March Issue

the Sycamore

leaf

news bites Spring Break

DAY OF SILENCE

WEDNESDAY March 24, 2010 Volume LVI Issue 8 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.goaves.com

The long awaited Spring Break begins on Monday, March 29. School resumes again on Monday, April 5.

Blood Drive

Tomorrow students ages 16 and up have the opportunity to donate blood and blood platelets to the Student Council sponsored Hoxworth Blood Drive during school.

Students should have already signed up with Student Council.

Reminder notices will have been sent to students that are already signed up to notify them of their donation time.

Prom

After Prom

stuartlindle

O

Organized by the parents, the After Prom theme has been set to be “Sycamore of the Seas.” Tickets will be on sale for $20 at the same time Prom tickets are on sale. It is not necessary to attend Prom in order to attend After Prom.

The Wedding Singer

staff writer

ne of GSA’s (Gay Straight Aliance) biggest events is the annual Day of Silence, April 16. It is an opportunity for the LGBT community and their allies to bring attention to name calling, bullying and harassment.

They do so by taking an oath of silence for the day.

The silence represents how, as a result of bullying and/or harassment, students often suffer in silence. The goal of the Day of Silence is to make schools safer for all students, regardless of

The spring musical is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23, Saturday, April 24 and the next week on Friday, April 30, and Saturday May 1. Tickets can be purchased for $8 pre-sale and $10 at the door.

AP Testing

AP exams will commence on Monday, May 3 and continue through Friday, May 14. Students must remember to bring a photo ID and number two pencils to the testing sites and leave all electronics behind.

Girls and Boys State

Juniors Kelsey Peterson and Brian Boyle were selected as Ohio Girls and Boys State candidates. They are both legacy candidates. Peterson’s grandmother went to the Wisconsin Girls State and her mother went to the Massachusetts Girls State.

Boyle’s father was also a Boys State candidate. They were both selected by the administration and Social Studies department. It is an academic program where candidates will “run” for political positions in a simulated environment.

INSIDE

sexual orientation.

This is a student-led action towards change, raising awareness to discrimination, harassment and abuse-in effect, the silencing-the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies face daily.

“The Day of Silence is important because it reminds us to remember those who were killed because they were gay,” said Jennifer Eaton, 10.

No one Day of Silence is the same; it is a person’s personal choice to not speak in effort against discrimination. Any student can choose to participate, to empower themselves by realizing their ability to make a difference in their school.

The Day of Silence is not an opportunity to get out of school-work, and it is advised for participants to talk to their teachers prior to April 16. Most teachers will be supportive, and understanding. A note pad or white board is a great way to still participate in class while retaining an oath of silence.

Also, carry around speaking cards, cards that have a quick summarization of what day of silence is.

These cards will let everyone know why the Day of Silence is important and encourage them to get out do their part against LGBT harassment and bullying.

image by elizabeth newton and ryan church

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

Silent stand toward change

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Calendar

2

wednesday, march 24, 2010

elizabethhoopes

calendar chief

sunday

monday

tuesday

wednesday thursday

1

friday

2

saturday

3 Weird Holiday: Find-A-Rainbow Day

Holiday: April Fool’s Day

4

Holiday: Easter

11

5

6

7

8

9

10

History: U.S. entered World War I, 1917

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs.

Middletown (at home)

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs.

Western Hills (at home)

4 p.m.

Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Turpin (at home)

12

13

14

7 p.m.

Boys Varsity Volleyball vs. Oak Hills (at home)

7:30 p.m.

Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Ursuline Academy (at home)

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs. Lakota East (at home)

History: President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, 1964

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Baseball vs. Princeton (at home)

Report cards distributed

18

19

20

21

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Baseball vs. Lakota West (at home)

26 Weird Holiday: National Pretzel Day 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs. Hamilton (at home)

7 p.m.

Boys Varsity Volleyball vs. Princeton (at home)

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Baseball vs.

Oak Hills (at home)

7 p.m.

Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Loveland (at home)

7:30 p.m.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs. Cathedral (at home)

5 p.m.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs. Indian Hill (at home)

15

16

17

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs.

Lakota West (at home)

10 a.m.

Varsity Baseball vs. Loveland (at home)

7:30 p.m.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs. Moeller (at home)

SHS Event: 9 p.m. Prom 1 a.m. After Prom

22

23

24

Holiday: Earth Day

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Baseball vs. Lakota East (at home)

Weird Holiday: Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs.

Mason (at home)

SHS Event: 7:30 p.m. “The Wedding Singer”

SHS Event: 7:30 p.m. “The Wedding Singer”

4 p.m.

Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Colerain (at home)

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs.

Colerain (at home)

History: Revolutionary War began, 1775

Weird Holiday: World Penguin Day

No School: Spring Break

4 p.m.

Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Middletown (at home)

History: The Titanic struck the iceberg shortly before midnight.

4 p.m.

Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Oak Hills (at home)

25

No School: Spring Break

12 p.m.

Varsity Baseball vs. Centerville (at home)

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Baseball vs.

Kings (at home)

27

7:30 p.m.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs. Centerville (at home) Early release day

28 4 p.m.

Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Loveland (at home) 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs.

Fairfield (at home)

29 4 p.m.

Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Fairfield (at home) 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs. Talawanda (at home)

Walker Automotive Group Phone: (937) 433-4950

Address: 8457 Springboro Pike Miamisburg, Ohio 45342

30 Holiday: Arbor Day SHS Event: 7:30 p.m. “The Wedding Singer”

news 3

wednesday, march 24, 2010

‘Relay for Life’ elleanzhang

A

news chief

cross numerous communities, at both high school and college campuses, the American Cancer Society’s overnight event Relay for Life has been a leading source of funding for continued cancer research. Teams of students band together as they think of fundraising ideas and work towards a common goal.

The 2010 Relay is the only Relay even in Ohio that is composed entirely of high school students, pulling from schools like Ursuline Academy, Moeller, Madeira, and Mount Notre

SHS’s first science fair successful rashmiborah

editor-in-chief

After school on Feb. 24, a group of high school students dressed in business suits and skirt suits, gathered in the IMC carrying posters and binders. Some had electrical gadgets and computerized images to go along with their science fair presentations.

These students were participating in SHS’s first science fair, organized by Biotech teacher Mrs. Beth Quinones.

After some of her students went to the University of Cincinnati Science

Dame. The event will be on May 14-15, running from 4:00 p.m. on that Friday to 10:00 a.m. the next morning.

Coinciding with the final AP exam, it will be a great way for the students to leave behind the stress of exams and join the community in celebration of cancer survivors, commemoration of those who passed to cancer, and hope for stepping closer to being able to fight the disease.

2009 was the first Relay for Life event in which an SHS student was the co-chair, coordinating the local event. This year, two students, Emily Boutilier, 12, and Sara Lindsay, 11, are the student co-chairs of the event.

From the theme of “Olympics,” to performances by locals like Olde New York, Earl Grey, and Katelynn

Muething, 12, the student co-chairs have been a part of organizing it all. In addition to this, the event will include the Survivor Lap and Luminaria ceremony that is characteristic of all Relay events. Other activities scheduled for the evening in hourly blocks include games, dancing, a frozen t-shirt competition, pie-eating contest, scavenger hunt, and cornhole tournament.

As the event nears, students are trying to fulfill the fundraising goal that they have set, as indicated by the fundraising home pages that they have created on the Relay for Life web site. As of press date, top individual fundraisers are led by Aaron Natarus, 11, with $923.00, followed

by Deborah Wu, 10, with $660.00.

and Engineering Expo (UC SEE) last year, she decided to have a schoolwide science fair, with top performers representing SHS at UC SEE. “I decided to host the science fair because…I believe in it,” said Quinones. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students.”

At the SHS Science fair, science teachers and outside industrial workers served as judges for the students, and provided thorough feedback on students’ presentations.

Sixteen presentations represented SHS at the UC SEE, held on March 13. With nearly 400 students there, SHS students did extremely well, sending four teams and three individuals to the state fair, which will be held in Columbus, OH on May 8, and three students to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which will be held in San Jose, CA beginning May 9.

In order to qualify for the state fair, students had to earn a minimum of 35 out of 40 points.

The four teams consisted of seniors: John Brooker, Trevor Thomas; Cody Sparks, Dorian Patterson; Beth Morand, Kylie Rook; and Sam Sohlden, Damien Walsh.

The three individuals are: Erik Bao, 10; Rashmi Borah, 12 and Ravi Sheth, 11.

Sheth, Sohlden and Walsh qualified for ISEF, and earned an all expense paid trip to San Jose, CA for the week of May 9.

In addition to state qualification, many qualifiers earned special awards from organizations such as the United States Navy, the Society for Photonics Engineering, and the University of Cincinnati Research Department.

“I am really pleased with the outcome of this fair,” said Quinones.

“I’m looking forward to state and [ISEF].”

photo by jeremy mcdaniels

Students support American Cancer Society

TOM SEIPLE, ‘09, PERFORMS AT last year’s Relay for Life.

School bands are always a high point at Relay. This year, Olde New York and Earl Grey will have performances throughout the evening.

Photography by Cheryl

513-886-7554

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4 news

Alll images by Moriah Krawec

friday, march 26, 2010

SHEENA PATEL, 12 ENTERS SHS through the lower bus ramp. with crutches. “It’s annoying to get around school at first, but after a while you kind of get used to it,” said Patel. Due to a lack of push-button doors at the bus ramps, a wide range of students have difficultly entering SHS through those entrances.

Opening doors for all Senior’s petition calls for greater accessibility at SHS moriahkrawec

W staff writer

ith a new semester, Caroline Cameron, 12, began a new course, Ms. Marilyn Ray’s Global Perspectives class. Cameron was immediately inspired by the course.

“I took a Global Perspectives class with Ray, and we did a project, and I did a petition,” said Cameron.

Namely, Cameron decided to improve handicap accessibility as SHS. Cameron, who uses a wheelchair, faces this issue on a day-to-day basis.

Specifically, Cameron’s main concern is that there are no wheelchair ramps at the front entrance, and no push-button doors at the bus ramps.

If Cameron’s aid, Ms. Dawn Davis, is not available to assist her in entering the building, she will often risk being late for class.

“I’m depressed that no one said anything before I did,” said Cameron.

This issue with the bus ramps is very impactful, as the majority of special needs students enter through that entrance, according to Ray. “Many of the special needs students enter at the bus ramps where there are no handicap-accessible doors. The front doors don’t help them,” said Ray. Despite these difficulties with entering, Cameron applauds the accessibility of other areas of the school.

Particularly, Cameron finds the entrance near the front office to be very beneficial.

“It [SHS’s accessibility] is pretty good at the front office because they have a button for the door,” said Cameron.

Plan was in place

Even with Cameron’s petition, there are plans to remedy the building’s accessibility problems. According to Dr. Keith Kelly, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Business Operations, the accessibility issues have been analyzed during the 2009-2010 school year in particular.

“The accessibility issues have been

mainly looked at this year. We completed a comprehensive study this year,” said Kelly.

In addition, Kelly met with an architect in 2008 in regards to what he calls ‘capital investments’, which maintain public school buildings for taxpayers and those who use them.

Though many of these renovations are not specifically designed for special needs students and visitors, a portion of them are, such as the considerations to replace the ramp doors at the front entrance.

“We’re doing $10 million worth of work over five years, and we have been looking at replacing the ramp doors,” said Kelly.

As for an estimate on when the project would be completed, Kelly claims it will depend on how much work will be done overall. This includes the number of replaced doors and the total cost.

“It depends on what we go for,” said Kelly.

Mr. Kevin Mays, assistant principal, emphasizes that these changes, which are scheduled to be in place by next school year at latest, were going to be put into place prior to Cameron’s petition.

“We were going with this, whether Caroline brought it up or not”, said Mays.

QA

Q. Aside from your own personal difficulties, what made you petition SHS?

A. I took a Global Perspectives class with Ms. Marilyn Ray, we did a project and I did a petition.

Q. How would you describe the accessibility at SHS now? Is it excellent, good, fair, or bad?

A. It’s pretty good at the front office because they have a button for the door.

Q. Initially, SHS was built in 1973, and since then,

there have been two additions to the building that followed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

How much does this upset you?

A. I’m depressed that no one did anything before I did.

Q. What steps have you taken to petition SHS so far?

A. I made a sheet on which people would print their names and sign too. It’s going around the school.

Q. Do you have any other final thoughts?

A. Hopefully this’ will get done so people can get in and so people in the future can use it.

DR. KELLY NEEDS YOU!

Helping others through improvement

In addition to working with the buildings in the district, Kelly was also the principal of SHS for a period of time. During this tenure, Kelly noticed that although some students paid more attention to the building than others, everyone cared about SHS’s special needs population.

“We value diversity, and that includes people with disabilities,” said Kelly.

Meanwhile, Cameron hopes that the products of her petition will not just assist her, but that they will help out others in the long run.

“Hopefully this will get done so people can get in, and so people in the future can use it,” said Cameron.

“ “

with Caroline Cameron, 12

Send

To:

Save Now

I am proud of Caroline and her leadership in this project.

-Ms. Marilyn Ray, Social Studies teacher

I think the more different people we meet, the better we learn to function in life.

-Dr. Keith Kelly, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Business Operations

Discard

kellyk@sycamoreschools.org Cc:

Subject:

Send all accessibility issues to kellyk@sycamoreschools.org

Forum

Kelsey’s Conservative Corner kelseydrapkin

wednesday, march 24, 2010

5

cartoon by lilly lefton

forum chief

staffeditorial

I

n kindergarten, we were taught that everyone, no matter how different, was worthy of being treated with respect and kindness.

Unfortunately, it seems that we have yet to learn this basic component of humanity and compassion.

Far too many individuals who identified with the LGBT community have suffered—often in silence—from anti-LGBT-related harassment.

Many still continue to face such discrimination, as the prejudice has yet to end in this nation.

In an effort to bring awareness to the hatred that millions of individuals have experienced, The National Day of Silence was formed in 1996 at the University of Virginia.

Every year since, students across the country have taken a vow of silence in memory of those who suffered for so long in silence.

SHS’ Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) will be participating in this event.

With the permission of teachers, students both in GSA and participating in the event will also take a vow of silence for the entire day.

What better way to fight for a cause—without a fired weapon or raised voice?

By taking a vow of silence, students who normally interact

the Sycamore

leaf

with those participating in Day of Silence will feel the same emptiness that those harassed felt.

Organizations such as the Westboro Baptist Church have dispensed anti-LGBT threats and arguments in a threatening and volatile way.

Instead of fighting fire with fire, through Day of Silence, the GSA is making steps towards extinguishing discrimination and hatred with peace and quiet—literally.

Let us not forget that, at the core, we are all deserving of respect, kindness and tolerance.

Who we love has no bearing on our right to be accepted, and our life partner has no bearing on who we are as a person.

At the core, we are all the same—human, and part of a global community.

If you really believe in equal rights for all, at the very least it would be beneficial for you to support Day of Silence, or even participate in it.

Students can register with GSA officers or at www.dayofsilence.org.

And teachers, partially sacrificing one day of lessons is definitely worth it for this cause.

How can we say the words “liberty and justice for all” if we have yet to achieve that?

Maybe some day, we can.

Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, OH 45242

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

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

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

leafing through the masses

Q:

““ ““

What do you think of the “Day of Silence?”

I have never really heard of it. But I do fully support gay rights.

-Caroline Seiler, 9

It is a great way to spread awarence and get people involved in the gay rights movement at a high school level.

-Ritvik Vasudevan, 10

Obviously! This is one of the most influential things possible that students at SHS can participate. I think everyone should get involved.

-Amy Poliner, 11

I think more people should be aware of it, because it is such an important day to recognize and participate in.

-Ross Fletcher, 12

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

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

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

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

For comments about columns, please write to writetotheleaf@gmail.com

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

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

Does the date Dec. 16, 1773, mean anything to you?

On this date, a group of 30 to 130 colonists (the exact number is unknown) dressed as Indians poured 342 chests of tea into the water of the Boston Harbor as a political protest, for the short story.

The British government was extending their reach into the colonies and levying excessive taxes without giving proper representation to the people. Samuel Adams argued that this was a protest of principles and the people were defending their rights in the only way they could.

This belief in telling the government when you do not agree with what they are doing has come to the political scene today. The Tea Party movement, named after this iconic American protest, has set forth to return our government to a path of of fiscal conservatism, constitutionally limited government, and free market principles.

The movement is fueled by the belief that out of control spending threatens our nation’s future, along with the economic futures of our children and grandchildren.

This movement began in 2009 as a protest on the bailouts of 2008 and the stimulus package, much like the Boston Tea Party was a protest on “taxation without representation.” It has since gained strength arround the country, with conventions and rallies throughout the United States.

This group disregards party-affiliation. In contrast to popular belief, those active in the movement are not all related to the Republican party.

They have, in fact, rejected opportunities to speak at a Republican National Committee rally in Chicago. The group is not a political party; its members include Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, there is no arguing that the Constitution does right by us. It guarantees us freedoms unheard of in other countries. It sets up a government where the majority of the power is left to the states and the people rather than the federal government.

It is difficult to argue against fiscal responsibility. Each dollar one has can be spent only once, and it is wise to carefully prioritize the way each dollar is spent. Government does not have any money of its own – each dollar it spends must first be taxed away from the people it represents.

For too long the American people have been complacent about their government. This has allowed elected officials to forget that they are there to represent the people who elected them.

Perhaps the Tea Party movement will help to remind them why they are there.

The principles set forth by the Tea Party movement of fiscal conservatism, small government, and free market principles are in no way radical right ideas. These values are derived straight from the Constitution, the document that has guided this great nation for nearly 230 years. “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” said Abraham Lincoln.

RETRACTION: In the February 26 issue of The Leaf, Michael Streicher, not Andrew Adler as was reported, won the ice cream eating competition at the Mr. Sycamore Pagent. We apologize for the misprint.

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

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

forum 5

friday, march 24, 2010

Crusade against gay rights

spencerwurzelbacher

W

staff writer

e as Americans should understand the consequences of persecuting a group of people for their beliefs, and the consequences thereof. But I suppose that we have not yet learned from our past mistakes.

After a brief respite (due to the distraction of Operation Desert Storm) the American public has once again set its crosshairs back on the gay community (gay as in homosexual, not distasteful or stupid, as it is commonly used by our generation).

I wonder how long society will have to put down a group of people who are different than the majority in order to make theirselves feel purposeful?

We as a nation have transitioned over time from one group of people to another. Is there any sense of reason anymore?

Why do we do it?

Former President George W. Bush had a goal to amend the Constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Luckily, he failed. His reasoning was less than solid.

Bush often tried to justify his reasoning for attempts to change the law to ban gay marriage was that it was against his religion as written in the Bible.

I feel as if too many people try to justify accusations by citing things from religous texts, when more often than not the people they are acting against do not even have faith in that religion. We need to realize that not everyone has faith, they might not believe in the same thing you do.

Stuff changes, we adapt—it is what makes us human.We need to stop taking religion and impressing its beliefs on people who do not have faith in that religion simply because we do not believe in the way they live their life.

What causes this?

Creating and fueling this feeling of hatred fuels falsehoods, or rumors, that circulate and are more times than not significantly untrue. At first the entirety of the blame for AIDs (formerly GRID, or Gay Related Immune Deficiency) was placed in the hands of the

“ 86 “ “ “

gay community.

Some people seem to make it their goal to impress their ways on those who live in a way which differs from how they believe it should be, and many of them do it ‘in the name of God’.

Until such a revelation occurs, I am going to continue living my life and am going to continue to encourage others to do the same.

And I will always defend myself against the people who believe they can dictate how I can go about my day-to-day life.

In order to make a difference we need to be accepting of all people, and realize that every single person on earth does not want or believe the same thing.

In high schools, SHS

At SHS we have begun to make strides to fix these anti-gay sentiments. We have created a Gay-Straight Alliance where both straight and gay students can congregate to talk about current issues or to simply escape from a cruel, outside world.

In a study by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educational Network they found that 86 percent of students are verbally harassed in school because of sexual orientation, half of these people are physically harassed, and half of those people are assaulted. That should be completely intolerable.

School is not a place that we as students should fear to go. Sure, we can fear the fact that we have a math test, or a government test, but simply fearing school because of who we are, or how other students may treat us? No, we are better than that.

Be the change

I propose a challenge to the people reading this—if you see someone being harassed, assaulted, or having anything bad done to them, then intervene.

They do not even have to be gay.

The negativity of our generation is incredulous, and if we do not take a step to positively change this, we will fail as a people.

I am not suggesting that every single person in the world can live in peace, with no fear... that is a bit unrealistic. What I am saying is that I think we can at least live with an ounce of cooperation and understanding, no?

So... let us make a change.

People should be allowed to fall in love with the person, not the gender.

by the numbers

-Lizz Schornak,12

I don’t understand why in other countries such as Spain gay marriage is legal, while in our great country we impose religious views.

-Ms. Renee Hevia, SHS Assistant Principal

I feel like society is very socially repressed in this day and age, and we as a people continually fuel this. We need to change this trend.

-”Kt” Napierski,11

all photos courtesy of altavista.com

Incredulous intolerance totally inexcusable

74 60 31

percent of gay high school students report being verbally harrassed in school.

More than half of these students are physically harassed. One fourth are physically assaulted in the school setting.

percent of high school students have heard deragatory remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” at school.

percent of gay students report feeling unsafe at school because of sexual orientation.

percent of gay high school students missed a class or even a day of school due to feeling unsafe at school.

More information at: www.GLSEN.org

why are people gay?

100

Genetic

80 60 40

We need to focus on the big issues such as bullying, not only for LGBT students, but straight students as well.

-Ryan Church,12

20

Choice

IN A POLL OF 100 students at SHS it was asked if being gay was a choice or genetic. 87 percent of those asked reported that they thought it was genetic, and 13 percent said being gay was a choice.

forum 7

wednesday, march 24, 2010

Students’ goals become reality jamiealemagno

A

forum chief

& elizabethhoopes

calendar chief

dream is something that you want so badly, something you think about constantly, yet it does not seem attainable, but with goals, those dreams do not have to seem so far away.

Our dream was to go to Disney World for spring break.

The day we decided this is what we really wanted, we were not quite sure if we were actually going to go through with it.

Making dreams become reality

Tip number one, dreams can only become reality if you do something about it.

Seems obvious right? But we bet you have thought about what you were going to do when you won the lottery, yet never bought a ticket.

After we decided we were going to go for our dream, we started researching everything about our trip, where we would stay, how we would get there, what our eating plan was, and last but not least, how the heck we were going to pay for this.

When your dream requires money, in which ours required about $2,500, making plans for how to save money is key.

“Oh, we are just not going to spend any money till we have it all.” Wow that is realistic--not. Do not make goals that are bound to fail. Make small goals to achieve big dreams.

It makes sense that big dreams require big goals, but sometimes a lot of small goals lead you to the dream faster than just one big goal.

You are bound to spend money, gas is not free you know. Set a weekly limit for yourself in which you can only spend that much.

If you buy your lunch, start packing, put the money that you would have spent in a jar, see how quickly it adds up.

but hey, our parents bought it.

Keep in mind, whether you decide to make a brochure like us, or try a different technique of persuading, if this is your dream, you need to go all out for it.

Whining to your parents saying, “But I wanna go!” is not going to get you anywhere.

Go for it

Going after your dream will be a lot of work, but if it truly is your dream, it will be worth it. So go for it!

“A dream is a wish your heart makes,” so make goals to make that dream something more than just a vision in your head.

Persuasion can be powerful

So, we had it all planned out. We knew how we were going to do everything, but some goals you just cannot achieve on your own. For us, we needed our parents’ permission.

If your dream requires permission from anyone of any kind, keep in mind the planning came before the permission.

Yes, all roads end if the permission is not granted, but when you are more prepared with information to give the person, the more responsible you seem and the more likely permission will be granted.

For us to go alone on our spring break trip required a lot of persuasion toward our parents. Some parents were harder to sway than others.

We ended up making a brochure of our trip that included every detail we had planned. It sounds a bit cheesy,

THE DISNEY CASTLE IS one of the most known symbols of the Disney franchise. Our goal is to go to Disney World and we know we have made it once we are standing in front of that castle. With hard work and dedication, you can reach your goal.

5

tips to reach a goal

all images by elizabeth hoopes and jamie alemagno

Be realistic

MANY RESORTS PROVIDE INFORMATION brochures to help guests plan their vacation. Brynn Sharp, 12, reads a packet provided by Disney World that includes a planning CD, park maps, a dining and activity brochure, and transportation. When planning a trip, it is important to use these resources to help work out all of the details involved. Sometimes planning brochures can also contain useful coupons and discounts that can be used throughout one’s stay.

Do not try to set a goal that is going to be impossible to reach. Start small and then work towards bigger goals.

In the case of spring break, instead of trying to go Europe with no adults and stay at a five star hotel, plan smaller, such as a trip to Florida staying at a safe but affordable hotel.

Join forces It can be much more exciting and a lot less stressful to plan a trip if one has friends to help. A group of friends can divide and conquer the planning, or work together and compromise.

Listen to everyone in the group’s ideas. It is their trip too. Sometimes negotiations are necessary.

Put it in writing Once a goal is set, it should be written down, with as many details of the goal as possible, including a timeline for the goal.

This helps to motivate the goal setter and keep them on track towards their goal.

Develop a plan When setting a goal, there needs to be a plan that includes anything and everything that will be involved.

For a spring break trip, the plan needs to consist of how the trip will be paid for, what accommodations need to made, transportation, food, and activities.

Do not give up At some points on one’s journey to reach a goal, there may be some bumps in the road that have to be dealt with. It may seem like it is time to throw in the towel and give up on the goal, but try to find creative ways to solve the problem.

Spotlight

8

wednesday, march 24, 2010

Dancing with Dumebi Okonji, 12

Homecoming queen discusses dance, chicken, friends

QA

shivaniparikh

spotlight editor

& ginaromeo

spotlight editor

Dumebi Okonji, 12

Q. What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

A. Loud, humorous, and unique Q. If someone went into your room right now what

would they find that best describes your personality?

A. My fake food I made and own that is sitting on my night stand and bookshelf. I wake up to food and chicken every day!

Q. What activities are you involved in/what are your interests?

A. Soccer, basketball, Principal’s Advisory, dance, P&G Resident Scholar Program….etc.

Q. Have you always lived in Cincinnati?

A. No, I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, lived in Rhode Island,

Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia, and now here. Also, I’ve lived in Connecticut.

Q. Who are the people closest to you?

A. My sister Gika Okonji, 10, and my other younger sib-

lings, my cousin Honey Thomas, 12, who goes to Dator High School, Candice Hayes, 12, Dionna Hudson, 10, who lives in Denver, Derrick Shearer, a freshman at University of Cincinnati, and maybe Amber Butler, 12, but she is mean.

Mockingbird.”

Q. What’s the last movie you saw?

A. “The Hangover.” Funny stuff.

Q. What are some most recently played songs on

Photos by Dumebi Okonji

Q. Any nicknames?

A. Doo Doo, Doobz, Dumbaby, Dumbi, Kym, Africa, Nigeria…

Q. Favorite movie?

A. “The Notebook.”

Q. Favorite TV show?

A. “Bad Girls Club.”

Q. Favorite color?

A. Every color under that beautiful rainbow!

Q. Favorite book?

A. I can’t read. Just kidding. My favorite book is “To Kill A

your ipod?

A. A lot of Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, and Trey Songz.

“Imma be” by the Black Eyed Peas and “My Everything” by Monica.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. During my free time I dance, eat, and style hair.

Q. What’s your most embarrassing moment?

A. My everyday life to be honest.

Q. What would be your superpower of choice?

A. To fry chicken on the spot. Like “Bam!” Q. If you could be any animal what would you be?

A. Cheetah.

Q. Do you have any pet peeves, if so, what are they?

A. A lot of things bother me, no need to name them.

Q. What are your best and worst qualities?

A. Best are my sense of humor and smile, the worst is probably my attitude at times.

Q. Who’s your favorite teacher and why?

A. Mrs. Liz Gonda, English, because she helped me through

one of the toughest phases in my life. I am so thankful to have had her as a teacher and now she is even a role model. Thank you, Mrs.Gonda.

Q. What is a recent accomplishment?

A. I got accepted to all the universities I applied to!

Q. What would be your ideal meal?

A. Chicken and Now n’ Laters!

Q. Anything else you’d like to say?

A. Oh, everything.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Okonji poses with her dance team at a performance at the Unified for UNIFAT iDance event. With friends on the bus to Senior Night at Dave and Buster’s. This year’s homecoming queen, Okonji is shown with the princesses. Fun-loving and energetic, she is shown here with friends dressed up at school.

Feature

9

wednesday, march 24, 2010

‘I think about the promise I made to do my very best to keep people ahead of the storm’

Trevor Cole, 12 discusses passion for weather elisegelwicks

QA staff writer

With Trevor Cole, 12

Q. How did you first become interested in tracking

Q. Do you plan on pursuing a career in

A. My passion for the weather began back on April 9, 1999

A. I absolutely plan on pursuing a career in meteorology. My

weather?

when a powerful tornado roared through my neighborhood.

Climbing out of the destruction and seeing the result of Mother Nature at her worst really impacted me. What bothered me the most was that a couple perished right across the street, due in part to faulty warning sirens. Each day since then, I think about the promise I made to do my very best to help keep people ahead of the storm - from blizzards to tornadoes.

Q. When did you first start tracking weather?

A. I began tracking weather right after the tornado. It started with the WCPO Weather Tracker channel, but then quickly moved to watching The Weather Channel for hours each day.

meteorology in the future?

dream job would be to work right here in Cincinnati at one of our TV stations, as we have such an exciting and diverse climate (weather from all four seasons). Working here sure wouldn’t get boring.

Q. What are your plans for next year?

A. I’ll be attending Ohio University beginning this fall. It is a

great college with strong meteorology and journalism/broadcast departments. Other great colleges for aspiring meteorologists would be OSU and PSU.

Q. How do you publicize your forecasts to the public?

Q. What sources do you use to make your forecasts? A. I publicize my forecasts through various sources. My two outlets would be http://www.cincyforecast.com (my A. When making my forecasts, I use a variety of information. main website) and Facebook.

Q. What training, if any, have you had that allows you to predict the weather?

A. I haven’t had any real training in the field of meteorol-

ogy. I’ve been in contact with several pro forecasters (including Derek Beasley, Steve Raleigh, Steve Horstmeyer, John Gumm, and Rich Apuzzo), who answered occasional questions and offered words of encouragement. 95% of my weather knowledge was attained through personal research.

this month in

feature

UNIFAT raises awareness for Ugandan children Learn about the club and ways to get involved | page 12 Looking for inexpensive, stylish clothes?

See the great deals that thrift stores have to offer | page 13

Need more coverage? Visit the feature page at www.goaves.com

Q. Do you have a particular weatherman that you admire the most?

A. My favorite weatherman is Derek Beasley. When he

worked at News 5, he would always assess the situation in a professional manner, rather than hyping for ratings. I’ve been in contact with him on several occasions, and he has quite a personality! He’s done his homework.

image by jimmy chau

From radar and satellite imagery to various forecast models, it’s a tedious but enjoyable process. I’m occasionally accused of copying forecasts from the local news stations or http:// www.weather.com, but that’s just simply not true. In fact, I rarely even look at other forecast sources, as I have no need to do so. I’ve spent so much time studying the ins-and-outs of the atmosphere and meteorology to get to the point I am at.

It wasn’t easy, and involved missing/busting several forecasts initially, but has paid off.

Q. Any last words?

A. I have really enjoyed providing forecasts for such a great school district. From the morning announcements to a constant feed of Facebook updates, it sure has been a ride. I look forward to continuing to do so, even after I graduate.

Find Trevor’s forecasts at: http://www.cincyforecast.com

KNOWN AS THE METEOROLOGIST of SHS, Trevor Cole, 12, aspires to be a professional meteorologist and maintains a Web site to keep everyone informed. Each morning during the announcements, he fills students in on the day’s forecast.

Renu Kotwal, M.D.

­ Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Neuroscience Center LLC. 5240 East Galbraith Road Cincinnati, OH 45236

Ph: 513-442-0027 Fax: 513-442-0225

Dr. Renu Kotwal is a board certified adult psychiatrist. She specializes in treatment of mood disorders, eating disorders, obesity, and other psychiatric disorders. She is currently accepting new patients, and is on the insurance panel of several insurance carriers.

She also provides weight management evaluations and treatment.

Call the office at 513442-0027, to schedule an appointment.

10 feature

wednesday, march 24, 2010

AP review books: what to buy rashmiborah

image by rashmi borah

editor-in-chief

Unforgettable voyage Students head to Europe for spring break

true to some its well-known staples, including visits to Versailles and the Eiffel Tower, which usually rank high n what has transformed into an among the participants’ trip memoundeniable tradition at SHS, 50 ries. students and staff members are Apart from the traditional Western once again preparing to pack Europe journey, this summer, for their bags for a spring break the first time, Ray will be offering an voyage to Western Europe. The Eastern European version of the trip. trip, which is spearheaded by Ms. The trip, which will include stops Marilyn Ray, AP European History in Russia and teacher, is set to depart on March It was an extraordinary Poland, is open to both current 25, just days before time last year, I definitely and former A.P. spring break is scheduled to commade some memories European History students. mence. that will last for a while In any case, A new wrinkle added to the 2010 -Michael Streicher,11 excitement is certainly palpable edition of the trip for the upcomlies in the fact ing venture, as that the itinerary 50 members of the SHS community has been flipped. Instead of beginprepare to forge what will likely be ning the experience in London, the some of their fondest memories of group will fly into Rome, and from their time involved with the school. there utilize busses and trains to trek “It was an extraordinary time last across the continent to Paris and then year, I definitely made some memoEngland. ries that will last for a while,” said Despite the minor adjustment in Michael Streicher, 11. travel order, the 2010 trip will stay

paulpescovitz

I

sports chief

“

With just over a month until AP exams begin, now is a good time to buy your review book. If you have never taken an AP exam before, or if you are unsure of what brand of review book to buy, these are some of the resources commonly used by students.

Remember, though, that review books cover the most commonly-tested topics on AP exams; they will not cover everything, so do not depend solely on them.

Princeton Review Barron’s AP

As one of the most popular review books used on AP exams, Princeton Review has made a name for itself through easily understood yet thorough review of subtopics within each subject.

Negatives: Some feel that despite thorough coverage and identical, the practice exams that are included in the books are too easy, compared to the actual AP exams.

Another popular brand, Barron’s AP is known for having practice problems and tests similar in difficulty and style to the real AP exams.

In addition, Barron’s books offer a very thorough review of most topics covered with plenty of sample questions and essays.

Good For: AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics AP Statistics AP Calculus AB/BC AP Computer Science AP Economics

Negatives: The review material in the Barrons Good For: AP English Literature AP US History books is considered by some to be hard to folAP English Language AP Government low, and is not favored by students who prefer AP European History AP Psychology a clean layout.

5 Steps to a 5

Great for the somewhat disorganized, 5 Steps to a 5 books offer detailed review timelines for proper preparation for the AP exam, as well as practice tests and explanations for all problems.

Other resources: Negatives: Compared to other review books, the coverage of material in the 5 Steps books are not as thorough, and should not be used for difficult AP subjects.

Equally useful for all AP subjects

-CollegeBoard testing materials -CliffNotes AP books -SparkNotes AP Power packs -REA AP Review books -Kaplan AP Test books

feature 11

’ ! n a m , u o y I‘ love

wednesday, march 24, 2010

Dart Wars:

How well do these two

‘bros’ really know each other?

Game set to begin April 12

michelatindera

mattslovin

B

editor-in-chief

Keith on Nick What is his favorite food?

Steak and Shake Nick: Steak and Shake

x x

What is his greatest fear?

Me marrying his mom.

Nick: Him [Keith] marrying my sister.

What is his favorite sports team?

Detroit Tigers Nick: Florida State

33%

staff writer

Keith Diederich (above) and Nick Goedde (left) share a deep bond which includes free hair cuts and good time. Unfortunately some fears come along with this friendship like marrying each other’s sisters.

Nick on Keith

What is his favorite food?

Chipotle Keith: Chipotle

What is his greatest fear?

x

Me marrying Michelle Diederich.

Keith: Nick marrying my mom.

What is his favorite sports team?

Cleveland Cavaliers Keith: Cleveland Cavaliers

66%

Images by

Daniel Michael, Inc.

Photojournalistic Wedding Photography

photos by michela tindera

romance. (noun). A non-sexual relationship between two straight men that are unusually close. First coined in the 1990’s the term “bromance” has recently taken off in pop culture, and, according to seniors and self-proclaimed BFF’s Keith Diederich and Nick Goedde, it has also infiltrated the halls of SHS. Diederich and Goedde met four years ago when Diederich moved to the district from Georgia. Their bromance was instantaneous and the pair have been friends ever since.

One may be wondering: what do these bro’s do for fun?

“We cut each other’s hair for fun,” said Goedde.

The term was first entered the lexicon as a combination of the words “brother” and “romance” to describe the close bond held between skateboarders who spend a lot of time together in skateboarding magazine “Big Brother” by editor-in-chief and co-creator of the MTV show “Jackass” Dave Carnie.

Some of the most recent references to bromances include the reality-TV show “Bromance” on MTV inspired and starred in by “The Hills” main man Brody Jenner. The premise of the show was to find Jenner a new BFF after his intense fall-out with old BFF Spencer Pratt.

The bromance was also a focal motif of 2009 film, “I Love You, Man” where Paul Rudd starred as a heterosexual groom on a quest to find a best man before his wedding day.

Certainly, the bromance is not confined to the silver screen. There are plenty of real-life examples of this unbreakable bond.

Celeb bromances include the likes of Boston boys Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as well as heart-throbs Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

The bromance is a very strong bond that some consider to be nearly unbreakable.

Judge for yourself as this bond is tested by these two bros answering questions about each other.

As the cold weather disappears and the blanket of snow that draped the area melts, one can bet that the hallways will soon be abuzz over Dartwars.

“Dartwars is more than just a big deal,” said Curtis Robertson, 12, one of this year’s judges.

A panel of four judges is selected to preside over the game based on past performance and knowledge of the game.

One would have to be hiding under a rock to miss all of the hype that surrounds the game that has students rushing out to stores to stock up on PVC pipes (used as “blowguns”) and Nerf guns that will soon be used to ambush opponents.

Dartwars, which begins on April 12, pits teams of five SHS students against each other in rounds that run from Sunday morning at midnight until Friday night at the same time.

Although registration is still going on and prize money has not been determined, typical first place prize money hovers above or around $1000.

“The prize money, along with the fun of playing, makes it ridiculous for anyone to not play Dartwars,” said Austin Baas, 12, judge.

DISCLAIMER: Dartwars is not a schoolsanctioned activity and is not associated with SHS in any way.

513.759.6760 10816 Millington Ct, Suit 116 Cincinnati, OH 45242 Photo@DanielMichael.com

wednesday, march 24, 2010 12 feature ‘We can not allow the next generation of kids to suffer what these children have suffered,’ -Valerie Hill, 12

Unified for UNIFAT rasies awareness for Ugandan children erikarodriguez

I

staff writer

magine going days without any food, being scared to go to school every day in fear of getting hurt on the way there, or sleeping on dirt every night. These are just some of the things the average child in Uganda encounters on a daily basis.

Fortunately, Unified for UNIFAT is an organization made up of students from both private and public schools in the area who are dedicated to helping and saving the lives of children in Uganda.

all images by erika rodriguez

Brief history of UNIFAT

UNIFAT began in the year 2005.

That was the year three students from Moeller High School saw the documentary ‘Invisible Children: Rough Cut’. The three students were moved by the story of children being kidnapped from their homes and forced to fight as soldiers.

From there, the students started a group at Moeller with moderator Connie Ring, and then showed the documentary to the student body and members of the local community.

In the summer of 2007, Connie, along with the students at Moeller, met Abitimo Rebecca Odongkara: a 72-year-old woman who started a school in Northern Uganda for children affected by the war.

After hearing about Abitimo’s story and vision to educate the children and give them hope for a better future, the students felt the need to do something to help them out.

It was not long before Unified for UNIFAT was born, an official branch of the non-profit friends of UNIFAT. The Moeller student group quickly spread the word to other schools, each starting their own chapter to help raise funds and awareness about the organization.

Today there are 14 local public and private high schools involved. That number still continues to rise today.

Mission

Abitimo rightfully named the school UNIFAT, which stands for “Upper Nile Institute for Appropriate Technology”. This name perfectly embodies the primary school’s mission, which is to provide the tools for education that take into consideration the environmental, cultural, ethical, social, and economic aspects of the surrounding community.

Over the years, Abitimo has consistently worked with UNIFAT to make sure that all students can have a chance at a good education and prepare them for the future so that they may be successful, and have an LAST SUMMER, TWO SHS students, Shivani Parikh, 11 and Valerie Hill, 12, had the opportunity of travelopportunity to improve their coming to Uganda for Unified for UNIFAT. These pictures capture some of the memories made while traveling munity. through Uganda and visiting the UNIFAT school there, which included visiting and playing with the children, seeing some of Uganda’s scenery, and dancing with villagers. Next summer, two more students will also get to have the chance to go to Uganda as well.

As a result of all of the donations, help, and support of U4U, UNIFAT has gained recognition as being the top primary school in northern with Lisa Vanags, advisor of Unified for UNIFAT Uganda, consistently having the most P7 students score in the top divisions Q. What made you want to start this club at SHS? on the high school entrance exam each year for the Gulu District.

A. Back in 2006, I had our club founder and president, Meghan Marth, in my spanish class. She UNIFAT primary school contribwatched a documentary at her church, and then told me about it. After viewing the film at a schoolutes so much more than just educawide assembly, I volunteered to be the advisor. Since then, my husband who teaches at Mariemont High School has been instrumental in starting a U4U chapter there, where he is the co-advisor.

QA

Q. What has U4U done in the past to raise awareness for the people of Uganda?

A. SHS students and staff currently sponsor 40 children at UNIFAT school. Sponsorship is $300 per year,

which pays for their tuition, shoes, school uniform, one meal a day, and basic health care. Our U4U events in the past have included tailgates, benefit concerts, the city-wide ‘iDance’, as well as numerous bake sales. We have many awareness events such as a white flag peace march in Fountain Square. This year’s annual benefit concert will be held on Friday, May 7 with a neon theme. Students will not want to miss it!

Q. How can students at SHS get involved with Unified for UNIFAT? A. We have monthly meetings and a Facebook group, so students can keep up with upcoming activities that way. We need lots of volunteers for our events! Students should see a club officer, or myself in room 248 if they are interested in getting involved.

Impact

tion to the local community. The school provides employment for 55 individuals, including teachers, mentors, a cooking and cleaning staff, and a full time carpenter and tailor.

Student involvement

Unified for UNIFAT is purely student managed and operated. That means that every event, screening, bake sale, t-shirt order, and meeting happens solely due to the dedication of the students involved. It is the hard work, organization, and dedication that keeps this organization alive and working.

UNIFAT is currently made up of six private and eight public schools in the Greater Cincinnati Area.

By having a mix of both private and public schools, this organization is able to reach out to a wide range of people, regardless of where they go to school.

Several events have already taken place this year, such as the U4U tailgate, iDance 2.0, and one of the most recent ones, The UNIFAT Experience: Overnight 2010.

This event, which took place last Saturday evening, on March 20 from 5 p.m. until Sunday morning, March 21 (12 noon) at Moeller High School, gave students the amazing opportunity to meet the Ugandan children face to face.

In addition, the students got to listen to the compelling stories of sponsored children at UNIFAT, as well as strengthen their bonds with the UNIFAT students.

Sponsorship

Education is the way forward for the children of Uganda. Since the program formed in 2007, sponsorship has been the biggest and most popular program.

This unique program links students, schools, and families in the U.S. with children at UNIFAT school who are in desperate need of an education.

Only the most destitute children that apply for help receive a sponsorship.

The selection is based on data gathered from the U4U mentors, as well as an evaluation and recommendations from Abitimo, founder and proprietor of UNIFAT school.

If one were to choose to sponsor a child, they would be giving them $300 per year, which would provide the child with tuition, medical care, mentorship, lunch, school supplies, two uniforms, and shoes.

Sponsoring a child invests in their future; providing them with not only an education, but also a mentor who cares for their well being.

By paying tuition for a child’s education, it would also help to pay the salaries of the teachers, mentors, and administrators of the school.

They in turn can take that money and feed their families, send their children to school, or invest in their future. By investing in an education, one would also be investing in UNIFAT, Gulu, and Uganda.

Facts About UNIFAT: - There are currently 1,300 students at UNIFAT - Classes are offered from Nursery to P7 ( U.S. equivalent of 8th grade) - The average class size is 60-90 students - UNIFAT employs 41 full-time teachers - They offer many after school programs such as scouts, chorus, and traditional dance

T

feature 13

wednesday, march 24, 2010

hrift stores offer grand selection

ake home trendy clothes without breaking bank

dannybayliss

I

staff writer

&

drewgelwicks

staff writer

staff writer

&

danielrickert

staff writer

&

elleanzhang

news chief

Items with prices that make one double-take :

ries

esso acc m o hro bat $0.49 0 $5.0

9 .0 $0 0 9 .0 .6 $3 $0 e: 0 in .0 az 10 ag : $ m ook b t: ke 9 c a .9 ej ed $3 su 5.00 $7

purse: 3.99 $15.00 $

Goodwill

9410 Kenwood Rd.

St Vincent De Paul 9864 Reading Rd.

Valley Thrift 840 Reading Rd.

Plato’s Closet

9148 Union Cemetery Rd.

9

: $10.00 $0.4

viynl record

99 2.

0 $ 99 0.0 5. $1 00 $ s: er 30. pp : $ sli oes sh

Thrift stores to hit up

nankihura

all images by staff

n today’s economy, and more so than ever, every dollar kept and spent matters. Large spending sprees in a recession are now ‘no-no’s,’ and money is burning more pockets than usual.

There must be a way to cope right?

Love shopping but love money more? Take a trip to the local thrift store.

There is a tremendous selection of quality clothes, accessories, toys, household appliances, and more.

A lot of the clothing is donated and lightly worn instead of being new, yet there is still style and sophistication to be found in the many rows of apparel.

Gifts, gadgets, and garments galore, a thrift store can be a stingy spender’s best friend.

“Thrift stores are an ideal place to shop if you want to save a ton of money. For example, I got my cross country spikes, which are an $80 value on average, for just $15 at a thrift store. A brand new pair for $15 is amazing,” said Rohan Dalal, 11.

The best part may be the prices though.

Notorious for great deals, much of the merchandise at thrift stores can be bought with less than $10 to $15.

“When I went to the thrift store I saved on a lot of items that I purchased. I was so happy to pay such a low price,” said Lisa Kohmescher, 10.

There is also absolutely no shame in shopping at thrift stores. Just because an item has been lightly used or worn, does not mean it is cheap and not useful.

The people who think that clearly cannot see the positives of a thrift store.

“I see nothing wrong with shopping at a thrift store. It does not make you any less cool or stylish. In fact it is a smart investment, considering you save money by shopping there,” said Nick Schraffenberger, 10.

Indeed one may prefer the glamorous shopping at a mall.

But while it is not Forever 21, JC Penney, or Target, thrift store shopping provides an extra option that just might save money that can be used for something else.

Bargains are bargains, and in this day in age, why not take advantage of them?

&

THRIFT STORES OFFER CONSUMERS a wide selection of goods. From the more formal shirt that Tess Plona, 10, is sporting, to the wacky, tacky holiday Looney Tunes vest, all types of clothing can be found their aisles-long closet. In addition, many thrifts store like Valley Thrift do not end at clothing for head to toe; they carry random paraphernalia that are delightful to discover. **all slashed-out values on price tags are estimated

A&E m

14

ichela’s musings

wednesday, march 24, 2010

SHS students on

John Mayer eats his words in tabloid-frenzy michelatindera

editor-in-chief

Alumni perform in famous productions elliegoldman

I

staff writer

“Jersey Boys”. While at SHS she performed in many of the same shows as her other Broadway counterparts.

Baum is currently in the crew of “Mary Poppins.” The tour of this show is scheduled to be in Cincinnati this April at the Aronoff Center. He was also a frequent on the SHS stage during his four years. His first Broadway performance was in “A Chorus Line.”

While most high school performers do not intend to follow their onstage talents as a career path, there are some who aim to do just that.

Just as SHS loves to flaunt their major league sports players, now they can excitedly claim four Broadway performers. Unfortunately, the fact that the school is chummy with the performers may not be quite enough to score any free tickets.

photos courtesy altavista.com

n the depth of the theater storage area, buried under mounds of lost-and-found, an SHS theater T-shirt was discovered from the year of 2001-2002. While the signatures on the back may seem unremarkable, they are in actuality a link to Broadway.

There are four SHS theater department graduates currently playing on Broadway.

Kate Rockwell, ‘02, David Hull, ’03, Sydney Morton, ‘04 and David Baum, ’00. At SHS they performed under the guidance of former theater director Ms. Leslie Knotts.

“Leslie was a fabulous teacher who challenged all of these kids to do better than their best,” said Linda Rockwell, Kate Rockwell’s mother.

Rockwell performs as an ensemble member in “Hair.”

The tale depicts a band of 1960’s hippies living in the shadow if the Vietnam War. It opened on March 5 has a scheduled run for six months.

Rockwell has previously performed in the Broadway run of “Legally Blonde” as Margot, and also the national tour of the show.

She still harbors fond memories of shows such as her largest SHS role, as Tiger Lily in “Peter Pan.” Hull gets his chance as a member of the “Wicked” cast, after performing in the national tour of the same show in the role of understudy to Boq. This will be Hull’s first time on the Broadway stage, though other performance credits include the national tour of “A Chorus Line”.

Morton’s present stage engagement is the Broadway production of “Memphis.” Other performances included the tour of

a&e

this month in

Who will win Princess of Pop? | pg 15

“Alice in Wonderland”

Outlandish or whimsical? | pg 16

Annual fundraiser benefits music department

emilybegley

business manager

Only one fundraiser could be responsible for dishing out over 8,000 pancakes and 26 gallons of syrup to students and staff last year – Pancake Day, an annual fundraiser that benefits the music department.

Students, friends, and family members poured into SHS on Saturday, March 6 to attend this year’s 48th annual Pancake Day. Breakfast was served in the Commons from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Members of all ages in band and orchestra entertained with 13 different performances while their audience enjoyed pancakes,

photo by mcdaniels photography

Note: This is the final edition of Michela’s Musings. Since beginning my column in April 2008 I have had my fair share of musings ranging from my first, why “Teen Vogue” is a waste of paper, to the demise of “TRL” (I am still upset about that one), to why “You’re a Jerk” is still my favorite song. I would just like to thank those of you who have been loyal followers of my rantings as well as the occasional ‘Musings’ readers over the past two years. Of course, do not be too sad about this great loss, Gina’s Jams will be taking my column’s place on the front page of A&E for the April issue and then on. Farewell loyal fans!

Pancake Day serves up entertainment Ke$ha vs. Lady Gaga

“My stupid mouth has got me in trouble, I said too much again,” sang tabloid-prince, John Mayer, on his debut album Room for Squares in 2001. Of course when his fans had their first listen nine years ago they took the rocker’s lyrics as a bashful geek who just did not know how to say the right thing to get a date.

Several messy and very public relationships with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson, and an “Us-Weekly” rumored fling with Taylor Swift have given Mayer a reputation of anything but bashful and geeky.

Mayer’s most recent interview with “Rolling Stone Magazine” left many readers shocked at his detailed and over-the-top descriptions of his sex life with Simpson. While most of what he said is not suitable for the under-18 crowd, some sound bites included comparing Simpson to crack cocaine, his addiction to porn and marijuana, as well as an inappropriate use of the “N” word in a “Playboy” interview.

Luckily, Mayer chose to take the high road and tweeted an apology for his “stupid mouth.” You can always tell if someone really feels remorse for their actions if they can express those feelings in 140 characters or less.

Although Mayer didn’t completely lose his sensitiverocker image—on Feb. 11 at a Nashville concert Mayer cried on stage.

He was apologizing for his recent remarks that turned out to be not as “clever” and “witty” as he thought they would be. I watched a clip of it on YouTube and I had a hard time deciding whether or not it was a heartfelt cry.

Certainly tears were falling, however I find it difficult to know what is the truth when Mayer found it so easy to completely insult and defile ex-girlfriend Simpson as well as the African American community at the drop of a hat in interviews for national magazines.

It seems as if it would really benefit Mayer if he were to revisit some of his songs. In “My Stupid Mouth” he also sings, “How could I forget? Mama said, ‘Think before speaking.’”

However I do not want to sound like a complete Mayerhater. I did, in fact, recently attend his concert in Columbus on Friday, March 12. And while I had been telling people my reason for attending was a secret hope to see SobFest 2.0 on stage and in person, Mayer actually is an incredibly talented artist.

His most recent album “Battle Studies” released on Nov. 17 is some of his best work yet. And for someone like myself who is more of a fan of his pop-persona (I am not afraid to admit that “Your Body Is a Wonderland” is on my Top 25 Most Played iPod playlist) than the blues-y one, I was still able to love it.

While I had to make fun of the fact that John Mayer wept on stage at his own concert, I do actually hope that he is sorry for his comments. And perhaps Mayer will be able to take a look at his work and truly learn that what he may call “speaking up” “only hurts” him. Mayer said it best: “I’d rather be a mystery than she desert me.” Well, looks like she did.

Better luck next time Johnny-boy.

sausage, juice, and other beverages available for $6. All proceeds from the meal directly benefited Sycamore Band and Orchestra Boosters (SBOB).

The Fine Arts Show accompanied Pancake Day and showcased the art of students throuhgout the district..

Students enrolled in an art class at any point this year were encouraged to submit pieces they were proud of to be put on display as well. There was no limit to the number of works an individual was able to include.

Visit www.sbob.org for more information about upcoming opportunities to become involved.

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a&e 15

wednesday, march 24, 2010

Princesses of pop battle it out

T

editor-in-chief

vs. Lady Gaga

he two ringleaders of the electronic-pop movement Lady Gaga and Ke$ha are put to the ultimate test in this battle royale. Judged on six holistic categories important to any pop-princess we find out who is the real number one.

Discovery story

Ke$ha confirmed rumors to “Billboard” magazine that she did indeed break into Prince’s mansion eluding security to personally deliver her demo to him. Though Prince never called her back, she now has a great story to share.

winner: Ke$ha

Name

While Lady Gaga’s name is certainly the more bizarre of the two, it is not her legal name. She was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta which doesn’t seem to have quite the ring to it that Gaga does.

Kesha Rose Sebert on the other hand is her legal name, though the dollar sign was added with the production of her first CD.

winner: Ke$ha

Digital Downloads

Her first hit “Tik Tok” eclipsed Gaga’s first, “Just Dance” with 610,000 digital downloads to Gaga’s measly 419,000 downloads in 2009. Kesha is the first singer since Debby Boone and her 1977 hit “You Light Up My Life” to have her debut single spend eight weeks straight at number one.

winner: Ke$ha

Clothes

ginaromeo

If she can say with a straight face that she dresses the way she does for performances on a daily basis and still keep a straight face you have to give her some props. I mean, don’t those plastic bubbles (seen on the kick-off show of her U.S. tour) get uncomfortable hanging out on the couch?

Certainly Ke$ha has her own unique style as well. Although, her fashion sense is more très-trash than très-chic.

spotlight editor

winner: Lady Gaga

Performance

Lady Gaga’s showmanship is undeniable. Her performances at recent award ceremonies were off the charts with crazy costumes, dances, and special effects. If there is anyone in today’s pop music culture who knows how to put on a show, it is Gaga.

Though Ke$ha has not had the performance experience Gaga has, her show at Lollapalooza this past summer was no doubt sub-par. Not to mention Ke$ha off autotune is a semi-painful experience to the ears.

winner: Lady Gaga

SHS says

Lady Gaga. Out of a poll of 70 students, Gaga won out 48-22; however, there were strong supporters on both sides of the track. “I’m gonna have to go with the Gaga woman. Ke$ha’s stuff sounds too much like Pacman,” said Duck Yim, 12.

Others found it difficult to make a decision at all. “Is equal love not an option?” said Meghan Marth, 12.

winner: Lady Gaga ROYAL BARBERS 984-4388

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michelatindera

Ke$ha

gina’s There is one reason and one reason only that would possess me to stay up past ten on a school night: the premiere of an epic nine-minute music video starring my girls Lady Gaga and Beyonce.

On March 11, at 11:30 p.m., the longawaited arrival of Gaga and Beyonce’s collab hit “Telephone” premiered on several stations.

The video starts off as a continuation of her previous hit video “Paparazzi,” where Gaga is thrown in jail for poisoning her boyfriend. Sporting an edgy black and white striped frock, Lady G is shown being escorted into prison by two burly female guards.

What comes in the next few minutes is a whirlwind of prison fights, outrageous outfits and a scantily-clad dance scene, all set to the dance hit.

Beyonce then proceeds to bail Gaga out of jail. The two go on a lengthy drive through the desert to reach a small diner where “Honey B” (Beyonce) plans to kill her boyfriend on-screen, Tyrese Gibson.

A few more dance scenes and one-liners later, the entire diner is dead and the two are driving off into the sunset.

Possessing a Quentin Tarantino-esque style, this video did not disappoint. In fact, I would go as far as to say it was the best of Gaga’s videos yet.

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16 a&e

wednesday, march 24, 2010

‘How Starbucks Saved My Life’:

Man finds solace in unlikeliest of places

Taking on Hollywood

catherinefarist

‘Alice in Wonderland’ s.m.dipali

emmarosen

have to say, whenever I see Johnny Depp staring in a supposed children’s movie, I am scared out of my mind. After seeing him in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” I was quite hesitant to see him in his latest movie.

Depp stars in the newly released “Alice in Wonderland” directed by the one and only, Tim Burton.

Similar to his previous movies, “Alice in Wonderland” successful in creeping me out.

It tells the story of Alice, now 19 and engaged, falling back into Wonderland and exploring this forgotten world.

Burton took aspects from the Lewis Carroll original and morphed them into his own unique creation.

Although Burton’s twisted sense of art design may have mellowed over the years, his colors and outlandish characters became too much for me. Coupled with a tangled mess of a plot, this new rendition of “Alice in Wonderland” was anything but entertaining.

In fact, by the end of the movie I found myself getting a headache.

Well, at least Burton is consistent.

As a child I marveled at the sheer oddness of Lewis Carrol’s supposed “kid’s story.” John Tenniel’s eerie illustrations further perplexed me.

Now that my mind is developed into that of a 16-year-old, I find that Wonderland holds a different kind of appeal. Tim Burton’s version of Wonderland does not stray far from the original, in fact in my mind it is pretty dead on.

Burton’s design was flawless. His talent for the whimsical and weird was utilized masterfully in this film. But while the graphics were top-notch, the story line petered out towards the end.

I mean, things were going great. I was loving the dialogue, enthralled

by Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter, and pleasantly puzzled by all of Wonderland’s other inhabitants. But then Burton had to go shoot himself in the foot with just one thing... the cliche climax action scene.

“Alice in Wonderland” very nearly was a masterpiece, but missed the mark by just a few inches.

I

Rating: 3

photos courtesy of altavista.com

staff writer

a&e chief

a&e chief

The memoir centers around an older gent named Michael Gates Gill, son of the New Yorker critic Brendan Gill. The author of this memoir, Michael Gill went to work in an entrylevel job out of desperation—desperate because he had lost his “high powered” advertising position at the J. Walter Thompson agency in New York.

Gill was originally a creative director, a job handed to him through an elitist connection before his graduation from Yale.

25 years into his career, he was given the boot in what he portrays as a youth movement at the company.

Along the way he met many famous people and made piles of money. He also ignored his family, lost his job, set up as a consultant, could not keep his clients, had a son by a woman he met at the gym, lost his family, lost his house, ran out of money, lost his health insurance ... and did I mention that he had a brain tumor?

Granted, a minor one that only affected his hearing, but nonetheless- a brain tumor. The author finds himself laid off in his 50s and almost broke in his 60’s.

Casually strolling into a Starbucks in his childhood neighborhood during a trip down the nostalgia lane of his once Richie Rich life, Gill steps into an open job fair where he is offered a job by a young, African American woman named Crystal, and changes his persona to the new broke “Mike” instead of “Michael.”

Starbucks clearly comes from the west coast, modern style of company, but there is some delight in his simple realization that Starbucks offers health insurance, stock options, and a respectful and enthusiastic culture for its employees.

The reader finds Gill glossing over the details of anything negative – his entire affair, divorce, and illegitimate child get a few measly paragraphs, while his mere toilet cleaning abilities are filled with pages.

Reminiscent of Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel “Eat, Love, Pray,” both authors find their lives have bottomed out beneath them, and then are straightened out by some “life changing” event.

They then happen to write a book about it.

The great thing about this book is that it largely does not overstay its welcome. It is short and sweet –with Gill largely extracting the sympathy vote in a humorous and humbled tone. (But have you really learned your lesson, Mr. Gates?) An easy evening read – small pages, large font.

College Caravan

visit Indiana University, University of Illinois, and Purdue University the weekend of April 30 - May 2 For teens in grades 10 - 11 Check out colleges with other teens! Tour the campuses, visit each school’s Hillel and experience Jewish life at college.

Register by Friday, April 23.

Questions? Contact Danny Meisterman: 513.722.7244 or dmeisterman@mayersonjcc.org

www.JointheJ.org 8485 Ridge Road at Reagan Highway Cincinnati, Ohio 45236 Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson JCC on The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Campus

Sports

17

Take a

wednesday, march 24, 2010

Hike

65 (minus 64) reasons to expand NCAAs to 96 brandonsosna

sports chief

R

THE SHS BOYS LACROSSE team has worked hard in the offs eason to improve on conditioning, in hope of more success during the season. They open their season against rival St.Xavier, which will prove to be a tough matchup, but should adequately prepare them for the rest of their campaign.

egular season to start for boys lacrosse eturnees work hard on field, in weightroom

staff writer

W

inter has come to a close, which means spring sports are starting up. For men’s lacrosse Coach Tom Nugent, the season has been in full-swing for quite some time.

“We have been in the weight room four days a week since August. The season began Feb. 22 when we began conditioning. We have had to battle the elements with the large amounts of snowfall.

We have been a little slower developing team concepts,” said Nugent.

He has high hopes for both the

sports

this month in

Tennis team holds tryouts

Players work hard to make the team, as players and coaches look foward to an upcoming spring season.

Page>>18

Need more coverage? Visit the sports page at www.goaves.com

JV and varsity squads.

The JV wants to win a city championship and the varsity team's goal is a state championship and to win Region 4. The varsity team is led this year by strong leadership of the senior class. Their leadership will be the difference for the team reaching its goals. It should be a very exciting year,” said Nugent.

The teams had their first true practices on were held on Monday, March 8.

“I am really excited to start the season,” said Adrian McClure, 10.

Nugent also shared the varsity’s upcoming schedule.

“We have our first scrimmage on Friday, March 12 at Mariemont at 6:30 p.m. We will be

traveling on the 20 and 21 (of March) to St. X to compete in the invitational that will see us play 8 different opponents. We will play our first game versus Summit Country Day on March 23 at 5 p.m. at Summit,” said Nugent.

Nugent also has the team working off the field. Their annual mulch sale, which started in 2003, recently ended Monday, Feb. 22.

Each player had to sell 150 bags of mulch, with a 10 bag minimum for each delivery.

“We sold 6900 bags of mulch.

It was delivered on March 6 in less than eight hours. This can only be accomplished through a great team effort from everyone in the program,” said Nugent.

Upcoming Schedule:

3/27 4/9 3/23 3/20

dannybayliss

@ St. Xavier vs. Summit Country Day vs. Glenbrook North vs. Loveland

District title run cut short Girls varsity basketball falls to Princeton in championship game emilycohen

staff writer

After an up and down season, the girls’ basketball team received the fifth rank in the tournament.

The team was challenged early on, beating Mercy 37-24 and barely surviving an overtime thriller against Anderson winning 37-35.

With one more win, they would be the first team to win districts in ten years. Knowing the importance of the game, the school provided a pep bus to create a home crowd advantage. However, standing in the way was rival team Princeton, who swept the team during the regular season.

The game started out fast.

Leading the way was ChIoe Pavlech, 10, who scored 20 points despite leg cramps.

It was a physical and competitive game, in which every possession

was important. SHS took an early lead leading 14-11 after the first quarter and lead at halftime 27-24.

However, Princeton came out strong in the second half and retook the lead.

Their offense picked up and the team could not hold them.

Princeton ended up winning 5850, ended SHS’s season.

“It was disappointing, we had come so far and really wanted to win this one,” said Amy Isaacs, 12.

The two top scorers from the team, Pavlech and Ashley Schaefer, 11, will return. In addition, starting guard Alexis Newbolt, 10, will return as well.

The team will start conditioning early next fall to strive for success in 2011. The team just missed a chance at history and will take a crack at it next year. The girls hope to rebound off the post season loss and start next year off strong.

Alexis Newbolt, 10, ALONG WITH the rest of the SHS basketball team, worked hard throughout the season, and hope for a better conclusion in 2010-2011.

As I write, we’re two days away from tipping off what I consider to be the most exciting, exhilarating, super-scintillating sensational 96 hours.

And people want to overhaul it.

Recently, it has surfaced that the NCAA is considering a switch to a 96-team NCAA Tournament field.

This would include a plethora of byes and a whole ton more of mediocrity.

College football has already mastered the art of watering down the post season to the point that the earliest of bowl games draw sparse crowds. Take this clipping from an article written by Yahoo! on Monday, Dec. 15, 2008, less than two weeks before the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho: “As of Monday afternoon the University of Maryland says it's sold about 16 tickets to the game. The University of Nevada says it's sold eight so far.”

The requirement to gain eligibility for a college bowl is to win six games. Most teams only play 12.

That means a team needs only to garner a .500 record to participate in the post season. But let’s reward mediocrity.

Imagine an expanded NCAA Tournament field this March. Jay Bilas of ESPN labeled it the weakest field of all time. The selection committee was stuck not choosing the best remaining at large teams, but instead, the team that stunk the least.

With 96 participants, the “snubbed” squads (who didn’t deserve to be in but still insist they should have “relative deprivation”) would be in. Virginia Tech, Illinois, Mississippi State, and Seton Hall would not have even been on the bubble. Consider them locked.

The host of Big East teams flooding the NIT would be in. Cincinnati, Connecticut, South Florida, etc.

Heck, even St. Louis of the CBI may have been dancing.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of watching a 9-seed vs. 24seed matchup of Florida State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff has my autonomic nervous system ready to implode.

There is room for expansion however. The current system of deciding the last teams in vs. the last teams out leaves much to be desired. It’s like the coin toss (sorry, Woody Johnson) in NFL overtimes – it works, but always causes a tussle.

The Brandon Sosna proposal is simple yet ingenious. Why not just fix the part that sparks the most controversy? Why do we waste the play-in game on two teams that won’t advance passed the first round regardless?

Therefore, I propose we expand the field to 69 teams. Four play-in games for the final four at-large bids. The eight teams that duke it out for those last slots would be easily determined under the current format of the selection committee.

Because the way they decide it now is not fair. What happened to earning your stripes?

The NCAA is calling for a revolution, but I simply suggest a tweak.

It’s not perfect, but March Madness is “as good as it gets.”

On second thought, maybe we should expand the tournament by 32 teams. Under that format, we would all be rewarded with more Gus Johnson. Nothing can beat that. Ha. For comments on this column, please write to WritetoTheLeaf@gmail.com

18 sports

wednesday, march 24, 2010

photo courtesy of McDaniels Photography

Band Wagon

JOSH GOODMAN, 10 GETS SOME encouragement from JV coach Tanya Holland. Goodman is back on JV, with Holland as his coach again. They hope to continue their success from last year.

Boy’s tennis looks to top GMC ranks Varsity

W

&

frankpan

staff writer

ith each year comes a new set of SHS students ready to play tennis. Like always, try-outs are very competitive, giving players the opportunity to compete for roster positions on varsity gold, varsity green, and junior varsity.

Mike Teets, varsity head coach and other returning players look forward to a new season that is sure to be exciting and successful.

SHS has a deep history in boys tennis that includes 17 GMC championships from 1989-1999, 2001, 2002, and from 2003-2008.

Varsity gold had a sub-par 2009 season and the team will look to rebound after a near .500 season.

“We always want to win the league title and advance as far as possible in the state team tournament,”

said Teets. “Last year we had some inexperience and dropped a couple of matches to teams that we had a chance to beat.”

Last year SHS finished third in the GMC behind Lakota East and Lakota West, posting a 7-2 record in the conference.

With one more year of experience and a solid freshman class, Teets hopes that the teams will be able to pull out close matches.

They be tested—varsity gold opens the season during spring break with a difficult four game stretch starting on March 31 with Toledo St. Johns, a state final four team from last season.

The team will then play GMC foe Mason on April 1 and then travel to Columbus to take on perennial Division II powerhouse Columbus Academy on April 2. Then the match on Saturday, April 3 will place SHS against Louisville St. Xavier.

“The GMC is always very strong,” said Teets, “so teams like Lakota East, Lakota West, Mason, and Princeton…

always pose a major threat and we have very competitive matches with them.”

“The early schedule is tough and we will have to play our best tennis to come out on top but we can do it,” said Adam Reinhart, 11.

A look into the rest of the season has the team playing against West, East, Turpin, Upper Arlington, Loveland, St. Xavier, and Centerville.

“We hope to avenge our losses against West, East, Turpin, and Loveland from last year,” said David Jungerwirth, 12.

The team will look for a win filled 2010 season after all the hard work they have put in during the off season.

Students are encouraged to come watch singles and doubles matches during the season. There is always room to support the team and to out cheer the other teams’ crowds.

Although, it is tennis and cheering is sparingly permitted.

“I will definitely come to a few of the matches this year and support tennis,” said Maggie Cron, 11.

Looking for a fun summer job that will look great on your college applications? Consider the Hamilton County Park District! Learn more at our

Employment Open House Saturday, February 6 from 9 am to 2 pm Sharon Woods • Sharon Centre Complete an application and talk with department supervisors. There are more than 100 positions available for the 2010 season at the boathouses, campground, snack bars, banquet centers, golf courses, outdoor education, park maintenance and admissions.

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A Roster

David Jungerwirth 12 Jake Maxwell 12 Jeffrey Kaplan 11 Andrew Katz 11 Frank Pan 11 Adam Reinhart 11 Yuri Karev 9 Dylan Stern 9 Nikhil Grandhi 9

paulpescovitz

sports chief

For the past year or so, I’ve undertaken the task of identifying developing trends in the wide world of sports and either encouraging my readers to “jump on the bandwagon” or vehemently demanding that they distance themselves from the phenomena. Seeing as this is my last opportunity to pen this column, let’s take a gander at how I’ve done with three of my more significant topics: Topic: Jeremy Tyler and Brandon Jennings skipping college (in Tyler’s case, high school) to play in Europe before jumping to the NBA. Verdict: Jump on the bandwagon. Result: Jennings is having an extraordinary season for Milwaukee, garnering outside consideration for Rookie of the Year. Tyler on the other hand, hasn’t done so well, as his experiment was recently described by the New York Times as “disastrous.” Grade: B. A huge hit with Jennings balances out the catastrophic failure of my Tyler prediction.

Topic: Cincinnati Bengals just after their unbelievable loss to Denver.

Verdict: Jump off the bandwagon, and fast. Result: Surprisingly, in the wake of their momentum-destroying loss the Bengals ripped off a 10-6 record, including a perfect mark in the AFC North, and a rare playoff performance. Grade: F. Could not have been more wrong on this one, as the ‘Cardiac Cats’ recovered to provide an extremely exciting season.

To wrap it up, I’d just like to thank anyone who has spent any amount of time reading “Bandwagon Jumpers.”

I’ve enjoyed writing it, and I hope at least someone out there enjoyed reading it. Look for a new sports column to run in this space starting in April.

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Must be used at the same visit.

Good for with up toany 4 family Not valid other members. offers.

Mustonly be used at the Station same visit.

Good at Harpers Not valid with any other offers. location.

Good only at Harpers Station location.

GoodApril for 41 family members!

Valid Thru April 30, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

an

8

99 99

Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010 Valid April Thru April 30, 2010 for141Thru family members!

ValidGood March March 31, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

Good for 4 family members!

Good for up to 4 family members.

Goodbe forused up toat4the family members.

Must same visit.

Good forused up toany family members.

Must be at4the same visit.

Not valid with other offers.

Must be used at the same visit.

Not valid with any other offers.

Good only at Harpers Station Not valid with any other offers.

Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good only at Harpers Station location. location.

H A I Rhaircut Cand UT blow dry

$

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010 Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010 Good for 14 Thru family members!

Valid April April 30, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

Good for 4 family members!

H A II R CU T H HA AIR RC CU UT T

11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH All Sycamore school

$ $

99 99

Good for up to 4 family members.

Good be forused up toat4 the family members.

Must same visit.

Good for up to at 4 family members.

Mustvalid be used theother same visit.

Not with any offers.

Must be used atany theother sameoffers. visit.

Not valid Good onlywith at Harpers Station Not valid with any other offers.

Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good only at Harpers Station location. location.

Meet the New Staff!

Harpers Station

3145-1

Good for up Must be use Not valid wit Good only at location.

HA A III R RC CU UT T H A R C U T H

Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm HA IRC UT Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 11am-4pm Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010 Adult - $12 Kids $10 Good for 4-family members!

Valid April 1 Thru April 30, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

7

$

99

Valid March 1 Thru March 31, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

H A I R Cschool U T I.D. until theH A I R C U T

8

$

99

Good for up to 4 family members.

Must be used at the same visit.

Not valid with any other offers.

Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members.

end of the school year!

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

8

$

99

Good for up to 4 family members.

Must be used at the same visit.

Not valid with any other offers.

Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members.

$ $

Good for up Must be use Good for up Not valid wi Must be use Good only at Not valid wi location.

Good only at location.

$

Good for up Must be use Not valid wi Good only at location.

HAIRCUT

99 with student or

$

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010 Good for 4 family members!

Good for up to 4 family members.

Must be used at the same visit.

Not valid with any other offers.

Good only at Harpers Station location.

Adult - $12 • Kids- $10

3145-1

99

Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010 Good for 4 family members!