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INTERESTED IN BEING next year’s mascot? Check out page 16 to find out more about what it takes to be Mr. Aviator, and how senior Greg van Amerongen changed what it means to be our beloved Aves mascot.
FRIDAY May 25, 2007 Volume LIV Issue X 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 513 686. 1770 ext. 3089
LAST MONTH, A group of seniors across the nation, including 16 from our high school, went on March of the Living. On this trek, participants traveled through Poland and Israel to remember the Holocaust. Find out more about this life-changing trip on page 24.
NEWSBYTES Read more about these stories on GoAves.org
National Honor Society If you are a sophomore with a 3.6 GPA or higher, you are eligible to apply for National Honor Society membership in the fall. You are required to have at least 30 hours of community service, so make sure to get those volunteer hours in before next year! Check out goaves.org for more info.
Spring sports advance to state levels Keep following spring sports as they win their way through districts and on to state! Girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, and track are fleet-footing it forward in their endeavor to capture their state goals.
Underclass Academic Award recognition Applaud the vast achievements of our freshmen, sophomores and juniors. 10 book awards; multiple departmental medallions, and numerous local, state and national contest titles were presented in an evening assembly complete with a standing ovation. Now is the time to set your sites on earning some of these prestigious awards next year!
GoAves.org undergoes reconstruction GoAves.org will be on hiatus from the end of the school year until the beginning of August. Keep your eyes on this site, and watch as it is redesigned to deliver news as accurately and as promptly as possible. Track the arrival of the 2007 Log Yearbook and the start-up of the 2007-2008 school year. Note the time when the building officially opens, practices commence, and counselors return, and keep checking blackboard to connect with your summer assignments.
Check out slide show of Arrive Alive, Prom/After Prom A Walk to Remember plus Hollywood teamed up to produce an exhilarating and fun-filled adventure. Many thanks to Student Council (Class of 2008) and SHAPE for providing the juniors and seniors plus their dates the night to remember.
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calendar 2 news 3-5 opinion 6-10 fun&games 11 12 diversity
13-23 a&e 24-29 30-34 sports spotlight 36 feature
ACTING IN THE spring musical The Secret Garden are Laura Wacksman, 11, Hilary Fingerman, 12, Aimee Morton, 11, Brandon Cole, 12, and Ben Rosen, 10. 15 students were awarded Cappies Awards. The play itself also received awards for best song and musical.
images by jen lee
Receiving final round of applause
The Secret Garden cast, crew snatch ten Cappies awards JENNIFER LEE
F
editor-in-chief
or high school theatre students, the Cappies Awards Gala is like the Tony Awards—just without the commercial breaks. It is the one time they can go on stage without their costumes, give heartfelt thank-you speeches like real Broadway stars, and take home shining gold trophies. This year, however, the Cappies Awards was not just a glimmering occasion; it was one that made Aves Theatre history. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” said J. Riley Able, 10. After innumerable hours of rehearsal and four hair-raising performances, the cast and crew of The Secret Garden brought home an impressive ten Cappies awards. “It was really wonderful to be recognized,” said Mr. John Whapam, theatre director. “Ten is big.” Never before has Aves Theatre received so many awards from this program, which was started in Cincinnati in 2002. The Cappies is a national critics and awards program for high school theatre participants, with 15 regional
programs across the U.S. and one program in Canada. Through Cappies, high school theatre and journalism students, trained as theater critics, attend performances at other high schools and compose reviews. At the end of each year, critics serve as judges for the Cappies nominations and Awards Gala, which was held this year at the Aronoff Center. Each of the 29 schools in the Cappies of Greater Cincinnati received the opportunity to perform one scene at the Aronoff, giving the performers a chance to feel what it is like to be on a professional stage. “It’s a great chance to perform at the Aronoff,” said Aimee Morton, 11. Aves Theater was nominated for 21 awards, ten of which they received. Awards were given to the following cast and crew: Zach Goldman, 9, Lydia Griffith, 10, and crew for sound; Lizy LeBlond, 10, Bear Wilfong, 11, and crew for lighting; Candice Nemoff, 10, Noel Ripberger, 9, Kerry Verdier, 10, and Jessica Walling, 10, for costumes; Laura Friedmann, 11, and Jessica
Changes for next year
The upcoming 2007-2008 school year will be marked by several changes, which are as follows:
Walling, 10, for make-up; Riley Able, 10, Phil Brodrick, 11, and crew for stage crew; the Dreamers, for Ensemble in a Musical; Aimee Morton, 11, for Featured Actress in a Musical; Laura Wacksman, 11, for Female Vocalist; and George Benson, 12, for Featured Actor in a Musical. The Secret Garden was also awarded best song and best musical. “We are only one of two high schools to have won both best play, which we won in 2004, and best musical-- ever,” said Whapam. Cappies winners are able to join the Cappies International Theater in the summer in Washington, D.C. For the cast and crew, receiving these awards means more than just having ten trophies to display in the glass case at school. It was a welcome reminder that hard work does not go unnoticed— that every hour spent practicing lines, getting the notes just right, and setting up was worth it. “The Cappies Gala was amazing and it felt like a fitting end to a production where everyone learned a lot and worked incredibly hard,” said Zach Goldman, 9.
Trophy Case The following awards were received:
Best Musical Best Song Costumes Ensemble in a Musical Featured Actor in a Musical Featured Actress in a Musical Female Vocalist Make-up Sound Stage Crew
Kenji Matsudo’s final lap:
Principal announces plans to leave district JENNIFER LEE
editor-in-chief
New Course: Biotech Driving rule: Reduced carpools, in accordance with the new state law. Carpools will be only two students each. Parking passes will remain the same price ($75). Global language: New after-school Hebrew class program in relationship with Raymond Walters. For joint college and high school credit. image courtesy of sycamoreschools.org
After six years at the high school, Principal Kenji Matsudo has decided to leave and take the job of assistant superintendent at Madeira Schools. Matsudo has been the school’s principal for the past two and a half years; he was also an assistant principal for three and a half years. The principal’s departure leaves an empty position that the school hopes to fill in the days to come. Thank you, Mr. Matsudo, for an awesome six years, and we wish you the best of luck at Madeira!