january 2007 issue by Sycamore High School

goaves.org BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE is a website out there where you can discuss and rate your teachers. www. RateMyTeachers.com is banned by some schools and scorned by teachers. Read all about this controversial site on page 22.

DO YOU KNOW SCOTT DENNIS? This issue’s Athlete of the Month is a junior point guard on the varsity basketball team and has even been featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Get all the information about this star player on page 47.

Sycamore Leaf FRIDAY January 26, 2007 Volume LIII Issue VI 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 513 686. 1770 ext. 3089

brings history, diversity Listen to the Voices: BSU together for school presentation by Kate Moore

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vocal performance by Noa Belittli, 10 and Holland Leach, 12, a rap he voice of the student body is a diverse one with tones from by a some of the BSU members, and a performance of the song “Ain’t many different ethnic groups. In honor of Black History Month, Nobody Gonna Turn Me Round” by the entire this February students and staff will have the group. In addition, Lauren Hazelrig, 12 will opportunity to celebrate the past, present, and read her poem “Pride and Prejudice”. future of one such group with Black Student Union’s We want A major component of the show will be the presentation “Listen to the Voices”. awareness; some reading of inspirational quotes from leaders in In previous years, BSU has held a Kwanza program in the African American community. BSU members December. The event typically took place after school and teaching of will represent figures such as Rosa Parks, Oprah attendance was mostly by members. To celebrate Black history, some Winfrey, Frederick Douglass, Nelson Mandela, History Month, the group decided to invite teachers to sign up and Maya Angelou. The final act will be composed with their sixth bell classes to attend the show. celebration of of freedom quotes, with all BSU members “The idea was to increase participation by having an black history. participating in the delivery of Martin Luther assembly during the school day,” said Ms. Marilyn Ray, King Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. sponsor of BSU. Brandon Battle,12 will once again address the On February 9, classes that have signed up to view the -Ms. Marilyn Ray audience in a closing speech, and the drums will presentation will congregate in the auditorium for the first serenade the students as they exit the auditorium. program of this kind to be sponsored by Black Student Union. The night after the assembly, a banquet will be held at the school. The group has wanted to hold a performance in honor of Black History BSU members will be selling tickets for the dinner, which will be catered Month for a while, and with the support of the administration this dream by Rasheeda’s. Chris Smitherman, of the NAACP, will make an is finally coming true. “We want awareness; some teaching of history, some celebration of black appearance after the meal, followed by a performance by Dunamis Sign and Mime Ministries and music and poems presented by the BSU. history,” said Ray, “and then of course some change – to challenge people “I am so excited about the banquet and the assembly. I hope that the to move towards acceptance and diversity awareness.” students come out and support both events,” said Battle. Students will enter the auditorium to the sounds of African drums. The presentation includes several other musical presentations, including a

Flags displayed in IMC recognize differences:

Every student’s birth country represented through color

Inside...

News...........................................1-3 Perspective..............................4-11 Humor..........................................12 Feature...................................13-32 Arts.........................................33-34 Entertainment.......................35-43 Automotive.................................44 Calendar......................................45 Athletics.................................46-54 Advertisement............................55 Profile..........................................56

photo by nancy kidnocker

by Nancy Kidnocker

THE FLAGS ON DISPLAY IN the IMC have different meanings for everyone. On a recent visit to the school, a new foreign student was on a tour with his parents and Mr. Rahnfeld. Very nervous about coming to a new country, let alone a new school, the boy saw the flags and breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately claimed that this school was a “place of acceptance.”

Every student, parent, teacher, and faculty member has heard that this school has one of the most diverse populations of students than any other educational facility. But what does it really look like for a school to be diverse in color? Take a look at the flags in the IMC. Each flag is from the country that a student was born in. Mr. Vince Rahnfeld had investigated and inquired on the hanging order of the flags. After interviewing a Marine, the proper way to display the arrangement of the flags is basically done in alphabetical order. The first flag is the U.S. of America flag followed by the 40 flags in between and concluded again with the U.S. of America flag. “I think they really make that area more bright and overall more cheerful,” said Brian Winters, 10. Although these flags honor the common theme of diversity, they still hold very special meaning for students who were not born in the United States. “I was born in France. I am glad to see all the countries, including France represented. It makes me feel included,” said Laura Barbe, 11. The diversity in the colors of the flags are a representation of the variety in the colors of the student body. “These flags remind me that we are living in a global society,” said Mr. Vince Rahnfeld, guidance counselor.

News

FRIDAY January 26,2007

this day in history 1980 Olympic Games

Threat of communism spurs US resignation

On this day 26 years ago, President Jimmy Carter requested that the U.S. Olympic Committee ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel the Moscow games. The reasoning behind this request was in response to the Soviet military invasion of Afghanistan. By acting on this event in this way, Jimmy Carter was demonstrating how even the U.S. Olympic games, an event that displays sportsmanship and humble international relationships could be highly politicized. Also, it signified how the Cold War once again penetrated into everyday life. President Carter explained to the Soviet Union that if they did not pull out of Afghanistan by February 20, the United States would cancel their participation in the Olympic Games. He said that the vote was a message to the Soviets that “Their aggression in Afghanistan will not go unanswered.” Though many people agreed with the actions of President Carter, a number of U.S. Olympic athletes were highly enraged by both the vote and President Carter’s ultimatum. The athletes felt that an international sports competition that is a symbol of friendship and peace should not be used for political statements. Even with the threats of the U.S., the Soviets ignored them and continued on their journey of taking control of Afghanistan. Because of their actions, the U.S. Olympic Committee along with 64 Western nations decided to boycott the games. Because of the boycott only 80 nations participated in the games, the lowest amount of nations to compete since 1956. The Soviet Union and 14 of its Eastern Bloc partners responded by skipping the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. They argued that the safety of their athletes were in jeopardy in the U.S. It was the first time in modern history that the U.S. refused to compete in the Olympics. The Soviet Union finally left Afghanistan almost a decade later.

images by mandi soled

by Min Young Sohn

Trip to Cambodia proves to be more than vacation

Student on mission to help others by Lauren Sokol

dollars each, raising over 500 dollars. The Cincinnati Enquirer is matching hile many students spent their winter break on the the amount Soled made and sending the money over to Cambodia. The beaches, with family, or just relaxing at home, Mandi money is going to be used to buy water pumps for Soled, 11, along with her family, spent poverty-stricken villages. The pumps are used for the break in Thailand and Cambodia. drinking water or for cleansing. “I was really surprised when I got “The amount of money she made is touching. Actually, to the countries. They were definitely not what I the whole entire fundraiser she’s doing is touching. I expected,” said Soled, “A lot of the villages were very wish I had the aptitude to do something like that,” said high in poverty and I couldn’t just sit and watch.” Mike Nadel, 11. Many people dream about bringing change or The bracelets come in many different colors and helping others, but never really carry out a plan to are now being worn by a large amount of students and actually accomplish their goals. Studies show that -Mandi Soled, 11 teachers throughout the school. It is a great way to just when one physically writes down a goal, he or she give a little bit of charity and receive an incentive in is more likely to actually achieve it. Soled is a great return. example of teens reaching to accomplish their goals. “I think it’s really cool that [Soled] is doing this. We always say we want The average family in Cambodia lives on two American dollars to help, but now someone is actually being proactive and doing something,” per week. In order to help in some way, Soled bought 240 hand woven bracelets for around 19 cents apiece. She then sold each bracelet for two said Joanna Chang, 12.

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I couldn’t just sit and watch.

Ecoli outbreak causes scare by Arushi Sharma

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration assisted in the investigation of an outbreak of E. coli infection in consumers associated with eating food from several Taco Bell restaurants in Northeastern U.S. states. Thirty five individuals were hospitalized, and the FDA is actively working with state and local health officials to determine the cause of the sicknesses and prevent additional infection. Escherichia Coli, usually abbreviated to E. coli, was discovered in 1885 by Theodor Escherich, a German pediatrician and bacteriologist. It is one of the main species of bacteria living in the lower intestines of mammals, known as gut flora. The number of individual E. coli bacteria in the feces that a human excretes in one day averages between 100 billion and 10 trillion. The E-coli strain is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium E-coli that causes illness in humans, according to US Department of Health and Human Services Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA obtained samples of all nonmeat items served in the restaurants that could carry the pathogen. These included cilantro, cheddar cheese, blended cheese, green onions, yellow onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Infection with E. coli causes diarrhea, often bloody. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. As Gram-negative organisms, E. coli are unable to populate. Thus, treatments which kill all active bacteria, such as pasteurization or simple boiling, are effective for their eradication. People are recommended to eat fresh and clean food as often as possible to reduce chances of contracting the disease.

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MANDI SOLED, 11, SPENT HER WINTER vacation exploring new lifestyles and trying to improve the living conditions of others. She bought 240 hand woven bracelets for less than 20 cents from the villagers and brought them home to sell. All the proceeds are going to the people of Cambodia so that they can have clean running water, so that they can drink and bathe. “A lot of the villages were very high in poverty and I couldn’t just sit and watch,” said Soled.

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Hot topics by Daphne Hsu

Stories to look out for

lFrom January 16 through February 5, the Save Darfur

Tour will travel around the nation. Proceeds will supply aid to refugees of the genocide. Artists like Alexipharmic and Freestyle of The Arsonists will perform in each city. The Tour will be coming to Cleveland on Saturday, January 20 and Columbus the next day.

lThe outcome of Election 2006 means that the Democratic

Party will control the House of Representatives as well as the Senate starting January 2007. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, will also become the first female Speaker of the House. Prepare for many new policies and bills, including changes to the health care system, economy, taxes, and ethics.

lNext spring, the U.S., European Union, South Korea, China,

Russia, India, and Japan will begin construction on a $12.8 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in southern France that is supposed to imitate the sun’s nuclear fusion. In theory, this will create a limitless supply of energy.

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News

FRIDAY January 26,2007

Checking up on ‘05, grad Venkat Shankar Making great strides after surgery

Q by Rob Friedman

What were the doctors’ expectations for Venkat’s condition at this point in his recovery? Mrs. Shankar The doctors said that he would be fine, but they were not sure how long. For three weeks after the surgery, he had no movement on the right side of his body, now he can move and walk fine. How much has Venkat improved since his surgery? Mrs. Shankar He has now gotten his speech back, and he is able to walk and sit fine due to his therapy. At first, the doctors were not sure how soon he would be able to walk and sit. However, once he got to Cincinnati, he seemed to improve a great deal. I even took him to the mall once.

image by rob friedman

What treatment is Venkat going through to recover? Mrs. Shankar He is going through speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.

What do you feel was the most important thing that people should know about what happened? Mrs. Shankar The most important thing that he did was that he knew something was wrong, because of his headaches, and called 9-1-1. He saved himself. Do you have any final words that you would like to share? Venkat I’m really, really thankful that everyone sent me stuff. It shows how much they care.

VENKAT SHANKAR, ’05, STANDS WITH a signed Aviator helmet and “Get Well” poster in his house. This past fall, Shankar became seriously ill and had to undergo immediate surgery. He has been and will be going through treatment to recover. Shankar is well known in school, being the first person to wear the new Aviator mascot costume, as well as a former member of German Club, Track, and Science Bowl.

pirit Cup starts new tradition tudent Council hopes to strengthen spirit

Go Team!

by Kyle Battle

image by michela tindera

STUDENTS SHOW THEIR SCHOOL SPIRIT at the fall pep rally. School spirit has been increasing since the successful fall sports season. Student Council hopes to increase spirit even more with the addition of the Spirit Cup to the winter pep rally fun.

ith the spike in spirit here at school from the fall sports season, Student Council saw it only fitting to continue the trend. They struggled to find new ideas until Mel McLaughlin, 11, and Lizzie Gordon, 10, came up with The Spirit Cup. The Spirit Cup is a new way of boosting school spirit during spirit week by way of providing incentives. The Cup is a week long competition between the classes. Points can be earned by dressing up for that particular day’s theme, participating in lunch time activities, or attending sporting events. “Our spirit weeks haven’t been so great lately, so we wanted to find a way to make students want to be spirited and bribes always work,” said McLaughlin. Gordon and McLaughlin have been put in charge of the Spirit Committee, whose primary responsibility is the spirit week, including The Spirit Cup. Spirit Cup events include Men’s and Women’s basketball games that week, a bowling match January 30th, and a diving meet on January 31st. Each day’s lunchtime activity corresponds with the theme of that day. For example on College Day there will

be a mascot trivia contest at lunch. On Camouflage day there will be a push-up contest. Points will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners of each of the lunchtime activities for all three lunches. Dressing up according to the respective themes also warrant points that will be awarded by second bell teachers. As the week progresses the points for participation increase in value. The points will be tallied before the pep rally on Friday, and the basketball dunk competition during the pep rally will be the final event. Points are awarded in the amounts of five, 10, 15, 20, and 30 points. Points will be awarded in the form of tickets and each ticket color is worth a different number of points. The tickets can be turned in at all Spirit Cup events as well as at lunch during spirit week. Make sure to turn in their tickets to their class and to their class only. The class with the most points after the dunk competition will win the Spirit Cup and receive the surprise grand prize. “We just wanted to bring the tradition of school spirit back to Sycamore,” said McLaughlin, “Hopefully start a tradition of our own.”

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erspective P politically

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

incorrect

...And justice for all

(Murders included)

image by jennifer lee

by David Dannenberg

feel to the IMC. Instead of being simply decorative, the flags symbolize all 42 birth countries represented by the students at the school. Students should be thankful for the efforts of Mr. Ted Hungler and the maintenance staff for working overtime to represent each country’s flag. Our faculty’s dedication to providing us with the most comprehensive diversity program possible is remarkable. It is inappropriate for students to normalize themselves in order to blend in with the crowd; rather, we are working for the thriving of each variety in order to successfully and knowledgeably coexist. Some diversity endeavors are mistakenly underappreciated and overlooked; many students complain that these events are ineffective and corny. Everyone should adopt an open mind in order to increase the efficacy of the programs. Our school is not homogenous, and if we forget the collage of people that inhabit these walls, we are forfeiting one of the unique qualities that should be a profound aspect of our lives.

RETRACTIONS:

Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, OH 45242

Mission Statement: The Sycamore 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

Phone: (513) 686-1770 ext. 3089 Fax: (513)489 7425

student staff and should reflect all areas of student interest, including topics about which there may be dissent and controversy. Students cannot publish material that is obscene, libelous, or will cause “a substantial disruption of the educational process.” Content that may stimulate heated debate or discussion is not included in this definition. The Sycamore Leaf operates as an open forum for the healthy, robust exchange of ideas. Opinions expressed in the editorials are those of the Sycamore 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. Jardine’s mailbox, dropped off in Room 115, or e-mailed to: sycamoreleaf@gmail.com The Sycamore 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 Sycamore Leaf’s complete editorial policies can be found at http://goaves. sycamoreschools.org

leafingthrough themasses effectively promotes diversity

ith an undying devotion to diversity, our school has been consistent in making progressive strides for student’s education and awareness. Recently, Black Student Union, BSU, has become a more prominent voice and their efforts are evident throughout. They are preparing an impressive performance in honor of Black History Month that students and faculty are anxious to attend. Their noteworthy progress and additional work deserves recognition and respect. Reaching out to all races has been an underlying goal that BSU is working to uphold. Not only have they planned unprecedented events, but BSU has attained higher attendance to attain their aspirations. BSU provides our school with a necessary diversifying addition. Since a cornucopia of races, religions, and heritages exist among us, we are thankful for their initiative and attention to alert us of the diversity to which we are too easily blind. Additional diversity endeavors include the newly hung flags that add a worldly

Do you think our school

staff editorial

They try to, but no one really wants to participate in the events. -Aeliya Mohsin, 10

I don’t think that Sycamore promotes diversity because all the students split up into their own cliques anyways, and many a time the cliques are based on culture and race. -Samy Sekar, 11

Sycamore promotes diversity through its mixing of all kinds of cultures and races. -Abhi Singh, 10

Vlad Podolsky, 10, was misquoted on page 9 of the December issue. The correct quotation should have read, “Kids feel like they have to cheat in accelerated in order to keep up with everyone else.” The sentence on page 16 of the December issue should have read, “However, there are other types of birth control, other than the Pill: there is a patch that you can put on your body, and there is also a method called periodic abstinence, which is when one practices abstinence only when females are the most fertile, i.e., when they are not on their period.

Editor-in-chief: Min Young Sohn Associate editor: Amy Tolle Managing editor: Kate Moore Business managers: Alexa Fogler and Jennifer Lee News Amanda Ross Perspective Casey Manning Humor Rob Friedman Feature Sarah McGrath Arts Wenjun Zhang Entertainment Sharon Wagner Automotive Nick Wylie Athletics Nadia Khan Spotlight Arushi Sharma Staff Writers Kyle Battle Rashmi Borah Megan Bresnahan Leah Burgin Jacy Cagle Jane Chernyak Electra Chronis Sam Cleary

Melodie Jeng Jill Cohen David Dannenberg Mary Ann Jiang Molly Johnson Matt Davenport Will Johnston John Davies Bobby Jungerwirth Ben Dhiman Jared Kamrass Sanya Dosani Annie Kanter Molly Essell Zack Katchman Ben Estes Megan Fingerman Gabirose Keeton Anastasia Flowers Nadia Khan Nancy Kidnocker Alexa Fogler Mandi Kipner Max Frecka Jennifer Lee Rob Friedman Bekka Levy Saul Geller Jack Liu Alex Gennett Sarah McGrath Zac Gilbert Nathan Gruebmeyer Casey Manning Marissa Gunnarsson Matthew Mendelsohn Ben Moler Kevin Hall Dan Montague Alphonse Harris Elizabeth Henning Kate Moore Elizabeth Hoopes Hannah Myers Grace Naugle Valerie Hsiung Jake Newton Daphne Hsu Quinlan Porter Jinwei Hu Rachel Schneider Kye Isaac Amanda Ross

With the rise in number of inmates on death row in the United States, the domestic debate has become more heated than it has been in a long while. To put it simply, I find it ridiculous when people defend murderers by attacking the death penalty. Most people who oppose the death penalty do so based on principle, without any intent to excuse those who would experience it. However, attacking the death penalty as a whole serves only to support the criminal, both morally and economically. One of the most common arguments nowadays is that nobody has the right to take the life of another human being. To which I say, good point. So why should a person who takes the life of another human being get a free pass? Oops. Did I say free pass? Sorry, my mistake. I meant a $25,000 a year pass, which is the national average for jailing an inmate in the United States. Keep in mind that it is the taxpayer who pays this money, as well as the taxpayer who is harmed by the misdeeds of the criminal. So let us say, hypothetically, that one day, one of your family members is murdered. The murderer is found and admits to the hypothetical crime. He is put on trial and convicted of the crime. The murderer’s options are life in prison or lethal injection. Which choice would you want for the murderer? Maybe it’s just me, but if someone kills one of my family members, the last thing I want to be doing is paying their living expenses. As stated previously, the taxpayer is the one who is harmed by the criminal. Why should the taxpayer undergo even more trouble to spare the worthless life of a person who never took the trouble to spare the life of his or her victim(s)? Why should society place a higher value on the life of the criminal than it does on the life of the victim? Another argument against the death penalty, one that I think is the most timeless and perhaps even justified, is that the death penalty does not discourage criminals from committing violent acts. So? NFL fines for misconduct do not discourage players from stepping on the faces of their opponents (Albert Haynesworth), or from spitting on their opponents (Terrell Owens). Those who are against the death penalty because it does not deter crime automatically assume that the sole purpose for the death penalty existing is to deter crime, which it does not. The death penalty exists because it is fair and just. The seldom realized contempt that some people in society have for the 15,000 victims of murder each year in the United States is astounding. Why do they have so much more respect for the murderers than for the victims? Surely, such negligence of the memory of the victim is not evocative of justice, nor is the absurd notion that the victim’s loved ones should pay twice for the abhorrent transgressions of a murderer.

Kavya Reddy Matthew Scheer Arushi Sharma Matthew Slovin Min Young Sohn Lauren Sokol Jeremy Spiegel Garrett Steed Austin Stone Heather Storck Joey Talmage Maria Thomas Michela Tindera Amy Tolle Tom Stoughton Sarah Vaz Sharon Wagner Jack Wang Lilly Wang Curtis Williamson Erica Woodson Nick Wylie Jing Xing Chen Yin Casey York Wenjun Zhang

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

Perspective FRIDAY January 26, 2006

LIZZY WEI, 11, AND A gaggle of Thai children pack into the back of a truck. Wei, along with other high school students and a collection of adults, went on a mission trip over winter break. They were in Bangkok when the New Year’s bombing happened.

Bombs explode in Bangkok, Thailand New Year’s celebrations turn into national, international scare by Mary Ann Jiang

e had been sitting on the transcontinental plane rides for so long that we could feel our tense nerves and bodies tingling while standing in the arrival gate of the Bangkok airport. When everyone on our mission team had finished using the little ladies’ and little mens’ rooms, our team leader made an announcement. “Okay, there’s good news and there’s bad news. And because I’m telling you, I choose the good news first: we’ve contacted Ben, our driver to the hotel for tonight, and he’ll be waiting for us in fifteen minutes. The bad news is that seven bombs have gone off in Bangkok tonight. This is not a joke,” said Steve, a student at UC. Avery, another UC student who stresses out at unhealthy levels, did her classic crisis expression in which her jaw dropped, her eyes bulged out, and her head cocked forward, making her total stature about an inch shorter than usual. We were stunned. If we had not been so tired, we might actually have been tempted to joke about the situation, although our leader told us not to. Truth be told, though, he only gave us our instructions after making his own two cracks about the bombings. “At first when I heard about it I was pretty freaked. Well, I think I was more worried of what my parents would think if they found out, but I wasn’t too worried later on when it was clear to me that many people in Thailand were still going on as if nothing too serious had happened,” said Emily Li, a team member and senior at Indian Hill High School. Our attitude was light-hearted, and only a couple of us felt unsafe venturing out of the airport. The rest of the eleven-man group was sensible enough to know that the airport was the least safe place to be. On to security, fresh air, and showers. At the hotel, we decided that our New Year’s would be spent at the hotel. The big bangs of the night occurred after the countdown, and from our fourteenth floor balcony, the view was gorgeous. Large fireworks went off from multiple directions, with different colored firecrackers exploding, expanding, and sprinkling out into the dark sky where the red street lights could not reach. We had a peaceful night, save Anakin Skywalker’s turn to the dark side on the StarMovies channel. Early the next morning, we left for our flight out. Our lives had not been compromised at any point of the two week trip, and there had been no scare for us while we stayed overnight. Rather, our transition into 2007 was thoroughly enjoyed. “We were lucky that our hotel was safe,” said Lizzy Wei, 11. In fact, for all we knew, the bombs were small flops in which the detonation level was a 0.5, on a scale of one to ten, with a nuclear bomb ranked a ten. If we had not read any news or spoken to a California couple on the way towards our plane, we would not have known any better later on. The couple had stood right in front of a building where a bomb exploded. They had witnessed the blast and the injured being led out. For the rest of the night they jumped at the sound of all loud noises because of how close they had been to the explosion. “For me it is confusing as to why people would do that. Harming other lives will not bring about any good results,” said Calvin Chan, a junior at Dixie Heights High School. The culprits and motives behind the bombings remain under investigation, including the exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in a coup in September, and his political party Thai Rak Thai, which means “Thais love Thais.” While we were enjoying the fireworks, others were raced to the emergency room in ambulances. There were three deaths and 38 injuries as a result of the eight bombings between December 31 and January 1. Our sympathy and hopes for everybody’s well-being; all of our hearts reach out to you. Non-Thais Rak Thais, too.

by Amy Tolle

This happens at least three times a year. It is no coincidence that the utter inability of my group of friends to make decisions appears around school dances. And we are usually trying to be really good about it, too. It is not like we wake up the day of the dance and realize we want to go. No, usually someone finds out a month or two beforehand, and the discussions begin. Who are we inviting to go with us? Who is bringing along a date that we should include? Where are we going for dinner? Is there a limo involved? Do we want to go to the actual dance, or should we go laser tagging? Usually, we will set up a plan. Everyone is broke, so why not go to Chipotle and the dance? And then the questions arise once more - what if everyone we know goes to Chipotle? Do we get free burritos if we wear dresses, or is that only for prom? What if we get bored at the dance and want to go elsewhere? Do they let you out? Where would we go? Inevitably, someone says that we should simply go laser tagging. Or see a movie. And then everyone thinks of all the other things we could do - like go bowling, or go to Newport, or see a concert. So suddenly the concept of ‘school dance’ has been blown into ‘we want to have the best night ever and the world is a cavity of options’. So we sit. And wait. We think about it a lot. Little groups form to ponder the options - and then individual plans of dinner-attire-activity emerge, and are subsequently shot down by either a majority or the loudest people available. Weeks pass, and then someone brings up the fact that the dance is a week away. Cue mass panic. Suddenly, what we worked so hard to prevent has happened. Mass panic ensues nevertheless, and we spend at least two days in shock, with the most random and off-the-cuff ideas being tossed around (road trips, bowling in prom dresses, eating at Taco Bell). So by the time Wednesday hits, we are not only panicked, but also discouraged and entirely without a plan. The underlying problem is simple to diagnose - while the majority of dancegoers are content with one option; there are always a few couples who want to do something different. So alternative plans form to accommodate everyone, and then another couple decides that they do not like either plan and formulate their own. So instead of one central plan, we are left with three different plans. Decision-making is taught at a young age; from the ‘want to wear the red dress or the blue dress’ to whether we should have a salad at lunch or take a stab at the chili fries. And for most, making a decision one way or the other is not a problem. As students, we make dozens of decisions before the rest of the world hits their alarm clocks, and think next to nothing of it. The problem comes when we are put into groups and forced to agree on one option unanimously. Invariably, there will be at least one person who has their eyes set on an ideal - one that for lack of funds, time, or legality cannot be reached. And when all rational methods of reasoning fall short, the group falls silent, hoping that an answer will appear. Of course, it does not. Unless this is Dogma, nothing falls out of the sky on cue. But it takes maturity to reach a decision as a group. It takes give-andtake (no pun intended, really). And I will confess, I am not great at that. I do not know anyone who is. But the small sacrifices (okay, so we do not have to have the Stretch Hummer take us to Taco Bell; maybe bowling in dresses that cost more than our iPods would not be the best idea) do help reach a conclusion. And hopefully, that conclusion can be made prior to the lastminute scramble. Really. We depend on every other group being prepared so we do not have to be.

Ban on smoking: Controversial among students

PRO

CON

Lighten up: Do not light up

Time to butt out

by Nancy Kidnocker

by Zach Katchman

I am a non-smoker who has been plagued with asthma. It is a “reactive” airway disease. Short-term exposure to tobacco smoking can cause respiratory problems, especially for asthmatics, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Personal experiences with the consequences of smoking have forced me to make certain interpretations and opinions on the uses of the drug and its effects. My grandmother died from a smoking-related illness after smoking tobacco for more than 30 years. My grandfather, after smoking for more than 50 years, now has emphesema. The effects of inhaling tobacco smoke are intense and can be deadly: lung cancer, emphesema, mouth and throat cancer and various other life threatening diseases. Earlier last year, scientists at a prestigious agency - the Air Resources Boardannounced results of a study that linked secondhand smoke to even breast cancer. In Cincinnati, members of the American Heart Association and other health groups campaigned to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke. Towards the end of 2006, Ohio voters passed a ballot initiative that banned smoking in workplaces and public places such as restaurants. Every citizen deserves protection from secondhand smoke, not just those persons who live and work in the 14 Ohio cities that already have some type of clean indoor-air laws. Others agree. “Everyone has a right to breathe clean air,” said Don McClure, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society in Ohio. I refuse to be apprehensive in hurting other’s feelings about their dangerous and nasty habit. I have to take responsibility for my own health. I am relieved we have a statewide ban that snuffs out smoking in public places and in most workplaces, including restaurants. I know many other people are as well. “It’s a disgusting thing to choke on smoke while you’re eating,” said Emily Boutilier, 9. As public health advocates warn that long-term exposure to secondhand smoke, a carcinogen, puts workers and the public at higher risk for lung cancer and heart disease efforts to prohibit smoking, mostly in indoor workplaces, have gained momentum throughout the country. Advocates in Ohio succeeded in establishing a ban by excercising what is known as an initiated statute - a system of placing proposed legislation directly before the General Assembly by collecting 100,000 signatures of registered voters. The group began gathering signatures in May 2005 and submitted a smoke-free bill in January 2006 which was passed. “There’s definitely a groundswell that has developed on this issue. I believe strongly in the effort,” said Hamilton County Health Commissioner Tim Ingram, 2006. To sum up this matter the answer is simply stated by one student. “People that don’t choose to smoke shouldn’t have to suffer from it,” said Kim DeLong, 11.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” is one of the most famous phrases of the Declaration of Independence. It seems that we, as Americans, are allowing our rights to crumble away. The smoking ban was passed in Cincinnati during the recent election, and now there are laws regarding where you can and can not smoke tobacco products. People of Cincinnati have gotten their wish, but there is one problem; there haven’t been any established penalties. Now I’m not saying that smoking while families are trying to enjoy there dinner with their kids is right. I’m saying taking someone’s right away to relax while in a bar full of adults is wrong. Maybe instead of just going right up and banning smoking in public places make some adjustments so that it suites everyone. Make another room for the smokers so that second hand smoke can’t get to anyone that doesn’t want it. The people who complain about smoking say that the people that are smoking cigarettes are hurting their health, but the same person is drinking alcohol, which is bad for your body as well. Today, you can walk into a BW3’s and see it smokeless, which I think is pretty good as well, but then again you don’t see as many people as you saw before. People are now hanging out at their houses and not spending any money at restaurants. Having people not go to the restaurants just because of the smoking ban can hurt the economy, not by a lot, but maybe just enough to do some damage. People that don’t spend money in those restaurants that they went to to relax and have a smoke will have to let go of their workers, and more and more people will lose their job in a vicious cycle. The smoking ban might be a smart idea to some degree. But at least decide what the consequence is going to be before you make it a law. The whole establishment doesn’t necessarily have to be smoke-free. It may cost some money, but to make everyone happy, there could be two sections of every restaurant, smoking and nonsmoking, with a wall of some sort to block the secondhand smoke. Once again, I’m all for regulating smoking in bars and restaurants, but to ban it completely is just wrong, and encroaches upon people’s rights. This is only going to get worse. People complaining about what should happen and year by year everyone’s right will smoke away little by little. image by david dannenberg

Decision-making dilemmas

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

image by david dannenberg

social commentary

erspective P

THIS SIGN, DEPICTING THE BAN on smoking in public restaurants in Australia, is similar to the ones shown in Ohio. Australia passed their ban in 1997. Their tobacco laws are similar to America’s.

CIGARETTES STICK OUT OF AN open wrapper. In the 2006 election, a statewide ban on smoking in public places was passed. The new law is controversial and poorly enforced.

erspective P FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Essential or unneccessary

New driving law affects lives of students by Melodie Jeng

photo by alexa fogler

WITH A NEW LAW REGARDING teenage driving going into effect in the spring, the habits of this age group have gone under scrutiny. Is the cause of teenage accidents due to inexperience or distractions? The student here tries to drive while talking on a cell phone.

fter much speculation, a new driving law has passed and it will go into effect in early April. House Bill 343, sponsored by former state representative Republican Thomas A. Raga, states that drivers under the age of 17 may have only one nonrelative passenger and may not drive after midnight without a parent or guardian. The sound of “teenage driver” often retorts with fearful visages and “clear the roads” comments. However, drivers are individuals with various levels of driving skill and safety. A teenager may be attributed with less experience, just as an elderly driver may lack reaction time and vision. Prior to receiving a license, teenagers are required to drive 50 hours with a parent. From these hours, teenagers should have an adequate amount of experience. If not, a parent may enforce their personal rules on driving such as curfew and passenger limit, and eliminate them with time and maturation. Also, a burden may be extended on parents on the role of “driver” as carpool availability lessens. Will one or two fewer passengers significantly decrease the number of distractions? Passengers could potentially help a driver in dangerous situations and prevent an accident. Overlooked are many causes of auto accidents today such as cell phone usage and drowsiness. It is difficult to distinguish a 15 year old driver from a 17 year old driver. And, those who wait until a later age, such as age 18, may receive their license with even less experience than a 16-year old, but have less legal restriction. This law wishes for the best, but like most laws, it is difficult to enforce, the efficiency is unknown, and there may be better alternatives. Teenage drivers now have an added restraint but it will be up to the population to drive safely and abide by the laws.

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Irrelative

“It hits your nose pretty quick...”

Indonesia takes coffee to next level by Alexa Fogler

My favorite drink right now at Starbucks is a tall non-fat vanilla latte with whip cream and one pump of raspberry syrup—a unique concoction which I am proud to say I invented myself. I did not think that it could get much better than this $3.05 cup of (extra-special) “joe.” But apparently, the people of Indonesia can give me a run for my money. The latest delicacy coming out of this country is a new type of coffee bean which sells for $420 a pound or $10 when it is grinded into a cup. It is known as Kopi Luwak coffee, and it is made out of cat poop. To be more specific, it is actually civet poop. Civets are ten pound cats which live in Indonesia and Ethiopia on coffee fields. According to investigations performed at the University of Guelph (which is in Canada…), these civets eat the fruit and beans off of coffee plants, and excrete the latter. These beans are collected and shipped off to foolish Americans who pay ten bucks to get a sip of the…crap. Many questions arise when thinking about this drink. Who thought of it? Is it safe? What does it taste like? Well, unfortunately, the inventor of this wonderful, most necessary coffee is unknown to this day. It is extremely likely that a peasant in Indonesia came up with the brilliant idea while staring at the beans wondering how to live the American dream. Who else could dream up such a strange drink? I guess I have a few guesses since there are many odd people in the world. Like those who go to Star Wars conventions. Or people who watch MTV reality shows incessantly. But to the person who invented cat poop coffee, he or she has definitely hit a new low. In regards to the all important question of safety, Brian Munro, a manager and apprentice “roast master” at a vendor of the drink in Minneapolis promises us all that Kopi Luwak is completely harmless. The beans must be roasted for at least 15 minutes at over 400 degrees in order to be turned into a delicious liquid. Munro assures that any bacteria that may have been present, is most definitely, 100% for sure killed, gone, and eliminated. And if that logic is not satisfying enough, there is always the fact that one cup is only eight little ounces. How bad could that be? And lastly, as for the taste, it is described by some as, “full-bodied.” (Code word for bad perhaps?) Nevertheless, the people that market it claim that it has a chocolaty and even caramelly taste, and that it is very strong. Munro describes it as “fairly pungent…it hits your nose pretty quick.” Those who are ever interested in buying the coffee can visit www. buy-kopi-luwak.com (seriously) where the product is advertised as “the most expensive coffee according to Forbes Magazine.” There are pictures of the civet and the process through which the beans pass. The site also mentions that the authenticity of the product is guaranteed by the Indonesian government, so buyers can know that they are definitely not being gypped out of their money. So, would I try the cat poop coffee? Maybe. But, I think I will stick with vanilla lattes for now.

erspective P FRIDAY January 26, 2007

From hair obsession to hair epiphany

Experience of donating to locks of love by Casey Manning

image by casey manning

DON’T MISS IT!

SEE-1, the Sycamore Electric Ensemble

CINCINNATI’S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL ROCK ORCHESTRA in a concert featuring

MARK WOOD AND JEFF PLATE

violinist & drummer for the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

playing selections from Aerosmith, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, & “rockified” versions of Bach, Vivaldi, and others! WHEN: Friday, February 16, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:45 p.m.) WHERE: Sycamore High School Auditorium Tickets: $6 reserved seating Get your order form at the Main Office Desk, but HURRY! Tickets are going fast!

have always been in a torrid love affair with my hair. I cannot not get through a ten minute period without running my fingers through it; stroking it; smoothing it. I have always treated it with the utmost respect- never straightening it too much, not keeping it in a ponytail for long periods of time, always shampooing and conditioning with care. My beautiful hair. My beautiful, extremely long hair. In first grade, I had my hair cut to my chin. I almost died. Every day I wished that my hair would grow out, would be pretty again. Every time I look back at my school picture from that year (my mother refused to burn the evidence), I cringe. Blunt bangs grazed the top of my eyebrows, and my thick hair resembling something of the Muppet species. “What is the big deal?” one might ask. “It is just hair.” Oh contraire, my friend. It is definitely not just hair. Hair is an extension of being. Hair is a lifeless blob atop one’s head whose only purpose in [non]life is, besides keeping heads warm, to serve as a changeable (and more importantly, repairable) means of self-expression. So my hair, to the best of my ability, has always said something about me at the time. The second bob- bad judgment. The fifth grade bird’s nest, only permeable by a comb after a three-hour detangling session- lots of tossing and turning when I slept…and I had not yet met the comb. And since then, long flowing wavy tresses- my long flowing personality? Something like that. And after not cutting my hair since the end of freshman year, my hair was the longest it had ever been. By the beginning of junior year, it was down to my waist. Yes, I had been called a goddess on multiple occasions…and I liked it that way. But it was time for a change. If hair reflects the person it adorns- and it is rightful to say that I had changed a little since freshman year -my hair no longer reflected who I was. That is where the scissors came into play. About a week before Thanksgiving break, I made the decision. Made the appointment. Braced myself. As I told friends, I heard desperate pleas to change my mind. Back away from the salon chair. And I almost did. I almost wimped out, opting for a measly trim. But then I looked at the Locks of Love website. All of those kids who have lost their hair. I knew what I had to do. There it went. Ten inches of hair…gone with a single snip (or two or three…I have thick hair). Mailed away to be made into a wig. To be someone else’s muppet-esque blob or bird’s nest or whatever they want it to be. Cutting off most of my hair- my beautiful hair- gave someone else the chance to do what I have been doing for so long. To express themselves through their hair. And I have to admit that my new, much shorter, haircut is pretty cool. And it will grow back, right? After all, it is just hair.

Senioritis strikes

Leads to potential disaster by Matt Davenport

The term “senioritis” is a phrase commonly used by (insert authoritative figure here) to describe the laziness and pure apathy that the senior class tends to exhibit during their last year in high school. Many of these previously stated twelfth graders also believe slacking off during their last year of high school is acceptable. They would be, as it turns out, very wrong. Colleges and universities are starting to severely crack down on students that tend to “slack off” in their senior year. Acceptance letters and scholarships are being revoked less apologetically than ever before. “Why would people give up and stop trying? Though it is the last year of high school, and everyone is excited to graduate, there is no real reason to let your grades slip,” said David Miranda-Klein, 12. There are many horror stories of seniors starting to fail classes, and, in turn, receiving letters from colleges wanting to talk to them about it. If a college notices that there is a sharp drop in a student’s GPA and extracurricular activities that were previously on their resume when accepted, then there is a danger of one’s acceptance being revoked. “Ironically my senior grades are much better than any past year. It is weird because I have put in the least amount of time into my classes,” said Stacy Shutts, 12. But does this mean that a senior should freak out over their senior year? Of course not. Colleges also understand that the senior year is one filled with excitement and anticipation, and will not revoke an admission because a 3.6 dropped to a 3.4, or a student decided to skip the track season this year. (However, if one is on a track scholarship, this probably would not be the greatest of ideas.) “To be honest, there is a temptation at times to succumb to “senioritis” when you know you have already been accepted into college. However, all the work I have done has been for the experience, no the college application. These experiences should not stop in your final year of high school, but rather they should expand,” said Rachel Bucalo, 12. The important thing is to try to keep those grades up, but above all remember to have fun and treasure the last year of high school because the next year will be filled with challenges and even more responsibilities. I would like to write more now, but my senioritis is starting to kick in.

erspective P Community reaches out: FRIDAY January 26, 2007

students show

Mid-year slumps Some students feel ‘senioritis’ affects all grade levels

gratitude for support

by Erica Woodson

by Jacy Cagle

n Tuesday, December 12, 2006 a tragedy occurred. Rahshina Davis, the

by Erica Woodson mother of T.J. Davis, 8, Rahshod Davis, 9 and Alphonso “Joe” King,

10 was killed. As news spread, the community reacted immediately. There was an outpour of kindness and support, especially from the surrounding community. The support was especially evident at Ms. Davis’ funeral on Monday, December 18. “We looked out over the audience at the funeral, at the folks who attended, and we guess a large percentage were from the Sycamore community-students, parents, staff, and teachers. It warmed our hearts,” said Mrs. Wendy Langston. The three brothers are now staying with Mr. Lee and Wendy Langston. The boys have known the Langstons for a number of years through their particpation in Operation Give Back, a local community outreach organization, and through church. “We’re living with our pastor. What could possibly go wrong?” said TJ. The boys are now coping with their grief and moving forward. Back at school, surrounded by supportive friends and staff, they have nothing but thanks to give to all who were there in their time of need. “I was surprised that everyone came together to help us in our time of need. It was really amazing. Thank you!” said Rahshod. “I speak for all three of us when I say that we deeply appreciate the community and the way everyone has supported us and helped us through this...the people at the bus compound, to the faculty, the sports teams, and all the students,” said King. The family is very thankful for the all the donations they have recieved thus far. “There has been an overwhelmingly generous outpouring of help right from day one - anonymous givers, parents, businesses, churches. It may sound cliché, but it takes a village to raise a child, and this village is certainly here for the kids. Sycamore put the words into action. We are touched by the love in this community,” said Mr. Langston. If you would like to make a monetary donation, there is an account at PNC Bank under the name Alphonso King. If you have donations such as gift cards, presents, or other items, please call 513-530-9316 to make delivery arrangements.

Thank you Friends and Co. Salon 7835 Cooper Road

745-9880 $7.00 off a men’s haircut in January

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Commercial & Industrial Painting

What are you thinking about this month? As second semester gets into full swing, thoughts between the grades tend to vary vastly from studying abroad to the infamous senioritis. Take a look at what’s on the students’ minds.

“ “

by Lauren Sokol

Precision Paints & Services, Inc.

I’m looking forward to Presidents’ Day weekend; my senioritis is really kicking in.

-Shelli Coppoolse, 12

Bob Plowden

4015 Beechwood Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45229 Phone: 513-608-5358 Fax: 513-961-0006 bobp@ppaintsinc.com

Senioritis. The so-called illness that seniors supposedly suffer from is beginning to become more and more apparent now that the first semester has ended. Seniors are beginning to not worry about doing their homework or what grade they have in Calculus. They are just waiting for May to come, when they will finally be free from the constant failure of the copy machine and the dread of daily homework. One may ask, though, what about the other students who have no known “illness” to blame for their mid year slumps? With all the tension and pressure of high school taking a toll on the students, there is bound to be a decrease in participation and a definite rise in the amount of students face down on their desks sleeping. “I think that senioritis can be applied to everyone because it’s pretty much just being lazy. The seniors just have an excuse for it because they’re seniors and they can,” said Sarah McCormick, 11. Take the juniors for example; with the hype of the SAT and numerous college visits to be taken, there are definitely many causes for stress. The sophomores, as well, are already starting to worry about their junior year when they see the faces of the current 11th graders walking out of chemistry class; thus turning them into nervous, tension-filled wrecks. And lastly, the freshmen are beginning to realize that they are not even one fourth of their way through high school, which surely is a major strain on their young brains. “We have so much going on right and so much to worry about, sometimes I just want to give up and relax,” said Debra Lipson, 11. With all the mounting stressors, laziness is sure to increase among the underclassmen. This prediction leads to the question of whether the underclassmen are deserving of pity from the seniors and the faculty. “We shouldn’t have to feel bad for them because we have already been through those years and know how hard it is,” said Grant Shardelow, 12. Teachers should definitely start to take notice of the escalating burdens that are placed upon the underclassmen when assigning research papers or novels to read in one night.

I’m not looking forward to OGTs.

-Sam Newland, 10

I’m pumped for the rest of our basketball games this year. -Chris Gindele, 11

I’m going to Brazil for 6 months in 5 weeks to study abroad. I’m really excited. -Mandi Soled, 11

Perspective

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Warning: Parental advisory CDs Read between lines of songs by Kye Isaac

ehind the beat of a song there are lyrics. Many people like the beat and do not listen to the lyrics. The lyrics of songs have different meanings to different people. The thing that stands out in music today is the way they view women. Women should be treated with the utmost respect. Rappers think that the only way to get their music on the streets, “cd sales” or any radio air time is to talk about women using vulgar lyrics. In rap today, songs talk about sex, drugs, and gang related activity. “T.I.’s album KING is a great album and he is one of my favorite rappers, but I don’t like the way his lyrics talk about women,” said B.J. Evans, 12 Vulgar lyrics can lead to many things. People usually do the things that they hear in the music they listen to. Joining gangs, sex, drugs and alcohol can influence peoples’ minds. “Sometimes young men listen to the music that degrade women and it causes them to do inappropriate things,” said Miss Jayme Feeback, Teacher. People who are stalkers, rapists and murders have this music so far in their heads that it becomes a reality to them. Young girls listen to the songs that talk about them in a bad way and they don’t say anything about it to the young men. “Young Joc’s album is great, but I just dont like his lyrics all the time. He has catchy beats but what he says about women in his songs can be very bad,” said Kayla Isaac, 9. Background beats and catchy phrases make the songs play on the radio, not the words in the songs.

THIS IS THE LABEL THAT is shown on CD covers that have explicit content and lyrics. No one under age 18 can purchase this type of CD without parental permission. There are edited versions of these CDs as well.

Speaking out about lyrics

“ “ “ T.I.’s album KING is a great album and he is one of my favorite rappers but I dont like the way his lyrics talk about women. -B.J. Evans, 12

Young Joc’s album is great, but I just dont like his lyrics all the time. He has catchy beats but what he says about women in his songs can be very bad. -Kayla Isaac,9

Sometimes young men listen to the music that degrade women and it causes them to do innapropriate things. -Miss Jayme Feeback

Questions to ask yourself while listening to music 1. Is this song letting women know how strong and appreciated they are in the world?

all photos courtesy of yahoo.com

2. If my mother was listening to this would she tell me to turn it off? 3. Would I talk to my girlfriend or future wife in this way? 4. Just because the song has a catchy phrase or a “hot” background beat...should I be listening to this? Take these reminders and think about them when you are listening to music in the car, in your room, or at school on your I-pod or MP3 player.

erspective P FRIDAY January 26, 2007

e f i l ng

CHEM

ISTR

i c n a l a B toughens

Homework acts as scapegoat

by Bobby Jungerwirth

28% 43%

of students feel like they cannot keep up with everything they have to do.

of students feel that they are overworked, but can still manage everything they are required to accomplish.

22% 7% of students feel that they have the right amount of work. of students feel that they have too much free time.

photo by bobby jungerwirth

alking down the halls, there is always talk of that stupid English test, ghastly Chemistry or Physics lab, massive amount of History reading, or some other strain. Everyone seems to be overworked (until Friday night) and to not have any time to do anything. The National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that reading and math scores for seventeen-year-olds have not been improving over the last thirty years. Many say that the reason for this is that adults have thought the youth was being overworked, and they should “be allowed instead to read for pleasure and watch the sunset and think deep thoughts,” according to Jay Matthews of the Washington Post. lll“A lot of Sycamore students take on too many AP or Accelerated classes and activities,” said Mrs. Laura Miniard, AP Psychology teacher. “They aren’t able to give the amount of effort and attention they should to those individual classes and activities. By overextending themselves, some students miss out on just having fun and are entirely too stressed out for high school.” The stories spread around are those of students taking over five AP courses, and somehow managing to fit in four, five, or six hours of homework a night. The thing is, they are in the uppermost 5% in terms of homework. In fact, the vast majority of them are also in the same percentile for housing square footage, money spent on vacations, and stock market investments. About two-thirds of college freshmen spent less than an hour on homework in high school, according to UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute. The other one-third of non-college bound graduates likely had less of a homework load. According to the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, fifteen to seventeen-year-olds spent about three and one half hours in front of a screen, not contemplating the societal questions presented by Emerson or Thoreau. According to A Profile of the American High School Sophomore in 2002, the average sophomore spends six hours on homework a week, or about 51 minutes each night. Many students find themselves doing other tasks and more extracurriculars, therefore taking up more of their time. The average sophomore spends about five hours on extracurriculars a week, about as much time as they spend on homework. With less time to accomplish what would normally be feasible, their workload seems to overwhelm them. “I feel overworked and underpaid,” said Kevin Witt, 9. Students sometimes take on more than they can handle, competing in three sports, maintaining presidency over several clubs, as well as taking five AP classes. What teenagers fail to grasp is that cutting back a few of those things (though not becoming completely lazy) so that improvement can be made is plausible and would actually look better on college applications (which is the sole reason to live, of course). “Where you go to undergrad doesn’t matter that much...after all, Bill O’Reilly went to Harvard and look how he turned out,” said Rohan Chaudhary, 11. There needs to be a balance between running oneself to death and being completely lazy; everyone has to find their limits and experiment with their own lives.

A STUDENT’S LOCKER, OVERSTUFFED WITH textbooks, papers, a gym bag, and much more. Many lockers can be found with more crammed and crushed inside them. Locker cleanouts seem to have done their job. y bob image b

th erwir by jung

Humor

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

ooking-impaired attempts ‘from scratch’ reativity almost causes fire

by Jennifer Lee

was never meant to be a cook. Now, as much as it hurts me to say this, I have realized that the pastry-baking occupation is just not for me. I should have known from the very beginning. I should have known from the very first time I attempted to help my mother in her cooking endeavors—which, I might add, ended up with my sorry kindergarten self scrubbing the floor clean of my flour-covered mistakes. But unfortunately, I never realized how pathetically inept I am at the art of food preparation until a recent event abruptly opened my eyes to the truth about my cooking skills. Or, I might say, lack thereof. It started out innocently enough: I needed cookies for the newspaper bake sale. Considering the fact that the only cookies I knew how to produce were the ones that were already baked and packaged inside clear, plastic boxes, I went to Kroger thinking that I would buy a box of these and be done with it. When I saw that those very same packaged cookies were on a “two-for-one” special, I became very happy and lighthearted. (Perhaps, I can now comment in retrospect, a little too much so.) Good, I thought. Now I can provide double the amount of taste, and double the amount of joy, to my deserving high school peers! Too bad none of those deserving high school peers could have counted on me suddenly having a burst of creative energy in the middle of Kroger. Too bad I was too happy and lighthearted then to predict that my burst of spontaneity could only lead to disaster. Why oh why, standing there with those two boxes already clutched in my hand, did I have to suddenly formulate the desire to actually bake cookies? Sometimes, I wonder about myself. But I guess that is a whole different story. So it just so happened that, in the middle of my excursion to the cash register, I had a sudden urge to get in touch with my down-home-on-the-prairie, apron-donning self. I felt the need to release those—God forbid!—“fake,” store-bought cookies and spend some one-on-one time with my poor, neglected oven. The thing is, the “realest” cookies I knew how to bake were the break-and-bake ones that do not even involve any making. Maybe that fact should have hindered me from setting down those perfect, pre-packaged goodies. But no. I resolutely set those oh-so-perfect babies down. I determinedly trekked my way to the baking aisle. I doggedly looked through the break-and-bake section. I excitedly found Disney Mickey Mouse cookies. I proudly paid for them at the register. And I went home with a mission. To cut to the chase, I ended up almost burning my house down. Please. Laugh at me. I deserve it.

Not so hard, right, to bake easy break-and-bake cookies? Right. All one has to do is open the package, take out the little tray of dough, separate the pieces, put them on cooking sheet, and pop them into the oven. But for cooking-challenged-sapiens, what is “easy” for the rest of the normal population becomes anything but. For cooking-challenged-sapiens (like me), even pressing buttons becomes a strangely daunting task when it has to do with actually cooking things. I could have sworn I pressed “Bake.” My bet is that someone out to seek my revenge secretly snuck behind me when I pressed “Bake” and re-pressed “Auto-Clean.” Because I could have sworn I pressed “Bake.” I mean, sure, the only cookies I ever tried to bake from scratch ended up transforming in the oven to look like little fluffy pancakes. But I know how to press buttons. I swear. Tell that to my parents, though, and they would probably have a good laugh. “Good at pressing buttons?” they would say with identical smirks. “Good at pressing the wrong buttons, maybe.” So I popped those cookies into the oven and sat down by the computer. A couple minutes later, I had completely forgotten about them. Ten minutes later, a peculiar odor that reminded me an awful lot of burning cookies wafted up my nose. Of course, being the overly confident (but really just superbly untalented) baker that I was, I told myself and my parents that the “burning cookie smell” did not have to do with burning cookies at all. No, it was actually the “wellprogressing cookie” smell, specific to the Disney Mickey Mouse cookie brand. Another five minutes later, the odor was so strong that my mom went to see for herself how “well” the cookies were progressing—and was surprised to see that those “cookies” had turned into nice chunks of coal. I think this was about the time that she started yelling, my dad ran over to see what was going on, I ran over to examine those black rocks for myself, and chaos ensued. I think this was also about the time that the fire alarm went off, the oven started smoking like a volcano, and we realized in a panic that the oven was locked and we were helpless to stop the autocleaning. It was extremely fortunate that my dad remembered how to shut off the power. It was extremely unfortunate, however, that the oven would not open, stop smelling, or stop smoking incessantly for two hours, and I had to sit shivering in freezing temperatures as we ventilated our house by opening every window and door to the cold December weather for three long hours. I learned several things from this experience. First, that I simply do not have cooking abilities. Second, that I should never trust random creative urges that attack me in the middle of Kroger. And third, that if Santa ever runs out of coal one holiday season, all he has to do is give me a call.

Sudoku Fun

grid form

by Rob Friedman

Fill in each box so that every row, column, and box has the numbers 1-9. Make sure that there are no repeats!

erspective P FRIDAY December 15, 2006

STEREOTYPING

graphic by casey manning

WHAT WE THINK BUT DO NOT SAY

THIS PORTRAYS A TYPICAL STEREOTYPE. No matter what one says or what one thinks, people have a fixed image of them, based on their race, religion or gender. Stereotypes tend to make people think in one direction and forces them judge a person on the genralization that they have already made of the person in their mind. To stereotype is a short-hand way to describe a person with collective, rather than unique characteristics.

by Arushi Sharma

superachievers, to put it plainly, they work harder. “womenly” emotions. This often has the opposite effect. It has tereotyping refers to a generalization made about been statistically shown that today, women prefer a man with The Dumb Blonde: one person or a group of people. Stereotypes are emotions than a man with no sense of emotions at all. The dumb blonde is a stereotype typically applied to women developed when people are unable or unwilling to Stereotypes also evolve out of fear of persons from minority with blonde hair color. Several notable actresses have been obtain all of the information they need to make groups. For example, many people have the view of a person labelled “dumb blondes.” Marilyn Monroe, Suzanne Somers fair judgments about people or situations. In the with mental illness as someone who prone to violence. This are two major ones and Dolly Parton is an example of a singer absence of the “total picture,” stereotypes in many cases allow conflicts with statistical data, which indicates that persons who used this image to her own benefit, singing songs such us to “fill in the blanks.” Society often innocently creates with mental illness tend to be less prone to violence than the as “Dumb Blonde”. Goldie Hawn is best known for playing a and perpetuates stereotypes, but these stereotypes often general population. Perhaps the few, but welldumb blonde in several roles, including the stage persona she lead to unfair discrimination and publicized, isolated cases of mentally ill persons used on Laugh-In. Jessica Simpson is famous for her “real persecution when the stereotype is going on rampages have planted the seed of this life” dumb blonde persona. Paris Hilton is also considered a unfavorable. myth about these persons. This may be how prominent dumb blonde judging on her many escapades that Stereotyping’s been For example, if we are walking some stereotypes developed in the first place; a leak into the tabloids and the media. through a park late at night and around for quite some series of series of isolated behaviors by a member There is a common category of jokes that employ the encounter three senior citizens of a group which was unfairly generalized to dumb-blonde stereotype for their effect. They usually have time. Just because I’m wearing fur coats and walking be viewed as a character of all members of that a blonde asking the other person in the joke a very stupid with canes, we may not feel as Indian, people autogroup. question, only to give an even more stupid answer herself. The threatened as if we were met by stereotype is not helped by blonde female celebrities putting The Smart Asian: three high school-aged boys wearing matically assume that on “dumb blonde” images to gain media No matter what their route, leather jackets. Why is this so? We I’m smart. attention and to be seen as “cute”. It is Asian Americans are setting make a generalization in each case. - Rijutha Srikanth, 10 one of the most common streotypes and the educational pace for the These generalizations are made on is in no case, true. People judge them on rest of America and cutting a the basis of personal expieriences, the color of their hair... could it be more There’s definitely dazzling figure at the country’s information in books, magazines, Similarly, redheads are said finest schools. At Brown, 9% of class is movies, television, or through a friends’ and family members stereotyping in Sycamore, prejudiced? to have fiery tempers and brunettes are Asian American, at Harvard nearly 14%, the account. said to be very goal-oriented. But there especially when it Massachusetts Institute of Technology 20%, In many cases, stereotypical generalizations are reasonably a number of blondes who have made the California Institute of Technology 21% accurate. Yet, in virtually every case, people resort to comes to race and socio- are it big in the business, Katie Couric and the University of California, Berkeley an prejudice by ascribing characteristics about a person based being just one example. To assume that economic group. astonishing 25%. on a stereotype, without knowledge of the total facts. By a person is stupid based on the color of By almost every educational level, young stereotyping, people assume that a person or group has their hair is just plain wrong. Asian Americans are soaring. They are certain characteristics. Quite often, we make stereotypes - Adina Farber, 12. finishing way above the mean on the math about persons who are members of groups with whom we have Stereotypical Sycamore? section of the SAT and, according to one not had firsthand contact. “There’s definitely stereotyping in comprehensive study of San Diego-area students, outscoring Television, books, comic strips, and movies are all abundant Sycamore, especially when it comes to race and socio-economic their peers of other races in high school grade-point averages. sources of stereotyped characters. For much of its history, group,” said Adina Farber, 12. They spend more time on their homework and take more the movie industry has portrayed African-Americans Asians are smart. Blondes are dumb. African Americans play advanced high school courses and graduate with more credits violence-prone. This was proven when a student was asked sports. Italians are affliated with the mafia. Wheelchairthan other American students. A higher percentage of these a question, if they see a broken window and they see a group bound individuals are helpless. Older adults need constant young people complete high school and finish college than do of high-school girls, a mother carrying groceries and a group care. Homeless people are drug addicts. These and other white American students. of African American men, who would they assume broke the stereotypes are perpetuated by visual messages presented in The Asian American “model minority” image is a misleading window? print, television, motion pictures, or computers-the media. stereotype that masks individuality and conceals real “Obviously the African American men. Not because they’re Since our brains naturally classify what we see, we cannot problems. The majority of Asian-American students do African American but because they are men. Everyone often help but notice the differences in physical attributes between not reach the starry heights of the celebrated few, and an assumes that men are more violent than women even though one person and another. But it is not natural to stereotype. alarming number are pushing themselves to the emotional there are no specific statistics that prove this assumtion,” said To stereotype is a short-hand way to describe a person with brink in their quest for excellence. Also, they are not just Cathryn Nichaus, 12. collective, rather than unique characteristics. It is easier and “born smart,” contrary to popular belief; their culture brings Stereotyping is not always race-based. Gender stereotype is quicker for a photojournalist to take a picture of an angry them up in such a way that they are taught how to work hard another common way we make generalizations about people. African American during a riot than to take the time to from the very beginning.Thus, they are smart due to their People assume that men are more prone to violence than explore in words and pictures the underlying social problems ability to do hard work, not because they were “born smart.” women. It is the way men are brought up and are always that are responsible for the civil disturbance. Trying to explain why so many Asian-American students are pressurized to portray themselves as manly and susceptable to

“

Feature 13 Key to happy hearts: FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Tools for throwing playful Valentine’s Day bash ROMANTIC RENTALS:

by Grace Naugle

-When Harry Met Sally -You’ve Got Mail -Message in a Bottle -The Notebook -The Wedding Singer -Serendipity -A Walk to Remember -Lady and the Tramp

CK: NDTRA U O S ARTY arvin Gaye FECT P ...M

PER

et it On sias -Let’s G . Enrique Igle jo -Hero.. e... KC and Jo uston Lif ney Ho ohn it h -All My .W .. lton J e You ays Lov ve Tonight...E rden lw A l il o -I W e Ga the L ...Savag u Feel ick -Can Yo w I Loved You ionne Warw .D e .. n r e K r e a y -I ray ariah C Little P .M .. a y y b a a S B ht -I Be M y McKnig s y n a ia r lw .B -A t One.. tar -Back A azed...Lones -Am

CRAFTY During t CAR he party , take ple DS: Polaroid nty of pic Cameras t with cra . Using these ph ures using ft suppli o t os, along e construc tion pap s ranging from er to glu sequins, e, sparkle heart sh aped do s, and puff il ie s, sticker paint cre s, a t e ev memorie s for you erlasting rself and gifts fo Build too r your friends. thpick p icture fra or ‘Secre mes t Admire r’ Valent ine’s cards for fr The crea iends. t iv ity and possibilit ies are e ndless!

SENSATIONAL SNACKING:

: AMING d to G D E R U t lea OD-NAT lues tha

GOODS ON

THE GO: - Heart Sha ped Sungla sses - Funky Tatt oos (Prefera bly lips and hearts) - Candy Ne cklaces - Cute Key C hains - Hershey’s K isses Most items ca n be found a t local convenience stores, Capp els’, or Party City ’s.

l im

by g

GO with c er Hunt s the treasure tle! g n e v a c -S e Bot eats a sweet tr hé and Spin th c n the cli Cupid -Carry o Knock down a ed! blindfold ? piñata… l Truth or Dare a n io dit - The tra in the lips on -P lentine Saint Va

-Heart sugar cookies decorated with white and red icing, sprinkles, and even chocolate chips or whipped cream -Conversation Hearts -Have a tea party with biscuits and heart shaped short bread cookies -Mix up some Shirley Temples, and do not forget the cherries! -Strawberries dipped in chocolate

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Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Top ten...

Gifts from ‘06 holiday season

by Elizabeth Hoopes

1 Movies. 2 Clothes. 3 Digital cameras. 4 Bedroom accessories. 5 iPod/MP3 players. 6 Cell phones. 7 Sports gear. 8 Money. 9 iPod speakers. 10

Gift cards. As teens become picky

photo courtesy of groundhog.org

about gifts, many people have resorted to gift cards, making them this year’s top gift.

Groundhogs More accurate than local weathermen

Punxsutawney Phil is the official psychic rodent of Groundhog Day. Here, the president of the Inner Circle (a group which carries on the holiday’s traditions) holds Phil and interprets his forecast. Will spring begin soon after February 2, or will winter last six more weeks? Only Phil knows. by Michela Tindera

roundhog: a small creature who carries the weight of the world on his furry shoulders. The national weather forecast depends on whether or not he sees his shadow. Is spring on the way, or are there another six weeks before the flowers bloom? The suspense is almost unbearable. “On Groundhog Day I always count my blessings that I’m not a groundhog. It seems like too much pressure for a rodent,” said Erica Wittkugel, 10. If a groundhog sees his shadow on February 2, winter will last six more weeks; if he does not, spring is right around the corner. He sees his shadow about 90% of the time, which may account for March going in like a lion (but out like a lamb). So why on earth would anyone pick the lowly “woodchuck” to determine the coming of spring? Groundhog Day stems from a belief of the European Celts in the fifth century. They believed that hibernating animals, such as bears, groundhogs, or hedgehogs had supernatural powers to tell humans when spring was coming. The holiday was first named “Hedgehog Day” by the Romans. As Christianity became more popular, the name of the day changed to Candlemas. Candlemas was brought to America by German immigrants in the 1800s. Ever since 1887, members of Punxsutawney, PA have been making a yearly trek up to Gobbler’s Knob to see if Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous of the prognosticating groundhogs, will see his shadow or not.

“I was surprised by all the history of the holiday. I had thought it was just a made up Hallmark thing just to get people to spend more money,” said Kathryn Rosenberg, 9. Even though this holiday is so rich in history, many people either completely forget about it, or they believe that Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions are - dare it be said - a fraud. “When is Groundhog Day? I mean no one really thinks that a groundhog seeing his shadow predicts the seasons,” said Bryan Summerlin, 9. “I don’t really care what the groundhog says. I just think that they are cute animals,” said Dani Tsevat, 9. Though many have their doubts about the validity of Phil’s predictions, there is actually a very legitimate process by which his forecast is made public. First, Phil comes out of his burrow, looks for his shadow, and whispers his prediction in “groundhogese” to the president of the Inner Circle (a group responsible for carrying on the Groundhog Day traditions, also known as “all those guys in top hats”). The president then translates the prediction for everyone else. Of course, Punxsutawney Phil is not the only famous groundhog around. There is an entire array of others across the country including Birmingham Bill, Staten Island Chuck, and Buckeye Chuck; though Punxsutawney claims that Phil is the only groundhog who can truly predict the coming of spring. “Groundhog Day is very important because it’s all about the tradition of the holiday,” said Christine McLaughlin, 9.

Movies that have recently come out on DVD make great gifts because few already have them. The holiday season is a time many teens use to expand their wardrobe and get ready for the cold months.

As the models become smaller and smaller, new cameras have been a huge hit among teens. The holiday season is a great time to redo a room.

A definite must have, handheld music players have made it to the top of many gift lists. From Blackberries to Chocolates, new cell phones are near the top of many teens lists. Many teens received sports gear for the holidays as the winter and spring seasons arrived.

The perfect gift: it allows the recipient to spend it on anything he or she wants to. Many teens want an easy way to blast their music throughout the house.

*based on a survey of 100 random students

wait too long for PS season’s snowfall

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by Nadia Khan

Warmer temperatures. Delayed win“I’ve snowboarded on real snow, and ters. Limited snowfall. This may sound I’ve snowboarded on fake snow. They ideal, but global warming and its effects aren’t the same thing, and I’m sure on the earth and human society are people going to the Alps would agree,” potentially damaging in many aspects. said Michelle Tom, 11. “Global warming can and probably In early January, the Alps saw their will be the cause of much devastation all first real snowfall after a long wait. Unover the world, like floods and famine,” fortunately, it may be too late. The Alps said Samy Sekar, 11. are best known for their holiday skiing One effect is experiences, and this that for the second late into the season, consecutive year, some people may not Global warming is quite the European Alps be in the same spirit to a horrific circumstance remained without make the trip into the snow until early caused by our thoughtless mountains. January. This is but a taste of and baseless actions. This has severethe tragedies spurred -Indi Ekanayake, 12. by global warming. ly limited tourism to the area. The The mild season also European center for skiing and holiday caused confusion for animals. Animals resorts looked on as another holiday seain general become puzzled at warm son came and went with little business. weather and are tricked into thinking The decline in business also threatens there is time still for hibernation and thousands of jobs of those working in migration. This throws the animals off the ever-popular industry. the schedules of their lives. Many people, from electric companies “Global warming is quite a horrific even to meager sock-sellers, depend on circumstance caused by our thoughtyearly cold winters to make a living sellless and baseless actions,” said Indi ing their services. With one of the warmEkanayake, 12. est winters of the last century, Europe’s So yes, the missing snow on the Alps economy experienced utter chaos. was a problem for many industries; In order to make up for the lack of however, by not taking care of the ensnow on the Alps during the usually vironment and causing the ozone layer buzzing holiday season, resort owners to deteriorate, humans are not helping tried using fake snow, much to the disthemselves, other animals, or the Earth appointment of many customers. on which they live.

“

Feature

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Dive into The Leaf

Truly priceless experience on staff of newspaper by Jen Lee

photo by jill cohen

hen I signed up to join the high school newspaper in eighth grade, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And when I say “no idea,” I really mean it. I knew almost nothing about The Leaf and what it involved. I had never seen a copy of it; I had never met any staff members; I had never heard about it at all. So it is safe to say that my initial plunge into the high school journalism world was like a new swimmer’s cautious plunge into the water. The high school newspaper was a foreign territory that I knew nothing about; before the dive, I was nervous, hesitant, and uncertain. But like most first-time swimmers, once my feet hit the water, I wondered why I was ever scared in the first place. Three years, countless deadlines, and possibly over a billion hours in the newspaper room later, I am proud to say that my decision to join The Leaf in eighth grade was possibly the best school-related decision of my life. Sure, as I had expected in junior high, it gave me a way to write and express my thoughts to thousands of my peers. But over the course of three years, I found that there is so much more to being a member on The Leaf than what meets the eye. Of course, newspaper staffers have to write. No biggie—one would naturally assume that being in newspaper class would somehow go hand-in-hand with Microsoft Word. The thing is, though, staffers get to do so much more than just write. They are also given opportunities to design, photograph, cartoon, and most importantly, lead. Indeed, The Leaf offers a place for almost everyone and anyone with a desire to be part of an award-winning team and work towards a common goal. In the newspaper room, I am able to constantly try out my design skills, improve my writing, and experiment with my creativity. Through my experience working on the paper, I have learned more about my abilities, my interests, my goals, and myself. Not to mention that it opens a whole lot of doors. The Leaf is not only an impressive thing to include in a resume, but a venue where students can win scholarships and awards, and maybe even acceptance into their first-choice colleges. April Wang, ’05, was able to obtain a $50,000 scholarship for the work she did in The Leaf. She is now a sophomore at Harvard.

Working late into the night during a hectic deadline, the staff of The Leaf make some final changes to their issue. This is only one of the many jobs which a staff member can do. Not only does the newspaper offer creative oppurtunities, but it is a fun activity in which anyone can be involved. To achieve good experience in writing and design, and to make many new friends, sign up for the class next year. But all that put aside, I must not forget to include the reason I am still here; the real reason I come back to room 115 each day. Despite the stress of deadline and the occasional, frantic late-night hours spent hurriedly finishing the paper, being on the newspaper is fun. Really fun. Truth be told, the newspaper staff is like a big family. We work together. We play together. We eat overly greasy pizza and way too many cheese puffs on deadline nights together.

We laugh for hours and hours about absolutely nothing together. Through the newspaper, I have met so many amazing people I would never have met otherwise, befriended people I would never have expected to befriend, and found a place where I felt like I truly belonged. For me, The Leaf is something that will define my high school experience for the rest of my life—and I know that it is able to become that for anyone else willing to take the plunge.

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16 images by sarah mcgrath

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

image by sarah mcgrath

Feature

Mother, daughter prove to know each other equally well Senior, Carly Conlon, ties mom on quiz of who knows who better

by Maria Thomas

Carly on Mom

Mom and Carly

When is your parent’s anniversary? March 16 Real answer: March 28

Who was her first boyfriend? Jason Smith Real answer: Todd Brinkmeyer

When is her birthday? November 22 Real answer: November 22

When is her birthday? July 12 Real answer: July 12

How long have your parents been married? 19 years Real answer: 20 years

What is pre-set #1 on her radio? 107.1 Real answer: 101.1

What is the pre-set #1 on her car radio? 97.3 Real answer: 97.3

Who are her best friends? Sarah, Maria, Victoria, Kelley and Nicole Real answer: Sarah, Maria, Victoria, Kelley and Nicole

X X

Who is her best friend? Mary Real answer: Mary Did she play any sports in high school, if so, which ones? Yes, soccer and played goalie Real answer: Yes, soccer and played goalie What is her favorite music? Country Real answer: Country What is your mom’s most embarrassing moment? Calling people the wrong names. Real answer: Calling people the wrong names

What is her biggest pet peeve? Liars and when people slouch Real answer: slow drivers in the fast lane

What is her favorite candy? Reese’s cup Real answer: Reese’s cup What is her favorite music? R&B Real answer: R&B What is her most embarrassing moment? Breaking her nose in a soccer game Real answer: giving a presentation in English class and saying “testicles” instead of “tentacles”

What is Carly’s biggest pet peeve? Being told to clean her room Real answer: Liars What is her favorite TV show? Grey’s anatomy Real answer: Grey’s anatomy

What is her favorite TV show? Grey’s Anatomy Real answer: Grey’s Anatomy How do you know when you are in trouble? Silent treatment Real answer: Silent treatment and punishing her

How do you know when you are in trouble? She gives me really short answers or silent treatment Real answer: Silent treatment

What is her most prized possession? Pictures Real answer: My cross

What is her most prized possession? Cell phone Real answer: Cell phone

What is her biggest fear? Flying birds around her head Real answer: Flying birds around my head

What is her biggest fear? Failing Real answer: Dying

X X X

X X

What is her favorite Disney movie? Beauty and the Beast Real answer: Cinderella

What is her favorite Disney movie? Little Mermaid Real answer: Aladdin

What high school did she go to and what was their mascot? She went to Our Lady of Victory and the mascot was Angels Real answer: I went to Seton and the mascot was Saints

What kind of guy does Carly typically go for? Funny, smart, goodlooking and kind Real answer: Confident, tall, funny, and hard-to-get

score: 60%

You

said it...

by Sarah McGrath

If you could meet a Disney character, who would it be and why?

“Goofy! He is goofy and fun!”- Taylor Young, 9

“Bell because she first sees the beast as just a crazy animal but then she gets to know him and sees him as a beautiful, intelligent person. It is true love. I aspire to be more and more like her everyday.” - Victoria Brizzolara, 12

“I would meet Blue, the bear from the Jungle Book, because he’s really nice and has friends which I strive for.”- Taylor Straubing, 11

“Aladdin because he’s the man! Plus, his best friend ‘fo’ life is genie. He knows all the tricks of the trade.”- Jenn Kissinger, 11

“Genie, because I could wish for anything I want then! He’s funny too.”- Nick Peltz, 9

OHIO STATE IS MOST KNOWN for their year-after-year nationally ranked football team. This year, the Buckeyes feel short for the national title vs. the Florida Gators in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State is also known for the “best band in the land” shown above spelling out the famous “Script Ohio”.

College of the Month

OSU: big in pride, athletics, student body, tradition by Grace Naugle

hio State means many things to many people, but all will agree on one thing, ‘Go Bucks!’ From its fantastic engineering, medical, and agricultural programs to one of the largest student populations in the country and a national championship bowl football team, this school has the best of everything.

Academics all-around

Ohio State is the largest school in Ohio that offers over 170 career choices to students. Known for a strong Engineering school, Ohio Sate also ranks high in business and other majors. Located in the fifteenth largest city in America, it is hard not to fit in at OSU. In addition to the highly ranked colleges at the university, OSU also provides scholarships and financial aid. Students applying as domestic freshmen are automatically considered for the many merit scholarships, most being renewable for 12 quarters. As far as in-state schools go, Ohio State ranks atop as one of the best universities in Ohio. With the various selections of majors and amount of scholarships available, it is hard to not look past OSU. The typical annual cost for an undergraduate student is around $17, 305 according to osu.edu.

Long-standing tradition of being a Buckeye

Part of perhaps the most well-known league in the country the Big Ten houses Ohio State, where it was the first school in history to be ranked number one in both Football and Men’s Basketball during the same year. Topping off a perfect 12-0 season, football senior quarterback Troy Smith was the 2006 winner of the prestigious Heisman Trophy Award. He is the sixth player from Ohio State to receive this award. Currently, fortythree former Ohio State football players are listed on rosters in the National Football League (NFL).

An almost perfect union

At the center of Student Life stands the Ohio Union, the form of student government that carries out the decision making processes involved in organizing concerts, cultural events and various performances. All students are charged a fee to support this program and can join in clubs at any time. The Union is currently under construction and is looking forward to the opening of its new building to be completely tentatively in 2010. The Union is in greatly involved in BuckeyeThon, a 14 hour dance marathon where proceeds benefit Childrens Hospital. Another popular activity is “Beat Michigan Week” where the Buckeye spirit can be seen strongly throughout campus. During the month of February, OSU will be featuring a variety of speakers offering lectures on varies topics involving the government and politics, including: Steven Davis, Bruce Masters, Charles Beitz and Aaron Friedberg.

Senior feedback “I would want to meet Cinderella because she has a pretty dress and she can talk to mice.” - Dani Tsevat, 9

Senior, Lauren Goedde, plans to attend Ohio State University next year. “I chose Ohio State for college because I’ve always wanted to go to a big school and I like how the campus is right in the city. It has excellent academics and everyone I know that goes there loves it,” said Goedde.

Feature

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

inging in New Year

by Bekka Levy

esolutions are made

s the big crystal ball in the sky crashes to the ground on the first morning of the New Year, the age old question begins: what does one resolve to do? Perhaps an even more important question comes to mind: will anyone actually keep their resolution? When people ring in the New Year, they often think of things they want to change about themselves or their lives. The most popular New Years’ Resolutions are to lose weight, improve one’s love life and to be nicer. It is a highly recognized opinion that it is nearly impossible to keep these promises which so many people make to themselves. The following are the top four reasons why people cannot

Did you make a resolution?

seem to follow through with their resolutions: they gave up making them; they only make them to try to seem like a better person; keeping it would mean changing their entire lifestyle; people do not have support and give up in frustration. After many years of trying hard to preserve pledges, it is often realized that there is no point. Unfortunately, the sad story is that the majority of people make a resolution, struggle for about a month to keep it, realize it is far beyond impossible to accomplish such a task, and give up. After the surrender, one gets into some sort of funky depression because last year they told themselves that they would actually keep it. But, there is always next year.

Percent of students Percent of stuwho have more than dents who have a school related one resolution resolution.

Do you think resolutions are effective? Yes

Sometimes

10 Numbers

Yes

by the

80 Percent of students who have kept their resolutions so far

percent of students with a resolution related to personl life

percent of students who have a health related resolution

Gourmet foods class cooks up successful meal ‘Food was incredible and the presentation was fabulous’ by Megan Fingerman The aroma of Szechuan Grilled Steak and Nilla Turtle Cheesecake filled the air Wednesday, December 13, 2006 as Ms. Debbie Klemt’s gourmet foods class served almost one hundred people for their annual restaurant. “I love the idea of the restaurant; however, it is a lot of work and stress for me. I enjoy the faces of the students when we are plating and serving the food. The pride is just amazing,” said Klemt. Although the gourmet class might seem like a simple one, a lot of hard work and dedication is needed to succeed. The semester class allows students to learn the fundamentals of how to construct their own recipes. “I took food and nutrition last year; that class was ok. I slept most of the bell because all we did was take notes. This year I actually got involved because we cook almost every day,” said Kara Stabler, 12. First semester the restaurant was run by two selected managers, Karen Nesbitt and Staci Rader, both seniors. The different roles include: host, server/ busser, and kitchen crew. “The restaurant was fun, but demanding at times. Our group had three recipes to make and the one we couldn’t get right at first, but in the end we were successful, thanks to Klemt’s help,” said Nesbitt. If any faculty or parents missed the restaurant, the second semester will have one at the end of the year. “The food was incredible and the presentation was fabulous! The students never cease to amaze me. They always pull it out in the last few days. The decorations have been better in the past, but the taste of the food is always remembered over the décor of the restaurant,” said Klemt.

* survey taken out of 110 random students

Across from Harpers Point 11309 Montgomery Road

Call 489-5777

-No one does individualized SAT/ACT prep better. -Students begin by taking a real SAT/ACT exam. We score it, analyze it, and develop a customized program designed to improve scores. -In-depth education, experienced teachers, individual instruction, flexible scheduling, proven success.

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

KEVIN LIN 12, STEVEN MORGAN 12 AND Lauri Reponen 12 are having fun at lunch. They are best friends and help each other get through the day. Having friends is a very important part of high school.

Bowling Alone

People are losing friends to loneliness by Jinwei Hu

“

Friendship is the most powerful thing in the world. It works in movies and should work in real life too.

all photos by Jinwei hu

inter is the hardest season to handle. That long walk from the parking lot to the school for upperclassmen, that infinite wait for the school bus to arrive for underclassmen – We have all been there, and they have been some of the most depressing points of our lives. At one point in everyone’s lives, they have all questioned, “Why go on?” Days like those make us yearn for a warmer temperature. Dreams of hot sands, Florida and barbeque abound. Homework, exams and extracurricular activities oddly become harder and harder to focus on. To be successful in school, it often takes more than individual effort to get through. Friends are important. “I like my friends. They save me from insanity,” said Radhika Kedia, 12. Therefore, it is terrifying to hear that e average amount of friends that people have been decreasing for years. There are many reasons for this downward trend, but many of them involve people’s increasing obsession with technology. Computers and fast living are taking over many people’s lives and replacing reality with an illusion of closeness and intimacy. Bowling alone is not an option in today’s society. People should be more open and understanding to new ideas, not only as adults, but in high school as well. Stereotypes and generalizations based on looks, race and what classes students are taking are not only untrue, they are unjust. Strangers are potential for friendship. “People are really self-centered at high school. It’s unacceptable,” said Misha Arnold, 12. There are students in school affected by some sort of depression, be it seasonal or major, and often, -Aleks Jovic, 12 all it takes to help them is to reach out a hand. Students often get lost in their own activities and themselves, and forget about their fellow students that are stuck in a rut. “Friendship is the most powerful thing in the world. It works in the movies and should work in real life too,” said Aleks Jovic, 12. The lesson to keep in mind going through high school is not to lose the ones who truly love you - to not make those rash decisions that may cause regret for years, sometimes a lifetime. Although sometimes real friends may make up rumors because they are jealous or angry, they should not be shot down for good because of mistakes in the past. Real friends need to watch out for each other, and forgive. I know this from personal experience – losing people is not a great feeling. People are not expendable objects, after all. Friends can pull us through this tough season. That long walk alone in the parking lot is not so cold with another warm body.

statistics on friendship

the number of close friends the average person have in 2004

1/2 50

the number of close friends the average person had in 1985

of people who reported they had a friend in which they could confide in 2004

percent more people in 2004 reported that their spouse is the only person they can confide in

19 8 3/4

percent of people who counted their neighbor as a close friend in 1985

percent of people who counted their neighbor as a close friend in 2004

of people who reported they had a friend in which they could confide in 1985

This information is taken from a study done by Duke University and the National Science Foundation

“

Friends are there to spot you lunch money. I know I depend on my friends all the time.

“

-Thomas Irwin 12

I feel like I have no friends sometimes. Just kidding. Friends are radical. I love being there for my pals.

-Chris Yen 12

“

A teenager is a social beast. Friends are inevitable and necessary. -Indi Ekanayake 12

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Mutilation or beautification

Gauging trend grows along with piercings by Electra Chronis

ometimes we put ourselves through pain for our personal images, but when it is something as cool as gauges, it could be worth it. There is not even a certain stereotypical group that goes along with gauging ears. It is for any individual who just has a thing for peircing. Many different kinds of people are starting to catch on. It is not necessarily just for the “emo” group of people with tight pants and studded belts. Ear gauging can be a lengthy process however rewarding if done accurately and properly. “I would never get a gauge because it looks like it hurts badly and I wouldn’t want to stretch my skin out to the size of a golf ball,”said Jen Baum, 11. Some of us may cringe when looking through someone’s ear and seeing a whole new world on the other side. Questions will be asked as to why but mostly how, because it is just incredibly weird but cool at the same time. People might start wondering if they can gauge themselves a second mouth (a second hole to eat out of.) Even the gauge masters themselves cringe when having to go up to the next size, but it is not all that bad. There are a lot of people that are very fond of the look and compare it to getting a tattoo as a minor. When it is really not that complicated or illegal as that. Just follow the easily guided material, and of course after asking permission from the parents. And by all means this is only for those who have a previous ear piercing that is less than recent and is completely healed. Therefore you can stretch and mold it into all sorts of different fun shapes. Have fun molding your play dough, but please remember it is your ear. There are a number of steps to follow to keep a healthy piercing and keep looking cool at the same time.

“

Blowout:

A blowout happens when the ear lobe is stretched too fast. This generally happens during or immediately proceeding (within 48 hrs) a stretch. A blowout occurs when the pressure on the insides of the piercing is too great, and the hole deforms itself by twisting inside out, resulting in a “blowout,” There are a few things you can do to try and recover from a blowout. First it is important to downsize immediately. Being stubborn and not taking this action could result in the blowout healing, which almost always requires surgery to fix. So not cool. Second of all, the piercing must be treated like a brand new piercing. So the aftercare of the gauge size becomes especially important.

Teflon tape gauging:

The existing jewelry is removed and a thin layer of non-adhesive Teflon tape, which is inert and safe for piercing use, is wrapped around the piercing. The jewelry is then re-inserted, and as the piercing adapts to the new diameter of jewelry, the process is repeated with the next application of tape being thicker than the previous one. This is done until the ear lobe has stretched enough to accept new jewelry altogether.

“

I like having gauges because it makes me look different from all of the other guys with big diamonds in. -Mark Albain, 11

-Luis Lopez, 11

What is gauging:

Gauging is done by slightly stretching the tissue, causing micro-tears to form in the skin, and maintaining the hole at the new size until the tears completely healed. The process is then repeated. This can be done an unlimited number of times as long as it is done correctly, allowing for extremely stretched holes to be produced. When gauging, stretch only one size at a time (14-12, 10-8 etc.) and wait until the ears are completely healed before going on to the next size. Or it will result in an infection or a blowout.

HOLLAND LEACH, 12 TAKES A profile picture of her much more girly gauge,that is if a gauge could even be called a boy girl type of thing.

Tapering:

Is the most effective way to gauge ears with minimal stress. To taper your lobes, you first need to purchase a taper (a metal or acrylic device that tapers from your ending gauge down to the starting gauge - for example, the large end would be a 10 gauge and the small end would be around a 12 gauge). Once you have the taper, lube it up with some water-based lubricant and slide it through your ear. This entire process should not take more than a few minutes.

photo courtousy of tatoo.com

LUIS LOPEZ,11 SHOWS OFF his sylish gauge and will probably keep moving up sizes with no problem. But of course with out getting too wild with it.

images by electra chronis

If you can stand the pain and have the patience, then go for it.

History and Culture:

Gauged piercing is probably as old as piercing itself. More primitive versions of modern gauging techniques are known to exist, in one degree or another. Evidence in Asia, shows us that gauged earlobes were common thousands of years ago and the practices of many African and South American tribes today include stretched lip piercing, some of phenomenal size. Much of this activity was initially associated with the modern primitive movement, but like piercing in general, it has become a more mainstream activity, common amongst young people and many subcultures. This movement has also taken place because of those who simply enjoy the appearance of stretched earlobes. They view it as an artwork. The view given by piercing was not seen as something that had to be presented in their society. Some religions may view piercing or tattoos as mutilations of the body, while in the Buddhist way of life body piercing is a common practice.

Keep it clean:

This is what most piercing artists recommend for a fresh piercing. Make sure that you are using a gentle brand. Satin & Provon are both high quality gentle soaps that will serve you well. Dial & similar soaps, as well as products like Bactine should be avoided it is just too strong.

Not too late too go back:

It is not to late to downsize your ears when the size that has been accomplished is 5/8” of an inch. That is the only time when it is safe to go back down the scale without ending up with a saggy hole that can not even fit a diamond stud in it. Many people will go through this when shuffling through a job application and realize that they have a huge hole in their ear making it ten times harder to hired for a job.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAUGES, wheather it be acrylic, glass or wooden. Along with the sizes the shapes vary also. There are lots of different cultures doing all sorts of weird things with their own hand crafted materials no matter how painfull it may look. The sprial shapes above originate in African tribes and sometimes from Buddhist cultures from around the world.

photo courtesy of organicjewlery.com

eature 20 F ‘Anorexia is not just driven by the desire to be thin’ FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Banning thin models from runway by: Mandi Kipner

8 million Americans have an eating disorder 50% of all Americans know someone that is affected by anorexia 1 in 100 women suffer from anorexia 72% of alcoholic women younger than 30 also have an eating disorder 10-15% of all who are affected by anorexia are men 1 million men suffer from anorexia in the U.S 15% of body fat is usually lost when someone is suffering from anorexia 50,000 people will die as a result of anorexia every year

True difference between: Bulimia

image by Mandi Kipner

he facts about Anorexia are mostly unseen. Either we do not know what it is or it just seems digusting, however anorexia is so much more than being skinny. The dictionary defines anorexia as “an eating disorder primarily affecting adolescent girls and young women, characterized by pathological fear of becoming fat, distorted body image, excessive dieting, and emaciation. In America, eating disorders such as anorexia are very common. Experts have estimated that 1% of teenagers have an eating disorder. This means that out of 400 teenagers, 4 of them have the disease. Anorexia causes an excessive decrease in a person’s weight. The weight is usually 20% below the average weight. People who weigh at least 15% less than the normal weight for their height may not have enough body fat to keep their organs and other body parts healthy. This eating disorder is down right devastating and life threatening. Anorexia can damage the heart, liver, and kidneys by not eating enough. The body slows down causing a drop in blood pressure, pulse, and breathing rate. In severe cases, eating disorders can eventually lead to severe malnutrition and even death. The media’s obsession with painfully thin fashion models has contributed to the growth in eating disorders among young girls. What are models saying about America? That we abuse starvation to the point of death, that we characterize a skeleton as beautiful? When one is at a fashion show one will see very thin girls. What kind of message is this sending to girls who are fans of fashion? Officials are finally changing their minds about models; In Madrid the Spanish Association of Fashion Designers has banned models with a BMI (body mass index) less than 18. The decision to ban thin models has sparked interest in Milan, London, Berlin and Helsinki. Because of this ban the British Council is considering a similar law against underweight models. According to a British newspaper the average model is 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. This extreme underweight results in a BMI of only 16. Just like women and teenage girls today men are diagnosed with anorexia as well. Although anorexia is found in more women than men, “Manorexia” rates are still rising. It is estimated that 8 million people in the United States have anorexia and 10% of them are men. Although women develop anorexia in all ages, Men tend to develop anorexia later on in life. Men have a somewhat different reason for being anorexic. Men tend to be anorexic because they might be overweight as a child. Being involved in sports that require thinness and, being involved in professions such as modeling. NEDA which stands for National Eating Disorder Association, is the largest non- profit organization in the United States. NEDA envisions the eliminations of eating disorders. This hope for young women and men is excercise by volunteers and staff for guided support. NEDA’S volunteers offer counseling to parents as well as those affected by an eating disorder. One great aspect of NEDA is the “media watch dog”, was created to help improve the understanding of the message media sends to its viewer’s. NEDA also features STAR. STAR stands for States for Treatment Action Research. there is also AED to help pay for some money for the recovery process. NEDA has books written by volunteer and staff to inform those about eating disorders, not just those affected.

Brazilian Model, Ana Carolina Reston died of complications from Anorexia at the age of 22. Upon her death she weighed 88 pounds being 5 feet 8 inches tall. She had been hospitialized since October 25th from a kidney malfunctuion due to Anorexia.

Anorexia

-The person eats normally but throws it up when finished -Fears gaining weight -Feels out of control while eating

-The person refuses to maintain normal body weight so they stop eating -Terrified of becoming ‘Fat’ -Denies the danger of their low weight

Overcoming obstacles:

Marisa Ellison,12 speaks about her battle with anorexia

What’s something that most people do not know about anorexia? Most people don’t know that anorexia is not just driven by the desire to be thin; it is so much more than that. It could be a coping mechanism for any situation or problem in one’s life and a way to make themselves feel better, no matter how “sick” it may seem. However, many people need to realize that anorexia is not “sick” or “disgusting,” but is a life threatening disease, just like cancer. However, it is more difficult, in some ways, to approach and cure because it is a mental disease. Everyone has problems and some people try to alleviate those problems in different ways. Being anorexic is a terrible, dangerous, and unresolving way to get rid of a problem.

If you were talking to someone that was anorexic, what words of wisdom would you give them? I would tell them that there is so much more in this world than being thin or skinny. Even though it may seem like there isn’t sometimes, there clearly is and they should feel blessed to be who they are and have the love and friendships that they have. In the culture we live in, which is consumed with materialism, making money, and looking “beautiful” it is sometimes hard to find a place where one really feels at peace with themselves, but I urge that person to realize that a truly happy person is not defined by what they or others see as “good looks”, but by their personalities, the way they approach others, their friendships, and the love that they give and receive from others.

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

School assembly sparks questions

Follow up interview with officer Paul Payne by Maria Thomas

Xanga 9%

Can the School Resource Oficer really check Facebooks and My Space? Many students are very frustrated with this concept because they feel that it is an invasion of personal space. After the assembly, Resource Officer, Officer Paul Payne, agreed to an interview.

Nothing 13% Facebook 55%

Kelly Lebuhn, 12 wrote at 12:37 PM on November 19, 2006

What made you want to start checking Facebooks/ My Space?

My Space 23%

Wall-to-Wall Write on Kelly’s Wall Message Delete Officer Payne wrote at 1:34 PM on November 20, 2006

Curiosity. At the time that Facebooks and My Space became popular I was investigating an identity theft case of a Sycamore student so I wanted to see what exactly it was. Wall-to-Wall Write on Officer Payne’s Wall Message Delete

A SURVEY WAS GIVEN TO 250 Sycamore students on whether or not they had a Facebook, MySpace, or Xanga, and if they had more than one, which they used the most.

Liz Keefe, 9 wrote at 2:45 PM on November 20, 2006

What measures will be taken when you do find inappropriate pictures? Wall-to-Wall Write on Liz’s Wall Message Delete Officer Payne wrote at 5:30 PM on November 20, 2006

Honestly, it depends on the photo that I see. If it is simply a provocative or a nude picture then I will be sure to notify the parents and the principal of the school. If the picture has to do with alcohol or drugs, then I would conduct an undercover investigation without contacting the student, parent, or school principal. Wall-to-Wall Write on Officer Payne’s Wall Message Delete

Shelli Coppoolse, 12 wrote at 11:45 am on November 21, 2006

Do you notify students/ parents before action is taken? Wall-to-Wall Write on Shelli’s Wall Message Delete Officer Payne wrote at 2:30 PM on November 21, 2006

I cannot take any action if it has to do with suspending or expelling students, only the school can. But, yes, if serious measures are taken then usually the parents are notified before the students. Wall-to-Wall Write on Officer Payne’s Wall Message Delete Kelly Lebuhn, 12 wrote at 4:18 PM on November 21, 2006

I found it creepy that the Ohio Officer followed the girl home, what was the point of that? Wall-to-Wall Write on Kelly’s Wall Message Delete Officer Payne wrote at 7:52 PM on November 21, 2006

The purpose of the police officer doing that was merely to prove a point that teenagers are putting too much information on their Facebooks and My Space. Personally, I have had 2 or 3 parents that asked me to track their daughter down just to see if I would be able to find where they lived by the information on their profiles or blogs and sure enough I was able to and found my way to their front door. Wall-to-Wall Write on Officer Payne’s Wall Message Delete Kevin Buenavides, 12 wrote at 8:03 PM on November 23, 2006

What was the objective of the meeting; do you feel as if you accomplished it?

ofiles

ine Pr l n O f o s n o auti

lLimit the amount of personal information revealed

Wall-to-Wall Write on Kevin’s Wall Message Delete Officer Payne wrote at 11:21 PM on November 23, 2006

The objective was to create a fear in students of letting them know that what they post on the internet can and will come back to haunt them (the Shock and Awe Treatment). Yes, I absolutely think that I accomplished my goal. Wall-to-Wall Write on Officer Payne’s Wall Message Delete Shelli Coppoolse, 12 wrote at 8:04 am on November 24, 2006

lDo not post inappropriate pictures that parents, school officials, or colleges should not see

Why is the school involved in activities outside of school? Wall-to-Wall Write on Shelli’s Wall Message Delete Officer Payne wrote at 10:32 am on November 24, 2006

lAvoid making or joining any inappropriate “groups”

It is the standard that Sycamore establishes and expects out of their students and if you are on a sport team or a club then we should be able to check what you are doing on other free time outside of school Wall-to-Wall Write on Officer Payne’s Wall Message Delete

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

RateMyTeachers.Com

Website offers innovative method of teacher review by David Dannenberg

all images by david dannenberg

AN APPLE, THE SYMBOL OF teacher appreciation, displays the rating chart from the popular website www.RateMyTeachers.com. The site contains over ten million ratings for over 1.3 million K-12 teachers in the U.S. and Canada alone. It was created in 2001.

How do some schools rank?

World powers

Popularity of RateMyTeachers by country

statistics correct as of december 1, 2006

A look at area schools

Country

Ratings

Teachers

Schools

U.S. and Canada

10,033,588

1,342,014

54,001

UK and Ireland

1,339,866

166,906

8,261

New Zealand

142,093

26,293

1,894

Australia

16,161

7,842

1,665

India

293

394

113

statistics correct as of january 2, 2007

or as long as high school has existed, the subject of teacher quality has been a common discussion topic among students, and students often have varying opinions of different teachers. While one student may think that a certain teacher is not helpful, another student may find that same teacher to be very helpful. But before a student has a class with a teacher, how does he know how good the teacher is? In the past, it was very hard to tell, simply because of the subjectivity of the word “good.” However, in the 21st century, there is a much more technological method of teacher review. That method is www.RateMyTeachers.com. “RateMyTeachers is a quick, easy way to anonymously voice your opinion of teachers. It’s also fun to look at the ratings,” said Tamir Haddad, 11. RateMyTeachers.com is a website that lists over 1.3 million K-12 teachers from over 54,000 schools in the U.S. and Canada, and lists many thousands more worldwide. The website was created by the same people who created the popular website www.RateMyProfessors.com, for college students. Anyone can select their school and give the teacher of their choice a rating from one to five in three separate categories. A one is the lowest rating, while a five is the highest. The categories are Easiness, Clarity, and Helpfulness. If someone has a teacher that he likes as a person, but not as a teacher, there is no reason for the rater to agonize over his decisions. One of the categories is a rating of “Cool” or “Not Cool.” In addition, there is also a comment box, where people may explain their ratings. “I think that RateMyTeachers is very informative, and it’s really helpful if you’re walking into a classroom for the first time, but you already know about the teacher,” said Michelle Johnson, 10. Some teachers may simply blow off RateMyTeachers if they have a poor rating, assuring themselves that anyone can post on the internet at any time, and that an insignificant rating on an even more insignificant website does not mean that they are a poor teacher. However, many raters include specifically what the teacher can do to improve, and this is one of the most prominent reasons for the website’s popularity. To give people a basic overview of all of the teachers in a particular school, the average ratings for all teachers in a school are displayed when a user selects that school. Schools with the highest averages are displayed on the “Hall of Fame” page, which ranks the schools with the highest average ratings. One of the most interesting features of RateMyTeachers is the “Wall of Shame” page. It does not list lowest ranked schools, as one might expect, but instead lists schools that have blocked RateMyTeachers from their school computers. Schools on the list range from St. Ignatius Boys High School, the sports powerhouse in Cleveland, to the prestigious Buckley School, in Los Angeles. There are over 800 schools and 180 districts on the Wall of Shame. In the scheme of things, it seems as if teachers are isolated from the entire rating process, and the most that they can do is read personal attacks and get frustrated. However, this is not true. Teachers can sign up for accounts, and if a rating is added on their page, they can respond, just as a student can rate. This could be the reason that RateMyTeachers has garnered so much support from teachers. “I believe websites or opinion/information hubs like RateMyTeachers are helpful. To me, [RateMyTeachers] is especially informative,” said Mr. Christoper Kloesz. Perhaps the best feature of the website is the fact that to rate a teacher, one does not need to sign up for an account. The site’s revenue comes almost entirely from advertising, at no monetary cost to the user. As the internet continues to grow rapidly, surely imitations will come along, but none will possess the creativity that RateMyTeachers has.

Feature

tudents suffer

he sound of gunfire is heard echoing through the school halls. The students dart left, right, under desks, and tables. The shooters are seen carrying loaded shotguns. The shooter gazes around the room looking for a target. A petrified student curls up in the corner, under a nearby cafeteria table, staring at the shooter, gun struck with fear. This situation has become all too common in schools throughout the United States, as learning facilities have already laid witness to 16 student deaths this school year. These shootings have taken a dramatic increase in the past ten years, which has in turn influenced the authorities to take action. “I don’t think school violence is that big of a problem here, but some of my friends at other schools who have this problem have metal detectors and police officers at the entrance of the school,” said Chris Morgan, 10. Whether it be placing metal detectors at the entrance, or having an entire police office stationed within the school, there are many angles that districts have taken to tackle this enormous issue of school violence. These assaults are not limited to shooting or threats, but include bullying, sexual harassment, and theft. Schools around the nation have different outlooks on ways to attack the problem, yet none have supplied a logical explanation for why it continues to occur. Many studies have confirmed that since the Columbine High School massacre, April 20, 1999, in Jefferson County, Colorado, there has been a jump in violent acts in schools involving guns or lethal weapons. The Columbine massacre itself consisted of two teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, going off into a shooting rampage, which ended in 13 deaths, 24 wounded, and the two offenders committing suicide. These acts following Columbine have come to be named “copycats,” due to the fact that they supposedly mimic what happened in that particular incident. The year of Columbine, 1999, carried an alarming total of 30 student deaths. This alerted the government in terms of gun regulations and school security due to the fact that the 30 killed in 1999 was a jump from nine killed in the previous year. The tremendous amount of deaths in 1999 has decreased slightly, as 2006 has 21 student deaths.

Bullying Harris and Klebold, the Columbine shooters, were targets of bullying throughout their middle school lives. This struggle was not the only root to their immense anger, but contributed greatly to their views of the school. On a daily basis, the act of bullying has become the largest contributor to school violence, as it occurs from preschool through college. In school it occurs on the playground, the buses, and in the classroom. “Bullying is most common in the busses, where it is hard for the driver to see the kids hurting the victims,” said Duck Yim, 9. This cruel act can severely damage a victim’s psychological and or physical state permanently. It has the ability to

make an imprint on an individual’s self esteem and confidence. Both these factors of physiological pain cause an individual to live a life in shame. The actual perpetrator can carry longterm effects from his/her behavior of bullying as well. They carry the guilt of harming another individual. It has been recorded that six out of ten kids identified as being a bully in middle school are convicted of a crime by the age of 24. It is often considered that these bullies have grown up battered and unhappy and may express themselves in violent manners. That does not give them an excuse to bully, but it does give an explanation for these violent acts.

What makes bullies tick? The demonic acts staged by a bully are often questioned. Why is he or she lashing out wish such an approach? There is no obvious answer, but, typically, the bully is suffering, most of the time at home. It is also noted that their actions can be a result of an insecurity and or jealousy. The bully is reaching out violently covering up for his/her dismay. They are looking for a helping hand not to truly harm other individuals. This cry for help must be met with a mindset of compassion. Although their ways are hurting others, it must be taken into account that the perpetrator is searching for aid. This is where being a “tattle tale” is a resourceful response. Contacting a counselor or faculty member is the best way to help the victims and the bully.

Drawing conclusions The issue of school violence has no direct answer, but it is clear that the gruesome acts of school shootings spur from small-scale controversies exhibited in bullying. Schools are melting pots of culture, ethnicity, and beliefs, creating a diverse environment. For most schools, this diversity makes sure that anyone can find a group to hang out with. Others look upon those differences with a feeling of hate, causing a group of outsiders. “One of my favorite things about this school is that there are people from so many different countries,” said Alex Schatz, 9. These outsiders, who are suffering from bullying and psychological issues, form a revengeful outlook on their perpetrators. Schools need to prevent this with a variety of solutions starting with eliminating bullying. Otherwise, there will be many more Columbine copycats in the future. “The key to bullying is to first view both sides of the story, and then make a judgment on how to enforce consequences, whether it be Saturday schools, In School Suspension, or to press charges,” said Officer Paul Payne, Student Resource Officer. “In the past few years the issue of bullying has decreased. I have students come to me about twice a month, now, while a few years ago, students would come to me twice a week,” said Payne. Officer Payne deals with student issues on a daily basis, his job is to protect the students. This gives him a first hand look at what the student body has and will undergo. To understand school violence one must look deep into the issues teens are faced with in the twenty first century. Coping with the daily high school drama, teens feel violent emotions throughout the school day. The sensitive issue causes pain and suffering to many and should be put to a stop with a massive movement to peace.

THE SWAT OR SPECIAL WEAPONS Assault Team is utilized when entering or assaulting a school or building. The team consists of highly qualified personnel, who are trained to bring down an enemy, as well as deal with hostage situations. These teams are used in school shootings, and are particularly noted for helping the wounded out of the Columbine High School during the shooting.

Current facts on deaths and violence in schools

The National School Safety and Security Services reports the following school related violent deaths per school year:

image by http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov

by Ben Dhiman

chool violence: hitting hard

Image by Ben Dhiman

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

-2006-2007 school year: 16 school associated deaths. Another 58 additional non death high profile incidents including shootings, stabbings and riots. -2005-2006 school year: 27 school associated deaths. Another 323 additional nonlethal high profile incidents including shootings, stabbings and riots. Contact your school counselor to report bullying and or any act of violence occurring in the school or busses. In case of an emergency call the safety hot line at:

791-1906

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Discovering culture while teaching tradition:

Q& A “ “

New outlook on commuting across sea Q&A with Sonya Lipkina,11

ver wondered how it would be to commute between two countries? Vacationing, visits, stories and pictures are not enough. It is hard to imagine having to keep up with two different languages , two different cultures, and two different lifestyles. We can barely keep up with our lives as it is: college information, SAT’s, AP classes and that is just the beginning of it. Imagine if there was a chance to go to the country of your origin, would one take it? Thousands of Americans commute between two different countries- they live half a year here and half a year there. Not only do these people have “two different lives,” but they have the unique chance to experience what many of us only dream of. Many people commute between countries, whether it be for work or just living arrangements. They have found this way of life to be ideal- it can solve many conflicts and although drastic, it is a easy solution. In Europe, this is a common occurrence. A BBC study showed that by 2016, there will be 1.5 million people working in the United Kingdom but living overseas. Since the United Kingdom is closely related to the United States, if this kind of data is seen in the UK, then we are sure to see our share of dramatic rises in the number of people who commute between countries. With such a diverse student population, there is bound to be a student who knows first hand the effects of commuting between two countries. Sonya Lipkina, 11, spends half the year here, and the other half of the year

“

in Moscow, Russia. Sonya moved to the United States in 2000. Not long before she moved here her parents separated. She goes to Russia twice a year to spend time with her father. This might seem like a bizarre arrangement to some, but to Sonya it makes perfect sense. “Why not travel between two different countries, in today’s day and age its easy and simple,” said Lipkina. She spends the summer and a month during the winter in Russia. She has been commuting for the past six years and it is only natural for her to do so. The cultural experience that is obtained from these numerous trips is incomprehensible. This month Sonya took her habitual trip to Moscow. While there, she lead a workshop on bridging the gap between America and Russia. She taught Russian students and adults about normal life in America, and dispeled the many myths and stereotypes that Russians tend to possess towards Americas. When in Russia, Sonya leads a completely different life. The vast contrasts are clearly seen. The size of an average Russian home is much smaller and the food very different. The Russian work day is very different. They return home for lunch and tea, and they are given two months of vacation a year. Given the enormous opportunity to learn a new culture but not forget her own is a chance many immigrants only dream of. While many revel in amazement when we learn about different countries and cultures, commuting across borders is an amazing opportunity to experience, first hand. One day, it might be normal to commute across the ocean instead of across the street.

It would be really tough to manage your time and all, but I think it would be worth it -Molly Daniels,10

Q:Would you ever consider not going to Russia for a visit? A:This year is the only time I would consider not going. I have to think about college and the SAT.

Q:When in college do you still plan to travel to Russia frequently? A: I will still travel but I will only go maybe once a year.

Q:What is the biggest difference between Russia and the United States? A:People are more sincere in Russia, they are not fake at all.

Q:What is the difference between high school in America and in Russia? A:In Russia the teachers are not really interested in teaching and do not seem to care. Q:Have you ever considered moving to Russia permanently? A: Definitely, my dad lives there and I have so many friends.

Q:Are there any differences in day to day life? A: There is more freedom for teenagers, the environment is more relaxed and there are always people everywhere.

It is really cool to be in two different countries during the same year because you can experience so many cool things. - Michael Evers,11

I wouldn’t want to live in two different countries because that would take away from my education.

-Ross Zaenglein,10

ST. BASILS CATHEDRAL LOCATED IN MOSCOW,Russia is a well known attraction around the world. It is located in the famous Red Square. Russia’s unique culture is what sets it apart from the rest of the world.

image by jane chernyak

by Jane Chernyak

Feature

Exploring India Looking deeper into the kaleidoscope of beauty FRIDAY January 26, 2007

a h M j a a l T

by Kavya Reddy

ifty million years ago, India was rammed against Asia forming the icy mountains of the Himalayas. In the north are the Himalayas with the hill stations, Buddhist monasteries and lakes. Stretching between the cities of Delhi and Kolkatta (Calcutta) are Hinduism’s greatest cities, the Mughals, the greatest monument, the Taj Mahal, and the place where Buddhism was born. The west opens the Thar Desert, home of the Rajputs and Gujarat. Along the coastline to the east is culturally-rich Orissa, and to the west lie Mumbai (Bombay) and Goa. Finally comes the deep south, home to the Dravidian people. This magical place is filled with astounding temples, churches erected by early Christians, and the British created Madras (Chennai) and the Keralans have their garden of Eden. It is a country where cultures, artwork, dance, music and architecture come together...and that is what makes India such a diverse and unique place to visit,” said Divya Indrakanti, 10. This subcontinent of over 1 million square miles is a third of the size of the U.S. and 13 times larger than U.K. India has a billion people that are Hindu and Muslim, rich and poor, peasant and industrialist-forming a kaleidoscope of beauty. “In pictures, India looks amazing but in reality, it is even more breathtaking,” said Prachi Redkar, 10.

Uttaranchal

Agra Delhi

images by kavya reddy

In pictures, India looks amazing but in reality, it’s even more breathtaking. -Prachi Redkar,10

Located in the foothills of the Himayalas, it is often considered to be India’s finest wildlife reserve. Corbett National Park is famous for its wild population of tigers and elephants. It was established in 1936 as the Hailey National Park. Corbett is a haven for Tigers and its prey which includes four kinds of deer, wild boar and some other animals. Today, it is a rare patch of wilderness that has jungle, grasslands and bamboo groves. Although the park has over 100 tree species and around 60 tigers, leopards are rare. The waterways have crocodiles, as well as a range of waterbirds. Together with the birds of prey and woodland birds, Corbett has a total of 600 different species of birds. The Jeep Safari is the most convenient way to travel with Corbett and can be rented for park trips.

o y f In a w te

a di

Mumbai

Tirupati

Tir

pati Tem

The temple is one of the most important pilgrimage centers in India. Tirupati is famous for the Venkateswara temple in the sacred Tirumala hills at an elevation of 860 m. Many say that an ideal time to visit is between the months of October and March. It is an important pilgrimage center, where devotees stand for long hours waiting to get a glance of the presiding deity. The ancient Tirupati follows the Dravidian style of architecture. The image of the temple deity represents both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu is considered as the preserver whereas the Lord Shiva is considered as the destroyer in Hindu religion. Being one of the richest temples, this sacred place draws millions of pilgrims from all around the world everyday.

e pl

Located on the waterfront of South Bombay, this monument is traditionally the first item that visitors see when they are arriving by boat in Bombay. The gateway is a basalt arch that is 26 meters high. The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai(known as Bombay then). The Gateway was officially opened on December 4, 1924 by the Viceroy, the Earl of Reading. “Travelling in India is one of the most enriching and wonderful experiences,” said Samantha Sekar, 11.

Park

Cor

Nation t t e

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The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The emperor, heartbroken by her death, was determined to build a memorial tomb. 22 years later, in 1953, the masterpiece was completed. Tons of Jodhur marble and semi-precious stones from all over the world were imported and some 20,000 workers are said to have worked on it. The gardens were designed in Mughal Style, making an Islamic paradise of peace. “It is especially beautiful when you see it at sunrise and sunset,” said Indrakanti. It is a time when the marble seems to float in a misty glow, and the reflection shimmers in the long, rectangular water channel that leads through the gardens.

Feature FRIDAY Januray 26, 2007

Student spending

Pricing explodes Technology improves by Saul Geller

video games just isn’t smart. I play online games on the computer, which is a lot cheaper. Some are even free,” said Dan Tang, 10. Dramatic increases in prices, like those listed above, have been sorely noticed in all areas of technology in the entertainment business that have been coming out since its popularization.

igh school brings a lot of problems to the table for most students. Keeping up with grades, staying with friends, and of course money. Money for lunch, money for going out, money for gas and general car use, and money for the new and sometimes useless gadgets coming out every day. How is an ordinary student supposed to keep up with the latest tech gear for video games, iPods, mp3’s, expensive consoles, computers, lap tops, cell phones, and software? Many students, such as Ben Foley, 11 take on jobs at convenient restaurants, local businesses, or as baby-sitters. “I work at Outback. I’ve been working there for awhile. It’s definitely a great job. I buy a lot of my things myself and pay my bills, like my cell phone plan and car payments,” said Foley. “I work a lot, four days a week usually, so I can save some for everything else.” Most students work during the summer and have a job after school or on the weekends. Many fast food joints, like McDonalds, Dairy Queen, and others are the obvious places for a job. However, Jeremy Spiegel, 10 decided to find something more personal for himself. “For some extra money, I referee baseball games. I’ve been playing it for over nine years and it’s something I really like to do. So then I decided to referee games. I get about $20 per game which are usually about an hour to two hours long,” said Spiegel. Though mainly a summer job, it is good for earning extra money without having to do any back-breaking labor. Jobs like this are great for earning money to pay a share of the bills and for buying whatever Sony and Apple come out with next.

Technology updates amaze

The huge prices for the above inventions however are for a good reason. Sony, Microsoft, Apple, and other such companies are developing sci-fi like gadgets using compressed blue ray discs, massively upgraded graphics cards, and other new features to pocket sized pinnacles of entertainment. One example is the Sony UX mini PC. This mini computer is about six inches wide and four inches high, with a weight slightly above one pound. This full-fledged portable computer comes with features like Windows XP Professional operating system and Windows Vista Premium Ready. Basically, it can do anything most household computers can. Still, cell phones can do more than some computers. They can hold and download songs and digital videos. One of the main examples of this trend in miniature machines is the new iPhone. The iPhone, basically a phone that is iTunes capable, is just one of the redefining gadgets of this decade. New ideas, like being able to access the internet from tiny handhelds to holding thousands of songs in a couple of inches of hardware, the new year is loaded with some of the most advanced and overpriced gizmos ever.

How to deal with it

So what do students do about the inflation of all the hip stuff coming out? No one has the perfect idea on this life sized question, but the most obvious one is to take the time to actually begin working in highschool for the generous wage of several dollars an hour. Also, one can simply call on his parents and relatives during a holiday for anything he desires. As long as the holiday is celebrated with massive amounts of gift giving. And finally the choice most highschoolers choose. Just borrow the wanted item from a friend and return it ALAP—as late as possible. For most students, life continues without having everything they could ever want. So simply ignore a friend sporting the latest gear. It will be out of date by the next week. Taking time with friends and family —and the occasional moment of school work is plenty.

Prices soaring to new heights

ERIC SCWHARTZ, 10 STOPS TO use a new cell phone. Many students around school own cell phones and use them throughout the day. Having a cell phone has become a necessity for most students in highschool.

Students decide what to buy

HERE ARE FOUR RECENT GADGETS currently being sold and their launch prices. The most common for students is the cell phone and iPod; the PSP and the micro PC are a little harder to find. “Obviously I’d like to get everything that ever comes out, but I have to choose the most important.” said Adam Birkan, 10.

Tech Sources

Student Survey Owns a PSP Owns an iPod Owns a cell phone

Votes 0

Gamecube

Xbox 360

Students

Xbox PS2 0

Above is the chart from 100 students polled about who pays for the electonics. Most students replied that they had to buy extra things for themselves while a little over 30% of the polled said they were given their cell phones, iPods, etc.

Consoles: What you got?

Parents

Votes

*out of a survey of 100 random students at the SHS

20 0

*out of a survey of 100 random students at the SHS

Systems

4.Mini Sony UX PC $2000

Sleek. Silver. Small. The new UX PC has a 40 gigabyte(GB) hard drive, Window XP , and its own keyboard. And it wil fit in your pocket. This ultra portable computer is the size of your hand and can do as much as any regular computer. For $2,000. Expensive and high tech gear such as this PC that cost hundreds of dollars are coming out all the time. Things like this can burn through any student’s pot o’ gold relatively quickly. Students, according to a recent poll, typically spend their money on cell phones and iPods and to a lesser extent, on recent or new video game consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Playstation 2. However, less than 50% of students said that they actually had a cell phone and even less had iPods/mp3s.

Votes

2. PSP $300

images courtesy of http://www.cellhut.com & http://www.sonystyle.com

1. Samsung P850 $700

3. iPod Video $300

Of course that would be too easy. Prices for new consoles and gadgets are doubling and even tripling. From the release of the original Playstation, the initial price was $299.99. The Playstation 2 had its release price at $299.99 as well. However, the recently available PS3 has just come out at over $600. These next-generation consoles, computers, and iPods bring in a new era of spending for students. Handheld systems were once thought of as a cheaper way to play with the systems, like the Game Boy Advance, priced at about $100. New handhelds like the PSP, which came out at a price tripling the out dated Game Boy. “Things have just become too expensive. I think it’s the new costs for these

*out of a survey of 100 random students at the SHS

20 Votes

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Information Technology Revolution

What students need to know about the growing IT field by Alex Gennett

n this day and age, almost everything is done with computers or some other type of technology. The better someone is in tune with technology, the better they will fair in the world. Many careers require knowledge and skills dealing with computers technology. Students need to explore the growth of this field. What can they do to better equip themselves for this age? Where is this field headed? These questions and more will be answered.

500

Cincinnati has the

3 STUDENTS AT THE IMC USE their computer and technology skills to assist them in their studies. Their knowledge of technology will help them in any of their future jobs, as well as college. The IMC is a good place to become familiar with computers.

Future of IT:

Positions needing IT are increasing in today’s workforce

The IT field is growing larger and larger. Companies and businesses across the world are realizing that their companies can not survive without the many technical aspects of their work. These aspects can not work without IT professionals.

IT Degrees offered in the Greater Cincinnati region School UC Xavier NKU Miami Wright State Mount St. Joe Thomas Moore

IT Degrees Offered 23 Assos., 6 Bachelors, 4 Masters 1 Bachelors, 2 Masters 2 Bachelors, 3 Masters 4 Bachelors, 2 Masters 3 Bachelors, 3 Masters 2 Bachelors 1 Bachelors, 1 Masters

Not enough jobs? Or not enough talent?

Exceeded expectations 30%

So far, have you hired more or fewer workers than you had planned for this year?

we have hired more than planned 22% we have not hired as many as we set out to 22%

Did Your Company’s performance in the first half of this year meet expectation? Our industry Yes, but suffered expectations 2% were low 7%

A recent Challenger, Grey & Christmas survey of 150 human resource executives pointed to the lack of qualified candidates,particularly in the feilds of IT, healthcare and specialty manufacturing, as a hindrance to job creation

we are on track 12%

In the past couple years, the demand for IT jobs has changed drastically. Out of all the growing careers of the day, three of the top ten fastest growing careers are in IT. According to U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top IT job is estimated to grow by 57% in the next 6 years. Why then do many businesses find themselves short staffed in the IT field? Many companies are looking for more and more workers to fill their needed positions. In a poll by Challenger, Grey & Christmas poll, 56% of the 150 surveyed companies say that they are planning to hire more workers that year. How then can one obtain the proper credentials to enter into this growing field? There are many colleges and universities in the area that offer degrees in IT.

we have not met hiring expectations due to a lack of candidates 44%

No 1%

Yes 60%

Do you plan to add more workers in the second half of 2005? No, we will reduce the payrolls 11% No, Stay the same 33%

Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. June 2005

Yes 56%

by the

NUMBERS

photos by alex gennett

Of the top 10 most Fortune growing occupations are in IT. firms per capita. All

dealing with IT.

Of the top 10 careers are IT related.

Of the top 10 salary growth positions are in IT.

Insider interview Doug Arthur INTERalliance Program Coordinator Mgr, Commercial Support Services Atos Origin

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If you learn how to use IT to solve problems in business, you can get a job in almost any field. -Doug Arthur

So what is your job and what do you do? I am the Manager of commercial support services for the great lakes region of Atos Origin, the lead IT services firm for the Olympic Games, as well as projects for P&G, LexMark, General Motors, The Mills, and other companies all over the world. I am responsible for most of the non-technical facets of our business, including proposal management, marketing, contract management, and knowledge management. How did you reach your position, and what did it take to get into your field of work? This job is at the end of a long and diverse lifetime of careers including teaching, record producer, owner of a recording studio, computer programmer, and executive director at a youth services program. Atos Origin needed someone to write their proposals; I knew how to do that and wanted to work for them. My major in college was in education and I taught for years. My IT background was all on my job training. If I were in school now, I would be taking as many IT courses as I could right away to find a good job and a high pay. How should students incorporate IT in their studies? I believe that IT courses should take the place that general business courses used to take. If you are not sure what you want to do for your career or major, IT is a great way to build a foundation for any career in any field. This can range from programming languages to information system skills, to system analysis classes. If you learn how to use IT to solve problems in business, you can get a job in almost any field. The more tech courses you take, the more you will be worth to an employer right out of college. Where do you see the IT field going? It’s growing like crazy inside of every other area of business. Instead of IT being a separate thing, it is being woven into every aspect of business, government, and every other type of service. So as a business grows, IT grows. IT also happens to be growing itself within the business. If a student invests in IT, how long will it last them? Asking that is like asking a doctor how long the field of medicine will last. IT is going to be around a long time and it is a smart decision to be as knowledgeable in the field as you can be.

Feature FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Types of anxiety disorders

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): constant worries about everyday things or situations. • Panic Attack disorders: fears that happen for no apparent reason. • Social Anxiety Disorder: a dread of social situations. • Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD): Felt like they need to be done by the perseon with it

image by molly johnson

• Posttraumatic Stress (PTSD): anxiety from a past experience.

STRESSING OUT OVER DIFFICULT COLLEGE applications, Megan Johnson, 12 throws herself onto her bed screaming and crying. With all of the stressors, it is no wonder that students are more prone to tears and tantrums. Anxiety and stress are the cause of many of the spats among friends and family.

• Specific Phobias: fears linked to things that are not usually dangerous. (full moons, heights, spiders, etc.) • Separation Anxiety Disorder: trouble leaving home to go to school, camp, a friend’s house, or to be alone.

tudents scream in pillows tress takes over teens

by Molly Johnson

t is two A.M, nothing has worked to help the sleeping process: no warm milk, no counting sheep, no reading a boring book. Hundreds of thoughts are whirling around inside the head about the days before and the day ahead. Teenage stress. Everyone goes through it, especially when they have to juggle all the things they are involved in at school: sports they are in, any after school clubs and activities, and of course homework and a social life. “There is so much pressure from so many sources, it is impossible to be a teenager without experiencing stress,” said Dana Reinhart, 10. Stress is perfectly normal for any teenager and can even be helpful at times, like to help them study for all of those tests, or it can keep them alert in a situation that could be potentially dangerous. “I do as much as possible to eliminate stress by breathing, hitting things, screaming, etcetera but it still stalks me every place I go,” said Abby Evans, 10. However, stress is made into a problem when it becomes a constant factor in a teenager’s life. When this happens, that stress is likely to develop into an anxiety disorder.

Stressing the facts

Anxiety disorders are conditions that involve unrealistic fears and worries; about 13% of the United States population is affected by one. Anxiety disorders affect people of all ages, races, and genders. Though anxiety disorders are usually caused by fears and worries that are habitual in a teen’s day, they may also be learned from experiences at home as well as passed down through generations. If a child grows up in a home where there is a lot of tension, anxiety, danger or fear, then that child is also likely develop

an anxiety disorder. The best way to take care of an anxiety disorder is to go to a doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist, and discuss any concerns with them to find help.

Getting help

There are many different ways to help treat a disorder: some are various types of therapy, relaxation techniques and medication may also be prescribed by the doctor. Some types of therapy available to people dealing with an anxiety disorder include behavioral therapy, cognitive –behavioral therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy. Behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy both seek to help the person to be able to react differently to the situations that may cause the disorder, though both types use different ways. Cognitive–behavioral therapy helps patients to deal with the symptoms of the disorder by -Evan Lind, 10 assisting them in understanding their thinking patterns, whereas behavioral therapy is used to change responses to stressful situations. Psycho-dynamic psychotherapy uses the concept of the symptoms of the disorder are a result of unconscious mental conflict as well as by finding the meaning of the symptoms is needed to help relieve them. Hypnotherapy is done by a qualified clinical hypnothereapist

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who uses hypnosis paired with different techniques to help to relieve anxiety while the patient is in a state of relaxation. Various types of medication may be used to treat an anxiety disorder such as antidepressants, and mild tranquilizers. These must be prescribed by a doctor and reported back if the medication is not working. Antidepressants work by slowing the removal of certain chemicals in the brain; chemicals needed for normal brain function. Antidepressants work to make these chemicals more available to the brain.

Working with stress

In the meantime, until a diagnosis is found, communicating with others, such as close friends and family, helps to give some much needed support. Keeping communication open with others held close helps to make talking about problems easier and less stressful to the individual and may also help to lessen the anxiety of dealing with a problem. “Friends can be a great way to help you vent frustrations. Especially those good friends who will always lend an ear while you yell out some stress,” said Karen Vorholt, 11. There are many other ways to try to relieve stress besides talking to others or getting professional help. These include writing journals or poetry, hitting pillows or screaming into a pillow, listening to music and exercise.

It seems like everyone at this age carries around and suffers from such a large amount of stress from basically every direction possible.

7 Ways for a student to prevent overstressing 1

Do not overbook a schedule. Keep only the activities most important. If something is not very important, do not keep it.

Get enough sleep during the night to help be ready to deal with negative stressors. At least eight hours.

3 2

Do not try to be perfect or try to do things perfectly and do not be afraid to ask for help when it is needed.

5 4

Being a little more optimistic can help a person to make the best of a stressful circumstance.

Relax. The relaxation response is the body’s natural cure for stress. Response can be triggered by breathing exercises.

Exercise regularly, eat a balanced and healthy diet, try to stay away from anything harmful for the body.

Trying to solve the little everyday problems instead of avoiding them may aid in giving one a sense of control.

Feature

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Trail of tears... Drunk driving leaves mark of grief, yet hope remains by Sam Cleary

Photo by carcrashes.com

heir faces flash on our televisions every night. They are there every morning when we wake up and read the paper. However, in the hundreds of millions of homes across the U.S. these stories of DUI’s and drunk driving victims uproot the lives of a small few, while the rest of us sit and continue our day, not even giving them second thought. This is just the American way, so therefore it’s “OK,” and we keep on sitting in front of the T.V. and reading our papers. But the question remains to this moment: When will we take the liberty to stand up and make a change? When will we finally take it upon ourselves, and not a select few, to come together and take the step to making this world safer? When will we find the time in our oh-so-busy lives to make a difference in what is one of the largest problems in this country today.

The community of Cincinnati has been struck too many times by the tragedy of drunk driving. Well known local and musician Jim Rook and his wife Margie Rook were killed when a drunk driver hit there car head-on during a road trip to Florida on the 24th of June. There daughter Kylie Rook and her friend, Megan Doherty were in the car at the time of the accident. Megan suffered serious injuries, but Kylie escaped

313

with nearly unscathed physically. Ben Keefe, 9, of Sycamore High School said, “I didn’t know Kylie’s parents all that well, but the few times I did meet them, they were such happy people. I’m just glad Kylie and Megan are okay.” The family was on their way to a vacation when the accident occurred. Jim, long time drummer for popular Cinci band “Fast Forward,” as well as his wife, Margie, will always be remembered and missed sorely by all of the Cincinnati. Fast Forward band member Jeff Butler said of Jim Rook, “We as the band lost our ‘fearless leader’, and I lost my best friend.” (According to Cincinnati The community of Sycamore will not soon forget them.

The cost of driving drunk

Many people believe drunk driving is an inevitable problem; it always will be and it always has been. It’s just a common case of stupidity and teens who don’t think...right? Wrong. However frequent the assumption, drunk driving accidents and fatalities are problems that have been all to frequent for numerous years. Just this past year, in 2005, 39% of a total 16, 885 alcohol related car accidents in America have proved fatal. The problem, so it may

Slowly but surely

However great the problem, there have been gradual changes in the numbers. For example, in 1982 the percentage of fatalities from alcohol related accidents was 60%. Now, years later, the percentage has dropped steadily to 39%. In the last five years, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, otherwise known as MADD, has seen a 2% drop in alcohol related deaths. Though the number seems small, 2% represents a relatively large number of people who didn’t die. That number is big enough for Tina Pascoe, executive director of the Los Angeles MADD department, whose views on drunk driving are strong and well-established. “The only safe amount of alcohol when you are mixing driving and drinking is zero-double zeros: no alcohol,” she says.

number DUI-related deaths in Kentucky in 2005

* poll taken in 2005

1471

seem, isn’t really so small. To add on to that, last year in Ohio alone, an estimated 505 people died at the hands of alcohol. In 2003/2004, 1,579 alcohol related deaths occurred in the U.S. between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day. Many more occur during spring breaks all across the US. But not all hope is lost. Though the statistics are frightening, they are slowly improving.

number DUI-related deaths in Florida in

2005

* poll taken by/from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (madd. org)

by the

NUMBERS

505 number DUIrelated deaths in Ohio in 2005

Their stories Students gather at the scene of a crash in which Steven Philpot, 12, of Milford High School was killed after crashing while driving intoxicated. Another passenger in the car was seriously injured.

After a birthday party at a friends house, Jacqui Saburido, then 20 years old, was hit by Reggie Stephey, who had been out drinking with friends. The car exploded, and Jacqui was severely burned, losing her entire appearance, and even major body parts. She now raises awareness for drunk driving in Texas.

photo :thefastforwardband.com

Missed, but not forgotten...

CAR ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DRUNK driving happen at an alarming frequency. Each year, hundreds of motorists lose their lives to drunk drivers. Organizations such as MADD are working to educate the public about the dangers of driving under the influence.

photo by texasdui.org

On a bright morning in September (1999) 20 year old Jacqui Saburido was at a friends birthday party with a group of peers from, college. On her way home with four other girls, her car was struck by Reggie Stephey, an 18 year old high-schooler who had been out drinking with friends. Within moments, the car exploded. Two of her friends died, but Jacqui, in critical condition, survived. Now, nearly 8 years later, Jacqui, after suffering extreme burns that altered her entire appearance, is leading an anti-drunk driving campaign and telling her story, even making an appearance on Oprah. Stephey, on the other hand, was sentenced to only seven years in prison and a fine of $20,000. “Knowing the damage I’ve caused for so many people and so many families, it’s something that I can’t describe to anybody,” says Stephey, close to tears and obviously regretful of a mistake that can’t be taken back.

photo by Glen Hartong

“Not everyone who gets hit by drunk driver dies”

Jim and Margie Rook were on their way to vacation in Florida with their daughter, Kylie, and her friend, Megan Doherty. Their car was struck head on by Jesus Bernal, the driver of a pickup truck on U-S Highway 331. Jim and Margie were both lost, but Kylie and Megan survived.

Feature FRIDAY Janurary 26, 2007

Depression:

The root of all self-destructive behavior

or a long time, people suffering from self inflicted injuries such as eating disorders, and cutting were diagnosed as separate mental disorders, and treated just for that. However, the problem goes beyond skin deep, in order to stop these kinds of behaviors, it’s necessary to recognize what’s triggering it. The true demon behind self-destruction is actually depression. It’s the very first step of a long journey that spirals deeper and deeper into the oblivion of hopelessness.

What is your problem? Eating Disorders

The Cycle

Negative thoughts feeds on negative thoughts. “A person can’t make rational decisions, when they’re overwhelmed with feelings of depression.” said the school psychologist, Dr. Eugene Donatell. Feeling hopeless for long enough, a person’s perception of reality can be distorted, and the medically termed “tunnel vision” can occur, meaning seeing no chance that happiness will prevail in the future. Staying alive loses its meaning; the only plausible solution is suicide. “I think people kill themselves because they want a way out.” said Carissa Ford, 12.

Signs

Of course, long before the actual suicide, the person will show obvious signs of depression. As opposed to the belief that depression equal depressed, it actually causes the person to display very little or no emotion. For example: constant bleak expression with a gradual personality loss, as if the person has lost their authenticity. Cutting is a definite cry for help, along with a bizarre eating and sleeping pattern.

Self-destruction

Stress is produced when problem arise. It might be weightrelated, it might be the loss of a loved one, and it might be a social crisis. Whatever the problem is, finding the relief is urgent. Most people find healthy ways to relie this stress; it’s usually exercise; being angry; cry; slamming doors; talking to family and friends; journaling. What isn’t healthy is directing this stress onto themselves. Most common of unhealthy stress relievers are: starving oneself of food, or binging with food or alcohol or drugs; being sexually promiscuous, physical selfharm. There isn’t one reason why people do this; but it almost always has something to do with the person’s environment, it might not always be supportive for everybody. Some families are loaded with individual burdens, and not everyone has close enough of a friend to take care of them. If a person feels people aren’t paying attention to them, suicide might even be a passive aggressive act to redeem attention.

Nine times out of ten, eating disorders derive from poor body image, meaning that most anorexics and bulimics didn’t start losing weight for health reasons. The problem is that they make the number on the scale the most important thing in their lives. Being obsessed with thinness gives them the wrong impression that thinner is better, when in reality a person’s worth goes beyond the shape of their body. Without nutrition, chemicals go wild in a person’s brain, making them delusional and even harder to cure. Family Problems

Adolescence is a rough period of time, for every child. It’s a time for rebelling against what’s old and traditional, like parents. A child will start relying on their own ability to make decisions and judgments; this might cause parents to feel a loss of control. Many families are driven apart during this time. Teens feel alienated in their homes, and parents feel like a failure for not keeping their child on the “right track”. Both parents and child are extremely vulnerable to depression. Loneliness Inability to make friends is probably the biggest problem for teens. Rejection from peers is the most hurtful kind of rejection. It will produce low-self esteem and devastating hopelessness. Feeling ashamed and depressed by the problem, most people do not turn to anyone for advice and help. If the problem persists, and the suffering continues, self-harm and even suicide is possible. Relationships

Who has it?

Even the smallest trauma can progress into depression. Every single person is going to experience mental anguish at some point in their life; however, numerous researches show that women and teens are more likely to acquire this illness. Teen’s fast developing brain produces imbalanced amounts of serotonin, the “feel good” chemical, causing plunging mood swings. Women, being the specie usually less emotionally stable, are especially likely to feel sadness/ecstasy, sometimes switches between the two constantly, causing extreme emotional distress. This makes teen girls the most vulnerable group to depression.

Possible solutions

Depression is curable, as long as the person is alive. Therapy is expensive and complicated, but to many adults it has proven to be necessary, since the person needs substantial amount of self-understanding to deliver important information to the psychologist. Younger kids’ problems tend to be less complicated, and knowing their child the best, parents usually help better than a professional. Whether anti-depressants work or not is a controversial issues right now, some say it medicines just covers up the symptoms of depression, not actually curing the problem. Other argues when a person feels better; the problem won’t seem as hopeless. “I’ve taking anti-depressants for 3 years, and it works for me.” said Natalie Hamant, 12.

“

A person can’t make rational decisions when they’re overwelmed with feelings of depression. -Dr. Eugene Donatell

The loss of a friend, or a romantic interest is extremely harsh on teens. Feeling insecure about self, combined with the lack of experience; the person being abandoned usually feels like they have no worth, and there is no chance of finding another person in the future. This is impossible, first of all a person can never predict what may or may not happen in the future, and one should never measure their self-worth based on other’s opinion.

The dark side of Anti-depressants Risks of suicide and self-harm found in these major brands

Paxil

Prozac

Zoloft

Trial 1

Trial 2

6.5% PSR 5.4% SA

None

Trial 3 None

None

4.1% PSR 1% SA

None

Trial 3

Effexor

Celexa

Trial 1

6.25% PSR 2.5% SA

Trial 2

1.96%PSR 7.84%SA

None

source: http://www.mcmanweb.com/FDA_suicide.htm

13% PSR 13%SA

key PSR: Possibly Suicide Related SA: Suicide Attempts

photo courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

by Lilly Wang

Feature

Cavy Savvy FRIDAY January 26, 2007

lmost everyone these days seems to have a cat or a dog, a hamster or a fish. Some of these pets are affectionate and loving, some are not, and some are guinea pigs. When most people hear the word “guinea pig,” they relate it to scientific testing or experimenting. Although guinea pigs are used in the testing of many products, the job has been mostly outsourced to mice. The guinea pig has retired to being a wonderful pet. A commonly used name for a guinea pig is “Cavy,” which refers to their scientific name, Cavia Porcellus. The name “guinea pig” comes from back when sailors came to the new world and found these animals. These sailors sold them for a guinea, about four dollars, and thought that the sound they make was similar to the sound of a pig, hence the name “guinea pig”.

Characteristics of guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are shy and timid creatures that run away if touched. However, once they get to know their owner, they can be quite friendly. Gaining the trust and respect of a guinea pig may take many months. It also may get frustrating at times; nevertheless, upon attaining this bond between human and animal, it is clear that it was worth the wait. “Anyone who knows me knows that I love small animals!” said Brynn Shuller, 10. “I am always in awe of how cute and small they are, and how they can really comfort you and be cute when you have had a bad day!” Guinea pigs show their affection in many ways, sometimes with soft little noises, kisses or squeels. They will also be more relaxed and seemingly happy when held, and they will cuddle for as long as they are out, unless they need to go to the bathroom.

THIS IS CHARLIE, SOPHOMORE LIBBY Henning’s, guinea pig. He loves to eat carrots, but does not necessarily like his dry pellet food. It is okay if he does not eat his dry food as long as he is provided fresh vegetables.

Guide to owning guinea pigs Guinea pigs do not usually want to go to the bathroom on anything outside of their cages, but if they do not have access to them then they will have no other choice. There are three main types of guinea pigs: Abyssinian, Peruvian, and English. The English guinea pigs are most common and have very smooth fur. Their fur can be a solid color or a mix of multiple colors, like white, black, or different shades of brown. Abyssinian guinea pigs need to be groomed and brushed because their hair grows in little swirls and they look messy. The Peruvian guinea pig is similar to the Abyssinian; they have a coat that looks like a wig or a dust mop because it is so long. These guinea pigs require a lot of time for brushing and combing, which needs to be done daily.

Care, keeping

Guinea pigs require a lot of care and love. They need to be bathed and groomed regularly. They also need to exercise. In the summer they can be taken outside and played with, but their instinct is to run, so it is important not to let them get away. It is best to let them get used to their new home before taking them outside. A good suggestion is to buy a wire play pen for small animals and put them in it when they go outside. Some pet stores also sell guinea pig harnesses, such as a leash that THE ABYSSINIAN GUINEA PIG ABOVE is one of the three main types they can be led around with. of guinea pigs in the United States. These shy creatures can be quite “I think it is hilarious that there friendly. They interact very well with humans and other guinea pigs. is a leash out there for guinea pigs! I can see it now, Paris Hilton on the red carpet posing for pictures with her Wood is the best way to go. Stores even offer cage attachments blinged out guinea pig!” said Shuller. with colorful wooden chew toys. Treats, toys, things to remember Like humans and dogs, guinea pigs nails need to be trimmed Guinea pigs get bored when students are learning at school frequently so they do not get too long. Small clippers or baby all day so buying them toys is a good idea. Some like to ring clippers can be used to do this. little bells or things that make noise. They will love a house or a place that they can hide in when They also like to eat treats. Stores offer treats that are good they first arrive. This is because they will be frightened and for guinea pigs and contain minerals that they need. They also need a place to feel safe. love to eat hay; timothy hay is healthier than alfalfa. Guinea Guinea pigs often suffer from vitamin C deficiency. They pigs love vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, carrots, and need to have special vitamin C drops in their water or they celery stalks. They will begin to recognize the sound of the can eat oranges about three times a week. opening refrigerator and squeak for food. Stores also offer treats with vitamin C in them to help the “My guinea pig loves to eat fruits and vegetables, and she guinea pig get the vitamins they need. squeals whenever she wants food,” said Connie Hill, 10. Even though it will take a long time for them to get used to Their front teeth never stop growing so they will want to their new homes, the love and affection that guinea pigs show chew on anything. A must have for guinea pigs are chew toys. is priceless.

Important tips When buying a guinea pig, remember...

- Every Guinea pig has a unique personality. Some are shy, active, or scared, just like people, some characteristics are desirable and others are not. It all depends on what the owner likes. - Finding a guinea pig is like finding a soul mate. Do not just look and think that it is not the one. Pick it up and try to feel a connection with it. - Fall in love and take him or her home. PERUVIAN GUINEA PIGS, SUCH AS the one to the right, have very long fur and need a lot of care. They must be groomed frequently. These types of guinea pigs are the least common.

all images by libby henning

by Libby Henning

Why people love guinea pigs

“ “ “

Caretakers and admirers share what draws them to the small furballs.

I love anything cute and fuzzy!

-Melissa Wang, 10

My guinea pig loves to eat fruits and vegetables and she squeals whenever she wants food.

-Connie Hill, 10

I am always in awe of how cute and small they are, and how they can really comfort you and be cute when you have had a bad day!

-Brynn Shuller, 10

Feature

all images by daphne hsu

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

AIMEE MORTON, 11, PHIL BRODRICK, 11, LEAH Morris, 10, Evan Gildenblatt, 10, and Laura Friedmann, 11, dive into a container of Organic Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. Made with USDA certified organic ingredients, one pint of this ice cream costs about $2 more than its conventional counterpart. “The organic ice cream was actually really good,” said Morton. “It made me feel healthy after eating it.”

As personal health awareness grows, not just for hippies

Organic foods storm supermarket shelves, kitchen cabinets by Daphne Hsu

n a world full of processed foods, hormone-filled milk, and fruits and vegetables covered in pesticides, it seems like the only way to get food as nature intended is to live on a farm. Well, that is a possibility, but it is actually as easy as a trip to the grocery store. These kinds of foods, more commonly known as organic foods, have become increasingly popular as the general public is becoming aware of what it is taking in (think trans fat). This growth in demand has ushered in the production of many different organic products, ranging from apples and bananas to dark chocolate and buttered popcorn.

What exactly are organic foods?

Simply put, organic foods are foods grown without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are not treated with hormones or antibiotics, had access to an outdoor pasture, and were given organic feed. All organic foods are produced without genetic engineering. Foods can become “certified organic” after a farmer grows produce without the application of synthetic pesticides or chemicals for three years. The farm is then inspected by a government-approved independent agency, who can certify the farmer’s produce as “organic.” Certified organic foods can display the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic label, which insures the product is at least 95% organic. Foods labeled “100% organic” cannot contain any synthetic materials. Those that are “Made with organic ingredients” are, at the least, 70% organic.

Health factor

A common belief surrounding organic foods is that they are healthier; the nutritional content in organic foods is actually about the same as their conventional, or non-organic,

counterparts, especially in processed foods. Fresh organic foods, such as milk and tomatoes, do contain higher levels of various vitamins and minerals. Although not scientifically proven, organic foods may be safer than foods laden with potentially harmful chemicals. It is believed that some of these pesticides and growth hormones are linked to cancer and other diseases, so eating organic is an easy way to avoid these chemicals. “My family tries to eat more organic foods rather than foods with pesticide and that nasty stuff,” said Joyce Zhang, 9. Keep in mind, though, that organic foods may still have some pesticide residues due to soil and environmental contamination. While some believe that organic produce and meat taste better and fresher than conventional food, this factor is up to the discretion of the consumer.

Shopping smart

Many people still decide to eat these so-called “naked foods” to avoid taking in unwanted chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones. But they have also noticed the higher prices of organic foods, which can be up to double the price of the same conventional food. Why? A simple imbalance of market activity: the supply of organic foods is less than its demand. There were about 12,000 organic farms nationwide in 2000 out of over two million total farms, according to the USDA, with organic sales growing 20% annually. Buying organic does not have to be as expensive as it seems; just knowing where to go and what to purchase will solve the problem. Comparison shopping is always a good way to find the lowest price. And when it comes to fresh produce, buying in season will guarantee cheaper products. Another solution is to make a trip to a farmers’ market: a

ncovering meanings behind food labels nderstand what goes into products

Raised without antibiotics If meat, poultry, eggs, or dairy products are labeled this way, no antibiotics (i.e. medicines) were administered to the animal. Raised without hormones No hormones were used for growth purposes in beef. This label does not apply to pigs or chickens since hormones are not allowed to be administered to these animals.

Natural No artificial ingredients or colors were added to the product, and it was processed minimally. Therefore, the product is as close to its original state as possible. This does not mean the product is without hormones, or antibiotics, and it is not necessarily organic.

Organic In meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, the animal must have had access to a pasture, was not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones, and was fed certified organic feed. For other foods, ingredients may not be treated with synthetic materials, such as fertilizer and pesticides.

USDA study in 2002 found that about 40% of farmers do not charge a premium. Growing fruits and vegetables in a home garden can be a fun and inexpensive alternative as well. “The taste of my mom’s fresh vegetables and watermelon is ten times better,” said Rebecca Muskat, 10. “In fact, my friends say her peas are the only peas they’ll eat.”

When it pays to go organic

Knowing which foods to buy organic and which foods to steer clear of will save money and time. Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries are twelve fruits and vegetables to buy organic as often as possible. Called the “dirty dozen,” as conventional products the foods above have the highest number and percentage of pesticide residue, based on USDA pesticide test results. Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are foods that are recommended to buy organic. The risk of exposure to toxins and the agent believed to cause mad cow disease is reduced as well as the absorption of hormones and antibiotics, which have been linked to antibacterial resistance. Unless a full-blown organic diet is called for, or if price is not a concern, purchasing other fruits and vegetables organically is not as necessary since pesticide residues are rarely found on other produce, such as bananas and sweet corn. (For a full list, visit www.consumerreports.org.) Foods like bread, oils, and other packaged or canned foods fall under the same category; these processed foods may have less contaminants, but the nutritional value is about the same as their conventional counterparts. Which products should be avoided at all costs? Those from the sea. The USDA has not developed organic certification standards for seafood, and contaminants (such as PCB and mercury) can still be present in fish wherever they are caught.

Where to find organic foods

Local markets provide variety of products Home garden Grow fruits and vegetables in the backyard.

Susan’s Natural World 8315 Beechmont Avenue Phone: 474-4990

Wild Oats Market 5805 Deerfield Boulevard Phone: 398-9358

Pipkin’s Food & Vegetable Market 5035 Cooper Road Phone: 791-3175

Jungle Jim’s Int’l Market 5440 Dixie Highway Phone: 674-6000 Trader Joe’s 7788 Montgomery Road Phone: 984-3452 Most major food chains (such as Kroger, Bigg’s, and Costco)

Hyde Park Farmers’ Market 3424 Edwards Road Phone: 561-1205 Open June through October Landen/Deerfield Farmers’ Market 3292 Montgomery Road Phone: 899-2461 Open May through October

Arts

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

image by laura fisher

witch to ticks

Introduction to uses of this universal utensil

THIS IS LAURA FISHER’S, 12, MOST recent piece. “I used vellum, scratchboard, and two different photos. This mirror sits in our upstairs bathroom and I have no idea where it came from. It just appeared there one day, and I always feel like something’s going to climb out of it...” said Laura Fisher, 12.

by Wenjun Zhang

Fisher

he universal utensil of our world is neither the fork, nor the spoon, nor the knife; instead, it is a simple instrument that functions on numerous levels. It is, ladies and gentlemen, the chopstick. Chopsticks originated in China. In America, they earned their name because “chop chop” in pidgin English meant “quickly” and chopsticks, in Chinese, mean “quick.” Chopsticks have many uses; primarily, they are eating utensils. Chopsticks are very convenient because they can pick up both miniscule and massive objects. Recently, they have been gaining popularity in America. “I like chopsticks,” said Aimee Morton, 11. “I have a few pairs at home that I use occasionally.” Chopsticks used for eating are typically bamboo or plastic; they are cheap and durable for everyday use. To use a chopstick, first curl the fourth finger and place one in the cradle between the thumb and the fourth finger. With the thumb, squeeze the stick down and let the index and the middle finger stick out. Place the second chopstick between the index and the middle finger and then grasp it with the tip of your thumb. Pivot the upper stick up and down: this -Lehla Kisor, 12 motion will allow one to pick up food. The chopsticks should act as a pair of pincers. Many beginners find it easier to hold the sticks at the midpoint. Also, if the tips of the chopsticks do not line up, then it will be hard to pick up the food. Do not grasp the chopsticks too hard because this prevents movement and can result in a broken stick. “Chopsticks are hard to learn how to use, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun,” said Lehla Kisor, 12. Chopsticks are also a phenomenal hair accessory. Whether worn casually or formally, chopsticks are sure to add some spice to any outfit. “I have a few pairs of chopsticks that I sometimes wear in my hair,” said Harini Venkitarama, 11. “They’re cute.” There are many ways to wear chopsticks. First secure the hair with an elastic band. Then, twist the tail of hair into a bun around the band and then slide the chopsticks in. The two sticks can be inserted in the hair sideways or can be placed perpendicular to one another. Generally, people with thick hair need to secure their hair with additional bobby pins to hold it up. Chopsticks worn in the hair are usually more ornamental and fancy. They are engraved with elaborate designs and are often very delicate. There are many places to buy chopsticks. Cheap chopsticks for eating can be found at the CAM Asian Supermarket on Glendale-Milford Road. More decorative chopsticks intended for the hair can be found at Claire’s, Icing, and other accessory stores. So next time, instead of eating with a fork or a spoon, pick up the sticks. And if an outfit needs some spice, do not go with hair ornaments, just pick up the sticks.

by Sharon Wagner

How did you get into art? This one time, when I was four, I spilled over a cup of paint at preschool; later that day, my mother took me to a Jackson Pollock exhibit, and I was instantly inspired… just kidding. I’ve been an artist my whole life. I’ve never taken lessons or anything, it’s something that I do naturally...all over the margins of my class notes.

“

Chopsticks are hard to learn how to use, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun.

What inspires you and your art? Thoughts. People. Music. Lunch. How would you describe your overall style? Does your work reflect any other artist’s work? Hmm. It’s not something I can really describe... every day I’m developing and finding my artistic style. I like looking at other artists and their work, but I don’t purposely draw inspiration from anyone specifically. I don’t know enough artists anyways. It’s like....Apple Jacks. I make what I like. What art classes have you taken or are you taking? Last year I took drawing, painting, and photo. This semester I’m in AP Art Seminar, AP Photo, and Comm Tech Graphics. And band. Yay band! Have you won any awards? Yeah, I had a first place portfolio in the Montgomery Art Show in September and I was recently selected to be the 2-D visual arts Overtures candidate for Sycamore. I got the Underclass Art Medallion last year, which was a pleasant surprise. Do you plan on turning art into a career? Definitely. I want to teach art and continue to do my own work. I want to be great someday.

image by sharon wagner

CHOPSTICKS HAVE MANY USES, TWO of which include eating and hair styling. They may not be as easy to use as a fork, but are lots of fun once one figures out how to manipulate them skillfully. Or, if the finger-tostick coordination is lacking, girls like to use them decoratively in their hair to dress up any look. Either way, the chopstick is the most innovative ancient tools that is still in use today (besides the wheel).

Artist spotlight:Laura

Within the wide spectrum of art, what mediums do you work with and which are your favorites? Anything and everything. I’ve used things like antibacterial soap and bicycle chains and twenty-yearold slide film. I don’t really have a favorite medium; I just use whatever I think will turn a concept into the best piece.

Any other passions? The piano... I’ve been playing for almost twelve years. And reading, when I have the time. Any last words? Has anyone else ever noticed that Frida Kahlo’s unibrow looks like a large bird taking flight?

Entering the world of art...

The Mad Pianist

From competition to concerts

Arts

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Warning: audience will be fed, serenaded, content, relaxed

Vocal Cabaret promises fun exhibit of talent

Talents abound in 2007

by Leah Burgin

Welcome 2007, welcome the fabulous artists that grace our new year with aesthetic beauty and flair. From the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards to the Sycamore Electronic Ensemble concert to the Vocal Cabaret, the year 2007 is loaded with artistic talent. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is a prestigious competition administered by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers; it gives high school seniors the opportunity to earn scholarship money. Every year, a multitude of seniors enter the competition in hopes of winning the $10,000 or $1,000 cash prizes. There are many categories students enter. Those include: ceramics, design, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, film, script, humor, journalism, nonfiction, novel, poetry, and short story. Students who enter the competition participate in two official rounds: regional and national. Artists from our school traveled to Covington, Kentucky for the regional competition on January 12th. In the past, many students from our school have advanced from the regional round to the national round. At the national round, well known writers and artists judge; previous panelists include Robert Frost, Bill Murray, Tatiana von Furstenberg, Frank McCourt, and Kiki Smith. These judges evaluate more than 7,000 works of art and approximately 1,700 manuscripts; last year, 1,400 artists received national awards. Although we have not had a student win the national round in the past, hopes run high this year for the many talented artists that have entered. In addition, the Sycamore Electronic Ensemble (SEE1) concert is nearing. SEE1 is an innovative and fresh rock orchestra that will be performing with Grammy winning artist Mark Wood. Wood is the inventor of the Viper string instruments, electronic violins and cellos that can emulate guitar sounds. The SEE1 concert will be on February 16 at 7:30 in the auditorium. Tickets are $6.00 and can be preordered at lunch or purchased at the door. When Wood performed in 2004 with SEE1, the concert sold out, so be sure to secure tickets early. Moreover, the Vocal Cabaret will be held on February 2nd at 7:00 p.m. in the commons. The cabaret is a medley of singing and dancing acts that are chosen via audition. The audience members, for a price of $7.00, receive not only a great performance, but also cake, coffee, and beverages. Yes, the audience members eat while watching the show. Thus, a prestigious art competition, a rock orchestra concert, and a vocal cabaret head the year 2007. The artistic talent flourishes in this new year, so be sure to mark the dates of these events and peruse the art talent that prowls our halls.

image by wenjun zhang

by Wenjun Zhang

FUN, FOOD, AND RELAXATION ARE a guarantee at this year’s vocal cabaret. At the cabaret, singers and dancers perform while the audience members eat and enjoy the music. Modern music is typically performed at the cabaret.

smorgasbord of entertainment awaits those who attend the Cabaret performance on Friday, February 2nd. The Cabaret will be a mix of different singing and dancing acts performed by students. Usually, the songs selected are from musicals, but other modern music is also presented. “I like the variety of the performances,” said Abby Evans, 10, “it’s more enjoyable than straight choral music for an hour.” Last year, songs from different musicals such as Les Miserables, Spelling Bee, Beauty and the Beast, and Thoroughly Modern Milly were presented. In addition, Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright and Taylor, the Latte Boy by Kristen Chenoweth were performed by students. As a surprise, last year Mr. John Whapham, the theater director, and Mr. Duane Crowe, last year’s choir director, sang a duet. This year, there have been no hints about a teacher performance, but one is expected. “For the last two years, Lauren Lynn and I have sung a duet at the Cabaret,” said Justin Hanks, 11, “we plan to do another duet this year.” This year, the Cabaret begins at 7:00 pm in the commons, but the doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $7.00 and include cake, coffee, and other beverages. Tickets are sold at the door and at the commons during lunch. “I saw the Cabaret last year,” said Jessica Walling, 10, “it was like a mini-variety show of different musicals. Plus, viewers get to eat food while they watch.” Auditions for the Cabaret were on January 25. Any student was allowed to audition and many students jumped at the opportunity. A list of the performers should be posted online. This year, based on the auditions, an exciting show brimming with fun is to be expected. “The Cabaret is an excellent way for students to showcase their talents,” said Gabe DeVela, 10, “I look forward to seeing it.”

lectrifying orchestra

mmy award-winning artist will perform with Sycamore Electronic Ensemble

by Rashmi Borah

Over the years, string instruments have been associated with negativity. All they can do is play those old concertos and symphonies, right? Not necessarily. The Sycamore Electronic Ensemble (SEE1) plays rock music on string instruments. Started only a few years ago, SEE1 has strived to prove the string stereotype wrong. Led by orchestra director David Smarelli, SEE1 has been meeting weekly for 90 minutes rehearsals. On February 16th, the efforts and accomplishments of SEE1 this year will be performed to the public. The concert that SEE1 has been working towards since September will run on the 16th starting at 7:30. They will be performing with world renowned violinist Mark Wood, who has arranged much of the music that will be performed. Wood is the lead violinist in the Trans-Siberian orchestra and traveled all over the country performing rock music on string instruments. Wood visited the junior high and high school in 2004, and will be returning again this year. SEE1’s extensive repertoire has a variety of songs to suit the tastes of all listeners. “I think it’s really cool that you can play rock music on string instruments,” said Erinn Sonntag, 9. “It’s nice that the field of orchestra has been expanded to include rock music.” The repertoire includes: Bach to Rock, Higher Stand, Live and Let Die, Stairway to Heaven, Livin’ for the City, Vivaldi Rocks, Zep/Queen/ King, Strike the Match, Hoedown, Birthday, Last Child, and Let Me Roll It. Hoedown, originally written by Aaron Copland, is an orchestra classic that will serve as the finale to the concert. Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven is another piece that many look forward to. At the winter concert, SEE1 appeared to perform their finale, Birthday by the Beatles, which will also be performed at this concert. Throughout the concert, various instruments will be soloing along with Wood. The tickets for the SEE1 concert are currently available through the front office, and for six dollars, members of the audience will see string instruments going Bach to Rock. “String instruments playing rock? What’s cooler than that?” said Jenni Williamson, 9.

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MARK WOOD, LEADER OF THE Trans-Siberian orchestra, will perform with the Sycamore Electronic Ensemble on February 16. The concert features electronic string instruments. Famous rock ballads, many of which are arranged by Wood himself, will be performed.

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Entertainment

35 image by casey manning

FRIDAY January 26 2007

HOT SPOTS

Find home style cooking, feel in historical Madeira eatery by Annie Kanter

Choo Choo’s Restaurant

r e t a plo w re new under world

Aquarium offers new interactive exhibits by Quinlan Porter

he streets within picturesque Madeira feature Starbucks, Kroger’s, and other modern boutiques and restaurants. But there is one antiquity of this area that has been preserved for centuries: Choo Choo’s Restaurant. An interesting fact about Choo Choo’s is that it was featured on the Food Channel for its tasty foods, particularly the brownie desserts, and historic atmosphere. It looks exactly like a train station; because it is a train station. Built in 1866 on Railroad Avenue, this charming restaurant with its original structure and ticket windows used to be a popular stop along the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad. Trains can still be seen and heard chugging by, which still remains right alongside the building. Although it is no longer a station, diners can still hear the blast from the horn or feel their silverware rattling on the wooden tables. Choo Choo’s has a very old fashioned “home feeling” which is hard to find in today’s world. The open kitchen makes the restaurant seem very friendly and public, as if one is eating in their grandmother’s kitchen. Take the time to read the authentic documents hanging on the walls. Toy trains chug along their tracks above,

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and lights are strung across the ceiling. Train posters, pictures and paintings, along with other unique and rare antiques cover the walls. Some of the signage, both outside and in, will interest all kinds of people. Choo Choo’s is very popular among those who live in Madeira because of its wide variety of delicious home cooked foods and its unusual atmosphere. It can be a great place to bond with grandparents or take little siblings on an outing. The food is all homecooked foods that are not typically served at contemporary restaurants, including meatloaf, pork chops, pies, and sundaes. Choo Choo’s also has a popular breakfast for which people rush in every Saturday and Sunday mornings for the famous breakfast specialties. So ‘choo choo’ on in for great prices, delicious home cooking, and an old fashioned experience, everything that makes Choo Choo’s Cincinnati’s hotspot of the month.

Choo Choo’s is very popular because of its wide variety of delicious home cooked foods and its unusual atmosphere. It is as if one is eating in grandmother’s kitchen.

With an 8,000 gallon Kingdom of Penguins exhibit, 85 feet of underwater tunnels and over 13 exhibits of the world’s most unusual and stunning marine creatures, the Newport Aquarium is an adventure paradise that no one deserves to miss. Open three hundred and sixtyfive days a year from 10am-6pm, this aquatic getaway is an all day entertaining event that has something for everyone, at a great price. For a full day’s viewing of all the exhibits it is only $17.95 for an adult ticket and $10.95 for children ages 3-12. For those serious aquanauts, the Aquarium offers season passes for no more than $33.90 which allows unlimited visits for a year. “I got my season pass after my first visit because I knew I would be coming back a lot!” said Travis Sayre, 10. Many people overlook the Newport Aquarium as a means of entertainment because they think that it is just a display of animals behind tanks with a gift shop at the exit. It’s not. Captivating lights and decorum make each room and display unique and enticing. It is even as if every time you visit there is something new you have overlooked. Rooms such as the “Jellyfish

Gallery” often find their way into the imaginations of those who experience them. With soft music, an elegant chandelier, red-velvet seating and a Victorian color scheme this tranquil environment allows the visitor to experience these creatures in unique and memorable way. Another favorite exhibit of visitors is the Shark Petting tank. This 5,000 gallon touch tank always has plenty of friendly, touchable sharks that swim along the sides of the tank allowing visitors to feel their leathery-soft skin. “They feel so cool and it’s always fun to see them so up close” said Emily Peter, 11. After wandering (and often rewandering) through the numerous exhibits the Aquarium offers a gift shop at the end. It contains almost as much fun as the animals themselves, with apparel for adults and children, toys, stuffed animals and various marinerelated novelty items. With as much fun as you will have watching and interacting with the creatures of the Newport Aquarium it is almost just as nice to have a cuddly stuffed turtle to snuggle with on the car ride home.

‘Shiny Toy Guns’ rockin’ back to the ‘80s by Sharon Wagner A resurge of 80’s culture is ever-present in fashion and the media. Some love it and some hate it, but few can argue that one of the highest benefits that came of the era was the music, still influencing artists today. Riding the movement is the “indietronica” (a fusion of indie and electronica) band Shiny Toy Guns. They have re-examined and revamped 80’s synth pop into a new breed of electronic music that appeals to electronica, indie, and rock music fans. The band’s new wave sound has recently touched the airwaves through exposure on MTV2 with the release of their music video “Le Disko.” As the song title suggests, this music is made for dancing. However, other songs by the band reveal very personal struggles, touching on acceptance and loss; the band’s purpose is to give people hope and something to hold on to through auditory sensation. With that goal in mind, Shiny Toy Guns was originally formed in 2002 in Los Angeles by Gregori Chad Petree (vocals and guitar) and Jeremy Dawson (synthesizer and bass), who were later joined by Carah Faye Charnow (vocals) and Mikey Martin (drums) in 2004. “Their sound is very unique and the use of two vocalists, a girl and a guy, is something you don’t really see a lot of. They’re just amazing,” said Jordan Sirkin, 12. Their debut album, We Are Pilots, was soon recorded in 2005 in response to huge local and Myspace popularity. This record has more than accomplished the spread of their message. Today, the album has been released twice independently and most recently with Universal Records in October of 2006. “Carah’s voice is phenomenal. I like that they break the mold of what the average electronic band should be like,” said Jenna Samuels, 10. In fact, a rumor has circulated on the Internet that it is actually Charnow’s voice that is heard on Paris Hilton’s record, Paris. Charnow did record demos with Paris Hilton, but it is Hilton’s voice that is heard on her album. As the sound waves spread, Shiny Toy Guns keeps gaining in status and is currently making indefinite arrangements to tour with The Cure. More information about the band and its happenings can be found on their official website, www.shinytoyguns.com, as well as their Myspace page, www.myspace.com/ shinytoyguns. If the ears are pleased by the dynamic sounds of this revolutionary band, remember to check out other bands such as Kill Hannah and The Faint, both of which appeal to listeners of Shiny Toy Guns.

Entertainment

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Book review: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett proves to be sophisticated

image by matt davenport

by Sarah Vaz

ERAGON AND HIS DRAGON, SAPHIRA get ready to ride. The movements of Saphira were modeled after an eagle to make them as realistic as possible. For the role Eragon, stars such as Elija Wood and Shia LaBeoufwere considered, but the fairly unknow actor Edward Speleers was ultimately chosen.

Eragon fails to soar Clichés, predictability weigh down book-to-movie adaptation by Chen Yin

fter being on the number one New York Times bestsellers list, the book Eragon has arrived on screen. “What was once your life is now your legend,” a quote from Eragon that indicates us that this movie is going to talk about some heroes out of no where. Like all the hot-blooded hero movies, Eragon can’t escape a young mans whose fate changed by an important discovery, and the wild, luck-filled adventures wating for him. “It’s a pleasant enough fantastical adventure, but it does feel naggingly derivative,” said Claudia Puig from a USA Today review. Before the movie had been made, many critics mentioned that whether the movie will become a good one or not depend on many suspects: First, the dragon role—Saphira in this case—is a hard stone that had ruined many dragon movies. Dragons are hard to come to life by special effects, but Eragon gets a good grade in this instance. “I like the dragon in this movie. It looks like as if it is real. Of course, there are still some flaws that technologies can’t achieve. But I think it’s all right, we don’t need to be that strict,” said Kaho Sakamoto, 11. Second, how well it can be turned into a movie from a book that has no intention of becoming a script. Apparently, there is a big discussion in this question, while some says the movie is a disaster compared to the book, while others think the movie is not that bad. “If you have read the book, this movie will insult you. …I

will not be specific as to spoil anything, but there are dozens of time throughout the movie where the plot of the movie is completely altered, and not in a good way,” said critic Eck Mark. But for the people who had never read the book, the movie is well done. “I think the movie is fun because it gives me a good time at theater. Maybe other people hate it because of the book, but I do not since I did not read it,” said Michelle Hsu, 11. Third: how this movie’s young and new characters will attract people, those who are not a children that first time see a fantastic movie. The answer is no, Eragon had failed to make this movie something rather than just a hot-blood, hopeful, boiled teenager hero movie. “I like the movie, but I do not think the movie is extraordinary, it just makes me feel, it’s such a common hero movie,” said Natalia Varias, 9. Throughout the film, Eragon, the main character had followed his own heart and ignored the outcomes of his action, thus caused whole bunch of troubles. Also, the movie is basically like all the hero movies, white/ good beats the bad/black, straight forward, without any twists. Even though Eragon has its good points, but after all it is just another movie that when you step in theater, you know what the ending of the movie is without looking at it. And one knows that luck will always follow the main character— Eragon and minor characters will pay for his actions

Ringo lanes:fun times at by Libby Henning Cincinnati has officially reached winter time. For the next couple of months there will be nothing to do but stay inside and drink coco. That seems like fun now, but after a few days it gets pretty boring. A great place to have some fun is Ringo lanes located on 9651 Kenwood Rd Cincinnati, OH 45242. This interesting little bowling alley has been around since August of 1976 and can provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment. It is opened Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday until three and Friday until four. The best time for students to bowl would be on Saturday from nine a.m. to three thirty p.m. or Sunday from noon to late in the afternoon. On weekdays games are $2.80 and $3.10 after five. The number of games decides the price not the number of hours bowling. A great opportunity for a student is to join a league at Ringo lanes. There are men’s, women’s, junior and mixed gender leagues that people could join. It is best to sign up for a league at the end of August or the end of April, that way there will most likely be an opening. “Ringo’s the best! The lanes are amazing!” said Kam Keeling, 10, who participated in a league last year. If on a league it helps to have personal shoes and a ball to practice with, and perfect bowling skills. One of the interesting things about Ringo lanes is that the bowler keeps their score. This is a fascinating aspect to the

reasonable price

bowling world that most bowlers probably do not know how to do because of the automatic scoring machines. “It is so easy to learn.” said Sam Stoini, who owns and runs the bowling alley with his brother, Teddy Stoini, “I’ve taught people how to score and how to perfect their bowling.” Posted on the walls are the names and scores of high bowlers, Ringo lanes has been one of the highest scoring alleys of the Midwest through the years. They also hold birthday party’s scheduled one to a day so the party can use the private back room as long as necessary. At Ringo’s they spread the guests out, usually three to a lane so they do not have to wait around for everyone else to finish bowling. The alley is completely smoke free now that the no smoking law has passed, but even before that the Stoini’s kept the junior leagues smoke free. “We are known as a no nonsense bowling alley,” said Sam Stoini. The facility does not have bumpers to catch gutter balls. This way people can learn to improve their bowling skills without using the bumpers. The staff keeps the alley looking great and flawlessly clean, a friendly environment to have a perfect day of bowling. This bowling alley is great for students to have fun with their friends at a reasonable price.

For all those poor lost souls sitting around on a rainy Saturday morning with nothing to do, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, is the book to read. One thought though: do not by any means read the epilogue. The novel is rather yummy, in a girly sort of a way: testosterone-filled hunks of manliness will want to avoid this book. It starts out at a party held in an unnamed South American country for a Japanese business titan. The third world country is trying to persuade him to build up industries in their nation so they throw him a birthday party, inviting all the elite, and hiring a famous opera singer for the night. Just as she is kissing her accompanist after the grand finale, a band of terrorists turns off the lights and breaks in through the air conditioning vents. Now, everyone who has seen the Mythbusters episode on silently infiltrating a building through the vents knows that it is impossible to do without making noise, either with suction cups or magnets, but they manage. Patchett’s novel, however is full of these dramatic movie scenarios, where beautiful terrorist girls fall in love with young Japanese translators, and third world presidents watch soap operas instead of going to important state meetings. The world which she makes up is oddly inviting: full of love affairs and friendships and all the fuzzy things in life. Over the months that the terrorists have the high class business people hostage, they form strange bonds. By the end they are playing soccer together and it seems like a perfect world. Little terrorist boys whose parents had been killed in some political struggle find a father figure in vice presidents, Russians play cards with French, opera singers sleep with businessmen. To compare Bel Canto to the Gossip Girl series would be a serious misdeed. The language is far superior and the relationships are much more serious. But it can be said that the novel is a just sophisticated version of Blair and Serena’s escapades. The novel might be rather unrealistic and flowery, but one has to read all the way through to the end to understand Patchett’s message. The ending is heartbreaking and makes the book real somehow, a true testament to cynicism. The end meaning the end - not the epilogue. The epilogue is useless and ruins the book. The relationships that are formed are shattered and twisted and return the reader to the fantastic world of hearts and rainbows and bunnies of earlier on that had been made believable by the ending. The book itself is recommended reading for the pool, during the lazy, leisurely months of summer when the reader will be able to identify with the characters trapped in a mansion, being sent food and necessities from the Red Cross, without a worry in the world.

Rent

Musical transcends age groups by Jake Newton Taking place in the slums of New York in 1989 Rent by Jonathon Larson puts you in the shoes of characters that are living the life to the fullest while dealing with AIDS and homelessness. The message of “no day but today” is strongly conveyed: telling the audience to live like there is no tomorrow making the story line vary applicable. The characters in Rent are all unique. One named Mark, the narrator and one of the main characters, is an aspiring director who is making a documentary of the streets of New York. Another one named Roger is infected with the AIDS virus and also wants to write music. All of these interesting characters lead to an intricate web having all the main characters in it. For example Roger who’s best friend and roommate is Marks ex-girlfriend is now dating a lawyer, Joanne. Music is fantastic in Rent and the songs ranges from dark songs that tell a story (One Song Glory) and songs upbeat recapping the centaury (La Vie Boheme). No matter what the song you can feel a great amount of emotion radiating from the stage. The stage design is very unique. Set up is two semi-large tables, a couple of pay phones, and a couple upper level balconies. Also there is a large junkyard sculpture on side of the stage while the band plays on the opposite side underneath a balcony. Rent is far from a sad story, among the dark problems there are frequent humorous times and the emotions balance throughout. The endings of scenes tell how much people really enjoy Rent. Rent is a musical that has a strong sense of diversity and creativity. It is a winner of two Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and six Drama Desk Awards. Rent has been declared a smashing hit by many critics and is touring all over the world. At the close of many scenes, the uproar of applause and cheers from the audience proves their satisfaction and enjoyment.

Entertainment

photo curtosy of blackchristmas.com

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

BLACK CHRISTMAS: Brilliant slasher flick, or just plain sick? by Matt Scheer

photo curtosy of google.com

BILLY, THE MURDERER OF THE story, stands dramatically in front of a sorority house, the setting of the movie. Being a remake, the flick came out to mixed reviews. Some are in favor, but many not.

New season of 24 promises to deliver goods Plenty of action in sixth season by Ben Estes

What’s it about?

This 1974 remake is not for people with uneasy stomachs. The story is about a group of sorority girls who find themselves being terrorized by a murderous psycho and anonymous killer who plans to murder them all off before winter break.

Who’s in it?

This movie has actors from a wide variety of well known films. Michelle Trachtenberg (Eurotrip, Inspector Gadget), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Final Destination 3), Oliver Hudson (Going Greek, New Best Friend), Kristen Cloke (Final Destination), Andrea Martin (Black Christmas (1974), My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Producers), and Katie Cassidy.

Director?

Black Christmas is directed and written by Glen Morgan, a very accomplished director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and produced movies such as The One, Final Destination, and Final Destination 3, and is the director of the 2003 title Willard. Black Christmas marks his first film where he was the writer, producer, and director.

Critic Reviews

The reviews are in, and they are not good. Out of 7 sources that gave a “star rating” on movies.com, on average the movie earned 1 out of 3 stars. Most of the critics believe the fact that the movie was a re-release is to blame for low ratings. In 1974 when the original Black Christmas came out, expectations of a “scary” movie were much lower. This time around, people had higher expectations and they were obviously not met, according to statistics. “…a drab, unimaginative remake…” – The Washington Post “Lazy, perfunctory, and free of tension…” – Globe and Mail “…silly, obvious, clumsy…” The Boston Globe “…destined to be forgotten the minute it’s unwrapped…” – The Los Angeles Times

SHS Reviews

Students here at Sycamore High School have different things to say about the movie. “It is the sweetest Christmas movie I have ever seen!” says Dan Hogg, 11. Why are these ratings so different than the critics? The oldest students at SHS right now were born in 1989 or 1988 at the earliest. Being born 15+ years after the release of the original Black Christmas, these students did not have any expectations at all going into the movie, making it a better experience for them. But for the experienced horror movie watchers of our generation, the reviews were similar to the critics. “It’s a dumb time to be making a horror movie. People want to watch the Little Drummer Boy or Rudolph, not 4 coeds getting murdered,” says Joe Lautzenhiser, 10.

hen bad things happen to good people, it’s probably fate. When bad things happen to good people, it’s probably Jack Bauer. “Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.” “Jack Bauer knows exactly where Carmen San

Diego is.” These are just a few of the jokes associated with the main character of the Fox television show 24. The program began its sixth season on Sunday, January 14th, with a two-hour double episode, followed by another double show on Monday, the series’ normal airing day. For those unfamiliar with the idea of 24, it follows the troublesome events of only one day, one hour at a time, with Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) being the protagonist who defeats the bad guys and saves the day. Like its predecessors, Season Six will contain a boatload of fast-paced vivacity, complete with chases, shootouts, stealth operations, and gunfights. “24 is the best show on television, by far. It is incredible,” said Brad Estes, 12. Last season, the plot followed a terrorist group who possessed a very deadly nerve gas and attempted to release it in Los Angeles. Later, President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) became implicated. It also became known that a shadowy group of men, led by the man known only as Graham (Paul McCrane), was controlling the President’s actions. Both Itzin’s and McCrane’s characters are expected to return.

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A series of suicide bombings and a nuclear explosion detonated on American soil is the early main storyline. Also, rumors indicate that Bauer’s family will get involved in the day’s events. Wayne Palmer (D.B. Woodside) is the new president; the characters’ brother, David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) previously held the post in the show. A characteristic of 24 has been the unstoppable nature of the “good guys”; hence, the aforementioned jokes. Last season, the writers tried to end this criticism by killing off mainstays Edgar Stiles and Michelle Dessler (Louis Lombardi and Reiko Aylesworth). “That’s why I can’t into the show. It’s too unrealistic and easy for the good guys,” said Andy Crusham, 10. It’s unclear whether that pattern will remain in season six. Other fans were disappointed with the amount of show material that leaked early, ruining at least the premiere. “I was watching Entertainment Tonight and they talked about the entire first part of the new season, and it spoiled it for me. I was so freaking angry!” said Sam Newland, 10. 24 has grown to become one of the most popularshows on television. The program won the Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series. In addition, it was the 25th most watched show in all of television, after steadily rising each year. “I love the show, and look forward to it every week. I’m pumped for this season, especially,” said Schafer Allison, 10. Based on previous installments, fans will not be disappointed in this thriller.

Forever in Blue brings closure to series Book final installment in Traveling Pants novels

by Alexa Fogler Forever in Blue promised “one last glorious summer” for four girls. It promised a stunning finish for its fans. It promised a lot in the weeks prior to its release, and for the most part, it delivered. This story by Ann Brashares is the fourth book in the series known as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. These stories introduce readers to four best friends, Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby who share a magical pair of pants which unites them all during the summers that they must spend apart. The first installment begins with the girls during the summer before their junior year of high school, but the last novel, released on January 9, tells of the group right after their first year in college. This series in the past has brought joy to its followers in its innocence and ability to relate to the real issues that teenage girls face.

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JACK IS BACK. AGENT JACK Bauer and the rest of the cast of Fox’s hit show 24 return for the shows 6th season. Despite Fox receiving backlash from this season’s terrifyingly realistic detonation of a nuclear bomb in L.A., this season’s 24 is a hit. And if previous seasons are any indicawtion, than the coming installments of the show are sure to be a thriller

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Main themes of the novels have been crushes, divorced parents, new siblings, deaths, etc. However, in the last year of the pants, more adult subjects are discussed—Tibby encounters a pregnancy scare and Bridget gets involved with a married man. Though the quality of the writing remains impeccable and able to evoke sentiment, the story line and a “perfect ending” are the main focuses of the fourth book. Lena had a long time love for a Greek boy, Kostos, which is finally wrapped up in this last novel. Bridget seems to have grown as a person through her actions towards her family. Carmen takes her first step in friendship beyond the sisterhood, and Tibby breaks her tough girl pretense for true love. Fans of the sisterhood will enjoy this book and the closure that it brings to a great progression. Though it does not bring the same sort of innocent magic as the first few novels, readers are left satisfied that though the series has stopped, the girls will remain friends and the pants will live on.

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Entertainment

Shredding strings, playing Queen

OUT OF THE BLACK AND white tuxes, digging into their blue and maroon instruments, SEE 1 pumps up the audience at the 2006 concert. With over ten songs prepared, SEE 1 will first play a few tunes before Wood enters. For anyone that misses this year’s concert, there will also be a lunch show in May.

Rock orchestra collaborates with Trans-Siberian Orchestra star for February 16 concert

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Also, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which Mark Wood plays in, can currently be heard on the local “Wizards of Winter” Christmas lights video circulating the internet.

Electric instruments Wenjun Zhang, 11, Viper violin, Mei Hsieh, 12, Viper violin, Max Frecka, 12, Zeta violin, Molly McCarthy, 12, 5-string Viper viola, Sarah Hansen, 12, Viper cello, Jordan Chen, 9, Viper cello

Acoustic instruments David Chen, 10, violin, Melodie Jeng, 11, violin, Jessa Ramsey, 11, violin, Stephen Lo, 10, violin, Mitch Garner 10, viola, Ian Wilson, 9, cello

image by melodie jeng

Who is in SEE 1?

photo courtesy of markwoodviolins.com

s e l

The 2005 show failed to sell-out but the long ticket line represented the adrenaline of the concert. A sold out concert is the absolute goal of this year. The concert has been on a promoting high, with media coverage, sponsorships, flyer-postings, and word of mouth. At $6, tickets are a bargain for the quality of the concert. “Mark Wood was absolutely mind blowing when we had the honor of him playing with us in the SEE 1 concert two years ago. I’m sure that this year’s concert will be just as memorable,” said Sailee Teredesai, ’06, violinist. The show has been choreographed to be loud and exciting, with magnificent lighting. The audience will experience the versatility of electric instruments. Also, Wood and several SEE 1 members will be shredding strings and soloing. There are 21 days until the concert. There are 21 days for everyone to purchase their ticket. Ticket forms can be found at the front office or through Smarelli. They will also be sold at lunch. Reserved seats are $6. 7 p.m., February 16, in the auditorium, the first note will be played, strung, plucked, hit. Sycamore Electronic Ensemble and Mark Wood are ready to rock. This is a unique experience that the school has to offer and it should not be missed.

For those unsure about the genre of the concert, here are some of the artists that will be performed:

der

Wood has achieved fame many ways. Originally a violist, Wood studied on a full scholarship at Juilliard. However, he gave up his scholarship to pursue his rock interests, which lead him to where he is today; First, Wood is the “string master” of the multiplatinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) which tours each winter and has been featured on national television. Secondly, Wood has founded a production company and designs innovative electric instruments. He has also won an Emmy for his compositions played during the Tour de France. Wood will be here for his ongoing “Electrify your Strings!” program which promotes an alternative and enthusiastic approach to music education. He will be holding clinics with the orchestras, rehearsing extensively with SEE 1, and performing the concert.

Selling out the show

Galileo, Galileo . . . What songs will be played?

Origin of a star

The first Mark Wood concert featured the exciting tune, “Hoedown,” by Copland and other pieces such as “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix and Wood’s “Strike the Match.” In 2006, the guest soloist was Alex DePue, a nationally renowned fiddler. Some of the songs played were Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and “Roundabout” by Yes. DePue also fiddled during a set with guidance counselor Mr. Vince Rahnfeld on guitar. This year, the show plans to be even greater. Jeff Plate, drummer of TSO, will be joining Wood. Also, SEE 1 has been working hard to memorize the entire set in order to provide the most visually entertaining show possible. Several favorites, such as “Hoedown,” will be played again. Also, many well-known tunes will debut such as Wood’s classical inspired “Bach to Rock,” “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and a medley featuring Queen and Led Zeppelin songs. “Memorizing so much music is hard work, but it will make the concert that much better,” said Sarah Hansen, 12, cellist.

WOOD SHOWS OFF HIS 7-STRING Viper violin. The school owns three Viper violins, two Viper cellos, and a Zeta violin. They can be amplified and produce special effects.

Past and present

e is back. Mark Wood, that is. In March 2005, the Electric Ensemble (SEE 1) performed their first annual concert featuring Wood as guest violinist. This year, he will be returning on Friday, February 16. Mr. David Smarelli, orchestra director, is responsible for founding SEE 1, Cincinnati’s first high school “rock orchestra,” after attending a workshop of Wood and a similar orchestra in Cleveland. “It was an electrifying experience,” said Smarelli. SEE 1 is a unique music group which features amplified string instruments that are both traditional wood, with a pickup attached, or made electric and peculiarly shaped. They are backed by a rhythm section. The group has been practicing several hours once a week. Music is arranged by both Wood and Smarelli. Students read the music, but must also be able to master the syncopations and intonations less common in classical music. “SEE 1 is fun and a different musical outlet for high schools. It’s a really good chance to get to play music in a fun atmosphere,” said Evan Shafer, 9, bassist. Rehearsals require concentration and group communication; the hours will increase the week of the concert.

by Melodie Jeng

photo by jeremy mcdaniel

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Rhythm section Charles Mueller, 11, guitar, Evan Shafer, 9, bass, Adam Merz, 11, bass, Rashmi Borah, 9, keyboard, Harrison Steinbuch, 11, drums

Entertainment

Best music of 2006 Five must-buy records of year FRIDAY January 26 2007

by Max Frecka

For those who do not listen to what many people call “indie rock,” this would probably be an interesting place to start. It is evident that many people may not have heard of the bands on this list, but that is the point. Hopefully those who are reading this article will take the time to go home and preview to some of the bands listed, or even go out and purchase the CD. Although we all have been found guilty of illegally downloading music at one time or another, it is still important to recognize the fact that music is an artform. What this means

is that downloading a CD online is really no different then stealing a painting from an artist. Musicians like Grizzly Bear, who are less well known, need the money earned from their CD sales to support their everyday lives, and when people choose to download all of their music, they get nothing. Bands like Metallica truly have it easy. The bottom line though, is that one has to hear this music. It will open the mind to different genres, and possibly even provide a new perspective on life. However one chooses to get the music is their own decision (or risk!), but just be sure to listen.

TV on the Radio: - Return to Cookie Mountain

Return to Cookie Mountain by TV On the Radio is the definitive vision of what modern music is progressing towards. If one was to purchase any CD this year, this would be the top choice. The band’s sound could be described as a blend of hip hop, techno, soul, and pure blues rock and roll. TV On the Radio has brought all of these things together to create an incredibly innovative record for the ages; one that will be remembered way down the line. This is not something to miss out on, and it is highly recommended. If at first the music seems disorienting or strange, just give it time to sink into the mind. Songs like “I Was a Lover” and “Wolf Like Me” showcase TV On the Radio’s ability to take soulful singing and lay it on top of viscous rhythms and pained guitars.

Grizzly Bear - Yellow House

Yellow House is the definitive freak-folk album of 2006. “What is freak-folk?” you ask? Or maybe you just mumble, “Who cares.” Well, freak-folk is a genre of music which features elements of folk music and also elements of classic 60’s psychedelic bands such as Pink Floyd and The Zombies. This record gets it perfectly. To describe it one would say that it is a mix of Animal Collective and Iron and Wine. The songs, such as the intimidating and powerful “Lullaby” are all epic in size and provoke thoughts and emotions that can not be described with words. The compositions are incredibly complex at times, and the constant addition of sounds makes this truly one of the best records of 2006, and one that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Band of Horses - Everything All the Time

Band of Horses truly created a masterpiece of indie pop rock with Everything All the Time. The record starts off with the majestic “First Song,” with singer Matthew Brooke flexing his pipes over floating guitar lines. This is the music of all seasons: the joy of summer, the innocence of spring, the colors of autumn, and the bittersweet emotions of winter. The music has been compared with the seminal British group Pink Floyd, as well as with the more recent groups My Morning Jacket and The Shins. Many believe that years from now this record will be looked at with just as much or more enthusiasm than it has already. The music shows it’s influences, but at the same time makes its own style. With the emotionally charged lyrics and catchy riffs, Everything All the Time makes for an amazing listen.

Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Mastodon is the polar opposite of the above three bands. They are the loudest, most relentless, and most precise metal band to hit the stage for many years. Their newest album, Blood Mountain, will make even the most diehard Slayer fans get down on their knees. This album is not only faithful to metal roots, but it also incorporates much, much more. Mastodon features incredibly intense and complex rhythms and guitar work. The same goes for the drumming. To be honest, some of the music is downright mind blowing. You have to hear it to even begin to understand what it is about.

Hot Chip - The Warning

Hot Chip is an electro band. They are the best electro band around these days, and they are also the only electro band around these days. Their debut Coming On Strong featured soulful but cheeky lyrics and interesting electronic textures and beats. This sophomore album, The Warning, expands on those elements to create a sonic masterpiece. Not only has Hot Chip perfected their dancing element with “Over and Over,” but they have matured into a completely innovative and lyrically mature band. With songs such as “Boys From School” and “Colours” they explore interesting emotional realms and at the same time provide throbbing bass lines and landscapes of sound. It is highly recommended that everybody check this record out.

all photos by google image

his past year, was a very interesting and exciting one for the music industry. The websites of MySpace and YouTube have revolutionalized the way we discover the music we listen to. Bands upload their songs to MySpace pages for everyone to hear, and instead of watching the latest Gnarles Barkley video on MTV, one can search it on YouTube at any time of the day. Even better, bands like TV on the Radio finally began to receive the attention they deserved from the beginning, due to blogs and circulations of music through internet forums.

TV ON THE RADIO HAS revolutionized music with Cookie Mountain. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe (second from the right) sings from the bottom of the soul, and guitarist and producer Andrew Sitek (center) adds an entirely different layer of sound and thought to the album.

““ ““ “

What were some of your favorites? Futuresex / Lovesounds was my favorite. JT rocks my world... -Lily Ricci, 10

Blood Mountain by Mastodon rains down fiery pain upon all who dare to mess with it. It’s a sonic apocolypse.

T.I. - KING!

-Mike Calgaris, 11

-Rudi Tanov, 12

The Game Theory by the Roots, it’s just different. It’s rap but these guys really have some major skill. -Indi Ekanayake, 12

I would like to slam my fist on the table for my main man Matisyahu. -Sam Newland, 10

My personal favorite was At War With the Mystics by The Flaming Lips. -Nate Dicken, 11

Entertainment

FRIDAY January 26, 2006

CROWD SURFING DOES NOT JUST happen to celebrities. When the mosh pit gets too wild, or the music too loud, just get a lift out on the hands of strangers, and be saved by security. Fun and excitement included.

all images by matt scheer

Attending rock concerts, getting out alive

by Matt Scheer

he art of being prepared for a concert or knowing just how to fit in with the crowd has become almost as demanding a task as the performing on stage. No matter what genre of music is being played, there are always necessary precautions that must be taken. One needs to know how to stay hydrated and more importantly, how to stand ground against an adrenalinepumped, blood-thirsty crowd.

Heavy metal, hardcore

The most danger lies in these two genres of music. Heavy metal and hardcore music concerts tend to be louder and the music is faster paced. The emphasis on guitar and loud vocals gets the crowd adrenaline going. Consequently, the crowd tends to be more physically involved in the show and most of the time, they are pretty big guys. As the saying goes “If you can’t beat em, join em” and with these instructions, one can do just that.

Crowd surfing

Crowd surfing has two roles. One role of it is to get someone out of the mosh pit. Mosh pits tend to break out spontaneously in the crowd and if one is not up for it, they should look for a big guy or two near them, ask them to give them a boost, and most likely they will send the surfer up into the hands of the surrounding crowd. “If things are looking a little too crazy for your liking, just crowd surf to the front. You get close to the band and you avoid getting hurt,” said Jen Baum, 11. At most venues, the security is set up at a gated off area in-between the front of the stage and the front of the crowd. Crowd surfers are passed up towards the front (if not dropped before then) and the security will grab the surfer from the outreached hands and simply have them walk around to the back of the crowd. The other aspect of crowd surfing is the pure entertainment of being supported in the air in front of their favorite band, by the hands of people they do not even know.

Mano Cornuta

The Italian form “devil horns” from which it originated, this is when one raises either right or left hand, and extends only their index and little finger, holding the other two fingers down with their thumb. One may see this sign being thrown up to the musicians on stage by the fans, but it is not a sign of Satanism. It was believed to have the power to keep out the “evil eye” in Mediterranean countries, and is believed to have gotten its Satanic meaning from pictures of Anton LaVey (founder of the Church of Satan) with him saluting the gesture. The sign has taken on a less controversial meaning since then, and now means “rock on.” So do not be afraid to throw the Mano Cornuta at the band.

Headbanging

Headbanging, the most simple and straightforward of them all. Wrong! Headbanging is arguably the most painful and hardest to endure. The term “headbanger” comes from when Led Zeppelin was on their first US tour in 1968 when audience members were banging their heads against the stage in rhythm with the song. Along with many different styles and variations to choose from, head banging also has had its share of injuries.

Hardcore dancing

Basic sur vival guide To Mosh Pits, Circle Pits, and Walls

Moshing, or Slamdancing, is another way to say “beat up everyone around you and not get in trouble for it.” A mosh pit usually opens up during the breakdown of a song. As if a particular section of the crowd has communicated with each other telepathically, a section opens up and people jump into it throwing fists, their entire bodies, or even other people’s entire bodies. “Be more aggressive than the guy that’s trying to kick you in the face,” said Zach Sebastian, 11. Although the point of moshing is to knock people down, it is in the unwritten “mosh ethics” to pick that person up. Walls of Death are particularly favored by the metal bands and a member of the band will usually organize this. In a wall, one of the band members will tell the crowd to split to two sides, leaving about a 10 foot wide gap between the two large crowds. Signaling either with a hand motion or a verbal command, the band member tells the two sides to sprint at each other. It looks as if the two sides are at war (thus its nickname “The Braveheart”) and the entire crowd eventually turns into one big slugfest. One has to be tough to enter an obstacle like these described. Ozzfest 2006 was a great place for people looking to rectify their skills.

“““

Hardcore dancing, otherwise known as Ninja Pitting, Karate Dancing, or Straight Edge Ballet is a more individual task. It is called Ninja Pitting because it looks like the person participating is fighting invisible ninjas. A good time for people to show off their moves is right after a mosh pit or circle pit clears out. This gives them space to work with, and people will not close in on them right away. To be a good hardcore dancer, one need to master the arts of karate and/or Kung-Fu (or they can just be good at punching things), break dancing, and it doesn’t hurt to have some muscle, in case the crowd doesn’t like the moves and starts moshing again.

Circle Pit

I sprained my ankle the third pit I was in. I headed off to the first aid station and got it taped up and ten minutes later I was back in.

-Rima Takieddine, 11

Wall of Death

Heavy metal is about having fun. It’s the type of music where you can go crazy listening to it, banging your head and screaming. Being at a concert makes it ten times better. -Matt Davenport, 12

Mosh Pit

I would never intentionally get into a pit. It looks way to wild, but it does make a show better to see a bunch of people swinging fists at each other. -Caitlin Camfield, 10

Entertainment

all images by jack wang

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

THE WAIT IS OVER. THE long anticipated seventh generation has finally arrived. This generation’s consoles include Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s Playstation 3, and Microsoft’s XBOX 360. XBOX 360 and PS3 have evolved from its original model, but Nintendo took a new approach and busted out Wii and its TV remote like controller.

Seventh generation of video gaming arrives Marks new age for gamers everywhere

by Jack Wang his year might be the craziest, maddest, or raddest year of the 21st century. For the next gen war has began with Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3, and Microsoft XBOX 360. “The next generation war has gotten crazy. It’s obvious that the Wii is superior, yet people are still lining up for the PS3,” said Paolo Gabriel, 10.

Wii would like to play The new Wii created by Nintendo probably is the most unexpected console of the seventh generation with its uniquely styled controller. The system features wireless networking; free online service for web surfing and downloading classic games. Launched on November 19, 2006, priced at $249, it comes with Wii remote controllers and an attachable numchuck, and a Wii sports package. Also included is backward compatibility, which allows gamers to play old GameCube games. Wii is a better choice to get rather than Playstation 3 because it has more supply than PS3 right now, with 1.2 million or so available right away and around two million by the end of the year. Plus, Wii only costs $249 at launch, compared to PS3’s price of $499 at launch. The changes can be spend on a range of different games to satisfy hunger for entertainment this holiday. “I really wanted a Wii for Christmas because it’s amazing, but my parents are making me wait until my birthday,” said Cathryn Niehaus, 12. The biggest advantage the Wii has is its specially designed TV remote like controller. It’s interactive and easy to play with, making video games more realistic than ever. Gamers can swing their swords simply by a wave of their arm in one of Wii’s most popular launch, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, also the first time a Zelda game has been brought to debut during a launch of a new system.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT princess, Link is battling Darknut in the Temple of Time. It is the game all Zelda fans have been waiting for. It is now on Wii and players are able to slash their swords with a whip of their arm.

Fancy, classy, sassy - Playstation 3

Xbox 360: Doing circles around the competition

For the serious gamers out there, Playstation 3 has finally been launched on November 17, 2006 priced at $500 – 600 depending on size of the hard drive. It will become the main competitor with Wii this winter since it is launched just two days before Wii. PS3 features a wireless and tilt sensitive controller, highdefinition Blu-ray discs, multiple flash memory card readers, free access to Playstation network for online gaming and surfing. It enabled to link to any system from the Sony PS family and backwards compatible. “It would be awesome to own a PS3 because of the Blu-ray and backwards compatibility, but they are way too freaking expensive,” said Ben Swofford, 10. Well, good things do not come cheap. Although it is the most expensive system out there, it is also the mightiest gaming machine ever. The system operates with a 3.2 GHz Cell Broadband Engine and games are functional on Blu-ray Discs, a state-of-the-art technology that is capable of producing high definition graphics. The only Blu-ray movie player that is currently out on the market costs more than $900. That is one high-class deal; however, unlike the PlayStation3, it comes without a built-in gaming system. Even if the PS3’s motion sensitive, wireless controller is not as realistic as Wii’s, gamers can still experience the swanky action of Call of Duty, a flick of the wrist can knock someone out in the first-person shooter. For now, the beast has just come out of the cage, lots of its potential has not yet been displayed. The real show for PS3 begins around spring this year. So get a PS3, go “b3yond.”

360 has been ahead of the game since Nov. 2005, making it around one year old. Currently, the sales for it stand at more than 10 million universally, alongside the similar pace of the original XBOX. The system costs $299 for the Core system, the console, a controller, and video cables. An additional $100 adds the wireless controller, a headset, HD video, and Ethernet cables. It is the most convenient system, compatible with home personal computer and able to play most videos, pictures, or music files. The new system comes with free XBOX Live service. It is also backward compatible with over 300 XBOX games. “The only problem with the next gen’s live (online) are the eight year old kids who scream like little girls the whole time, I still can’t hear well,” said Reid McLean, 11. As for the 360, it now has over 160 games on shelf, including the new edition of once Sony exclusive, Grand Theft Auto, and GameSpot’s game of the year, Gears of War by Epic Games. The demand for XBOX has been stronger than ever since one of the most anticipated games, Halo III, is coming out this year. However, the release date has not yet been announced. Many of the PS3 games have been presented on 360, such as Activision’s Call of Duty 3 and Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed Carbon. It is also known that Unreal Tournament 2007, which is only suppose to be launched for PCs and PS3s, will be out on 360 in 2007. Having been on the market for over a year now, 360 has a steady flow of supplies, unlike PS3 and Wii. If one cannot wait to experience the new generation, then grab a 360. As for the graphics of these games, this console is not too shabby, either. With great games and amazing graphics, and the likelihood that the price will drop, the 360 is a valid candidate to compete in this generation war.

RESISTENCE: FALL OF MAN, IS one of the best shooters on PS3 right now. With an intriguing storyline and unique gameplay, it is a worthwhile buy. The game is said to be locked at 30 frames per seconds, meaning no lag whatsoever, online or offline.

GEARS OF WAR: ONE OF the most successful games of XBOX 360 that is out right now. GameSpot’s Game of the Year is the most popular and fastest selling game on XBOX Live service; any 360 owner must have this game.

Entertainment

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Melting faces with

Guitar Hero II by Quinlan Porter

Anatomy of a Guitar Hero’s controller:

ust when the entertainment world thought it had had enough with Guitar Hero I a shift occurred in the very core of this earth thrusting forth Guitar Hero II. From Harmonix Music Systems© and RedOctane© comes the sequel to the first guitar simulator ever to hit the gaming world. From “Rage Against the Machine” to a track from the Rock n’ Roll parody “Spinal Tap”, Guitar Hero II gives players of all musical genres something to look forward to while moving through the sixty-four song set list. As in its previous version, songs continue to be categorized into the following: Opening Licks, Amp-Warmers, String-Snappers, Thrash and Burn, Return of the Shred, Relentless Riffs, Furious Fretwork and Face-Melters. All sporting solid track lists that keep the player fighting for the crowd’s approval while testing their own stamina for rocking out. Many critics question Guitar Hero II’s play in relation to actually playing the guitar. While real guitars do not contain “strum bars” or “fret buttons” Guitar Hero controllers give players the look and feel of a real guitar. “It might not be anything like actually playing a guitar, but it’s really fun to rock out with some of your favorite songs.” Matthew Adams, 12. Whether or not you are into video games Guitar Hero II seems to have an addicting effect in all who get caught in its tornado of awesome. “I always thought Guitar Hero was pointless until I played it for the first time. I’m hooked!” exclaimed Erika Gilliam, 12. After sitting down and clumsily getting through my first few songs on Guitar Hero II I found myself saying things like “just one more” and “I wonder if I can get through this song on the next level”. Soon, hours of gameplay amounted to days, weeks and then into months that have resulted with me improving myself as reigning Guitar Hero. In this sequel I have only challenged my play and supercharge my passion for rocking out. Starting out playing Guitar Hero II rather then Guitar Hero I gives the player a mild advantage in the sense you can isolate trouble spots in the song. Though, true Guitar Heros accept a challenge no matter how slammin’ the

Image

by Quin lan Po

r ter

Image by Quinlan Porter

GUITAR HERO II STAR AXEL STEEL burns up the fret board with his driving riffs and killer chords. Players get to choose from 8 characters to best represent their own rock persona. There are several familiar characters reappearing from the original with new outfits, guitars and other personaliza-

1 Strum bar: Horizontal

white button located at the base of the controller

2 Fret buttons: Green, red,

yellow, blue and orange buttons along the neck of the guitar that mimic notes when pressed accompanied with strum bar

“ “

3 Whammy Bar: Replicated after an actual guitar, this piece allows the player to change the pitch of notes

I was so excited when Guitar Hero II came out that it was hard to concentrate that day! - Will Kiley, 10

It might not be anything like actually playing a guitar, but it’s really fun to rock out with some of your favorite songs... -Matthew Adams, 12

The best of Guitar Hero II w

The game’s musical producers employed cover bands to re-record some of the best songs of the rock genre. Here are samples of some songs that include rock movements from grunge to heavy metal.

“Monkey Wrench” as made famous by: Foo Fighters

“Heart-Shaped Box” as made famous by: Nirvana

“Carry On Wayward Son” as made famous by: Kansas “Message in a Bottle” as made famous by: The Police

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” as made famous by: Guns N’ Roses

“You Really Got Me” as made famous by: Van Halen

“Shout at the Devil” as made famous by: Mötley Crüe

“Last Child” as made famous by: Aerosmith

Automotive FRIDAY January 26, 2007

American epidemic

Insurance crashing family budgets by Nick Wylie

all photos courtesy of nick wylie

Image by Nick Wylie

nsurance has been a part of the human civilization since the beginning of time. Today it’s no exception, with laws requiring every driver to be covered. Throughout the history of the world the prices of services have increased dramatically, and auto insurance is no different. Overall in the past 6 years the rates have risen 87 percent for the employer-sponsored policies says the Insurance Information Institute “III”. According to the nationally accredited “III” auto rates are on a slight down cline from the 2006 fiscal year rates. The down cline is very small on an average of $4, not much but still a decrease. Future reports show that the 2007 year will provide a small buffer for “Competitive marketplaces, safer cars, aggressive fraud-fighting and innovative underwriting are joining forces in 2007 to drive down the price of an essential financial product,” said Robert Hartwig executive vice president of the III. “This is great news for drivers who were battered this year by higher fuel prices and rising auto repair costs.” According to the III suburban areas pay more for insurance because the population is greater which translates into more people more car traffic more wrecks. Another main reason for higher prices is dependent on the crime rate and vehicle theft rate in the surrounding area. Whether you’re covered by Progressive, State Farm or Allstate auto insurance has become a burden for the middle class and especially families with younger drivers. Insurance premiums for Americans have been averaged out to be around $900 per driver. While some students have the luxury of leisure most have to work for what they want. Purchasing a car and affording the payment of insurance can be somewhat stressful if your parents don’t help out. With the rising rates over the years students are almost forced to maintain an income to make up for the rising rates. As futures of 2007 showed decline the prospects of 2008 and beyond are almost uncertain. It is guaranteed that the rates will rise once again over the next 10 years but the rate at which they will rise is vague.

THIS ABOVE PICTURE OF A wrecked car resembles the agony of individuals who deal with over priced auto insurance. Many people feel this way with the increased premiums.

Heap of the month

Thank you to the following people for contributing to The Leaf (continued on page 47).

Picture courtesy of Nick Wylie

Shop around Before You Buy a Car Compare Ask for Higher Deductibles Reduce Coverage on Older Cars Maintain a Good Credit Record Take Advantage of Discounts Ask about Group Insurance

friends of the leaf

Rain, snow, mud, cars are just all obstacles senior Luke Tawney has mastered. His 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 is truly a beast with its monster V-8 and jacked up tires. His truck is the ultimate outdoorsmen truck with its extended bed, hitch, and avalible canoe rack attachment. Tawney on his wrecked front end.”It happened when I hit a car awhile ago and I dont care enough to get it fixed.”

Anyone interested in nominating a car for Heap of the Month should contact Nick Wylie in Rm. 115

The Cagle Family The Chronis Family The Cleary Family The Cohen Family The Dannenberg Family The Davenport Family The Estes Family The Fingerman Family The Friedman Family The Geller Family The Hall Family The Hsiung Family J.C. CLEANING SERVICE Professional Business Cleaning Licensed, Insured and Dependable Mestewet Collins Manager

230 Northland Blvd. Suite 315 Cincinnati, OH 45246 Cell (513) 403-4924 Cell 403-9743

Let us do your dirty work

Calendar

2007

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

FEBRUARY by Zach Katchman & Jack Liu

Sunday

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

GROUNDHOG DAY

8 OMEA Conferences (8th - 11th)

6:30 pm Winter Sports Awards

OMEA Conferences (8th - 11th)

Listen to the Voices presented by BSU debuts

Presidentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day

26 7 pm - Global Language Honor Society induction

Sycamore @ 3rd Interims for Hamilton Quarter Girls JV-6PM Girls V-7:30PM

NO SCHOOL

16 7:30 pm - New Auditorium SEE1 and Mark Wood Concert

Valentines day

OMEA Conferences (8th - 11th)

A+

28 EARLY RELEASE 7 - 8:30 pm Academic Fair

Athletics due UP

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

sports

NADIA’S^NEWS Buckeyes season comes to upsetting end

Poor play devastates fans by Nadia Khan

Jump ahead to page 47 to check out how the swim team has been performing this season.

CONCLUDING THEIR BATTLE OF THE Bands in-between performance are the junior and senior Flyerettes. The team elected not to enter competition this year, and instead work on perfecting their dances for pep rallies and games. The winter pep rally will feature the Flyerettes for one of their best performances of the season.

all images by nadia khan

For so long the Buckeyes remained victorious. They faced opponent after opponent and proved their worth in every match up—except for the one that mattered the most. It was supposed to be a perfect ending to a perfect season. Too bad that is not what happened. I can honestly say that when the National Championship game, that all fans had waited so long for, was over on January 8, I was ashamed to call myself a Buckeyes fan, at least temporarily. The team’s lackluster performance spoke for itself, and I was speechless. For twelve games, the Buckeyes held their composure, overcoming talented teams like the Michigan Wolverines. But they arrived in Glendale to play the biggest game of the year, and it was like they never even knew how to play football. After wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, everything seemed to be going as planned for the Buckeyes. But that was not the case. Ginn left the game on the next offensive play, and it was as if he took the team’s hopes and dreams with him. It seemed like everything was going Florida’s way. They were scoring repeatedly, and even made a field goal, something they had been terrible at during the season. By halftime, the Buckeyes were down 34-14. Even then, there was still hope. After all, these were the Buckeyes: that perfect, unbeatable team; weren’t they? They were not. The Buckeyes scored 0 points in the second half, while allowing the Gators to score 7 more. The Buckeyes ended up losing 41-14, an excruciating 27 points. It was a shameful showing on their part. The offensive line completely deteriorated. Heisman trophy winner, Troy Smith, had almost no time to do anything with the ball, seeing as the O-line let Florida’s defensive linemen through almost every snap. It was appalling to see Smith on the sideline nearly begging his offensive line to give him something, anything. And when it was all said and done, Smith took the blame for everything, when it was never his to take. He apologized to his seniors for the sorrowful ending. His numbers looked awful, completing 4/14 for a mere 35 yards and one interception. But with no protection, and no one open downfield for him to throw the ball to, there was not much that he could have done—at least not alone. For being one of the best, if not the best, big-game coaches, Jim Tressel certainly did not seem like himself on the sidelines during the game. Electing to go for it on a fourth down and 1 from their own 29-yard line was completely uncharacteristic, and it hurt the Buckeyes even more when they did not make it, and the Gators took over after downs and came away with a field goal. After the devastating loss, each nonsenior Buckeye had a difficult decision to make: either they could stay with the team and continue their college football years, or they could choose to enter the NFL draft and forego their future seasons. Anthony Gonzalez, Smith’s third down go-to receiver, was the first to make his decision. Since he is graduating one year early this spring, he chose to enter the draft, looking for an earlier round pick. Ginn and starting running back Antonio Pittman were soon to follow in Gonzalez’s footsteps in deciding to enter the draft, only they will not be graduating. As for the national championship game, I give credit to the Gators; they are an amazing football team, but I truly believe the Buckeyes lost this game, and for that there are no excuses. Maybe they did not prepare enough, or maybe they went in too confident. Whatever it was, they simply did not perform, and as a result, they disappointed their fans who had been there all along.

Flyerettes prepare for end of season

Girls choose pep rally, games over competition by Jill Cohen

The Flyerettes season is quickly coming to an end. They decided to give up competing this year in order to have better dances for pep rallies and games. The girls are preparing to end the season with a long practiced performance for the winter pep rally.

ep rallies are organized by student leaders; the Variety Show lets students showcase their unique talents; basketball games feature star athletes; Battle of the Bands is prime time for musicians. These events all have one thing in common: the Flyerettes. “I love how many different places we get to perform,” said Hannah Brand, 10. “It really makes the season exciting.” The team kicked off the year back in August, when most of the girls attended a four-day dance camp to help prepare routines for the games. Due to the unfinished statues of the new stadium, they did not perform at football games. The first major performance was the homecoming pep rally. The girls teamed up with three boys, who added fresh hip hop moves to the routine. “Joe King was one of the guys in our pep rally dance. He’s so much fun to dance with, and I hope we get to again,” said Brand. After opening the Variety Show, the

Flyerettes had less than a week to prepare for the basketball season. Each game means both a twenty minute pregame show and a short halftime routine, which is different for almost every game. The team’s season is coming to a close, and the girls only have three games left. However, everyone is excited for the upcoming pep rally on Friday, February 2. This is one of the best performances of the year because the entire school will be there to see it. “This has been my fist year on Flyerettes, and I really loved it. I can’t wait for next season to begin,” said Jordan Edelheit, 9. To balance their hectic schedule, the team has decided to forego competition this year. The girls, as a group, voted that their time would be better spent perfecting their dances for the pep rally and games. “We have had great performances this year, and that is our first priority,” said Coach Elise Allen.

Chess team claims GMC championship

Head over to page 47 to see who the athlete of the month is. Hints: junior boy, varsity basketball, wears number 3.

Go on over to page 49 to check in with the wrestling squad and see how their season has been going thus far.

End season on high note, continue past seasons’ success by Ben Estes The chess team won all of its matches at the GMC Tournament on December 16, claiming the conference title and ending the season undefeated. It is a “threepeat” achievement for the squad, as they won the last two years. However, Lakota West shared the title last season. This year, the team had their revenge, winning the championship outright over the secondplace Firebirds. Along with the team’s success, there were many individual accolades for members. Guatam Nagendra, 10, was named player of the year in the league for the second straight season, following his personal undefeated record. “I worked really hard, and I’m glad that it ended up paying off,” said Nagendra. Chester Chen, 12 joined Nagendra

on the All-Conference First Team. Sukhada Kulkarni, 9, and Chris Yen, 12, were named to the Second Team, a repeat achievement for Yen. In addition, Dr. Keith Brackenridge was honored as the coach of the year, his second win in three years. “He definitely deserves it. He’s a great coach,” said Nagendra. Including this year, the chess team has won the championship, or at least a share of the title, in four of the past six seasons, by far more than any other school. The school has not failed to notice this success. “It’s a good source of school pride. Another thing Sycamore is the best at,” said Michael Guthrie, 10. Returning players will have a long off-season to practice and prepare before chess kicks off again next November.

Check out page 50 to read up on how the BCS National Championship game between the Gators and the Buckeyes ended up.

Athletics

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

“Everyone is hardcore” Swimming team making waves

ATHLETE of the

by Hannah Myers

MONTH

featuring

Scott Dennis, 11, point guard for the boys varisity basketball team

Q& A by Tom Stoughton

How have you improved to the level you play at now? I’ve been lifting weights.

How do you see the team finishing this season? We are just concentrating on winning the GMC right now.

What other sports or activities do you participate in? Tennis, and I play Madden with B. Sensy. I also paint landscape scenes.

all images by tom stoughton

ver the four day weekend on January 13th and 14th, both the JV and Varsity swim teams competed in the 24th Southwest Ohio High School Swimming and Diving Classic. This meet drew 2,616 swimmers and 164 divers from 110 schools. It is one of the largest swim meets in the country, and the preliminaries were held at six different venues. The prelims on Saturday and Sunday started at 8 a.m. and finals at 7 p.m. both days. Girls qualifying for finals included Alex Norris, 9, who placed in 100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly, and 400 IM, and Erica Kao, 11, who placed in 100 Backstroke as well as 100 Butterfly. Others who qualified for finals were Lauren Huber, 9, Debra Lipson, 11, Brianna Conners, 9, Laura Tufts, 11, and Regan Girten, 10. Boys who qualified for finals included Mark Bernstein, 12, who made the cut for the 500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle, 200 Butterfly, and 400 IM. Others also included Colin Hanner, 11, Jason Kao, 11, and Alphonse Harris, 12. The leadership from seniors Bernstein, Harris, Jon Su, Chelsea Keller, Paige Keefe, Kate Miller, and Catherine Zhang has led the team to a successful season thus far. “Each individual has improved, which has really helped to improve the team as a whole,” said Keller. Bernstein, who also swims for the Cincinnati Marlins, is the top male swimmer in the school. “Everyone is hardcore,” said David Codere Maruyama, 11. On Friday January 19th the varsity team and a selected few JV members headed up to Centerville. On Saturday January 20th, the St. Xavier JV Invite took place at the Keating Natatorium. The teams also headed to Lakota to compete against both Lakota East and Lakota West the following Monday. The clock is ticking as the teams are preparing for Sectionals, which will take place in February. “The season is winding down, and what we’ve been working for all season will hopefully pay off when some of us make it to state,” said Hanner.

ALLIE COLEMAN, 11, PREPARES BEFORE her event. At an event a couple weeks ago, seven girls from the swim team qualified for finals. Alex Norris, 9, qulaified in three events and Erica Kao, 11, qulaified for two.

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Athletics

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

‘It takes grace and form that few people can reach’

Divers plunge into success

Interview with Alex DiMasso, 9

by Jacy Cagle

espite suffering two losses against Wilmington and Mason, the girls and boys diving teams have successfully destroyed the majority of schools that they have competed against, including Ursuline and St. Xavier, Mount Notre Dame and Moeller, Milford, and St. Ursula. The teams have battled for a win in two different types of meets, 6-dive meets and 11-dive meets, where they compete for the highest individual score. Typically, most boy divers receive a score of around 200 points by their junior or senior year, while most girl divers strive to reach 200 points. Regardless of the competitive aspect of the sport, the team is a very tight-knit group of kids who know each other very well. With the help of their Coach, Jack Phipps, the team is taught and trained with new dives everyday. “Our coach is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. We both get along great and I trust all the advice he gives me to improve my dives,” said Matt DiMasso, 11. Both the boys and girls teams strive to set new records for the school, aiming high to beat diver Dean Panero, almnus who once received a score of 595 points in a 6-dive meet. Members of the team enjoy meeting new people at the various meets they compete in and also have confidence in knowing that diving is not as simple a sport as some perceive it to be. “It takes grace and form that few people can reach. Very few sports can say that the difference between 1st and 3rd place is pointing your toes,” said DiMasso.

Q: How many years have you been diving? A: About 7 years.

Q: When did you first start diving? A: I started when I was about 8 years old. Q: What is some advice you would give to people who have never tried diving before? A: Have patience in diving, it isn’t an easy sport, so just keep practicing and you will be fine.

Q: What equipment do you need for diving? A: Just your bathing suit and sammy (to dry off with). Q: Do you intend to keep diving when you are in college? A: Yes, I hope to earn a scholarship with diving.

Q: What kind of competitions have you participated in? Did you receive any awards? A: I have competed in numerous competitions this year, but I haven’t received any awards. However last year, 8th grade, I received the MVP award. Q: What are some words you would use to describe diving: A: Difficult, fun, and challenging.

Q: Where should students go if they want to join the diving team? A: Ask me or my older brother Matt, or our captain Brian.

Dong Ying

image by chen yin

Q: What is the reason that kept you diving for 7 years? A: I love the sport. It is very competitive and it is fun to learn new dives.

image by alphonse harris

WITH INTENSE CONCENTRATION, BRIAN RUFF, 12, prepares to dive in the pool. Ruff is the team captain and has been diving for many years. In order to prevent sore bodies and poor scores, divers must: get a lot of height off the board, point their toes, hold their position tight and make very little splash.

by Chen Yin

Q: How did you do last diving season? A: 8th grade year, I was undefeated, and I won 1st place in middle school championships.

Q: What are your plans for diving in the future? A: I hopefully plan to keep diving throughout high school and college.

Q: What are some reasons why others should try diving? A: It is a really fun sport, and you get to meet great people from all over the Ohio region. It is really social.

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Athletics

FRIDAY January 26, 2006

MVP, State-placing wrestler’s end of season not hopeful Senior Caleb Lipsey debates rest of his season while others prepare for theirs by Molly Essell

ith their regular season nearly completed, the varsity wrestling team hosted its annual Sycamore Invitational on the 12th and 13th of this month. Fourteen schools competed in the Invitational and the varsity team finished in a strong fourth place. Multiple wrestlers succeeded in placing top six. Sophomore Travis Donnovan placed third, fellow sophomore Daniel Garfield placed fourth, Tony McClure, 11, placed fourth also, junior Donny Herrington placed second, and Lipsey placed first. Lipsey, who placed fourth in state last year, suffers from an injury this season to his shoulder. He has a separated labrum that requires surgery to repair. Because of this, Lipsey’s wrestling career is indefinitely in jeopardy. “As of right now it’s all up in the air, I really would want to try to keep going, but I doubt I’ll make it to the end of the season with my shoulder like this,” said Lipsey. Lipsey’s last wrestling match for now was the finals of the Sycamore Invitational, which he won and also acquired Most Valuable Player of the Invitational. Lipsey plans to play football next year at either University of Cincinnati, Tennessee Martin, or Murray State. This fall, Lipsey helped lead the Aves to a 10-2 record and also was named first team all GMC, All Distrcit, All State Honorable Mention, and was recently named Old Spice Defensive Player of the Year. “We all hope he can keep wrestling, but at the same time, it’s up to him and what he wants to do about next year for college,” said Joey Fixler, 12. As Lipsey debates to wrestle or terminate his season and get surgery to play football next year, the rest of the team is preparing for their last regular season match up against Western Hills on the 27th of January. Next, the GMC tournament is held at Oak Hills on February 10, followed by Sectionals, held the next weekend. The team has many hopeful wrestlers to advance from Sectionals to Districts, and from there to the State tournament which is held March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at Ohio State University. “Our team is still young, but everyone works really hard and hopefully it will be able to pay off,” said Lipsey.

CALEB LIPSEY, 12, CELEBRATES AFTER winning a wrestling match. Lipsey, who was named MVP of the Sycamore Invitational, suffered a potentially season-ending injury to the shoulder. He now faces a decision: whether to continue wrestling with the injury, or to end his season to get surgery.

JV girls basketball shoots to a winning record Girls end season with big victories

reshman girls push towards end of season

our games left to prove themselves

by Kate Moore

The freshman ladies started off struggling over the break, enduring a disappointing loss to Princeton, only to pick it up at the end with a victory over Hamilton. The ladies later enjoyed another win against Anderson on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The team has a GMC record of 8-2 and an overall record of 6-2. Although the match versus Princeton appeared to be in the Lady Aves’ favor at the beginning, the girls were unable to match their opponents athletically. Key players included Kaley Bridgewater, Emily Elsbrock, and Kaitlin Burt, all 9. The ladies came back from break refreshed and pulled off two additional wins over Milford and Fairfield. “I think we played really well at the Milford game. We kept our composure but continued to dominate towards the end of the game,” said Bridgewater. “It took some time for the two teams to shake off the holiday break sluggishness,” said Coach Stefany Reedy. Elsbrock went four/four from the line and strong defense was provided by Kelsey Pauly and Taylor Young. The final score was 25-20. The face off between the Lady Aves and the Fairfield Lady Indians was a close one, with the teams tied at half time. By the end of the fourth quarter, the outcome looked grim for the Aviators. Bridgewater brought her team back into the competition with a much-needed three pointer during the final quarter. “She is on a scoring terror,” said Reedy. An ill-prepared Anderson team found themselves left at the mercy of the freshman team on their day off from school. Laura McLean, Erin McLean, Durbrow, and Korte led defensively while Elsbrock and Bridgewater led offensively, with seven points each. “The total team effort impressed everyone in the gym, including Anderson parents who complimented the play of the Lady Aves after the game,” said Reedy. “Our team has such an awesome bond and nobody can touch that,” said Bridgewater.

SOPHOMORE ALY RIEDEL LINES UP to shoot a free throw during JV’s game against Middletown. Riedel along with the rest of the team trampled the Middies. The final score was 57-25.

The junior varsity ladies came out triumphant after a packed holiday schedule, and carried on during the next few weeks with victories over Fairfield and Anderson. The team started off with a big win over Hamilton in a league match. The final score came to 40-27, with the girls outscoring their opponents in the second half 19-10. Aly Riedel and Abby Cooper, both 10 carried the team with 10 points each. “Defense was the key in the second half,” said Mr. Victor Harris, JV coach. They followed up with a 39-31 victory over St. Ursula. Cooper, Huller, and Isaacs returned with their A-game and contributed to the win. Molly Richards, Cierra Davis, and Brittany Lintz, all 10, were strong players as well. This triumphant start was followed by two victories at the Mason Holiday Tournament. They finished off their fourth match by bestowing a crushing defeat to their rival, Milford. When school resumed, so did the ladies’ winning streak. The team dominated the court against the Fairfield Indians, crushing the opposition with a final score of 30-12. Cooper had eight points while Dorian Patterson, 9, contributed six points and was a key defensive player. Davis, Lintz, and Maggie Hobbs, 11 also contributed to the team’s success. The game against Anderson, though a non-league match, was an exciting one against a strong team. Thanks to some tough defensive play and the scoring power behind Cooper, Amy Issacs, 9, and Alex Huller, 10 the ladies came out on top with a 38-30 win. The JV ladies post a GMC record of 7-1 and an overall of 10-3.

Athletics

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Florida Gators thumps Ohio State Buckeyes

Gators win second national title in ten years by Jared Kamrass

all images by nadia khan

AS TROY SMITH GETS SACKED by Derrick Harvey the distress is visible in his eyes. It was just that kind of night for the Buckeyes. They ended up losing 41-14 in a game where they were the huge favorites.

BCS championship-game stats

Offensive leaders from game PassingChris Leak: 25/36 for 213 yards Troy Smith: 4/14 for 35 yards

RushingDeShawn Wynn: 19 rushes for 70 yards Antonio Pittman: 10 rushes for 62 yards

ReceivingPercy Harvin: 9 receptions for 60 yards Brian Hartline: 1 reception for 13 yards

““ I don’t think OSU was playing their best, and I got frustrated and stopped watching.

-Deena Schwen, 11

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-Nav Lekhi, 12

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hio State was familiar with the situation. In the very same city four years before, OSU came into the championship game as the enormous underdog and proceeded to carry out arguably the biggest upset in college football history by beating Miami in double overtime. This year, Ohio State found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum: sttempting to be the first team in school history to go wire to wire, having a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in Troy Smith, and having three other AllAmericans. Just like in 2002, the overwhelming favorite was stunned. This time, the game was never in doubt. Other than Ted Ginn, Jr.’s dazzling return of the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Buckeyes had a hard time mustering yards, let alone scoring points. The Gators, meanwhile, had no problem marching up and down the field on a Buckeyes defensive unit that had allowed 39 points to the then-second-ranked Michigan Wolverines. At halftime the score was pretty decisive, as both teams went to the locker-room with the Gators up 34-14. Even though the Buckeyes still held onto a glimmer of hope, little changed in the second half. The SEC champions held the Buckeyes to a scoreless second half, while Ohio State gave up only one touchdown. When the whistle blew, the Big Ten champs drudged back to Columbus with the score, 41-14, hanging over their heads. A mere few weeks later, juniors Ginn, fellow star WR Anthony Gonzalez and RB Antonio Pittman all declared for the NFL leaving gaping holes in the Ohio State offense for 2007. Freshman phenom, Chris Wells, is expected to step in for Pittman while third year players Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline are supposed to assume the starting wide receivers roles. Of course, the biggest question mark for the Buckeyes is replacing their big name quarterback: Troy Smith. There are a slew of underclassmen vying for his job, but there is little doubt that the most important position on the field will be one of weakness for Ohio State next year. The Buckeyes’ 2006 season was one of ups and downs, however as they turn the page to 2007, it is clear that there will be a rebuilding year in Columbus. Next year, Ohio State will face a situation with which they are familiar:underdogs looking to suprise the nation.

Bengals blow chances, pave way for others Blown kicks let Kansas City into playoffs by Jeremy Spiegel With the Bengals on the outside looking into the playoffs, many local fans have stopped caring about professional football. This is a mistake, as the late season drama should pave the way for an exciting postseason. The Bengals had a great chance to make the playoffs, needing only to win one of their last three games. However, the team was defeated in all three games, losing the last two on missed, or messed up, kicks. In the AFC, the late losses by Cincinnati, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars pushed the Kansas City Chiefs, a team the Bengals defeated in week one, into the playoffs. The Chiefs were a surprising playoff team, and they needed a lot of help just to make it into the playoffs. Once there, the Chiefs supported the argument that they were not a playoff team by losing badly to the Indianapolis Colts, 23-8. Larry Johnson, the Chief’s all-pro running back, was held to 32 yards by the much-maligned Colts defense. The other wild-card from the AFC was the New York Jets. The Jets finished in last place in their division last year, and many experts predicted them to have a similar record this season. However, led by first year head coach Eric Mangini, the Jets exceeded all expectations and finished with a 10-6 record, good enough to get them the fifth seed in the AFC, and the first playoff bid from the conference. In the playoffs, the Jets faced a familiar foe, their division rivals: the New England Patriots, the team for whom Mangini served one year as defensive coordinator. New England won the game easily, by a score of 37-16. Despite the losses of both wild card teams, both the Jets and the Chiefs should feel fortunate just to have played in the post-season, considering the large number of breaks that had to go their way. The late collapse by the Cincinnati Bengals was detrimental to the teams’ playoff hopes that were torn to shreds on late-season losses.

SHAYNE GRAHAM (17) REACTS AFTER his potential game-winning field goal attempt sailed wide right. The kick would have sent the Bengals to their second straight playoff berth. Tony Stewart (86) looks on.

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Athletics

Trying to fly back to state

Small team strives to make big impact by Alphonse Harris

The infamous “hell week” over winter break is now over, and onference championships, state champions, Allthe team has begun to focus more on speed as it heads into Americans, and Olympians, are all phrases which the most important meets of the season. have defined the legacy of the swim program. If The shift to speed has been evident as the team placed forth other schools had the season that last year’s team at the Southwest Ohio Coaches Classic, which is the largest had, most would be ecstatic, but a winning record high school swim meet in the nation with over 2,600 particiand a conference championship are not enough for a program pants. with such a great legacy. Last year’s team scored only 87 points to finish a disappointLast year’s team failed to do something that has become ing 8th, but this year, many individuals scored at finals and routine for teams of the past: make state. This year the goal is the team nearly tripled last year’s point total with 224 points. clear: go back to the state meet and reassert the school’s tradiJason Kao, 11, Bernstein, Hanner, and Harris all turned in tion of being one of the state’s public school powerhouses. good individual performances and scored in the top 16, but the “Being a part of this team, you know it’s expected that we real high points for the team were the perforwin GMC and make it to state,” said Comances of the relays. lin Hanner, 11, one of seven upperclassIn the four relays, the team finished with men who lead the small but experienced three 2nd places and one 3rd place, which is team. “And all of us have been working the best overall performance for the team in hard to get back to where we belong.” years. One of the main obstacles facing the Coming in, the relays were expected to do team this year is the lack of depth, with well, and while outsiders may have been suronly 11 swimmers listed on the varsity prised, the team was not. roster. The small numbers make each “Getting it done under pressure is something swim that much more important because we’ve been doing all year” said Kao. the swimmers cannot rely on overpowerThese performances now have all of the ing teams with 20 or 30 guys. relays ranked in the top eight in the state, and “We know we don’t have many swimput the team in good position as it heads into mers,” said Jonathon Hancher, 10. -Jason Kao, 11 the conference championship. “But we all just put it on the line for our Unlike last year, the team will be the favorteammates and step up when we need ite to win the GMC this year, and if they do, to.” they will tie the record for most consecutive This team attitude is how the team team titles. has been able to jump out to an 8-2 dual After the GMC, the qualifying meets for state begin with meet record, a place 6th of 37 at the prestigious Neb Reeb the sectional meet at Mason, with qualifiers moving on to the Invitational in Columbus, and a surprising 2nd place at the District meet to compete for the few spots at the state meet in Larry Lyons Invitational, the team’s big home meet. Canton. “It was awesome to do well at my last home meet” said Jon “We have all been swimming a lot faster than we were at Su, 12. “At such a competitive meet, every point counts, and this point last year,” said Jamie Dowdall, 11. “But we can’t everyone fought until the end.” The team edged Moeller by slack off because Ohio is one of the hardest states for swimtwo, and Mason by two and a half points. ming in the country.” “The level of senior leadership is where I’ve wanted it to be,” The team will be up against teams like St. Xavier, which has said Head Coach Dr. Daniel Carl. “They are all motivated, won multiple National titles, and individuals, which include and that trickles down to the juniors, sophomores, and freshprized college recruits, but if they keep on course they should men.” be able to once again make some noise in Caton. It also helps that all three seniors, Mark Bernstein, Su, and Alphonse Harris have been varsity members for four years. Motivation is key in a sport which demands a very high amount of mental toughness. Two-a-days and morning practices at 5:30 a.m. can test the will of any athlete. Relay 06’ best 07’ current “D.C. [Dr. Carl] is not the type of coach who will yell at you if you miss practice, but most of us don’t skip because we don’t 200 Medley 1:42.03 1:39.51 want to let down our teammates” said Ben Keefe, 9.

‘‘

Getting it done under pressure is something we’ve been doing all year.

06’ vs 07’ relay times

200 Freestyle

1:30.49

1:29.77

400 Freestyle

3:18.36

3:17.74

Post-season meet schedule

Date Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. 24

2 9 16 23-

Meet

GMC Championship Sectional Championship District Championship State Finals

Location

Milford Mason Miami Univ. Canton

Stats of Success 1 1 11 14 40

all photos by jeremy mcdaniel

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Olympic Gold Medalist

State Champion Relay Consecutive GMC Titles Individual State Titles All-American Swimmers

Catching up with Senior Mark Bernstein

Q A

How Long have you been swimming competitively? Since age four when I swam summer league.

Why do you swim? The process of setting and achieving goals is rewarding for me.

What are your main goals for this High School season? Top 2 in the 500 freestyle at State and top 3 in whatever else I swim. How do you think the team will do this year? I think we will win GMCs and Sectionals, get top 5 at Districts, and get top 10 at State. What are your plans after this year? I plan on swimming in college and competing at the NCAA Championship meet. Eventually, I plan on swimming at the Olympic trials in a couple years.

Boys Lacrosse:

Athletics FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Guide to quickly growing game by Zak Gilbert

ith winter sports coming to an end, many spring sports have begun practicing for the upcoming season. Among them is Boys Lacrosse. For those not familiar with the game, Lacrosse is a game played by ten players who each have a netted stick. They pass the ball down the field trying to score on a goal at the opposite end of the field. Points are worth 1 point in high school and college play. Each team is made up of three attackmen (similar to forwards in soccer), three middies (midfielders), 3 defensmen (who play with six foot long sticks as opposed to the three foot long sticks the rest of the players play with), and a goalie. Body checking is a large part of the game, and all players (excluding the goalie) are required to wear helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads, and gloves. These pads are used to protect players from the hits with a stick they receive when opposing players attempt to take the ball. Each game starts with a face-off, and is played with 12 minute quarters. The game is built around stick skills, quick ball movement, and fast running. Often times the best players are those who have a good balance of speed, size, and stick skills. Common penalties in the game are rewarded with a change in possession or penalty time (similar to hockey power plays, but called man up or man down). One of the most frequently called penalties is slashing. Slashing occurs when an opposing player strikes another player with his stick in any area other than the hands or stick. This is usually called when a player hits another in the head. Cross checking is called when a player pushes or hits another player with space between his hands when the hit occurs. Push from behind is self explanatory, and off sides occurs when an incorrect number of players are on either side of the field. While lacrosse is not yet a sanctioned sport in the Greater Miami Conference, it is one of the fastest growing sports in America. It is most popular on the east coast, but teams across the Midwest continue to spring up.

“

In six years of playing I’ve spent about four or five hundred dollars on equipment. It’s not as expensive as hockey, but it still costs alot. -Ben Weaver, 12

Cost of equipment: Short Shaft: $91.26 Long Shaft: $128.56 Stick Head: $87.99 Shoulder Pads: $85.03 Gloves: $95.26 Elbow Pads: $61.21 Helmet: Most schools provide these Total for attack and middies: $420.75 Total for defensmen: $458.05 Figures based on the average price of new items in Great Atlantic Lacrosse Holiday Catalogue.

“

I’ve been playing lacrosse for a while, and it is very demanding, however, I enjoy the hard hitting, straight beast nature of the game.

Upcoming Season

SENIOR BEN WEAVER RUNS UP the field looking to pass the ball. Weaver is a senior captain, and plays middie. He looks to lead the team to a successful season.

-Nick Hegyesi, 11

image by zak gilbert

Date Time Opponent H/A 3-Mar-04 TBA St. Xavier-( Scrimmage) A 10-Mar TBA Scrimmage H 17-Mar TBA Cathedral A 23-Mar 7:30 Glenbrook North (Chicago) H 27-Mar 6:00 Pickerington A 28-Mar 7:30 Mason H 5-Apr 8:00 Hilliard Davidson H 7-Apr 1:00 Cincinnati Country Day H 11-Apr 7:30 Indian Hill A 14-Apr 7:30 St. Xavier H 19-Apr 8:00 Turpin H 21-Apr 1:00 Carmel (Indianapolis) A 25-Apr 7:30 Moeller A 27-Apr 7:30 Lakota West H 3-May 7:30 Summit Country Day H 5-May 3:00 Hilliard Darby A 7-May 7:30 Milford A 17-May 7:30 Mariemont H 22-May TBA 1st Round TBA 24-May TBA 2nd Round TBA 26-May TBA Quarter-Finals TBA 30-May TBA Semi-Finals TBA 2-Jun TBA State Finals TBA

ON THE BOYS LACROSSE FIELD, a maximum of 7 players per team may be in their defensive end of the field at any time, and a minimum of 4 players per team may be on this end of the field. When on the offensive side, a maximum of 6 players per team may be on this side, and a minimum of 3.

Athletics

FRIDAY January 26, 2007

‘In Marvin we trust’

Bengals earning their stripes by Matt Slovin

here was a time when the Cincinnati Bengals were the laughing stock of the NFL. There was a time when Bengals fans had to collectively hold their breath whenever the QB wearing orange and black dropped back to pass. There was a time when the words “Bengals” and “playoffs” were never spoken in the same sentence. That time period was the 1990’s, and it was home to some of the darkest moments in the history of the Bengals. During these years, which many call “the lost decade,” the highest win total was nine in 1990. At the time, Bengals fans did not know it, but they would be longing for the days of a 9-7 season. The remaining win totals in the 90’s were as follows: 3, 5, 3, 3, 7, 8, 7, 3, and 4.

Wasted talent

During the 1995 season, it finally seemed like the Bengals had struck gold when the front office drafted Ki-Jana Carter, a stud running back from Penn State, with the number one overall pick. The hype surrounding Carter was bigger than Terrell Owens’ ego. Carter, the Heisman Trophy runner-up was expected to do great things for Cincinnati. But it was not meant to be. Carter suffered a severe tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL, during his first carry in his first ever NFL preseason game. When an athlete tears their ACL, there is a chance that their career is over. Luckily, Carter was able to play professional football again, but not at the same level as before the injury. One can only wonder how Bengals football would be different had Carter avoided this painful injury.

Early 2000’s

Football season was still a dark time in the greater Cincinnati area. It was not uncommon to see people watching the game at the stadium while wearing paper bags over their heads, implying that they were embarrassed to be a part of the struggling Cincinnati franchise. “The offense has really picked up since those days,” said Dan Ashton, 9. The Bengals, or “Bungles” as they were known to NFL foes, were still struggling into the new millennium. Little did they know that things were about to change; for there was a quarterback turning heads at the University of Southern California.

A man of Troy

Photo by Yahoo! Sports

Because Cincinnati finished with the worst record in the NFL, it was awarded the number one draft pick in 2003. When draft day came, there was little debate about the Bengals’ selection. Experts were saying that USC quarterback Carson Palmer was the man to lead this team, and they were accurate in this prediction. After sitting behind former Bengal Jon Kitna for one season, the general consensus seemed to be that it was now Carson’s time. Since his beginnings in Cincy, Palmer has dominated opposing defenses, making him a fan favorite. “Carson Palmer has become a great leader for the team,” said Will Tso, 9.

QUARTERBACK CARSON PALMER HAS BEEN a major part of the Bengals’ turnaround. He was drafted in the 2003 NFL Draft out of the University of Southern California. Some Bengals fans say that had he not been injured early in last season’s playoff showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati could have defeated their hated rivals and moved on in the playoffs, making them one step closer to the first Super Bowl victory in team history.

1992 The Cincinnati front office hires Dave Shula as head coach of the Bengals, just a couple of years removed from a Super Bowl berth. The move came as a shock to many Bengals fans and Shula failed to get the job done.

1999 In a desperate move to improve the situation at QB, the Bengals drafted Akili Smith with the third overall pick. Smith is another draft bust that the Bengals picked. He was drafted ahead of future stars like Daunte Culpepper.

Botched playoff chances

This season’s Bengals were incredibly close to making the playoffs. Due to a poor snap by the usually reliable Brad St. Louis, an extra point that would send the Bengals into overtime against Denver never was kicked. The following week, things fell into place, and the Bengals only had to win against Pittsburgh to make the playoffs. Shayne Graham missed a field goal that would win it in regulation. The Steelers won the game in overtime, cancelling the Bengals’ January travel plans.

From Bungles to Bengals December 18, 2005 Marvin Lewis, Carson Palmer, and others have pitched in to complete an incredible transformation from a miserable franchise to a team that is worthy of the playoff berth that was wrapped up today with a victory over the Detroit Lions. It was the team’s first playoff berth in 15 years.

April 26, 2003 Today, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted quarterback Carson Palmer out of Southern California. Right away, Bengals fans began calling him the team’s “quarterback of the future”. This would put a lot of pressure on some quarterbacks, but Palmer handled his new role brilliantly.

2002 The 2002 NFL season was most likely the worst one in Cincinnati Bengals history. The team compiled a disgraceful 2-14 record. The season ended with the firing of head coach Dick LeBeau, who is now a Steelers assistant coach. In his tenure with Cincinnati, LeBeau’s record was 12-33. Because of their record, the Bengals were awarded the first draft pick.

A mastermind in Marvin

In the years leading up to 2003, Cincinnati had been a dead end for coaches in the NFL. That would change in December of 2003 when the front office hired Marvin Lewis as head coach. Most Bengals fans will tell you that there is not another coach out there that they would choose to have over Lewis. Because he is so well-liked by the team, it is obvious to see why players are so excited to play for him. Hiring Marvin Lewis was a big step forward in improving the Bengals.

2003 After several dismal coach hires, the Bengals finally struck gold when they hired Marvin Lewis to replace Dick LeBeau. Lewis had been an assistant for the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Washington Redskins. His hire was well-accepted throughout the Cincinnati area. In 2000, he won a Super Bowl as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens. Lewis’ first priority was the upcoming draft.

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54 Athletics Crosstown Shootout: FRIDAY January 26, 2007

all Images by ben moler

Where did all the hype go?

CINCINNATI’S CEDRIC MCGOWAN WAS A key factor in this year’s Cross town Shootout, contributing 8 points and 7 rebounds. Xavier’s Stanley Burrell was held scoreless in his thirty one minutes of play. The game was played at Fifth Third Arena in front of a sold out crowd of 13,176. by Ben Moler

n years past, the Cincinnati vs. Xavier basketball game was all that mattered that day in Cincinnati. This year the game sparked so little national interest that it was not shown on cable television.

History of the game

The teams began playing on an annual basis starting in 1945-46 and from 1948-58; they played each other twice a year. Since then, UC and XU have played each other once a year. UC leads the all-time series, 46 games to 27. Prior to this year’s game, Xavier has won seven of the past ten games. In both 1996-97 and 1999-2000 seasons, Xavier defeated Cincinnati who at one point in each season has been ranked number one nationally. Perhaps one of the most historical moments happened in 1994, when former Bearcats coach Bob Huggins refused to shake the hand of then XU’s coach Pete Gillen after the Musketeers beat the Bearcats.

What happened this year?

Although this year’s game at Fifth Third Arena sold out, the crowd of 13,176 did not have to go to the extent to get their tickets as fans in years past did. Students have been known to camp out in front of the box office to get their tickets to this game. Tickets were still available at the UC box office the morning of the game, which

would be unheard of in years past. Even though there was less interest in this year’s game, it turned out to be a classic exciting UC-XU match up. The score remained close throughout almost the entire game, until UC pulled away to a 67-57 win. First year coach Mick Cronin snapped a losing streak for first year coaches in the Cross town Shootout. The last coach to win the shootout in his first year of coaching was Pete Gillen (Xavier) in 1985.

Diminished Interest

The UC-XU game, which is normally shown on ESPN or ESPN2, was nowhere to be seen this year. The game was shown only on ESPNU, which is not carried by Time Warner Cable, which covers most of the Cincinnati households. The Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN, has taken two high interest games for the Cincinnati area off of cable television. The first major show of this was the Bengals vs. Ravens game on Nov.30 which was supposed to only be on one of the Walt Disney Co.’s channels. Fortunately, for Bengals fans, the Walt Disney Co. allowed NBC to pick up the game and show it. Unfortunately, this was not the case with the cross town shootout. Time Warner offered to buy the game and the Walt Disney Co. declined the offer.

Most fans were forced to go to restaurants and sports bars that have satellite TV, which carries ESPNU. Since these were the only places showing the game, they were over crowded.

Reason behind low interest

This year’s shootout was by far one of the most low key games in the history of the shootout, which dates back to 1928 when the two teams first met. Although a lot of interest was lost in the UC basketball program after former Coach Bob Huggins was fired, perhaps one of the more noticeable aspects of the UC team this year are the players, who are almost all unrecognizable. The low-caliber players and the coaching change for UC may be the reasoning behind the loss of interest for most UC fans.

Future

The future of the cross town shootout looks bright. “Believe me, when it’s back to two top-25 teams playing, it will probably be on ESPN or ESPN2,” said Burke Magnus, who is the vice president and general manager for ESPNU. With the top-notch recruits coming in to both schools in the upcoming years, the game looks as though it will return to the high caliber profile which it once was, and put the cross town shootout back on top as a nationally known rivalry.

What did UC and Xavier fans think about this years game?

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This is the first shootout I remember that I haven’t seen. I didn’t even know when the shootout was until the day of the game. -Josef Majchrzak, 11

UC hasn’t been playing good lately. Beating Xavier is all that mattered this season even though Xaviert will probably finish with a lot better record. -Brett Simek, 10

I’m upset I didn’t get to watch the game this year. But I’m even more upset that Xavier lost and I have to listen to UC fans brag until the next meeting. -Brett Faeth, 12

The Shootout has always been my favorite game of the season. The game this year was exciting but the atmosphere around Cincinnati was nothing like it usually is. -Pat Fox, 12

Advertisement FRIDAY Janurary 26, 2007

NATE 56

Profile FRIDAY January 26, 2007

Dicken

by Arushi Sharma

What do you like about high school so far? I like all the classes that we are offered and the increased amounts of freedom and all the ladies.

What are three words you would use to describe yourself? Goofy, fun and witty.

If someone went into your room right now, what would they find that best describes your personality? My power rangers tent and my poster of an aircraft.

What do you do in your free time? I hang out with my friends and go to some concerts if they’re good. I like reading and I like to listen to music.

What are you involved in at school? I’m president and founder of the Video Announcement Club so I do some of those. I’m also active in Buffet Club and I’m into Aves Theater.

What are you best qualities? Worst qualities? Best: Tall, empathetic, dark, handsome, honest and clever. Worst: Acne, bad haircut, dry skin on my knuckles in wintertime, and I sometimes chew on my pens.

Do you have any pet peeves? Yeah, I can’t stand things with horns... unicorns, bicycles, dinosaurs... Who are your favorite teachers? Ms. Schade [now retired] and Mr. Gillette from ninth grade.

What was your most embarrassing moment? In seventh grade, this kid pulled down my pants in front of my friends at recess. Another time these kids tripped me and I broke my thumb.

What is your most prized possession? My Backstreet Boys autographed visor. What lesson has life taught you through experience? Everything works itself out.

Have you always lived in Cincinnati? If no, when did you move here? I was born in Cincinnati and then moved to Augusta, Georgia and lived there till 1998, when we moved back to the Nasty Nati.

Something about you that others don’t know? I have a huge crush on Kelsey Fairhurst. Who are the people closest to you? I don’t let anyone get close to me so I don’t get betrayed. photo courtesy of jinwei hu

Any last words? This was fun.

What is your favorite? Food: Lasagna

- Donny Herrington, 11

TV show: The Office Movie: Little Miss Sunshine

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Nate is a really funny guy... especially in public speaking class. He makes the class so much fun with his sense of humor.

NATE DICKEN, 11 AND KIAN Fallahi, 12 show some “brotherly love,” as they play around in the cafeteria. Even though Dicken works at the Montgomery Inn, he still finds time for hanging out with his friends and attending the most happening concerts in town.

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The longer you live, the higher you fly; the more smiles you give, the more tears you cry. - Nate Dicken, 11