August 2011 Issue

PAY-TO-PLAY

RENOVATIONS

Athletic fees climb statewide, but SHS fairs better than other schools

Find out what’s changing at SHS

2 VACATION

19

Students take life-altering trips to various countries

8 Friday, August 26, 2011 | Volume LIX Issue 1 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.GoAves.com

newsbriefs

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Construction

There will be ongoing construction in the building throughout first quarter in efforts to make our school more eco- friendly. Most of the work will be done behind the scenes or at night, but there may be tiles or other supplies left around the building until the work is completed.

Calamity days

SHS has five calamity days this year, but they may not be the typical snow days students have experienced in the past. By Nov. 1, the district will make a decision as to whether any calamity days beyond these five will be made up at the end of the school year, as is the norm, or if students will instead be responsible for completing lessons online during their day off.

The Log Yearbook

Tables will be set up in the commons on Aug. 29-30 for students to pick up their 2010-2011 yearbooks. Extra yearbooks will be available for purchase on a first come, first serve basis. Students can begin ordering their 2011-2012 yearbooks, which will go up in price after Jan. 1. More information on The Log Yearbook’s new facebook page and on http://www.GoAves. com.

Picture day

Fall picture day is Mon., Aug. 29.

Students should receive a picture form before then. That form should be filled out and returned to school on Mon. if students wish to buy photos. Regardless of whether students purchase the photos or not, the pictures will be featured in the yearbook.

Schedule changes

Students can make changes to their schedules both today and on Mon., Aug. 29. There will be counselors stationed in the commons at lunch, as well as in their offices upstairs.

Though the bulk of schedule changes will be completed during these two days, counselors will continue to work with students within the first five to seven days of school.

NEWS 2-3

9/

Remembering

Jimmy Chau managing editor

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OPINION 4-6

Emma Oh editor-in-chief

FEATURE 7-12

early 10 years ago, Islamic extremists carried out the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.

On Sept. 11, 2001, seven buildings were destroyed, 3,000 lives were lost, and the World Trade Center was reduced to 1.6 million tons of debris.

The tragedy reshaped the face of America and the course of history.

Following 9/11 President George W. Bush launched the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to remove the Taliban from power. For the past decade, news stations have been consumed with stories of Al-Qaeda, soldiers have missed the births of their children, and airports have increased security to the point of full body x-rays.

At the time, most students at SHS were too young to understand the events that unfolded on 9/11 – however, what many did learn was that the world is a scary place. And, it seemed that the good guys could not always save the day.

Now, the 9/11-generation has come of age. Children who were 6 or 7 at the time of the attack currently walk the halls of high school. Many of them cannot remember a time when America was not at war. However, they will always remember the day America’s iconic Twin Towers fell – a tragedy that left a scar in the New York skyline and in the hearts of the American people.

Where were you on 9/11?

“Most of my extended family lives in New York,” said Mary Lynch, 12, “[At the time] I was living in Virginia Water, England. The distance made the entire situation much more difficult to handle.”

On Sept. 11, Mary’s uncle, Michael Lynch, rushed into the World Trade Center with other firefighters from the New York Fire Department. He was pronounced missing the following morning.

“My father got on the first plane to New York, where he then spent time at Ground Zero searching,” she said.

Michael’s body was not found until March 2002 – six months after the attack.

By that time, Mary and her family had already held a funeral for Michael in hopes of finding closure. After completing an autopsy on the body, a doctor informed the Lynches that Michael was trying to save a woman when he died.

Today, Mary and her family are proud to share Michael’s heroic story. Following their son’s death, Mary’s grandparents started the Michael Lynch Memorial

A&E 13-15

Foundation. The organization provides grants to children of living and deceased firefighters, and children of 9/11 victims.

This year, the foundation gave out 21 $7,500 scholarships. Both of Mary’s parents are board members and help choose the recipients of these awards.

“My grandparents were able to find good amidst disaster, so in this way 9/11 has also impacted my family in an amazing way,” said Mary.

This year, Mary’s extended family will be at Ground Zero for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. For families like the Lynches, 9/11 never ended – “We miss Michael every single day,” said Mary, “A fiancé, uncle, son and brother was taken from my family and that has stayed with us every day.”

September 11 at SHS

Mr. Thomas Gaffigan’s American Literature class was finishing up a test when someone came in and announced a plane had hit the World Trade Center.

Gaffigan turned on the television and watched as smoke came pouring out of the North Tower.

“My first selfish instinct was to see where the plane had hit because my brother, Murph [Gaffigan], worked there.

When I saw how high up the crash had occurred, there was a moment of relief.

His business was on a lower floor, so I figured he was fine,” said Gaffigan.

The next class came in and watched live as the second plane hit. At that point, Gaffigan and the rest of America knew this was no accident – it was a premeditated attack on the U.S. Soon after the second impact, the administration decided to cut all news feed. The cable was turned off and teachers were asked to keep students off the internet.

Because of this, most students were unaware of what had happened. Those who were aware worried about relatives; a few even went home early.

Some teachers, like Gaffigan, started to worry about their own kids.

“I thought of my kids, ages 11 and 8, who knew their Uncle Murph worked in the World Trade Center and how it might be best to go get them,” he said.

Although his wife was already en route to pick up their children, he still needed to know the whereabouts of his brother.

“I went to our principal Chuck Mason and told him of my concerns. He said they would cover for me and [that I >> See pg. 2 for more on 9/11

SPORTS 16-19

images by jimmy chau

SPOTLIGHT 20

2

>> 9/11 cont. from pg. 1 should do] what I needed to do.”

Gaffigan soon learned that Murph had arrived at the World Trade Center via subway after the first hit. On his way up, he smelled something burning. Remembering the ’93 attack on the towers, he decided it was best to exit as soon as he reached ground level.

Once outside, Murph witnessed people leaping from the buildings, he watched the second plane slam into the south tower, and he saw both buildings collapse. Eventually, he walked back across town and made it home late in the afternoon.

“I got the call from my mother that Murph was OK and only then did the magnitude of the event really hit me,” said Gaffigan.

Although his brother was not harmed, Gaffigan is still deeply affected by the attack.

“When I go home [to New Jersey], there still seems to be an empty spot in the sky – an absence where there was always a presence before,” he said.

SHS response

Lynch and Gaffigan are only two of the thousands of stories at SHS. In some way or another, each and every student, teacher and alumnus has been affected by 9/11 or the war that followed. Although friends and relatives were lost, and the U.S. was changed forever, SHS rose in the face of opposition to help those in need.

Immediately following the attack, the community collected donations and made cards and posters for the first responders.

On Sept. 22, 2001 Mr. Perry Denehy, athletic trainer, drove to New York City to personally deliver a check of over $1,000 to the captain of FDNY Truck 4. The money benefitted the Police and Fire Widow and Childrens’ Fund. The cards and posters were left in the firehouse kitchen.

“I truly felt humbled to be standing next to some of NYC’s bravest,” said Denehy.

Honoring heroes

Over the years, Sept. 11 has become a day in which Americans pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Americans everywhere gather in unity and dignity to honor the freedoms that have been fought for in the past and continue to be fought for today.

In 2009, President Barack Obama declared Sept. 11 a Day of Service and Remembrance. For SHS, 9/11 is a time to honor the memories of SHS alumni Brandon Haunert, ‘05, and Scott Morrison, ‘05, two students who made a supreme sacrifice in giving their lives to protect American freedom.

Remembering 9/11 is not a choice, but a solemn obligation. On the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, students are encouraged to be of service in their community. SHS offers many service opportunities for all grades. More information about the Day of Service and Remembrance can be found at http://www.911dayofservice.org.

Outside the front office, next to the flag pole there is a large rock that reads “Sycamore Aviators that we have loved and lost. Your spirit will remain with us, always.” That same message goes for the friends, relatives and heroes who lost their lives on one of the worst days in American history.

“Realize that when someone accepts a position like a soldier, a police officer, or a firefighter they agree upon something: they agree to sacrifice their life, should it be called upon, to save yours. Keeping these thoughts and memories alive is what we can do to show our respect and gratitude,” said Denehy.

8.26.2011

More green, less gold

As district increases environment-friendliness, energy costs decrease Ana Barros business manager

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Moriah Krawec associate editor

n an age of failed school levies and teacher cuts, one new plan aims to make a difference. An $8.4 million initiative will not just make SHS more environmentally friendly, but will slash operating costs by as much as $800,000 a year.

According to Mr. Kevin Mays, assistant principal, the plan has been in the works since the passage of Ohio House Bill 264, a mechanism designed to fund upgrades that would save districts in the long run.

HB 264 allows for districts to pay costs of the improvements with energy savings. Another important aspect is that the cost of the upgrades will not count in the district’s debts.

Considering that many districts are financially floundering, money saving is essential. Luckily, the “Going Green Project” masterminds have combined the latest technology with the most energy-efficient equipment to make what will soon be our new district.

“We hope to get the most of levees and taxes and make a more comfortable, environmentfriendly, revenue-generating learning environment,” said Mr. Ted Hungler, SHS building maintenance engineer.

Upgrading equipment

Mays claims that these changes are already underway, but also notes that incoming SHS students will find few obvious differences for this school year.

“A lot of it is changing the plumbing and the HVAC, as well as the light fixtures,” said Mays.

Also, the lights in the classrooms are now state-of-the-art efficient: according to Hungler, the lights are not only motion-sensitive, but also have infrared scanners so they will only go off if there is no one in the room.

The gyms, as well as the parking lot and Gregory Center, now have new LED-like lights, and the gyms have new HVAC air conditioning systems.

The whole school will be tied into the main cooling/heating system, as opposed to being separated by wings, which should keep the school at a more-or-less constant temperature.

Contrary to Maple Dale’s new geo-thermal air conditioning system, SHS has a new ‘green’ coolant system which is predicted to save thousands of dollars in energy savings.

The solar panels located above the lockers, which are facing south to absorb as much solar energy as possible, are currently being used to

heat the pool, but in the future they might be used to heat the rest of the building.

Possibly the most important change, however, occurs in the most unexpected and overlooked of places: the kitchen.

The refrigeration unit has been replaced so that it is air-cooled, as opposed to being dependent on water.

“Imagine the fridges’ cooling system as a hose that is constantly left on throughout the whole day, every single day,” said Hungler. “Each year, the refrigeration unit used up as much as 35 tons of water, most of which was wasted because the cooks were not even using it.”

The new unit maintains the refrigerators’ coolness with less energy and water usage, which is expected to save the district thousands.

“Everything’s being done to make it better,” said Hungler.

Saving thousands a year

Although such upgrades may seem minor to students, they are invaluable to school districts.

According to the Brewer-Garrett energy company, roughly 83 percent of a building’s operating costs are spent on lighting, heating, and cooling.

Therefore, these savings on what Mays deemed to be “power-plant type things” will easily add up to an estimated $700,000 to $800,000 a year for the Sycamore Community School District, and this money matters. “[This revenue means that] we can keep the standard as high as Sycamore has set,” said Hungler. “To stay at the top we need stateof-the-art equipment and education, and that is what we hope to accomplish [with this project].”

Behind schedule

Though the construction workers have been working four days a week, at least ten hours a day, the project will not be done before school starts, so they will have to work full-time after school and on the weekends.

“It takes them one day to install six to eight HVAC units, but two to three days to regulate and fully install the custom-made pieces that are needed,” said Mays. “It is a huge undertaking.”

For now, the temperatures inside the building are expected to vary in the different areas of the school.

“This summer, we never knew if it was going to be extremely cold or extremely hot. Once

we even had to shut down the Gregory Center because it was almost one hundred degrees in there,” said Mays. “But more than half of the classrooms should be up and ready to go once school starts.”

All the equipment should be installed and running smoothly by January, though, and in the long run, these uncomfortable months will pay off.

Teacher layoffs

At SHS alone, three teachers were laid off last year. Also, a number of retiring teachers will not have replacements hired. Teachers who still are employed at SHS will have to work for six bells of the day, as opposed to five.

However, there is no correlation between the laying off of these teachers and the going green development – the project was envisioned two years ago, when the teachers were still employed.

The teachers were “reduced in force” because not enough students were enrolled for their classes, due to the new state graduating requirements for the incoming freshman class.

Additionally, the going green initiative is for the whole Sycamore district, not just SHS, and it will save the district up to $800,000 annually, plus Duke Energy’s $490,000 rebate for the installation of the equipment, so that the whole project will pay for itself in the next ten years.

In the long run, this project is predicted to save the district money.

Extraordinary renovations

As a result of this gargantuan effort, the initiative is sure to be warmly received. Already, many members of the SHS community have expressed appreciation for the cost-cutting measure.

“I think it’s good because all the money that we put will eventually come out, and it’s great for the environment,” said Carla Ibarra, 12.

With new lighting and air-conditioning systems, as well as new heating and refrigeration systems, this project is anything but just another ordinary summer reparation routine.

“Sycamore has so much to offer that we can’t let something like poor heating make us fall behind [on the market],” said Hungler. “Our schools are what we make of them, and we intend to make them the best we possibly can for our students.”

Image by Sarah May

SEVERAL CHANGES TOOK PLACE at SHS over the summer as part of the district’s “Going Green project.” Renovations, such as motion sensored and infrared light systems, will make the building more eco-friendly, saving money in the long run. “We hope to get the most of levees and taxes and make a more comfortable, environment-friendly, revenue-generating learning environment,” said Mr. Ted Hungler, SHS building maintenance engineer.

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8.26.2012

Teacher feature: Jane Finocharo associate editor

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ight new staff members will be joining the SHS faculty this year or switching to a new job within the building.

Ms. Sofia Feist was a student teacher at SHS three years ago and will be returning this year as an English teacher, as will Ms. Stacey Runion. Ms. Katie Dillhoff worked as a long-term substitute in the Launch classroom last year and will be working in Special Education this year. Mr. Brian Sweeney has worked at SHS as a Student Assistance Counselor for several years and will be working as an Academic Counselor this year as well.

Ms. Laura Newton came to SHS as a long-term substitute last year and will be an English teacher this year. Ms. Laura Spitzmueller will be part of the ESL program.

Ms. Jennifer Hester is teaching American History. Finally, Ms. Amanda Conrad, who replaced Mr. Adams after he retired last year, will be teaching Academic Chemistry and Astronomy and Geology.

New educators, staff members eager to join SHS squad

MR. BRIAN SWEENEY, Counselor Subject: Academic counseling for students with last name N and Aves Academy students, student assistance counseling Past Experience: Third year at SHS, but this is first year as academic counselor.

Education: Miami University for undergrad, University of Cincinnati for Masters Favorite movies: Goonies, Braveheart, Shawshank Redemption, Top Gun, The Great Escape, anything with Chris Farley Favorite Music: very eclectic taste - classic rock, country, Gov’t Mule. Always up for new music if students have suggestions.

Favorite book: The Pillars of Earth by Ken Follett Hero, and why: My grandfather. He was a prisoner of war in the first infantry during WWII for almost four years after being captured in Northern Africa. The sacrifice he made for his family and his country is beyond inspiring.

Biggest pet peeve: Being lied to, and traffic.

MS. KATIE DILLHOFF, Special Education Subject: Special Education Past experience: Long-term substitute last year, this is her first full year in Launch classroom Education: Miami University undergraduate, Master’s in Spcial Education at University of Cincinnati Favorite movie: “The Notebook”, “Sleepless in Seattle” Favorite book: Hunger Games, Roald Dahl books

MS. STACEY RUNION, English

MS. LAURA NEWTON, English

Subject: 9th Grade Academic English Education: I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) and I received my Master’s Degree in English Education from Miami University.

Favorite book: This also changes daily, but I loved reading Hunger Games this summer. It was even better than I had heard.

Biggest pet peeve: Impatience. Everything worth doing or achieving takes time.

Subject: 9th grade English Past experience: taught at a district in northeast Ohio, stayed home with kids for 10 years and came to Sycamore last fall.

Education: Wittenberg, Xavier Favorite music: Local indie band called Over the Rhine, classic rock Favorite book: Hard to pick a favorite - Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, Water for Elephants

MS. LAURA SPITZMUELLER, ESL

MS. JENNIFER HESTER, History

MS. AMANDA CONRAD, Science

Subject: Reading and ESOL I Past experience: Taught Spanish and ESOL Education: Ohio University - B.A. in Spanish, UC - M.Ed. Secondary Education, OSU - TESOL Endorsement Favorite movie: Comedies Favorite band: Dave Matthews Band, Mumford & Sons Favorite book: I love reading children’s books with my 4-year-old.

Hero: People who are strong leaders.

Biggest pet peeve: Entitlement

Subject: 10th grade American history Past experience: Fairfield, SJHS, Deer Park Education: Milford High School, Miami University Favorite movie: “Forrest Gump” Favorite band: Rascal Flatts Favorite book: Hunger Games series Hero, and why: Teacher and author Ron Clark, because he is refreshingly enthusiastic and passionate and extremely inspirational.

Biggest pet peeve: When people do not say “please” and “thank you”

Subject: Academic Chemistry, Astronomy and Geology Past experience: Taught biology and Anatomy and Physiology after Mr. Adams retired last year Education: Marshall University! Go Herd!

Favorite movie: “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Shawshank Redemption”

MS. SOFIA FEIST, English

Information to be posted on http://www.goaves.com

All images by staff

Fresh face carries new ideas to Chinese program Kelcie Grega associate editor

Yet another change is occurring within the global language classes. Only two years after Mandarin Chinese was introduced, a new teacher will take the place of Ms. Rhoda Weston, who is moving on to teach at CHCA. Though she will continue to spread her teachings to other students, she will be missed by SHS. Ms. Ning Zhang is the new Chinese teacher, and, just like Weston, will be teaching at both SHS and SJHS. “I think that I can handle the travelling between these two buildings. I have my suitcase packed already,” said Zhang.

Before taking on the job at SHS, Zhang was a teacher at Chinese Heritage School.

Like Weston, Zhang has enthusiasm that will keep the

Mandarin Chinese program thriving. She and the global language department will work together to develop and expand it further.

“The school will make decisions about the program’s development... it will be a team effort, and I am glad that I am one part of the team,” said Zhang.

As a resident of the Sycamore school district, Zhang is very excited to begin teaching at SHS. “Sycamore schools are my dream schools [to teach at]. I believe that I can contribute a great deal to our program,” said Zhang.

Zhang is also ready to incorporate her own ideas into the program and to help make the program even stronger.

“Studying Chinese means not only the language, but also a culture and a people. Besides teaching vocabulary and

grammar, I always like to organize some fun activities to keep students’ interest in Chinese language and culture,” said Zhang.

To most English speakers, Mandarin Chinese seems one of the most difficult languages to learn. However, Mandarin is like most languages; it has its difficult aspects and not so difficult aspects.

Zhang will help her students through the difficulties of Mandarin. She believes that there are many advantages to learning a new language when living in today’s world.

“I will provide my students some helpful learning links so they can practice Mandarin Chinese and learn more about culture at home if they want. There are so many successful cases already, we can make it happen too,” said Zhang.

4

the Sycamore

8.26.2011

leaf

Dipal-Oh-tics

Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road | Cincinnati, OH 45242 Mission Statement: The Leaf, the official newspaper of Sycamore High School, serves as an educational tool in the training of student journalists to provide information and editorial leadership concerning school, national, and world issues, to provide a public forum for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints, and to give coverage to newsworthy events directly related to the diverse school population.

Editorial Policy: Although students work under the guidance of a professional faculty member, the content is ultimately determined by the student staff and should reflect all areas of student interest, including topics about which there may be dissent and controversy.

Students cannot publish material that is obscene, libelous, or will cause “a substantial disruption of the educational process.” Content that may stimulate heated debate or discussion is not included in this definition.

The Leaf operates as an open forum for the healthy, robust exchange of ideas. Opinions expressed in the editorials are those of The Leaf staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged.

All letters must be signed. The letters, not to exceed 300 words, may be edited for clarity, spelling, and grammar. Letters may be placed in Mrs. Cheralyn Jardine’s mailbox, dropped off in room 115, or e-mailed to jardinec@ sycamoreschools.org.

The Leaf reserves the right to decide not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness, and circumstances decided on by the editorial board. In cases that the editorial board decides not to cover a death, letters to the editor in regard to that death will be printed.

The Leaf’s complete editorial policies can be found at www.goaves.com.

For comments about columns, please write to writetotheleaf@gmail.com Editors-in-chief: Emma Oh, SM Dipali Associate Editors: Jane Finocharo, Moriah Krawec, Kelcie Grega Managing Editors: Jimmy Chau, Aditi Sharma Business Managers: Ana Barros, Ellie Goldman

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

News Sarah May Forum Kelcie Grega Rishi Choubey Feature Aditi Sharma Shea Lothrop Clubs Krittika Chatterjee Ellie Goldman A&E Michael DeMaio Shayna Siegel Sports Bennett Kaplan Danny Bayliss Michael Saxon Spotlight Alexx Lazar Madi Ashley Cartoonist Lilly Lefton Web Masters Jacob Deitloff Ross Johnstal

Staff Writers Dilia Abdusamatova Denae Bellilti Michael Saxon John Carroll Alec Bochner Gariauna Daniels Mark Eilers Gabriela GodinezFeregrino Devon Grubba Aaron Ishida Shea Lothrop Orion Radtke Casey Rayburn Cailin Rogers Ilana Vinnik Sanika Vaidya

Photographer Jeremy McDaniel Adviser Cheralyn Jardine About us Professional memberships: • Columbia Scholastic Press Association • Journalism Education Association

• National Scholastic High School Press Association • Ohio Scholastic Media Association • Ohio Professional Writers (National Federation of Women Writers) • Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honorary

‘Missouri Senate Bill 54’ SM Dipali editor-in-chief &

Emma Oh editor-in-chief

On Aug. 28, Senate Bill 54 will go into effect in Missouri. SB-54, also known as the Amy Hestir Davis Student Protection Act, prohibits teachers from engaging in private communication with students, particularly on social networking sites. The bill was named for a student who was sexually abused by a teacher in junior high.

E: As I was researching SB-54, I

STAFF EDITORIAL

The tragedy that occurred on 9/11 was just that – a tragedy.

But the worst thing to do – and, frankly, the easy thing to do – would be to reciprocate with more hate.

Instead we have turned a day of trauma and heartbreak into a day of compassion.

In 2009, Sept. 11 was formally declared a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

According to http://911dayofservice. org, the Web site dedicated to the day, they hope to “provide a positive and forward-looking way for Americans and others to forever honor and remember the 9/11 victims, survivors, and the many that rose in service in response to the 9/11 tragedy...”

Rather than dwell on the disaster, the originators of the Day of Service hope that people worldwide will channel their grief and do something more positive to help out their communities.

However, we should not limit ourselves to just one day of service. In fact, we can-

not; to do so would be socially irresponsible.

SHS raises thousands of dollars for charity each year. If we limited ourselves to just one day of giving, thousands of people would not have received the help that they needed.

Caring for others should not be limited to one day, and opportunities present themselves everyday, especially at SHS. With the start of a new school year, asking someone new to join you at lunch or helping someone pick up their spilled school supplies can be the highlight of someone’s day. Remember that no good deed is insigificant.

So, on Sept. 11, go out and serve the community; volunteer at a soup kitchen, tutor at Operation Giveback, or just perform a random act of kindness for a stranger.

Engage in a compassionate act, and deliver a glimmer of hope on a day of darkness. Just be sure not to stop giving there.

leafing through the masses Where were you on 9/11?

realized that Amy Hestir Davis’ story is not all that uncommon in the United States. Unfortunately, there are a lot of messed up people in this world – and more than you’d guess walk among us in the hallways of our schools.

According to a Congressional Investigation, one out of 10 students in the U.S. has been subjected to sexual misconduct by a school teacher or administrator some time during their school years. That’s millions of kids who have fallen prey to millions of employees within U.S. schools.

Personally, I do not believe SB54 will curb the number of students abused by school employees.

Predators will just find another way to manipulate their victims.

However, SB-54 suggests a solid idea in requiring all schools to adopt policies regarding teacherstudent communication on social networking sites.

The best way to lead a group of people is to learn how to communicate with them in ways they understand. For teachers, that means learning to use 21st century technology, like Facebook and Twitter, to reach out to students.

Individual school policies would allow teachers to use social networking to improve their methods of education while following a clear code of conduct.

D: To me, this is not another one I remember sitting in my classroom at Blue Ash Elementary. We watched the news report and everyone was just really somber.

Nick Aube, 12 On 9/11 I was living in Virginia Water, England, about an hour away from London. My parents’ jobs took us there for two years. But most of my extended family lives in New York, or within 2 hours or so.

Mary Lynch, 12 I was in first grade when it happened, in the cafeteria at school. Then my mom just came to school to pick me up and take me home.

Spencer Clay, 11

of those laws like Ohio’s Jarod’s Law. The situation that Hestir lived through was one that warranted a law as severe as this bill.

Prohibiting communication via social networking is definitely a step closer to preventing cases like Hestir’s in the future.

That being said, I agree with Emma. Not only will the law be difficult to enforce, but blocking communication on Facebook is not the end-all to student-teacher affairs.

But opening the discussion about social media between teachers and students will help bring the faculty’s concerns to light. Questions can be answered in regards to inappropriate types of communication not addressed in the bill.

Yet, while this law accomplishes a lot, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Are teachers only prohibited to friend students in their own class? Can they friend a student who is not in their class?

Can they friend the student after they graduate? After they move?

Furthermore, how will this bill be enforced?

For more DipalOhtics columns, visit www.goaves.com

5

Focusing for ‘grader’ good Tips for a successful start Shea Lothrop feature chief

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ew school years are a perfect time to start fresh - new teachers, a chance to start over with your grades, and the ability to transform the upcoming year into a success.

I have found that academic success comes with motivation.

Nobody complains about getting good grades. In fact, good grades are what spike motivation. And whether knowing it or not, everyone has a curiosity when it comes to their grades.

Think about it, if you truly do not care then why bother talking about how you ‘failed that test’ or ‘bombed that essay’?

In my high school career I quickly learned that short term goals help to excel. At the adolescent age, long term goals diminish quickly.

The thought of needing to get a certain grade for the quarter leads directly towards stress. If you take it one grade at a time they will eventually add up to what you want.

With each student having seven classes at SHS, we cannot afford to psych ourselves out.

When you focus on one assignment at a time you will find that your work is better quality. Quality work initiates good grades.

The effort put into schoolwork is dependent upon you.

Another major aspect to excelling through high school is our teachers. Building solid relationships with them is a wise choice.

ATHLETES, such as Cassidy Thomas, 12, are under even more stress than the average student as they have to balance sports, social activities and school work. While it may seem like college is a long time away, it is important to receive good grades each year.

Believe it or not, teachers do grade us fairly. Their job is not to pick favorites, but to help everyone equally. If you do not pay attention in class and your grades reflect that, take responsibility.

Often, students first reaction to a bad grade is to immediately blame a teacher when in fact, teachers are the last people to blame. If you would take the time to ask, they would most likely love to give you extra help when you are struggling, as long as you are willing to try.

You should not be afraid to excel in high school. Honestly, if you try your hardest your report card will show it. Do not let something such as social status alter what grades you get.

How you do in high school is the start of your future. High school leads to college, and college leads to the real world.

And to the freshmen, do not think that colleges ignore the grades you receive freshman year, because they care about all four years of your high school career.

If you challenge yourself to excel throughout high school and improve your grades to what you are satisfied with you will not regret it.

For more tips on schoolwork and test taking visit:

http://www.goaves.com

Photo by Emma Oh

Banned: Sarah May news chief

The state has decided to ban bake sales.

There will be no more cookies. No more cupcakes. No more puppy chow. Not sold at an SHS fundraiser, anyway.

Mrs. Jessica Johnson, the new child nutrition manager for our district, says banning bake sales is part of our new “Wellness Policy,” designed in compliance to the recently passed Senate Bill 210.

The bill mandates specific nutritional guidelines, and prohibits the sale of food that does not fall under these guidelines.

According to Johnson, the bill’s intent is to create a “healthy and supportive learning environment that promotes overall school success and be reflected in improved test scores, decreased tardiness and absenteeism, decreased discipline incidences, and increased graduation rates.”

Now, maybe I am missing something here, but I am not quite grasping how a student who buys a cookie is less likely to graduate (or show up at school on time, or stay out of trouble) than a student without the option to buy a cookie.

In fact, I think it may be the opposite.

One of the most impressive qualities of our student body is our involvement within our community. Bake sales provide a simple way in which our students can feel like they are making difference. And they feel that way for good reason—last year, bake sales raised money for many really important organizations.

I know this from firsthand experience. Last November, friends and I organized a bake

SHS bids farewell to bake sales sale for the Jose Cerda Aquatic Foundation, an organization extremely close to our hearts.

When it was all said and done, we raised over $250 for the Foundation.

It seems to me that allowing students an outlet to make a difference promotes more overall school success than denying them that outlet.

Under the bill, students can still ask for “donations,” but they must allow food to be taken without a donation as well as with one.

So essentially, treats must be provided for all SHS students, in the hopes that some may decide to donate.

Bake sales will therefore be much less cost effective, and much more difficult to make a profit off of. That $250 plus we made for the Aquatic Foundation would likely have been much less.

Not only that, but providing free treats to all SHS students would seem to make for a less healthy environment, not a more healthy one, defeating the entire purpose of the bill.

At least under the current system, students have to pay for that cupcake, or that bag of puppy chow, giving students the chance to pause and think for a second about whether they really can afford those extra calories.

All in all, though the intentions behind this bill may have had some merit, it cannot be well applied to SHS, where it will create neither a “healthier” nor a more “supportive” learning environment, considering it will take away money from our community.

But I am interested to see if students still show up late to class a year from now, or whether our graduation rate (which is already above 90 percent) has really improved at all.

IN COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE BILL 210 BAKE sales will no longer take place during school hours at SHS. Students will be allowed to offer baked goods at lunch, but they must allow food to be taken without a donation, as well as with one. The bill’s intent is to create a healthier environment at SHS.

Leaf

GUEST COLUMN Artur Meller guest columnist

The high school is a large place, full of opportunities and the unknown. Admittedly, it is difficult to choose the right after school activities to involve oneself in. Yet after school school activities are a central part of any high school experience, and they help shape the ambitions, skills, and passions of each student.

To help the freshman, or maybe the underclassmen looking to discover a new hobby or interest, I have compiled a list of ten clubs and activities I believe everyone should try while here at SHS. 1. Sports teams: Playing on a sports team completes any high school experience. Play any sport you love and you are guaranteed to improve your time here at SHS. 2. An artistic outlet: Everyone needs an artistic outlet. Take part in Band, Theater, Art Club, or one of the various art programs offered at the high school.

3. Unified for Unifat: A club whose actions speak louder than words. If you want to make a positive difference in the world, join Unified for Unifat.

4. Foreign language clubs: Whether you are taking French, Spanish, or Japanese, consider joining a foreign language club.

They offer a wide array of cultural immersions and are extremely enjoyable.

5. Debate Club: The debate club is a small club of very dedicated students. Anyone with a knack for argument, a good knowledge of politics and issues, or a passion for public speaking should join.

6. Taking an AP class: Many students will purposefully shy away from harder classes. However, the vast majority of us will be attending college; therefore, taking an AP class offers a glimpse of what is ahead. Most AP classes are manageable and they stand out on an application.

7. Model United Nations: Model UN has some bold plans this year, and students who are interested in diplomacy, intellectual discussion, and extremely fun field trips should listen to announcements for this club.

8. Mock Trial: Mock Trial is undoubtedly one of the most involved clubs at our school. Mock trialers take on a fictional court case and go to trial where they square off against other schools.

Mock trial is one of my favorite activities, and I highly recommend checking it out.

9. Intramural sports: Even if athletics are not your forte, intramural sports are a must. Intramural basketball is heated, and for good reason. The competition is fierce every year but every competitor walks away satisfied.

Other intramural sports include soccer, dodgeball, and others.

10. School dances: No high school experience is complete without attending school dances.

You are simply guaranteed to have a good time.

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8.26.2012

Spotlights off:

High school life not like Hollywood movies Moriah Krawec associate editor

W

ith each school year, new students arrive at SHS. Yet, much of the advice that new students, especially freshmen, receive tends to romanticize high school life.

Unfortunately, there are problems with these statements. Although I do not disagree with getting involved or studying, they perpetuate the myth that high school is a place filled with students without reservations, the sort of people who will run up to greet new students.

So, as I enter my last year of high school, I shall advise SHS’s newcomers with real tips: the sort meant for a day of real life, not a two hour-long showing of “High School Musical.”

Be brave

If you are an incoming SHS student, chances are that you already have some friends from middle school. However, whether you are new to the community, or if you just found the middle schoolers to be too catty to befriend, there are several avenues to take in order to establish friendships.

One often-touted way to meet people and to become a part of the community is to participate in an extracurricular activity.

Whether it is trying out for the soccer team or attending a meeting of Book Club, there is something for nearly everyone at SHS. Yet, clubs and extracurriculars are not a catch-all. For example, even though I am actively involved in at least two clubs, the Academic Quiz Team, and The Leaf, I have managed to forge few lasting bonds within those organizations.

Instead, I have noticed that in half of my extracurriculars, the members are extremely exclusionary. Certain members either formed a clique, or the whole ‘club’ was one sprawling group of friends that will not let anyone in, even if they are like-minded.

Not everyone is perfect

As I continued through high school, I was pained to have lost several of my friends from middle school. Although I simply grew apart from most of them, I have had outright conflicts with my closest friends from middle school that led to the end of several friendships.

With few friends and limited opportunities to befriend high school students (I am socially awkward and cannot control my speaking voice well), I was in a prime spot to be influenced by all sorts of people.

Thankfully, I have realized that my former situation is not my fault. It was the work of several cliques, not my social behavor, and now that I am a senior, I know that things can, and will, change.

High school is a tumultuous period in anyone’s life. Although not as universally scorned as junior high, it is still not an easy time for most students.

Finding a support system is the most important factor in being happy in high school.

For example, I have a group of peers that I rely on, but I am also on great terms with many of my teachers.

Also, I urge high schoolers to worry less about fitting in, and to be more concerned with contributing to the common good. Even saying ‘hello’ to that one boy from English class who seems to be lonely can accomplish the same end result as volunteer work: a better, more integrated world.

Or at least a less elitist SHS.

Image by Moriah Krawec

At a February 2011 Chinese Club meeting, sophomores Brent Hamre (left) and Pedro Del Moral Lopez (right) create calligraphy. Although Hamre and Del Moral Lopez met as children, it is never too late in high school to make friends. The vast majority of SHS clubs, Chinese Club included, allow students to join at any time.

‘Someone I can talk, laugh, cry, debate with and still be close to’

SHS finds silver lining around high school

If the previous comparison of high school to ‘High School Musical’ seems intimidating, it is worth mentioning that high school is not anything like one of the numerous ‘Saw’ films, either.

Many SHS students seem to flourish in high school. However, this does not mean that having difficutlties is abnormal, either.

For example, Jessica Schoen, 12, managed to find a group of friends early on that she trusts.

“Color guard...really helped me get involved because when you join (a Band-related activity), you get so many opportunities to come in and help with activities,” said Schoen.

Schoen admits that she once had social problems in middle school, but considers high school a culture that encourages growth. “...Through high school, I have become more social, and have not

just learned more academically, but also socially,” said Schoen.

Others, such as Sarah Refai, 11, appreciate the greater diversity of ages at SHS. “I [got] to make friends from different grades and different backgrounds,” said Refai, while noting that meeting new people through mutual friends is made simpler at SHS. Although the ‘cliques’ that were described by Refai can be beneficial (in fact, Refai used the term neutrally), many groups of friends take their status too seriously.

According to Merriam-Webster, a ‘clique’ is ‘a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons, especially one held together by common interests, views, or purposes.

Groups of friends that mainly stick to socializing with one another are not bad on their own.

“My friends are like any friend; they’re someone (sic) that I can talk, laugh, cry, debate with and still be close to,” said Refai.

Yet, groups of friends can easily become too exclusive.

To remedy this, Mrs. Brenda Fisher, Student Assistance Counselor, offers ample advice.

“It would be important for students to join a club, activity, or sport - do something that interests them,” said Fisher.

While informing students of the value of the Counseling Department’s support group offerings and of teacher connections, Fisher also has a simpler piece of advice.

“It’s important to be your own advocate; to ask for something if we need it,” said Fisher.

For more information on the Counseling Department’s support groups, talk to any Student Assistance Counselor.

Students clear out schedules, benefit from online courses Incoming freshmen have an advantage over previous graduating classes: the Class of 2015 can enroll in online courses.

Such courses can give pupils an edge over their classmates in terms of time. For example, if a sophomore wishes to take her Health class online, she may have time to enroll in a desired elective course.

Here are two significant reasons to take online classes:

1. Take advantage of online 2. Make most of classflexibility

Online classes can allow students to take classes that would ordinarily be impossible to attend with their schedules.

This would be beneficial to a student who, for instance, was taking so many art classes that he could not enroll in a conventional calculus class.

room time

Many pupils wish to enroll in electives early on in high school, but for many, requisite courses such as Foundations of Physical Fitness eat up time for electives.

But if a student takes an online Health class, students can worry less about their spare time.

7

8.26.2011 U4U’s trip to Uganda - page 8

Interview with Emily Kissela, 11 - page 10

Cowboys and pickles - page 11

this

month in

W

feature

elcome to the jungle

Shea Lothrop feature chief

hat freshmen need to know about Homecoming

T

he movie “Means Girls” taught everyone that high school is a jungle. This year it actually isHomecoming is, anyway.

At the beginning of each school year it seems the most anticipated event is Homecoming. This year is no exception.

The jungle themed dance will take place on Sept. 24.

That gives the guys at SHS less than a month to decide who they want to go to the dance with, and to come up with a creative way to ask.

“I’m really excited that Homecoming is jungle themed this year. I think the decorations will be really cool, I hope vines will be hanging from the ceiling. That would be sweet,” said Sam Weiss, 10.

To the freshmen

Upperclassmen have been through Homecoming once, twice, three times. Planning another dance will come easier to them.

Homecoming can morph into a day of commotion if not planned out correctly. Here is a step-by-step guide to having a great first Homecoming: 1. Even though the dance does not take place until late Sept., guys should start asking earlier in the month. Do not hesitate to ask someone, it is normal to ask as friends.

In fact, an overabundance of people go as friends.

It is also okay to ask someone as more than friends.

There is no better opportunity than now.

Do not wait until last minute to ask someone, girls will want to know early on if they are going alone or with a date.

Ask in an imaginative way. Do not invite a girl over text or on Facebook. Be original- find a way that you have not heard of before.

2. Make sure all of the preparations for Saturday are in place; girls, common stores can sell out quickly, make sure a dress is picked out at least a week before the dance.

An additional reason why a dress needs to be picked out early is because Homecoming dates typically match. Guys will need to know what color to wear, waiting until the last minute to tell them could create a problem.

As well as having an outfit in order, confirm with whoever is hosting pictures that a dinner reservation has been made. Reservations fill up rapidly; restaurants can only hold so many people. If a call is made last minute the chances of it being already full are higher.

Finally, the last preparation you need to make before the dance is to have a corsage or boutonniere ordered.

They will be picked up on the day of the dance. friends- and an opportunity to reconnect with fellow 3. Homecoming week at SHS is filled with enthusiasm classmates. for the dance. The week leading up to the dance is called Everyone will have a different Homecoming experience, ‘Spirit Week’. Every day there will be a different theme to so make the best of it. But beware, it is a jungle out there. dress up to. A poster in the commons will be displayed with the 5 themes.

On Friday of spirit week, a pep rally will take place. The theme of that day will be Aviator colors. Each class will be assigned either white, black, yellow, or green. The pep rallies at SHS are similar to those at SJHS. They are designed to k help the students build exciteSept. 19-23: Spirit Wee ment for the Varsity football Sept. 23: game.

-Pep Rally Friday evening, before the -Tailgate football game, there will be a parade and a tailgate. The -Homecoming Game parade will display SHS’s fall Sept. 24: sports teams. Proceeding the pa-Homecoming Dance rade the tailgate will take place -Theme: Jungle and lead directly into the game. a.m.

4. As long as all prior arrange-Time: 9:00 p.m.-12:00 ments are made, Saturday should turn out to be a day of fun with -Girls: friends and fellow classmates.

-Pay for pictures dress Another aspect to remember, -Wear short formal for girls, is that you do not have (but not too short) to spend a lot of money. Hair, r makeup, and nails can be done at - Buy a Boutonniere fo home. Dresses can get expensive, your date so do not feel pressured to expend on everything.

At the dance on Saturday, do -Guys: nner. not ditch whoever you came with.

-Pay for tickets and di The guys go out of their comfort r a nice shirt and tie. ea -W zones to ask, at least dance with (maybe a jacket) them. r date -Buy a Corsage for you “I’m so excited to see all my friends and I hope it will be as fun as everyone says it is,” said Bobbi -Tickets Gregory, 9.

-Single: $15.00 A last facet to remember is it is fine to go with a group of friends, -Couple: $25.00 having a date is not necessary. The Image by Kelcie Grega dance is meant to be a fun time welcoming you back to school with

Homecoming Week

College application process: keys to success SM Dipali editor-in-chief

The end of summer comes and with it arrives the beginning of homework, football games, and school dances. But, most importantly, for the majority of the high school seniors, the end of summer means the beginning of one thing: college applications.

No matter how many colleges a student plans on applying to, the work ahead of them is daunting.

The Common Application, a database utilized by colleges and universities nationwide to standardize the basic application, released on August 1. However, not every college uses the Common Application, instead opting for their own set of questions and essays.

In addition to the single Common Application essay every student is required to write, each

college has its own supplemental essays – usually two or three.

Tack on teacher recommendations, FAFSA forms, a lot of seemingly unanswerable questions, and most seniors are in for a tremendous amount of hard work.

Seem impossible? Guidance counselors, teachers, and graduated students seem to agree that there is one thing that makes the workload a little less overwhelming: starting early.

“It is a great idea to start your college applications early. The quicker you get done, the more fun you will have your senior year. Also, some colleges such as Ohio State do rolling admission so they will respond to your submitted application within weeks of when you turn it in.

This eliminates uncertainty and

anxiety when making college decisions,” said Rohan Dalal, ‘11, who is attending The Ohio State University in the fall.

Starting early has more than one benefit to all seniors. In addition to having extra time to edit and refine all essays, students will have a higher chance of their choice of teacher writing a thorough recommendation, often tailored to each college’s likings.

“A lot of teachers get swamped early on in the school year. They have new students and lesson plans in addition to recommendations for students. If you ask early on, they probably aren’t already writing a bunch of other recommendations. Giving them a lot of notice and the deadline they need to meet is your best bet,” said Adeel Malik, ’11, who is attending Youngstown State

University.

Seniors will also have time to meet with guidance counselors, who are a crucial part to the college admissions process. Most colleges require a recommendation from a guidance counselor so, by setting up a meeting, seniors will have time to discuss college plans and review their transcript.

“My counselor helped me out a lot because the college application process is really nerveracking. They have been through it a lot and they know how to go through the process well. In the end, they help you out not only by giving you college guidance but also calming you down and letting you know that everything is okay,” said Suzie An, ‘11, who is attending the University of Cincinnati in the fall.

Another tip for success: be hyper-organized. Deadlines for applications are scattered but many fall on the same date – this often depends if the submission is for regular decision, early action, or early decision.

“It got so confusing at one point that I had to make a calendar. I marked when everything was due on the calendar and kept a checklist as well. It’s hard to remember everything without having a plan,” said Mallory Condron, ‘11, who is attending University of Cincinnati in the fall.

So with homework and studying piling up quickly in the fall, the best way to lower stress levels is to begin early with college applications. Starting early will ensure a senior year that is much more relaxed and enjoyable.

8

8.26.2011

“UNIFAT has given my heart a home”

Students visit UNIFAT school during life changing trip Jimmy Chau managing editor

B

&

Lina Cardenas feature chief

oard a plane from Cincinnati to Detroit. Make the connecting flight from Detroit to Amsterdam. Wait out the layover and get on the plane to Kigali, Rwanda. Followed by a final flight from Kigali to Entebbe, Uganda. Then make the 7-hour drive over rough African roads to Gulu town, Uganda, and ask about the best primary school in the area.

Without a doubt, UNIFAT will come up somewhere in the conversation. Yet, for such a prestigious school, not very many people even know what it is.

It has something to do with Africa, right?

Well, kind of. There are a couple of key things to remember.

First, UNIFAT stands for the Upper Nile Institute for Appropriate Technology. From its humble beginnings from under a tree in 1985, Abitimo Odongkara, the school’s founder, transformed the institution into a safe haven for students and one of the best primary schools in the country.

Secondly, the school is doing a lot of good.

Sally Evans, 12, president of Unified for UNIFAT, the SHS organization that raises money for the school, puts it best.

“We are really touching lives and saving lives in that we are giving children the chance to succeed and to realize what they are capable of. At the same time, we are giving them a friend who they know will be there to always support them,” said Evans.

Evans was lucky enough to have been selected to visit the UNIFAT school in June 2010.

During her 15-day journey in Uganda, she spent time with the children of the UNIFAT school. Her fondest memory of the trip was the time she spent with Ojok Ojara Phillips, the boy she has been sponsoring for over three years.

“Our reason for being there is simply to become friends with the kids and let them know there are people who really care about them and want them to succeed,” said Evans.

If students are unable to get involved with Unified for UNIFAT (U4U), they can sponsor a child for $300. This money goes towards: tuition, two uniforms, and basic medical care that they would not receive otherwise.

The children who are selected to receive these funds are chosen by Odongkara after she visits their homes and gauges their levels of need.

Photo Courtesy of Jessica Rabin

DURING HER TRIP to Israel, Jessica Rabin, 11, goes for a ride through the desert. Rabin immersed herself in the Israeli culture for four weeks this summer.

Photo Courtesy of Katherine Brown

IN BETWEEN CLASSES, students of the UNIFAT school relax outdoors or play seven stones, a favorite game requiring strategy and agility. Katherine Brown, 12, and Bridget Walsh, 12, of Madeira High School join in on the fun.

Revisiting Roots

Students spend summer in Israel Sarah May news chief

While many of their classmates were stuck at home this summer, Jessica Rabin, 11, and Rachel Willis, 11, travelled halfway around the world in efforts to learn more about their past.

Their destination? Israel, the epicenter of Jewish culture and belief.

“I got to learn new things about my culture and also make really good friends with the Israelis,” said Willis.

Willis lived with an Israeli family for part of her time in the country, witnessing the lives of her new friends, living in a different world.

“You see soldiers and the military everywhere there; that’s something you don’t really see here,” said Rabin.

Unfinished business Even with an ongoing military Brown’s return to American soil does not crisis taking place in the Middle mark the end of her work in Uganda.

East, Willis notes the people She will continue working with SHS’s Uniwere “so sweet, and extremely fied for UNIFAT organization as the club’s welcoming. They were super treasurer. outgoing and nice right from the Furthermore, she plans on taking a gap year beginning.” between her senior year and her freshman Rabin, who stayed in Israel for year of college to either tour the country with four weeks on a NFTY program, the Invisible Children program or to return noticed the advances the country to Gulu to help the children of the UNIFAT had made since her last voyage. school.

“Just seeing how far its come, She reached the decision to take the gap with the religious aspects, the Ongoing legacy year at the beginning of her junior year, and social aspects, and the cultural In June 2011, Katherine Brown, 12, and she said it was a very easy one to make. aspects. That was the biggest Stephanie Adamec, 11, along with seven “I know I want to take this gap year. If it thing,” she said. “Especially with other members of the U4U family traveled all the military stuff going on, to see it come that far was amazAnirudha Vaddadi, 12, interns in Africa, ing.”

Throughout the trip, Rabin and discovers new calling in life her group travelled around Israel, Jimmy Chau had the opportunity to spend Life-altering staying mostly in youth hostels, managing editor two weeks on the East coast of From the trip, Vaddadi came but also in hotels and in kibbutIn a cramped hospital room Africa thanks to Projects Abroad. to realize how much easier life zim, which are small communiin Tanzania, a baby is born by During that time, he volunis in the United States, and how ties scattered around Israel. torchlight; the mother is exhaust- teered at Ngarenaro Health Cenmany take modern convniences Rabin also spent four days ed after hours of labor without ter and worked with an obstetrics for granted. camping out in the desert. drugs to ease the pain; the doctor and gynaecology doctor by the Ironically, the time he spent “Camping in the desert was thanks God for another successname of Dr. Japhet Kivuyo. working in the hospital changed amazing,” she says. “During the ful delivery without any modern Usually he weighed babies, his plans of becoming a doctor. day, you’d just see the never endequipment. administered HIV/AIDS tests, “I felt that being a doctor ing expanse of sand and mounAlthough it sounds like a scene or observed the doctor taking pawould be tedious since you tend tains, and at night, there were the from a 19th century novel, it tients, but during one night shift, to see patients with the same brightest stars I have ever seen.” happens every day in Tanzania. he assisted in delivering a baby. symptoms every single day,” said “I would definitely recommend In a country where power is Unfortunately, the power Vaddadi. a trip like mine to other students only available for 16 hours a day, was out, so they had to do it by His time in Africa allowed him because I got to learn new things at most, and roving blackouts are torchlight. to re-prioritize and figure out about the Jewish culture,” said Photo Courtesy of Anirudha Vaddadi part of the daily routine, the TanWhen he was not busy helping what he plans to do with his life, Willis.

DURING HIS DOWNTIME, Anirudha zanians make due with the scarce out in the hospital, he was able and even though he still does not Rabin agrees. “The food was Vaddadi, 12, got a taste of Tanzanian resources that are available. to venture out and experience know, he is one step closer. really good. And it was just culture. Here, he handles a snake at Tanzanian culture by visiting the Trip of a lifetime When asked if he felt homebeautiful, the whole country was the local zoo. He also went to the homes of citizens and visiting Anirudha Vaddadi, 12, along sick during the trip, he respondbeautiful,” she said. safari and observed indigenous with 19 other aspiring physicians tourist sites such as the safari. ed, “No, but I am homesick now.” animals. to Uganda for the trip of a lifetime, and they blogged about their adventures.

To read about their travels and to learn more about U4U, visit http://unifiedforunifat. wordpress.com/category/gulu-2011/.

During their two-week trip, Brown and Adamec helped the school’s lead mentor, Opiyo Denis, by administering eye exams and preparing flashcards for the children, among other things.

Besides helping out around UNIFAT, the duo also met the children that have inspired them and visited them in their homes.

“At this very moment you could burst with the pure joy of seeing all of the children that have inspired you, written to you, and driven you,” said Brown in a blog entry.

“I was sitting on our hotel porch while everyone was asleep and as I saw UNIFAT kids pass by I knew that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life,” said Adamec.

Paged to Tanzania:

doesn’t work out with Invisible Children I’ll do it with another nonprofit organization.

But this is something I’ve decided to do and will do. There’s no question about it,” said Brown.

Brown plans to apply for her internship with Invisible Children this winter, and hopefully spend a year in San Diego aiding people in northern Uganda affected by the civil war.

The process of taking a gap year is long and tedious, from having separate application processes to finding a place to live for the next year. Despite the tough road ahead of her, Brown is ready for the challenge.

Adamec has the utmost faith in her SHS partner, who she affectionately calls “Kat.” “I think it is a brilliant idea and Invisible Children would be so lucky to have her,” said Adamec. “She is so passionate about this cause and Uganda in general.”

For now, Brown will finish her year at SHS and graduate with the rest of the seniors and then embark on her journey to help out the children of Uganda.

To sum up her experience in Uganda and her plans for the future, nobody can do it better than Brown herself.

“I should be thanking the good-natured and warm-hearted community of UNIFAT for allowing me to experience their culture, traditions, and everyday life. Because regardless of whether I was at home sitting around a bonfire or if I was here, typing, in Gulu, Uganda, I would be grateful, because the community of UNIFAT has given my heart a home.”

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8.26.2011

Behind the scenes of ‘The Leaf’

a&e chiefs

business manager

opinion chief

Mike DeMaio & Shayna Siegel

Ana Barros & Ellie Goldman*

Rishi Choubey & Kelcie Grega*

managing editors editors-in-chief associate editors Jimmy Chau & Aditi Sharma

S.M. Dipali & Emma Oh

Jane Finocharo & Moriah Krawec

feature chiefs

news chief

sports chiefs

Shea Lothrop & Aditi Sharma

Sarah May

All images by Jimmy Chau

All images by staff

Danny Bayliss & Bennett Kaplan

* Not pictured

F 10

rom runway to hallway

8.26.2011

all fashion trends strut their way into SHS

Shea Lothrop feature chief

Back-to-school trends predicted to color the hallways of SHS

M

ost of the styles we see on the runway are too bizarre to strut through the SHS halls. However, a few exempt trends have managed to make it off the runaway and into many wardrobes.

No one could have guessed that one of the biggest trends this fall started in Steven Tyler’s hair. Yes, the high-pitched screaming American Idol judge. Feathers started appearing in his hair while Idol was airing this past spring.

Feathers come in any length between 3 and 16 inches. Not only do they vary in length but there are a myriad of colors and designs.

Many people prefer the subtle and natural colored feathers, to blend in with their hair.

But blending in is the opposite motive of others when they select their feather. Neon pink, yellow, orange, blue, and purple are some of the more popular bright colors.

“I think the feather hair extensions are a cute and fun summer trend. I have ten altogether and I always have fun styling my hair different ways with them. The best part is they are completely temporary and you can get them out whenever you want,” said Stephanie Kessel, 12.

One of the benefits of having a feather is

they can be straightened, curled, and blow dried as if they are normal hair. No matter if you get them clamped in, braided in, or glued in, feathers are a huge fashion trend appearing this fall.

Another trend we see going around is cross-body bags.

Much like feathers they come in a plethora of designs, shapes and sizes. You can get them in bright colors, ruffles, animal prints, fringe, suede, leather, and many more.

Instead of having all the weight of a bag stressed on one shoulder the cross body bag’s weight is distributed to different areas, making it easy to tote around with you. These ‘satchels’ are easy to wear and perfect for most occasions.

A third trend that is appearing this fall is the maxi skirt. The maxi dress made major headlines when celebrities started stepping out in these floor-length dresses. Maxi dresses played a major role on the spring runways but are now starting to fade out and the skirts are fading in.

“Maxi dresses were in, but only for a little it seems. They’re sort of overrated in my opinion,” said Sarah Birckhead, 10.

Gucci’s fall/winter 2012 collection made the Vogue Paris cover when it premiered sheer maxi skirts for the new season, with silk shorts underneath.

This high-fashion-heavy style probably will not make it to the hallways but the lightweight skirts are sure to make an appearance. The slim-cut printed maxi skirts are more favorable for fall than the bright solids of the summer, and are most flattering when worn high-waisted over basic tops.

Guys are also facing some clothing trends this fall, in a less fashionable way.

Mac Miller raps us into the next trend with his song “Snap Back”.

This trend has come back from The Fresh Prince of Belair days and is being spotted on many famous heads. Celebrities such as Wiz Khalifa, Michael Jordan, Lil Wayne, Kayne West, Jay Z, and Chris Brown have been seen wearing a snapback hat.

These adjustable hats are starting to appear more often.

Feathers, cross-body bags, maxi skirts, and snapback hats are only a few of the fall trends that we are seeing.

“For the fall everyone seems to be getting all different kinds of boots. For example, saddle boots from Steve Madden, or combat boots. Either way they are super cute and great for back to school,” said Birckhead.

Keep a look out in the hallway because there are always new fashion trends emerging to suit every sort of style sense.

Image by Ana Barros

Christine, Marty, Tigerlily:

Emily Kissela, 11, gets more than one curtain call a year Mike DeMaio a&e chief

How did you get into theatre?

“I was a competitive gymnast when I was younger, and while standing in line to practice on the bars, I would always sing. My coach overheard me singing and told my mom that I should audition for the show he was stage managing. I auditioned, made the show, and haven’t stopped performing since! It was all thanks to my coach Patrick Clarke.

How do you go above and beyond SHS theatre?

I started with community theatre and eventually worked my way up to working professionally with the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati at a young age, and I am actually still working there now. I just kept putting myself out there and auditioning at a lot of different places and it really paid off.

What is your favorite part of theatre?

My favorite part about theatre, I would have to say, is forming new friendships with the people who are involved. You spend so much time together that you really form a family.

What have you recently done?

Recently with Aves Theatre I played Christine in the Phantom of the Opera, Marty in Grease, and I played Tigerlily in the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s production of Peter Pan Junior.

If other SHS students would like to get involved in theatre how should they do so?

Alll photos by Ana Barros

If a student wants to get involved in theatre they can just take one of the acting classes that the SHS offers or audition for one of the shows.

PERFORMING IN MORE than three shows a year, Emily Kissela, 11, has been in the theater business since she was very little. She currently works for Cincinnati Children’s Theater and performed in two Aves Theater shows last year. “My favorite part about theatre, I would have to say, is forming new friendships with the people who are involved. You spend so much time together that you really form a family,” said Kissela.

‘Dill me in’ 8.26.2011

11

for some good ol’ comics

Lilly Lefton cartoonist

Like what you see? Check out more at www.goaves.com under the multimedia panel!

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8.26.2011

Activities, options for SHS students

All images by staff

New clubs, old favorites offer something for everyone SM Dipali editor-in-chief

&

Emma Oh editor-in-chief

Social service clubs: Social service clubs give a focus to community service. By getting involved at school, whatever hours of work put in are made fun by time with friends.

Volunteer hours done with some of SHS’ social service clubs, particularly Interact Club, can be put toward other purposes, such as National Honor Society.

Academic clubs:

Interact Club: Mrs. Kathryn Korchok

Academic clubs are in abundance at SHS, and for good reason: if there is something a student has expertise in, there is nothing better to go in to.

Interfaith Club: Hanna Goldman, 11; Myra Saeed, 11

Biology Club: Eric Bao, 12

National Honor Society: Patrick Stucker, 12

Book Club: Maddie Shaw, 11

Environmental Club: Ted Simon, 12; Eric Rubeo, 12 Gay-Straight Alliance: Ms. Renee Hevia

Operation Smile: Mrs. Tamara Brewer Stepping Out Club: Christine Touvelle, 12 Unified for UNIFAT: Sally Evans, 12

Computer Club: Mr. Ken Clark Computer Science Club: Mr. Mel Hoffert Math Club: Dr. Keith Brackenridge Mock Trial: Mr. Drew Ostendorf

Language and heritage clubs:

Science Bowl: Mr. Ron Hochstrasser Mrs. Mary Palmer

Language and heritage clubs are some of the most popular at SHS. Typically, they are open to all students, whether they are involved in the class offered for that language or not.

Generally, these clubs provide a deeper explanation of a country’s culture, which make them a wise investment.

Speech and Debate Club: Artur Meller, 12

American Sign Language Club: Katie Caldwell, 11 Asian Club: Sam Casuto, 12

Shakespeare Club: Mrs. Beth LeBlanc

Chinese Club: Zicheng Zhao, 12

Misc. clubs:

French Club: Pauline Cappel, 12

Buffet Club: Mr. Kevin Wittman

Japanese Club: Jireh Kang, 12

Euchre Club: Mr. Michael Vega

Latin Club: Mr. Mark Torlone

Scattegories Club: Jaye Goldschnieder, 12

Black Student Union: Mrs. Robyn Jordan

Spanish Club: Carla Ibarra, 12

Interested in starting a club?

Talk with Mrs. Jen Ulland, Dean of Students, to secure the proper paperwork and signatures.

Is your club not listed?

Contact The Leaf at: thesycamoreleaf@gmail.com

Athletic clubs: There is not a lot not offered in terms of athletics for SHS students, but if anything, activities round it out well.

Fencing Club and Ski Club are some of the more popular clubs because of the sheer fun factor. There is one for everyone.

Fencing Team: Mr. Ron Hochstrasser

SALT: Ms. Deborah Klempt

http://www.goaves.com

Creative and performing arts clubs are some of the most popular. Whether it be the fall theatre production, or a painted mural, most students can find a way to get involved creatively.

Writing, painting, and acting are just a few of the ways to dive in to the creative world at SHS. Art Club: Ellen Wang, 12

Intramural Sports: Mr. Kevin Wittman

Find additional articles on these clubs at:

Creative clubs:

Ski Club: Mr. Eugene Donatell

Aves Theatre: Mr. John Whapam Creative Writing Club: Clayton Hamre, 12 Fashion Club: Ms. Deborah Klempt Film Club: Zack Semones, 12 Improv Aves: Mr. John Whapam

Step Team: Britannee Bell, 12

SEE1: Mr. David Smarelli

Ultimate Frisbee: Megan McCann, 11

Madrigal, SWEET, SHAG: Mr. Ken Holdt

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8.26.2011 Art comes to life - page 14

Top art spots in Cincy - page 15

Best bromance in hip hop - page 15

this

month in

a&e

Marching Band members stretch wings after summer’s reprieve ent theme such as tye-dye.

That being said, the true theme of the camp he long hours on the field, weeks had members with their heads in the clouds. before school starts, are one of many The show “Flight” is a compilation of music, reasons band members may consider marching, and visual flair centered on the sky. marching band to be a sport.

“The theme is more connected to our school Instrumentalists and Color Guard members this year because we’re the Aviamet for two tors, and the show is all about the weeks in August sky,” said Edrienne Co, 11, saxoto learn, prepare phonist. The show features songs and polish their from groups including Owl City show for this and Smashing Pumpkins. school year.

The musical aspect is enhanced Practice began with the coordinated color guard. with the funda“You get the feeling of the mentals and then music but in a visual way,” said progressed to Jessica Schoen, 12, Color Guard working on the Jessica Schoen, 12 veteran of three years. “We might drill that will be have a harder motion to highperformed. light certain notes.”

“We’re excited for this season, we’re learning Objects including flags, called “silks”, and faster than usual,” said Will Sloan, 11, drum rifles are used throughout the show. major. This feeling was seconded by numerous Once the show is perfected it will be perother instrumentalists. formed weekly at football games and taken to It is not all work though; there are many competition. While this year does not boast entertaining bits of Band camp. Each musical a Disney trip, the group will compete in the section competed for recognition and gift cards, Bands of America Grand National Championand everyone participated in a group canoeing ships in Indiana. trip. Additionally, each day showed off a differEllie Goldman business manager

T

You get the feeling of the music, but in a visual way.

Photo courtesy of Photograpy by McDaniels

MANY STUDENTS INVOLVED in the SHS Marching Band practiced during the summer to prepare for their upcoming season. Marching Band members will be performing at multiple halftimes during football games and at numerous competitions.

Aves Theatre: John Carroll staff writer

S

till feeling the thrill of victory from their recent summer production of Grease, the Theater Department has already assembled a line-up for the 2011-2012 school year.

Although the students were already aware that the Acting Ensemble show would be Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”, they were kept writhing in the agony of suspense until the final dress rehearsal for “Grease” on the night of Jul. 20 to learn of what the other two shows would be, and the chronological order in which they would be performed.

First, it was revealed that the fall production would be the timeless classic “Peter Pan,” which will be performed Nov. 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19. This musical adaption of J.M. Barrie’s 1904 play has captured the hearts of thousands since its inception in 1954.

However, there have been murmurs of excitement about the show since as early as May, when Mr. John Whapham, the SHS theater director, announced at acting ensemble auditions that he had purchased many parts of the set of “Peter Pan” from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.

Now that the SHS production of “Peter Pan” is a certainty, the students are quite excited that they will already possess many elements of the set.

“I was fairly certain that we were going to do ‘Peter Pan’ but that definitely didn’t decrease my excitement when he officially announced it. Also, it will probably be a little bit easier to construct the set since we will already have a lot of the pieces,” said A.J. Bierschwal, 12.

Although it is unclear as to if they will perform the 1954, or the newer 1985 version, it is sure to be magical, which is both a literal reference to the strong elements of fantasy in the musical itself and a more metaphorical reference to the wonderful effect it has on audience members of all ages.

The Improv Show will be on Jan. 13 and 14, and SHS’ finest comedians will astound audiences with their keen intellects and sharp wits.

If last year’s Improv Club student demographic indicated any kind of pattern, it will likely once again consist of many incoming freshmen, and is recommended by other club members for any newbies to the Theater Department.

Students gear up for new season, celebrate release of new show list

The winter production will be S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” and will be performed Feb. 2, 3, and 4. Based on the 1967 novel of the same name, it is a coming of age story set against the backdrop of a raging class conflict between the lower class “Greasers” and upper class “Socs” (pronounced “soshes” which is short for “socials”) of an American town.

Although “The Outsiders” features “Greasers” as main characters much like “Grease” it contains much more serious themes, such as gang violence.

“The Greasers in ‘The Outsiders’ make the Greasers in ‘Grease’ look like kittens,” said Griffin Levy, 11.

And although the students in Aves Theatre already knew that “Into the Woods” was a part of this season’s schedule, they did not know when it would be performed.

They now know that it will be the spring show, and will serve as the epic climax of the school year. It will be performed on Apr. 13, 14, 20, and 21. “‘Into the Woods’ is going to be amazing,” said Caroline Bresnahan, 12.

“Into the Woods” which combines the plots of multiple Brothers Grimm fairytales, and “Peter Pan” which tells the story of a flying boy who lives on an island where people never age, go very nicely together as they are both fantasy based, and are sure to make a lovely pair in this year’s season.

“The Outsiders” with it’s intense themes and dark setting, will add a dash of melancholy to the mix, counterbalancing the swahsbuckling adventure of “Peter Pan” and the fantasy of “Into the Woods.”

As for the summer show, another workshop will be held at the end of this school year to determine what it will be, the same as this year.

Last year, students were given a list of shows and each student had to sort his or her own list based on which one he or she most wanted to do, until they had narrowed it down to “Grease.”

“I really liked the workshop format that we used this summer and I think it worked really well, so I think I’ll use it again next summer,” said Whapham, the theatre director at SHS. This being the case, however, the students will be forced to stew in the juices of their own anticipation as they wait to discover what the summer show will be. However, once they do find out, it will make their excitement that much sweeter.

Aves Theatre 2011-2012 Peter Pan

Nov. 11-12, 17-19

Improv Show

Jan. 13-14

The Outsiders

Feb. 2-4

Into the Woods

Apr. 13-14, 20-21

Photo courtesy of SM Dipali

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8.26.2011

Art comes alive in Cincinnati Sheperd Fairey Exihibit lives on

Mike DeMaio a&e chief

SHEPHARD FAIREY’S PORTRAYAL OF a child soldier on a wall in Northern Kentucky was taken down after it was thought offensive by citizens of Covington. Fairey is notorious for pushing the evenvolope, so it was no surprise. Despite all the trouble he causes, he continues to create his trademark artwork.

Krittika Chatterjee staff writer

N

ew York City, Seattle, Chicago. All are art meccas of America, but all are a terribly long drive. But fear not, artstarved citizens of Cincinnati – creative genius lies around many corners.

When Shepard Fairey brought his acclaimed exhibit, “Supply and Demand”, to the Contemporary Arts Center for the 2009-2010, he left his mark in a number of ways.

Taking it upon himself to expose the evils of propaganda and corruption, Fairey has created exploitative images of historical figures from Mao Zedong to Martin Luther King Jr. Fairey created the infamous HOPE campaign poster for the Obama administration during the 2008 election. That, along with his street art murals, has been his claim to fame.

Seven of Fairey’s massive murals stand in Cincinnati. The most recognizable is on the side the Contemporary Arts Center. The rest of the locations can be found at bombcinnati.com.

The locations these murals are painted upon are also unique sources of art in Cincinnati. HighStreet Design Studio, downtown, is a design boutique featuring European styles. It has 3 murals painted on its building.

There is also one mural painted on The Metropole, a Cincinnati hotel in the National Register of Historic Places. Murals have also been painted in other areas of Cincinnati such as Over- the-Rhine.

Some of his works have not been so lucky. His bold political statements resulted in one of his murals being painted over in Covington, KY. The piece, which featured a young a boy holding a rifle, was visible from the local elementary school.

When authorities take it upon themselves to monitor artwork, it raises questions. Could this be called censorship? Can creativity be bound by law?

Even though the artistic spirit is sometimes stifled, Cincinnati has come alive in the past year through their openness to public arts. The city certainly leaves plenty of art to revel in until it reaches its full potential.

While the students at SHS were away enjoying their summer vacation, the music community was basking in the glimmering reviews that came side by side with some of the many touchstone summer album releases that offered a breath of fresh air to a music community suffering from a long drought of creativity.

Out of the many albums released, Bon Iver’s self titled album“Bon Iver” shined through as one of the best albums put out this summer.

Iver, Justin Vernon’s follow up to his debut album “For Emma, Forever Ago,” took his soulful music from sad and acoustic into an entirely new spectrum filled with a diverse field of electric and obscure instruments encompassing everything from Collin Stetson, a baritone sax player that resides in Montreal, to Reggie Pace, a beat boxing trombone player who sports a hefty afro.

The reason Vernon is such a special artist comes down to the the fact that he has managed to maintain the integrity of his acoustic performance in his live shows, keeping the soul that jumpstarted his musical ventures alive, while also playing electrically.

A talent seen few and far between in the age of modern music, Bon Iver truly is one of the most memorable and truthful albums I have heard in a long long time, a breath of fresh air during a long hot summer.

Summer blockbusters Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Along with 30 Minutes or Less, Rise of the Planet of the Apes gets my vote for the best movie of the summer. I have not seen any of the other movies in the series, but there is no need to as this movie is perfectly explained and chalk-full of excitement. James Franco is usually portrayed as a humorous, sophomoric character, yet in this monkey movie he is a sophisticated and empathetic handler of Caesar, the main primate in the movie. There was a great blend of action, drama, and wittiness in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The cruelty of monkeys in the movie is minimal, and makes the movie a bit more realistic. Despite this, the ending is uplifting, and even suggests another movie is in the works. I definitely suggest seeing Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It’s an interesting take on an animal’s life that proves very interesting. (4 out of 5)

After ten years, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 definitely went out with a bang. Arguably the best movie of the eight in the series, Deathly Hallows Part 2 drew very little negative criticism from the series’ avid fans. Unlike Part 1, there was never a dull moment in the second half of the Deathly Hallows. The audience was captivated by the special effects and the intense battle at Hogwarts. All the while, the continuing dynamic between the three main characters – Harry, Ron, and Hermione – held strong, a feat considering that the first movie came out in 2001. Harry Potter has had an extraordinary run and the final movie was a truly poignant end to a magical series. It has been a companion to the decade. It has woven its way into our culture. It is undoubtedly this year’s best summer blockbuster.

Danny Bayliss sports chief

SM Dipali editor-in-chief

Bridesmaids

Images by Rishi Choubey

Kristen Wiig has always been funny –

Jimmy Chau anyone who has watched her perform on managing editor

“Saturday Night Live” (SNL) for the past 6 years can attest to that.

However, the characters that she portrays on the show are eerily similar, which has led many to label her as a one-trick pony.

With the release of “Bridesmaids,” all the naysayers and doubters stopped. Indeed, Wiig has a bigger comedic arsenal than expected, and not only is she funny, she is hilarious.

Although it opened nearly two weeks before the highly anticipated “The Hangover 2,” “Bridesmaids” was still drawing crowds during the former’s opening weekend. This was incredibly surprising considering “The Hangover 2” was the most highly-anticipated comedy of the year.

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8.26.2011

West, Jay-Z’s ‘Watch the Throne’ goes ‘H.A.M.’

Highly-anticipated album lives up to hype Michael Saxon staff writer

O

n, Nov. 22, 2010, Kanye West released his fifth album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” which sold nearly half a million copies in the U.S. within a week and featured four tracks that were U.S. Billboard hits.

Eight months later, West has done it again, this time with his fellow rapper and producer, Jay-Z. West and Jay-Z’s “Watch the Throne” is undoubtedly the most anticipated album of the summer. After months of delay, the album was finally released on Aug. 8.

With Jay-Z’s sick beats and West’s unforgettable lyrics, this album proves to be worth the wait. The two artists have combined their talents many times before, but most notably in the track “H.A.M.” which debuted at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The album also features other artists such as Beyoncé, Mr. Hudson, and Frank Ocean. Despite this great supporting cast, the album was really made by West himself.

West’s talent in music is often overshadowed by his rude and arrogant behavior. For example, thousands watched in awe as he jumped on stage and interrupted Taylor Swift during the MTV Music Awards.

His cocky lyrics do not help either. Because of these things, West has acquired a long list of “haters,” as he likes to call them.

But I believe West and Jay-Z should get some props for this album, because it is truly magnificent. Not only will one find themselves nodding their head to the beat of every song, but the album also sent messages about God and unnecessary violence in tracks such as “No Church in the Wild” and “Murder to Excellence.”

So while West has acquired many “haters” because of his attitude, some have come to love him because of it.

While artists such as Bruno Mars and Pitbull hide behind mediocre lyrics, West and Jay-Z kept it real in “Watch the Throne”.

With this album, West has secured his seat on the throne as top male rapper and song producer. He and JayZ came together to create a masterpiece, one that even Swift has to be proud of.

Images by Jimmy Chau

TOP: KANYE WEST AND Jay-Z performing in the music video “Otis”. Left: The album “Watch the Throne” was released on Aug. 8. The artwork for this album was created by the talented Riccardo Tisci. Right: Kanye West has been known for his rude behavior, and his most memorable moment was when he interrupted Taylor Swift during the MTV Music Awards.

Places to go, things to see:

Cincinnati’s top popular art spots Shayna Siegel staff writer

Prairie Gallery

Contemporary Arts Center Kennedy Heights Arts Center

Prairie Gallery displays work of established and emerging artists. The director of the gallery, David Rosenthal, was also the director of ‘New Voices’. A photo program SHS was involved with. It once held the work of SHS’s own AP photography teacher, Peiter Griga. A variety of work is displayed there from many different and unique types of media. One exciting, upcoming piece that will be installed on Aug. 26 is the Camera Obscura, an optical device which projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is open from Tues. – Fri. 10am – 6pm and Sat. 10am – 4pm.

Located downtown, the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, CAC, provides a chance for visitors to witness the connection between art and life. The building was designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid, her first building design. The building contains five floors of beautiful art work and an interactive floor for visitors. The CAC is open from 11 am- 6 pm on Sat. and Sun.;10am6 pm Wed. – Fri.; closed on Tues.; 10am-9 pm on Mon. Adult tickets are $7.50 and students with ID are $5.50; however, entrance to the museum is free on Mon. after 5 pm.

In 2003, the Kennedy Heights Arts Center was created by the community to create a public resource for the creation of art. With free admission, anyone can enjoy the extraordinary benefits of this art center. Everyone has the opportunity to participate in the center’s programs and events, browse the art shop, or to enjoy browsing artists’ galleries. Because the gallery is focused on community, volunteering is appreciated. There are many ways to assist, applications to help are on the center’s website.The center is open Tues. – Thurs. 10am – 6pm; Fri. 10am – 5pm; Sat. 11am – 4pm.

Photo courtesy of Prairie Gallery

Photo courtesy of CAC

Photo courtesy of Kennedy Heights Arts Center

AT THE MOMENT THE Praire Gallery is exhibiting work by Body Of Art. This group consists of contemporary artists exploring new, innovative ways to use the human body in their work. A variety of media is used to manipulate the body.

STARTING OCT. 1 2011 Julião Sarmento, Portugal’s most influential and celebrated artist, will be exhibited at the CAC. The exhibition will include screen prints of book covers and portraits of Sasha Gray.

AN EXHIBITION CALLED FEMME is currently being displayed at the Kennedy Heights Art Center. This exhibit features work by many artists focusing on the feminine spirit.

It will be on display until Sept. 24.

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8.26.2011

Sievering reflects on past, sells his 2011 squad - page 17

Coach Przywara’s farewell to SHS academics & athletics - page 18

Underclassmen taking over SHS sports with swag - page 18

this

month in

sports ‘Football is a tool to help one progress in the future, not a future itself’

Physics first, not football Bennett Kaplan sports chief

E

very season, high school football players from around the country commit to play football in college.

Many of these players choose to play for high caliber division one programs with the hope of one day going pro. However, you do not often see players using their talents as an athlete as a stepping stone towards something greater.

SHS senior linebacker Michael Gray is doing just that.

Gray is not only a top athlete on the field, he is also a top student in the classroom. He hopes to use football to his advantage in the future.

“My plan is to use football as a ticket to a great education,” said Gray.

“Even throughout high school football has opened numerous doors of opportunity for me, so I hope that it will continue to open doors in my collegiate career.”

Gray however, is often compared to his older sister, Gabby Gray, ‘10, who is currently a member of the Northwestern volleyball team, and is often asked if he is going to pursue a big ten scholarship like her.

“My sisters and I have different items on our list of what we want in college,” said Gray. “Education is important on both sides; however my father played basketball at Cornell, so I wish to continue in his footsteps.”

Gray has always been known for his athletic talent and his determination on the football field.

It is his uncharacteristic drive and focus in the classroom that leave many people to wonder.

“Grades have always been a priority of mine,” said Gray.

“Momma Gray and Poppa Gray harp on keeping those grades up.

When I do not produce in the classroom, then I get in trouble. At first, football was just a side activity, I would play just to have fun. As I progressed and got older, I realized the countless opportunities it could open, so it became a huge focus of mine.”

For somebody with his talent and knowledge base, Gray has a

Danny Bayliss sports chief

Photo courtesy of McDaniels Photography

A SENIOR FOOTBALL AND basketball player, Michael Gray is currently being recruited by several D-1 football programs.

But unlike many other talented high school athletes, he is using his offers to obtain a first-rate education. Here he tries to shake loose an Princeton Viking during a Friday night football game.

very realistic outlook on college sports, and believes that students with dreams of playing football as a career should realize that that dream is very unrealistic.

“Kids, in my opinion, should look at their priorities starting at a young age,” said Gray. “From there they need a reality check. Kids need to realize that even though they have dreams of making it to the big leagues, they might not make it.

What people should realize is that

football can be a tool to help one progress in the future, not a future itself.”

Gray, who remains a very humble person, has received interest from dozens of colleges around the country. However, he remains focused on getting a great education.

“Just about all the Ivy Leagues have been showing interest via email and formal post mail. I have received phone calls as well

from Brown and Harvard heavily showing interest. Off from the Ivy interest I have received letters from several D-III and D-II schools as well as some other D-I programs all across the map, such as Maryland, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Virginia, Miami, Vanderbilt, and others.”

With all the attention he is receiving, Gray remains focused on his education, and seems to be very excited to play college football.

Scott Dattilo, Varsity football coach, on his team and the season How can you use last year’s success and momentum from the win over the “Green and White” team to your advantage for this season?

Last year we won several close games so our players got a taste of what it was like to win. They bounced back well from our horrible 2-8 season of 2009. I am hoping this year’s team will learn from the past and take our program to a higher level.

What are some positions of strength for your team and what are some positions where you will need guys to step up?

We are very experienced on both sides of Extended Q&A the ball, however; we will need players to step up on the offensive line and in the with Scott Dattilo defensive secondary.

Who are your senior leaders?

Kyle Sess, 12, Jack Bernard, 12, and Ben Mather, 12. They are our team captains.

available at:

http://www.goaves.com/article/q--a-with-scott-dattilovarsity-football-coach/

Season opener:

Editor predictions:

VS. Oak Hills High School

@

Withrow Tigers Coach: Jim Place

Record: 0-0 (0-0)*

Remaining season

Are you ready for some football?

schedule

7:30 p.m.

Previous meeting (2010):

Sycamore W 27-12 v. 9/2

@ 9/9

Sycamore Aviators Coach: Scott Dattilo Record: 0-0 (0-0) @ 9/16

helmets by ohiohelmetproject.com

v. 9/23

@ 9/30

Bayliss: With Place as their new coach, Withrow has a proven winner in control. SHS started their season off right last year with a resounding at Withrow. Now the Tigers will enter Bud Acus.

Both teams will fill the field with adrenaline for the first game of the season. While Withrow will seek revenge, the ground attack of Kyle Sess and Markus James will be the deciding factor, and the defense holds in clutch times. SHS 20-13.

Kaplan: Although the team loses many guys to graduation, a ready group of players will take the field Friday night and come out victorious. SHS 21-17.

Excuse the cliché Hank Williams Jr. expression, but I am being blunt when I say I have never been more excited for football.

Despite the NFL lockout costing fans the Hall of Fame game, the excitement brought on by the barrage of signings means fresh faces around the league. Even our fightin’ Cincinnati WhoDey’s spent that cash, although not all of it like they should.

Out with Johnathan Joseph, in with Nate Clements, and so on. I am too excited for the A.J. Green era to start in Cincinnati. It does not matter if you have Andy Dalton or Timothy Dalton (a Bond) throw to him.

He will catch it.

While my optimism runs wild, the reality is that the Bengals will be the Bungles. Many preseason rankings have them as the worst team in football this year.

I call shenanigans on that, but there is plenty of evidence as to why they belong in the lower echelon of the NFL hierarchy.

But I have always liked the “chip on your shoulder” mentality, so we will see how it works for them.

NFL football is only the tip of the iceberg. College ball is also gearing up for what should be another unpredictable roller coaster of a year.

While the legal side of the NCAA rains down punishment on Ohio State, all my attention is on Luke Fickell, Braxton Miller, and the new look Buckeyes.

To Buckeye fans, Miller is The Chosen One, just like Terrelle Pryor was. Maybe this prodigy will be able to win without the body ink investigations.

And finally, our own Aves.

Tomorrow, they embark on their 2011 journey. After a productive 6-4 year, Scott Dattilo and Co. are looking to improve on that turnaround from a two-win 2009 season.

The secondary and both lines take a hit, losing players to graduation.

But despite that there is still plenty of leadership. The running game will be stronger than ever with returning skill players.

Their schedule does not include a battle with GMC powerhouse Colerain, but they will have to prepare for trips to Springfield, Princeton, Middleton, and the Green and White.

Dattilo knows that he and his staff cannot reflect on the past.

The new seniors know that too.

It is time to stop hitting the sleds and go for the opposition. So why not be blunt? I am ready for some football.

Are you?

For comments on this column, please write to WritetoTheLeaf@gmail.com

12.17.2012

Sievering strives for successive success Danny Bayliss sports chief

O

ne team, one dream.

That was not the motto for Sycamore’s Varsity boys soccer team last season, but it surely could have been. A regular season riddled with mediocrity, the team made its biggest post-season push in school history.

For coach Scott Sievering, the loss will always be a bittersweet memory. But like any leader, he knows the only thing to do is look forward and focus on the upcoming season.

“Last season was the best [in terms of post season results] season in school history.

However, we fell one goal short of reaching the State semi-finals. The goal of our program will always be to win a State Championship. This is the motivation the guys will use to improve off of last season's results,” said Sievering.

A 1-0 loss in the regional finals to nationally-ranked Centerville provided plenty of drama and heated excitement for the Sycamore faithful over a cold weekend.

If not for a long throw-in gone awry, the senior-laden squad might have pulled through and earned a semi-finals birth.

The team would have not only played in the Columbus Crew’s stadium, but they would have written yet another page in Aviator history.

Despite losing GMC player of the year Max Riehemann, ‘11, who committed to play at Davidson, Sievering is confident in the upcoming season.

“Losing Max, Matt [Hill], and Jeff [Wolkoff ] is going to be tough. Those guys were key elements to our success last season.

Fortunately, last season's seniors leave behind great work ethic and have raised the bar for the players of the future,” said Sievering.

Sievering is right when it comes to his new leaders. A number of players that were sophomores and juniors will be able to use their varsity experience to benefit the team.

“Seniors Jacob Sorger, John Beech, TJ Biegger, Ryan Reid, Brad Sweeney, Michael Bemmes, and Daniel Moler have already been working hard in preparation for next season. I expect them to embrace their leadership roles and instill the values of our program into our younger players,” said Sievering.

A changing of the guards amongst the Aviator’s leaders is not making Sievering pessimistic, although he will have new expectations for each and every one of his players.

“I expect a different style of soccer from last season. We won games last season because we were more skilled than our opponents. Most teams couldn't match up well against guys like Max Riehemann, Matt Hill, Jeff Wolkoff, Robert Stein, and Michael Jervis. This year I expect us to be a little more about strength, power, and athleticism. We will have a lot of height and

BK

17

sports KAPITOL Summer slowly slips away

Bennett Kaplan sports chief

Photo courtesy of McDaniels Photography

COMING OFF A HISTORIC SEASON, COACH SIEVERING KNOWS THAT HIS RETURNING players have play making potential. The key for his squad is for new players to mesh well with the returning players, and to pick up on the philosophy that sent SHS to the playoffs last season.

strength in the defense to combine with a lot of quickness and finesse in the attack. We should again be a pretty tough matchup for our opponents,” said Sievering.

While the squad will have plenty of returning players to count on, Sievering will be looking for some Junior Varsity players and even some incoming freshman to step up.

“Our JV team had the best season in school history as well. I expect several players to compete for spots at the varsity level this season,” said Sievering.

Coach Sievering also mentioned that while this past season was historic for the school, the team has not been short on success.

Said Sievering, “The soccer program has been extremely successful over the past five seasons and I am blessed to coach such a great group of young men and work for such a supportive administration. Some of our results include: Regional Finalist (2010), District Champion (2006, 2010), District Finalist (2008, 2009), GMC Champions (2008), GMC Runner Up (2009), All-State Selections (Ryan Lavigne, Matt Moler, Ben Dhiman, Max Riehemann, Matt Hill).”

It was clear in this interview that Sievering has put last year’s run in the past. While it was memorable, all it is now is a story to tell.

For Sievering and his squad, the new stories are on the way.

Extended Q&A with Coach Sievering at:

www.goaves.com/

2011 upcoming soccer schedule

8/27@ Turpin

7:00 p.m.

9/1 vs. Wayne

7:00 p.m.

9/6 @ Walnut Hills 8:00 p.m.

9/8 vs. Fairfield

7:00 p.m.

9/10@ LaSalle

7:15 p.m.

9/13@ Mason

7:00 p.m.

9/15 vs. Oak Hills

7:00 p.m.

9/17 vs. Loveland

5:00 p.m.

9/20@ Princeton

7:00 p.m.

9/22 vs. Lakota West 7:00 p.m.

Quick Hits:

For more sports’ news and analysis, visit: http://www.goaves.com/news/athletics

Girls lacrosse fails to make finals

Foorball summer conditioning

Cross country season begins

After a promising season, the SHS girls lacrosse team had a tough end to their season.

On May 26, SHS faced off against rival Upper Arlington with a chance to make it to the final four with a victory.

The game started off close, but Upper Arlington pulled away for a 20-11 victory. After the game, the seniors met with Coach Clark one last time to nominate captains for the 2012 season, and dub jersey numbers to younger players. 2012 captains are Hayley Baas, 12, Hailey Jardin, 12, Katie MacLachlan, 12, and Carly Edelheit, 12.

While most students were on break and sleeping in during summer cavation, the SHS football team was lifing, and practicing, to get ready for the first game against Withrow on Aug. 26.

After a 6-4 season last year, the football team will have to work hard to beat that record. With Colerain and Hamilton not on the schedule, SHS should have a better chance at achieving a winning record.

With many of last year’s starters graduated, the team will have to work harder to fill those gaps.

The boys and girls cross country team conditioned at SHS and Sharon Woods Park over summer break.

This routine strenghtened each runner’s resolve to keep working on their sport and improve each day. Cross Country season officially started Aug. 9, and runs until mid-November.

The team was very large last season and had successful team strength.

With the unknown number of freshman runners, the team statistics may differ.

If you are reading this, then your summer is over. The school year has begun, and it is time to pick up the textbooks. While your summer may have felt very quick and boring, try to think of the good rather than the bad.

For example, I may have not had the most exciting time, but as a sports writer, I had a few interesting things happen to me.

I ran into Frank Lambert.

Lambert, who first introduced himself as a Professor of History at Purdue University, later revealed himself to have been the starting punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965 and 1966.

In my conversation with Lambert, one thing was made clear. He does not define himself as an NFL player. He chooses to define himself as a historian, author, and professor.

He said that while his playing days are memorable, they are by far not definitive of who he is as a person.

When asked about the modern game of football, Lambert said that he does not watch much football anymore because the “divas” ruin the integrity of the game.

He said that in his day, it was about winning for your team, and now it is all about the money.

Lambert said that he loves his life, history has always been his passion, and while being an immense privilege, playing in the NFL was a very small part of his life.

He left with a final thought.

Choose how you define yourself.

He said that he could define himself as a former NFL player, but he chooses not to.

Running into somebody like Lambert is a rare occurrence. It is not very often that you find somebody with the life experience, humbleness and knowledge that Lambert had, and I was very lucky to spend a couple of hours picking his brain.

Later in the summer, when I ran into Paul Sturgess, there was no doubt in my mind that he was some sort of athlete. Standing at 7’8”, Sturgess was the tallest person I had ever seen, and little to my knowledge, the tallest person to ever play college basketball, and the tallest Englishman in the world.

I was able to talk to the man who was traveling with him, and from what I was told, it seems as though being as tall as Sturgess is not easy.

He cannot fit into most cars, he has to duck his head when walking inside many places, and he gets stared at wherever he goes. While his height has afforded him many opportunities, it is a struggle to do things that the rest of us would consider normal tasks.

So as you sit here reading The Leaf, think not about how boring or bad or quick your summer was, but think about the good, and try to gain something from that, rather than pouting in the misery of a new school year.

18

8.26.2011

SHS says goodbye to Coach Przywara whatever level he coaches,” said Ben Gunn, 10.

Przywara was an influence off the basketball court as well. ne and done. The phrase is often used for NCAA He served as a teacher at SHS for two years and was a favorite athletes that are so successful in their first year of among many students. playing, that they leave college and catapult to the “Mr. P was truly a great teacher. You could tell that he honprofessional level. estly cared about his students and had a constant sweet and Mr. Steve Przywara, Class of 2004, is far from making it compassionate spirit. He was always understanding and kind, to the pros (despite what he may tell you), but unfortunately and will be greatly missed,” said Maria Marballi, ‘11. he will be leaving SHS after one year of Przywara will be hard to replace as coaching the freshmen basketball team. a teacher, a coach, and as a person.

Przywara will be relocating to WashingI just want to thank He made an impact on the basketball ton, DC where his wife attends law school. court and in the classroom. everyone at Sycamore The two married over the summer.

“While I am excited to try somewho has made my time “I will definitely coach basketball in thing new Washington, DC, I could some capacity at my new school, but I do here truly special. definitely see myself staying at Sycanot know officially what my role will be more for my entire career because I yet,” said Przywara. grew up here and I am so comfortable Even if Przywara did coach for only one Steve Przywara, with the community and the people season, he was a favorite among players. it. This would be a fantastic place SHS alumni in Sure, he is nice and easy to get along with, to raise my own family and SHS is a but it also helped that he is somewhat of great place to work,” he said. an SHS basketball legend. As a senior, Saying goodbye is never easy, espePrzywara led his team to the District Final, which they eventu- cially from someone who has so many connections at SHS. ally won.

“I just want to thank everyone here at Sycamore who has “It’s hard to pick out one memory from SHS because I have made my time here truly special. I really appreciate the opporso many from my time here as a student and as a teacher. tunity I was given to teach here and I will remain in touch with Graduation and winning a District Championship in basketthe many close friends I have made,” concluded Przywara. ball are my fondest memories as a student,” said Przywara.

Przywara may not be part of SHS, but SHS will always be a The SHS basketball program will miss Przywara a great deal, part of Przywara. especially the players from his team last year.

“Great guy, he’s going to be a great coach wherever and on Michael Saxon staff writer

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2

Image by Michael Saxon

AFTER ONE SEASON OF COACHING THE freshmen basketball team, Steve Przywara will be relocating to Washington, DC. SHS will miss Przywara a great deal.

5 Underclassmen to Watch

The following underclassmen excel in their respective sports, varying from soccer to water polo. A few were placed on Varsity squads. Their future in athletics at SHS looks very bright.

Photo by Katie Caldwell

5 1 0

2

Mark Hancher Class: Freshman -The first freshman to make Varsity water Polo -Member of the Blue Ash YMCA National Team

Charlie Byers Class: Freshman -Made Varsity Soccer team as a freshman -Part of U.S. Men’s National soccer pool

Rosie Menyhart Class: Freshman -Made Varsity Cross Country as a freshmen -One of Varsity’s “front-runners”

Cara Norris Class: Freshman -Qualified for USA Junior National Swimming Championships -Won Ohio Junior Olympics in 200 meter freestyle

Hanna Lee Class: Sophomore -Broke 9-hole and 18hole Girls Golf record - Hold SHS’ lowest season average -Ranked #1 in the GMC Images by Michael Saxon

19

8.26.2011

Paying for playing:

High school athletic fees going up Rishi Choubey opinion chief

I

&

track, cross country, football, and wrestling are likely to see less participation.

Michael Saxon staff writer

n order to participate in any school-related sport, SHS will require $75 rather than the usual $50.

“Athletic fees go towards paying for salaries, referees, equipment, and field usage. All of these costs are going up, so athletic fees have to go up as well,” said Mrs. Paula Gill, the Secretary to Sycamore’s Athletic Director.

However, in comparison to other schools, SHS students will be paying a lot less.

“I can’t say why, but Lakota’s and Mason’s are outrageous. Maybe it’s because of coaches’ salaries. At SHS we’re trying to keep it reasonable, or at least more stable than other schools,” said Gill.

When the school administration for the Lakota Local School District ran into a budget crisis, the board was considering dropping all of its junior high sports programs.

Instead, athletes at Lakota Junior High will pay $350 per sport or activity, an increase from last year’s $200 fee.

High school students will pay $550-up from last year’s $300 fee.

Across the state of Ohio, schools are making adjustments in accordance with rising costs as well as budgets that are becoming increasingly strained.

Lakota decided that it was necessary to up its high school fee to $550 per sport to save its athletics program and help cope with a $12 million budget deficit.

“Our levy failed last fall (first time in 40 years for Mason). The Participation Fee is being adopted as part of the District’s overall Cost Recovery / Financial Plan / Budget Restraints,” said Scott Stemple, Mason’s Athletic Director.

Mason High School will require $100 for their middle school and $150 for their high school, a year after having no athletic fees whatsoever.

“I believe we will still have a strong turnout, but that it may impact our two and three sport athletes from participating,” said Stemple.

When asked which sports he thinks will be most affected, Stemple said sports that do not cut players like

Cost

School

$0

$75

Athletes May Struggle to Pay

Obviously, some families might not be able to afford the costs of high school sports. Others may be able to afford one sport, but paying for multiple kids through multiple seasons could be troublesome.

“It will be hard for a lot of people. Athletics should be available for everyone. Because Lakota’s tax levy did not pass, extracurriculars were the first to go,” said Gill.

Joseph Wiegand, a middle school student in the Little Miami school district, could not afford to pay $651 to play for his school’s football team.

To raise money, he opened a drink stand along the Loveland Bike Trail.

Luckily, through outpouring support from the community, Joseph raised enough money for himself as well as four other students, raising close to $2400.

John Mikolay, a senior at Glen Este, has another story.

He used to play three sports but will only be playing one this year.

“As much as I would like to pay less and be able to play all three sports I understand that my school district doesn’t have the funds to do it. I look at it as a way for me to draw more focus on school and have more study time DUE TO LEVY or even time to relax for once. Playing three sports keeps FAILURES and you really busy during school,” said Mikolay budget crisises, The prospect of students not being able to participate high school athin high school sports due to their cost is a dismal reality. letic fees are on SHS is fortunate enough to not have to worry about such the rise. SHS’ pay to extreme costs. play fee increased “I don’t think it will ever reach a point where SHS stuto an amount of $75, dents will have to pay the same amount as other schools which is still low when compared to other in the area, or that people within our community will schools. For example, have to think twice about whether or not they should play Little Miami’s pay to play a sport,” said Gill. fee reached an astonish“Sports are so important to kids for relief, to learn how ing total of $651. to balance their time, to have fun, and learn responsibility, so is band and music. I think they are as important as the three R’s,” said Gill.

All Images by Michael Saxon and Rishi Choubey

$100

$110

$150 $250

$475

$500

$550

$651

Kings Sycamore Hamilton Cin. Christian Mason Lebanon Springboro Glen Este Lakota’s Little Miami

Pay to Play Fee Amount for Top 3 GMC Schools

John Mikolay, a senior at Glen Este

Why did you make the switch to only playing one sport?

Due to the $500 fee at my school now for each sport a student participates in I can only afford to play one sport. Three sports would cost $1,500 and that is just way too much when you think about what is my first priority in school, which is an education.

Has the increase in the pay to play fee impacted other friends of yours as well?

I know a lot of kids are narrowing down to one sport. It’s unfortunate for the kids who can’t even afford to do one, especially if it is their senior year.

Amount

What sports did you play in the past for your high school? What sport will you play now?

I played football, wrestling, and baseball. I started playing football my sophomore year and played Varsity both years. I have also had Varsity experience in wrestling since freshman year. I also played baseball since my freshman year and had varsity experience starting my sophomore year. Now I will only be wrestling.

What is your opinion on your school’s pay to play fee?

As much as I would like to pay less and be able to play all three sports, I understand that my school district doesn’t have the funds to do it. I look at it as a way for me to draw more focus on school and have more study time, or even time to relax for once. Playing three sports keeps you really busy during school.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I really liked playing each sport, but for me, the pay to play is going to allow me to focus on my one sport in the off season, so I can get better and have a great senior season. I will also be able to have more time for my school work, relax for once. Playing three sports keeps you really busy during school.

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8.26.2011

weeting with @saraevans

*

Sara Evans, 11, gives us a look into her summer, adventures

Madi Ashley staff writer

&

Alexx Lazar staff writer

&

Aditi Sharma managing editor

How old are you?

I turned 16 in February.

Have you gotten your license yet?

Yes, it took some convincing on my parents’ part even though they let me go to driving school, they didn’t want me to get my license for some reason.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I need to get a job soon, but I mainly just play soccer, lax, and cheer. Oh and I love to play with my fish Humphrey.

I also hang out with my best friend Kathleen [Gassett, 11.]

Do you have any fears?

Absolutely, I positively hate low-flying birds, they scare me so much. I’m also really afraid of fish, even though I have one [my dad and friends make fun of me for it]. I also hate cats with a passion.

What did you do this past summer?

I hung out with friends [my friend Elise Grum came down and visited me]. It’s a tradition we have.

Name some things that make you happy: Driving [and] friends, lax. I just got a Twitter, and I love it, so that makes me happy too.

Do you have any inside jokes with your friends?

Yes I do, my friends and I joke around with clementines.

For example, on my friend Sara [Barrett’s, 11,] birthday, Casey [Rayburn, 11,] and I put clementines in her locker.

Have you thought about what you want to do when you get older?

I want to go to Kentucky and become a teacher or nurse.

Do you think your school work will help you accomplish your goals in life?

Well, I’m in some honors classes now and grades are really important to me.

What would you like to accomplish in high school?

Get good grades, and make great friends.

Any interesting facts about yourself?

Interesting facts...I would have to say my mom collecting nuts for forest animals is pretty interesting.

Anything you would like to say to the student body?

Live life to the fullest. It may be hard now, but everything gets better. *Not real twitter name

Tips from Sara Barrett, 11, on her close confidant, Evans 1. Do NOT ride in the backseat.

2. Beware of low-flying birds and other objects.

3. Do not let her even see a cat, it will cause major problems.

All images by Aditi Sharma

STRIKING A POSE, EVANS shows off her JV uniform which she will be trading for a Varsity this upcoming football and basketball season. “Being a junior and on Varsity is really what I’ve been working towards, and it feels so great to know that I made it,” said Evans. “With this being my fourth year cheering, I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”