February Issue 2010 by Sycamore High School

the Sycamore

leaf

FRIDAY February 26, 2010 Volume LVI Issue 7 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.goaves.com

Rebuilding

Haiti

Organizations around world extend helping hands moriahkrawec & annieseiple editor-in-chief & staff writer staff writer

spencerwurzelbacher

elleanzhang staff writer & news chief

t 4:53 p.m. on Jan. 12, an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as the inhabitants of the island nation sat down for dinner. The nation was devastated by the death of hundreds of thousands, with about a million left homeless, as buildings and power lines crumbled like a gingerbread house in the hands of a hungry child. It has been over a month since the initial quake, and it may seem like the worst is over, but it is far from it. Last month’s news? By no means. In the month following the initial quake, there have been well over 50 aftershocks, each measuring no less than a magnitude of 4.5. The streets of the denselypopulated Port-au-Prince are flooded by a motionless sea of human bodies—so many that there is no possible way to show respect for them other than to drag a piece of cardboard to cover them from

those walking in the streets. According to Haitian authorities, 180,000 have been confirmed dead since the initial earthquake—a count that continues to rise, daily. About 480,000 have been able to flee the capital, finding refuge with relatives elsewhere in Haiti. Over 225,000 buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged, and an estimated 3 million people were affected, with 1.2 million left homeless. The call for relief is constantly sounding, and while those who are not there cannot possibly imagine the magnitude of suffering Haitians are enduring, they certainly hear the mournful pleads for more help. And even after all the calls for relief have been answered, the nation must still face the challenge of rebuilding itself, calling on the expertise of all types of engineers to help establish a new and improved version of Haiti. This is not a short-term project that lies ahead; most likely, it will continue on for up to a decade.

all images, unless otherwise specified, from altavista.com

rashmiborah

THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI resulted in numerous casualties for the nation. The capital, Port-au-Prince, was devastated. Numerous organizations have come together to provide basic resources and help relocate individuals, as shown, and these efforts will continue until the country is back on its feet.

index: charity events, relief efforts B-C | SHS helps out D

B rebuilding haiti

friday, february 26, 2010

Global Efforts: Everyone, from celebrities to militaries step in to provide aid, money, awareness

rashmiborah

editor-in-chief

‘hit for haiti’ | charity tennis match

ennis fans had an extra surprise when tennis star Roger Federer organized a special match, featuring the top players at the 2010 Australian Open. Upon hearing about the earthquake, shortly before the start of the Australian Open tennis tournament, Federer called a number of his fellow rivals and tennis-players, as well as those in charge of the tournament, detailing his plans for a charity drive to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti. Federer, along with Rafael Nadal, Sam Stosur, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick, agreed to play a rotational exhibition doubles match. Tennis enthusiasts could watch this match for $10, with ticket proceeds going directly to the Haiti relief effort. This effort, which Federer dubbed “Hit for Haiti,” was nearly as popular as a regular tennis match at the Australian Open, and fans were thrilled to see the tennis stars, who were hooked up to wireless microphones for additional entertainment, working together, showing off their tennis skills, and enjoying themselves before the upcoming two-week tournament. After the one-set match, Federer presented the event’s winnings to two representatives from Haiti. Overall, ticket sales and individual contributions raised over $185,000 for relief efforts in Haiti. In addition, tennis players Maria Sharapova, John Isner and Marcos Baghdatis contributed a total of $20,000.

Moments after the earthquake in Haiti, countries joined together to provide aid in whatever way they could. From armies to cruise lines, everyone was pitching in within days of the disaster.

steps to recovery

‘we are the world for haiti’ | son Representing a plethora of genres, 81 singers gathered in a recording studio on Feb. 2 to record a remake of the 1985 classic “We Are the World.” The song was originally produced by Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones for African famine relief efforts. A clip of the remake, called “We are the World - 25 for Haiti,” premiered during the opening of the Winter Olympics on NBC. In addition, the original seven-

january 12

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes 16 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in the early evening, destroying over 200,000 buildings.

january 18

minute video premiered across approximately 120 networks the very next day. Originally intended to be produced for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, plans for the song changed after the earthquake in Haiti. Stars from Kanye West and Lil Wayne to Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus participated in the chorus. Other well-known artists who participated in the remake include Pink, Usher, Vince

The Royal Carribbean cruise line began to use its scheduled ports of call in Haiti to deliver emergency supplies on its cruise liners.

Vaughn Mraz an Vario to sell t the son 100 per Haiti. In copies w proxim digital v prices w version sion, an

january

The governm cially declare efforts in Por relief workers claimed that

rebuilding haiti C

friday, february 26, 2010

by the numbers

50 1770

Attempts to distribute aid | military help

The first time the U.S. Army attempted to distribute food to the masses of starving individuals in Haiti, chaos ensued. There was such a desperate need for food that the distributors were unable to keep the crowd under control. Initially, the U.S. was depositing over one thousand tons of food and beverage over the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, by helicopter, resulting in violent fights over the contents. But after a week in the area, the U.S. military workers in Port-au-Prince claimed that they had “found their rhythm.” With a routine found, relief work-

ers cooperated with the military in order to make sure that the elderly, disabled and injured had just as much access to food as those who were still in good health. Military doctors have also been working with civilian doctors from the University of Miami to provide the necessary medical assistance to those injured by the earthquake. But with inadequate supplies and crude conditions, many of the doctors reported being severly scarred by their experiences. For example, for the more than 400 amputations that had to be performed as a result of shattered limbs, a lack of

oxygen did not allow for typical anesthetics to be used, and a local anesthetic, which were much less effective, had to be used. But the struggle to provide aid to the suffering is far from over, as other military officials block access to the city by humanitarian workers due to extensive infrastructure damage. With only one functioning runway and hundreds of airplanes attempting to enter the city, getting aid into the city has been a problem from the beginning of the earthquakes, and the number of aftershocks has not helped the situation at all.

ng remake

n, Jordin Sparks, Jason nd Randy Jackson. ous online retailers agreed the audio and video for ng, and to donate nearly rcent of all proceeds to n addition, physical will be sold by Target apmately two weeks after the version is released. The will be $1.29 for the audio n, $1.99 for the video vernd $2.99 for both versions.

ment of Haiti offied an end to relief rt-Au-Prince, but s in the area still help was needed.

january 29

141 orphans were flown from Haiti to the United States by a group of doctors and nurses initially planning to rebuild a hospital in Haiti.

february 2

Haitians begin self-organization of refugee camps in order to distribute food and necessary medical supplies, though foreign relief workers remained.

500 200 117 20 14 10 9 8 1.2

The number of people, in thousands, presumed by the Red Cross to be dead within two days of the earthquake. The last year an earthquake of this magnitude was recorded.

The number of dollars, in millions, committed by the U.S. government for relief efforts in Haiti. The European Union’s estimate, in thousands, of the death toll within seven days of the earthquake . In comparison, 230,000 individuals perished in the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. The percent of Haiti’s economic output that the damage caused by the first of several earthquakes equated to. The number of UN troops, in thousands, who have reached Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

The number of U.S. dollars, in billions, that the damage caused by the earthquake equated to.

The number of U.S. troops, in thousands, currently working to restore Port-au-Prince to its pre-earthquake condition. The number of bodies, in thousands, collected so far by relief workers in Port-au-Prince within four days of the earthquake. The number of people, in thousands, fed by the World Food Program in Port-au-Prince.

The number of people, in millions, rendered homeless within seven days of the earthquake.

february 16

Eight farmers from Michigan shipped a half million eggs to Haiti, as part of the national Good Egg Project.

D rebuilding haiti

friday, february 26, 2010

From diapers to donations SHS organizations find unique ways to help Haiti staff writer

elleanzhang

news chief

Many different options for help

help haiti | ways to contribute

Meanwhile, the community service organization InterAct Club has several plans for alleviating the situation in Haiti. According to Mrs. Kate Korchok, InterAct Club sponsor, there have already been several club meetings focusing on how to help. “InterAct club has met several times during this planning process of our upcoming fundraiser to benefit those who have been devastated by the earthquake in Haiti,” said Korchok. Most notably, the week of Monday, April 12 has been designated for a fundraising event called ‘Hearts for Haiti’. The theme was decided by the InterAct Club board with assistance from Nick Peltz, 12. During this time, SHS students will have a number of InterAct Club-sponsored options to be involved in, including the Hearts for Haiti event. As of press date, some of the other ideas are currently in a “generating stage”, but the Hearts For Haiti event’s planning is in full gear. “The club is working with enthusiasm to produce a major fundraising event,” said Korchok. Additionally, there will be numerous other planned events scheduled for February and March. All proceeds will go towards the American Red Cross’ Haiti Earthquake Relief funds. Even with all of the provided assistance, Korchok

photo courtesy of leaf staff

ith the recent earthquake, the community at SHS has gone into a frenzy of donations. From T-shirt sales to club meetings focusing on how to help, the tragedy has allowed the student body to find a way to benefit the relief effort. SHS’ chapter of the international marketing alliance DECA has organized a T-shirt sale with a portion of the proceeds going towards assisting Haiti. As with many other local Haiti fundraisers, the money earned will be given as a cash donation to Matthew 25: Ministries. According to their website, Matthew 25: Ministries is a local non-profit organization that is ‘committed to helping all people in need.’ The SHS chapter of DECA decided to assist Haiti mainly due to its dependence on the community. DECA’s members felt that it would be best to give back, and the tragic earthquake provided an opportunity to give towards. “We thought we needed to give money back to the community, so with the situation in Haiti, we thought that they needed it more than we do at DECA,” said Brent Perlman, 12, marketing student. Specifically, the funds raised through the spirit wear sales will be put towards Matthew 25: Ministries’ shipping costs. “Our donation goes to Matthew 25: Ministries. They’ve collected a lot of clothing, food and water, but they need money to ship it,” said Mr. Jerry Kuhn, marketing teacher.

THE DECA MEMBERS SOLD t-shirts at lunch for two weeks to raise money for Haiti. Nearly all of the groups that raised funds for Haiti gave them to Matthew 25 : Ministries, which was able to provide more direct assistance. Many of these fundraisers will continue throughout the next few weeks, and other schools in the district will also raise money. knows that Haiti’s dilemma will be an issue for longer than one may think. “The need in Haiti is not going to disappear anytime soon and we are confident that our fundraiser in April will help alleviate the continual need that Haiti will have for support,” said Korchok.

Bare essentials, lost

Despite all of the funds going to the Haitian cause, there are still other areas of need. When Mrs. Marnie May, English teacher, went to Matthew 25: Ministries to drop off diapers, toothpaste and soap packs, she noticed that the diaper bin was empty. During the week of Monday, Jan. 18, May’s students were encouraged to give money towards packs of diapers and the toothpaste and soap packages. “This came up during exam week, and the students donated a pack of diapers or a multi-pack of toothpaste and soap,” said May. As there were no diapers going to Haiti from Matthew: 25 Ministries, the charity was “very happy” to get the diapers, according to May. Freshman Alex Martinson donated to Haiti through May’s class. Simply put, he feels that the vast majority of Americans are incredibly fortunate to have the basics, and that one should sympathize with Haiti. “If you haven’t lost the bare essentials, you don’t know how important they are,” said Martinson.

What is $10 to someone at SHS? A lunch at Chipotle? To someone in Haiti right now, $10 means sustenance for an entire week. Here are quick and simple ways you can help rebuild a nation.

donate

Donations can be made as easily as through text message. Contact your cell phone provider for more details. In addition, monetary donations can be made directly to organizations such as the Red Cross and the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. But donations are not limited to monetary donations alone. The Salvation Army has been collecting gently used clothes and accessories to deliver to individuals in Port-au-Prince; if you have any old clothes that can still be used, they can be dropped off at the Salvation Army Office downtown. The Matthew: 25 Ministries Web site also lists items that need to be donated or collected, in order of importance, and these items can be dropped off at the Matthew: 25 Ministries office on Kenwood Road.

download music

Buy the “Hope for Haiti Now” album on iTunes for $7.99; the 20-track CD was released in the week following the earthquake. It includes the collaborative efforts of several artists, including Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, and more. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to organizations that are currently active in bringing Haiti immediate aid. In addition, the remake of the song “We are the World” can be purchased from various online retailers for $1.49 for audio, $1.99 for video or $2.99 for both.

volunteer

For those who want to get involved by actually doing something, there is the option of going to help at local charities that are all pitching in to do their share for the relief effort for Haiti. The Cincinnati chapter of the Red Cross, as well as Matthews 25 Ministries, is always willing to accept more volunteers to help package all the donations they have been receiving to ship them off to Haiti.

Social Networking: web sites team up to help raise money annieseiple

staff writer

Not many students have the time or the resources to just take a trip and personally aide those suffering. This is where the role of technology comes in. Haitian support groups have popped up via multiple social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. These groups are designed to help raise support and money for the Haitians. Even through text messaging, donating $10 has never been as easy as texting the word “HAITI” to the number 90999. Donations go to the American Red Cross donators are charged through their phone bills. Within 24 hours of the foundation of the text-donation program, $1 million was raised. One of the most popular Facebook groups people have joined is Mission of Hope: Haiti. Although primary organization that backs the group is Christian, the page has attracted people from multiple different religions. “Basically I joined this group because I have been hearing about a lot of the horrible things that are going on in Haiti, and the people suffering there, so I wanted to do something to show support,” said Emily Gilgoff, 10, a fan of Mission of Hope: Haiti. Similar to many Twitter pages, the group sends out links, ideas of ways people can help, and general information on the progress they are seeing in Haiti. “People really come together when disaster strikes. We saw it on 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and now with the earthquake in Haiti. When you visit MOHH’s page, so many people are wondering how they can volunteer and are praying nonstop for the Haitians,” said Megan Wittenberg, 11.

http://www.insertsitehere.com

Donate to Haiti. Now.

graphic by rashmi borah

moriahkrawec

the Sycamore

leaf

FRIDAY February 26, 2010 Volume LVI Issue 7 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.goaves.com

news bites SEE1 Concert

The annual SEE1 concert, featuring classical and modern music on electric instruments will be tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the main auditorium.

Fine Arts Weekend

The 48th annual district art show and Pancake Day is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 6. The bands and orchestras from E.H. Greene, the junior high and high school will be playing throughout the morning.

Find out the Leaf’s pet wish list on page 8

Readicide Has assigned reading killed leisure reading? mariamarballi associate editor

Parent conferences

Parents can sign up now on Blackboard for parent-teacher conferences. They will be Thursday, March 4 from 1-7 p.m.

Relay for Life

The time is now to begin forming teams and signing up for Relay for Life. (getting info during 6th bell) Contact student co-chairs Emily Boutilier, 12, or Sara Lindsay, 11, for more information. They are still looking for volunteers to help organize the event as well, so any help will be appreciated.

‘OZZ’ Couples Ball

The annual Odd Couples Ball is scheduled for Saturday, March 13. Parents and students alike will be in for a treat with the PTO sponsored event with a Wizard of Oz theme.

OGT Schedule

Be sure to check out the revised bell schedule for the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) week on page 4. Juniors and seniors who have passed the test will be able to arrive late during the week and the school will operate on a modified schedule.

Yearbook Sales

LIKE MANY OF HIS peers, Brad Kohel, 9, has put his “want to read” books on the back burner for his “have to read” books for the sake of the school’sfor curriculum which is slowly ‘killing his love of reading.’ ‘Fashion the Children’

Yearbook prices have been raised to $65 as of Jan. 1. Yearbooks can still be purchased through March 16. Checks and order forms can be turned into room 115.

Fashion for the cure; back again with new cause

Prom

daniellastar

Though it may seem like Winter Formal just happened, Prom will be around the corner before you know it. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 17 at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland.

INSIDE

Is a dragon on your list of pets to own in the future?

rashmiborah

editor-in-chief & staff writer

On the night of March 17th the commons of Sycamore will be transformed into a night of fashions on the runway, food by the bite, over 25 baskets full of great items and a fabulous silent auction, features sports

memorabilia from the players themselves. Fashion for the Cure has become a yearly event where the students model fashions, and raise money for a special cause. This year Fashion for the Children is raising money for “The Cure Starts Now” www. thecurestartsnow.org, which is a children’s charity raising

See‘For the Children’, page 3

eadicide: The systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools. This is the basis of the book Readicide, written by Kelly Gallagher which is currently being read and discussed by a handful of SHS’s English teachers including Mr. Tom Gaffigan and Mr. Breen Reardon. The book discusses the importance of “reading for fun” and how it is becoming less and less prevalent in the lives and agendas of high school students. “We realized that we are killing reading for kids by the book choices we make,” said Gaffigan. After Gaffigan conducted a survey with several of his classes, he found the percent of students who actually read the assigned books to be surprising. Out of his AP English students, it was evident that about 90 percent of them read 75 percent or more of the assigned books. His academic classes responded with 50 percent. The survey also asked the students what their favorite books were and if they were read in or out of school, with the majority saying that their personal choices trumped the school’s curriculum. This was enough for teachers to question the types of books they were assigning. “What is the point in assigning a book that no one will read?” said Gaffigan. Reardon found the book’s content to be prevalent which further led him to hand out a packet of excerpts from the book to his students

in hopes that they too, would learn the importance of “reading for fun.” Thus, he and others have decided to adopt “silent sustained reading” (SSR), a silent day of reading that students may remember from their younger years in elementary school. Teachers have considered the fact that the junior and senior curriculums are heavy in American classics, novels that high school students are not always in favor of. “I felt the same way in high school,” said Gaffigan. Although it is a core part of the curriculum to give the students what they want, they cannot get rid of the base of American literacy in schools despite the opinions of students. “What we can do is be a little more flexible with the books we choose to assign,” said Gaffigan. “With so many distractions today, it is easier for kids to just put down a book they don’t like and get on the computer.” After the exposure to Readicide, teachers are reconsidering their book choices and how they will approach their assignments in hopes that students will begin to revisit their love of reading. The book also discussed the correlation between standardized test scores and the amount of time students read for fun. It is evident that reading gives teenagers exposure to everyday, or not everyday, topics that will in turn benefit them when it comes to test time. Thus, teachers are also beginning to see that schools may be putting too much emphasis on test preparation, and less emphasis on “reading for fun.” Whichever way one looks at it, the evidence points that the love of reading among teens is dying and teachers will do what they can to prevent this from happening.

CALENDAR 2 NEWS 3-4 FORUM 5-6 ADVERTISEMENT 7 HUMOR 8 SPOTLIGHT 9 FEATURE 10-13 A&E 14-17 SPORTS 18-19 SNAPSHOTS 20

Calendar

friday, february 26, 2010

elizabethhoopes

calendar chief

sunday

monday

tuesday

wednesday thursday

Weird Holiday: Peanut Butter Lover’s Day

saturday

6 SHS Event: 8:00 a.m. Sycamore Band & Orchestra Booster Pancake Day and Fine Arts Fair

History: 1st paper money issued in 1862

SHS Event: 7:30 p.m. Choral Concert

History: Anniversary of the Death of Anne Frank, 1945

SHS Event: 6:30 p.m. Odd Couples Dance

Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day

History: First walk in space

History: Telephone Patent Granted SHS Event: 8:00 a.m. Fine Arts Fair

History: First meeting of Congress, 1789

Famous Birthday: Dr. Seuss, 1904

friday

Weird Holiday: Pi Day 3.14 Daylight Savings Time Begins

First Day of Spring

Weird Holiday: Make up Your own Holiday Day

Weird Holiday: Roller Coaster Day

Weird Holiday: Toast Day

Early Release Day

No School: Spring Break

History: Coca-Cola was Invented No School: Spring Break

History: Pancakes First Made

End of Third Quarter

March

news 3

friday, february 26, 2010

photo by staff

money for Pediatric Brain cancer, one child at a time. The night will feature authors, Keith and Brooke Desserich who authored “Notes Left Behind,” Featured on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” This is the story of their 7-year-old daughter Elena, who at six years old was diagnosed with brain cancer. During her fight against the disease, she continuously left notes and drawings hidden around the house. Elena Lost her battle with cancer one year later, but her parents kept finding the notes left by her and developed this story to inspire others. Not only will they tell Elena’s story, but they will also be available to autograph the book. The evening will also feature student models showing fashions designed and made by students from SHS. A second show will also feature local stores’ designs that will be auctioned off for the charity. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and VIP seating will be available. For more information, please contact Ms. Deb Klempt at klemtd@sycamoreschools.org. Matt Korn, 12, received a $100,000 scholarship from Hanover College located in Hanover, IN on Thursday, Feb. 18. Two representatives from the school came to present him and his parents with the scholarship. He participated in a competition which included an essay and an interview. After this process, he became one of four students from across the country to receive this prestigious award. Korn is a National Merit Finalist and has a leadership role in Asian Club. “It was exhilarating. I was surprised that the president would visit me personally,” said Korn.

Mock Trial ‘We have all worked so hard, and I’m glad it paid off’

advances to regional competition

MOCK TRIAL COLLABORATES, HAVING just completed their second trial. Lawyer advisors discuss with the lawyers and witnesses what was good and what can be improved on for the next competition.

drewgelwicks & s.m.dipali business manager staff writer

he Mock Trial team is the only club in SHS where students are allowed to yell, “Objection!” and still be taken seriously. Led by Ms. Holly Schall, social studies teacher, the SHS Mock Trial team is split into two teams: a Green and Gold. Each is composed of a plaintiff and defense, each with two lawyers and two witness. The team has enlisted the help of lawyers throughout the city to help them with their case. This year, they have received guidance from, Beth Silverman, Trista PortalesGoldberg, Erinn McKee-Hannagan, and Shannah Morris. This case, presented to teams across the state, deals with online privacy. Plaintiff “Alex Leslie” created a blog posting class notes and certain derogatory comments about his teacher, “Professor G. Lee” and is suspended for doing so. Although the contents of the case are not realhence, the “mock”- all of the proponents are incredibly similar to those of a normal trial Mock trial teams from the tri-state congregated at the Hamilton County Courthouse for the first competition, where teams acted out the case as if it were a real trial. “Going down to the court house was really exciting. After practicing for so many months, it was really nerveracking for it all to come down to that moment. But after my trial was over, I felt really good about it, and I am

really glad I did Mock Trial,” said Sarah Inskeep, 10, a lawyer for the Gold Team defense. At the end of each trial, one witness and one lawyer is awarded ‘Best Witness’ and ‘Best Lawyer’. Recipients of the ‘Best Witness’ award were David Rosen, 10, Drew Gelwicks, 10, and S.M. Dipali, 10. Winners of the ‘Best Lawyer’ award were Simi Barr, 12, Jeffrey Goodman, 12, and Liz Keefe, 12. To be eligible for the regional competition, both the team’s plaintiff and defense side must win their separate trials. The Green team has done so and is now heading to the regional competition, which will be held today at the Clermont County Courthouse in downtown Batavia. “I was so happy when I found out that we made it to the regional competition. We have all worked so hard, and I’m glad it paid off,” said Barr, 10. The Green Team will continue its hard work in the hopes of advancing to the state Mock Trial competition. “I think every single member of both teams should feel very proud and accomplished for what they have achieved this year. The other coaches and I have been thrilled with the teamwork and dedication of all members and hope that the word about Mock Trial will spread and become more recognized in high schools. It is a great learning experience and a lot of fun,” said Silverman. The phrase, “laying down the law,” has taken a whole new meaning thanks to the SHS Mock Trial team.

Class scheduling brings confusion, tension, applause

Students sign up for next year’s classes

Tech

sarahjanning

next year, then the student will have to fill out a form if they still wish to take that class For the past few weeks, students and next year,” said Rose Mitchell, a guidance faculty have been pushing to get class counselor. scheduling completed for the next school Juniors were aggravated to find that they year. On Jan. 26, class meetings were held, had to schedule their classes online by Jan. 30, in which guidance counselors talked about because it did not allow them enough time to the new process for online scheduling to decide on their classes for next year. underclassmen and talked about graduaSophomores had until Feb. 10, freshman tion with seniors. until Feb. 23, and current eighth graders have While the freshman and sophomore until March 9 to schedule their courses online. meetings went very “The online schedulwell, the juniors left ing has gone pretty well, The online scheduling their mark when they although there have been has gone pretty well, continued to clap at a few kinks and we’ve had pauses during asto utilize a new system,” although there have sistant principal Mrs. said Mitchell. been a few kinks and Karen Bare’s speech, Throughout the year, we’ve had to utilize a and the seniors failed there are always students to impress with their looking to change their new system. incessant talking. although it is seen -Mrs. Rose Mitchell classes, The following day, mostly after class schedulfreshmen and sophoing is finished for the next mores were given out to lunch passes for school year. their good behavior (most likely a result of “If students wish to switch their classes the disrespectful behavior by the juniors for next year after they have already been and seniors). If this was some sort of scheduled, students need to meet with their punishment, the upperclassman showed counselors. It is very important for us to meet no signs of remorse. In fact, many jokingly with you so that the classes next year can be posed this question: how will the underas accurate as possible,” said Mitchell. classmen get rides to go out to lunch? Overall, the process of scheduling next On Jan. 27, students had their class year’s classes has gone smoothly. Although recommendation forms signed by their there will be students who will switch classes, teachers during each class. and some that will struggle through the “If a student doesn’t agree with their process, the majority of the outcome was a teachers recommendation for their class success.

Bio

staff writer

industries of sycamore register for biotechnology 1

Sophomores

“

all images by mcdaniels photography

Fashion for the Cure cont’d

This lab science class focuses on current and new technologies used in industry and research Talk with your counselor today

4 news

friday, february 26, 2010

Pageant brings big bucks to JDRF

spencerwurzelbacher

staff writer

all images by sarah may and ellean zhang

BEN KEEFE, 12, RISES above the competition, and takes the title of Mr. Sycamore, receiving a 100-dollar prize. Living up to his title, Keefe immediately donated his check back to JDRF. Below, Zim Zimmer, 10, Jimmy Chau, 10 and Andrew Adler,11, compete in the very messy ice-cream-eating contest, won by Adler.

The contestants displayed their formal wear and answered questions asked by the panel of judges, including Dr. Adrienne C. James, superintendent, Ms. Renee Hevia, SHS assistant principal, Ms. Meredith Blackmore, SHS Spanish teacher, and Mr. Gary Gindele, JDRF representative. The Mr. Sycamore hopefuls also competed in an ice-cream-eating contest. After all, Mr. Sycamore should have the innate ability to down a pint of Graeter’s raspberry chocolate chip ice cream, right? In the end, through all of the sprinkles, questions and bowties, Keefe arose victorious as Mr. Sycamore with intense icecream-eating skills and dashingly good looks that seemed to sway the panel of judges. “I know everything there is to know about SHS. I’m the right man for this title,” said Keefe, a week prior to the event. The title of Mr. Congeniality was captured by Andrews, who managed to bring in over $140 in donations from fellow students during the preliminary

‘Whenever you can identify with a real person, it makes your donation seem more important.’

Red Cross seeks donors of all blood types catherinefarist

staff writer

The demand for blood never lets up. Elizabeth Lothrop, freshman at Mason, is living proof of this. “Normally, we have one of the highest number of donors in the area,” said Mrs. Kathryn Korchok, senior class coordinator. “The Hoxworth Center depends on our donations a lot.” As soon as sign-up dates are announced for the March 25 annual blood drive, students over the age of 17, or 16 with parental consent, can donate between one and two pints of blood, depending on their height and weight. “Quite simply, giving blood is so important because my daughter would not be alive without it,” said Mr. Randy Lothrop. “She depends quite heavily on other people who make the choice to give.” According to the American Red Cross, there is a 97% chance someone you know will NEED a blood transfusion. To meet patients’ needs, the Red Cross must collect over 6 million blood donations each year to give to cancer, sickle cell, leukemia, surgery, and hemophilia patients, as well as premature infants, accident, burn and trauma victims. “Whenever you can identify with a real person, it makes your donation seem more important,” said Mr. Lothrop. From one unit of blood, red blood cells can be extracted for use in trauma or surgical patients. Plasma, the liquid part of blood, is administered to patients with clotting problems. Platelets, the third component of blood that is used from donor blood,

helps form blood clots when cuts or other open wounds occur, and are often used in cancer and transplant patients. Cryoprecipitated anti-hemophilic factor (AHF) is also used for clotting factors. Most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in the bone marrow. This commonly leads to low levels of white blood cells and platelets, which can sometimes put a person at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding. With leukemia, these blood transfusions are crucial in two separate areas: whole blood to relieve the anemia, and platelets to help prevent bleeding with their blood clotting factor, as leukemia patients’ blood can no longer produce these fast enough. “In one transfusion, four pints or units of whole blood—red blood cells and platelets are needed—and this is the common amount,” said Mr. Lothrop. “It’s not even just for the cancer for Lizzy at this point; it’s for the chemo treatments, as they not only kill her cancer cells, but also her good immune fighting white blood cells.” The Red Cross estimates that 15% of all blood donors in the United States are high school or college students. Not all the blood types are on the shelf when they are needed, so blood donors of all types are needed to make regular donations to ensure that our community has an adequate blood supply. “I think giving blood is EXTREMELY important; I wouldn’t be here if people didn’t give blood. I received over ten units of blood in the first couple days I was at the hospital, and I still receive blood, just not as often,” said Elizabeth Lothrop.

MR. CONGENIALITY WINNER , TIMOTHY Andrews, 12, hugs Mr. Sycamore pageant hostess Annie Ramstetter, 12, while answering questions during the interview portion of the competition. Throughout the course of the week prior to the pageant, fans of Andrews’ biceps, smile, and eyes, donated a total of 140 dollars to the JDRF. competition during lunch the week preceding the Mr. Sycamore Pageant. “I exemplify school spirit,” said Andrews, before receiving the title. It appears he was correct, as Mr. Congeniality is given to the crowd favorite. Both Keefe and Andrews were given a check for $100 and $50 respectively—both decided to donate the money to JDRF, bringing the total amount raised to just over $3,400. “The event was a huge success, and we hope to see it take place in the years to come—it’s a great way to raise money for JDRF,” said Josie McKinnon, 12, head-chair of the Mr. Sycamore event.

• Three million Americans have juvenile diabetes • More than 15,000 children(40 per day) are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in the U.S, annually • 2010 is the 40th anniversary of JDRF’s mission to find a cure for juvenlie diabetes

OGT SCHEDULE Monday 7:20-9:50

Reading Test

9:55-10:26

2nd Bell

10:31-11:34

3rd Bell

11:39-1:12

5th bell

1:17-2:20

1st Bell

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

Tuesday 7:20-9:50

Math Test

9:55-10:26

2nd Bell

10:31-11:34

4th Bell

11:39-1:12

6th Bell

1:17-2:20

7th Bell

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

Wednesday 7:20-9:50

Writing Test

9:55-10:26

2nd Bell

10:31-11:34 11:39-1:12 1:17-2:20

3rd Bell 5th bell

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

1st Bell

Thursday 7:20-9:50

Science Test

9:55-10:26

2nd Bell 4th Bell

10:31-11:34 11:39-1:12 1:17-2:20

6th Bell

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

7th Bell

Friday 7:20-9:50

Social Studies Test

9:55-10:20

1st Bell

10:25-10:50

2nd Bell

10:55-11:20

3rd Bell

11:25-12:50

4th Bell

12:55-1:20

5th bell

1:25-1:50

6th Bell

1:55-2:20

7th Bell

Lunch (1st 11:20-11:50) (2nd 11:50-12:20)(3rd 12:25-12:50)

J u ve n i l e d i a b e t e s , J D R F

he sound of “Ave Maria” echoed throughout the main auditorium in SHS as seniors Tim Andrews, Ben Keefe, and Neil Krishnan began their dazzling dance routine. The crowd of nearly 300 cheered loudly and clapped along as the contestants showed off their skills. Raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes

Research Foundation (JDRF) alongside Andrews, Keefe and Krishnan were freshmen Ryan Gamber and Xavier Jimenez, sophomores Jimmy Chau and Zim Zimmer, and juniors Max Riehemann, Andrew Adler and Michael Streicher.

Forum

5 Kelsey’s Conservative Corner

friday, february 26, 2010

image by lilly lefton

kelseydrapkin

staffeditorial

ooking back on our days in elementary school we often remember events like playing at recess, school carnivals, and maybe even a time out or two... or more. Regardless, there are a lot of activities that we grow out of by the time we make it to high school. Trading in one experience for another is not always a bad thing. However, some of the more important aspects of the learning environment seem to get lost in the shuffle as students make their transitions from the elementary to high school and those grades in between. Remember those Scholastic book fairs? Or the times when everyone would run to the bookshelf in the library to be the first to grab the newest Goosebumps novel? There is an indubitable fervor for reading in elementary school that, as most high school English teachers would attest to, becomes somewhat lackadaisical by the twelfth grade. Even the most studious of students can say that by senior year their interest in reading for pleasure has waned. And finally—some teachers at SHS are taking note of that attitude. After two literacy council meet-

the Sycamore

leaf

leafing through the masses

ings that have taken place over the last month, many English teachers are coming to terms with what students have been saying for years. English classes teach students how to read in the elementary levels and then bore them with literary works that many dislike so much that they would rather not ever pick up a novel after high school. Perhaps the answer is to include more relevant novels in the curriculum. Some of these books have already been included. Students need to have more time for reading for pleasure. While “Twilight” or “Harry Potter” may not have the same intellectually stimulating attributes as “Beowulf” or “Lord of the Flies,” these books still have the ability to increase the reader’s vocabulary and provide more examples of writing style and even grammar. Certainly, we cannot completely throw away our current curriculum, no matter how much some of us may object. The classics that our school teaches are important for reasons of cultural literacy, but incorporating some more relevant titles cannot be too much to ask. We can be glad, however, that teachers have decided to look into this issue and begin the motions for change.

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.

““ ““

Do you think reading at school has spoiled students’ desire to read for fun?

Yes, because of the excessive amount of reading we have to do at school I really don’t feel like reading at home.

-Kelsey King, 9

Yes. I still read outside of school, but I would have more time to do so and I would do more of it if we didn’t have to read so much for school.

-Micah Herrington, 10

No I never really read outside of school, so I am not affected much.

-Cody Schwaegerle, 11

No, I love reading so nothing can really stop me from devouring every book possible.

-Annie Xie, 12

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: Rashmi Borah, Michela Tindera Associate Editor: Maria Marballi News Ellean Zhang Forum Jamie Alemagno Kelsey Drapkin Gabe Englander Feature Emma Oh Jimmy Chau A&E S.M. Dipali Emma Rosen Sports Brandon Sosna Paul Pescovitz Calendar Elizabeth Hoopes Spotlight Shivani Parikh Gina Romeo Snapshots Rashmi Borah Michela Tindera Webmasters Jacob Katz Mark Rubeo

Cartoonist Lilly Lefton Staff Writers Daniel Bayliss Denae Bellilti Alexander Berger Lina Cardenas Chad Chessin Rishi Choubey Sam Cleary Emily Cohen Ben Dhiman Catherine Farist Jane Finocharo Drew Gelwicks Elise Gelwicks Ellie Goldman Hannalee Goldman Kelcie Grega Samantha Hammer Clayton Hamre Elizabeth Hoopes Nanki Hura Sarah Janning Kevin Jin Bennett Kaplan

forum chief Atomic bomb. Just those two words are frightening. Now imagine one of our enemies using one. On the 31 year anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced to the world that the Islamic nation now has nuclear capability and is a “nuclear state”. In his internationally televised announcement, Ahmadinejad claimed scientists have successfully enriched uranium to 20 percent. While fuel for a nuclear bomb needs to be enriched to 90 percent or more, they claim they have the capability to achieve this if necessary. “If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it,” said Ahmadinejad. “There is no limit on enrichment. We can enrich up to 100 percent...But we never had the intention and we do not have the intention to do so, unless we need,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, on the same day. While Iran claims at the current time that they have no intention of building a nuclear bomb, there is no way to predict when they will feel that they “need” to. At this point, we do not have to worry too much that we, as citizens of a country across the ocean, will have to deal with a nuclear strike. Countries in closer proximity, on the other hand, will be on edge as this development unfolds. The world has known for quite some time that a nuclear Iran would be a dangerous threat to world peace. And when Iran’s leader publicly states that another sovereign nation, Israel, should be wiped from the map, it is clear that other nations must take action. In 2006, President George W. Bush said that “there must be consequences” for Iran’s defiance of demands that it stop enriching uranium. In 2008, then President-elect Barack Obama said that the U.S. must “ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran”. It is clear that neither the sanctions thus far imposed nor the promise of talk and the extension of our hand has been effective in curtailing Iran’s nuclear ambition. This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed concern in a report that Iran may be working to develop a nuclear warhead. This is a startling departure from the idea that Iran abandoned such efforts years ago. The final wake-up call has been delivered. The United States and the world must commit immediately to take whatever action is necessary to prevent Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, whether that means using harsh sanctions that finally get their attention or even, if it comes to it, military action. Our foreign policy needs to beef up. We need to stop apologizing for mistakes of the past and realize what is happening. If we keep our eyes shut and keep hoping for the perfect, peaceful world to create itself, we are in for a very rude awakening. “Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!” said Leonardo da Vinci.

Managing Editor: Jake Newton Business Managers: Emily Begley S. M. Dipali, Kelsey Drapkin Ben Keefe Moriah Krawec Mihir Kulkarni Stuart Lindle Ali Lopez Sarah May Frank Pan Orion Radtke Casey Rayburn Daniel Rickert Jason Robke Erika Rodriguez Annie Seiple Aditi Sharma Matt Slovin Chase Spicer Daniella Star Garrett Steinbuch Spencer Wurzelbacher

Photographer Jeremy McDaniel Adviser Cheralyn Jardine About us Professional memberships: • Columbia Scholastic Press Association • Journalism Education Association • National Scholastic High School Press Association • Ohio High School Media Association • Ohio Professional Writers (National Federation of Women Writers) • Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honorary

6 forum

friday, february 26, 2010

PDA

How much is too much? staff writer

alking through the halls of SHS during any given locker break, one is likely to spot couples holding hands, hugging, or even makingout outside their classroom. While it is each individual’s choice to display their love for their partner, people must consider the thoughts of those who are forced to watch. “It is fine if people want to be on each other, but at school it is just not necessary,” said Mimi Zakem, 11. I am somewhat in admiration of couples who do not care what others think at all, but also slightly appalled that they feel comfortable publicly making out. There are teachers around, after all. “It’s 8 o’ clock in the morning, come on now!” said Mrs. Jen Ulland, Dean of Student Life. Our school disciplinary policy clearly defines the limitations. It states, “Students should use good judgment

in showing affection to one another. Any display of affection beyond holding hands is not acceptable.” It is rare that students agree with the rules set by our school, but it seems this rule is accepted by a majority of students. Not only do intimate couples block the hallways, but they seem to be striving to get as much attention as possible. “There are different degrees of PDA. Holding hands is fine, anything else…” said Jamie Thoms, 12. On the other hand, it is quite amusing to watch couples partake in a long embrace, sometimes for as long as three minutes, in between bells. It is as if they are saying goodbye to their loved one before they are departing for war. “I am in a relationship but don’t really show any affection at school. It’s kind of weird to be making out in front of teachers,” said Ariana Speridakos, 10. It is fine to hold hands and even give an occasional peck on the cheek, but please couples, save it for later. No student or staff enjoys seeing you grope each other between classes.

Security:

‘Christmas Day bombing’ uncovers need for more security, but more money may not be the solution

that many other countries use: The the world on full body scanners, but Human Factor. how effective will they really be? Can This is a security method that has an airport scanner detect nervousSeveral months after the now airport security personnel engaging ness? Can an airport scanner feel infamous “Christmas Day Bombing,” in conversation with travelers and suspicion or use intuition? No. Only many travelers still feel unsafe durusing intuition to human interaction can effectively ing airport travel. determine if that determine whether someone is a Since Umar Farouk specific person security threat. Abdumutallib is a legitimate Israel is a country that faces more My thought is that no matfailed to detonate threat to national terrorist threats than perhaps any explosives aboard ter how much money you security. The other. But its airport, Ben Gurion Northwest flight people who International Airport, is considered spend on security, there 253 on Christmas perform these one of the safest in the world. Why? is always a way for someday, Transportation duties are known Because Ben Gurion airport questions Security Adminbody to get through it with as “profilers.” each passenger and uses profiling as istration has gone Their job is to a security measure. deadly weapons. into panic mode, spot anything Unfortunately, this approach to -Josh Goodman, 10 that may seem upping security security is very controversial, in part levels and causing suspicious or out because some see it is as discrimiworry among pasof the ordinary. nating against specific ethnicities sengers about their safety in airports For example, if a traveler was neror religions. While “profilers” may and aboard airplanes. vously walking through the airport use race, nationality, or religion as a However, many people feel safe with no bagreason to further and are frustrated with longer secugage, this might question someone, rity lines and other inconveniences catch the eye of they have the secuthat come with heightened security. President Barack Obama has a profiler who rity of our nation “My thought is that no matter how pleged almost $750 billion to could further in mind. much money you spend on security, investigate the We can continue purchase full body scanners for there is always a way for somebody suspicious beairports...A more productive way to use the failing to get through it with deadly weaphavior. Show me security systems to solve the terrorist problem ons,” said Josh Goodman, 10. a machine that that we have in is to borrow an approach that President Barack Obama has can do that. place now, but many other countries use: The pledged almost $750 billion to purWhile some how many more Human Factor. chase full body scanners for airports. may consider failed attacks is These proposed scanners are more this system to it going to take revealing than current scanners and be intrusive, it is before we as some see them as a violation of perthe perfect way to improve airport Americans open our eyes and take a sonal privacy. security. step towards stopping terrorism all A more productive way to stop America can spend all the money in together? terrorism is to borrow an approach

bennettkaplan

staff writer

“

photo by lina cardenas

elisegelwicks

Black History Month

February honors African-American heritage

chadchessin

staff writer

Historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson concocted the idea of a week to honor important black men and women of the past. It was 1926, and to most, the thought seemed nothing short of ridiculous. He chose the second week in February for the tentative date, as it held the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two key figures in black American history. In 1976, the Bicentennial of the United States, his dream was realized with the coining of February as Black History Month. Many fail to realize the importance of the Black History Month, particularly when it was first created. Prior to that point, black American history was studied solely on the subjects of slavery and economic rank. However, the initiation of Black History Month opened the doors to numerous topics and brought about recognition for some of the most important men and women in American history. If the remembrance is taken for what it is worth, the celebration means a lot. Unfortunately, over the past years the month has been reduced to simply “February.” Critics have complained that if there is no “White History Month,” why should there be a “Black History Month?” On the other side of the spectrum are the supporters of Black History Month, who have provided widespread support. Student unions of all races, around the country, have devoted much time and effort to learn and pay tribute to the memories of black Americans who have permanently left their marks on this nation, despite immense opposition in many cases. “To me, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions of African-Americans to the world,” Kgai Jones, 12. It is important to commemorate the achievements that African-Americans have accomplished during the past century. Without the continuance of the tradition, the memories of those men and women who devoted their lives to improving our nation are in jeopardy of being reduced to nothingness. Pay tribute to black Americans and do not let Black History Month become just “February” again.

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Humor

friday, february 26, 2010

Taming the untamed

PETS

EXOTIC bendhiman

minimag editor

must warn; purchasing or capturing any of the following exotic pets may result in PETA damnation, governmental sanctions, and/or international extradition. Anyway, I am a believer that our lives have become more vapid as time has passed. Societal constraints on individuality and human nature have driven away the wild, the instincts, and the risk. This process of conformity leads me to think, why are dogs, cats, and fish the only societal accepted pets? Yes, this maybe a stretch or irrelevant altogether, but it is indeed a reasonable question. The following five animals represent potential exotic pets that shout a common dissident message against the blandness that has become animal ownership.

Lion

An accent of wealth. Nothing is so luxuriant as the lion. A plush mane and coat beckons guests to be drawn to a sustainable calm and pleasurable atmosphere, while the jaws and claws of the animal shout authority and danger. The lion symbolizes a balance within a household.

Panda

The paragon of an ideal lounging buddy. Sit back, relax, munch on bamboo, and throw in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Godfather,â&#x20AC;? chilling out with a panda is an afternoon never wasted. The panda is a creature of few words, a creature too cool for words; he is a household symbol of peace and comfort. Native to mountainous regions of China, the panda reveres a mellow company. The 300-pound gentle giant is the ultimate pet of leisure and tranquility.

Tiger

Beast of the notorious. Suitable for the drug king pin type individual, the tiger is the optimum pet of shock value and intimidation. A tiger needs lavish, silk bedding and a golden cage large enough for the animal to pace, the task of tiger care is not for weak hearted; they are powerful, at times aggressive predators. A tiger symbolizes unhesitant, raw power.

Panda

Tiger

Dragon

Mystics dream. To fly high into the atmosphere and to cast fire upon enemies, the dragon is archetypal for those fantasy connoisseurs. The dragon might be the most loyal and practical of all the pets but requires tremendous care. A dragon is a symbol of die-hard medieval romanticism and eternal Potter love.

Penguin

For those seeking attention. The penguin is as close to portable as an exotic pet reaches. Throw him or her in your backpack and I guarantee you will notice a boost in opposite-sex attention. Ladies, am I wrong? If you saw a guy with a penguin in his backpack, would you not go strike up a conversation? A penguin symbolizes a sleek, extrovert personality and lively, party household.

Dragon

Penguin

Spotlight

friday, february 26, 2010

h R a r yan Sa

Sophomore couple dishes about their relationship shivaniparikh spotlight editor spotlight editor &

ginaromeo

with Sarah Inskeep & Ryan Hall, 10

Q. How long have you two been together? A. Two years, three months, and 23 days. Q. How did you two start dating? A. S: Well I thought he was really cute, and I told his friends that I was interested in him. Then we met at the football game and started dating.

Q. Who knows the other one better? A. S: Ryan knows me better.

Q. Describe your relationship in three words. A. S: Sassy, genuine, humorous.

Q. Do you have any nicknames for each other? A. S: I call Ryan the following: Ry Baby, Rye Bread, Googi,

Q. Have you learned anything from being

R: Exciting, open, fresh.

R: I definitely agree with that.

and Pooki.

Q. What is the most important aspect of a

Q. What has been your most memorable date together? relationship? A. Sarah: Ryan and I don’t really go on dates, but one that A. S: I think the most important aspect in a relationship is

is most memorable to me has to be when we saw “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” It was just a simple date that I enjoyed. I don’t need all the fancy things to be pleased. Just a good movie and being together is enough. R: We’ve had a lot of good ones; they’re all so hard to choose from.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do together? A. S: Eat Indian food. Ryan: Go to the movies together.

Q. How often are you two together? A. We see each other every day at school, but we usually hang out on Saturday and Sunday too.

communicating. You need communication in order to have trust and loyalty. R: Trust is key. You need to be able to listen. You can only take out of love as much as you put in.

Q. What makes your relationship different from other high school couples?

A. What makes us different is that we keep it real; we

don’t try to fluff anything up. We’ve been through really rough times together; things that would hinder and affect other couples but have only made us stronger and made our relationship more durable. It’s an open thing, and drama-free, really.

together?

A. S: I’ve learned how to accept differences better, like

be more open minded and how to handle our differences and accept them. I have also learned how to have fun and be myself around people who aren’t just my good friends. R: I’ve matured a lot throughout this relationship. Sarah is my first girlfriend, so I have learned a lot from her.

Q. What advice do you have for other couples? A. S: My advice to other couples in high school is to cut the drama. Keep it simple. Things that are genuine and real don’t just come easily; they take time. And for all the single ladies out there: keep it classy, live it up. R: Try to be in relationship with somebody that you can genuinely get along with, and don’t hold anything back. Just be yourself.

Through the years... 9 0 0 2

7 0 0 2 eaters h T e v Ra Mr. Fox ic Fantast

2008

2010

images by gina romeo

r 4 Theate$8.00 t l Adu M 09:30P 9 0 10/20/

Feature

friday, february 26, 2010

‘I have learned to value and appreciate every ‘healthy, good feeling’ day’

Liz Lothrop discusses experience denaebelillti

staff writer

lizabeth Lothrop, 9, at Mason High School was diagnosed with leukemia after spending three weeks with what was thought to be a stress

fracture in her back. When first diagnosed, Lothrop describes the thoughts running through her head as, “shocking, how much longer do I have, and what does this mean?” After experiencing intense radiation and other medical

procedures, Lothrop feels her experience with leukemia is making her stronger. Now, she and her family strongly support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and work to help others with similar blood cancers.

with Liz Lothrop

Q. How would you describe your experience with Leukemia? A. Having Leukemia has really changed my outlook on life. You see who

your true friends are, and I have learned to value and appreciate every “healthy, good feeling” day I have. I would sometimes complain about practices and just being too tired, but when I get back to being my old self again, I am going to be happy that I am healthy enough to be playing on the court, and I will not be sitting on a couch unless I have to.

Q. When do you plan on returning to school, and how have you been balancing school currently?

A. Mar. 9, 2010 is when I am planning to go back to school. It is the beginning of third trimester. I have my tutor from last year come on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we get in about five hours per week. I do math, which my dad helps me with, and language arts online. I am also thankful for my physical science teacher, who comes to help me because I wouldn’t have passed without him.

Q. As a Leukemia patient, how do you feel about donating blood?

A. photo courtesy of ashley shaefer

I think giving blood is EXTREMELY important. I wouldn’t be here if people didn’t give blood. I received over 10 units of blood in the first couple days I was at the hospital, and I still receive blood, just not as often.

Hannah Kelp, 12, Liz Lothrop, 10, Ashley Schaefer, 11, and Leah Jordan stop for a photo before watching the Layups for Leukemia basketball game. Both Lothrop and Jordan were honored heroes at the event.

Q. Overall, how has being diagnosed impacted you? A. Overall, this has impacted me in such a positive way. I have grown a lot closer to family and have really seen who my true friends are. I have met so many great people, and I hope this positive trail continues long after I am cured.

Q. How do you feel about all the support? A. I am honored by all the students and families who come out to sup-

port me, which then supports Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What really makes me feel great is that I don’t know more than half of the people who support me, and they still contribute to all the fundraisers we have.

this month in

feature

Mandarin opens doors to new worlds Learn about new language offered at SHS| page 13 Need more coverage? Visit the feature page at www.goaves.com

imageimage by jimmy chau chau by jimmy

Are you ‘BFF’s for life’? Take the best friends quiz to make sure | page 11

Dinner, dancing, fun - oh my!

‘OZ’ to be theme of Odd Couples Ball

michelatindera

editor-in-chief

Students and their parents will be taking a trip to the Land of Oz for the annual PTO sponsored “OZZ Couples Ball” on Saturday, March 13. “I’m really excited for Odd Couples. I hope I have as much fun as in years past,” said Sophie Wall, 12. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for music and appetizers, and though it is not required, students and their dates are encouraged to dress up according to the theme. While some may cringe at the thought of attending a dance with a parent, others are seasoned veterans and have lots of fun spending the evening with their parent. “It’s definitely not awkward going with a parent,” said Jeff Goodman, 12. “My mom and I went freshman year and we had a really fun time.” For those who are not fans of regular school dances, Odd Couples is a completely different experience and should definitely be given a try. Instead of a DJ there is live music performed by a

district favorite, The ReBops which includes Mr. Kevin Mays, assistant principal and Mr. John Alexander, junior high math teacher, among others. Also, along with appetizers at the beginning of the dance, dinner is served in the main gym with dancing following that. “I love Odd Couples because the ReBops are awesome, the decorations are always fantastic, and it’s entertaining to watch the parents dance,” said Christine McLaughlin, 12. Even if you do not plan on attending, volunteers are still needed to help decorate for the dance. Set up and take down is scheduled for March 12, 13, and 14, and volunteering with decorations is a great way to get hours for National Honor Society (NHS) or Interact Club. Contact Karin Noland at knoland@fuse.net if interested. For first-time attendees remember to bring a camera. There are tons of photo ops with all the decorations around the commons and gym, so they are always fun to pose around with friends.

feature 11

friday, february 26, 2010

How well do they know each other?

“It’s cool to be able to show eighth graders a bit of what they’ll be a part of, because I Mallory Condron,11, and Laura Birckhead,11 test BFF knowledge remember what it was like having to learn everything at once. linacardenas -Kathryn Rosenberg, 12 staff writer Malloryon onLaura: Laura: Mallory Most embarrassing moment: At Steak n’ Shake with Neil Krishnan, (12). She tried to hit me with a straw, accidentally blew it into some random guy . Real Answer: Tripping in front of my entire acting class on my face!

Biggest fear: Throwing up…. Don’t judge me Real Answer: Throwing up Guilty pleasure: Texts from last night (website) Real Answer: Texts from last night (website) Song played too much on their i-pod: Best of Both Worlds by the one and only Miley Cyrus Real Answer: Best of Both Worlds by the one and only Miley Cyrus...Judge me. If they were a worm, they would be: Five dollar foot long! Real Answer: Five dollar foot long! A saying they say a lot: Meow!/Presh/Don’t judge me Real Answer: Meow/Presh

Laura on Mallory: Most embarrassing moment: N/A Real Answer: Scoring a basket for the other team in 3rd grade...still haunts me Biggest fear: Death by fire Real Answer: Death by fire Guilty pleasure: Chicken!!! Real Answer: Musicals!

Song played too much on their i-pod: Bad Romance?!? Real Answer: Salty Eyes by the Matches If they were a worm, they would be: Five dollar foot long! Real Answer: Five dollar foot long! A saying they say a lot: Wuddup shawty? / Get it! Real Answer: Get it/ Whattup shawty, and occasionally Hey Gangsta

83% 66%

Helping out

New Kids O

hannagoldman

staff writer

n Feb. 8 and 11, SHS students may have noticed that the people in the hallways looked a bit, well, shorter than usual. This may have been because of the eighth-grade tours going on those days. The second tour was originally scheduled to be the Feb. 9, but was rescheduled because of the snow days. The annual visits by incoming freshmen are set up to help them feel more comfortable heading into high school and leaving the junior high. “I’m most impressed by the warm welcome we try to give with the various groups, they show what we’re all about,” said Mr. Chris Davis, principal. “It takes a lot of effort to organize all the groups that perform, but it is definitely worth it.” When the buses unloaded, the eighth graders were treated to see acts by many activities and clubs, including the Flyerettes, Touring Company, Improv Aves, Fencing Team, Step Team and an ASL class. Representatives also spoke from Student Council, Unified for Unifat, Journalism, Yearbook and Buffet Club.

The academic counselors were introduced, and staff members including Mrs. Maggi Cobb-Wessling, Mrs. Valerie Nimeskern, Mr. Dan Buchanan, Mr. Scott Dattilo, and Mr. John Whapham had a chance to talk about their courses or activities. Many upperclassmen helped out, leading tours around the building and pointing out important locations and classrooms. Room 233, ceramics, the nurse’s office, and many others were stops along the tours. For many current SHS students, this is a fulfilling and fun experience. “It’s cool to be able to show eighth graders a bit of what they’ll be a part of,” said Kathryn Rosenberg, 12, “Because I remember what it was like, having to learn everything at once.” Other things, like the locations of bathrooms and alternative stairwells, were useful to the incoming ninthgraders, although some appeared to doubt their abilities to find their way around. Some were shown landmarks around school to use as guides for the first few weeks of school. “I really like the signs on the walls that say the different subjects, because it’s helpful to know where you are in the school,” said Emily Callaway, 8.

12 feature

Robert Lesan, Class of ‘97

friday, february 26, 2010

Camie Jensen, Class of ‘97

Ronjan Sikdar, Class of ‘00

Voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’

Where they are now E drewgelwicks staff writer

very year, the senior class votes on their senior superlatives. ‘Best Dressed,’ ‘Cutest Couple,’ and ‘Mr. and Mrs. Sycamore,’ are among these. Along with them is ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ To get this nomination is a very high honor, for

‘This is just part of my success’

Most sophomores are preoccupied with getting their drivers license, or an upcoming test. That was not the case for Robert Lesan, class of 1997, and voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ “In my sophomore year, I started my own internet service provider company that sold dial-up accounts to consumers who wanted to use a modem to connect to the internet. We also developed and hosted websites for small businesses,” said Lesan. Lesan has not strayed from SHS. He is currently a lawyer at Keating Muething & Klekamp in Cincinnati, and has been there for the past four and a half years. After graduating from SHS, Lesan went on to Ohio State University where he got his degree in economics in merely three years. “After OSU, I went on a church mission to Hong Kong for two years. After that, I went to Brigham Young University, where I got my law degree,” said Lesan. Lesan was asked to what he attributes his success. Did he think it was discipline, raw intelligence, or social skills. “Intelligence is the least important. So far, in my career, hard work and social skills have been the biggest help to my success. When I got into the ‘real world’ I saw how many other elements are needed to be successful. It wasn’t just about acing the test anymore,” said Lesan. After accomplishing so much in his life, he is still working “All of this is just part of my success. I would consider my biggest success so far my family of my wife and two kids,” said Lesan.

it means their peers acknowledge their aptitude for success. But what happens after they walk out of the doors of SHS? Do they go on to achieve immense success? Or do they crumple and fall? After years of being on their own and away from SHS,

three graduates look back at their times at SHS and the path they have taken since. They confront the question of whether they actually did achieve the title of being, ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’

‘I did what I had to do’

‘It’s more important to be happy’

Twelve years ago, Camie Jensen took SHS by storm. Captain of the tennis team, senior class president, heavily involved in the Spanish department, as well as maintaining excellent grades, this senior was voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ Currently, she goes by the last name of Christensen, and lives in Minneapolis, with her three kids and husband. But to get her there, a lot has happened. After graduating high school, in the approximate top 7 in her class, she went to Brigham Young University with a full ride scholarship, where she got her degree in spanish teaching. Two years ago, in 2007, she planned the 10 year reunion for the class of 1997. “I was a little anxious about what people would think of my accomplishments, and if I had lived up to that title. But everything was fine, and I don’t think I let anyone down.” During an interview, Christensen was asked to what she attributes her success. “I had many goals – I knew the steps that I needed to take to go where I wanted. I did what I had to do to get where I wanted, and stayed focused. This still helps me now, twelve years after high school,” said Christensen. After all these accomplishments, where is she today? “Now, I am working to be a successful mother. I am living the life I have always wanted to live, and I’m happy with where I am, and the path and direction I’m taking,” said Christensen. Camie’s brother, Andrew Jensen, 12, will graduate this school year.

Not so long ago, Ronjan Sikdar, walked the halls of SHS. As a graduate of the class of 2000, he, along with Christine Santos, were voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ “I was surprised to learn I was voted that. There were so many others that I thought had potential,” said Sikdar. He competed in many math competetions while at SHS, while also being heavily involved in the orchestra department. After he graduated, Sikdar moved on to Carnegie Mellon, where he majored in business. He now works at the Nielsen Company, where he is a senior research analyst in the online division. “Carnegie Mellon’s business division tries to steer you into careers like finance. I wanted a job I would actually enjoy, so I took the job with less money, because I knew I would be happier,” said Sikdar. To be the most successful out of a few hundred is a very hard task to accomplish. “We’re all in the same boat. Anyone of my classmates could flame out or come out of nowhere and reach tremendous success. But, I don’t think I have fulfilled my notion of succeeding. If I could go back to high school, and see where I am now, I would be happy. But, you always need to keep working. It’s a never-ending cycle,” said Sikdar. Though he currently lives in New York City, he is able to come to Cincinnati as a part of his job somewhat frequently. “As long as you have options, do what you want to do, because in the long run, it’s more important to be happy,” said Sikdar.

“ “ “ -Mrs. Rosemary Ennis, history teacher

Camie spent two summers teaching in Mexico in an impoverished village. She slept on a pile of corn husks and had no electricity, but loved every second.

-Andrew Jensen,12

Ronjan was a very talented musician and a great leader. He was a very intelligent and likeable young man who was talented in so many areas.

-Mr. David Smarelli, orchestra director

all images by drew gelwicks

He [Rob] was a very talented writer and analytical thinker. He had a great ability of interpreting topics. He also got a five on the AP [American] Exam.

feature 13

friday, friday 26, 2010

Mandarin opens new doors Benefits of learning Mandarin, how it will help in the future kelciegrega

staff writer

here are many foreign languages offered at SHS that every student has the choice to take. The newest language now available to take is Mandarin Chinese. In China there are alot of different dialects, the two main dialects being Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin is most commonly spoken in China. Unlike English, Mandarin does not have an official alphabet. Instead it has a series of characters that all mean a different word. You need to know at least two thousand of these characters just to read a Chinese paper. “I took Mandarin because I was already taking French, so I thought that it would be interesting to take a different language. I also wanted to learn more about Chinese culture,” said Amy Gordon, 12. Most of the students who are taking Mandarin Chinese are really enjoying the class and are improving everyday. Most students can now read, write, and speak entire introductions. “I am very surprised that the students can already communicate with me in complete sentences without using any English,” said Wu Lao Shi, Chinese teacher. Wu is the first to introduce Chinese as a second language to SHS. “I really like our teacher, when she is speaking Chinese she is always acting out what she is saying which helps us learn better,” said Dallas Burris, 12. Chinese has grown very popular in the last decade and SHS is one of the first schools to teach it. “Mandarin Chinese will grow and will become as popular as all the other languages that are being taught,” said Wu.

Mandarin’s Benefits

Globalization

Mandarin Chinese is booming in schools all across the United States It has slowly started to climb up in popularity. Major international companies will soon have much use in Mandarin. “It will become the new business language,” said Christine Lu, 9 Its rise in popularity has become very noticeable in recent years. China is much larger than the United States so it is no surprise that over one fifth of the world’s population already speaks it. China’s economy is also growing stronger every day. “As China’s economy grows, I believe that Mandarin will soon lead to be a major spoken language,” said Lu. The United States is not the only country that Mandarin may perhaps dominate. Mandarin has replaced many dialects, becoming the language of the younger generation in China. It is slowly but surely replacing the Cantonese dialect in the southern most parts of China. Although Mandarin has seemed to slowly take over as one of the main international Languages spoken, it is unlikely that it will overpower English anytime soon.

Oracle bone script

Pictograms:

Before the Chinese Sun characters people see today, pictograms Moon were used as a form of writing and communication. A lot of Mountain Chinese characters started out as pictures as seen to the Water left. As time went by, the pictures started to evolve over many Rain years to the regular script seen today. Wood

Seal Script

photo by kelcie grega

Before the beginning of globalization learning a new language was just something students did for fun. For example, teenagers who learned Spanish, French, German or even Latin, did not typically use those languages after they graduated from high school. Recently, however, Chinese has become the language of choice in high school and colleges, SHS is one of the lucky schools who offer Mandarin. “Though Chinese characters look so complicated and hard to learn, if you are fluent in it I think that it could

be very helpful in the future,” said Aaron Ishida, 9. Taking Mandarin and mastering the language opens doors to almost one fifth of the world’s population. Besides China there are many Chinese speakers in Singapore,Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Brunei, Thailand, the Philippines, Russia, the USA, Vietnam, Laos, UK and Mauritius. Learning to be fluent in Chinese will be important to people in the business world who may want to expand their business to new consumers in Asia. “I think Mandarin Chinese will be very useful for me in the future, especially when looking for a good college to get accepted into,” said Angela Lee, 9. China has also started to face a breakthrough in economic advances since the beginning of the 21st century. “Chinese will become very popular and its economy will grow. Students in this program will have so many opportunities in the future.” said Wu.

Script seen today

Reasons to take Chinese: 1. The Chinese economy is the fastest growing economy in

the world, and so in the work environment even speaking a little Chinese will give you a competitive edge.

2. There are more native speakers of Chinese than any other language, nearly 1/4 the world’s population.

3. Knowing the written language will open up the culture of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

4. It will open up so many doors when applying for college. 5. Lastly, it is fun. You will enjoy the experience of learning another language.

A&E

friday, february 26, 2010

iterary magazine provides outlet for SHS

eaves of Thought’ allows for student creativity

nankihura

ver wondered what to do with those witty poems jotted down on the back of a restaurant napkin or that short story that was just too creative to turn in to a language teacher? “Leaves of Thought” provides a solution. As the school’s literary magazine, “Leaves of Thought” provides an outlet for students and teachers to have their pieces published and distributed throughout the school. Although the magazine has primarily featured creative writing pieces in the past, nonfiction, fiction or short stories, and poetry are also accepted. In addition, artwork, including photos, paintings, or drawings, are welcome. Students and teachers wishing to have their works of writing or art featured in the magazine must submit their pieces to Clayton Hamre, 10, editor-in-chief of “Leaves of Thought.” “I think it [the “Leaves of Thought”] will allow people to see all the different writing styles that students and teachers have at Sycamore High School, and will encourage more people to write,” said Hamre. Hamre, as well as Ms. Christine Minano, English teacher and faculty advisor, select pieces for the Spring 2010 issue, and hope to include at least one entry from each student or teacher meeting the requirements. “I feel like it is important to give students this opportunity to have their creative work published because it builds their confidence, and it is a terrific opportunity to share their talents and insights with the entire Sycamore community,” said Minano. While a specific release date of the issue has not yet been determined, the magazines will be sold for one dollar a piece. “I think the ‘Leaves of Thought’ is a really great way to help students express themselves and to show off their writing skills,” said Samantha Siler, 9, who looks forward to the magazine’s distribution. Writers and artists, students and staff-members, napkin-doodlers and closet poets, do not throw away that wonderful work of art yet, for it is not too late to submit pieces for the “Leaves of Thought.” Remember, digital copies are preferred.

Victor Hu, 10, concentrates on his writing. Hu submitted his piece to “Leaves of Thought,” which will come out in the spring. The magazine will be sold for one dollar a piece.

International cultural events showcased Fine Arts Weekend displays talents of Cincinnatians photo courtesy of altavista.com

this month in

a&e

photo courtesy of emma rosen

staff writer

stuartlindle

‘‘Dear John’ review

sappy romance does not entertain | pg 14

Spring movies extremely diverse from action flicks to freaky children’s classics | pg 15

staff writer

In life, often we are too busy to enjoy the beautiful things. With jobs, projects, homework, and family responsibilities, we forget to sit back and just enjoy all that Cincinnati has to offer. The Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend, on Feb. 20-21, provided the perfect opportunity to do so. Whether it be music, dance, storytelling, theatre, or painting, the Fine Arts Fund weekend had an event for everyone, and more importantly it was free. The 360 degree experience of arts started Saturday and continued through Sunday, with events scattered throughout the greater Cincinnati area. “Lately, I’ve been rather short on money, and the Fine Arts Weekend was the perfect opportunity to have a good time,” said Taylar Ventura, 11.

Events were held at Montgomery‘s City Hall and Raymond Walters college in Blue Ash, so you did not have to venture far to enjoy Cincinnati’s fine arts. Raymond Walter’s featured the Cultural Centre of India: Passage to India-from Ancient to Bollywood. It explored high energy Bollywood dances that got the crowd moving, as shown in the picture above. “I was particular excited by all of the dance classes that were available for free, like the YMCA’s beginner African dance class,“ said Ellie Caldwell, 12. Other fun activities included: Hispanic food and dance at the Su Casa Hispanic center and local indie music at the Clifton Cultural Art Center. The point being, from painting to dancing or Ohio’s oldest brick house and museum it was all free and available to the public. It was a wonderful showcase of all of the international cultures in Cincinnati.

ichela’s musings

Past television shows, web sites come alive once again michelatindera

editor-in-chief

I feel like a lot of times I am the last person to as some would say, “arrive to the party.” I suppose it runs in my family. My dad had finally gotten the chance to see said movie (released on Aug. 17, 2007) for the first time. And while this would normally not be a problem, it starts to become one when the movie quotes and references pop up as many times as the rest of the world is making “The Hangover” and Lady Gaga commentary. Unfortunately, I have the same problem. When I discover something, regardless of when the rest of the general population found out about it, I have the ability to go on about endlessly—hence, this column. Two of my most recent addictions, that I also seem to be several years late on, include: “One Tree Hill” and StumbleUpon.com. I have said this to many of my friends, and I will say it again. Sit down and watch two episodes of “One Tree Hill” and you will be hooked for life. I came across it a few weeks ago on SoapNet when I should have been studying for exams. It is on every afternoon at 3 and 4 p.m. The episodes run in order, so it is very easy to follow along. StumbleUpon.com was created in 2001 and has grown to be a company worth over $75 million. You can set up an account and check boxes of topics that interest you. Then, just hit “stumble” to begin your quest into the unknown realms of the world wide web. They range from things like sports to humor to the environment to music. Just a few examples of web sites I was able to “stumble upon” included one called “Death by caffeine.” I was required to enter my weight and then select from a list of over one hundred beverages to find out how many bottles/cans I would have to drink in order to die from a caffeine overdose. In case you were wondering: I would need 175.93 cans of Diet Coke, 57.5 bottles of 5-Hour Energy, or 49.48 cans of Rockstar to kick the bucket. I also stumbled upon inudge.net. It is a site where you can, with the simple drag of your mouse, drop some really sick beats. All the directions you need are on the home screen and there are eight different beats available to blend together. It is quick and easy and you can save any of the beats you make. I think I see the next Timbaland… All stumbles are recommended by other users which go into a database and are tracked and suggested to you by the web site to best fit the other web sites you have visited and “liked” and your topic selectors. StumbleUpon.com is able to reach into the furthest depths of the world wide web to bring you entertainment you would probably never think to look for on your own on Google. So while I may have arrived a bit late to these parties—OTH’s first episode premiered in 2003 and StumbleUpon.com was founded in 2001—the fact that these forms of entertainment are still around and able to grab my attention, must say something about their quality. For comments on this column, please write to WritetoTheLeaf@gmail.com

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friday, february 26, 2010

‘Dear John’

gina’s ginaromeo

photos courtesy of altavista.com

spotlight editor

Taking on Hollywood emmarosen

s.m.dipali

oy meets girl. Girl plays hard to get. Boy wins her over. Cue whirlwind romance. Tragedy ensues. Tears are shed. An angst-filled reunion occurs. More tears are shed. They eventually reconcile. Add a pinch of autistic father, a dash of 9/11, a sprinkling of cancer, and a heaping mound of cliché and you have the recipe for “Dear John” down pat. And so continues the endless cycle of Nicholas Sparks’ film adaptations. Yes, Channing Tatum (John) was especially nice to look at it. And yes, Amanda Seyfried (Savannah) was charming as ever. But the characters they played lacked an immense amount of emotional depth. Sparks failed to give his characters dimension. In fact, they seemed rather stereotypical. Savannah was about as dull as a character can be. She was portrayed as a selfless, determined young woman who apparently narrated her life via an inner monologue of streaming curse words. From that perspective, she sounds attention-grabbing. But it was her predictability, her conventional dialogue, and her not so subtle vulnerability that made her a pretty weak female character. In one part of the movie, Savannah defends her betraying actions by screaming about how it was just as hard being away from John as it was for John being away from her and at war. Oh yeah, I am sure the third-world countries, unfamiliar languages, dangerous situations, and overall fight for survival was trivial compared to her intense suffering at a posh university. And did I mention John just happened to get shot twice in the back? But of course that is a mere picnic compared to the life of Savannah, the Mother Teresa of our age. All rants aside, this movie lacked the je ne sais quois that was so eloquently expressed in “The Notebook.” The really poignant aspect of the movie was John’s autistic father, played by the brilliant Richard Jenkins. He skillfully took on a role that cannot be an easy one to conquer. This movie was saved by the beautiful scenery and the occasional touching moment. Do not expect to be blown away, or even to need more than a couple tissues. But cynics, beware; the sheer cliché of this movie will have you rolling your eyes and pulling at your hair. Classic Sparks.

“Two weeks. That’s all it took for me to fall for you.” After hearing that line in every “Dear John” commercial out there, I guess I should have expected it. To all of the skeptics of “Dear John,” your worst fears are true. The movie embodies the word cliché. But, then again, most romances written by Nicholas Sparks do. “Dear John” follows Sparks’ playbook to the T. Director Lasse Hallström stayed true to the basics of every Sparks novel and cast two very pretty people: Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. Unfortunately, “Dear John” proves that beauty really is often only skin-deep. Tatum (who could have been cast merely for his body) plays the stoic Special Forces soldier, John Tyree. Seyfried plays the role of Savannah, the seemingly selfless rich girl who captures John’s attention. Inevitably, the two fall madly in love; “in two weeks” to be exact. Then of course, reality rears its ugly head into the situation, forcing John and Savannah to be pushed apart by circumstances and obligations beyond their control. John goes to war. Savannah goes to school. Love letters are written. Did I mention the word cliché? Equipped with scenes of death and heartbreak, the time after their epic romance plays out as if it were some long music video. And when the tearjerker of a music video finally ended, I found myself asking, “Wait, that’s it?” In the end, “Dear John” delivers as much as any Sparks product could. The movie is certainly unafraid of wearing its heart on its sleeve. In fact, “Dear John” welcomes the cliché, because, quite frankly, it sells. Some will hate it because of that, and yet others will love it for the same reason. And for those I will say: “Dear John” will earn your approval, along with your tears.

a&e chief

Rating: 2

System The Leaf uses this rating system 1- Don’t Waste Your Money 5- Pre-Order Your Tickets A.S.A.P.

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If there is one thing in this world that I value more than a great album, it is a great film. Ask anyone who knows me, I am a sucker for cinematography and a well-written script. I find myself quoting movies several times a day. It is actually kind of sad. A soundtrack must capture every bit of emotion portrayed in a scene in order to be effective. And believe me, that is a tougher feat than it sounds. Thus, I have put together a list of the “cream of the crop” of movie soundtracks. I highly recommend not only checking out these albums, but the films as well, they are some of my favorites. “Garden State:” Writer, director, and star of the movie, Zach Braff, personally chose and compiled this soundtrack his self. It then won a Grammy in 2005 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Well done Braff, well done. Songs by artists like The Shins, Simon and Garfunkel, and Frou Frou, are only a few of the many musical gems in this film. My personal favorite is Iron and Wine’s melancholy cover of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.” “Almost Famous:” Much like “Garden State,” this Cameron Crowe film was awarded a Grammy for its soundtrack in 2001. Brimming with classic rock hits by bands like The Who, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, and many more, this soundtrack fits the movie like a glove. A personal favorite in the journalism room, Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” is one of the best tracks. “(500) Days of Summer:” The film kicks off the opening credits with Regina Spektor’s “Us.” And it only gets better from there on. From the Smiths, to Feist, to star Zooey Deschanel’s band She and Him, “(500) Days of Summer” has one of the best soundtracks I have heard. “A Hard Day’s Night:” Being a diehard Beatles fan, it is hard for me to pass up the opportunity to praise their music. This movie is a classic, a token from the Beatles’ prime, their plain suits and matching bowl cuts days. Songs like “If I Fell,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and the movie’s theme, rightly named “A Hard Day’s Night” are personal favorites.

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16 a&e

friday, february 26, 2010

neak peek pring film season highly

‘This group has put a lot of work into this’

SEE1 prepares to rock out for sold-out audience, despite lack of guest artist

anticipated by many

rishichoubey

staff writer

alexberger

o 2009 has gone, and with it, the recent slew of awardbait movies. We will have to wait until summer for more anticipated films like "Iron Man 2" to arrive. However, in the coming months there are still some things to look forward to.

The latest movie of acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, this is his first foray into the horror genre. A few early reviews have come back positive, and given the average quality of this director’s work, this looks to be one of the best movies coming out in the next few months. Premieres Feb. 19.

The previews make it look like “Rush Hour,” but with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. Also, it is directed by Kevin Smith, of “Clerks” and “Jay and Silent Bob” fame. Premieres Feb. 26.

Director Tim Burton has always had a gift for cinematography and darkly imaginative settings. This makes him an ideal choice to head the new adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland." The previews for this movie look great and the cast includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter. This movie shows a lot of promise. Premieres March 5.

Also coming soon:

“Repo Men”- Mar. 19

Jude Law and Forest Whitaker

“Bounty Hunter”- Mar. 19

Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston

“Clash of the Titans”- April 2 Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes

all images by emma rosen

staff writer

On Friday Feb. 26, at 7:30 PM, Sycamore’s own electric ensemble SEE1 will be performing at their much anticipated yearly concert. Students may have gotten a glimpse of the group at the variety show, the orchestra’s winter concert, or at the last pep rally. However, what students may not have seen is the group practicing from 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday night since Sept. Five years ago, Mr. David Smarelli, the director of SEE1, brought together orchestra students to create the first high school electric band in Cincinnati. Since then, the concert has been sold out every year. Famous musicians such as Mark Wood from the trans-Siberian orchestra and Alex Depue, a U.S. fiddling champion have attended past concerts. “It’s amazing that students in our school that are so talented have played at a level with professionals,” said Mrs. Valerie Nimeskern, social studies teacher. However, this year’s concert will be different. For the first time, the group will be performing without a guest. “Hopefully it does not affect the turnout,” said Smarelli, “this group has put a lot of work into this.” Hoping to impress at their con-

cert, SEE1 will be playing songs by Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles. “There are also going to be original compositions,” said Smarelli, “In fact, I will also be performing with the group on violin.” “It is going to be a lot of fun,” said Jack Henning, 10, bass player, “I am really excited to play.” Henning, along with other SEE1 members Nick Triantos, 12, guitarist, and Dan Seibert, 9, drummer, also competed in the Battle of the Bands competition as Alpyne, the space metal group. “If people had fun at Battle of the Bands then I think they will enjoy this concert too,” said Henning, “Hanging out with friends, listening to music. Plus, you get to see Nick Trilantos bob his head and see his hair wave.” Along with senior keyboardist Rashmi Borah, 12, it is the last year Triantos will be in the group before going to college. It may also be the last time that students can see them play. Like Henning, Triantos, Borah, and Seibert, fellow students Konnor Montchai, 9, Ben Fryxwell, 9, Victor Hu, 10, Natasha Warikoo, 10, Olivia Smith, 10, and Deborah Wu, 10, will also be performing. Tickets will be on sale for five dollars at sbob.org or at the door. All students and staff are welcome to come.

lina+orion=eternal love

emma and gina

bridal and formal

“Help me find love...” -Emma Oh

a&e 17

friday, february 26, 2010

Do you belong on ‘Jersey Shore’?

Test your trivia knowledge of Jersey Shore. Are you the ultimate guido/guidette or a mere tourist to the shore? Take this quiz to find out. (adapted from MTV.com) 1. J-WOWW tried to fight her attraction to Pauly D with the help of this late night snack: a. Salami and beer b. Pickles and soda c. Ham and a bottle of water d. Italian sausage and wine 2. Which one of the guys has been rockin’ an ‘I Heart Hot Moms’ tee in his confessionals? a. Ronnie b. Mike ‘The Situation’ c. DJ Pauly D d. Vinny 3. What is the name of Danny the Landlord’s souvenir shop? a. Shore Store b. Tees by the Sea c. Mr. T’s d. Shirt Shack 4. Ronnie introduced the roomies to a drink he had invented. What was the name of that concoction? a. Ronnie’s Panty Removers b. Shore Slushee c. RonRon Juice d. Punch Drunk Love

‘We’ll be fist pumpin’ all summer long...’

are actually somewhat like that,” said Keith & Diederich, 12. This type of television is not intended for serious viewing, and certainly not for its structure sarahmay & paulpescovitz & michelatindera staff writer editor-in-chief or cinematic value. Approached with a slightly sports chief sarcastic mood, Jersey Shore easily becomes a here is a situation developing into a secclassic, joining the ranks of MTV’s own “The ond season on MTV, one that should not Real World” and VH1’s “I Love New York.” be ignored. Numerous outrageous stateWithout a doubt, it is worth it to sit back and at ments, steroid-fueled overreactions, and least attempt to sit through a concise, one-hour unreasonably flaunted macho physiques, episode. and that just describes Mike ‘The Situation’ SorEveryone else in America seems to be rentino. watching, as ‘Shore’ has gained an expansive Jersey Shore truly has it all. Just a few episodes following to the point where ‘The Situation’ is into the reality program’s pilot season, one room- garnering $10,000 as an appearance fee. mate became overwhelmed and left the shore After all, there is no reason to hate on the house, two entered a stable (defined incredibly show. As ‘The Situation’ so eloquently deloosely in this instance) relationship, and quickly, scribes himself in what is sure to become a Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, made an impression as modern-day adage: “You can hate on me all the housemate that may party just a bit too hard. you want to, but what can you possibly say to Watching an episode, one finds themself wonsomebody who looks like Rambo, pretty much, dering if humans can in fact act in this ridiculous without his shirt off?” manner. How can that logic be argued with? With that, “I go to the Jersey Shore every summer, and take a peek at some of the more intricate pieces what’s amazing is that if you actually go to Seaof MTV’s reality masterpiece, including how to side Heights, where the show is filmed, the people imitate the cast’s infamous dance move.

staff writer

emilycohen

staff writer

ilanavinnik

staff writer

Italian-American backlash Once upon a summer eight self-proclaimed “guidos” and “guidettes” decided to live together in a house on the Jersey Shore. A few months later, their summer fun was broadcast on national televi-

sion for all to see. While some just see the show as a representation of the degeneration of American youth, many Italian-Americans have taken an especially sensitive viewpoint to the show.

Being an Italian American, I find the show to be offensive. I feel as though the cast members are portraying themselves as bad people while at the same time disgracing their culture, even if they say they do not mean to.

-Nick Capozzoli,12

photo courtesy of altavista.com

IF YOU ANSWERED 4-5 correctly You are an expert on Jersey Shore. Honestly, you are more on this show than Vinny is. Jersey Shore Season 2 here you come.

Need more ‘Shore’?

2-3 correctly You still watch the show but are not as into it as you could be. Perhaps becoming a ‘guido’ is not your goal in life after all.

When the web speculation, discussion of a potential second seasonand countless reruns are not enough to satisfy your ‘Shore’ cravings, be sure to check out these other hotspots.

0-1 correctly It seems you are not quite up to date on ‘Shore’s’ latest happenings. Maybe tuning in to the next new episode would not be such a bad idea.

Jersey Shore Name Generator http://www. unlikelywords.com

easy steps

to fist pump like a champ

Check out Facebook for more fun applications to do with JS.

Ultimate lines from ‘Shore’ “This situation is gonna be indescribable you can’t even describe the situation that you’re about to get into the situation.”- Mike, The Situation “My ultimate dream is to move to Jersey, find a juiced, hot, tan guy and live my life.”- Snooki “Hater juice is best served cold”- Mike, The Situation “I feel this job is beneath me. I’m a bartender. I do great things.”- Angelina “I left the club early because I didn’t want to cheat on my boyfriend. And I felt like eating ham and drinking water.”- Jenni, Jwoww

images by michela tindera

rishichoubey

5. You’re on the dance floor and your move of choice is: a. The Jerk b. The Fist pump c. The Pelvic thrust d. The Booty pop

answers: 1.)c 2.) d 3.) a 4.) c 5.) b

‘We’ll be fist-pumpin’ all summer long’

Meet the cast of MTV’s hottest show to hit the airwaves since the original “Real World.” Clockwise from top left the cast is: Mike “The Situation,” DJ Pauly D, Ronnie, Vinny, Angelina, Nicole a.k.a. Snooki, Sammi, and Jenni a.k.a. Jwoww.

3. repeat as necessary

Sports

Take a

friday, february 26, 2010

Hike

New Orleans needs gold, not rings brandonsosna

photos courtesy of mcdaniels photography

sports chief

SHS SWIMMER STEPHEN IOAS, 9, and many other swimmers have contributed to the success of the SHS boys swimming team. They blew away the competition at the GMC championship meet, beating out second place Mason by 93 points.

GMC CHAMPS

Boys swim team regains GMC Title with dominating championship meet performance benkeefe

staff writer

fter 13 consecutive GMC titles, the SHS boys swim team failed to win the title in back-to-back years. This year they regained the title in an authoritative fashion. A weekend mixed around due to snow, the meet, originally planned for Saturday, Feb. 6 was postponed until Sunday, Feb. 7. The date change did not matter to the team. “The date move did not bother us at all; we stayed focus on the day off. We had practice and stayed loose. We were ready to swim fast and ultimately win on Sunday,” said Chris Culin, 12.

Dominating opponents

this month in

No other school in the GMC came close to SHS. Mason, who was the second place team, was 93 points behind SHS including diving. “It feels real nice to finally hand one to Mason. They have been taunting us since they entered the GMC two years ago, it feels great to get them back,” said Manuel Gutierrez, 11, who won both the 200 IM and 100 freestyle. To start the meet off, the medley relay of Jose Cerda, 11, Matt Schramm, 11, TJ Biddle, 12, and Culin placed second. Fairfield won the medley relay.

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SHS student goes for gold

Gao reflects on Olympic ambitions, experience

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“It was a little disappointing that relay did not win. We were the number one seed and we did not live up to expectations,” said Culin. In the 200 freestyle, Steven Winkler, 11, Ben Keefe, 12, and Patrick Aguilar, 9, placed second, third, and fourth respectively. In the 200 IM, Gutierrez won, while Thomas Norris, 10, placed fourth. In the next event, Culin and Schramm placed fourth and eighth respectively in the 50 free. Keefe, Biddle and Aguilar went third, fourth, and fifth respectively in the 100 butterfly. In the next event, the 100 freestyle, the team also had three top ten placers. Gutierrez won the event, Culin placed fourth and Cerda placed tenth. The team also had two tenth place finishes in the 500 freestyle. Norris placed second while Charlie Fry, 9, placed sixth. The 200 freestyle relay of Gutierrez, Winkler, Culin, and Keefe was the only relay that was not the number one seed coming into the meet. The relay ended up winning the race by over 1.5 seconds. “We were expected to finish second and we ended up blowing every team out of the water,” said Winkler. The final two individual events, the 100 backstroke and 100 breastroke also went well for the team. SHS placed fourth, fifth, sixth

and eighth in the backstroke with Cerda, Winkler, Stephen Ioas, 9, respectively.

Sustaining success

In the most surprising showing of an SHS swimmer all day, Schramm placed second in the 100 breastroke. Lenny Bressler, 11, and Jonathan Segar, 9, also placed sixth and ninth respectively. In the final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, also known as the team’s signature relay, SHS dominated nearly every leg of the race. The relay team of Norris, Winkler, Keefe, and Gutierrez defeated Princeton, the second place team, by over two seconds. “That relay capped off the title. Once we saw that relay win, we knew the title was back to where it belongs,” said Culin. The championship season continue on. Sectionals are the next step for the state bound team. Sectionals were held on Friday, Feb. 12 with Districts, the next step in the road to state held one week later on Feb. 19. The OHSSA Swimming and Diving Championships are Feb. 26-27 and are the final step in a long road for seniors Keefe and Culin. Both have been swimming for over a decade and State will be their final meet. “It is a championship season. As for Ben and me it is a bittersweet ending to a successful career for both of us,” said Culin.

Girls basketball team looks towards postseason emilycohen

staff writer

After starting off strong, winning nine of their first ten games, the team has cooled off, losing close games to Princeton, Mason, and Lakota West. The team lost to Lakota West 64-58 in overtime on Feb. 3. It was a physical game that came down to the wire, but in the end the team’s defense could not make the crucial stop to win the game. Varsity bounced back after losing to Mason, beating Oak Hills

32-28. It was a great defensive effort, holding Oak Hills to their lowest total of the season. “It was a great victory for us because we beat a good team on the road,” said Amy Isaacs, 12. As the regular season wraps up, the team is focused on making a run in the post-season. “We want to peak at the right time,” said Quisia Dockery, 11. The team has worked hard in practice to prepare for the postseason. Even though the squad struggled down the stretch, the team was in

a position to win every game this season. “If we hit out shots we can beat anyone,” said Isaacs. The team has a tough road ahead of them, and will have to take down talented teams in the early rounds of the tournament. Last year, the team was shocked by losing in the second round and players do not want to suffer the same fate. Because of this, they are striving to go deep into the tournament this year.

It’s been three weeks since New Orleans won the Super Bowl. It’s been two weeks and six days since I’ve heard anything about it. You hear about it every now and then. When Drew Brees makes the news for having Oprah Winfrey attempt to rub off his birthmarks or ESPN runs a random highlight. That’s because it was a nice story for a day. It was sexy. It was cool. It was an escape from a far from glorious truth. I’m done hearing about how monumental the Saints’ Super Bowl victory was for the city of New Orleans. Never again. Hurricane Katrina and its devastation were five years ago. Sure, the destruction is still present. I was just there. I saw it for myself. But it’s just like stating that the Giants Super Bowl win in 2007 was colossal for the city of New York after 9/11. Or if the Bengals win the Super Bowl in 2015 and dedicating the win to the late Chris Henry. I could go on. But I’ve already established myself as a cynic. I’m a hypocrite, too. But we live in a world of hypocrisy. The Saints winning the Super Bowl was like the inhabitants of New Orleans consuming a few five hour energy shots. It was a phenomenal feeling for a short time. There was enough energy flowing out of the Big Easy to provide all the Earth with light. It was an all out bash on Bourbon Street. Mardi Gras on steroids. Laws and how they are enforced went into abeyance. Smiles all around. Drinks on the bar. But then they crashed. Displaced persons returned to their foreign homes longing for something better. And those who lost loved ones reminisced about how much their departed would have given anything to witness the Saints first championship. Then you realize winning the Lombardi Trophy wasn’t the best thing to happen to New Orleans since the inception of Mardi Gras. Why should it take a football team winning the Super Bowl for America to wake up? What about the University of New Orleans? I haven’t read much about the Privateers. UNO has had to fire 30-plus staff members, eliminate 50 vacant staff positions, and force 20 staffers to retire early. The athletics department is in considerably worse shape. Facing a $1 million annual shortfall, they had to voluntarily, yes, voluntarily, withdraw from the Division I Sun Belt Conference. They are now in the process of transferring to Division III. With the program having dwindled down to just seven sports teams, the threat of losing athletics is very real. And that’s just one example. The New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl is to be reflected upon, but not celebrated. They won the game, but the fight is bigger than the game. Because that’s all that football is – a game. The after party was simply a one night stand. A brief honeymoon. A false perception. But the state of the city is reality. For comments on this column, please write to WritetoTheLeaf@gmail.com

sports 19

friday, february 26, 2010

Gao goes for ‘I love everything about skating. Jumping, pinning, and just skating is fun. I love learning new things and improving everything I can do.’ -Christina Gao, 10

gold

pionships she represented the Northern editor-in-chief Kentucky Skating Club. t first glance ChrisHowever, if one would tina Gao, 10, may have like to congratulate Gao on her appeared out of place skating they will not be able to standing among the find her at school. She has recently winter athletes who moved with her dad to Toronto to were honored at the winter pep rally focus on training. She will be working on Friday, Jan. 29. with her new coach, two-time Olympic Taking her place next to the swimsilver-medalist Brian Orser, as well mers and basketball players on the as training with her idol and world gym floor, it would be hard to guess champion Yuna Kim. that this petite fifteen-year-old had “It’s great training with World just spent her weekend competing Champion Yuna Kim,” said Gao. for a spot representing Team USA in “She is an inspiration to me.” the Winter Olympics. Gao practices for three to four At the U.S. Figure Skating Chamhours a day six days a week to perpionships held fect her routines. on Saturday, While Gao is Jan. 23 Gao was currently living My parents signed me up just a few points in Toronto, she for classes and I’ve been away from has not left the being a part of skating ever since. district. the women’s -Christina Gao, 10 “I’m doing onfigure skating line school with team. She was Aves Academy beat out only by right now, so that 2006 Olympic silver-medalist Sasha I can train in Toronto, but also be a Cohen. part of Sycamore schools,” said Gao. The 2010 women’s team is comEven with all of the pressures that go prised of four members: Rachael along with skating at such high stakes Flatt and Mirai Nagasu with first Gao’s love of the sport is immediately alternate Ashley Wagner and secevident upon watching her skate. ond, Cohen. Gao is actually the third “I love everything about skating,” alternate. She even placed ahead of said Gao. “Jumping, spinning, and accomplished skaters 2006 Olympian just skating is fun. I love learning Emily Hughes and 2009 U.S. Chamnew things and improving everypion Alissa Czisny. thing I can do.” SHS is actually no stranger to the Certainly this will not be the Olympic Games. Gao would have peak of Gao’s career. The most been the second SHS student to parrecent competition she was in was ticipate. Dan Ketchum, ’00, swam in her first competing in the senior the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics division and it appears as if and received a gold medal for the there is only room for improve800-meter freestyle relay. ment. Though the current VanGao began skating at the age of seven couver Olympics are currently at Northland Ice Center in Evendale. in the spotlight, Gao maintains “My parents signed me up for her sights on the 2014 winter classes and I’ve been skating ever games in Sochi, Russia. since,” said Gao. At the U.S. Cham-

Band Wagon

Jumpers paulpescovitz

sports chief

michelatindera

image by jake newton

“

CHRISTINA GAO, 10, SKATES IN a recent routine. Gao, who is a member of the SHS class of 2012 but is currently taking online classes, just missed the cut for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team.

It’s a Thursday afternoon in early spring, and a mediocre South Florida is doing battle with a just-above-.500 Boston College. March Madness at its finest, no? Probably not, but it could be reality soon enough. Recent reports that the NCAA tournament field is set to expand to a superfluous 96 teams have escalated to more than rumors, and it seems the question at this point may be when it will happen, not if it will happen. The reason: what makes the world go ‘round…money. More games means more opportunities for commercials, advertisements, product placement, and sponsorships. Not to mention an even more massive television package for whichever network wins the bidding war if CBS ever loses its stranglehold on the coverage. Legendary Washington Post columnist John Feinstein said it best in the headline of his Feb. 7 column: “tournament expansion would make cents, but not sense.” Why tamper with the magic of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, arguably the most exciting couple of days on the sports calendar? All adding an extra 31 teams does is water down the field and dilute the chance of a monumental upset or two. What if 2006 George Mason’s Final Four run had been cut short in a Round of 96 game played in front of 3,500 fans in a location more desolate than Dayton, Ohio? Gus Johnson’s electric play-by-play call of Vermont’s T.J. Sorrentine “hitting that one from the parking lot” to stun fourth seeded Syracuse never would have happened if the Catamounts had fallen in an opening round match up. Though bracket expansion may appear to be somewhat of an NCAA tradition over the years, 65 is the perfect number. If anything, one at large bid, along with the “opening round game,” should evaporate. This one is easy. Jump off the bandwagon, and quick. In a world in which sports are over-commercialized and everything from first downs to free throws are brought to you by a corporation, the purity of March Madness is a rarity. Let’s not lose sight of that and watch it slip away. Besides, is it even possible to fit a 96 team bracket on a standard sheet of computer paper anyway?

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from left: Sophomores Maddie Meet Meet Under the New Pope and Josh the New New Staff! Management! Staff! Mitchell boogie down on the dance floor at the Student Council 11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, sponsored Winter OH 11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH Formal. Excited after his ‘Mr. Sycamore’ the Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm previous evening, Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm Ben Keefe, 12, busts Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm a move. Adult - $12 • Kids$10 3145-1

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