the Sycamore
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Can chocolate benefit your health? Find out more about this “miracle food” on pages 10 and 11.
FRIDAY January 29, 2010 Volume LVI Issue 6 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.goaves.com
news bites Mr. Sycamore Pageant
Student Council is holding a pageant to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) on tonight at 7:30 p.m. Seniors Neil Krishnan, Ben Keefe, Tim Andrews; juniors Max Riehemann, Michael Streicher, Andrew Adler; sophomores Zim Zimmer, Jimmy Chau; and freshmen Ryan Gamber and Xavier Jiminez will be competing for the title of Mr. Sycamore. Tickets can be purchased for $5. Turn to page 4 for a full profile on all the contestants.
‘A White Night’
Come spend an evening at the “A White Night” Winter Formal dance tomorrow from 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Tickets can still be purchased today at lunch. It is $15 for a single ticket and $25 for a couple ticket.
Anon(ymous)
AVES Theatre will have its Cappies performance on Jan. 28 and 29 and Feb. 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. The play is an adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Tickets can be purchased for $8 in advance at lunch and $10 at the door.
2010-2011 Scheduling
Students were able to begin selecting courses on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Due dates to complete online scheduling are: Class of 2011- Jan. 30; class of 2012- Feb. 10, class of 2013- Feb. 23, and class of 2014March 9.
SEE1 Concert
The annual SEE1 concert, featuring classical and modern music on electric instruments, will take place on Friday, Feb. 26 in the main auditorium. Ticket prices will be announced as soon as they are determined. For more information, contact SEE1 director Mr. David Smarelli.
Fine Arts Weekend
Dating violence
Health classes to include date violence in curriculum paulpescovitz
sports chief
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nti-drug programs, sexual education, and healthy life style promotion: all staples of health instruction at SHS, and across the state of Ohio. However, in years to come, how to maintain healthy relationships and spot the signs of dating violence will be added to the mix. House Bill 19, known as the Tina Croucher Act, which requires each school district board of education to not only prevent and address incidents of dating violence in school, but also incorporate prevention education courses into upper level health class curriculums, passed under a bill signed Dec. 28 by Gov. Ted Strickland. The bill is named after Tina Croucher, who was slain by her ex-high school boyfriend at the age of 18 in Dec. of 1992. The young woman was a student at Miami University Middletown at the time of the murder. Jim and Elsa Croucher have since founded an organization, Citizens Against Domestic Violence, to spread awareness of dating violence and to help encourage healthy relationships.
They have testified in support of legislation and spoken at local high schools, but now the intensity of the awareness program will increase. The bill calls for the subject matter (dating violence) to be taught for a period of time spanning between one and three weeks, specifically as a part of Ohio high school health courses. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Sandra Hardwood (D) and Sen. Gary Cates (R). Other states across the nation have passed similar policies. The Lindsay Anne Burke Act, passed in 2007, requires the Rhode Island Department of Education to assist schools in developing policies for dating violence reporting and response. SHS must now reexamine its syllabus for the health course, which is already a jam-packed semester featuring diverse units covering topics ranging from abstinence awareness to suicide prevention. Cramming between seven and 21 days into the schedule may prove to be easier said than done. “The class covered a lot of material. To be honest, I can’t really imagine where they would fit in an extra unit,” said Michael Bemmes, 10. Aside from procedural and scheduling issues, another dilemma lies in the
controversy of whether or not school is the proper environment for students to partake in lessons on how to develop healthy and violence-free relationships. Some feel that this is destined to be learned at home, or at least outside of the classroom. “I understand the concern surrounding domestic violence and that the issue does need to be addressed, I’m just not sure if school, or health class, is the appropriate place to do that. It may be in the home, at a place of worship, or wherever,” said Mr. Kevin Wittman, social studies teacher. Regardless, dating education as a part of the Ohio high school curriculum is soon to be a reality, as the bill becomes law in early March, following a ceremonial signing. February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Yearbook Sales
Yearbook prices have been raised to $65 as of Jan. 1. Yearbooks can still be bought for that price until the deadline of March 16.
INSIDE
image by jake newton
The annual district art show and Pancake Day is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 6. The bands and orchestras from E.H. Greene, the junior high and high school will be playing throughout the morning.
CALENDAR 2 NEWS 3-4 FORUM 5-6 SPOTLIGHT 7 FEATURE 8-12 A&E 13-15 SPORTS 16-18 ADVERTISEMENT 19 SNAPSHOTS 20