2011 November Issue The Sycamore Leaf by Sycamore High School

The

ycamore

eaf

WORLD CHOIR GAMES

FIRST DOWN

SHS choir to compete in international voice competition

A recap of football’s season and their titanic struggle against the Crusaders

Friday, November 18, 2011 | Volume LIX Issue 4 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.GoAves.com

newsbriefs Choir Concert

Touring Company will be performing on Dec. 8 at 7:30 in the Big Theater. Songs will include both contemporary music from their touring collection, as well as holiday music in homage to the season. All are invited to come and support the Touring Company; the event is free.

oaring above drugs’ influence tudents substitute fun for substances

Lunch Cleanup

Lunch messes have been getting “worse and worse” throughout the year, according to Tony Scala, custodian. The severity of the messes prompted Scala and other members of the custodial staff to dump three barrels of trash onto the floor of the commons in demonstration in the beginning of Nov. Students are reminded that they are required to clean up after themselves in the lunchroom. “It helps and saves a lot of time,” said Scala.

Mural

Art Club is in the process of expanding their rainforest mural in the physics hallway. Currently, 15 to 20 members are working on the project, but the club is always looking for more members to assist with the project. No artistic talent is necessary, just an appreciation for art. They meet after school and will continue to do so until the mural is finished; students can join the project at any time.

Overtures

Each year, the theater program sends representatives to The Overture Awards, an esteemed scholarship competition which will take place this January. The process just to be a representative of SHS is very competitive, let alone the actual competition. This year, Mr. John Whapham, theater director, has chosen Zoe Bochner,11, and Carmel Rechnitzer, 11, for straight theater; Emily Kissela, 11, and Molly Balk, 11, for musical theater; and Mara Leyendecker, 11, for dance.

NEWS 2

Ana Barros business manager Kelcie Grega associate editor

ome know it as ‘bubble bath’. Others know it as therapeutic bubbles. Others, however, know it as a method of getting high, which has flown under the radar for years – until now. Signed in July, House Bill 64 banned the possession of a group of products called “bath salts” or “plant food.” These designer drugs are marketed under brand names such as ‘Vanilla Sky’, and ‘Blue Magic’ and found in small glossy containers or envelopes. It is sold in drug paraphernalia shops or on the internet for approximately $35 for 500 milligrams. Abusers of this drug ingest the substance through smoking, swallowing, or snorting it to get high. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDVP) is one of the components

OPINION 3-6

found in bath salts. It has been known to be a central nervous system stimulant and can cause effects similar to cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy. Effects include feelings of empathy, stimulation, and euphoria. Bath salts also have negative side effects such as higher blood pressure, severe chest pains, delusions, and suicidal thoughts. These can last three to four hours with lingering effects lasting up to eight hours. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, poison-control centers nationwide received 4,720 phone calls concerning bath salts since last year through Aug. 31st. Despite the harmful effects of this drug with no medical credibility, bath salts have become a growing trend across the nation. For young adults living in states that have not banned bath salts, the drug has been marketed as a safe and legal stimulant. However, like Ohio, states such as Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have begun to understand the dangers of bath salts and have made them illegal. Countries such as Australia, Israel, and Canada have banned the drug. In the UK, MDVP, which is a component of bath salts, has been banned and penalties include up to 14 years in prison and a substantial fine. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has listed MDVP and other components in bath salts as a drug of concern. They have no plans to ban it however since it is a process that could take years. “Even though I do not necessarily agree with everything our government does, I

FEATURE 7-10

A&E 11-14

feel that there must have been a good reason to ban this drug,” said Nayan Mandan, 11. And there was a good reason.

International drug war

Every day, millions of people die from drug-related causes. In the United States, 11 million people are currently in rehabilitation hospitals. Every day, families and friends suffer from the effects of drugs. For decades, since the rise in drug abuse in the 1960s, experts have been asking themselves how they can possibly stop the world from using drugs and ultimately end the endless drug-related tragedies that proliferate today’s world. From heartbreaking anecdotes to chilling statistics, from Public Service Announcements to class meetings, every strategy has been attempted, to no avail – and the numbers have steadily risen throughout the years. So why is it that some people choose to succumb to the world of drugs, hallucinations, and hangovers, while others consistently prefer the clean path of living substance-free? It is all about what influences a person, and how he or she deals with these every day. From the media to peer pressure, and from personal tragedies to fear of consequences, kids are constantly under a wave of both positive and negative influences. The key to ending the drug war is in what individuals choose to be influenced by.

Negative influences

In accordance with the Above the Influence campaign, students were given the chance to reflect on what influences them negatively around their community, in places such as their friends’ houses, their own house, their neighborhood, school, and the internet. Examples of negative pressures varied from getting drunk at a party, to stealing beer from a friend’s fridge, to cyberbullying. Many of these negative influences come from two sources: peer pressure and the media. As part of a media-infiltrated

Continued on page 2 >> Image by Jimmy Chau

SPORTS 15-19

SPOTLIGHT 20

2 >> Drugs cont. from pg. 1 generation, it is extremely difficult not to be drawn into commercials and appealing advertisements, as well as popular songs and music videos. Unfortunately, a majority of these ads and songs send out messages that promote the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, and exalt the importance of outer beauty and of sex. While it is hard to tear oneself away from a screen, which ultimately only provides a virtual pressure, it is even harder to overcome the emotional and often physical pressure that comes from peers and neighbors. “It can be hard to stand up for your beliefs, especially when it means going against what’s normal,” said Kayla Lawson, 11.

Positive influences

Why is it, then, that students choose to live drug-free when they are surrounded by so many negative pressures? The truth is that the teenage world is not completely made up of suggestive music videos and alcohol-promoting advertising; things like religion and healthy friendships make up a significant part of many teens’ lives, which keep them from making harmful decisions. “My faith is really important to me, so that’s one of the main things that help me fight against bad influences,” said Lawson. Other things that drive teenagers to stay drug-free are the fear of disappointment and the determination to be good role model. “I think of what my parents would think of me and what I would think of myself,” said Katie Touvelle, 10, “and then I don’t do it.”

Flying above influence

Each person is affected by different reasons, making it hard to create a clear-cut algorithm that will send the desired message. Some say they are aware of the dangers of the effects of drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Others say they surround themselves with the ‘right kind of people’ who they know do not let themselves fall under the influence of drugs, and who will not pressure them to do anything against their will. “It’s really important to have a good friend group... I always enjoy spending time with friends from youth group – we have a great time and I never have to worry about drugs or alcohol with them,” said Lawson. Mostly, however, students say the way they avoid the world of drugs and alcohol is through passionate involvement in school activities and hobbies, such as playing a sport or being in a theater production. It has been proven depression often leads to drug use as a stress and pain reliever. However, when one is constantly doing something enjoyable, the activity at hand becomes a more healthy and proactive stress and pain reliever. “My involvement in theater keeps me entertained so I forget about the stress and don’t feel the need to turn to drugs,” said Gabriel Schenker, 11.

Motivation

In the end, it all comes down to how individuals motivate themselves to live above the influence. In a recent survey, students were asked to come up with a slogan for themselves – a sentence or phrase that encompasses their best traits and ultimately expresses what makes them above the influence. Some of these included ‘lead by example,’ ‘never settle for less,’ and ‘you were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser – you are what you make yourself to be.’ Though different for each person, all of these have one common theme: celebrating one’s decision to live above the influence and providing the foundation for others to do the same. When asked to come up with a slogan for SHS, students came up with the following: Aviators fly above the influence.

11.18.2011

Quake shakes Turkish cities Disaster not so far away for one student Alexis Corcoran staff writer

Ethan May staff writer

The cities of Van and Ercis, Turkey were hit by a massive earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, which is comparable to the recent devastating Japanese quake which was an 8.9. In the past 11 years, only 19 earthquakes have ranged from a magnitude of 7-7.9. The earthquake had a huge impact on people all over Turkey. Since the quake hit on Oct. 23, over 600 deaths, thousands of injuries and 2200 buildings were destroyed in this quake. These numbers are still rising. The Turkish Red Crescent provided up to 13,000 tents and provided shelter for more than 40,000 people who lost their homes to the earthquake. However, victims from Ecris and Van complain that not enough help was given by the government. Turkish officials have promised more aid to those in need, saying 12,000 more tents will be delivered to the region. At SHS many students were oblivious to the

fact that this catastrophe happened. “I heard about the earthquake on the news. I didn’t care to listen to it though and now I am amazed at how many people it has affected,” said Allan Zou, 9. After the initial earthquake there were at least four 6.0 aftershocks that hit Turkey throughout the night, and several more above measuring greater than 5.0. There were at least 59 more people killed and 150 more injured during the aftershock. “I was scared that some of my family might have been hurt, especially because my father is there right now,” said Pinar Inanli, 11. Fortunately, Inanli’s family was not harmed by the tremor. Out of all the heartbreak, a few outstanding moments occurred as well. Forty-eight hours after the quake hit, a two-week old infant girl was recovered from the rubble, as well as her mother and grandmother.

Azra Karaduman and her mother were pulled out separately from under the building, and re-untied soon afterward. She has been nicknamed by the press, “miracle baby.” Another amazing moment from the quake was in the form of thirteen year old Ferhat Tokay. He was pulled out from the destruction virtually unharmed five days after the disaster. “It is a great miracle,” his mother told the Huffington Post. Tokay’s family claims that the young boy survived by drinking rain water that seeped through cracks in the concrete. “He told me he prayed and when he said all his prayers and there were no more left he recited the national anthem,” his mother said.

Image by Sarah May

TURKEY WAS HIT BY a massive earthquake in late Oct, nearly destroying two of its cities, Van and Ecris and killing over 500 people. While some SHS students claim the earthquake did not directly affect them, for others the quake was all too close. “I was scared that some of my family might have been hurt, especially because my father is there right now,” said Pinar Inanli, 11. Fortunately, Inanli’s family resides in a different part of the country so they were safe from the disaster.

Ohio ballot measures Emma Oh editor-in-chief

Three statewide issues were voted on last Tuesday, Nov. 8. The results are as follows:

Defeated: Issue 1 Issue 1 was a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution to increase the maximum age at which a person can assume a judgeship to 75. The amendment also planned to eliminate the General Assembly’s authority to establish courts of conciliation and the Governor’s authority to appoint members to a Supreme Court Commission.

Defeated: Issue 2 Issue 2 allowed voters to decide whether to keep or repeal Senate Bill 5 - a historic rewrite of Ohio’s collective bargaining law, originally passed in 1983. SB-5 proposed a reduction of collective bargaining power for about 360,000 public workers in Ohio, along with many other laws relative to government union contracts and other government employment contracts and policies.

Approved: Issue 3 Issue 3 aimed to prevent Ohioans from being forced to participate in a health care system. The measure was created in response to President Barack Obama’s signing of a national health care mandate law in 2010.

‘Excusez-moi?’ African-themed field trip tests French speaking skills Ellie Goldman business manager

Field trips are times to become enriched in a subject by experiencing information related to a class’s curriculum. This being said, the French IV and AP French students who participated in Immersion Day had a different goalunderstanding the presenters at all. The advanced-level French students were invited to Wright State University’s annual French Immersion Day, where the only language spoken was French. “Students can speak French in a meaningful way,” said Mrs. Lesley Chapman, French teacher, on why she takes students on this trip. “The French spoken in a classroom is not as natural, so this was more meaningful for them.” Though students were initially dismayed when they were told that English was banned half way through the bus ride to the WSU campus, they found that their speaking skills compared favorably to the others at the program. “It was a good way to test our French in comparison to that of other schools,” said Pauline Cappel, 12, AP French student and president of French Club.

Many SHS students were shocked at the relatively low level of fluency of other participants. The event shuffled students through various activities focused on the culture of African francophones. They experienced these cultures with emphasis on both traditional conventions and popular culture. The widely-cited favorite station held a Moroccan tea ceremony. Students also learned how to dance the logobitombo, a spoof of a formal dance that is popular now, as evidenced by its YouTube fame. Chapman continues to bring her students because she feels that while it is a challenge, “students are stunned that they could do it,” and they gain confidence in their abilities. The food, music, and dance cultivated a “great cultural experience,” as Emily Proudfoot, 12, said. For these aspiring francophones, this was a day of gritty, sink-or-swim practice; either they could ask where the bathroom was in French, or they had to fend for themselves. Photo gallery of Immersion Day

www.goaves.com/multimedia

the Sycamore

11.18.2011

leaf

Dipal-Oh-tics

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. 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: Emma Oh, SM Dipali Associate Editors: Jane Finocharo, Moriah Krawec, Kelcie Grega Managing Editors: Jimmy Chau, Aditi Sharma Business Managers: Ana Barros, Ellie Goldman Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. News Sarah May Opinion Kelcie Grega Rishi Choubey Feature Aditi Sharma Shea Lothrop A&E Michael DeMaio Shayna Siegel Sports Bennett Kaplan Danny Bayliss Michael Saxon Spotlight Aditi Sharma Cartoonist Lilly Lefton Web Masters Ruochen Tang Ross Johnstal Staff Writers Joseph Ahn Lauren Altemuele MacKenzie Boyd Kayla Cantwell Lina Cardenas John Carroll Krittika Chatterjee Alexis Corcoran Gariauna Daniels Atiya Dosani Lila Englander Taylor Evans Zachary Fritzhand

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Personhood amendment SM Dipali editor-in-chief &

STAFF EDITORIAL We have all been through the typical drug resistance programs like Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Above the Influence, and Cincinnati’s own Northeast Community Coalition. They generally preach the same message of education and avoidance. However, in a sea of redundancy, what could make a drug resistance program stand out and truly make a difference in the lives of teenagers? A successful drug resistance program needs to find a way to get their message across in a mature manner that appeals to today’s teens. Programs that stick students in a room to watch archaic VHS tapes from the 80s are not going to influence any teenager. Instead, they risk trivializing an extremely important subject. In order to reach teenagers, anti-

Cartoon by Lilly Lefton

drug programs need to strike a serious tone with their audience and do so in a manner to which students can relate. It is here where many well-known programs fall short, and it is here where there is an opportunity to change lives. Around the country, a new approach has been taken toward curtailing the use of drugs among teenagers. Anti-drug programs are beginning to frame an argument that students don’t need drugs because they can do other more entertaining things with their time and money. This approach has a lot of promise. However, if drug resistance programs want teenagers to seriously consider their argument, they must present it in a serious manner that will appeal to today’s students.

leafing through the masses

What do you do to abstain from doing drugs? I can have an awesome time without doing drugs. I also think that having self respect is another reason, too. Olivia Smith, 12

I stay away from people who would offer me drugs.

Bryan Waterhouse, 10

I avoid it as much as I can. You have to just say no and walk away or tell a teacher.

Brian Jenkins, 9 Images by Rishi Choubey

Emma Oh editor-in-chief

Recently, Mississippi voters turned down Initiative 26. The initiative, also known as the personhood amendment aimed to legally declare that life begins at fertilization. If it had passed, the proposal was intended to prompt a legal challenge to Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that established a legal right to abortion. Although the initiative was defeated, abortion opponents say they’re still pursuing life-atfertilization ballot initiatives in six other states.

E: If the initiative failed in the

Bible Belt state of Mississippi, it’s unlikely it will pass anywhere else. Although the pro-life movement is frequently allied with the Republican Party and the Christian religion, it seems members of both groups are willing to admit the personhood amendment pushes it a little too far. The measure would criminalise everything from abortion to common forms of birth control, such as the pill and intrauterine devices. The language in the amendment is so ambiguous that some proponents of fertility treatments worry it could even have the power to limit alternative forms of conception – such as in vitro fertilization. The possible limit on in vitro is one reason why many clergy in Mississippi opposed the initiative. This, coupled with disapproval from the NAACP seems to be the main cause for the amendment’s defeat. Other opponents to the amendment include Mississippians for Healthy Families, Planned Parenthood and the Catholic Church. It appears that even if life begins at conception, personhood will never be the means to defend that.

D: The defeat of Initiative 26

in Mississippi was an imperative roadblock in the right-to-lifer’s plan for overturning Roe v. Wade. The initiative attempted to brand abortion and forms of birth control as murder. The proposal would have caused a dangerous intrusion of criminal law into medical care; thereby jeopardizing the rights of women throughout Mississippi. Not only that, but the premise of the initiative, itself, was basely flawed. It was at odds with what science knows to be true regarding embryos and fetuses - doctors and health advocates across the state firmly argue that fertilized eggs are not people. Additionally, Emma is completely correct in saying that the wording of the initiative was largely ambiguous. But fortunately for opponents of the advocates, this added to the overall defeat of the initiative. Although similar initiatives are brewing in states across the country, including Florida and Ohio, it seems unlikely now that they will pass. Pro-choice advocates can breathe a sigh of relief.

For more DipalOhtics columns, visit www.goaves.com

11.18.2011

Freshman grades D TE do not matter

Michael Saxon staff writer

reshman year does not matter. Colleges do not even look at it. Contrary to some, as a freshman, one’s grades do matter. But it is up to the student to decide how much he or she is willing to work in order to succeed.

Starting strong

Many freshmen think that college is a long way from now, and that if they do not work as hard freshman year, they will still have time to salvage their GPA. Some students are also under the belief that colleges do not look at freshman grades. This is not the case. In a country where the population of youth trying to go to college is higher than it has ever been, students cannot afford to have their transcript tarnished by a freshman year with horrible grades. Take it from Mrs. Bonnie Stephenson, counselor at SHS and former admissions counselor at Miami University. She knows exactly what colleges are looking for and the importance of freshman year. “For some people, if they weren’t taking care of their grades during their freshman and sophomore year, it’s kind of too late because you’re applying to college as a senior, which means you technically don’t have any grades to show for your senior year. So, your freshman year is a full third of the academic performance that college admissions see in most cases,” said Stephenson. Colleges do not take pity on someone who did not try hard as a freshman. They just move right down the long list of college hopefuls and look at the next person.

“I can’t tell you the number of times that somebody would get denied and a parent or child would call and say ‘But didn’t you see my grades were really good in my junior and senior year’,” said Stephenson.

Not just college at stake

GUEST COLUMN Evan Cohen guest columnist

through SHS, the classes get tougher and tougher. This is why it is important to set good habits and lay a foundation freshman year so one has something to fall back on when school gets more difficult. “I’m taking tough classes this year, but I don’t struggle in them because I put in the effort and set good habits for myself as a freshman,” said Michael Gray, 12. It is the end of the first quarter, and for those freshman that were on top of things and received good grades in their very first quarter of high school, keep it up. But for those who thought they were still on summer vacation, you are not in Kansas anymore.

Another scenario to consider, is that if one were to ‘take off ’ his or her freshman year, it would require a large amount of work just to get their head back above water. Say a student does not work hard their first year in high school, and receives a GPA of 2.0. This means that in order to get the cumulative GPA back to a 3.0 (a “B” average), they would have to receive straight As and get a 4.0 as a sophomore. So, it is either work hard now or work even harder later. According to http:// www.dosomething.org, 1.2 million students drop out of high school every year. Most of these students were able to make it past the first two years of high school, but when junior and senior year hit, they struggled. Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” was right when she said “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” This is not SJHS, where teachers hold students’ hands and make sure everyone STEPHANIE FLEITES, 9 passes. It is high school LIKE many other freshmen, knows how important it is to keep her grades up this year so she and it is time to get will have a good start for her next three years in SHS. Unlike serious. the common misconception, colleges take freshmen year as a As one progresses significant factor in application.

Photo courtesy of Kelcie Grega

Myth: S U B

Leaf

Excursions offer enhanced instruction, learning

Field trips provide numerous insights Liam Reis staff writer

p re s e n t s

“Art & Sun”

st e t n o c t r a 2D/3D

Create and submit a vision piece* to be showcased in our office. The winner receives a pair of the latest

Rayban Sunglasses. Call us at 513-489-EYES (3937) or visit our office at 11304 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati, OH 45249 *Pieces relating to the theme of eyewear and vision may be submitted. Acceptable forms of art include 2D images in any medium and sculpture. Deadline for submissions is 12/15/11.

Whether it is going downtown to the museum, going to a pumpkin patch, or even seeing the Broadway classic, “Cats,” field trips are full of friends, good times, new experiences, but most importantly, a unique source of education. Field trips take you out of the classroom and into the real world, teaching you what is happening right now and in relation to your studies. By visiting historical sites or going to an establishment reenacting the colonial era, field trips can take you to the past. By learning about environmental crises at the zoo and seeing the animals being preserved, we can learn about the present. By learning about upcoming technology and new energy sources, they can take you to the future. A field trip is sure to pertain to what you are learning. Rule three on SHS’s guidelines for field trips states: “a detailed rationale describing the

relationship of the field trip to the curriculum must be attached to the ‘Field Trip Request Form.’ “ So, you will not be seeing a movie about the American Revolution in math class. “There are times when it is necessary for students to have experience outside of the classroom,” said Mrs. Karen Bare, assistant principal. Teachers should take advantage of this opportunity to enhance instruction and help students gain new knowledge. Students can be taken on one field trip per semester, per course. The rumor that there has been a lack of field trips because of financial issues was disputed by Bare. Teachers can decide when to go on field trips. While some say that field trips do not help students learn in comparison to the classroom, others believe they are necessary experiences. As the brilliant Mark Twain once said, “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”

Students at SHS know where they will be every Friday from September until October wherever their football team will be. Going into my senior year I knew I would be helping to lead the “Ave Cave,” and was looking forward to a memorable final season. I will be the first to admit, I did not expect big things from the football team this year. I expected a 6-4 year with another win over Mason. I did not expect the playoffs, nor did I expect Kyle Sess to be the leading GMC rusher, and I definitely did not expect a chance to win the GMC. The year opened up with thrillers against Withrow and Springboro. Starting out 2-0 was nothing new for SHS, considering last year we began the year the same way. But this year was different. We then rattled off victories over Springfield, Fairfield, and Lakota East pushing the record to 5-0, something we had not seen since freshman year. We then faced 5-0 Princeton; no one expected us to win. We were able to show all of the critics we were legitimate by thrashing the Vikings 32-13. The hype that followed that week at school was tremendous, as we were 6-0 on Fox Sports Ohio that Thursday night. We did not disappoint; we won in a shootout 46-41 against Oak Hills. Sess had a record night with 255 yards rushing and 5 TDs. I have never seen a performance like that in my life. The following week, SHS took on Middletown in an extremely important game, as a win would give the us first place in the GMC. We played hard but fell 21-3. This loss stung, but not for long. We had senior night to look forward to, where we put the hurt on Lakota West winning 30-0.The “Ave Cave” continued the tradition of storming the field on senior night. The following week, we faced Mason, our hated rival. There is nothing I would have liked to see more than beating Mason. We fell 41-13 - but we won’t talk about that... Despite the tough loss, SHS made the playoffs for the first time since my freshman year. We were paired to play Moeller. I hate Moeller, and although the game against the Crusaders did not go our way, it was the best I have seen the football team play in my 4 years at SHS. It was an amazing year for the football team and watching them was so much fun. I could not have asked for a better way to start my senior year and I am extremely proud to be an Aviator. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Go Aves!

11.18.2011

PRO

Midterm exams

CON

Students question effect of winter break on performance

Julia Mattis staff writer

Atiya Dosani staff writer

id-term exams have annually occurred after winter break at SHS, instead of before. Is that timing really best for the students? Many facts support the idea that exams after winter break are best. Students and teachers argue that it is so, and I believe the facts support their position. “I think the exams after break are beneficial because it gives classes a couple weeks to wrap up second quarter information and have time to review and clarify first semester content. This way, students are not as rushed as they would be if the exams were in December,” said Mrs. Meredith Griga, Global Language teacher. With exams after winter break, the spacing effect takes place. This effect is the idea that humans have an easier time remembering information when studied a few times over a longer period, rather than studying repeatedly under a short period of time. Spaced repetition promotes the kind of understanding and constructive mental processes founded on effort and concentration which teachers strive for. If winter break encourages this development, then it is the way to go. “Exams after winter break are nice and convenient for those who wish to study over the break,” said Karin Oh, 10. During winter break, students have a less hectic schedule and more free time, allowing them an opportunity to review previous material. This extra study time may affect not only the quantity of what is learned, but also the quality, thus increasing students’ exam scores. Also, it is proven that tests given in an extended time frame are more effective than tests given close together, especially if the time between tests are devoted to rigorous learning. Education researchers have found consistently spaced testing results in higher levels of achievement compared to infrequent or random testing. In addition, having exams after winter break is a better fit for SHS’s academic calendar, for it allows both first semester and second semester to be of equal length. Most teachers like exams after winter break, and they are not alone. Students also prefer having exams after break. “I do like exams after because it gives students the opportunity to study. Plus, I can put off worrying about them for a longer period of time,” said Emory Zimmer, 12. An extended study time gives students a more stress-free studying environment. More overall time can be spent taking time to genuinely understand material. “I feel that with more time, I am not rushed to study every subject, like I would be with exams before break,” said Allison Klonne, 11. Considering these pros, I believe having exams after winter break is most beneficial. SHS has the right idea about exams after break.

All images by Emma Oh

STUDENTS LIKE MICHAEL BEMMES, 12, who take mostly AP and accelerated classes know they will have a lot of studying to do over break in order to prepare for their midterm exams. While some students prefer to have the two week winter break to study, others believe it is detrimental to their performance.

Winter break should be a time of no stress and relaxation for everyone. But for many students, that is not possible with the worry of having to take exams when returning to school in January. At SHS, all students take their midterm exams when school resumes after winter break. This often prevents them from having a carefree break from schoolwork. “I personally dislike having exams after winter break. It just adds more stress whereas if we were to take them beforehand, students would be able to get them over with and, therefore, be able to relax and take advantage of their time off,” said Grace Keeton, 11. Other than the summer, winter break is the longest amount of time students have off from school. Many families take vacations during this time, making it very difficult for students to get a sufficient amount of study time. Most high school students do not choose to study while they are on vacation, and most do not want to study while traveling to and from the location. “When you’re on vacation, you don’t want to have your head stuck in a book studying. But by not studying, you’re likely to do badly on exams. So you basically have to make the choice between your vacation or your grade,” said Allison Rogge, 9. Even for those who do not travel, they are often not motivated enough to spend their time reviewing material. Students are not always willing to give away time from one of their only breaks of the year to study. “I always have so much on my plate during winter break. On top of studying for midterms, a lot of my classes give assignments over break, as well,” said Natasha Warikoo, 12. Exams before break would also benefit students because the information is fresh in their minds. Since midterms are given for all classes and test over everything from first semester, there is a lot of information that needs to be remembered. After ten days of little or no studying, material is often forgotten. The few days after break that are left for review should be spent going over information from first quarter. But instead, time is wasted going over material from November and December as well. “I don’t have experience with exams before winter break, so it is hard for me to say if students study more when exams are after winter break, rather than before. It does pose a challenge for lesson plans if the break falls in the middle of a unit because I usually have to spend a little time re-teaching what I taught right before break rather than picking up where we left off,” said Mrs. Leah Chapman, history teacher. If students were to take midterm exams before the time off from school, there is a possibility that scores would be better than those of exams taken after break. This would leave students stress-free and able to relax throughout winter break.

Study tips for exam success ZZ

Study for 30-40 minutes a day. Avoid cramming by studying key material in short, focused sessions. You will learn the material better and retain more of it for the exam.

Exercise before you study.

Sleep after you study.

Exercising before studying or taking an exam gets blood flowing in your brain, helping you focus and absorb more information.

During sleep, the brain encodes what it has recently learned into memory. Don’t cram the night before. Study early and rest up. You’ll remember more in the morning.

Eat breakfast before your exam. A healthy breakfast of food like eggs, fruit and nuts will provide your body with the vitamins and energy it needs to stay focused.

11.18.2011 Image by SM Dipali

$60,000 Education pays

Average annual salary William Gawin staff writer

$45,000

e all have the same amount of time every day. How we utilize that time is left at the disposal of the individual. When it comes to school, work, and clubs, it is best to maintain a good balance, with equal attention given to all the activities you participate in. Decide what is most important and what needs to be done first. Prioritize what needs to be done early in the week, and what can be done later. "I feel like it’s always been a balancing act,” said Nimit Desai, 10. “Sports, although important, are a secondary priority. School is my first priority and when I have my priorities straight, the work kind of takes care of itself. It’s not as much of a conscious effort as it is a habit.” For freshmen, prioritizing is an even greater task, as many new responsibilities have been placed on their shoulders. “It was a hard adjustment at first compared to junior high, but now that first quarter is over, and I've learned time management skills, I am able to successfully balance school work, athletics, and clubs,” said Abby Miller, 9. It seems that when students sign up for a myriad of activities, in addition to their academic studies, they never have a chance to

relax and really enjoy the experiences that are right before their eyes. They are rushing from one club to another or finishing homework or participating in a sport. They do not even have enough time to catch a cold. It is paramount that you do make time for a social life while putting forth equal effort into your work. This provides for less stress in the long run. “I try to set up a schedule for my work, so that I can save the remaining time for my social life,” said Sky Wong, 10. But still, for many, it is still a challenge that has impeded them from keeping a sound and equal life. We must discipline ourselves and set aside times to work on certain things, so we are not cramming multiple projects in one night. “Managing time at the high school is not easy and takes time to figure out. It’s a hard transition that challenges me, but will hopefully prepare me for the future,” said Doug Hoffmeister, 9. Procrastination has been a serious condition for teenagers - and the practice is still alive and well, putting greater pressure both on physical and mental health. “You have to be able to portion the big projects, so that you have a doable amount every day and use all the spare time available for homework,” said Michael Choi, 9.

High School Graduate

Issac Harmon staff writer

$30,000

$15,000

The average annual salary for a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree is $52,220,which is over $20,000 more than the salary for the person with only a high school diploma. Over the course of a lifetime, a high school graduate will earn about $1.2 million dollars. Bachelor’s degree holders earn approximately $2.1 million, nearly twice the amount of a high school graduate’s lifetime earnings.

Source: College Board

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Sleep Deprivation

Five Symptoms and what to look for Doctors recommend getting 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. But with homework and other out of school activities, students almost never get enough. If you notice some of these symptoms, take a nap or go to bed early, because you may be suffering from sleep deprivation.

11.18.2011

Moodswings Impaired coordination and body control

Students suffer from sleep On and off vision deprivation - and page 9focused Decreased alertness ability to stay

New phone welcomes SIRI- page 8 How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Winter break clear wallets page 10

Decrease in energy and motivation

this

42 cords of wood - everyone knows that.

month in

VOTE

Source: www.end-your-sleep-deprivation.com/effects-of-sleep-deprivation.html

Students receive early experience:

Volunteers perform civic duty at 2011 polls

from either party, students may have been placed on a waiting list. Regardless, all student poll workers were responsible for attending a training session for first-time officials. The workers also had to attend a meeting in which they set up polling equipment for about an hour on Nov. 8.

Long day Image courtesy of Shea Lothrop

Moriah Krawec associate editor

lthough Mr. Kevin Wittman’s government students are typically given many opportunities to get politically involved, a number of his pupils chose to take advantage of a program that allows students above the age of 17 to serve as poll workers. On Nov. 8, SHS students volunteered to work at local polling stations, giving volunteers hands-on experience with the United States’ election process. “It gives you an idea of what goes on in the voting process,” said David Innis, an election official since 2007.

Serving the polls

Participating students were part of a state program called ‘Youth at the Booth’. Starting in 2006, the program has encouraged high school students to serve as poll workers. Innis relates to the relatively recent nature of the program, and believes that ‘Youth at the Booth’ will have a positive effect on the volunteers’ lives. “[When I was in high school], there were high schoolers handing out literature, but I didn’t even recognize that this program was available,” said Innis.

According to Kids Voting Central Ohio, over 90 percent of student poll workers who were previously not planning to vote said that they will vote in the future.

Staying neutral

Wittman’s government students are usually given the option of attending political events, and his Advanced Placement (AP) students are given extra credit points for attending local board meetings, among other options. Aside from age, the high school seniors had to meet many other requirements just as any other poll worker. First, prospective poll workers had to register to vote, even if they were not eligible. When filling out the associated paperwork, students had to declare a preferred political party. This step was essential, as poll workers are required to be politically neutral. At each polling location, there needed to be at least two Republican poll workers, and at least two Democratic poll workers. Depending on their political preferences and the demand for pollsters

feature

Image by Lauren Saxon

By 6 a.m. on Election Day, poll workers were to be at their assigned location, where they would finish last minute preparations for the polls’ opening at 7 a.m. Once the polls opened, volunteers performed various tasks. For example, students may have instructed citizens as to where the ballots were to be placed (ballots were supposed to be scanned into a machine called an eScan), or they may have given voters stickers. Volunteers all remained instructing voters until 7:30 p.m., when the polls needed to be closed. After that time, students stayed for at least an hour shutting down the machines or counting ballots by hand. Their days may have been long, and the pupils may have needed to bring reading material for lulls in voting, but participants in the program would have their efforts pay off, and not just in a literal sense - volunteers will be given over $150 for their service. “I think that it’s great, as it gives you a little bit of an idea of the inner workings [of poll working],” said Innis.

‘Rolling in the deep’ Biology Club observes marine life Rishi Choubey opinion chief

Last year, Biology Club planned on spending a night at the Cincinnati Zoo, sleeping beside the manatee tank. But after it was discovered that the event had already been booked, the club altered their proposal and decided to spend the night next to the wolf enclosure instead. On Fri., Oct. 28, SHS students spent the night at the zoo, learning about biodiversity and all the work it takes to run the zoo, along with making sure the animals receive care. “It made an educational experience really fun. I also thought that giving us a behind the scenes look really made me appreciate all the work zoos have to do and their importance to our world,” said Avni Bapat, 12. Ms. Amanda Conrad, science teacher, who chaperoned the event, feels the same way. “It was a great experience and anyone who gets the chance to do something like this should,” said Conrad. Students were not only given a glimpse into the process of feeding animals, some even tried the food as well. Conrad also decided to taste the meal worms. “”It was like eating really bitter gushers. It kind of creeped me out when it crunched,” said Conrad. And even though the event took place on the night of the SHS vs. Mason football game, attendees felt it was well worth the experience. “It was an overall great experience. I learned a lot of interesting things, and it wasn’t like we were only listening to some guy talk, but we got to walk around the zoo at night and gain a new perspective,” said Ruku Borah, 12. “It was an absolutely painless way of learning. At the same time we had fun hanging with friends.” Erik Bao, 12, President and founder of Biology Club, is looking forward to the club’s first full year. He hopes that events like making slime and staying overnight at the zoo will encourage people to join.

Great food; family bonding

Similar traditions bond two countries together Jenny Ham staff writer

With fall comes Halloween, the magical metamorphosis of various trees, hay bale hopping, and the wonderful overeating of Thanksgiving. In comparison to the custom of dressing up as your favorite hero, the tradition of gorging in luxurious food is not so original. Koreans also share in this genius idea. Though not completely symmetric to America’s tradition, Korea’s Thanksgiving, Chusok, is uniquely different. Chusok originated in Southern Korea during the Silla Dynasty. In the golden years of this era, the holiday was thrown annually with games, competitions and rewards. The festivities lasted three days to celebrate each year’s harvest and to commend the workers who diligently committed their effort to reap the crops. Celebrations included ancestral

rituals, archery and martial art such as the weaving contest have demonstrations, and the main become obsolete, while the tradievent, the weaving contest. tion of eating extravagant food, Throughout the year two vilhonoring your ancestors, and lages would weave as much cloth receiving gifts carried over. as they could; by the time of As the date of Chusok apChusok, each village would com- proaches, traffic is heavy due to pare who had created more cloth. extremely high numbers of travel After deliberation, from the capital, the winners were Seoul, to homeEach member of the announced and towns. family bows in front that community “I remember of the tomb stone and would be gifted when I lived in murmurs a words of with a magnificent Korea; Chusok thanks. feast provided by was always on Jong Ham, the losing side. pleasantly cool Korean native Traditionally, nights. Everyone this would include was so sanguine Japche, rice noodles and beef and I remember children would sautéed in light soy sauce, garlic, run around, eating bags of freshly and other special ingredients; harvested nuts,” said Jong Ham, Buglogi, tender strips of beef who moved to the United States grilled in a sweet and spicy from Korea. gochijang sauce tossed with rice The presence of presents is and many vegetables; and Kimespecially welcomed during chi, a tangy, fermented cabbage. Chusok. Every day necessities Today, these traditions have and food arrive with the guests, been slightly altered to meet wrapped in vibrantly colored modern adjustments. Events tissue paper. The gift giving is

not spontaneous; certain family members receive certain items. To illustrate, the elder family members are bestowed with dried persimmon, gourmet honey, and gulbi fish. Not only do you exchange annuity with the living during his holiday, but also with the dead. During Chusok, families perform ancestral rites called Beolcho conducted during the visitation of a loved one’s grave. Families clean up the plants that accumulated near the graves and offer food and pour drinks on the burial mounds for their ancestors. This demonstrates the honor and loyalty one has to family. “Every family visits their immediate ancestor’s grave mound. The mound consists of an ovular heap of dirt placed directly over the buried casket with a tomb stone heading the front. Families will often eat meals orbiting around newly produced crops and toast to their ancestors

with rice wine. At the end of this rite, each member of the family will bow in front of the tomb stone and murmur some words of thanks,” said Jong. Because you must visit these ceremonial mounds, most Koreans living in America or any country far away from Korea, usually delete Chusok from their event’s calendar. Ancestors are buried in their hometowns, and because their hometowns are somewhere in Korea, the flight to Asia every year puts a strain on many wallets. Therefore, this tradition is either modified or forgotten. “When we first moved to the U.S, we always celebrated Chusok, but with Thanksgiving to prepare for too, it became too much work to host both,” said Yeon Ham. Even though Korea is 6,000 miles away from America, and our cultures are significantly different, one main idea is easily translated: great food and family bonding.

11.18.2011

IRI-ous breakthrough:

HS students interrogate new iPhone 4S software

Joseph Slovin staff writer

If only Steve Jobs could see the way his new iOS 5 software has revolutionized life in just a few short weeks since his unfortunate passing. The newest edition of the phone that is changing the world, the iPhone 4S, may look similar to its predecessor, the iPhone 4. However, the latest iPhone is already amazing the world, one question at a time. With iOS 5, there are over 200 updates available for the iPhone. It is not only compatible with the iPhone 4S, but also with any other iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The main change, however, is the product of over 40 years of Apple, Inc. research and development that cost well over 50 million dollars to create. It is called SIRI, the personal assistant application for iPhone 4S, a part of the iOS 5 software that is only available to the 4S phone. This futuristic app uses a natural language-processing system to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform endless actions. As students may have seen in commercials for SIRI, people can use, and ask, it for just about anything. The user can tell it to send a text message to a friend, or to change a meeting time without pushing a button. Users can even tell it to set a reminder to do their homework at 3:30. Additional updates that the software has for all iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads include: a notifications center along with a no-interruption viewing of notifications that is visible at the top of your screen; a weather app that provides hour-by-hour coverage of the day; iMessage; a newsstand app to buy and read magazines and books right on the device; and a myriad of others. Students at SHS are marveling over SIRI, and probably will be for quite a while. “I have seen people use SIRI before, and I think it is really cool. I want to get an iPhone 4S either for my birthday or Christmas,” said Wade Barbour, 10.

Q&A with SIRI What is your favorite thing to do? I don’t really like to talk about myself. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

42 cords of wood - everyone knows that.

What is the meaning of life? It’s a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general.

SIRI, tell me a joke. 2 iPhones walk into a bar... I forget the rest.

Image by Ana Barros

photo by moriah krawec

AT FOOD FOCUS group meetings, students sampled foods that might be available in the cafeteria. Sandhya Krishna, 11, like other attendees, rated food items in their appearance, aroma, and taste. Miss Jessica Johnson, Nutritional Director, hopes that social media websites could also be used to tout the group.

Food for thought Students sample, evaluate cafeteria food Moriah Krawec associate editor

Earlier on in the school year, a number of students began to boycott school lunches due to a change in offerings. However, at a recent food focus group meeting, Miss Jessica Johnson, Nutritional Director, allowed students to sample proposed entrees and a la carte items. Although Johnson has been accused of being behind these changes due to her status as a new employee, Johnson contends that the situation is more complicated. “There were some state and federal changes,” said Johnson, citing Ohio’s State Bill 210 and multiple new federal laws as being the reasons for the different menu offerings. The student members of the focus group were selected via a survey. Johnson picked 10 students to be a part of the group, but encouraged them to bring friends along. Noting that one of the most common recurring elements on the surveys was to bring certain unhealthy foods back to SHS, Johnson said that the students’ requests were impossible to fix. “A lot of the sweets you had before – I couldn’t bring them back if I tried,” said Johnson. Despite Johnson’s goal of a focus group of 15 students, the Nov. 9 meeting brought in only four students total. “It’s not the main focus of the students,” said Johnson. In order to attract more students and more opinions, Johnson plans to appoint a student media chief and a wellness adviser for the student body at a meeting in early December.

Stuffing break with food, fun

Thanksgiving vacation a time for eating, giving, shopping

Zoe Vanjohnson staff writer

Ana Barros business manager

Thanksgiving: a time to rest, gather with family, and eat to your heart’s desire. To many, that is all that Thanksgiving break comes down to. However, there are other things to do during this holiday – once one digests all the turkey, that is – such as the Thanksgiving Day race, volunteering, and the shoptill-you-drop Black Friday.

Shop ‘till you drop

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and is nationally known as a crazy battle for the best-priced items.

Image by Sion Han

On that day, businesses lower their prices to set off promotional sales for the holidays. Sometimes as early as 4 a.m., shoppers arrive at the stores, sending them into mass chaos as families charge through aisles, taking the cheapest items off the shelves. “I look forward to Black Friday every year - it’s a great money saver and so much fun!” said Carly Driskell, 11.

Race to celebrate

Supporting 12 different charities such as Goodwill and the

Ronald McDonald House, the Thanksgiving Day race is approaching its 102nd annual day event. This year, the motto is ‘I.Really. Can,’ to support those whose lives have been tainted by disease and economic difficulties. The event starts and ends at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 24th at 9:00 am. At the end of the race, volunteers take each runner’s chip and record their time. Runners get the chance to donate by buying souvenirs. “I’m not much of a marathon runner but this seems like a great cause,” said Myles Washington, 11.

Giving thanks through volunteering Students who are looking for volunteer opportunities Help feed those that are not able to have a big family feast on Thanksgiving. Meals On Wheels is looking for volunteers, as well as Operation Give Back. Instead of sitting on a couch eating turkey leftovers, students can go out and help bring the same happiness they feel when they eat pumpkin pie to those who do not have the chance to.

11.18.2011

Dreary, drowsy, droopy:

Teens suffer from harmful effects of sleep deprivation Joseph Ahn staff writer

Issac Harmon staff writer

Lauren Saxon staff writer Michael Saxon staff writer

harder to perform well at school. “It’s harder to concentrate and do good work,” said Beck.

& &

Take it from teachers

Even teachers have said that they have noticed sleep deprived students in their classes, and their lack of sleep affects the quality of a student’s work. “They will have their heads down, or be staring off into space. They miss the instructions and therefore have incomplete and low quality homework. ” said Mrs. Emily Sweeney, English teacher. Sweeney recommends that in order to prevent this from happening, students should manage time and go to bed early.

Cailin Rogers staff writer

he next time a student is seen passed out in class or drooling over the desk it might not be because the lesson is boring. Thousands of students suffer from sleep deprivation, resulting from sports or an excess of homework. But, in order to maintain a healthy life, students need to strive to get an adequate amount of rest every night.

Health problems

Sleep deprivation in sports

Most people would agree that not enough Getting an adequate amount of rest makes sleep affects them eminently. When the it easier to prevent injury, weight gain, body is deprived of sleep, some regions of the diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart brain begin to shut down, which can impair disease. a person’s ability to process information, Students whose lives are centered around communicate, think, handle stress, maintain a school sports and clubs do not seem to regret healthy immune system and control emotions. their decision to partake in the activities, With progression, sleep deprivation can however they admit lead to delusional thinking, panic attacks, and that it can be hallucinations, while even posing extremely an increased risk of “It’s harder to stressful. heart attack. “I love This is also true concentrate and do good playing football, for people living work” but sometimes a non-sedentary it’s really hard lifestyle. Research for me to stay Ethan Beck, has shown that optimistic. The first sleeping five hours 9 thing I want to do after I play or less, per night, is is go to sleep, but I can never do this associated with a 39 because of all of my schoolwork,” said Ethan percent increase in heart Beck, 9, who was a member of the freshman disease. football team. While having extremely negative effects Jake Biegger, 10, who played soccer for on the brain and heart, significant evidence both JV and Varsity, has similar feelings. shows that individuals who suffer from sleep “It’s nice to be able to contribute to both deprivation consume more calories and of our soccer teams, but it can be stressful on higher amounts of fat in their daily diet. game nights when games are back to back The University of Chicago’s study on sleep and I’m out playing all night,” said Biegger. duration and appetite, found that allowing In addition to their commitment to sports, people to sleep ten hours for two consecutive both students are enrolled in multiple nights, returned the hormones to normal accelerated classes, making the workload even levels and lowered hunger and appetite more overwhelming. ratings by almost 25 percent. “All of the work makes me ridiculously These sleep related health problems develop tired and sleep deprived during the week,” over time, but it does not take an extended said Beck. period of sleep deprivation to elevate your For athletes, two main factors determine the risk. A single night of missed ‘z’s, can have a amount they sleep each night: whether or not negative effect on one’s day. they have a game and their homework load. Students have countless opportunities to “Anywhere between five to seven hours,” avoid sleep—homework, electronic devices, said Beck when asked how much sleep he and other entertainment offer round-thegets each night. clock distractions. However, one must Both students agreed that homework recognize the importance of sleep and make comes before sleep. However, they said that it a priority to get enough. Do not believe after a night of staying up late, it is much this? How about sleeping on it?

Sleep Deprivation

Moodswings Impaired coordination and body control On and off vision Decreased alertness and ability to stay focused Decrease in energy and motivation

STUDENTS LIKE BRAD SWEENEY, 12 and Ritvik Vasudevan, 12, are prime examples of teens who do not get enough sleep. According to Mrs. Emily Sweeney, English teacher, teachers can tell when students are sleep deprived. “They will have their heads down or will be staring off into space,” said Sweeney.

Take the Quiz 80% of teens do not get the required

amount of sleep each night. Do you?

Image by Lauren Saxon

1. My ability to retain information is... A. superb B. pretty good C. poor

2. I find myself snapping at people... A. almost never B. sometimes C. quite often

3. If I had a free moment now, I’d be... A. active B. resting C. sleeping

4. When I go to bed, it takes me.... to fall asleep A. 15-20 minutes B. more 30 minutes C. less than 10 minutes

5. In terms of stress, I classify myself as... A. hardly stressed B. sometimes stressed C. super-stressed

6. I snore loudly when I sleep... A. never B. sometimes C. always

7. When reading an article, I can usually... A. read the article without stopping B. have to stop a few times C. have to stop frequently

8. I miss appointments and engagements, or forget important dates... A. never B. sometimes C. often

If a majority of your answers were....

ABC You get more than enough sleep each night, and find it easier to concentrate with less stress.

Source: www.end-your-sleep-deprivation.com/effects-of-sleep-deprivation.html

Images by Michael Saxon

You get enough sleep each night, but should strive to get more in order to have a healthier life

You do not get enough sleep each night, and you suffer from the effects that come with it.

11.18.2011

Winter fun heats up students, not wallets Cheap entertainment ideas for teens stuck at home during break Jenny Ham staff writer

fter two weeks of winter break, friends reunite at school and share stories of adventure in their time away from Cincinnati. But what about those who did not vacation away? What will they be able to share about their boring break? Well, break does not have to be boring for those who stay home. “For winter break, I'm staying in Cincinnati, I look forward to seeking out the fun things that Cincinnati has to offer,” said Ian Geverdt, 10. If students are looking for fun activities to do during winter break, here are some options. Participating in the low prices of Black Friday and stocking up for the following year is always a great way to help contribute to the economy. Some myths that should be busted about this fateful Friday

include: only camping out in a tent ensures good deals, shopping online for Black Friday deals should only be done on Cyber Monday, are Black Friday prices exclusive, is it the busiest day of the year, and whether Black Friday is the best day to buy a TV. Camping out in a tent will ensure insanely, unbelievable deals, but regardless of camping out, there will still be good deals awaiting the eager shopper. If one was to wait until Cyber Monday, they would be greatly disappointed because the markdowns found will just be the “left over’s” from the previous Friday craze. Additionally, Black Friday’s low prices begin online starting from Thanksgiving. Furthermore the prices of Black Friday are not necessarily exclusive; major retailers such as Best Buys, Amazon, etc, will match or offer an even better price. Whether or not Black Friday

is the busiest shopping day of the year can be answered with two words: procrastination and Christmas. It has been proven throughout the years that people will forget to do holiday shopping and must resort to the Saturday before Christmas to select gifts. On the topic of buying a TV on this Friday, it is better to hold off until December or January when new models will be coming out and older models will be marked lower. If shopping is not satisfying to a student, how about giving into the holiday spirit and volunteering? Many churches, synagogues, homeless shelters, and hospitals offer a variety of ways to give back to the community. Not only can these hours be subtracted from one’s Interact Club requirements, but they will also lift anyone’s spirit. Although, being overly tired from school is understandable

Seven Thanksgiving fun facts

Interesting things students may not know about Thanksgiving Megan Jiang staff writer

6. The first Thanksgiving lasted three days.

1. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated 7. The Cornucopia is a magical horn by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag in Greek mythology that fills itself up Indians in 1621. with any food or beverage its owner 2. Californians are the largest consumrequests. It is a symbol of plenty. ers of turkey in the United States. 3. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada. 4. For many people Thanksgiving is a day of family, gratitude and of course, food. Not many people know much about the holiday though, so here are some fun things about this special holiday. 5. President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored the Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy. Source: http://www.thanksgivingnovember.com/thanksgiving-facts.html

Turkey day traditions

Students discuss holiday customs

and lazing around is more than acceptable. Carry over stress should be remedied by relaxing in a serene, comfortable environment with plenty of food. Warming up next to a blazing fire place or taking a hot bath will surely soothe away all the worries hoarded throughout the school year. “Above all else, I'd sleep in every day of break to catch up on the lack of sleep I missed during the school week,” said Hope Wang, 10. “I hang out with my sister when she comes back from IU. More than often, I just sleep and hang out with my friends and family a lot," said James Keefe, 10. Sleep is probably one of the most universally enjoyed hobbies to take part in during days of frigid weather. This can help rejuvenate the soul and mind while decreasing stress levels. “Whenever I stay home for

winter break, I find myself sleeping way more than I should or playing indoor soccer,” said Alex Winchell, 11. If a student is more active, there are definitely activities that he or she can engage in while still staying warm without burning a hole in their pockets. A great representative of this operative is indoor ice skating. For those who do not live near a frozen pond, this is a great cheap alternative for only $7 to $8. Video games are also a great way to warm-up from the winter temps; video games such as DDR or Just Dance can be a fitting outsource for extra energy. Other entertainment options are watching cheesy holiday movies with the family, baking sweets, caroling, throwing a holiday party, and counting down to the New Year.

‘Amazing Race’ inspires fund-raiser U4U participates in race to raise awareness Brenda Shen staff writer

Unified for UNIFAT new awareness event has their plans coming together. The idea of the Amazing Race was surprisingly thought of during the Uganda trip while waiting in the airport. Their goal for this new project was to be able to make more people aware of the kids in UNIFAT school. “I want the race to be really fun and competitive, but I also want them to have hands on learning experience to understand more about Uganda,” said Stephanie Adamec, 11. Though events in the Race will be kept a secret, the students running this event have made sure to make the activities a way for people to somehow connect with the kids in Uganda. “It will be a fun competition that will also teach students what the people in Uganda do on a daily basis,” said Jessica Hobart, 9. Like the name suggests, the style of the Race will hold true to the CBS show where groups will

compete to be the first to arrive back to the base. Students can begin signing up in groups of four in February. They will only be accepting 36 teams and it will be on a first come first serve basis. “A ton of work is going to be put into the event. Only students run the event, and that makes it 10 times more fun than events made by adults,” said Adamec. Planning has already started including a fairly detailed schedule of what will be happening the day of the event. After the Race, people can look forward to the mixer concert that will be a preview of U4U’s biggest fund-raiser of the year. Once again the participants of iDance will be given the chance to go on a trip of the UNIFAT school in Gulu, Uganda. With the amount of effort being put into the Amazing Race, U4U members hope to turn this into the biggest awareness event of the year.

Alexander Wittenbaum staff writer

Q: Do you have any special traditions for Thanksgiving break?

A: “My family is from Boston, NYC, and Miami, so Wednesday, we go to Skyline Chili in Reading and then Skyline Chili in Kenwood,” said Rachel Klein, 10. A: “On the days leading up to Thanksgiving my family plays a game where we hide a ladle in people’s room and whoever has it on Thanksgiving has to set the table,” said Elizabeth Martin, 12.

Q: Do you travel over break?

A: “Yes, every year I travel to my mom’s side of the family for a big Thanksgiving lunch,” said Gina Schwegman, 10. A: “Yes, I usually go to my grandparents’ house, and last year my dog stole a leg off the turkey,” said Kennedy Harris, 11.

Q: Do you watch or play football over break?

A: “Yes, we watch football. The girls always yell at the boys for picking football on TV,” said Madison Jones, 11. A: “We watch NFL football on Thanksgiving break, and every year my neighborhood gets together for the ‘Turkey Bowl,’ where we play football. My family usually takes home the trophy,” said Katie Centner, 12. A: “My family is really into football, so I can guarantee that on Sunday there will be at least 10 of my family members squished into the living room to watch the game,” said Martin.

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11.18.2011 Inheritance impresses - page 12

Schaefer’s art astounds - page 13

Battle of the Bands - page 14

this

month in

Choral competition starts recruiting

a&e

Singers of SHS asked to join new group Krittika Chatterjee staff writer

he second annual World Choir Games are taking place in Cincinnati in the summer of 2012. The first Choir Games, held in Shanghai last year, brought in choirs from every corner of the globe. SHS will be taking one choir, unlimited in size, as will SJHS. Choral director, Mr. Kenneth Holdt, is particularly excited for this project because singers will be pulled from the entire student body, instead of being limited to members of the choral program. “We expect people in choir to publicize it to their friends so we can get a unique crop of singers,” said Holdt. Choirs are asked to prepare at least three pieces. One must be acapella - without instrumental accompaniment. SJHS’s choir will perform “Tshotsholoza,” an African traditional that SHS’s choral program performed as a closer at the fall concert this past October. Their directors Mrs. Linda Gartner and Ms. Deborah O’Reilley will also select other pieces to perform. SHS has yet to pick its pieces, but Holdt predicts that one piece will be from a past concert, so that there will be a familiarity with at least one song among the majority of the choir.

“I honestly find that kind of boring. We’re all capable of learning a song over four months,” said Jackie Rudich, 10. Others disagree. “I’m fine with it. If we do that, we’ll be at a stage where we can nitpick and clean up the parts that we need to,” said Elizabeth Rosenberg, 10. Recently, members of the choir program have been debating over the name of the group SHS will take to the World Choir Games. Names such as Trouble Tones and Vocal Corps are under consideration. Auditions for the World Choir Games ensemble are Nov. 16. The World Choir Games will take place at Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati July 4-14. Auditions will be held on Nov. 28. Prospective members are asked to prepare a 15-second segment of any song of their choice, and should pick up an informational packet in the choir room.

TWIRL AND WHIRL, the mascots for the 2012 World Choir Games. Holdt hopes to have them appear at SHS to promote the competition. Auditions take place on Nov. 28.

Image by Shayna Seigel

Tech students act in ‘Check Please’ hilariously disastrous dates, becoming more and more fed up as she goes. She enjoyed the change of pace. Although the role of a “techie” in theatre is “I’m used to being in the back of the theatre often one in the offstage world, tech students in the dark trying not to be heard so it’s a in Mr. John Whapham’s Acting Ensemble very different experience to be center stage, A class had the opportunity to participate but it’s also really fun. I get to be someone in the one act “Check Please” by Jonathan else for a half hour,” said Bierschwal. Rand, directed by Emily Fry, 12. Jenny Rissover, 12, enjoyed being able “Check Please” tells the story of a young to shatter common misconceptions about man and a young woman each going on a tech kids. She also had two roles, one being series of blind dates (not with each other). a compulsive stealer and the other being a Each person they date has some strange mime. characteristic “Performing in ‘Check that makes the Acting for the first Please’ was a lot of fun. It is a evening go awry. common misconception that Maddie time ever was a great tech kids are just really shy Smith, 10, whose experience and it made actors who are too afraid to specialty is usually go on stage, but being a part tech (her prowess me want to perform of the One Acts proves this with body even more. wrong. I love being on stage microphones and making others laugh. during “The ‘Check Please’ was a great Phantom of Tom Treta, 12 opportunity,” said Rissover. the Opera” was And finally, Tom Treta, 12, astounding) who had perhaps one of the had two roles most ridiculous roles in the show, showing in “Check Please.” One was an overzealous up to his date wearing a bright red toga. football fan who obsessively checks game His other role was a massively self-absorbed scores and screams at the players she is young man with a passion for the comedic watching, and the other was a very old talent of Tim Allen. It was Treta’s first acting woman. experience. Both of these characters are somewhat “Being in the One Acts was awesome. different from Smith herself. Acting for the first time ever was a great “It was really difficult because I wasn’t experience and it made me want to perform used to acting or anything and I was really even more. I think all the techs did an nervous about it but overall I think it was a awesome job,” said Treta. great experience. I think I now have more confidence in myself as a person,” said Smith. Fry and the rest of the cast helped Smith develop a bloodcurdling “football scream” Additional for her first role, one of the highlights of her articles on the performance. One Acts Alexandra Bierschwal, 12, was another tech student in the “Check Please” lineup. http://www.goaves.com She played one of the two main characters, a girl who is referred to as “Girl” or “The Girl” in the show. She goes on a series of John Carroll staff writer

Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s Photography

HAYLEY HUGE, 10, AND Gil Kaplan, 10, in a scene of the One Act play, “It’s Not You, It’s Me.” Huge plays a teenager madly in love with Kaplan’s character, but her feelings are not reciprocated. The play was directed by Megan Shindler, 11.

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11.18.2011

The Ave Games WHEN: Jan. 27, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. WHERE: The Main Auditorium PRICE: $5 entry fee, all proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House WHAT: A gameshow experience for pairs of SHS students. Participants are picked out of a hat. They compete and face different levels of elimination.

Image by Emma Rosen

Bigger, better, bolder:

Expectations high for annual Variety Show Krittika Chatterjee staff writer

Scott Stefani staff writer

Allie Oh staff writer

he Choral Boosters’ biggest fund-raiser of the year is typically sold out, and for good reason. SHS’ Variety Show has sought out certain standards to present a consistently quality performance every year. On Nov. 15, Mr. Kenneth Holdt, choir director, and Mr. John Whapham, theatre director, held auditions in search of acts that were, first and foremost, completely unique. Auditioning acts were asked to come in full costume, and to select a one minute segment of their performance to audition with. “I’m always nervous before auditions, but I feel fine on stage. Any audition will give you more confidence, and this one should be the same,” said Marissa Wyrick, 9.

Expectations

Acts had a few expectations to meet in front of the judges. As stated in the Variety Show informational packet, the judges were seeking “polished acts with crowd appeal, talented and confident performers with good stage presence, and acts that involve lots more than one performer.” However, according to Holdt, even the most impressive of performers stand less of a chance if they cannot bring something new to the table. “We have a bunch of people who come in and sing while playing guitar, and they have a much chance of getting in if their act isn’t unique in any way,” said Holdt. This event is just a friendly competition. Students will not be competing for a prize. “Most people think that the winner of the show receives a prize. Mostly it’s just for bragging rights,” said Riley Miller, 12.

Standout past acts

Past Variety Show acts include Indian dancing and acapella numbers. Bradi Banner, 12, created an act last year that surpassed all others in both its creativity and its sheer wow-factor. Banner has a significant visual impairment, but this did not stop her from sitting solo at center stage and playing two Bop-Its at the same time for longer than most can do one.

Ending of Inheritance Cycle bittersweet Emma Rosen staff writer

I felt a sense of foreboding as I picked up my preordered copy of “Inheritance” by Christopher Paolini from Barnes and Noble. I had been with this series from the beginning, how could I possibly say goodbye to the characters I had grown to feel empathy toward? Nevertheless, I cracked open my fresh hardback and began my 849 page journey. Immediately, I found myself in familiar territory. The land of Algaesia was still in turmoil, and everything was as Paolini had left it in “Brisingr.” But things quickly picked up as the Varden, the rebel group opposed to the evil king Galbatorix, started laying siege to cities across Algaesia. This book was action-packed. Despite its length, I found myself engaged; hanging on to every sentence, every word. The sheer creativity of it impressed me. Critics have constantly compared the series to “Lord of the Rings” and other famous fantasy series, but “Inheritance” brought out new and exciting ideas that were not present in the previous books. My absolute favorite part of this series is the bond shared between the dragon and its rider. To me this concept is vast, immense, and complicated. The bond is forged when the rider first touches its counterpart dragon. In “Inheritance,” this special facet was preserved and made more important. Another great aspect of “Inheritance” would be the build-up of emotion. At the beginning, I felt moderately excited. But as the story progressed, things escalated to a high level of intensity. Paolini managed to capture the drama of the situation, and it worked beautifully. The Inheritance Cycle is a treasure. When one first delves into the novels, the reader is almost apprehensive. Why should I believe a story about dragons and magic? But Paolini makes one believe. He spins and weaves and worms his way into the core of his readers, leaving them feeling at a loss when they finish the series. I honestly do not know how I feel about the ending. The term ‘bittersweet’has never seemed more appropriate. What I do know is that, regardless of how the ending left me feeling, I will move on. I will find new books, new stories to enchant me, and new themes to ponder. But I also will never forget the Inheritance Cycle. Call it cheesy, call it sentimental, call it whatever; Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and every other character in these novels (excluding, perhaps, Galbatorix) will forever be in my thoughts.

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SHS’ VARIETY SHOW CONTAINS music performances as well as dancing and skits. One act featured a traditional indian dance and another performed ‘Hamlet’ in one minute. Image courtesy of McDaniels Photography

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Future acts

Loren Hamilton, 10, also presented an enticing act her freshman year when she sang “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz accompanied by a ukulele. She knows that she is expected to bring a fresh act to the show, so she has changed things up this year. “Hopefully I’ll be singing with Kyle Hackett [10], and he’ll play piano. Ideally, we’ll get someone to interpret the song in sign language, which I think is really compelling,” said Hamilton. The Variety Show will be on Sat. Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go fast, so make sure to get them ahead of time. There is no extra seating and standing is not allowed.

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All Photos by Jack Schaefer

ABOVE ARE THE THREE images Jack Schaefer, 12, submitted into the the Mount St. Joseph Selections exhibit. His work will be on display at the Studio San Giuseppe (SSG) Art Gallery at the College of Mount St. Joseph until Dec. 2. Although his passion is art, he will not be pursuing this as a career after high school.

‘I am trying to figure out the church’s influence on my life’

Schaefer searches through photography Shayna Siegel a&e chief

enior Jack Schaefer has been working on his photography since his sophomore year.This year he has taken his work to the next level in the AP Photography class. “I’ve been doing alright in the AP class. It’s a lot more work than I thought it would be. I’ve been struggling a lot with narrowing down my ideas. It’s pretty hard to focus on one idea, but the people I’m taking it with really make the class worth it,” said Schaefer. This year Schaefer was selected by AP Photography teacher, Mr. Peiter Griga, to participate in the Mount St. Joseph Selections exhibit. This is a prestigious event which includes 52 high schools in the Cincinnati area. The work selected for this show will be put on display at the Studio San Giuseppe (SSG); a non-profit art gallery located on the campus of the College of Mount St. Joseph, just 15 minutes west of downtown Cincinnati.

The Selections ’11 exhibit opened Sun. Nov. 6 and will remain open until Dec. 2. Admission to the gallery is free and the public is welcome to come and support local artists, such as Schaefer, from their community. Schaefer works hard to be able to create incredible pieces. He uses a unique technique to produce his artwork. “I created the work I submitted into the Selections exhibit by photographing myself with a medium format film camera. Then, I took the negatives from my camera and scanned them into the computer. After meticulously adjusting them, I printed them out on archival inkjet paper,” said Schaefer. Not only is his technique complex, but his meanings hold a unique spin. “The concept behind these specific pieces stems from my childhood growing up in the Catholic Church. It is about how the Catholic Church formed pieces of my personality, and I am trying to figure out the church’s

influence on my life,” said Schaefer. Along with being selected for the Mount St. Joseph Selection’s exhibit, Schaefer was chosen by the Art Department to participate in the Overture Awards competition. This is currently the region’s largest solo art contest for high school students. It recognizes and rewards excellence in artistic achievment. Schaefer’s art will be competing against many other talented individuals for a $2,500 scholarship. Although Schaefer spends numerous hours working on his art, he does not see himself doing this as a career in the future. He feels photography is for enjoyment and he never wants it to feel like a dreaded responsibility. “I will always photograph the things around me, but I think that if I made photography my career I wouldn’t enjoy doing it as much. It would become less of a hobby and more of a chore,” said Schaefer.

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11.18.2011 Photos by Mike Demaio

Mike’s Music MENU

‘Our goal is just to make music and have fun’

‘In the booth’ with Bright Eyed Youth

John Carroll staff writer

s Battle of the Bands once more approaches SHS on the eternally spinning wheel of time, we can do little else but stare open-mouthed at it and soak in its warm rays of rock. We can do little else but simply let it hit us and let its sheer impetus carry us into a realm of heightened rock levels. We can do little to predict what wonders will be born from Battle of the Bands 2011. What stunning virtuosity will leave us slack-jawed, what brilliant hits will be covered and what new songs will be born? What we can do is reflect on the past and on how this event has shaped us as fans of music and as human beings. One such band that contributed to the splendor of last year’s

battle is Bright Eyed Youth, the sophomore group that so famously debuted at the SJHS variety show, and has grown exponentially in popularity since that time. This year, the focus will shift more towards how last year’s battle has affected Bright Eyed Youth. Having matured as a group exponentially since last year and implementing clever new publicity strategies, such as the distribution of band T-shirts, Bright Eyed Youth is feeling quite confident about the competition this year. Benjamin Hammer, 10, keyboardist, had a taste of the Battle last year and is now thirsting for more. Bright Eyed Youth will be auditioning for the battle once again, hoping to come back for seconds.

Upcoming Shows

Benjamin Hammer, 10, on Bright Eyed Youth How is Bright Eyed Youth feeling about this momentous gig? I mean, we already have plenty of songs, and we know them all very well. The only thing we would need to prepare would be song selection, so we are feeling pretty relaxed. What did you learn from last year? The stage lights are extremely bright and it is difficult to see the audience, which helps nervousness - not that we are particularly nervous, anyway. We are very comfortable with large crowds. We also hope to improve and expand upon our stage presence. As a group of artists submitting your work to the judgment of the masses during this competition, do you feel that your music is based on a competitive drive and a desire to win - perhaps playing what the audience wants to hear rather than what you want to play? No. It matters what the artist’s goal is: to make good music that they enjoy or to make popular music (to make money in professional cases). Right now, our goal is just to make music and have fun.

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Give thanks for the great new music that is coming out during this beautiful Thanksgiving season. The weather is cooling down, the wind is getting stronger; all you want to do is sit down with some good music, some coffee, and relax. The recent Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood, and Doom collaboration is sure to warm some cold dancing shoes with a snappy beat and catchy riffs; without a doubt it will exceed expectations. The new Antlers compilation, coming out on the 22nd, is sure to provide a healthy dose of winter nostalgia and snowy somberness that everyone is looking for this time of year. The next Atlas Sound album is coming out on November 8. It is sure to be great based off of Bradford Cox’s prior work as Atlas Sound and Deerhunter. Tom Waitts has also recently introduced a new album into his elaborate body of work. Laden with his signature megaphone vocals and the usual mystery that surrounds Waitts and his music. If you are looking to brighten up your winter and fall; check out the momentous release of the new Smile Sessions from the Beach Boys. It is wonderful music, excellent recordings, and above all else it is the legendary Beach Boys with some previously un-released material. What could be better than that? So whether you want to add sunshine to your winter, or get into underground hip hop, contemplate the cold and feel sad, but in a good way, or listen to an old man sing in a scratchy voice, these new fall releases are for you. So sit back, grab some coffee, turn on some good tunes, and watch the snowfall.

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11.18.2011 Varsity girls golf makes historic run to state, memoies - page 16

Motto brings Varsity hockey closer together - page 18

Community Brothers supply service, sentiments games fill about busy cheerleading sharing soccer schedulefield - page page1819

this

month in

sports

éjà blue (and gold) efense, star receiver ruin SHS’ season

Danny Bayliss sports chief

oach Scott Dattilo had seen it all before in the 2007 playoffs. He had seen his SHS squad jump out to an early lead against Archbishop Moeller and command the tempo of the game. He had seen his quarterback orchestrate scoring drive after scoring drive. But Dattilo had also seen the downfall, the perfect storm. He witnessed just that on Fri., Nov. 5, as Moeller overcame a 14-3 SHS lead to win 31-21. “First of all, I am very disappointed we lost, however, I am really proud of the way our team battled and rose to the occasion. Our passion and discipline was far superior to theirs,” said Dattilo. The approximate crowd of 5,000 fans at Lockland Roettger Memorial Stadium bundled up to brace the cold, but the heat of the action was present the entire game. SHS got on the board first when quarterback Kyle Sess, 12 ran a touchdown in from one yard out. Passes of five and 18 yards to junior receivers Cory Smith and Caleb Collets helped keep the Crusaders on their toes. After a 37-yard field goal from Moeller’s Nick Palopoli, 12, just snuck inside the uprights, Sess once again dissected the Moeller defense. This time he capped

off the drive with a 27-yard touchdown run, which sparked roaring Ave Cave cheers. The Moeller fan base was sent into a state of shock. Dattilo, though, was not the least bit surprised. “I am very fortunate to coach the players I have and that is all I really worry about. There is enough talent in our district to compete at the highest level and we proved that Friday,” said Dattilo. With just over five minutes left in the second quarter Moeller running back Brian Burkhart, 12, received a handoff at SHS’ nine-yard line and took it to pay dirt. After the teams traded possessions that ended with punts, the half ended, with SHS still maintaining a four-point lead, 14-10. Dattilo knew his team’s first half effort was the product of more than sheer drive. “We have a tremendous coaching staff. They are very knowledgeable, and are great motivators. The players really respect our coaches and enjoy playing for them. I am very fortunate,” said Dattilo. But after halftime the tide slowly started to turn.

Monty makes his move

SHS received the ball to start the second half, but went threeand-out on multiple third quarter drives. On the Crusaders’ first

possession of the second half, Moeller countered Sess’ stardom with their own human-highlight reel, wide receiver Monty Madaris, 12. The nationally-heralded recruit had been contained by Dattilo’s defense for most of the night, but then Madaris sprung loose. He would score consecutive touchdowns - one a 19-yard pass from Spencer Iacovone, 11, and the other on a 33-yard end around. The score was now 24-14 Moeller in the fourth quarter, and Dattilo’s game plan to bottle up Madaris had gone haywire. “[Madaris] is really good and he single handedly beat us. We didn’t do enough,” said Dattilo. What was once a comfortable lead for Sess and co. now turned into panic mode. After Madaris’ second touchdown, Sess led SHS down the field in under two minutes. After another rushing score, this time from three yards out, the Crusaders’ lead was cut to just a field goal’s difference. But that was the end of SHS’ comeback, and their season. After a Moeller punt, the SHS offense entered desperation mode. Three players later they turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory, and Moeller added the dagger with Burkhart’s second rushing touchdown, this one for four yards. The remaining minute of the

Four downs:

game ticked away, and SHS left Lockland with no future to their season.

Senior Sendoff

Sess finished the game with 221 total yards, and remained the leading rusher in the GMC for another week. “Kyle played amazing. He is the ultimate football player. He has a tireless work ethic, he has a very high football IQ, and is blessed with great talent. What a great combination. Put these traits together with an excellent OL and supporting cast and you get great success,” said Dattilo. For the senior class, this was their first time reaching the playoffs. While it was a great opportunity, Dattilo knows their hearts are heavy. “I believe they are very proud of their achievements but disappointed with the end result,” said Dattilo. Moeller will go on to play Middletown, who defeated Centerville 28-10. The game will most likely be at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium. For SHS, the season is over. Sess and his fellow seniors have played their last game. While their season ended in defeat, they defied odds and made the playoffs when many thought they would not win a single GMC game. Dattilo will surely build off this as he prepares his team for next year’s run at the playoffs.

A quartet of key points during SHS’ season

1 2 3 4

Friday, Sept. 02, 2011 vs. Springboro Panthers:

Thursday, Oct. 06, 2011 vs. Oak Hills Highlanders:

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 @ Princeton Vikings:

Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 vs. Lakota West Firebirds

After Springboro tied the game up at 21 late in the fourth quarter, Kyle Sess, 12, leads the offense on a drive down the field. The drive was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown run by Sess. The defense then held on for a 28-21 win, as the team improved to 2-0.

Fans were treated to a shootout when both teams combined for 982 total yards. SHS scored on every drive and had three players rush for over 90 yards. The televised game was close, but a costly Oak Hills fumble recovered by SHS in the red zone proved to be the difference in a 46-41 victory.

In a game where many considered SHS to be the underdog, they tore up an athletic Princeton defense. SHS had over 190 yards rushing and passing, and even used Greg Simpson, 10, in a trick play. The 32-13 win improved SHS to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the GMC.

After suffering their first loss of the season, SHS stormed back and won easily against West. The defense shut out the Firebirds, and many JV players got work in the 30-0 blowout. The win also put SHS in position to earn themselves a playoff spot and a possible first-round home game. Source: gmcsports.com

Danny Bayliss sports chief

He was doomed from the start. Did anyone really think that Joe Paterno would ever be able to coach again? You knew it was coming when the Penn State Board of Trustees scheduled an emergency meeting. Jerry Sandusky violated children, yet Paterno continues to receive the majority of the media’s attention. But where is the support for the victims? The eight boys in the Grand Jury’s report and any others who were stripped of their piece of mind deserve all the support they need. Not Paterno. Put yourself in the victims’ shoes. Wouldn’t you hope that someone would have the moral fiber to notify the authorities and free you of the sexual threat? You are weak, and all you need is a helping hand. Sandusky is not Hannibal Lecter, but he is every bit deranged. And Paterno, well... Fans love Paterno because of his loyalty to the school. But what happens when one’s dedication reaches irresponsible limits? Athletic success has brainwashing powers. If you thought Penn State was in shambles before the announcement, the actions of the students definitely set back the program. It is the Nittany Lions vs. the nation when it comes to realizing why Paterno was fired. Jim Tressel lost his job over tattoos and memorabilia. Paterno failed to turn in a man who sexually took the innocence of multiple young boys. A rational society does not have room for Paterno to coach in 2012. Relieving Paterno of his duties immediately doesn’t let him off the hook. It sends a clear message. Yes, Paterno received the news of his fate via a messenger and a telephone call. But the Penn State Board of Trustees were in Damage Control Mode. He had to be removed until the courts decide what to do with him. If not for Sandusky, Paterno wouldn’t have been put in a position where he has to decide between what was right and what was simple. That was where Paterno failed. Paterno is a law-abiding citizen nine times out of ten. He is in the NCAA record books. His statue, the one PSU wanted removed, reads, “Joseph Vincent Paterno Educator, Coach, Humanitarian”. But no effigy is grand enough to hide the immense mistake Paterno made. To read the extended column, please go to: http://www.goaves.com/news/columns

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11.18.2011

Photos courtesy of McDaniels Photography

ON THEIR WAY TOWARDS a GMC title, the SHS girls golf team practiced tirelessly, working on the perfection of their swings. (From left) S.M Dipali, 12, Lisa Kohmescher, 12, Hanna Lee, 10, Erin Soller, 12, as well as the rest of the team, spent much of their free time working on their golf game, and their dedication payed off when they recently took home the GMC title.

‘It’s no surprise that they’re so good – they’ve earned it’

Girls golf ‘on par’ with destiny SM Dipali & editor-in-chief

Bennett Kaplan sports chief

helpful at practices when we were struggling with our game. But I think the best thing about him joining the team was his sense of humor. He always joked around with us and he always knew how to make us laugh, especially when we were nervous before a tournament,” said Soller.

here is no “I” in team– or in golf, for that matter. The Varsity girls golf team proved that simple fact by achieving a not-so-simple feat. Practice They had an undefeated season; they A new, more rigorous schedule was also instituted by were GMC champs; they qualified for Brackenridge to better prepare the team for competition State Championships; they turned a game that is so late in the season. “Off ” days were decidedly rare as the frustratingly individual in nature into a team sport. girls came together almost every day after school to hone Under the guidance of their coach, Dr. Keith their skills. Brackenridge, the 2011 team has become the most “They’ve learned more from practicing this year than successful girls golf team in program history. The team is comprised of seniors Cassidy Thomas, Lisa Kohmescher, any of my other 19 teams,” said Brackenridge. “They all work very hard when practicing with the team.” S.M. Dipali, Erin Soller, and Maggie Smith, junior But team practices were only a fraction of the work. Marybeth Reinhold, and sophomore Hanna Lee. On “off ” days, the girls were slaving away at the driving For the players, it took more than hard work, more range, perfecting iron shots and than the hours of practice they learning new chip shots. had put in beforehand. In the “There were days when I had hours end, it boiled down to something We wanted it – and a of homework ahead of me, but I knew as cliché as team spirit: the little rain wasn’t about that I needed to be at the range for at perseverance of a team that had least an hour or two. I’d always think never been quite good enough. to stop us. ‘these two hours of practice could be Although seasons past the difference between winning the had brought much triumph, tournament and placing second,’” said they were coupled with much disappointment. The coaches Maggie Smith, Reinhold. Despite painful injuries and cold and professionals all agreed: they 12 weather, the girls were out practicing had the skills. But performance whenever they could. Their desire for was another aspect all together. victory was palpable. It seemed that long faces were “The day before we left for the State tournament, it was always a constant during the van ride home from the District Tournament, as the team missed the cut for State pouring down rain. Literally, you probably couldn’t see something that was 3 feet in front of you. But we were Championships by just a few strokes every year. out there practicing because we wanted it – and a little This year, the golf season was approached in a different rain wasn’t about to stop us,” said Smith. manner. The team was placed above the individual. The practice seems to have paid off: during the season, Competitive energy was channeled –competition no all seven girl golfers were among the 22 best in the longer existed between teammates but with the other GMC, with five of them placing in the top ten (based on teams. The girls focused on motivating one another 9-hole average score). between holes. They affectionately referred to each Lee was the top player in the GMC, averaging 36.71 other as “nuggets.” Van rides to tournaments were now stokes per nine holes, Smith had the fourth overall a constant source of team bonding: a time when golfers average (39.54), Dipali placed seventh (40.62), Reinhold became teammates and coaches became confidants. placed eighth, (41.5), Soller placed 12th (42.7), Thomas Victory was brewing. “As a whole, the seven varsity players were an impressive placed 20th (45.4), and Kohmescher placed 22nd (46.1). “It’s no surprise that they’re so good – they’ve earned group. Even when things would go wrong, they stayed it,” said Brackenridge. together,” said Mr. Greg Pottebaum, assistant coach of Although much of the team’s success can be attributed the varsity girls golf team. to the experience of the returning varsity golfers, Lee was Assistant Coach a major contributor. In her first year as an SHS golfer, The addition of Pottebaum was a change from prior Lee posted a dominating performance at the GMC seasons, as well. For the golfers, individual attention was tournament, carding a 72-71 for a total of 143. key to refining their game and succeeding in competition. “Although she had never played on a team before, her In the past, Brackenridge was the only coach, and experience at national tournaments helped her achieve a providing consistent personal attention to every one of lot during the season,” said Brackenridge. his players was difficult. When Pottebaum volunteered State Championships to be assistant coach, it allowed for each player to receive Upon qualifying for State Championships, personal help during every practice. Brackenridge made something very clear to his players: “Pottebaum knows a lot about golf, so he was really

they were not going to be content with just making it there, they were in Columbus to win it all. The girls were somewhat skeptical, but resolute, nonetheless. A wet practice round on Thursday left the golfers slightly damp and shivering cold but with a renewed drive to achieve greatness. As they walked the Ohio State University Gray Course in the howling wind and pouring rain, a realization dawned: the course played to their strengths and a first place finish was not out of reach. “I had never played at State Championships so I was kind of nervous. But when I saw how long and open the Gray course is, I knew I could play well,” said Smith. Day one of the tournament for the girls began on par with the other teams, tying for third with Ursuline and falling seven strokes from the lead. But like some clutch putts, the results fell short of the destination. The team score from the second day of State Championships was thought by the girls to be mediocre at best; totaling 654 for a fifth place finish. “I know that we are so much better than the score we posted,” said Thomas. Yet, it seemed that the disappointment was only for the girls –Brackenridge, who came away with GMC coach of the year honors, still considers the 2011 team to be the best team he has ever coached. For many it was the last round of high school golf, but the bond cultivated throughout the season remained strong. Later that evening, the girls loaded up the van for their final trip home, knowing that although the 2011 season did not end in a victory, it was one that solidified a team.

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Photo courtesy of Paula Smith

FOR THE FIRST time in program history, the SHS girls golf team took home the GMC title. The team consisted of (from left) S.M Dipali, 12, Lisa Komescher, 12, Marybeth Reinhold, 11, Maggie Smith, 12, Erin Soller, 12, Cassidy Thomas, 12, and Hanna Lee, 10 (not pictured).

11.18.2011

Swimming toward a common goal Sarah May news chief

he high school swim season began Nov. 4 as teams throughout Ohio hosted their first practices, which doubled as tryouts. As prospective Varsity swimmers completed the practice, coach Dr. Dan Carl took note of their performances. For some SHS swimmers, this marked their first practice since the end of the ’10-’11 season, or maybe even the first of their high school career. Joe Moreno, 9, is one of those newcomers. Moreno completed tryouts Nov. 4 and 5, unsure of whether he would make the Varsity team. Afterwards, he anxiously awaited the results, which were posted online the morning of Monday, Nov. 7. He, along with 35 other swimmers, made the team. “I’m not a year round swimmer, so it will be a challenge,” said Moreno. “I’ll have to work as hard as possible, [but] I’m excited to get better and work with Dr. Carl because I know he’s a good coach.” The numbers of both Varsity and JV swimmers are especially high this year. As a result, the Varsity team accepted a few more members than in previous years. In fact, the numbers are larger than in any of the past nine years that Carl has coached the Varsity team, an exciting development for the team. Come GMCs, each team will

Teams hope to make splash in GMC

All Images by Danny Bayliss

BOTH THOMAS NORRIS, 12, (LEFT) and Charlie Fry, 11 are returning members of SHS’ swim team. Together, they hope to take the boys’ team back to the Greater Miami Conference winner’s circle.

be granted four spots per event, and swimmers typically compete in one to two events. “It’s trying to get this group of people into different events to try and figure out what works for them and see what they can do, but I also know we can’t compromise our position at GMCs,” said Carl. The lineup is especially important this year as the team attempts to retain its favorable position from last year, when the boys team won GMCs for the third consecutive

SHS sprints vs. Ohio at State Ellen Martinson staff writer

On Nov. 5, three SHS students ran at the OHSAA State cross country championships. Rosie Menyhert , 9, Samantha Siler, 11, and Artur Meller, 12, all qualified to run at the meet. Siler represented SHS on the podium, coming in 14th place overall in the Division 1 race, the largest and most competitive field. Siler’s 5k time was 18:26, an impressive 5:59 average mile. Last year, Siler competed and finished 13th overall. One of Siler’s Princeton rivals, Claudia Saunders, 12, won the state meet, along with the GMC, districts, and regionals races. Siler was out for the summer due to mono. She was not even sure she would make it to the state meet. However, she placed seventh at regionals, which led her to 14th at state. Along with Siler, Menyhert was the other female competitor from Coach Steve Nester’s team. Menyhert ran a 5k time of 19:02, which led her to 37 place overall in the Division 1 race. She was the fourth freshman to finish. “The competition was hard but fun. I am hoping to go to state again next year,” said Menyhert. At regionals, the top 16 finishers travel to the state meet. Menyhert finished 16th, the final qualifier from regionals. As a freshman, Menyhert succeeded greatly as the number two runner on the team. When Siler was out during the beginning of the season,

Menyhert stepped up to fill the position. She placed well in all of her races, becoming a dominating force on the team. From the men’s team, Meller placed 33rd in the Division 1 race with a 5k time of 16:07, an average mile time of 5:11. This was the first season that Meller ran cross country. He helped from the beginning, proving vital to the success of the team. Both the men’s and women’s team hoped to travel to state as a team. However, both teams finished fifth at regionals, forcing them to stop their seasons short of state. “I am very proud of all our team’s accomplishments this year,” said Nester.

year. Manuel Gutierrez, ’11, was also awarded GMC Swimmer of the Year and Carl was Coach of the Year. While the men’s team has a lot of momentum going into this season, their loss of multiple scoring seniors, including Gutierrez, will make achieving their goals more difficult. But this is not to downplay the skills of the two returning state qualifiers, Charlie Fry, 11, and Thomas Norris, 12. “We have a strong returning guys’

team, a good chance to win GMCs and be top ten at State again this year,” said Carl. As far as winning GMCs, Norris only says: “We better.” The girls team enjoys the addition of national caliber swimmer Cara Norris, 9, whose Junior National experience and positive attitude will certainly be a huge asset to the team. But the team also suffers the loss of several other members, not only graduated seniors of last year, but

also three other members, who, for various reasons, chose not to compete this season. Still, Carl has set the bar high for the girls. “The big thing with the girls is not only getting relays to the State meet, but having prominently scoring relays at the meet. And we can do that, so it’s just making sure that we do,” he said. To help him lead the team to victory, Carl has support this year from a new assistant coach, Mike Wenart. Wenart began his coaching career after his college coach recommended he start assisting at a local team. Since then, Wenart has developed numerous top 16 swimmers, many of which have become top college recruits and Olympic Trial Qualifiers. Currently, Wenart is assistant head coach of the Cincinnati Marlins. As Carl coaches the Marlins as well, the two have worked together in the past. “I wanted to coach Sycamore because it was a chance to work with Dr. Dan. I have a lot of respect for him. It was also a chance for me to get more involved with high school swimming,” said Wenart. So what is Wenart most excited for, as he enters into his first high school season as a coach? “I’m excited to keep the GMC trophies where they belong— with Sycamore.”

‘We won our first scrimmage, so I hope we can keep it up, stay true to our reputation, and go undefeated again’

Jumping to Junior Varsity

Despite the fact they only had one made. Many of the JV players are week of practice, the team credits playing multiple positions, some Going undefeated in the Greater most of their scrimmage victory to of which are different than the Miami Conference (GMC) is no team chemistry. ones they played last year. small feat. Yet, that is exactly what “Our whole team has a bond and “We lost one player, but I think last year’s girls freshman basketball knows everyone’s strengths and we will go very far with a great team accomplished. This year, the weaknesses, so we all work really record, because everyone on the task will be even more difficult to well together,” said Glass. team is incredibly talented,” said achieve at the Junior Varsity level. The JV team refuses to be Brianna Bell, 10. Because they were so successful overconfident or content with The team also welcomed a last season, the team has created a where they are now. One of the coaching change. Coach Victor reputation and is known by other main things they plan to work on in Harris is now the coach for the schools as talented and experienced. practice is their offense and plays. JV team and also helps coach the “Being 18-0 last year is a lot to “Last season we went freshman team. live up to for our upcoming season. undefeated and also won our Harris is already well-liked by I’m really excited to come back and tournament. This season, we are his players. They describe him be just as aggressive,” said as being “freaking histerical”. Erin Glass, 10. Because of both his coaching Other members of the style and his daily jokes, team agree with Glass, and Harris is the type of coach are expecting to do just as who “will make you cry and well. make you better.” “We have huge targets on “He’s tough but good. He our heads and all those teams really knows what he’s talking are going to want to beat about,” said, Anna Condron, us. We really need to focus, Rachel Wright, 10 10.All in all, this season is but I’m sure this year will be great,” said Rachel Wright, expected to be great for the 10. JV girls basketball team. Already, the JV team Confident in their abilities has shown signs of success. going to have our work cut out as a team, they are targeted for On Saturday, Nov. 5, they for us,” said Wright. success, victory, and triumph. were victorious in a 40 minute In the scrimmage against the Mount transition For more winter Notre Dame Cougars. It was a from close, low-scoring game, but SHS freshman sports coverage, pulled it out, 20-16. to JV, some please go to: “We won our first scrimmage, so I significant hope we can keep it up, stay true to changes to our reputation, and go undefeated the team http://www.goaves.com/news/athletics again,” said Dana Coleman, 10. have been Lauren Saxon staff writer

This season, we are going to have our work cut out for us.

IN HER FIRST YEAR as a high school cross country runner, Rosie Menyhert, 9 had the fourth best time of all freshman girls. Her 5k time was recorded at 19:02.

coach, seniors Saying goodbye: Freshman leave volleyball program Victoria Swart staff writer

hile reflecting on the end of the season, the players must face the fact that one of their coaches will not be with them next year. Mrs. Sheri Robertson, assistant coach of the freshman team, has decided to stop coaching. A special person to all, Robertson has helped coach volleyball for three years. With each year, she has developed new relationships with the girls she coaches. “I’m really upset about Sheri leaving, because she’s a great person and she helps us all, even if we’re not on her team,” said Christine Mulvaney, 12. This past year, Robertson assisted in coaching the freshman team, which consisted of 15 girls, a large group for a sport like volleyball. Even so, Robertson grew close with the team, helping them with whatever skill they were working on. “She is an inspirational person. Even if you need someone to talk to, she’s always there. I love her, and she’s a good coach and a good person,” said Courtney Cron, 9. At the beginning of the season,

Robertson had given the girls her phone number, for informational purposes on matches and practices. At the end of the season, Robertson instructed her players to keep her phone number, so that they could talk to her if problems arose in the future. She even promised to come to the players’ matches the next year. The coaches especially will miss her. Most have worked with her for three years, but Ms. Katey Schroeder, head coach of the freshman team, experienced her first year with Robertson. They became close partners in the game of volleyball, improving the skills of their team to make the freshman team be one of the best SHS volleyball has had. “Words cannot express how much she will be missed. She was such a big help to me this year and was a great person to coach with,” said Schroeder. Many volleyball coaches have mentored the athletes through their high school careers. “All of my coaches at SHS have always pushed me to my potential. I will miss that inspiration from them. However, I feel I have learned from them and I will be able to push myself in the future,” said Kristina

Bartlett, 12. This group of unique experts have supported and instructed these girls through their four years with SHS volleyball. “[I’m going to miss] how tough they were on me. It made me a lot stronger as a person,” said Courtney Robertson, 12. Whether in practices or in games, the girls have bonded as not just teammates, but a family. The teamwork and trust between the players contribute to a large portion of volleyball. “To play volleyball I had to really trust [that] my teammates will be there to cover my backand they always did. [They

brought] out my strengths and hide my weaknesses,” said Bartlett. From the new freshmen to the fellow senior veterans, the seniors have enjoyed every year with each other as they progressed together in the game of volleyball. “[There are] so many things that I will never forget, but I think the most important is the girls. I love every girl I played with this year. From my fellow seniors to the up and coming freshmen- I think everyone worked so hard and I enjoyed every moment with them. I’ll miss you all,” said Bartlett.

Mrs. Sheri Robertson, assistant freshman volleyball coach, on leaving SHS How long have you been coaching volleyball?

I have been coaching volleyball for 16 years. Most of my career has been with seventh and eighth graders- and sixth graders, I guess. I’ve been at SHS for three years.

What do you like about SHS? I like SHS because of the wide diversity and the cultures of the school. I have a senior daughter and I feel like she’s getting a well rounded experience. I feel like it’s a great school and a great environment to be in.

What are you going to miss? I’m going miss working with the coaches and also the girls. I absolutely love working with the girls and helping them improve their game.

What is your favorite memory of this year? My favorite memory is when the freshmen team beat MND. It was a great excitement because as long as I’ve been here, we have not beat MND. It was very fun to watch.

Tied together Rope symbol brings squad closer Mike DeMaio a&e chief

A new plaque hanging in the SHS hockey locker room describes the mindset that team captain Michael Bond, 12, and the rest of the team hope to embody for the duration of the season. The plaque, constructed by Jacob Howell, 12, is a green and gold piece of wood with a coiled rope in the center of it. Below the rope is the phrase, “Hold the Rope”, this describes the attitude that the players have for the upcoming season. “‘Hold the rope’ is this year’s phrase for Aviator hockey. It is an unwritten contract between all the players on the team that shows our unity. The idea is that every player on the team holds their end of the rope for the team so we can be successful as a whole,” said Bond. The players and the captains alike all want to hold their end of

the rope to support the team, and achieve a winning season. Varsity’s first home game was on Nov. 11 at the The Sphere (formerly Sports Plus) against Trininty, and the team is hoping for and expecting a good turnout to kick off the season with a win and filled stands. “I am excited to watch the team in the upcoming season,” said Charlie Pavlov, 10. For more hockey coverage, visit:

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JACOB HOWELL, 12, CONSTRUCTED THE infamous “Hold the Rope” plaque. Howell, along with Michael Bond, 12, hope this plaque serves as inspiration for the players throughout the season. The rope represents the hard work and effort that the team as a whole must contribute in order to have a sucessful year.

Quick Hits: Quiz Team goes to nationals

After placing 2nd at a qualifying tournament in Tippacanoe High School, the Quiz Team was guaranteed a spot at Nationals. The team was lead by Anirudha Vaddadi, 12, and juniors Soham Agarwal, Pinar Inanli, Emma Rogge. The National Tournament will take place on Memorial day weekend in Atlanta. Over 100 teams will be competing for first place.

Girls tennis goes to State Tournament

After having one of their most successful seasons in recent memory, the SHS girls golf team sent two of their players to the state competition. Sammi Kruger, 12, and Sophia Southard, 11, faced off against Columbus Bishop Watterson in the first round of the state doubles bracket, losing 6-1, 6-1.

Image by Lina Cardenas

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Chloe Pavlech signs to Maryland

Chloe Pavlech, 12, signed her National Letter of Intent to the University of Maryland on Nov. 11th to play Division-I basketball. Pavlech, who averaged 11.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year, decided on the Terps despite offers from Notre Dame, Virginia, Florida, George Washington, etc. She will join fellow classmates A.J Williams, 12 (football), and Derrick Kihembo, 12 (lacrosse), who will also be playing Division-I sports (University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University, respectively).

11.18.2011 BK

sports KAPITOL A not so ‘private’ matter Bennett Kaplan sports chief

Every single SHS football player lives in the Sycamore school district. The situation is far different, however, for those who attend “That School on Montgomery Road”. To even call Moeller High School “That School on Montgomery Road” is ironic. Many, if not most, student athletes that attend the private school live far from the friendly confines of Montgomery, Ohio. After a tough loss last week to Moeller in the first round of the playoffs, many issues are brought into question. Unlike public schools, private schools are not bound to districts. What does this mean for sports? This means that Moeller can recruit. Moeller is not limited to the athletes that live in a district, and therefore have access to sports talent across the region, and often boast the most competitive teams in the region. Schools like Moeller often use “academic” scholarships to lure talented athletes to their programs, and create stacked athletic teams that often face little, if not no, competition against area schools. Now, I have no problem with private schools, as they are a favorable option for many. I do, however, have a problem with private schools competing in athletics against public schools. It just isn’t fair. A school like SHS, whose athletic programs are limited to the students that live in the district, will never be competitive against the private schools that have free range to any athletes in the area. Of the top 15 schools with the most Ohio state sports titles, nine are private schools. To me, it seems obvious. Make competition more fair by pitting private schools against each other, and allowing public schools to participate in more balanced competition. St. Xavier high school has won 34 state swimming titles since 1970. 34 titles in 41 years? I would like to talk to anybody who thinks that a public school would be able to pull the same feat. Public schools have to create athletic talent within their own program. If one year a team is not playing well, you wait until next year, or the year after, for players to develop. Public schools often go through “rebuilding” years after seniors graduate. For schools like Moeller and St. X, there is no waiting period, for they will bring in the top athletes year after year. The adage goes, ‘They do not rebuild, they reload’. Sports are about competition. Sports are about doing what it takes to beat the other team. As Herm Edwards once famously said, “You play to win the game.” When you take away competition, you take away what makes sports amazing. As long as private schools compete with public schools, there will be no competition in high school sports.

11.18.2011

Handspring into SHS cheer: Tryouts, game day, giving back

Casey Rayburn staff writer

he cheerleaders along the track of the football stadium might not be different, but the tryout requirements for these seasons were revamped. Major changes to tryouts included only one tryout for the football and basketball season. Also, the coaches added a freshman squad. Now the JV squad will consist of sophomores and juniors while Varsity will be juniors and seniors only. When it came to the day of tryouts, the girls did not know the tryout order or with whom they were trying out. The coaches planned to take 16 girls for each squad for the football season and 12 for the basketball season.

Tryouts

For tryouts, the girls learned the same chant, cheer, and dance. In previous seasons, the girls got into groups of one, two, or three and they created their own dance and cheer to perform for the judges. Along with many other changes, the girls were judged by cheerleading coaches from Wilmington College. The coaches made sure that they would try to make tryouts as fair as possible due to previous controversy. Tryouts were revised this year, due to parents’ complaints about results from the 20102011 basketball tryouts. The main argument was that the tryouts were biased. The coaches revised the contract that they have been using. Most of the regulations were kept the same but went more in detail. Once the contract is read, the cheerleader and the parent are to sign it and give it to the coaches on the first day of clinics. Also, the score sheet for the tryouts was changed. The new categories for the score sheet are: appearance, overall cheerleading skills, cheer/ chant, dance, voice expression, background experience, jumps (toe touch and choice), tumbling (standing and running), and clinic

Young is trying to build the program up from kindergarten all the way through high school. Preparation for game day Even though the young cheerleaders only There is a lot that is put into preparing for the cheer for one quarter of the game, they can Friday night football games. The girls do not just often become stressed. The girls need to walk out on to the track, stretch for five minutes, make sure they are paying attention and then line up to start the game. Practices start at listening to instructions, so everyone is on the beginning of August for the squad. the same page with the dances, chants, and It is not like football where there are two-acheers. day practices; however, the girls do focus when it The coaches are always trying to find comes to summer training. ways to give back to the community. The girls practice twice a week for two hours. During games in the month of October, During the course of practices for the summer, the girls wear some sort of pink as part cheerleaders either focus mainly on cheers, of their uniform to show support for chants, or dances. Normally, this will last for breast cancer awareness month. three weeks. “The cheerleaders supported breast Along with practices, the girls participated in cancer awareness month by wearing cheer camp for two days that lasted seven hours pink pins and bows. I thought it was a each day. The camp was run by cheerleaders good way to support it,” said Nichole from Wilmington College. Throughout Hamburg, 11. the camp the girls learned hello cheers, fan Bearcat performance interaction cheers, sideline dances and other On Nov. 8, part of the Varsity, JV, cheers. Also the cheerleaders practice several pregame and freshman squads performed during halftime of the University rituals: making the tunnel, standing for the of Cincinnati’s Men’s Basketball national anthem, warming up tumbling and game against Northern Kentucky jumps. University. Young mentioned The day of the game the girls wear their uniforms to school. They wear a green turtleneck the opportunity to the girls at practice Oct. 20, giving the girls for home games and white for away. Before most games the parents will organize a about two weeks to prepare their performance. team dinner. “I think it is a great During the season, the girls try to have a team opportunity for us to be able bonding experience after each game, where the to cheer at the UC game. girls often go back to one of their houses for It gives us as cheerleaders the night. The cheerleaders also often join the more experience and a look players and other students at Skyline after the into college cheerleading,” games. said Daniella Star, 11. “This year has been really fun because our With only two weeks to squad is really close. We do a lot of bonding like prepare, the girls decided dinners before games and karaoke night,” said that they would combine Lily Henry, 12. some of the routines Game time they already knew, but All students know that the cheerleaders cheer they also add in new along the sidelines, but during the game the girls material. get very involved with the student section, either Coaches expressed with the students leading cheers and vice versa. that this would be a For every song played either by the band or big opportunity for over the loudspeaker, the cheerleaders have a the girls, and they dance prepared. could possibly be Interacting with the fans is a major part of the scouted by the UC game for the girls. coaches. Giving back The girls Showing support in the community is a major thought that all role for the squads. At the beginning of August the hard work every year, Lil’ Aves camp is held for girls in that was put into grades kindergarten through sixth grade. the preparation The reason for camp is to build up the paid off, when it cheerleading program in the district. came to “show For one game, the younger cheerleaders will time” at the cheer along the track for a quarter. What is new game. this year is that the coaches decided to have the SJHS cheer also. Jen Young, head coach, asked SJHS coaches Jennifer Buckner and Stacey Runion if they would want their girls to cheer alongside the high school team. participation.

Photos courtsey of McDaniels Photography

Dancing queen

11.18.2011

Hannah Peterson, 11, displays skills in ZUMBA Aditi Sharma managing editor

Q. How did you become interested in ZUMBA®? A. It was when I first saw Step Up 2. I wanted to learn how to dance just like that. My mom’s friend found out, and she asked me to go to a ZUMBA® class with her. I loved it, so I ended up doing it for about a year and a half. It was easy to follow and great exercise, so I decided to instruct. Q. How did you become certified to teach? A. I am actually a licensed Basic 1 ZUMBA® instructor. I went to a one-day training session, which lasted about 12 hours. We had two instructors who taught us the basic steps. We learned the four main steps, how to put routines together, and how to stay physically safe while doing ZUMBA®. You can also take sessions to specialize in specific types of ZUMBA®. Alberto Beto Perez choreographed this Latin-inspired dance in Colombia in the 1990s. Q. Now that you are certified, do you teach? A. I teach at Dare to Dance on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., and at Fit 4 You at 2:00 pm. on Sundays. Q. Is there a specific age group that does ZUMBA®? A. It is usually middle aged women, but when you do it in a group, people of all ages, sizes, and dancing abilities will have a great time. Of course, everyone is welcome to join. Q. What are you planning to do for ZUMBA® Club? A. I plan on holding an informational meeting, hopefully sometime in the next week or two. Ms. [Latoya] Pitts and Ms. [Christine] Minano will be the club sponsors. Q. How are Ms. Pitts and Ms. Minano certified to teach? A. The Zumba program currently offers six different types of Zumba classes. Ms. Pitts is certified in Zumba® Toning, and Ms. Minano is certified in Zumbatomic®, which was created specifically for kids.

Mrs. Christine Minano, Zumba Instructor

Q. Why did you start doing ZUMBA®? A. I was a student at ZUMBA® classes at my local YMCA for about six months, and I loved it so much that I decided to get certified as an instructor. Q. How is it beneficial? A. It is beneficial because it provides a fun, social way for people to burn off their stress from the day and increase their fitness levels. It is very heart healthy in addition to being a blast. Q. How did you become certified in ZUMBA®? A. I paid to attend an all-day training session, and learned from one of the ZUMBA® greats, Maria Browning, how to become a great and successful instructor. I decided to become an instructor because I loved the classes so much as a student, and I was good at it since I’ve had some background in dance. Also, it was nice to get paid to work out and have fun with my classes, which quickly became like a second family to me. It is way more than a hobby for me. It is a healthy, happy way of living. One thing that most people don’t realize is that ZUMBA® supports many nonprofit charities, too, so I can do good things for my community through it. I have already participated in ZUMBA® fundraisers for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Heart Association, and Relay for Life. I have lost all of my baby weight doing this, and I’ve never felt fitter. Q. Why should students join Zumba Club? A. Students should join if they love to dance and want to do something to increase their fitness levels. This will help them to get toned and to release stress in a positive way.

Image by Aditi Sharma

Photos courtesy of Aditi Sharma

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