Edition 13.3

h r o n i c l eThe
November 13, 2015 thecspn.com Volume 13, Issue 3

Boys soccer Some students and Senior is third
continues to teachers face a in the world
triumph in the common addiction, in a unique
postseason, see see page 19 sport, see
page 23 page 15

Potential threat End of Line, Comets fall to ‘Boro
[see story on page 20]
results in

attendance drop

Juliana Discher | Staff Writer
[email protected]

October 20 was not
a designated skip
day, yet 20 percent of
the student body still
didn’t show up.
After a threatening
note was left anony-
mously in a Mason
High School class-
room, administration
felt the need to alert
parents on the matter.
Photo by Juliana Discher

Principal David Hyatt MHS principal David Hyatt
said, when it comes to
addressing threats, the definitive information re-
garding the incident won’t be revealed, as it’s saf-
er for students, but the community is still given
the necessary ground knowledge.
“With any investigation, we don’t get into the
specific details,” Hyatt said. “It’s not that we’re try- Photo by Blake Nissen
ing to hide anything, we just don’t get into what
The Mason football team sings the alma mater at the conclusion of their play-off loss against Springboro.

we do in an investigation. We sent an email to par-
ents about the note to keep people informed and
educated on what’s going on. We feel our staff, Marijuana legalization goes up in smoke
our families, and our community have the right
to know where we’re at and what we’re doing.” after resounding loss in November 3 election
A thorough investigation was conducted to en-
sure the safety of students and staff at school on Jessica Sommerville | Online Editor sell it. An early October poll sure passed with 52 percent in
October 20, Hyatt said. [email protected] by Quinnipiac University indi- favor and 48 percent against.
“We reached out to a number of people,” Hyatt cated 53 percent of Ohio voters
said. “The last thing we want is to walk into this Pot smokers hoping to le- were pro-legalization, but sup- ResponsibleOhio, a pro-legal-
building and not have the assurance that every- gally smoke a joint in Ohio port plummeted on November ization political action commit-
one is completely safe. After talking to the Mason will have to wait after Issue 3 3: 36 percent voted “Yes” while tee, spent over $15 million on
Police Department, the chief of police, central burned to ashes on election 64 percent voted “No.” the campaign, an October 23
office, superintendents, we came together and day. estimate from the Columbus
made the decision that it was a concern, but we To legalize, voters also need- Dispatch said. Executive Direc-
were 100 percent positive it was safe.” Issue 3 stood to legalize rec- ed to reject Issue 2–a provision tor Ian James said in a state-
reational and medicinal mari- that forbade monopoly, and ment that it will continue to
[story continued on page 2] juana, but it granted only 10 therefore Issue 3, under the lobby for marijuana reform.
sites the right to cultivate and Ohio constitution. The mea- [story continued on page 3]

2 C November 13, 2015
News
[story continued from page 1]
Schmidt, Allen forced to wait on
Potential threat results in
attendance drop ? ?recount, Wise wins re-election
Photo contributed by Kevin Wise
On the date the note alluded to, Hyatt said that the Photo contributed by Erin Schmidt
appropriate measures were taken. Photo contributed by Courtney Allen

“Our staff was very vigilant, as they always are,” Hy- Kevin Wise Erin Schmidt Courtney Allen
att said. “It’s pretty well know that Mason Police De-
partment had a larger presence during that school day. Alekya Raghavan | Staff Writer are looking at exciting opportunities to reno-
There was an additional police officer cruising the park-
ing lot. We also had three plain clothed officers in the [email protected] vate the middle school and take the necessary
hallways because they’re trained to identify things that
look suspicious or concerning. Since that day was spe- The votes have been counted and the results steps to get our second graders in the same
cifically pointed out, we felt that we should have addi- are in—for now. building. Our plans make full use of a state
tional support.” program that has been in the planning for 15
As of Tuesday, November 3, two members, years and won’t involve any new taxes.”
There was a significant increase in absences on Octo- Kevin Wise and Erin Schmidt, have been elect-
ber 20. Hyatt said he understands why parents allowed ed to the Mason City Schools Board of Educa- Because the the first count revealed a win
their children to stay home that day, which is why all the tion to represent the district for the next four in favor of Schmidt by a less than one percent
absences were excused. years. Due to the numbers being so close be- margin (less than thirty votes), the Board of
tween incumbent Courtney Allen and Erin Election has issued a mandatory recount, for
“It’s certainly a parent’s right to judge if they feel com- Schmidt (4,428 to 4,446), positions have yet to which results could be pending as late as No-
fortable having their child go to school,” Hyatt said. “We be finalized. vember 24.
obviously want every student here, but there are other
things in life that we have to respect. The bottom line is The majority of the voters favored Kevin Incumbent Board President Courtney Allen
that we’re gonna go back and pick up where we left off.” Wise, a consecutively re-elected official who is on hold for now, until provisional ballots are
won with a total of 6,657 votes out of 15,531. counted, and possibly through a recount fol-
According to Fox19, five separate schools across the According to Wise, the reason for his success lowing that. As of now, she will be replaced by
Tri-State were targeted with bomb threats on October 7. is his ability to get his message to the voters. Schmidt on the board, unless the recount tells
Hyatt said these events were unrelated to the incident a different story.
that happened at Mason. “Every voter has different reasons when they
cast a vote,” Wise said. “Mainly, the track record Allen said the Board of Elections is going
“I don’t think there was any correlation,” Hyatt said. of success for our district and board is compel- through the process, but regardless she will
“Those were verbal threats and ours was just a concern ling and I think people tune into that. Getting remain in her position through the end of the
based on a note found.” that message to voters is important and I have year.
tried to do that effectively as well.”
According to assistant principal Dan Distel, safety “The Board of Elections is currently going
threats have seemed to be more prevalent recently. As of now, joining Wise to represent the dis- through the process of counting provisional
trict is newcomer and community member ballots,” Allen said. “If the votes are still within
“It feels like this is more on our front burner of con- Erin Schmidt. Schmidt, whose decision to run .5% once provisionals are included, then an of-
cerns when it comes to threats in the region,” Distel came from witnessing problems in the com- ficial recount will happen. Regardless of the
said. “Although, building safety is always our number munity, said it was her sincerity that attracted outcome of the election, my current term does
one priority, some of those trends do make it feel like it’s voters. not end until December 31, 2015. Therefore
more of a fad or if there are copy cats.” positions stay as is until then.”
“It is difficult to know exactly why people
Distel said some of the blame for increased threats vote a certain way in elections like these,” Schmidt said she hopes the ballot remains in
can be attributed to social media usage, but it’s mostly Schmidt said. “My hope is that I conveyed a her favor and she has high hopes for her term
unknown as to why they’re being seen more frequently. sense of interest and understanding about the as a board member.
current educational climate not only in Mason
“We saw a little bit of students making threats on so- but in the State and country as well. I sincerely “I hope to understand better the challenges
cial media last year,” Distel said. “I think kids understand care about our teachers, students, and commu- facing our teachers and students at a classroom
more the consequences that can come out of irrespon- nity and would like to think I earned the votes level,” Schmidt said. “A large percentage of the
sible social media usage. In this day and age, with how cast for me based on that merit.” Mason and Deerfield Township community
quick communication can happen, people definitely say have no children in the schools but are still im-
things through social media that they immediately re- Wise said that the board is looking at some pacted by the successes and challenges of the
gret.” promising opportunities for the community in district. Reaching out beyond the walls of our
the long run. schools by working together with the commu-
Hyatt said it was coincidental that this incident oc- nity, the City Council members of Mason, the
curred during ‘Say Something Week’—an initiative es- “The plans for the board will remain on track trustees of Deerfield Township, and local busi-
tablished after Sandy Hook. The basis of the week is to in the short term,” Wise said. “Long term, we nesses will only make our schools stronger.”
encourage any person who finds something that doesn’t
seem right or is concerning, to alert an administrator or
law enforcement officer.

“Our best measure of safety is our students, staff, and
community talking and letting us know if they hear or
see things,” Hyatt said. “We’re fortunate that we have
people who take that very seriously. This (incident) was
identified through a staff member who felt the need
to say something and I commend that person. I only
hope that students feel the same need to report things
because ultimately, that’s what keeps us safe.”

November 13, 2015 C 3

MARIJUANA
SHOT DOWN IN OHIO

Ohio Issue 2 Anti-Monopoly Amendment Ohio Issue 3 Legalization Marijuana

48% Against Monopoly 52% For 64% Against 36% For

The results of Issue 2 and Issue 3 in the Novemer 3 election, according to WCPO.com. Illustration by Madison Krell

Marijuana legalization goes up in smoke after resounding loss in November 3 election

[story continued from page 1]

“We trust the voters,” James said. continue in 2016 as ballots are in the sea in chemotherapy patients as well needs to be revisited in future initia-
“We started the conversation, and works for a minimum of 16 states, as increase the appetite of those who tives as it “was certainly one of our
we’re going to continue the conver- The Washington Post said. Responsi- have lost weight due to AIDS. biggest criticisms.”
sation starting tomorrow. The status bleOhio spokesperson Faith Oltman
quo doesn’t work, it’s unacceptable said the organization hopes this will Potential uses also include the Each state has its own approach
and we’re not going away. All the include Ohio. treatment of muscle control prob- to marijuana reform, Oltman said,
things we’ve fought for are true. lems caused by multiple sclerosis which will come to light as marijua-
Ohioans still need treatment and “We are going back to the drawing (MS) as well as childhood epilepsy. na initiatives continue nationwide.
deserve compassionate care. And board, and we are going to be look- To confirm drug effectiveness and
our state needs the jobs and tax rev- ing to put an issue on the ballot in safety, however, many clinical trials “Every state tries to put together
enue that marijuana legalization will 2016,” Oltman said. “We are really still need to be performed, the Na- the proposal that it thinks will work
bring.” trying to get input from people all tional Institute on Drug Abuse says. best in that state,” Oltman said. “It’s
over the state.” not a great thing to have a setback,
Issue 3 defined the tax on marijua- Despite support for marijuana it’s hard to have a setback at any
na as “a special flat tax of 15 percent Oltman said the goal is still to le- as medicine, the backlash toward time...but we hope that other states
on all gross revenue of each MGCE galize both personal and medicinal the monopoly in Issue 3 secured its can learn from our experience and
(Marijuana Growth, Cultivation and marijuana all at once, which if suc- downfall. Oltman said this caveat everyone can move forward.”
Extraction) facility and MPM (Mari- cessful, will be a first for any state.
juana Product Manufacturing)” She cited the same Quinnipiac Uni-
which would be paired with a “5 per- versity poll as indicating that 90 per-
cent on all gross revenue of each re- cent of Ohioans favor legalization of
tail marijuana store.” medicinal marijuana.

Income from such taxes would The National Institute on Drug
have been divided among a Munici- Abuse says that medicinal marijuana
pal and Township Government Stabi- refers to “treating a disease or symp-
lization Fund, which would promote tom with the whole unprocessed
public health and safety, a Strong marijuana plant or its basic extracts.”
County Fund, to promote similar im-
provements on a county-level, and This type of treatment is not yet
a Marijuana Control Commission FDA-approved, but the scientific
Fund to regulate the drug as it circu- study of cannabinoids, or chemicals
lated through the economy. related to THC, the mind-altering in-
gredient in marijuana, has led to two
The debate over legalization will FDA-approved pills, dronabinol and
nabilone. Both are used to treat nau-

4 C November 13, 2015
Opinion
The Chronicle’s Policy Staff Editorial
to the editor
The Chronicle is the official student newspaper Charter schools steal funds and
of William Mason High School. opportunites from high-achieving
districts
The Chronicle promises to report the truth and
adhere to the journalistic code of ethics through Is Ohio Governor John Kasich a modern-day Robin
online and print mediums. Hood? It seems he is, robbing from the “rich in aca-
demic achievement” to give to the “poor in academic
The Chronicle is produced by students enrolled achievement.” His most recent budget slashes fund-
in Journalism I, II and III. ing to high-achieving school districts like Mason City
Schools in order to reward a gift of $71 million to
Editorials reflect the staff ’s opinion but do not poorly-run, low-achieving charter schools.
necessarily reflect the opinions of the school ad-
ministration or the Mason City School District. Charter schools, or public schools of choice, are
started by parents who do not want their children at-
The Chronicle is published monthly. Call tending low-income districts. They require no tuition
398-5025 ext. 33103 for information regarding fee and are supposedly held accountable via their
advertising in The Chronicle. The Chronicle re- charters—but not by the state standards.
serves the right to refuse advertising it deems
inappropriate for a high school publication. Meanwhile, we must endure the Common Core cur-
riculum and a barrage of standardized tests, our scores
As an open forum for students, letters to the on which will affect the rank of our teachers under the
editor are welcome, but are subject to be edited Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, which weighs both
for length, libel, obscenity, clarity and poor taste. student growth measures and teacher performance at
Letters to the editor may be dropped off in room 50 percent.
C103 and must be signed.
This information is then compiled into a District
The Chronicle is a member of The Colum- Report Card to further pressure the community into
bia Scholastic Press Association, The National a state of perfection, lest we risk even further hacks to
Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll the resources we need to keep our opportunities alive.
International Honorary Society for High School
Journalists and the Ohio Scholastic Media As- Yet all of these challenges are nonexistent in schools
sociation. that fail even to report their failures.
Contact Information
The Chronicle The Cincinnati Enquirer said that the School Choice
William Mason High School director for the Education Department, David Han-
6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. sen, resigned after he omitted “F grades for online
Mason, Ohio 45040 and dropout recovery schools off evaluations of char-
(513) 398-5025 ter school sponsors.”
The Chronicle Staff
Editor-in-Chief The lie stood to garner even further benefits from
Gina Deaton an already gullible government.
Managing Editor
Abbey Marshall The Akron Beacon Journal analyzed 4,263 audits
Sports Editor and uncovered that “since 2001, state auditors have
Kylie McCalmont uncovered $27.3 million improperly spent by charter
Online Editor schools, many run by for-profit companies, enrolling
Jessica Sommerville thousands of children and producing academic results
Online Sports Editor that rival the worst in the nation.”
Eric Miller
Visual Editor These for-profit companies are often behind the on-
Madison Krell line learning found in charter schools that has failed
Graphic Designers its students so miserably.
Jake Broekema
Kate Madigan In the government’s nickel eyes, it’s not enough for
Business Manager us to be the investment – the students with the po-
Ashton Nichols tential to serve the community as doctors, lawyers or
Staff Writers teachers themselves.
Alyssa Brooks
Serina Cline Too often we give public schools the brunt of the
Arnav Damodhar criticism, paint them as unruly institutions filled with
Juliana Discher school-uniform-less anarchy.
Ariel Jones
India Kirssin Therefore, it has a nice ring when we can say we
Madison Krell chose our school rather than attended the sub-par
Lauren Lysko one in the center of our district. It’s true that charter
Charlie MacKenzie schools highlight these inadequacies of education in
Duncan MacKenzie low-income districts – but the solution to poor schools
Isabel Marotta is not to create more poor schools.
Matt Marvar
Jonathan McCollough By hacking away at funding for high-achieving dis-
Erin McElhenny tricts, we risk the success of students who know how
Eric Michael to make the best of what they were given rather than
Blake Nissen tossing it aside and moving on.
Meghan Pottle
Asia Porter
Alekya Raghavan
Ellie Uecker
Adviser
Dale Conner

November 13, 2015 C 5
Opinion
Love your
Editorial Cartoon: Schools assume the role of parents fellow
Muppets

Keep the Although the first half of what he said is true, the Abbey Marshall | Managing Editor
Internet fair regulations are necessary to protect an open internet [email protected]
and free and the interests of the people and in this case, other
big companies. When it comes to innovating and Elmo has a new friend on the block.
Jonathan McCollough | Staff Writer improving service, ISPs stopped doing that a long Sesame Street, whose mission is “to help
[email protected] time ago once they set up monopolies all across all children grow smarter, stronger and
the country. They don’t need to innovate when they kinder”, just got one step closer to that
On February 26, 2015, we won the internet, and don’t allow any other viable options to compete with goal. The producers recently announced
now presidential hopeful Jeb Bush wants to take that them. Additionally they are not trying eliminate net their newest character, a bright-eyed,
victory away from us. neutrality to create capital for investments, they are orange-haired muppet named Julia. Julia
in it for profit not people. is just like every other muppet: she likes
That fateful day was the day that the Federal laughing, playing with her friends, and
Communication Commission ruled in favor of net Normally regulations like this would be seen as a having a fun time on the happiest street
neutrality, the idea that internet service providers fight between the people and big business, but this in America. The only difference? She has
should treat all internet traffic and data equally. battle is being fought solely against ISPs. Compa- autism.
This may not seem like a big deal until you real- nies such as Google, Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, Mi- Motivated by the desire to increase
ize how abusive Internet Service Providers like Time crosoft and many more have all come out in favor awareness of childhood disabilities, Ses-
Warner Cable and Comcast could be without such of net neutrality. This is one of the few examples in ame Street’s decision to incorporate such
regulations. modern America where activists and large corpora- an unconventional character is a noble
tions are actually on the same side of an issue, so if one. Yet, despite all the good they’re doing,
Net neutrality prevents ISPs from implement- nearly everyone is in favor of net neutrality, why is writers are being highly criticized. Skeptics
ing “fast lanes” that would allow them to speed up Jeb a supporter of its downfall? are questioning why the autistic character
or slow down web sites, typically in exchange for was written as a girl. According to Center
money. For instance, Comcast could tell Netflix that One simple and major factor could be how much for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 42
it’s going to significantly drop the speed of its web- influence money has on politics. In 2014 alone, Com- boys are affected with autism, while only
site if it doesn’t pay a certain price, in turn hurting cast spent a staggering $17,020,000 on lobbying, and 1 in 189 girls are diagnosed. Why, then, is
both Netflix and consumers of media on Netflix. that is just one of many ISPs. That much purchasing Julia a girl? This question is not lost on ex-
This could also give large companies an unfair ad- power can create a lot of influence on government ecutive vice president Sherrie Westin, who
vantage over others; for example, Netflix could pay and politicians, which takes their attention away responded that since children are more
Comcast a high price to get increased speeds over from the needs of the people and puts it toward the likely to see an autistic boy, they wanted to
rival companies like Hulu and Amazon. This is espe- wants of their donors. But the fact is that the people show that girls can be autistic as well. Nev-
cially detrimental to small start-up companies that are the ones who elect these politicians into office ertheless, angry Americans’ cries rage on.
simply wouldn’t have the capital to compete if large and our opinion matters more than any donation As their faces bloat crimson, they for-
companies bought their way into these “fast lanes.” from a company, so Mr. Bush, here is mine. get the more pressing question: why are
they attacking something that will do
Bush claims that by subjecting all ISPs net neutral- The internet is, and should be, a level playing field such good? I applaud Sesame Street and
ity regulations, it prohibits one group of companies where a small start-up can topple a large established its quest to combat ignorance at a young
(ISPs) from charging another group of companies brand. The internet should remain equal for all age. According to the senior vice president
(content companies) which in turn hurts ISPs and companies, and ISPs should not have the power to of U.S. social impact, children with autism
hurts their ability to innovate and improve service. change that. ISPs should not be allowed to set up are five times more likely to be bullied
“fast lanes” for some web sites and not all for others, by their peers. This is deeply saddening;
and net neutrality should absolutely not be repealed. kids with autism often become deterred by
this and want to avoid school at all costs.
That’s why it’s so inspiring that an educa-
tional program targeting young children
is tackling this issue by introducing a char-
acter who is sensitive to sound and lights,
as well as some other seemingly odd char-
acteristics, but she still likes to play with
others.
Sesame Street is making strides in the
right direction, but I hope someday she
isn’t viewed as Julia, the little girl with au-
tism, but as Julia--just another muppet.

C6 November 13, 2015

Kist-Kline leading opposition against Kasich’s charter school funding

Abbey Marshall | Managing Editor Ohio: their slice of the pie is getting dimin-
[email protected] ished and part of that certainly can be per-
ceived to be part of that money that’s going to Ohio was awarded $196 Million for
The school choice debate continues to rage charter schools. We, and they, are being nega-
on and at the forefront in the opposition tively impacted by those dollars that could be the Charter Schools Programs State
against Ohio Governor John Kasich’s charter Educational Agencies grant
school funding is Mason City Schools super-
intendent Dr. Gail Kist-Kline. effectively used in public schools, whether at
our level or at a university level.”
Charter schools, institutions started by indi- In an attempt to fight the continuation Out of the $196 Million, $71
viduals or companies funded by state money,
began to increase in their numbers under the of public funds being poured into charter Million was granted by a
administration of Ohio Governor John Ka- schools, superintendent Gail Kist-Kline is an
sich, who actively lobbies for student choice falsified application
in what school they attend. The movement
is a private sector approach to education in active lobbyist for the rights of district schools,
which businesses can create schools backed according to Carson. Kist-Kline has sent let-
by state funding. ters to Ohio representative Paul Zeltwanger,
utilized social media to share her opinion, and
Despite their initial mission to provide op- published a column about the issue in Today’s
portunities for students in underfunded dis- Pulse.
trict schools, charter schools have suffered “To put it simply, every school in the state of
from poor oversight of taxpayer money, said Ohio that is funded by Ohio tax dollars should
Mason City Schools Public Information Offi- be held to the same standards...In a recent sur-
cer Tracey Carson. vey, 94 percent of the respondents said that
charter schools should follow the same rules FailedCharter School
The Columbus Dispatch reported over $1 as public schools,” Kist-Kline said in a letter to
billion granted annually to charter schools in Zdcyieslaatwpnpdaonaigcnectoirn.ug“nOttuaobrhilteiaatxyrpOtEfoahodfyheruetiohccCrhsaewhatawmairortastneuenaarlrttwlsiSAtpcacrhlgarhedoneoeofnsoaldpclsisal.i$euPrI1esrtro9engi6gss-rarManmiltlsioSntafoter
Ohio with about 120,000 students, yet there of so many of our charter schools, schools
is not enough accountability taking place of that were created, specifically, to provide a
where those funds are being allocated, ac- superior alternative to failing public schools.” In 2013, there
cording to Carson.
were 17 Ohio
“Ohio’s Auditor of State, David Yost, and
most recently the Supreme Court of the State In response to growing criticism, Governor Charter School
of Ohio, have reviewed charter school financ-
es and shown there is insufficient transpar- Kasich signed House Bill 2 on November 1 to failures
ency about how state money is being spent by
charter school operators and their affiliated take effect in 90 days. The reform is designed
companies, as well as uncovering egregious to hold charter school sponsors more account-
violations and shortcomings,” Carson said. able for their spending, as well as prohibit $3.7 Billion
poorly performing schools from opening new
Government teacher Maria Mueller said di- ones. Research found
minishing district school funding and increas- “While we are proud of Ohio’s high-per-
ing university tuition can be in part attributed =OFF C/A / that the amount
to tax dollars dedicated to charter schools. forming charter schools, there are too many of money handed
that haven’t been serving our kids with the 7 89
“I definitely think public education has quality they deserve,” Kasich said in a state- X to charter schools
been harmed, and not just public schools as ment. was unknown by
in public elementary and secondary schools,” 4 56
Mueller said. “Universities and colleges in Ultimately, students should be the focal - the federal
point of education, Kline said. government;
12 3
“All students deserve a high quality edu- 0. + however, it was
cation and we need to assure that is taking % estimated that
place,” Kist-Kline said.
they spent

$3,700,000,000.

Illustration by Madison Krell

Statistcis from The Columbus Dispatch.

November 13, 2015 C 7
Feature

Senior Drew Davidson uses video games as a way to train for his military career. Photo illustration by Matthew Marvar

Aspiring soldiers use video game simulations to tune up for combat situations

Matthew Marvar | Staff Writer Junior Tyler Meyer, however, plays his video a weapon before in my life,” Hostetler said. “They
[email protected] games for another reason—for pure, simple, fun. only thing I knew about firing a weapon was a
video game called James Bond: Goldeneye. And
The worldwide video game industry is worth “I usually play games that let me chill out and since day one in the Army, I’ve always shot well.
almost $100 billion. blow off steam,” Meyer said. “I don’t take it as se- A lot of that I think attributes to the hand-eye
riously as (the Army)—if I had a rough day, I can coordination that you do with videogames…
Gamers in the United States alone spent $22 just go on and chill out for a little bit.” so I do believe that hand-eye coordination has a
billion on video games in 2015. Furthermore, the lot to do with it from my experience with video
global video game market racked up $81.5 billion 4 out of 5 U.S. households owns a device used to play videogames games, which is why the Army is going through
in revenue just last year. Senior Drew Davidson, this whole technological phase over the past five
however, didn’t contribute to this statistic. He 42% of all Americans play videogames regularly (3 hours or more per week) years.”
plays another type of video game.
51% of U.S. households own a console dedicated for gaming Meyer said that even though the premise be-
Davidson enlisted in the Army as soon as he According to: http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf hind the two video games is similar, each has a
turned 17. Last summer, the Army sent him to Illustration by Madison Krell different impact.
Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he would wake up at Staff Sergeant for the US Army Keith Hostetler
five in the morning and spend the day training. “(Davidson) uses them to train for the job he
Among all of those things, however, he and the said that based off of his own experience in the does,” Meyer said. “The main difference is the
rest of the group spent time training inside--play- army, videogames played a major role in his abil- importance of what he’s doing versus what I’m
ing video games. ities as a marksman. doing. I play a game, I finish. If I lost, I lost--I’m
not really concerned about it. It doesn’t really af-
Simulations, actually, according to Davidson. “I came in the Army in 2002—I had never fired fect what I do. But what he’s doing, it’s pretty im-
The games put a heavy focus on strategy and portant--it’ll affect him outside of when he’s just
communication in order to prepare for real- playing the game.”
world circumstances.
All in all, Davidson said, whether he’s training
“These simulations are super helpful and are a outside or inside, he’s able to learn something
huge asset to us,” Davidson said. “We can spend a new every time.
couple hours out of the day, out of the heat, keep-
ing cool, keeping safe, and keep running these “I can’t even describe it,” Davidson said. “The
simulations over and over until we get it so when brotherhood, the sisterhood—it’s an experience
it’s time to go out and do real stuff, we can ex- and a job that is more fulfilling than anything
ecute flawlessly.” you’ll ever do in your life.”

C8 November 13, 2015

November 13, 2015 C 9

AP teachers search for the most effective curve on tests

Jonathan McCollough | Staff Writer be fair from a scoring per- beth Varga, curves are gen- Photo by Madison Krell
[email protected] spective. What I try to do is erally effective in showing
extrapolate what they have students how well they will AP Language and Composition teacher Nathan Coates explains to
Test curves come in more done onto the different tests do on the AP exam, but not
shapes than just a bell. that I use.” every aspect of a curve is his class how he curves his practice AP tests.
beneficial. ing actually gives them a says, ‘you got 60 percent of
Curving tests is extremely AP Language and Compo- better representation of how the questions therefore you
prevalent in high school, but sition teacher Nathan Coates “In Calculus, all tests are they’re performing. At the don’t have mastery.’ If that
the effectiveness of a curve says that he is against curv- curved so if you get an A you end of the day if they score were the case then I can’t
as well as the impact curv- ing purely to meet a bell would basically get a five a C on the quiz with this have as rigorous of a test
ing has on students has been curve, but that it makes sense on the exam, if you get a B curve they’ll understand because I would have to cre-
widely disputed. for teachers to curve tests in you’d get a four,” Varga said. that for that particular ma- ate questions that were less
order to align their scoring “That’s beneficial in seeing terial they have a 3 level of involved to demonstrate the
Although some teachers with the AP scoring system. how you’re doing in regards knowledge, as opposed to basic characteristics that I
are against using a curve, to the AP exam but I feel just giving a test and hav- feel like really aren’t going
Advanced Placement Euro- “It has to go course by like it encourages you to not ing a number come out that to be tested on the exam.”
pean History teacher Charles course,” Coates said. “In AP work as hard just because it
Dugan says that in his class history if it’s mainly mul- is curved so much.”
he uses a very specific curve tiple choice and an average
that is a good reflection of AP score that’s passing is Dugan says that whether
what the AP exam will be 60 percent I don’t call that or not you should curve and
like in May. a curve so much as adjust- the way that you organize
ing AP’s grading scale to your curve can depend on
“I use a curve that’s de- align better with our grading the subject, but for AP Euro
rived from what the college scale. I think an alignment is a curve is a good way to align
board uses for the AP Euro- a fair way to do it but chang- the AP exam scoring with
pean History test,” Dugan ing a student’s grade to meet the scoring in his own class.
said. “So each year they’ve a bell curve is the thing that
developed a statistical curve I’m really against.” “It depends on how you
to try to create a rigorous test organize your curve,” Du-
and at the same time have it According to Senior Eliza- gan said. “What I’m do-

Trending Now: Crocs “I wear them because they are com-
fortable, reliable, they go with any out-
“One day I was just looking for fit—especially mine because they are
a quick pair of shoes to slide on, camo. I’ve had them for three years.
something that wouldn’t make They are really a utility shoe; you can
my feet too hot or too cold. Then wear them for anything. I got them
I was shopping and I saw a pair as a gift from my parents—my mom
of Crocs, they were white—they thought I was never going to wear
looked fresh, they looked clean. them but I wear them at least once a
White goes with everything so I week to school. I genuinely love my
was like, ‘Wow, this is what I need, Crocs. Let’s bring Crocs back.”
an easy, accessible shoe that I can
slide on, something that is durable — Chris Allgor, sophomore
and reliable.’ They have holes so it’s airy enough, they’re stylish and
comfortable. They are pretty much the best shoes you can get. Ten out Group of Interest:
of ten recommend. I take my Crocs very seriously and I really appreciate
a person that loves a good Croc.” Women In Engineering
— Charlottle Doran, senior
The Women In Engineering is a new club emerging with the hopes to
“I bought a pair of Crocs for my get young girls interested in the field of engineering. Parent director
friend as a joke but then I realized when Angela Norman encourages girls to join the club if they are interested
I tried them on for myself that Crocs in math, science, or technology and do not know what they can do
are so comfortable and so versatile. You with their academic interest. The next meeting is November 17.
can wear them when it’s raining be-
cause they are rubber, or you can wear
them when it’s dry. They are just really
comfortable and really great. They are
classified as my weekend shoes because
they are comfortable lounging shoes.”

— Ally Greensfelder, senior

Compiled by Serina Cline Photo by Serina Cline See the full story on
thecspn.com here

Compiled by Serina Cline

C10 November 13, 2015

November 13, 2015 C 11

Students want some sensitive Mason Marching Band performs while they are scored by a judge. Photo by Isabel Marotta
topics left untouched by school
Marching band constantly up against tough rubric
Asia Porter | Staff Writer
[email protected] Isabel Marotta | Staff Writer that’s how you play. Then there are two judges
[email protected] that are scoring the music general effect. The
Students leave their parents in the morning—or so music general effect is how well all the music
they thought. Students strive for a 100 percent on a test fits together as a package. The visual caption
while marching band members strive for 100 breaks down into a performance ensemble
The line separating school from family matters has points on a performance. score. Is it together? Are the pictures they’re
began to blur, causing parents to question the school making clear? And then the performance
and the topics it’s teaching. While it’s clear to see a score by how many general effect being, are the things that
runs a team scores or how many baskets they you’re doing make sense with the music?”
On October 14, sophomores piled into the gym to make, marching band is a different, more in-
find administration had compiled a presentation to tricate story. According to assistant band di- The circuit has two other categories that do
teach students to accept themselves and warn them rector Avious Jackson, the scoring is broken not count into the overall score, according to
about the effects of bullying, being a bystander, sex- down into different sections. Jackson.
ting, and consent. After the presentation, students re-
turned to classes—business as usual—but the conver- “All the scores are out of a hundred point “They also do these two offshoots that don’t
sation struck a nerve in some parents, making them scale,” Jackson said. “Overall, it’s broken down count into your overall score, a percussion
wonder if the school was teaching within its bounds. into two main elements: the music element score and then a color guard score,” Jackson
Mushtaq Ahmed, father of Arhama Ahmed, said the and the visual element.” said. “Those two things get scored as their
teaching of personal matters should be left up to par- own caption but they typically give away
ents. Because the scoring is opinion based, Jack- awards.”
son said, the score sheet is made with as much
“I don’t want them to be teaching these things in the objectivity as possible. The Bands of America (BOA) circuit, which
school,” Ahmed said. “It’s not school’s place to get into includes bands from all over the nation, keeps
those things with the kids.” “It’s completely subjective thing but they’ve grading consistent throughout the competi-
applied as much objectivity to it as they can,” tions, unlike local competitions said march-
Despite parents’ concerns, with the rising of new so- Jackson said. ing band judge Betsy Carras.
cial pressures, the school has expanded its responsibil-
ity of educating its students beyond explaining how to Bands aim to get box five because the band “It’s judged on a National linear scale where
solve equations. Assistant Principal Shanna Bumiller with the most points wins said Jackson. everyone is put together and graded,” Carras
said Mason focuses on educating the entire student, said. “Even though there is contest dynamics,
justifying the school exploring sensitive subjects. “They separate things into boxes, one meaning there might be some groups that
through five box one meaning not everyone change things slightly in terms of grading,
“I think we look at it more than just academics,” Bu- is achieving everything at a high level and the grading is supposed to be done in a man-
miller said. “We look at educating the whole child and box five meaning everyone is achieving ev- ner in which it could be comparable.”
supporting you and your development.” erything at a high level,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, unlike the Midwest
Caught in the middle of the parent-versus-school According to junior in Marching band Han- Band Association, BOA does not score percus-
tug of war are students who enjoy a personalized fami- nah Neese since there is different scoring in sion and auxiliary.
ly setting, and others who prefer the comfort of a large each competition circuit it can difficult to see
group. Sophomore Alise Cheeseman said hearing how you rank with your competitors. “In the BOA Circuit they do not do the per-
about sensitive subjects is easier coming from parents. cussion and auxiliary score,” said Jackson.
“It’s hard to look at our competitors to see
“I prefer parents to teach the more personal top- how we’re doing compared to them because Jackson said this circuit has more judges
ics, not the school,” Cheeseman said. “That’s not what they’re at different competitions and there’s who have the job of individually scoring play-
they’re supposed to be into.” different judges,” Neese said. ers instead of the overall group.

Sophomore Ghafeera Malik said she prefers the The local circuit Midwest Band Association, “In addition to the three judges in music,
school’s group setting over a parent speaking directly which includes bands from Ohio, Kentucky, they also have an individual person whose job
to her. Indiana, is split up into different categories is to walk around, be on the field, and listen
for each judge. to individual players,” Jackson said. “In the
“I’m OK with the school saying it,” Malik said. “I feel visual caption it’s the exact same thing, they
better when there’s a lot of people around me.” “In the music option, there are three judges give you an individual score.”
total,” Jackson said. “There’s one judge that
Mason has put on school-wide events to encourage is going to score your music ensemble and
the student body to make good choices. Contrary to
popular belief, Assistant Principal Dan Distel said of-
ten times it’s not administration imposing ideas on
students, but rather students bringing issues to admin-
istration’s attention.

“Those things are usually typically grassroots, they
come from the ground up versus administration
down,” Distel said. “Things like Say Something or the
Celebrate My Drive campaign—those are things that
we might see, but we aren’t going to act on it unless
some kid or group really wants to take a hold of it.”

Talking to students about the birds and the bees is
seen by some parents as a family responsibility, but
Bumiller said Mason recognizes the barrier between
the two and is not trying to step into a parental role.

“We are not trying to play the role of a parent,” Bu-
miller said. “All of these issues are there, and we want
to take the stance to equip you guys with the skills to
be able to make educated choices and healthy choices.”

12 November 13, 2015 C

India Kirssin | Staff Writer The transition year began during the 2014-2015 school kids had chem
[email protected] year, creating difficulties for students who weren’t used to hav- would stay lon
ing so many classes. lab) they are i
It’s year two.
When Mason High School switched to semesters last year, it was a huge Senior Katarina Schneiderman said the transition wasn’t as Hansen said
transition for a district that had uniquely operated under trimesters for 16 hard as she thought it would be, but the increased number of “I think the
years. A five-bell day of 72-minute classes became a seven-bell, 50-minute classes proved to be a challenge. course by hav
class day. A yearly schedule of 15 blocks consisted of 14 blocks and tradi- the transition
tional two-trimester classes stretched to last a full year. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it was still commons so t
challenging,” Schneiderman said. “I thought that going into English dep
semesters there would be more classes, more homework and piled up paper
the same amount of difficulty, which was accurate.” “When we b
six classes of t
Senior Emma Hodge also mentioned the additional pressure pers we collec
of seven classes. Losing time in the tough classes she took as having 120 to
junior was why the transition was hard for her, she said. load of gradin
to navigate gr
“The adjustment was really difficult; it was hard because dents on their
when it came time to schedule for my junior year, I was losing Junior Scott
hours in the AP Chemistry labs and a bunch of different class- been about st
es,” Hodge said. “We couldn’t get things done so that made it teachers as we
difficult and added a lot of homework to the load, especially “It was a tra
having the seven classes.” Vennemeyer
what did work
Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher Aimee Hansen said the swing of it
the scheduling for AP Chemistry and AP Biology labs was a
concern for the transition year, but has been running smoothly.

“For AP Bio and AP Chem, we introduced a zipper sched-
ule and I think it worked really fabulously,” Hansen said. “The

Semesters: O

Students and teach

Lingering Thoughts on Trimesters Extrac

After a year without trimesters, many With Mason students involved in sports and clu
students and staff still have varying opin- of school, the new schedule has created a time
ions of the old schedule. Some loved split- problem many weren’t expecting.
ting the year into three parts, while others
found it hard to keep consistency with so Spanish teacher Debbie Perry taught an AP cl
many breaks. year and said she couldn’t believe the amount o
sure her students were under.
Spanish teacher Debbie Perry said she
wasn’t a fan of trimesters due to the con- “The thing I saw with the older kids is they to
stant switching and swapping of students. many hard classes, so they overloaded thems
and they were falling apart,” Perry said. “I had
“Truthfully, it’s the only (schedule) I’ve AP class last year and I was amazed that some
ever taught in because I’ve only been a them had six (other) AP classes.”
teacher for 11 years,” Perry said. “Start-
ing and stopping with a different group Senior Katarina Schneiderman, a varsity socc
of children was a nightmare because you player, said managing her classes, her clubs, and
would get a handful of kids who were used a sport make it difficult to have time to get any-
to your teaching style and then the other thing done.
kids would be lost.”
“Especially with soccer, they are really sup-
Senior Emma Hodge has a differing portive with you doing stuff for school work
opinion, citing more ability to focus as a and all, but you can’t stay after school for
reason she enjoyed trimesters. help every day and come late to practice,”
Schneiderman said. “That’s also chal-
“For trimesters I liked the longer class- lenging because you might be taking
es,” Hodge said. “I felt like I was actually courses and doing OK but you want
able to get into what I was doing and fin- to get help and you can’t because
ish something by the end of the bell, so you have other commitments. It’s
that was my favorite part. And we only trying to find that balance that is
had five classes a day. I think seven is a lot; really challenging.”
it makes the day seem a lot longer.”

C 13November 13, 2015

The Transition New Opinions on Semesters
Going into the second year of the semester “I’m getting used to
schedule, some have upheld their opinions on (semesters), but I’ve ac-
mistry every day but then every other day they semesters, while others have changed their cepted the fact that I’m
ng for lab or come early. The (day they aren’t in views. going to stay up late
in the learning commons.” and wake up early to fin-
d that the transition was mainly about efficiency. English department head Nathan Coates said ish my work,” Avasarala
e kids really benefited from taking this tough AP the new schedule has had a huge impact on the said. “The stress is pretty
ving a built in study hall,” Hansen said. “Last year relationships students and teachers build. high because I haven’t
was trying to figure out how to use the learning gotten a B yet but I feel
the kids were efficient.” “The good thing is we get to have students all like I might get one this
partment head Nathan Coates said the transition year so I think that’s been a positive for the rela- year because it’s stress-
rs for the English department to have to grade. tionships that we are able to build,” Coates said. ful and hard to keep up
bumped to the seven bell day that meant we had “We are able to know and serve students better with everything.”
thirty students,” Coates said. “The number of pa- and their needs and what they can do over the
ct and grade went up immensely. We went from course of the year, where in the past we only had Advanced Placement
180 which is a 50 percent increase in the work- them for twelve weeks, so that’s been a good, Chemistry teacher Ai-
ng a paper. I think our department is still trying positive change.” mee Hansen said while
rading, giving timely and useful feedback to stu- the new schedule has
r work and managing the numbers.” Senior Emma Hodge said after making it posed challenges, getting
t Vennemeyer said the transition year hasn’t just through the transition, she has learned what she to know the students bet-
tudents getting comfortable with semesters, but can handle and overall likes semesters better. ter is a positive.
ell.
ansitioning period last year for the teachers, too,” “The seven bells is long but it’s bearable to “Overall, I feel lucky because I’m getting to be
said. “This year we saw what did not work and get through,” Hodge said. “I learned not to pile with the students a lot more,” Hansen said.
k last year, and I think they’re going to get into up too many APs because you’re never going to
t.” give yourself a break during the day.” Coates said there are things about both sched-
ules that he likes.
Junior Vardhan Avasarala is taking four Ad-
vanced Placement classes and two honors class, “I like the way the year works on semesters,
creating a lot of stress. Avasarala said that while I like the way the day worked on trimesters,”
he has adjusted, he has also had to accept some Coates said.
new realities.
One Year Later
hers adjust to jam-packed schedule

curricular Issues With the transition to semesters complete, Mason stu- The Future
dents and staff have a few different ideas of how to act
ubs that require time outside moving forward.
e management
Avasarala said a block schedule to break up the
lass last amount of work.
of pres-
“A block system would make life easier, like
ook too one day have four bells and the next day have
selves three bells and a study hall built in, like other
d one schools,” Avasarala said.
e of
Assistant Principal William Rice said the
cer semester schedule is set for now.
d
- “There hasn’t been any conversation
about that and I think that points to a
transition period with leadership right
now,” Rice said. “I think our philoso-
phy is always to see what’s best, I
just don’t see anything big being
changed going into next school
year.”

Illustrations by Madison Krell

C14 November 13, 2015

November 13, 2015 C 15

Students take part in Senior places third in Obstacle Course
culture festivities to Racing World Championships
broaden awareness
Meghan Pottle | Staff Writer
Arnav Damodhar | Staff Writer [email protected]
[email protected]
Senior Conor McNulty hurtles a log at Kings Do- Senior Conor McNulty has climbed over 12-
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. main obstacle course. foot walls, trudged through muddy water, and
In order to better understand other cultures, stu- jumped over four-foot hurdles to become a
dents are taking part in religious and traditional Senior Conor McNulty runs to get a head start to world champion.
celebrations. jump over an obstacle.
According to junior Shirley Yang, going to Garba, McNulty began competing in obstacle
an Indian celebration, allowed her to experience the Photos by Meghan Pottle course races in June of 2015 and said each ob-
Indian culture, Yang said. stacle course varies depending on location and
“Going to Indian events like (Garba) taught me a Senior Conor McNulty climbs a wall of tires at Kings terrain.
lot about Indian culture in that I learned to dance, Domain obstacle course.
dress, and pay respect to gods,” Yang said. “Al- “They can be hills, they can be trails, and
though I’m not a religious person, it was incredible there are a lot of water-crossings,” McNulty
to see such a large group of people come together said. “There is a lot of forearm strength, like
to pray. All in all, it was a colorful, dizzying, captivat- monkey bars, pull-ups, pipes, rings, all that fun
ing cultural mesh.” stuff. They just vary from place to place.”
Garba is dance that is performed in honor of an
Indian deity during a week in October, said junior McNulty has been first in his age group at
Krupa Patel. the three races he has competed in so far.
“Garba is pretty much a synchronized dance that
is worshipping one specific God,” Patel said. “When McNulty said one of his biggest accom-
we go there, we teach people the synchronized plishments is that he placed third at the Ob-
dance.” stacle Course Racing World Championships
Not only does going to religious events helps (OCRWC).
with cultural exposure, but so do simple things like
birthday parties and holiday festivities. According McNulty qualified for the championships by
to senior Taylor McSwain, attending Latino events placing first in his age group and seventh over-
helps her get perspective of the importance of tradi- all at a Savage race. The OCRWC was at Kings
tional things are done. Domain in Oregonia, Ohio on October 17 and
“I went to my friend’s Quinceanera and for the past featured teams from several different coun-
three years I have gone to New Year’s Eve celebra- tries, including Sweden, France, and Norway.
tions,” McSwain said. “Before dinner they make ev-
eryone gather around in a big group. They are very “It was very cold that day, there was frost
friendly and open. Especially with the Quinceanera, on all the obstacles,” McNulty said. “A lot of
the ceremony of my friend changing her shoes, you it was very forearm related, it was a lot of grip
can see the dad get super emotional about it and the obstacles. There was a lot of running, there was
whole family takes it very seriously.” a lot of crawling, a lot of mud and fun stuff
Apart from going to religious celebrations to ex- like that.”
perience other cultures, students also go to places of
worship. According to junior Stuart Sones, visiting Kevin Jones, a mentor for McNulty, first in-
the local mosque helped him look past the miscon- troduced McNulty to obstacle course racing
ceptions associated with the religion of Islam. and said he had to work, both mentally and
“I went to the mosque because seeing how other physically, for the World Championships.
people live is interesting,” Sones said. “ I think that
going to the mosque brought in perspective of what “The World Championships was 9.5 miles, a
Islam really is.” bunch of obstacles, and it was very cold,” Jones
Observing the interaction between people of dif- said. “When you’re swimming through water,
ferent backgrounds come together in one place is running through the woods in freezing weath-
very eye opening, Sones said. er and you’re wet and cold, you’re pushing
“Seeing different cultures was a learning experi- yourself through that.”
ence” Sones said. “It was cool to see different people
from different countries. I met this one guy from These obstacle courses have helped McNulty
Jordan and he was talking to me about this.” prepare for the Marines, which he plans to join.
According to Stones, stepping out of your bubble
and making yourself aware of other cultures is the “Obviously, there’s the physical aspect, which
key to achieve harmony in the world. always helps you in anything that you do, you
“Doing anything that will take you out of your need to be physically fit to do it,” McNulty said.
shoes and put you in a different perspective is going “A lot of combat scenarios are running, jump-
to benefit our world,” Sones said. “There is going to ing, crawling under wire, jumping over a wall,
be less hate. We can become more together and ac- running to cover, ducking, stuff like that. You
cepting of the entire world.” doing what you can to survive.”

Jones said he believes McNulty will be ready
for the Marines because of the conditions he
has raced in at obstacle courses.

“He is going to be so physically ready for the
Marines because of the training and the races,
so he’ll get through his basics just fine,” Jones
said. “The mental training is thinking that
when all you want to do is quit, you just have to
keep pushing through to get to the finish line.”

C16 November 13, 2015

November 13, 2015 C 17

Quest for the cure gets lost in the commercialization

Blake Nissen | Staff Writer
[email protected]

As Breast Cancer Awareness month

comes to a close, so does a lot of empathy

towards the cause. Some organizations,

however, are able to make a difference

more than 31 days out of the year.

The goal of Breast Cancer Awareness

month was just that: to spread awareness.

With so many campaigns for breast cancer

awareness, including the National Football

League’s “Crucial Catch”, the effectiveness

of so many national and local charities are

called into question.

According to Business Insider, the NFL

donates 90 percent of its 25 percent royalty

on the “Pink” clothing it sells to The Ameri-

can Cancer Society. In the end, only eight

of every 100 dollars makes it back into re-

search and services provided by ACS. This

is due to 35 percent of the proceeds going

back into the manufactures, such as Nike,

and then half going back to the distributor.

The distributor, in this case, is the NFL and

it’s teams since the merchandise is predom-

inantly sold through their online site and

the stadiums. Photos by Blake Nissen
The NFL, however, is not the only reason Pink was incorporated into all performances in the Pink Out game on October 16.

so little of the money is making it back into research “If they are putting a pink ribbon on a sweatshirt or Jurewicz said she believes there are more ways to
and services. Based on data from Charity Navigator, cup or whatever, what is their purpose?” Jurewicz said. be generous than just with your finances.
only 60.47 percent of the ACS’s overall revenue makes “Are they in fact turning around and making a donation
it into the programs themselves, losing 33.9 percent to or is it to say, ‘Hey, look we have something pink on, so “I would like to see more distribution to the people
fundraising and 5.4 percent to administrative expenses. we care. I want to know how much of (those funds) are who are going through things,” Jurewicz said. “There
going to research or people dealing with (breast cancer) are cleaning organizations that regardless of what
Breast cancer survivor and German teacher Melissa personally.” month it is, if you are going through chemotherapy,
Jurewicz said she fears that distributors may not be sin- they will clean your house for free.”
cere with their campaigns.
Localized approaches have been adopted throughout

Money Spent on Comets Care Mason with both the Dragonfly foundation and even
Comets Care, a charity organization tied to the Comet

Zone by Manager Brianna Grimes.

Money Made “Comets Care started about four years ago...That’s
when everyone really got into the ‘Pink Out’…and (it)

took off,” Grimes said.

Last year Comets Care was able to give upwards of

3,000 dollars to the Dragonfly Foundation, Cancer Fam-

ily Care and a sponsorship to the Walk to End Breast

Cancer. “Pink Out” played a big part in that, she said.

Donations: “Pink Out basketball is our biggest fundraiser but we
$4,142.00 also try and have a few smaller events,” Grimes said.

“These events include the Love for Liz event with girls

basketball, a tip jar in the Comet Zone and plans for a

Pink Out Sales: Gift Card spring sport Pink Out such as baseball.”
$5709.03 This year Comets Care added football into the Pink

Gift Card Expense: Out family, said Liz Monin, Comet Zone’s Manager of
$3,825.00 Merchandising, headed the project.

Total Fund Balance of 2014-2015 School Year: “We thought it would be a good idea to link it with
$5,533.27 Comets Care. We knew they were going to do the pink

out theme, so why not add a shirt,” Monin said.

In the end, no harm ever came from wearing pink,

according to Jurewicz.

“Awareness is good,” Jurewicz said “It makes me hap-

py to see people wearing pink, even if it’s just an NFL

Tip Jar for Comets Care: Pink Out Shirt Payment: persons gloves or shoelaces, it still makes me person-
$53.55 $3,186.00 ally happy to see that awareness.”

Illustration by Madison Krell

C18 November 13, 2015

November 13, 2015 C 19

Digital deadwalkers Increased Productivity COFFEEAlertness
pose health risk Energy

Erin McElhenny | Staff Writer
[email protected]

Eyes up. Phone
screens are calling,
but don’t answer—
looking at a phone
increases the risk of
injury.
A 2013 Ohio State
University study Fatigue
found that the num-
ber of injuries treat- ADDICTS Irratibility
ed in 100 emergency Headache
rooms nationwide
that related to pe-
destrians using cell-
phones had more
than doubled be- Photo by Erin McElhenny

tween 2005 and 2010, Senior Arden Zink looks at her
to more than 1,500 phone while she walks.
cases. Senior Arden
Zink didn’t make it to the emergency room, but sus-
tained a minor injury.
“I was on Twitter on my phone and I was scrolling
through my timeline checking everyone out, I was
in socks I was going down the stairs when I was on
phone,” Zink said. “I slipped and fell about a third of
the way down. I dropped my phone it flew and hit the Illustration by Madison Krell
wall and fell onto the floor. My tailbone was bruised
but I was okay and thankfully my phone didn’t shat- Regular coffee drinkers struggle without daily cup
ter.”
According to Scientific American, a widely pub-
lished science magazine, there have been studies
that suggest that, because of the many distractions Duncan MacKenzie | Staff Writer caffeine on its user can be beneficial. It found
phones offer, they can divert attention from the cur- [email protected] that caffeine significantly reduced the num-
rent environment, whether speeding down a high- ber of errors made by workers, even more so
way or sitting through a class. This research suggests Coffee has become part of many students’ than those given a nap. It concludes, “there is
that cell phones are a reminder of what’s happening daily grind. no reason for healthy shift workers who al-
outside the screen, lessening the ability to speak to ready use caffeine within recommended lev-
people nearby. Dr. Jennifer Bellman, a psychothera- According to The Johns Hopkins School els to improve their alertness to stop doing
pist and neuropsychologist who specializes in the of Medicine, caffeine is the most commonly so”.
treatment of children and young adults at The Lind- used drug in the world. It estimates between
ner Center of HOPE, said cell phones grab attention 80 and 90 percent of adults and children in Advanced Placement Psychology teacher
and keep hold of it. North America habitually consume it. Specifi- Paul Reedy said that he experiences these pos-
“Whatever information that quickly comes from cally among adolescents, the National Insti- itive effects every day.
any kind of screen or electronic source feeds our tute on Drug Abuse said that caffeine use has
brain to keep focused on it,” Bellman said. “Infor- more than doubled since 1980. “Most people like the alertness that moder-
mation that is in electronic form is usually fast and ate amounts of coffee provides,” Reedy said.
keeps us active with it. One Facebook post leads to Consumption has reached a boiling point. “That’s what I like, especially when we start
another post which can lead to reading an interest- In 2013, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic school so early in the morning and it’s kind of
ing article about something entirely different and so and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders tough to feel energetic at seven o’clock.”
on and so on. And when information is emotional (DSM) declared two official mental disorders
in some way it will be something that will naturally that stem from caffeine usage: caffeine intoxi- Reedy said the negative consequences of
pull our attention away from other things.” cation and withdrawal. Side effects of caffeine coffee don’t start to appear until the amount
With attention pulled, people are less likely to have withdrawal include headache, fatigue, diffi- is excessive or continuous throughout the day.
social interactions. Zink said she has seen a change culty concentrating, irritability, and anxiety.
in the way people interact because of their phones. Junior Jessie Brumley started drinking cof- “From everything I have read, moderate
“People are missing out on normal human interac- fee his freshman year and now consumes amounts of coffee should have very little
tions,” Zink said. “When people are on their phones a cup every morning. Brumley said that he negative effects on your mental state of mind,
they lose the social action of talking to people and experiences one of these effects if he doesn’t mental health, and physical health,” Reedy
making eye contact and that’s getting so much hard- have his daily cup. said.
er for us now because we’re so used to always being “I have to drink coffee most mornings be-
on our phones and talking through them that we cause if I don’t, I will get a headache from it,” Despite drinking two cups of coffee every
don’t experience talking to people in person.” Brumley said. “My body needs it to function. morning, Junior Kelsey Miller said she experi-
(The headache) lasts a day or two.” ences no negative side effects. It’s only conse-
A study led by London School of Hygiene quence is that it allows her to perform better
and Tropical Medicine said that the effects of in school.

“It definitely helps me wake up in the morn-
ing which I think helps with my first few bells
at school,” Miller said. “It helps me focus.”

20 COMETS TAKE EARLY ALL SPORTS RACE FAST FACTS SHOUT OUT November 13, 2015

SPORTSThe Chronicle Since joining the GMC in 2007 the Comets have owned the All GMC Fall Sports wrap up: REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
Sports Trophy, winning the trophy symbolizes athletic dominance Boys soccer 1st place The boys soccer team
every year. This fall is no different, the Comets are currently ranked Girls soccer 3rd place won the regional title with
number one 23.5 points ahead of second place Lakota East. Football 2nd place a 1-0 win over Moeller.
The Comets won fall sport championships in boy soccer, boys Boys X Country 1st Place The Comets relied on
cross country, girls cross country, girls golf and girls tennis. Girls X Country 1st Place their defense once again.
Boys Golf 2nd Place Mason has only given
TheCSPN.com @MHSChronSpor ts Girls Golf 1st Place up six goals the entire
Girls Tennis 1st Place season.

Springboro gets revenge against Comets in play-off opener

Comets unable to
survive and advance,
lose 42-21

Ellie Uecker | Staff Writer
[email protected]

It was the end of the line for the 2015 version of Photo by Blake Nissen
the Long Green Line as the Springboro Panthers
invaded the Comets’ home turf and knocked off Punter Grant Kramer looks for an opening on an atempted fake punt in the first half against Springboro.
“Team 54” 42-21 in the opening round of the Divi-
sion 1 football play-offs Saturday, November 7. night.” Photo by Blake Nissen
An exciting first half included a highlight play
With a final regular season record of 8-2 the Junior quarterback Preston Hutchinson drops back to
Comets earned their first playoff appearance since by Sponseller who recovered a fumble, after se-
2011. Even though it was an agonizing defeat for nior defensive back Nick Pearson blocked a field pass against Springboro.
the Comets whose three losses this season all goal attempt, and ran the ball 91 yards for the
came at home, “Team 54” accomplished several Comets first touchdown of the night.
goals they had set at the beginning of the season.
By the end of the first half, the Panthers were
Sixteen teams in the region qualify for the divi- up 14-7 with both of their touchdowns scored by
sion one Ohio High School Athletic Association Panthers junior wide receiver Nick Kovacs.
play-offs, Mason finished the season as the sixth
ranked team in the region which earned them After an early third quarter Panther touchdown
a home play-off game. Getting that home game pushed the lead to 21-7. Mason pulled within seven
took some late season heroics. They defeated Mid- on an 81 yard touchdown catch by senior tight end
dletown 24-21 and held off Sycamore 22-18 on a Ben Fago.
goal line stand in the game’s final seconds.
Springboro countered with a four play scoring
Head coach Brian Castner said making playoffs series that pushed their lead to 28-14 with 40 sec-
was one goal of Team 54. onds remaining in the third quarter.

“Making the playoffs was one of our goals, the After Sponseller forced a two yard loss, Spring-
other goal was to win the conference champi- boro senior quarterback Elijah Cunningham
onship.” Castner said. “We took care of business found senior Alex Feldman in the back of the end
early, beat Springboro and Fairfield who are both zone to increase the Panther advantage to 35-14
teams with (impressive) records.” midway through the fourth quarter.

The Long Green Line has made it to the playoffs The Comets still appeared to have life when
seven times now including 2004, 2003, 1999, 1997, Preston Hutchinson found Pearson on a 20 yard
and 1996. In 2011, the last time the Comets made touchdown pass to close the gap to 35-21 at the
the playoffs, the team had a 7-3 record, but fell 4:08 mark on the quarter. The final touchdown by
17-6 to St. Xavier inthe playoffs. Last year Team 53 Pearson proved to be the end of the line for the
went 7-3, but after losing 36-0 to Sycamore in week Comets as Springboro responded when Panthers’
10 they did not make the playoffs, a big factor in running back Dylan Jones romped 22 yards for
Team 54’s motivation. a touchdown and after the P.A.T the final score
stood at 42-21.
“Defeating Springboro, Fairfield, Sycamore
was part of a ‘give back to Team 53’ philosophy,” Despite the loss a foundation of competitiveness
Castner said. “Winning one of those games, we established by the senior class is one that should
would’ve been in the playoffs last year. You go 7-3 be passed to “Team 55.”
in the state of Ohio you should go to the playoffs,
but we didn’t finish week ten last year.” “Team 54 loves to compete,” Castner said.
“That’s something that we’re going to have to
The Comets finished week ten this year, but steal from them and make sure Team 55 does the
couldn’t complete week 11. Senior defensive back same. All the way to the end, they just kept com-
Ty Sponseller said Springboro was a hard loss. peting.”

“We had a great season,” Sponseller said. Eight
wins, that’s the best since joining the GMC. We
had an off night, no credit away from Springboro,
they’re a great team and against teams like that
you can’t make the mistakes that we made to-

C21 November 13, 2015

Photo by Jonathan McCollough

Junior Terry Tao races a Sylvania player for the ball in a
state tournament game which Mason won 18-9.

Water polo state tournament a
true test of survival of the fittest

Photo by Matt Marvar Eric Michael | Staff Writer
[email protected]
(Left to right) George Bulger, Mikey Loehr, Tony Rabe, Jake Bauer, Justin Koehler, Ray Berling, Michael
Uematsu, Jakob Mueller and Matt Welage claim their trophy after being named second in the state. It all comes down two intense days of play.
After grinding out tough workouts, menacing prac-
Cross country teams make annual pilgrimage tices and intense games over the course of an entire
to state meet, return with more hardware season, the Mason High School water polo team’s leg-
acy is written over just one weekend. The state tourna-
Charlie MacKenzie | Staff Writer “They weren’t really on our radar,” Ford said. ment takes a season’s worth of blood, sweat, and tears
[email protected] “We knew that they had a few good girls, but and condenses it down to just two days.
they just closed really hard on that last mile After a heated weekend of competition with four
The cross country team embodies Mason’s and caught us by a little bit. Honestly we did games, both Mason girls and boys water polo teams
slogan “consistently great”. not see them coming at all.” earned sixth place in the state championship.
Senior captain Jenna Steinbicker said that the tourna-
The girls team has made the state tourna- The boys were looking to defend their state ment is extremely physically straining. With only one
ment for 12 consecutive years. The boys team title from last year, and were on the lookout weekend to play a number of high-intensity games, the
has qualified the past nine. The runners laced for Saint Ignatius. The Comets knew going tournament provides minimal resting time for players
up their spikes for the state championship on in that St. Ignatius was their biggest competi- in a high-pressure situation.
November 7. The event took place at National tor—they are ranked ninth in the country. Se- We have a starting six that mostly plays the whole
Trail Raceway, which is a drag strip in Hebron, nior Justin Koehler was the top Mason scorer, game, so that’s a straight 24 minutes of swimming,
Ohio. The runners trekked through the woods, placing 27th with a time of 15:54.9. Following and you have to tread, so you can’t touch the bottom,”
up and down hills, and around the drag strip behind Koehler were seniors Jake Bauer, Ray Steinbicker said. “That’s very tiring. You get sore for a
that made up the state course. Berling, junior Mikey Loehr and sophomore long time (and) it takes awhile to recover.”
Michael Uematsu for the scoring five. St. Igna- Senior Art Kumthekar was ejected from Mason’s
The girls raced first, and 16 teams settled tius’ lineup was too strong, scoring 66 points, final game of the state tournament after throwing a
in behind the starting line. Centerville was and the Comets fell behind with 96, receiving punch at an opposing player. He said that this violence
projected to win the title—they had beaten second. St. Ignatius was expected to take the represents a passion boiling underneath each player.
Mason at the regional meet and are currently title, and Koehler said that he is satisfied with “There’s a lot of emotions during the state tourna-
ranked number 10 in the country. Senior Mae- the result. ment,” Kumthekar said. “I would rather go down with
gan Murphy lead the Mason pack throughout a fight, then just say, ‘You know what, take the win.’
the meet, and finished 15th in the state with a “We knew that St. Ignatius was going to be Our seniors above me…they taught us that. We don’t
time of 18:27.3. Junior Ellie Brush, freshman our main competition,” Koehler said. “They sit down. We don’t just take a loss. We fight, and if we
Lily Hallum, senior Leah Ford and freshman are currently ranked in the top 10 in the na- lose because we lost, that’s how it is.”
Natalie Nye crossed the finish line soon after tion. We know that they are really good, and Girls head coach Brian Muff said that with the tour-
to make the scoring five for the girls. we put up a really good fight against them. If nament being condensed into just a couple of days and
we were going to lose to anybody, we were go- the preparation for the event spanning over weeks, the
Mason was in second place behind Center- ing to lose to them.” girls prioritize work ethic and the journey rather than
ville for the first two miles. Olentangy Liberty the final outcome.
High School powered through the third and Despite not finishing on the top of the po- “There is a lot of pressure involved,” Muff said. “But
final mile, putting their scoring five above dium, the cross country team has created a like any sport, it comes down to one game; one chance.
Mason’s. Centerville captured the title with a dominance throughout Ohio. Head coach It’s win or go home. And with it being one weekend, it
score of 71, but Mason suffered an unexpected Chip Dobson said that state isn’t something is tough. You have about a month of preparation just
loss to Olentangy Liberty, finishing 7 points that’s given, but an event that they are already to battle for one weekend. It shows the girls it’s really
behind them with 131. plannning for next corss country season. about the journey and about the dedication, rather
than the outcome of the sport. It would’ve been nice to
Ford has competed at the state tournament “(The state championship) is something win it all. But at the end of the day, we still put up the
for the past four years. Olentangy Liberty had that definitely should happen,” Dobson said. fight that we wanted to.”
not been a threat to the Comets throughout “We don’t ever expect it or think that is is a
the year, and Ford credited their persistence given, but it is something that we put in the
during the third and final mile. books and plan on.”

22 November 13, 2015

Comet volleyball has carved out success Commentary
despite GGCL roadblock
Excess
Charlie Mackenzie| Staff Writer rewards take
[email protected] away from a
true victory
The Girls Greater Catholic League (GGCL) has Emily Malsch going up for a set against the block from
a firm grasp on volleyball dominance in Ohio. a McAuley offender. Eric Miller | Online Sports Editor
Once again that played out this year with Mt.Notre [email protected]
Dame advancing to the state’s final four. Year in Photos by Blake Nissen Trophy culture: sweeping the nation. All
and year out it seems as if the road to a state title players, whether winners or losers, get a tro-
goes through the GGCL. Maggie King getting blocked by two McAuley defenders. phy at the season’s end. Parents even threaten
to pull kids out of sports if there is no tro-
St. Ursula High School, a GGCL school, holds Comet Stat Line phy to cap off their 12U soccer or 10U soft-
the most state titles with a record of 8. JAKE BAUER ball season. This is ridiculous, there is more
to gain for a young child out of youth sports
Despite the GGCL chokehold, the Comets have Senior, Cross Country when they are a part of a struggling or–dare
shown they can stand toe to toe with the GGCL’s I say–losing team. “Losing” is quite the taboo
best teams. Mason knocked off St.Ursula but it in youth sports nowadays. Nobody wants to
was another GGCL team who sent the Comets to say their son or daughter “lost” a game; score
an early exit in the post season when lower level isn’t even kept in Mason youth basketball un-
seeded Seton knocked off the Comets in their sec- til third grade. So what are we trying to teach
ond game of post season. our kids? That everything will be handed to
them? That nothing in life is a competition?
The Comets could easily get preoccupied with Everything in a life is a competition whether
dominance of the catholic schools but they have you want it to be or not.
to be more concerned about competing in one of Granted, there are some caveats to this ti-
the toughest public school conferences in Ohio. rade against trophy culture. Five and six-year-
Since joining the Greater Miami Conference the olds don’t need to be training every day for
Comets have established themselves as one of the their co-ed soccer teams or that 6U tee-ball
conference’s top programs. teams shouldn’t be handing out medals at the
year’s end. That’s where a certain grey area
This year the team placed second in the confer- comes into play: when the participation tro-
ence and won back to back titles in 2013 and 2014. phies need to be traded in for performance-
based trophies. Around 10 or 11 is where this
Last season, the Comets beat GGCL school, line should develop. At this age, kids are go-
Mercy, earning the Sectional title. The Comets ing into intermediate and soon middle school
also beat Seton during this year’s regular season. where athletics become more a part of the
schools themselves as opposed to indepen-
Although Mason has a strong homebred team, dent organizations. To make school teams
one of the biggest challenges they are faced with and eventually high school teams, kids need
is the fact that GGCL teams can recruit. Incoming a certain tenacity, a willingness to succeed
high school players have the chance to “shadow” that cannot be taught with a trophy but rather
student athletes at private schools by following with hardships and losses.
the student through their school day. Senior Em- A competitive instinct is something that
ily Malsch said that Catholic school’s ability to can benefit kids in every walk of life. Whether
recruit top players through shadowing is a large you’re competing for a job, a promotion or
factor in their success. even to trying to get into college. The only
way to develop this instinct is to compete–to
““A lot of girls that have high skill level that have winners and to have losers. Not every-
would normally go to Mason will shadow with one will get a trophy, but everyone will in-
someone at Mount Notre Dame or Ursuline.,” stead walk away with something much more
Malsch said. “The coaches will make it look good valuable: an eagerness to win and to succeed.
and they decide to go there.”
MAEGAN MURPHY
All of the GGCL schools have a student body Senior, Cross Country
of only girls which makes volleyball one of their
main sports. Head coach Tiann Myer knows po- 18:22:00 at GMC
tential Comet players are faced with pressure to Championships
choose their high school path. GMC Runner of

“You have your Moeller powerhouse in football the year
and baseball; you have your St. X and your. MND
I know my top eighth grader players are going to
go shadow Ursuline and MND, which are Division
1 schools.”

CAMILLE NGUYEN
Junior, Water Polo

172 shots 15:38:00 at GMC
113 goals Championship
87 steals

Statistics as of November 7.

November 13, 2015 C 23

Girls soccer team ousted in Stingy Comets continue post season
tournament, future bright for talent run, shut out Moeller in Regional final
laden program

Kylie McCalmont | Sports Editor Eric Miller | Online Sports Editor
[email protected] [email protected]

Their season didn’t end the way they wanted it to Photo by Meghan Pottle The Mason boys soccer team extended their un-
but the Mason Comet girls soccer team turned in defeated season at least one more game with a 1-0
yet another amazing season. A season that could be Bryce Curran celebrates after a goal against Elder in win over the Moeller Crusaders to advance to the
a catalyst for several years to come. the Regional Semi-Finals. State semi-finals. The Comets captured their third
regional title in four years, downing the Crusaders
After winning the Sectional title against Lakota Photo by Ellie Uecker to improve to 19-0-2.
East, Mason secured a spot in the District Finals
against the Centerville Elks. (Left to right) Olivia Polnow, Olivia Popovich, Julianne Both teams struggled to get any offense going
Berry and Katie Suter plow into an Ursuline defefender. until late in the first half when the Crusaders pres-
The Comets were dominant offensively and had sured Mason senior goalkeeper Drew Grisham.
six shots on goal, several soaring just inches above Grisham came through with three consecutive
the crossbar. Despite the countless efforts, Mason saves to keep the score knotted at zero. Reedy said
couldn’t sink a ball in the back of the net. With 40 Grisham’s play kept the Comets in a defensively
seconds left in the game, Centerville junior Tara minded game.
McMillan scored off a corner kick, winning 1-0.
“We needed everything in terms of defensive
Senior goalie Toni Bizzarro said that the last play plays because it was so difficult to score,” Reedy
of the game, although unfortunate for the Comets, said. “I really feel like if we would have trailed in
doesn’t take away the quality of her team. this game, it would have been extremely difficult
to find a goal. Drew was huge, making three saves
“During the game it was just kind of unlucky,” from point blank range, just one after another.”
Bizzarro said. “We dominated the whole game but
we just couldn’t find the back of the net and they The Comets broke into the scoring column when
had a lucky bounce and they really wanted it. It’s senior Bryce Curran found senior Evan Couchot for
just kind of like that game of high school soccer, the game’s only goal. Couchot was quick to credit
the better team doesn’t always win.” his teammates for their role in his game-winning
goal.
Over the past few years, Mason women’s soccer
program has grown to become a state power. They “Bryce played me a perfect ball after our defense
made it to the State Championship in 2012 and got it to him,” Couchot said. “It was just a great
2013 and fought their way to the Semi-Finals last team effort that turned out perfect.”
season. Head coach Andy Schur believes his team’s
success is due to not just talent but his players’ at- Reedy said the Comets constant offensive pres-
titudes. sure led to the goal.

“We have really good players,” Schur said. “The “I felt like we put them under pressure and we
big thing is if you get together with other talented created opportunities,” Reedy said. “it was just the
kids sometimes ego can get in the way. I think the matter of can we create an opportunity that we can
kids just really buy into being there as part of a finish.”
team and helping each other and then they see the
success pile up and they understand I may be a star The Comets closed out the game, turning in
for other teams but I can play a great role for Ma- another solid defensive performance, their 16th
son and help them get really far.” shutout of the year. The Comets advance to play
Hilliard Davidson in the OHSAA state semi-finals,
In the past it was very rare to make varsity as a November 11t at Centerville High School. As they
freshman on the girls soccer team. Starting with approach the big game, Reedy said his team needs
Mason alumni Jill Vetere in 2011, at least one fresh- to not be content with just earning a spot in the
man has made varsity every year. Bizzarro admits final four.
age contributes to her team’s accomplishments and
future success. “We need to catch our breath and then Monday,
when we get back to practice, we have to show de-
“I just think when you have younger kids on the termination and focus and not just be content or
team, with older kids, it makes everyone work hard- happy to be there, but be determined to want to
er,” Bizzarro said. “The older kids don’t want to lose play our best so we have a chance to move on,”
their starting spot to the younger kids so I think it Reedy said.
just makes it more competitive.”

Comet Stat Line

JERON BESECKER EMILY MALSCH GARY ZHAO
Senior, Football Senior, Volleyball Senior, Soccer

48 tackles 74 kills 12 goals
3 fumble recovers 327 digs 13 assists
427 assists 37 points
3 interceptions
Statistics as of November 7.