a really fun thing to do.”

What has being in Noteorious been like?

“Noteorious was definitely something I won’t regret doing. It’s really different from traditional choirs because we explore more contemporary music and sounds as opposed to classical song. So we get to do popular top 40 songs that everyone enjoys listening to, so we can definitely get into the songs a lot more than we would in a classical piece. It’s just a completely different type of choir that I found enjoyable.”

What has been your favorite part about MHS theater? “[I] definitely [liked] meeting new people. My freshman and sophomore year, I wanted to do it but I was really, really shy. I would always go to the audition rehearsal and I’d learn all the music and learn the lines [then] I’d sign up for an audition but I’d just panic and I wouldn’t end up going to my audition. Junior year I finally just bit my tongue and did it. I was definitely happy I did it.”

As students become attached to their phones, computers and their social media sites, the technological vernacular is beginning to stick in everyday conversation.

“Tweet” and “retweet” are now in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary. With the integration of technologybased terms from sites like Facebook, Twitter, Istagram and Tumblr into every day speech, Mason High School students like senior Lynn Lipps are hearing it more frequently.

Lipps said that she uses terms used from the photo site, Tumblr.com, with her sister, junior Katie Lipps.

Tumblr.com, uses a blog formatting were people can “blog,” “reblog,” and posts media and as of April 30, 2012 has 22,141,199,529 posts on its site.

“I use Tumblr a lot…so my sister and I always say ‘reblog’ and ‘dash’…[which is] your dashboard where everything shows up [on Tumblr;] we always use those in every day conversation,” Lipps said. “If we see something we like, Katie’s [says,] ‘reblog.’”

Lipps said that there is almost a family aspect with her and others who also use Tumblr.

“People from Tumblr, it’s like a little community,” Lipps said. “Everyone…knows all the same words and phrases and we talk to each other that way.”

According to Facebook.com, in December of 2011, there were 845 million monthly-active members, spanning across the globe, yet the “Facebook language” can seem foreign to others. While technology has created a connection among those who participate, Lipps said she admits that this generation’s language may not make sense to all.

English teacher Amanda Bross said that she understands this evolution, but emphasizes an awareness of audience and occasion with her students and their speech. “[The change to technological speech] isn’t a bad thing because I think people are still

If you could be a musical instrument, what would you be and why?

A cello. That is my favorite instrument by far. I just love [how it has] such a mellow sound, but it’s a very powerful instrument at the same time. I’m in love with cello orchestras. I could listen to them all day. I just love the cello. compiled by Corynne Hogan

photo art by Jami Bechard and Erica Boden

communicating,” Bross said. “We’re in constant communication more so than we were before, and it’s just the way language is evolving to make it most appropriate for that medium.”

Both Lipps and Bross said that they think this integration began with the use of AOL Instant Messaging, created in the 1990s. According to Bross, this started a new way to approach language “when we started to have this really condensing of what we were trying to say.”

Lipps said that she finds this constant use of technology terminology as a step backwards for our language, where students cannot seem to separate the world in the classroom, real life and the computer.

“I think [using technological terms is] a step backwards actually,” Lipps said. “It makes you sound way less intelligent and eloquent, and you just come across as [if] there’s no other way to convey your words without relying on [technology] phrases.”

Bross said she has seen these terms and more integrating themselves into students’ writing and tests.

“Where I notice it the most [in my students] is not so much in their speaking… I notice it the most in their writing to be honest; it’s interesting,” Bross said. “[I don’t notice it is] usually an issue on stuff that they type so much but anything that is written in class it kind of blends the worlds.”

And while this language is continuing to become more popular, Lipps said that she doesn’t see it dying off as students’ grow up.

“I don’t think we will forget about [this language],” Lipps said. “Our parents still say stuff from…Fonzi and we still quote old things no matter what, if we’re growing up with it and it stuck in our vocabulary, it’s always going to be a memory that we have that we say when we’re around our friends and our kids are going to think we’re weird unless the technology survives.”

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PAGE 27 | MAY 18, 2012

Eyes

C Sports Columnist

“I hate Derrick Rose for getting hurt.

It was a sad ending to the Chicago Bulls’ season and it left a sour taste in every Chicagoan’s mouth.”

SEE PAGE 30

of a

KILLER

Senior on brink of all- time kill record at MHS

photo by Corynne Hogan

Senior leadership and dedication help boys’ varsity volleyball team to best season in school history Chloe Knue | Staff Writer

The Mason men’s varsity volleyball team is having its best season in team history. Despite going 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the GMC, the Comets are still considered an underdog as the post season tournament began on Tuesday May 15th. According to head coach Paul Melnick, the team hopes to use this dark horse card to surprise opponents.

“Our goals for the playoffs are pretty simple, keep doing what we have been doing,” Melnick said. “This group has shown up and played every night we have had a game. I do not know where

we will end up in the tournament draw, but since day one of this year, I have told the team we are going to be like the VCU’s and Ohio Universities of this tournament...and knock off one of the big boys.”

Senior starter Killian Richardson said that coming off the successful regular season, the team will continue its play in the post-season tournament against top state competition including strong private schools such as St. Xavier and former state champion Moeller.

“Our goal is to make it as far as possible in the [post season],” Richardson said. “That means getting past St. X and Moeller.”

According to sophomore Johnson Thomas, the team’s success can largely be attributed to all the seniors on the team.

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C What

you

MAY 18, 2012

Story Continued From Page 27

Missed

“We have been successful because of the seniors and their leadership,” Thomas said. “Our offense is better than in previous seasons because Senior we have great seniors on the front 6’5” line. We have grown really close as a team. ...The positive attitudes that Games Played: 64 everyone brings [have] helped us. ...The seniors are willing to teach us Kills: 208 and [the underclassman] are willErrors: 67 ing to learn.”

Times Attacked: 473 Sophomore varsity volleyball player Anthony Lokar said that Kill Effencency: 0.298 senior Richardson has played a key Kill Percentage: 0.440 role this season for the Comets. photo by Corynne Hogan Serve Aces: 27 “I think [Richardson] has become Serving Percentage: 0.890 of major part of our team,” Lokar said. “[On Wednesday May, 9] Blocks: 100 Richardson got 200 kills, which is a Digs: 15 major accomplishment.”

Pass: 2.26 Richardson said he not only thinks of himself as a leader on the “When I get a kill, it just feels like everything team, but also the comic relief. comes off my shoulders and the team is “Being a senior and a leader on getting amped up for the next point.” the team has motivated me to step up,” Richardson said. “I like having the upperclassman look up to me “We have a lot of kids playing [Junior Olymand I like being the guy that my pic] volleyball,” Richardson said. “It prepares us teammates come to. But, sometimes I say crazy to come together as a team.” things, like whenever we come together [as a Regardless of the post-season outcome, Coach team] I say things like, ‘Let’s go ladies’ because I Melnick said that he is proud of the team’s imthink it is important to practice hard, but also it is cool to bond as a team.” provement.

According to Melnick, he has also recognized a “We had great senior leadership,” Melnick said. strong bond between the guys.

“Practices [this season] were very competitive.

“This team believes in the team concept,” We got better every day we practiced. We tried to Melnick said. “The play for each other, they are have a purpose at everything we did.” coachable, and they are unselfish.”

The talent level has also improved this year due to Junior Olympic volleyball, which is an off-season club volleyball league, Richardson said.

Killian’s Stats

Softball

Senior softball player Margo Hutchison broke the MHS record for homeruns in a season against Lakota East on April 27. The former record was five. Hutchison finished the regular season with a GMC best 9 homers.

Boys’ Lacrosse The Mason boys’ lacrosse team finished the regular season with an overall record of 12-4. They finished on four game winning streak.

C Quick Hitters Mason Captures All Sports Trophy The boys’ and girls’ track teams, the boys’ tennis team and the varsity baseball team all won the GMC title for their respective sports. Mason has won the trophy every year since joining the conference in the 2007-2008 school year.

Boys’ Basketball Players Commit Last week senior forward Michael Van Kleunen committed to play basketball at Hanover College. His fellow teammate, senior point guard Tim Reale, will be pursuing basketball at St. Andrews Preparatory School.

C The Numbers

9:44 Tom Clark is ranked first in the GMC 3200 meter run with a time of 9 minutes and 44 seconds.

This time is 5 seconds less than the second place runner from Colerain.

9

Softball player Margo Hutchison leads the GMC conference with 9 home runs this season.

14-2 0.00 2:24.10 The boys’ varsity tennis team won the GMC with an overall record of 14-2.

Mason baseball pitcher, Cody Apking, is four-way tied for first in the GMC with a run average of 0.00.

Girl’s track and field distance runner Monica Lake is ranked third in the GMC with an 800 time of 2:24:10.

results as of May 14

MAY 18, 2012

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Looking

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forward

Varsity football team takes advantage of the offseason to train after losing 17 senior starters

James Nosek | Staff Writer

May is a busy month for the Mason varsity football team, but that’s nothing new.

Since head coach Brian Castner took over the program two years ago, an attitude of family has shaped the team into a top GMC competitor, on and off the field.

Last season the “Long Green Line” helped lead the Comets to their first playoff appearance in over seven years, but Castner said the motto isn’t just another saying; it’s a lifestyle instilled in on every one of his players.

“We don’t just talk about the ‘Long Green Line,’ we walk it,” Castner said. “We have a staff and group of young men that believe in it.”

And the motto doesn’t just apply to football.

In the month of May, the Comets will focus on next year’s season—that starts August 24 against Springboro—but not before doing many off-thefield projects that center around strengthening the community. Mason will be helping out at both the Marvin Lewis and the Anthony Munoz golf outings/charities, as well as doing work at local churches and work with senior citizens.

“It is a big ‘give back’ month,” Castner said.

“There’s a lot going on and we’re giving a lot back to the community.”

The charity work is on top of a training regiment—lifting and agility work Monday, Wednesday, Friday—that has been going strong since January. Castner said this month will be a key to: get the freshmen into the swing of things, start strength and agility testing and prepare for the start of summer camp,

C Trading Punches Mason has owned the all sports trophy since they joined the Greater Miami Conference five years ago.

Do the athletes at MHS care if they’re the all sports champions?

Mason athletes do care about having the all Joseph Spencer sports trophy.

It gives us a certain pride as a school knowing that as a whole we are the best athletic group in the league even if one sport doesn’t do as well as another. This year gives us a special sense of pride due to the fact that we set the record for all around points. Go Comets! It’s been a great four years.

which starts July 16. He also said if the Comets want to repeat the success of last season, then this month of training and preparation is vital looking towards August—especially when 27 seniors are gradating, and 17 of those being starters.

“Every year, regardless if we lose 17 starters or five starters, we are going to continue to have the basic goal, and that is to get better,” Castner said. “We have to get in [the weight room], work our tails off, be unselfish and give everything we have.”

The only returning starter on offense from the 2011 season is running back Darryl Johnson. The 5’11,” 187 lb tailback is coming off a First Team All-GMC year, where he rushed for 1344 yards and 18 touchdowns. Johnson, who Castner said will be the top offensive player for this coming year, has been at the core of the Mason workouts as well as workouts he is completing on own. He said his goal is to outshine his performances of last year, despite the big challenge that is ahead—Johnson’s whole offensive line is graduating.

“Next year will be harder just because I’ll have a new offensive line,” Johnson said. “I’m working hard because I want to be better than last year; I want to be number one.”

If Mason wants to avenge their 17-6 first round playoff loss to St. Xavier last November, Castner said it all starts with the hard work in the offseason and the dedication from each member of the “Long Green Line.”

“We need to recognize that we are [98] days away from the first game and [64] days away from the start of camp,” Castner said. “We need to understand that when we come together as a team on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, that’s the number one priority.”

People in general don’t realize that the All-Sports James Nosek Trophy represents the dominance of a sports program.

That’s essentially what it is. I think athletes are even more clueless to the accomplishments that the Mason Athletics program achieves every year—five All-Sports Trophies in five years. They think it’s just a small pat on the back because of how under the radar the trophy really is. It is a bigger deal than people play it out to be.

For athletes at Mason, the all sports trophy is just another Katelyn Cain check mark on our long list of accomplishments. We’ve established dominance in the GMC, so by now people are just used to all of the accomplishments that Mason athletes achieve. It seems like we pretty much expect to get the all sports trophy, so when we do get it, it’s not that big of a deal to them, because we’ve got it for the past four years.

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MAY 18, 2012

TWIN TOWERS Varsity baseball pitchers, juniors T.j. Zeuch and Andrew McDonald, use their height as an advantage on the mound

Joseph Spencer | Staff Writer

photo by Corynne Hogan

Junior pitchers T.j. Zeuch and Andrew McDonald, who stand at 6’8” and 6’5” respectively, have a combined record of 11-1 for the regular season.

The Mason varsity baseball team is having one of their most successful seasons this year; a year that included winning their first GMC title. Much of their success is due to their two outstanding pitchers, juniors T.j. Zeuch and Andrew McDonald, also known as the “Twin Towers,” because of their heights; 6’8” and 6’5” respectively.

According to Senior pitcher Zach Boden, he was the originator of the esteemed nickname for these two pitchers.

“They are both super tall and really dominate in our league,” Boden said.

“So, one day I just started calling them the ‘Twin Towers.’”

Being labeled as a duo, the two have been a vital part in the Comets’ success this year with a combined record of 111, and over 13 feet of pitcher. According to Zeuch, he and McDonald take the most pride in winning for the team.

“As a pitcher, I take the most pride in pitching strikes and putting our defense in the best position,” Zeuch said. “With that said, the biggest thing is getting the win for the team.”

McDonald said winning is big for them and it is also something that they have been doing a lot of this year.

Both pitchers throw in the upper 80’s.

According to McDonald, their heights give them an edge when it comes to pitching.

“My size is a strength of mine,” McDonald said. “Being taller puts you closer to the plate, which makes a pitch in the upper 80’s seem like it is in the lower 90’s to a batter.”

Due to both pitchers success, they have both been getting a lot of contact from colleges around the nation, according to McDonald.

“Both T.j. and I have had a lot of [colleges] coaches come and watch us pitch througouht the season, “McDonald said. “My top two are Georgia Teach and Ohio State.”

Zeuch said he is also cutting down his college choices, but he is not yet down to two schools.

“Right now my top schools are Louisville, Kentucky, Stanford and Virginia.”

Zeuch said.

While both pitchers look forward to playing college ball, McDonald said now they are focused on helping the team in the postseason “We got a number one seed and have some high expectations,” McDonald said. “We just have to go out there and play like we have all year and hopefully everything else will fall into place.”

C Sports Column Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose’s injury should send a message to the Chicago Bulls to search for new players James Nosek | Staff Writer

I hate Derrick Rose for getting hurt. It was a sad ending to the Chicago Bulls’ season and it left a sour taste in every Chicagoan’s mouth. It was like eating a Chicago style dog

with sauerkraut on it.

But, at the same time, I liked Derrick Rose getting hurt. Even though I was about to kill him after he went out of control in the lane during game one against the 76ers, the injury was for the best. And please don’t be ignorant and blame his injury on coach Tom Thibodeu.

To be honest, I didn’t expect the Bulls to get past the Heat in the conference finals anyway. I

was expecting the same results as last year—LeBron James shutting down Rose (if he didn’t get injured) and the Bulls losing. They had the same exact team as last year, besides the addition of the washed up Rip Hamilton. So, the Bulls getting bounced in the first Heat round was actually a blessing in my mind.

It’s the wakeup call that the Bulls need, and more specifically Gar Forman, the GM, needs.

Maybe this is a good sign that there’s an obligation for a change the Bulls’ approach. And I’m not talking about the defensive-scrappy team that Thibs has formulated; I’m talking about a change in the piping system. Overall, I don’t think the team the Bulls have is all that exceptional, they just play well together. Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer

and guys like Ronnie Brewer and CJ Watson are expendable. If they stay, which they probably will, then that’s not all bad. But the Bulls need more fire power if they want to do anything productive in the mission to win an NBA title—aka beat the Heat.

Guys like Ben Gordon, from a few years ago, who are quick slashers that can score is what they need. Besides Rose, there’s no explosive player that can create his own shot. Deng thinks he can take over that role, but looking at his playoff performance, he can’t.

It’s upsetting when the former MVP goes down—and now can’t compete in the Olympic games —but maybe it will send a message to Forman to hire a plumber to fix this team up.

MAY 18, 2012

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