Edition 16.4

Vol. 16, Issue 4 | William Mason High School | 6100 Mason Montgomery Road Mason, OH | 12.14.18

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Mason Scarlett Oaks junior Mason Hemelgram, photo by Tanner Pearson, Ryan D’Souza Photo by Tanner Pearson

December 14, 2018 News 2

Male students fret over lack of urinal dividers in bathroom

Henri Robbins | Staff Writer

Embarrassed, humiliated, invaded. These Photo by Henri Robbins
are the words that young men in the school
use to describe using the restroom, and Many boys are uncomfortable using pod bathrooms due to the lack of physical dividers between each urinal.
they want change.
ably an easy fix, I don’t have to feel that defenseless while you’re urinating, and range in price from $200 to $600 each. This
Mason High School’s male student body because everything is private. “ because of that you want to be more safe or would result in a price of $4,800 to $14,400
has recently been rallying around an issue you want to have less people around you, to put them in the restrooms of each floor
that went unmentioned until this year: the Junior Justin Rose said that he’s unable feel less self-conscious, anything. Just hav- of each pod. Sophomore Shane Hacker
urinals in the men’s restrooms do not have to comfortably use the restrooms at school, ing dividers makes it way more comfort- feels they would be easy to install, and that
dividers between them. In the restrooms, and that the situation leads to a much able for everyone.” the time and cost would be worth it.
they stand within feet of each other when larger amount of discomfort than anyone
using these urinals. Many students, such would anticipate. Even though she does not personally “It’s just putting some holes and screw-
as sophomore Timothy Keck, feel that this deal with this, sophomore Finn Closson ing them into the wall, not even hard,”
should be fixed, and that it should not come “I think it’s a breach of our privacy and said she would be unsettled by the lack of Hacker said. “In high school, we’re busy,
as a cost to the students. a breach of our masculinity,” Justin said. dividers, and she cannot believe her male we’re in a rush, and if I feel awkward doing
“Like, what are you supposed to when peers have to face it so often. Closson said something then I’m not going to do it.”
“It feels like you could get peeped on,” someone just comes up and takes the the concept itself makes her anxious, and
Keck said. “And that’s just not something middle stall? It’s gross. That’s why (the re- she has trouble believing that it has not According to Jordan, the issue is promi-
you want to feel. It’s like the school is strooms are so disgusting), people have to been fixed. nent in the student body and the support is
cutting down on our privacy just by not angle themselves so nobody sees anything. widespread. He has heard many of his class-
putting those up.” It’s horrible.” “I have nightmares about having a mates talking about wanting change, and
bathroom door open too wide,” Closson hopes that administration will hear them.
Recently, the school introduced Mason This all goes a lot deeper than simple said. “Like, I just don’t want people staring
Ignite, a website where students can submit discomfort, according to junior Jordan at me while I’m trying to use the restroom. “In (the meetings during homeroom),
ideas for the “Big Idea Hunt”. While many Rose. In his psychology class, they talked I’ll have dreams where there’s no door at every single time anyone brought it up,
suggestions have been to improve vari- about survival instincts, and specifically all, and there’s people everywhere, which every single guy in the town hall im-
ous aspects of student recreation, another looked at a study that demonstrated the is really freaky. I’d hate [using the urinals] mediately started cheering,” Jordan said.
prominent issue that has come up is that issue. so much. Like, If there was just another “I heard from my friends that this was
of urinal dividers, appearing in over six person right next to me, I would be so recommended in other halls and the same
separate posts. “A study showed how if you were being freaked out.” thing happened - it was a resounding cheer,
watched while you were peeing, it took a roar, for it.”
“I think it’s ridiculous that we have to longer to pee,” Jordan said. “That kind of The dividers themselves
ask for something like urinal dividers,” one goes back to how, even as animals, you’re
poster said.

The problem is that students want to use
the restroom in comfort. But when using
the urinals, their options are either to wait
or stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their
fellow students. Commonly, they will wait,
but in the cases where they do not, students
are often displeased with the outcome. Keck
has frequently dealt with this issue, and
wants the school to make the change.

“I feel embarrassed,” Keck said. “When
I’m in a hurry and I have to go to the
restroom, and both of the ones are taken
already, I have to go to the middle one. I
feel embarrassed about that because I feel
like I’m invading other people’s privacy, but
if we have those dividers up, which is prob-

December 14, 2018 News 3

Physics students create escape room for students and staff

Students design
learning
experience that
is challenging
and fun

Ria Parikh | Staff Writer

There’s only one way out. Students at Mason Intermediate School work together in an attempt to escape from the rooms designed by Mason AP Physics students.
Through the month of December,
Advanced Placement Physics classes In order to gain insight about their apply the science they learn in class. Photos by Tanner Pearson
are creating escape rooms for the first project and bond as a team, Tenhagen “I’m hoping the fifth and sixth grad- Senior Shabib Ahmed sets up an escape room.
time. Mechanics classes were tasked and her team split themselves up and Mason High School Physics students created
with creating rooms for elementary went to two different professional ers are going to see a really different an escape room for staff and students at Mason
students, while Electricity and Magne- escape rooms. contextual way of what they’re learn- Intermediate School.
tism students created rooms for admin- ing in class,” Messer said. “There is an
istration throughout the district. Each Tenhagen said that the experience application for it, there is a reason why
escape room consisted of ten puzzles in the professional rooms exposed their besides just a test or just a lab report
relating to a different area of science, team to a variety of puzzles and helped that their teacher makes. They can see
and participants had 30 minutes to them work better together. that this knowledge can be used in a
escape. variety of ways.”
AP Physics teacher Dee Dee Messer “We got to work more as a team and
came up with the idea after attending create the connection to help later in Senior Scott Shepherd is a team
a Physics conference over the summer, actually creating the puzzles. We got an leader in his Electricity and Magnetism
and participating in an escape room idea of what kind of puzzles we can give class, and he said that his team de-
from University of Illinois with her col- them, whether they’re word puzzles, signed a room for administration that
leagues. Messer said she was surprised keys, or codes. That was cool on how resembled a Saturday School.
by how much she enjoyed the escape we can use those elements and apply to
rooms and wanted to bring it to her them science-related topics.” “They are failing a class, and they
students in a more practical way. need to change their grade to a passing
“Me and some of my friends who Each of the Mechanics classes grade by the end of the semester,” Shep-
were there did the escape room, and received standard for fifth and sixth herd said. “They get a Saturday School
afterwards we went to dinner and we grade science curriculums. Tenhagen on purpose so they can go into the
were talking about how much fun we said her team used circuits and rock teacher’s room and change it during
had, and how we wish we could bring identification to connect to what the the 30 minutes that they’re there. We
it to our classrooms,” Messer said. “But sixth graders were studying. thought it would be fun to put them
it was too hard for one person to come back into the classroom for a little
up with all the puzzles and all the clues “One of the puzzles we have is creat- while and into our shoes for a second.”
and we were afraid that kids would ing a circuit, so they have to understand
tell other kids throughout the day and and follow directions of diagrams,” Shepherd said one of the most chal-
it wouldn’t be as fun for them. The Tenhagen said. “If they do it correctly, lenging parts of the project was fitting
conversation turned into ‘Maybe we the circuit prints out a message and all of the puzzles together to create a
should have the kids build the puzzles code for other puzzles. And then, we cohesive escape room.
and build the escape rooms’ so on the also have other puzzles that have to do
airplane ride home, I got a piece of pa- with earth science and trying to identify “A lot of our ideas were difficult to
per out and just started jotting a bunch different kinds of rocks. That just gives actually implement,” Shepherd said.
of ideas.” them more hands on experience to get “One of the main tricky parts was
Senior Anna Tenhagen is one of the them more interested in science.” connecting everything together, like
team leaders for this project in her Me- figuring out, ‘You get a code from this
chanics class. Tenhagen said that when Along with strengthening team one, but how is it supposed to relate to
she and her team were thinking about building skills, Messer said she hopes that, how are you going to put them
a room that connected to sixth grad- that the younger students use the all together?’ It’s really been a great
ers, they created themes and puzzles escape room as a way to appreciate and process and we’ve learned a lot.”
that enhanced their current science
curriculum.
“Our team’s room is going to be
space themed. It’s like a spaceship that
went off course so they need to connect
two missing controls,” Tenhagen said.
“They’re going to have to solve all
these puzzles to unlock a computer, and
solve a few more puzzles about Mason
and try to re-establish connection.”
For this project, Messer worked with
the escape room company Breakout to
provide discounts for experiences in au-
thentic escape rooms for her students.

4 News December 14, 2018

Hu’s photography to be on display at Smithsonian

Andrea Hefferan | Online Editor

Inside the Smithsonian Museum of Photo contributed by Nature’s Best Awards 2018
Natural History one can find the Hope Junior Stephanie Hu’s photograph of wildlife was chosen among several honored artwork to be placed in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Diamond, dinosaur fossils, ancient
mummies--and Junior Stephanie Hu’s on camera so that I could document to express herself in a way words can-
photograph. my stories.’” not.

Every year, photographers enter their Hu’s journey into wildlife photog- “Photography for me is an art form,
best photos into the Nature’s Best Pho- raphy started a few months before her but it’s not just an art form,” Hu said.
tography competition, hoping to earn trip to Kenya. She found many photos “I find that the best way to tell a story
a Windland Rice Smith Award and be online that showed her the diversity is to have some kind of visual with
a part of an exhibit in the Smithsonian. that could be found there. Hu said she you. You don’t have to show it to other
Following a trip to Kenya, Hu chose to realized that through her photography, people, but you need to internalize it.
submit one of the photos she took there she would be adding her own unique And for me, photography is a way to
into the competition. Besides receiv- perspective and style to the pool of internalize that visual.”
ing ‘Highly Honored’ in the youth photos already out there.
category, Hu’s photograph was also one Despite her success, Hu said she
of the few chosen to be displayed in the “In the months leading up to the trip, never imagined her one of her photos
Smithsonian. I got into this idea that I could take would be displayed alongside those of
pictures of the coolest parts,” Hu said. professional photographers.
“I didn’t realize this, but there were “As I searched up photos of where we
six Highly Honored and one winner were going, I realized there’s a lot of “I didn’t think any of my photos were
in the youth category, but only four different animals we don’t usually get ever going to be that good,” Hu said.
of the Highly Honored photos got to see, even at the zoo. I also have strict “Less than a year later, my photo is be-
displayed,” Hu said. “Two of them were aesthetics that I like to follow when I’m ing exhibited in the same place I never
Highly Honored, but they’re not in the taking photos and a lot of them weren’t thought it would reach.”
Smithsonian. So not only did my photo in the photos I was seeing online. So
become one of the 66 to be exhibited, a lot of it was me trying to find what I To see more of Stephani Photo contributed by Stephanie Hu
but there were other really good photos wanted to see by myself.” Hu’s photography, go to Junior Stephanie Hu captured her award-win-
that were honored that didn’t get to ning photograph during a safari in Kenya.
be exhibited. I thought that was really Not only is photography a fun hobby thecspn.com
cool. ” for Hu, she also said it is a way for her

Upon discovering the exhibit of the
2017 winners while in DC, Hu decided
to take her chances and enter her photo
for this year’s contest. When she got the
email that she had been chosen out of
26,000 contestants, Hu said she was not
expecting it at all.

“It didn’t feel real,” Hu said. “It still
doesn’t feel real. So I’ve kind of just
been in a state of shock for the past two
months. I don’t really know how I’m
supposed to feel other than excited and
happy, but also it’s just so shocking, I
feel happy to the point where I don’t
know how to express it.”

Hu captured the moment while on
a safari at the Maasai Mara National
Reserve in Kenya with her dad. Hu said
the trip was one of the best experiences
of her life and the photos she took were
a way for her to preserve those memo-
ries.

“What happened was that that night
we were lucky enough that when the
sun was setting we came across this
giant herd of giraffes,” Hu said. “And
so what we did was we drove around
watching them. And just as the sun was
setting, the giraffes started crossing
against the sun. The color of a giraffe
is actually very light, but in the sunset,
it causes the actual animal to show up
as very dark with a ring of light around
it, and I just thought that was really
pretty, so I was like ‘I have to get this

December 14, 2018 Feature 5

College not the only career path after graduation

Lily Geiser | Staff Writer Photo by Tanner Pearson trades, there is often some extra educa-
Junior Mason Hemelgarn attends Scarlett Oaks in the pursuit of a welding career after high school. tion required to do the job well. Richard
College application season is nearing Cox, the owner of local business Al’s
Senior Alex Roberts, like many the highest paying jobs,” Francis said. Heating and Cooling, said he prefers to
the end. But for some students, their students Clark advises, desires a break “That is the case for a lot of people but hire those who have some training in
from school before heading off to col- not for everyone. If you’re going into the field, whether that be at a technical
careers have already started. lege. Although he has not entirely ruled a trade job, it might not be the best for college or supplemental education in
out higher education, Roberts is going you.” high school.
Mason is the largest high school to take time off school to take care of
in Ohio, and the vast majority of its himself and his mental health. In fact, many jobs that pay well “Education is very important,” Cox
students continue on to college after require little to no college education. said. “You need to be versed in what
graduation. However, there are still “I kind of just want to get my life to- As trade jobs become less popular, you’re doing. Some of the people I’ve
plenty of students that do not feel that gether before I consider school,” Roberts employers are offering the remaining hired in the past had no education in
college is the right path for them. Many said. “I feel like most people see me as employees better salaries and benefits heating and cooling - they’re just me-
would rather attend a trade school, join unmotivated to go to school, but I think packages to attract good workers. Many chanically inclined. But they still have
the military, or jump right into the it’s less about my lack of desire to learn students who graduate from the Scarlet to be taught that specific trade.”
workforce. and more about just needing some time. Oaks welding program are able to make
School has been incredible for me, but I as much as $1,000 a week directly after Cox is not the only one who believes
Sophomore Soariyah Francis plans to need time to think about who I am and graduating, and Hemelgarn feels confi- that students should seek higher educa-
attend Scarlet Oaks next year to pursue what I really want to do.” dent that he will be no exception. tion in places that suit them, if it does at
her interest in automotive mechanics, all. Danny Mullins, who teaches Comet
after which she will find an apprentice- Being perceived as unmotivated is not “There’s some good money to be Connections at the high school, said he
ship to become a master mechanic and the only issue students can face. While made here,” Hemelgarn said. “The deals with students every day who plan
eventually open her own garage. Francis auto garage owners can earn well over trades are dying out and welding is a big on going to the Oaks, military, or other
said she made the decision in part the median household income, Francis one. My goal is to become better in my places after high school. He believes
because of the experience the school finds that people still feel that college is field, and set my own price as a free- that college is not for everyone, and
could give her, without the high cost of the only way to earn a decent living. lance contractor to just do any job for while that should not be perceived as a
a college education. the price I want.” bad thing, it often can be seen that way
“I feel like, not even in employers but by the community.
“I don’t really need a college di- people around us, there’s this stigma Although a four year college degree
ploma to become a mechanic,” Francis that college is the best way to go to get is not necessary for many going into “I know a lot of kids, they do feel that
said. “It’s not that I never want to go pressure throughout the day,” Mullins
to college, but I thought that it might said. “They start talking about what
be a waste of money if I don’t get a they’re going to do, it’s not going to be
full scholarship, and I wouldn’t get the college - it’s a stigma. They do feel pres-
hands-on training as I would if I got an sure when they’re sitting in that class-
apprenticeship.” room with super high achieving kids.”

Junior Mason Hemelgarn, who cur- Roberts also feels the pressure placed
rently attends Scarlet Oaks, also feels on students to know exactly what they
that the high cost of a college education want to do with the rest of their life is
makes it unnecessary for some trades unnecessary and even unhealthy. He
and careers. Currently in the welding believes that it is okay to not have ev-
program, he transferred to Scarlet Oaks erything figured out, as long as students
from Mason once he made the choice to are able to make their own choices.
seek a future in welding.
“You should encourage people to go
“I was really interested in learning to college if that’s what they want, but
about welding so I decided to pursue I feel like along with that encourage-
that as my career instead of trying to ment comes a lot of stress and pressure,”
go to some big college and go into a lot Roberts said. “Certain things that are
of debt,” Hemelgarn said. “If you’re the said make kids feel like they have to go,
type of person that feels like college is whether that’s from teachers or friends
not for you, going to one of these voca- or parents, and I think if that stress is
tional schools is a great choice. This is lifted, then they might be able to make
the greatest choice that I ever made.” better decisions or themselves.”

Although the high cost of college While the impact of the people in the
can be limiting for some students, it lives of teenagers will always be felt,
is not the only reason students may too often that impact is to push students
choose to forego higher education. Sally in a direction they don’t want to go.
Clark, one of the guidance counselors at Despite that, Mullins is optimistic that
Mason, works closely with many of the the culture, not just of the school, but
students who are looking for a different of the community, may be shifting in a
path. She finds that each students rea- different direction.
soning for why they chose not to go to
college is unique to their own situation. “The conversation’s starting to shift to
where you don’t necessarily have to go
“Everyone who makes that choice to college to be successful as an adult,”
usually has a different reason,” Clark Mullins said. “There is this perception
said. “It’s personal for a lot of students. that you need to go to college to be
For some of them, school is just not an successful. It’s just one of the downsides
option for them, or maybe they’re just of being a highly competitive academic
burnt out. Maybe they just need a year school. That’s far from the truth. And
off and they’ll go back; who knows, more and more kids are starting to
maybe in five years they’ll go back. And figure that out.”
some students are just not interested in
going to college.”

6 Feature December 14, 2018

Mobile home residents experience unique communal life

Luke Hutchinson | Editor-in-Chief
Sophia Johnson | Staff Writer

When junior Kyla Julien’s parents, who live in Read- In taking ownership of the term redneck, Moser said Photo by Jacob Brase
ing, set her up to live independently in a mobile home An aerial view of Shadow Lake Mobile Home Village, the neighborhood Emerik Moser lives in.
within Mason Estates, her excitement to become a
Mason student overcame her sense of loneliness. he is empowered by his meaning of the label. “
“A redneck to me isn’t a bad term, it describes how one
While there may be a negative stigma attached to It kind of is just life is what
residing in a mobile home, especially in a presumably lives their life,” Moser said. “Rednecks are not confined you make it. If you want it
affluent district like Mason, Julien said her friends got by modern standards, one might even say that rednecks to be trashy, then it will be
over their initial judgments and now enjoy spending have superior open-mindedness to other folks. Where trashy, but if you want to have
time at her house. some would dare not dabble in living within the confines
of a trailer park, a redneck views it as a haven of sorts.” a good life, it will be nice.
“A lot of people see that my house is clean and they’re
like ‘This isn’t what I was expecting’ because they assume Morris said by meeting Moser, not only was he able to Emerik Moser, Senior
it will be dirty and not put together, but then they say share his upbringings with another student in the school,
‘Oh this is cute, I want one,’” Julien said. “It’s just like a but that they connected through conversations about liv- “
normal house to me. I always have people over and leave ing in a trailer park community.
whenever I want; It’s relaxing to be the only member in
the house sometimes.” “When I speak to Emerik about it, we share similar
backgrounds,” Morris said. “We didn’t know each other
Despite being a teenager, Julien said the people she has until this year, but we both experienced being able just to
come in contact with have been inviting, accepting her go outside, and because we all shared the same parking
into the community. lot, same little things, you were just able to hang out
whenever, ride bikes, whatever.”
“I’ve made neighborhood friends who are pretty cool;
mainly everyone is older than me,” Julien said. “One of The Shadow Lake community, Moser said, continues
my neighbors, their dog is blind, and they will always to demonstrate that where you live does not force you to
come in my driveway and just sit there and I can’t move fit a set lifestyle.
the car because I’m scared I’ll hit it.”
“It is what you make it,” Moser said. “A lot of people
Senior Malcolm Morris, who lived in a trailer park in don’t really take care of their houses, but I know some
Clinton Township, Michigan from ages seven to thirteen, people live there just because it’s cheap. They have a
said he also experienced a more close-knit environment lot of money, they just are retired. They take care of
than other neighborhoods he has lived in. their house and they build stuff that looks really nice.
It kind of is just life is what you make it. If you want it
“Everybody is much closer than your normal neigh- to be trashy, then it will be trashy, but if you want to
borhood because you all share the same yard, pretty have a good life, it will be nice.”
much, so if one person’s having a party, everyone’s hav-
ing a party,” Morris said. Given the opportunity, Julien said she would not
trade her situation for anyone else’s.
Residents of Shadow Lake Mobile Home Village do
not always focus on the presentation of their community “I love being able to change school districts, I love
like many neighborhoods, senior Emerik Moser said, living there and I wouldn’t want it any other way,”
who moved into a mobile home freshman year. Julien said. “I don’t mind that a lot of people at Mason
have money and live in huge houses, to me it’s not
“People in three story houses tend to take more care about the houses.”
of the community, whereas a lot of people in (mobile
homes) don’t really care and they let stuff go to where
it’s kind of nasty,” Moser said. “They never cut their
grass, they just leave stuff laying around and it’s kind of
gross.”

While tenants may neglect their yard, Moser said he
has encountered a variety of his neighbors’ eccentric
personalities and found them funny, which is one reason
he enjoys the neighborhood.

“I walked out of my house to go fishing or something,
I look up and down the road and one of my neighbors
is driving on his riding lawnmower,” Moser said. “He’s
just got cases of beer hanging off and he’s drinking. You
could tell he was drunk, he was just talking to people -- it
was hilarious. The stuff he was saying made no sense. It
was just kinda like ‘what are you doing?’”

Moser said he is not embarrassed by his house, or by
being called ‘redneck’, but rather he often invites his
friends to come over and fish.

“On the football team, a lot of people will ask to go
fishing at the lake there with me,” Moser said. “A lot of
them consider me a redneck. People just think it’s funny
and I don’t take things too seriously, so I don’t think I’ve
really been treated differently.”

December 14, 2018 7

8 Feature December 14, 2018

Royalty for a Living

Photo by Ryan D’Souza
Marshall shows what a typical character she plays looks like.

Being a princess is no fantasy for student with unique job

Della Johnson | Staff Writer job is just so specific.” ter. Saying, ‘to be a princess you have to come up with an answer. I had to know
Most little kids dream of being a Marshall said this isn’t simply a high loyal, nice, you must be respectful.’ Af- a little bit of [the TV series] to play on.
ter, we go around and sign autographs Because they do ask you. Especially the
princess. Senior Katey Marshall gets school job. The big dream for her to and take pictures. A big thing is taking older ones, they’ll kind of quiz you on
paid to be one. become a face character at Disney pictures. Everyone wants a picture with your character.”
parks. Marshall said she is working a princess.”
Senior Katey Marshall has worked towards getting into the Disney Col- Marshall said that being apart of
for two years as a face character, or live lege Program, an educational course Though the job seems magical, there the company provided her with many
actress, at A Characteristic Attitude, that allows college students to spend a are many requirements in order to be friendships, regardless of everyone’s
a company that provides princesses, semester learning at the Disney parks- royal material. Marshall said not any- future plans.
superheroes, pirates, fairies and more in order to propel her career. body can get this type of job.
to8usura events. Marshall often dresses “I think that it’s just an amazing job,”
up as princesses, her most common “I want to work at Disney World “For my company, it is very much Marshall said. “I’ve become really close
outfits being those of Rapunzel, from when I get older” Marshall said. “There based on if you will resemble the to a lot of the girls in the company.
Disney’s Tangled, and Anna, from are four casting directors (for the character.” Marshall said. “Will you Even if we’re trying to work at Disney
Frozen. disney college program), and I actually resemble whoever you’re playing that or just going to college and doing our
talked with one of them over the phone day? If you have a nose ring or tattoos, own thing-we’re all coming together
A Characteristic Attitude was and he agreed to do a practice audition you can’t really have those things un- with one interest of Disney and just
founded by Kally Turner and typi- with me when I go in March.” less you take them out or cover them. loving it. It’s so much fun. I cannot
cally hires teenagers to be actresses. At Disney, you can’t have them at all. express how much fun it is.”
Marshall initially found the company A Characteristic Attitude special- Also, my boss is really big on character.
through the suggestion from a teacher, izes in events like birthday parties, or If you aren’t going to show up because Whether it’s making lifetime friends
and then was able to land an interview entertaining children in places such as you know it’s a charity event and you or teaching kids lasting values, work-
and join. hospitals. Marshall said they usually go think you don’t have to attend. They ing as a real-life character is more than
through a routine of balloons, stories, were planning on having you, so it’s just dress up for Marshall. Marshall
Marshall’s job is similar to that of and character building with the kids. kind of a big deal.” said it’s about helping kids smile no
princesses at Disney Parks, who Mar- matter what.
shall said initially sparked her interest “If it’s a child’s birthday party, it’s set Marshall said that the kids tend to
in the profession. up so we’ll walk in and say hi to the check if she knows her character, so “My favorite thing about the job is
kids,” Marshall said. “Sometimes, the she has to be prepared. meeting the kids and their smiles,”
“I went to the parks growing up,” kids will ask for balloons, and so we Marshall said. “I had an instant where
Marshall said. “I think it was in sixth make balloon animals for them. Then, “This job is a big responsibility,” there was this kid and they had a lot of
grade when I was just like, ‘I really we’ll tell our ‘story’. We have a book Marshall said. You have to know the medical issues, their family couldn’t
wanna be them, that’s something I and I’m typically Anna or Rapunzel, movie, know the lines. One time I was afford to go to Disney. So, we just made
want to do.’ I didn’t really know what to so I’ll tell the story of Frozen, with my Rapunzel, and they were asking me their dream come true. Those kind of
do. I did a couple plays and acting, that (fictitious) sister. Then, we teach them why my hair was long again because at moments are my favorite, knowing
wasn’t really my avenue though. The four things about being a good charac- the end of the movie it’s short. I had to that we can make a child smile.”

PetsagramDecember 14, 2018 Feature 9
@churchquillwinston

@milobabysweetiecutiepie

Photo by Ryan D’Souza @oreo_rajaram
Junior Vince Alber takes a picture with his pet hedgehog ‘Winston Churchquill’ to post on his instagram account.

Students create online personality profiles for furry friends

Anusha Vadlamani | Staff Writer has a life of her own. her own.” ager kitten. I posted a picture of him
These Instagram accounts are “I did it originally as a joke because Sophomore Yamha Sami said she with a necklace on and I captioned it
‘Bling Bling.’Another friend of mine
paws-itively taking off. some people just like looking at chose to give her cat a personality has a cat and our cats are actually
Pets are all over social media, pictures of cute pets,” Rajaram said. online to, essentially, create a cat brother and sister, and she comments
“But then I started making it look like community. on it from her cat’s account and she’s
particularly on Instagram, where the bunny was typing and things like like ‘hey big bro!”’
the concept of giving pets an online that. It just turned into something “It’s funny when we have personali-
persona has become a regular occur- where I wanted to give her a life of ties for our cats,” Sami said. “I just While Junior Vince Albers has not
rence. According to the Huffington tried to make him like regular, teen- found anyone else with a hedgehog,
Post, the online movement started in the pictures of his hedgehog, Win-
2013 when a woman posted pictures ston Churchquill, are something he
of her French Bulldog. People loved thought that everyone would be able
the pictures so much that the trend to enjoy and appreciate.
took off, with thousands of accounts
dedicated to pets now. Junior Shruthi “I would post pictures of him on-
Rajaram started an account for her line because I just thought it was fun
bunny, Oreo because she could show to do,” Albers said. “I would dress him
off her bunny while staying on-trend. up and give him little things to hold
because I thought it was funny and
“A lot of my friends had made kind of cute. I was messing around
accounts for their pets at that time online as a hedgehog and I thought
cause it was just something that was people would laugh.”
popular,” Rajaram said. “I decided to
make one because my bunny was my Despite finding the pictures funny,
first pet and I could share pictures Albers said that sometimes he feels
that were just of her and put them like a parent because of all the pic-
up on social media so that everyone tures that he posts.
could see and appreciate her.”
“It’s like having a little baby; I feel
Rajaram said even though the ac- like a parent when I post all these
csaPtJhhobuheeuonouinctsooatttrarbmmTrhyhteaieoTgkdmarheininatctnseghetnhWraittrvlPyeeseebeeaabeedyrremdseesoeatnndalrinsakdaejsgohikone,erfirtwob’snhutnenoonnfwy pictures with all these cute, little
captions,” Albers said. “I feel like that
mom on social media having fun
posting pictures of her kid.”

10 December 14, 2018

December 14, 2018 Culture 11

BITE OF Senior
CULTURE
Nick Francis

Mizithra Browned Butter Pasta It’s a dish that my grand-
mother from Greece would
make, and now that she’s
passed away my dad
makes it because it re-
minds him of her,” Francis
said. “Most Greek food is
pretty healthy, but this dish
is probably one of the least
healthy because of all the
goat cheese and butter
involved.”

Compiled by Ryan D’Souza, Tanner Pearson, Luke Hutchinson
Francis prepares both a variety of vegetables for a Village Salad and pasta with Mizithra cheese. The dish is popular in Greek culture for its unhealthy, yet savory reputation.

12 Feat

WHAT DO YO

Students stuck with awkward relationship dilemmas; say

Alex Lisa | Staff Writer “[It was] Freshman year at a church “He sent me a message that told me because why would I tell him about
For those who were confused, the dance,” Mattingley said. “He asked what a horrible person I was, so I just all of that? So he thought he was an
definition of “No” is “a negative answer me for my number, and I really didn’t ghosted him and took a break from old friend and was like ‘oh, go, do it.’.
or decision.” want to give it to him,. but he was kind social media,” Mattingley said. “When I made eye contact with one of my
Working up the courage to ask of awkward and I felt bad for him. In I went back on, I had a message in friends across the room, you know that
someone on a date is more difficult for our messages he talked about how he my inbox from his mom. It was really ‘help me’ face, and she pulled me out.”
some for others, with the fear of being didn’t have any friends, and I just re- weird, like ‘how dare you, he is my
turned down often holding people ally wanted to be a friend for him.” sensitive little boy,’ and told me to give Avoidance
back. For some, the answer to that him a chance, and I’m thinking ‘what’s
dilemma is to refuse to accept “no” as Originally, Mattingley tried to avoid going on, this is insane.’” Some situations end without a
a response, but that raises problems directly rejecting him to keep from ruined relationship, however. Junior
beyond the typical high school dating hurting his feelings. Ignoring the messages did not Jessica Burns said when she had to say
experience. always cut it, since he was in Mat- no multiple times--first to an ice cream
“I didn’t want to tell him to leave me tingley’s church and she saw him at a date, then to Homecoming, and finally
Drawing the Line alone; that’s mean,” Mattingley said. number of events. The final incident to a love letter--they were both able to
“But he just kept asking me out on happened at Mormon Prom during her get past it.
Senior Corinne Mattingley went dates, and it was really uncomfortable junior year.
through just that, when she said some- because there was like a two year age “We’re still friends, like we still talk
one in her church community berated difference and I just kept saying ‘oh, I “I was dancing with my date,” to each other and see each other in the
her for over three years. can’t date yet, I’m not really looking to Mattingley said. “It was a slow song, hallway,” Burns said. “It was a little
do that yet.’” we were dancing, and he walks right awkward, but we’ve both tried to forget
up and says ‘Hey Corinne, it’s been about it. It never got too out of hand,
Mattingley finally decided to draw a while. Want to catch up in the
the line, and told him she was not in- hallway?’ And my date didn’t know,
terested. He, however, didn’t let it go.

ture 13

OU MEAN NO?

Illustrations by Ryan D’Souza

they were constantly berated and nagged by admirers

because when I was blunt about it, he issue. “It got to the point where I had she could fix something and change
laid off. He took a step back and that “I had just gotten out of a relation- blocked her number and her social my mind. [But I also think] there’s a bit
was over.” media, so she could only talk to me in of a double standard, because when a
ship, and it ended pretty rough,” person,” Spencer said. “And I thought girl says no, it’s ‘good for you, stick it
Burns believes they were able to Spencer said. “And she was one of my that meant it was pretty much over, to him.’ But there’s this thought that
remain friends because it did not go on friends, I was talking to her about it but then one of my coworkers got guys want to go after anyone, and if
for too long. and she was helping me through it. a message, and she’s looking at her you turn a girl down it’s an insult and
I started to realize she had other mo- phone and just goes ‘no way.’ She had you’re just being an asshole, and that
“The first two times, I tried to beat tives, but I thought it was just a usual sent her a string of texts and said ‘show kept me from saying it straight that I
around the bush,” Burns said. “I said crush and I didn’t have to worry.” this to Trey,’ and I had no idea what to just wasn’t interested.”
my parents didn’t want me going out do at that point.”
with new people, I said I was going to Spencer thought that he could avoid Mattingley also feels that her situ-
Homecoming with friends. If he’d kept the issue until it died down, but said Lesson Learned ation could have been avoided if she
asking me after I said no, like just ‘no,’ she only grew more persistent. had been honest early on.
it would have gotten creepy.” Spencer said he wishes he had been
“She sent me a ton of texts, poems, blunt earlier, so that it might not have “If I could go back, I never would
Unwanted texts love letters, and I just kept trying to lasted so long and gone so far. have given him my number,” Mat-
let her down easily,” Spencer said. “No tingley said. “I always want to be nice,
The issue does not always come matter the situation, I never wanted to “I feel bad about it; I feel like there and you’re supposed to give people a
from being creepy or intimidating. hurt anybody. But even when I told her were points where I kind of led her on chance, but that just leads to where it’s
Junior Trey Spencer said the biggest to stop, she kept finding new ways to because I didn’t want to just say ‘no,’” so much worse. Never be afraid to say
problem for him was the fact that he contact me. It was unhealthy on both Spencer said. “I feel like she thought no. If you don’t want to, there’s nothing
was convinced it was not a serious our ends.” wrong with that, you can just say no
and they should respect that.”
She eventually contacted Spencer’s
friends to ask them to talk to him.

14 Feature December 14, 2018

Johnson shares love of string art with others

Sophia Johnson | Staff Writer

Anybody can hammer a nail into a Photo by Sophia Johnson
board; not everyone can make art out Senior Isaac Johnson crafts string art onto a nail board by intertwining the string around nails to form personalized and creative images for his friends.
of it.
in the process of implementing more Photo by Sophia Johnson
Over the past two years, Senior Isaac media into his pieces and continues to Senior Isaac Johnson’s string art is inspired by the interests and passions of his closest friends.
Johnson has created personalized nail use this technique to shape his artistry.
board string art for people close to
him. The art is done on a painted board “I’m starting to work with new ma-
where string is wrapped around nails to terials and trying to incorporate more
display an image. Johnson depicts the media into my boards,” Johnson said.
design based explicitly on who is receiv- “In the 21 Pilots board I did, I used a
ing the board. metal ring, and I tied it into the board.
I’m also planning on incorporating
“You’ve got to know your audience- LED lights into a nail board art.”
-what they like, who they are, where
they go to college, what sports and The 21 Pilots board Johnson made
music they like, Johnson said. “I paint was for Senior Miranda Gworek. In
what their passion is, and I put their receiving the nail board string art,
dream and their work onto a board, and Gworek said she appreciated seeing the
I make it real for them.” amount of thought Johnson puts into
his gifts.
While Johnson makes his art for oth-
ers, he initially found the inspiration to “When he gave it to me I cried, he
make custom nail board string art after put so much effort into it, and it was so
designing one to fit his own interests. intricate,” Gworek said. His approach to
painting is very unique; everything is
“The very first nail board art, I very crisp as if he’s doing a vector draw-
wanted to make for myself; I did the ing on the computer. “
anatomy of the heart one because I
want to go into pre-med,” Johnson said. For Johnson, nail board string art is a
“So I started out making one for myself. form of therapy. His passion for the art
And ever since then I’ve always had an not only comes from his craft, but the
act for it.” reward in gifting a meaningful work to
the people around him.
Each board takes Johnson about 48
hours to complete. The time demand- “I use nail board art as an escape
ing process consists of several steps. from all the stress in my life,” Johnson
Johnson said he appreciates the simplic- said. “It’s so relaxing to hammer some
ity of taking basic materials and creat- nails into a board and string it up. It’s
ing a pleasing visual. an outlet for me and to see the smiles
on the people’s faces that I give it to is
“First I draw it out; I pick an idea, so warming to me.”
and I get computer paper and draw
out the design of what I want to do and
draw little dots around the lines of the
design,” Johnson said. “I paint the board
with whatever I want, using spray paint,
with stencils, it’s what I feel like doing.”

Due to the tedious work when it
comes down to individually placing and
hammering each nail, Johnson said it
has taken him up to a month to finish a
single board.

“The tattooing phase is where I put
the paper on the board and use a nail
and pliers, and I tap, tattooing it onto
the board,” Johnson said. “The design is
tattooed to the board, so I know where
to put the nails. After that, I hammer
the nails in, and then I thread the string
and do minor paint jobs on the board.”

While Johnson has always had a
passion for painting, art has not come
easily to him. By sticking with nail
boards, he has improved his work, and
creatively display the designs through
the time and resources he has put in.

“Anyone can do one; you just have
to have the passion and put in the time
and work,” Johnson said. “People are
surprised I can come up with something
creative and out of nowhere because
I’m not the best artist. Anyone can copy
a painting or drawing, which is good
because I can’t do that. I’ve never seen
anyone do nail board paintings like me
though, and I don’t have any reference
to look at when I make my nail art. All
of my nail art I come up with myself.”

Expanding your skills is essential to
advancing your art, Johnson said. He is

December 14, 2018 Feature 15

Who gave you that hickey? My violin did

Anusha Vadlamani | Staff Writer orchestra members, such as Senior Jenny
Hong, have tried to help each other out
Stellar performances aren’t the only re- in those situations.
sult of hours of practice for many Mason
Orchestra players. “A girl saw Allen’s violin hickey and
she was like ‘Allen do you have a hickey,”’
For the vast majority of students in Hong said. “And then I made the joke
orchestra, Fiddler’s Neck, more com- that Allen and I gave them to each
monly known as “violin hickeys” or “viola other cause I had one too. It was just
love bites,” is a common side effect of a big meme and then I explained to
long hours of practice. Poor posture and the girl where they came from. Most
the pressure of an instrument against the of my friends are in orchestra so they
neck usually lead to the formation of a usually understand.”
deep-purplish mark that very closely re-
sembles a hickey. For Senior Haile Britton, Precautions can be taken against in-
the recurring bruise has led to awkward tensifying the bruise, such as improving
moments with her concerned parents. posture, buying customized chin rests,
and practicing better bow technique.
“When I would go home every day, Hong said she bought a custom chin rest
my parents would ask me what that was in hopes of getting rid of the bruise.
on my neck,” Britton said. “They were
worried and kind of assumed the worst of “When my parents first started notic-
things.” ing my hickey they were very worried,”
Hong said. “We actually went shop-
Though the appearance of the bruise ping for a chin rest, and I bought one
took her a little time to get used to, Brit- and it has helped a little; it hasn’t
ton said the constant questioning from developed as much, so now it’s not
friends and family required a great deal as noticeable. It’s kind of a like a
of adjustment. faint scar now.”

“I was just annoyed that that’s what While senior Kevin Song’s parents
happens when you play an instrument have offered to buy him a new chin
but after a while, I got used to it,” Britton rest, Song said the mark is just a part
said. “My friends, though, would ask me of his daily life.
what that was on my neck and they would
just kind of assume things about me. My “When my parents first saw it, they
parents didn’t even believe me at first. I were a bit alarmed,” Song said. “They
finally convinced my parents during our asked if I wanted to change my chin
orchestra concert. I’ve been playing since rest, but I said no. I don’t really think
sixth grade and it took them almost six about it normally, it’s become a pretty
years for them to believe me.” ordinary part of my life.”

Although Fiddler’s Neck is sometimes While the mark may be a minor
used as an indicator of a player’s ability inconvenience, Song said it also serves as
and can be considered a ‘battle scar’ from a symbol of pride.
frequent practicing, the development of
Fiddler’s Neck ultimately comes down to “I was pretty surprised when I first saw
skin sensitivity, playing habits, and the in- it, but in a weird way, it made me kind
strument itself. Despite senior Allen Yang of proud,” Song said. “It represented the
not being able to practice as consistently hard work I put into all of my practice.”
as he used to in the past, his mark is still
very noticeable. Photo by Henri Robbins
Senior Jenny Hong purchased a chin rest to
“I’ve been playing for 10 years,” Yang
said. “I haven’t really practiced in a couple minimize the hickey marking.
years so the fact that this hickey is still
there is kind of annoying. I guess it’s Photo by Henri Robbins
never really going to go away.” Senior Kevin Song developed a blemish on his chin after extensive violin practicing, which many have mistaken as a hickey.

While Yang has become so well ac-
customed to his scar that he occasionally
forgets that it is there, he is still constant-
ly reminded of it because of people that
continue to call it out.

“It’s pretty funny, but it’s still awkward,”
Yang said. “It doesn’t feel like anything
for me because I don’t really notice it, but
it’s definitely noticeable for other people.
When people point it out, I just try to go
along with the joke.”

While Yang has been the been at the
center of many awkward jokes, his fellow

16 Entertainment December 14, 2018

MOVIE POLLS MONTHLY

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE? MUSIC

via Twitter Poll @MHSchronicle

#1

RELEASED NOVEMBER 2003 85

54%DIRECTED BY JON FAVREAU VOTES

STARRING WILL FERRELL LIL BABY
ARTIST FEATURE
It’s hard not to love Elf. This christmas comedy, directed by Jon Favreau, delivers a hilari-
ous Will Ferrell performance balanced with a suprisingly powerful message, and charac- Lil Baby, real name Dominique Jones, has
ters you root for. There are too many famous one-liners to pick from in this flick. flooded the charts recently, with his collab
Album “Drip Harder” and solo endeavour
#2 HOME #3 CHRISTMAS “Street Gossip”. Baby’s career catapulted
ALONE (1990) VACATION (1989) after his collab with Drake on“Yes In-
18% deed”, and Baby looks like he’s just getting
22% 21 votes started. His biggest hit of recent is ‘Drip
24 votes Too Hard’ which has accumulated over
163,269,333 views in under two months.
MOVIE REVIEW
ALBUMREVIEW

REVIEW BY JAKE SAPP A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONHIPS

RELEASED DECEMBER 21ST 8.3/10 BY THE 1975
DIRECTED BY TRAVIS KNIGHT REVIEW BY RYAN D’SOUZA
STARRING HAILEE STEINFELD
8/10
Verdict
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is
For any fan of the classic Transformers series, ‘Bumblebee’ is an absolute joy to watch, a concept album that despite not being the
and a heartwarmingly personal tale of a young girl and her giant robot for anyone else. strongest thematically, contains plenty of solid
Similar to the 1999 film, The Iron Giant, Bumblebee brings many elements to the table that songs that make for easy listening. A Brief
fans and audiences alike won’t expect upon first glance.The film serves as a soft reboot for Inquiry manages to give off a warm, optimistic
the Transformers film franchise, which will come as a relief to many due to how infamous aesthetic while still touching on some darker
the previous films are. Each and every one of the characters gets their own moments to tones. Even though the album echoes themes
shine during the film, paired with numerous 80’s references and callbacks that fans won’t from Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’, it takes a
want to miss. Bumblebee is a winter blockbuster that is truly more than meets the eye. very different sound, pairing jazz and 80’s
pop together with the usual indie ballads one
would expect from the 1975. Overall, the hour
long tracklist flows together smoothly and

definitely should be checked out.

Page compiled by Jacob Brase

Sports17 December 14, 2018

ANONYMOUS COMETS Who are these guys representing
Mason on the hardwood this year?

The Mason basketball team may lack some of the big names Comet fans have become
used to but this team is using that as an advantage. Visit the thecspn.com to identify the
players on the 2018-19 team. (Photo art by Ryan D’Souza)

Rahul Parikh | Sports Editor there’s no better feeling than winning selves on both sides of the ball. Long said that the younger players on
games and proving all of them wrong.” “It was definitely a signature win for the team impact the game and help Ma-
Who are these Comets? son win games because of their talent,
When they come out of the locker The big distinction that can be drawn us,” Howard said. “When people see and ability to adapt to the game.
room for pre-game warm ups, you need from this year’s team is chemistry and Mason versus Sidney, they would expect
a program to identify exactly who is on playing off of each other. With no clear Sidney to beat us in a blowout, but win- “We put in these younger players,
the team. ‘guy’ to take all the shots in the 4th ning by 19 made a huge statement and and most people don’t even know who
In previous years Comet fans have quarter -- it allows the Comets to feed just kept our confidence going.” they are,” Long said. “These guys like
been accustomed to players like high who is hot and account for each other. Matt (Smith) play with the same chip on
flying scoring machine Kyle Lamotte, Defensively, the Comets have a his- their shoulder, and prove themselves on
the duo of long range sniper Eddie Pui- Senior Ethan Howard, who played sig- tory of being stingy priding themselves the court.”
sis and the all around play of Matt King, nificant minutes a season ago said that on holding teams to single digit quar-
or even the game changing signature being able to spread the ball around ters. Senior point guard Jack Franke, a Franke believes that the seniors not
dunks of Noah Pedelty. and make up for bad shooting nights relentless defender said that the team is only have to perform on the court but
The 2018-19 team may not have any allows Mason to be better offensively, looking to silence the doubters and put they have an obligation to help mentor
player of the year candidates, big time because every player can score when together solid defensive performances, the team’s younger players. He recalls
recruits, or high flyers but they aren’t called upon. like they did against Sidney. the way he felt when his confidence was
dwelling on what they don’t have. boosted by former Comets who now are
Instead, they choose to focus on their “Teams actually have a tougher time “Going into the season we knew we playing at the collegiate level.
strengths despite what all the preseason preparing for us because there is no could score, but the question was if we
polls and pundits have to say about this ‘one guy’ to shut down,” Howard said. could stop teams,” Franke said. “Show- “Matt (King) and Eddie were awe-
squad. “It makes it really easy for us when ing that we stopped Sidney and held some leaders my sophomore year,”
Driven by preseason criticism and every single guy on the court can score Andre Gordon to 19 points, gave us a Franke said. “We want to bring that
doubt, the Comets have started the at any given moment in the game, and really big step in a positive direction same mentality to the younger guys
season 3-0 with impressive wins over we are all very capable.” defensively.” now, so they are fully developed and
Sidney, Colerain, and Kings. integrated into the program quickly.”
The only returning starter from last Senior center Matt Minnick, who is Long agreed that defense will be a
year’s team is senior guard Landen tasked with being the primary shot key for the Comets this season, but For the seniors, now is their last go
Long, who is expected to carry much of blocker and rebounder, embraces the believes that although they have shown around with the daily workouts prac-
the scoring burden for Mason this year. idea of a ‘team’ culture, as the same success early, there is always room for tices, and excitement of playing in front
Long said all the doubters out there core group of guys have been playing improvement and the only way to trend of the school on Friday nights. Minnick
have motivated him to come out with together for an extensive period of time. is in the positive direction. has cherished all the memories he has
more passion, and the will to win every made with the Mason basketball pro-
game this year. “We’ve pretty much had the same “Defense is obviously really impor- gram over his career, and is very thank-
“When people underestimate us and youth team since elementary school,” tant to Coach Richards and our system,” ful for everything it has given him.
what we can do, it puts a chip on my Minnick said. “I feel like we all have Long said. “We’ve shown growth early
shoulder,” Long said. “We always hear embraced this unselfish brand of bas- on but what really excites us is that the “I’ve really been appreciating every-
the same things about what we won’t ketball, and that leads to us being better only thing we’re gonna do is progress, thing more this year,” Minnick said.
be capable of achieving this year, and as a group and seeing more success.” and that will make us a much more “The Mason basketball program and the
dangerous team later in the season.” memories that came along with it have
The Comets opened this season with highlighted my high school life, and it’s
a 63-44 win over Sidney, who is led by Even though the team has a solid crazy to think that this year will be our
Virginia Tech commit Andre Gordon. core of seniors the roster has some last.”
Howard said the win over Sidney was a young players who have the ability to
big statement for Mason to prove them- play a significant role for the Comets.

18 Sports December 14, 2018

BEAST MODE

Landen Long

3.3 ASSISTS PER GAME
14 POINTS PER GAME
81.8% ON FREE THROWS
LEADING BOYS BASKETBALL TO 3-0 RECORD

MAKING SOME NOISE PRE-GAME PLAYLIST

Matt Minnick Sipe named 1st Team Stats and ranks as of December 10, 2018
STATS - All State

Second in the GMC Mason football player Charley Sipe
2 blocks per game earned first team All Ohio. After starting
the season as a back up kicker and start-
Megan Wagner ing linebacker Sipe was called into duty
STATS - as the team’s starting kicker. He con-
cluded the season going 14 out of 15 on
GMC leading 5.6 field goals and 23 of 23 on extra points.
assists per game He had three game winning field goals.

THE DIGITS

.944 Win Percentage of the Chess team
1:53.69 GMC Leading 200 freestyle time for
Senior Cole Peterson

259 High Score for Senior Bowler Kian
Encarnacion

19 Sports December 14, 2018

Donathan, Adewumi expected to lead the way for Comet wrestlers

Matthew Smith | Staff Writer ed individuals, and we’ve improved a Photo by Tanner Pearson
The training wheels are off, and lot since last season. We just need to
they’re ready to go. build off of that.” Kamal Adewumi and Chris Donathan face off in practice. The two experienced wrestlers will b
Coming into the 2017-18 season, the counted on to lead the team on and off the mat this season.
Mason Comet wrestling team was The team believes they have the
unsure how much success they would talent to be great this year, but worry about that.” for our program,” McIntire said. “Ev-
have with first year head coach Matt health will be critical to the team Donathan knows working hard will erytime he wrestles he always leaves
McIntire. Now, after a year with Mc- as well. Adewumi said wrestling everything on the mat. He brings so
Intire as coach and an eleventh place without injuries will play a big role contribute to how much he accomplish- much intensity, and everyone else on
finish at state, the Mason team is poised this season. es this year. the team just tries to match it.”
for another successful year.
The Comets are led by senior Chris “We really want to stay healthy “He’s a very talented wrestler, and he Donathan improves the talent of ev-
Donathan, who finished second at the without any injuries,” Adewumi said. works his tail off,” McIntire said. “All eryone around him, but his teammates
state tournament last year. Donathan “ We didn’t have any big injuries last through the offseason, he was working. think he also helps with exposure. Ad-
said the wrestlers have seen a change year so if we can keep healthy, we He works out everyday, and always is ewumi said Donathan helps bring more
in the leadership and culture that Mcin- definitely can have a lot of success training towards his goal of standing coaches to watch the team.
tire has put in place. and be even better than last year.” on that of podium once again.”
“He has helped the whole team and “Not only does [Donathan] help us at
really improved everyone’s character,” McIntire knows the team has the The team knows Donathan will star practice, but he gets us more exposure
Donathan said. “He has made us better potential for another big year, but on the mat, but they also know how too,” Adewumi said. “College coaches
wrestlers and done a great job guiding leadership will also be key. McIntire important he is to everyone else on the or scouts will watch Donathan wrestle,
us to the success that we’ve wanted.” said replacing the seniors and pro- team. McIntire said Donathan plays a and see how good he is, but also see
After McIntire was hired last season, viding more leadership will define huge role in improving the wrestling how good of a team we have.”
the Comets continued to build upon the team this season. team as a whole.
the strong tradition that was already in
place. “We graduated some really good “His talent and his leadership is great
“(Our culture) is built off of high seniors we will have to replace; I think
character within our kids, having a [leadership] will be very important,”
really good work ethic, and showing McIntire said. “A lot of the leadership
trust,” McIntire said. “If our kids can I’ll put on the seniors, especially to
have those three things, they will really help our underclassmen. They show
buy into our program, and the winning them the way things are supposed to be
will take care of itself.” done.”
The team feels that last season’s
success was great, but they want more. How much success the team has this
Senior wrestler Kamal Adewumi said year will rely heavily on Chris Dona-
the team has higher standards for this than. Coming off of a second place state
season. finish last year, Donathan said this sea-
“We have really high expectations,” son, he doesn’t feel any additional stress
Adewumi said. “We have a lot of talent- to get to state again, his only plan is to
win everything.

“I want to go undefeated and win
every tournament: I want to return to
state,” Donathan said. “I don’t feel any
extra pressure to return [to state]. I
just take it one season at a time, I don’t

Rowing team showcases unique sport forging great experiences

Photo contributed by Joslyn Sapp Jake Sapp | Staff Writer accountable for bringing
Great Miami rowing Crew competing at a ‘regatta’ in October. The team There are a multitude of well known sports what the have to the table and helping the team
consists of Mason students, and students from other schools who join teams at Mason High School, but rowing isn’t to succeed.”
forces and compete. Regularly, the team practices 6 days a week and considered one of them.
competes during the spring and summer. The Great Miami rowing Crew based in Ham- Sophomore Nicholas DeGroff has only been
ilton is made up of several athletes from Mason. a part of the team for a short time, but he feels
Junior Matthew Rought operates as a Varsity rowing has been an extremely welcoming expe-
level rower for the group, and has been a part of rience for him.
the team since his friend introduced him to the
sport. “I did track and baseball throughout 9th
“At first when I got into rowing, I liked it just grade, but broke my foot which knocked me out
because of the fact that it was different from for a while,” DeGroff said. “My Dad and I de-
what I was normally used to,” Rought said. “But cided to go to one of the rowing practices out of
over time I really think that the sport has been morbid curiosity, and I haven’t left since. rowing
able to give me friends and experience that I is more of a lifestyle to me than anything else.”
normally wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.”
The team has around 45 members from all For rowers, the Spring and Summer season
over the Cincinnati area which isn’t a large is when all of the racing happens, and Winter
number for this gruelling sport. serves as the space between the two. When it
“It’s a sport that really teaches you a lot about comes to physical training, the colder months
yourself,” Rought said. “Even though it’s not are critical for the team’s success.
the biggest sport in the world, everyone in our
group has learned to work with one another “The winter season is our hardcore training
and bring out the best in ourselves. We’re all period,” Rought said. “Even though we don’t do
any regattas (Competitions), we are still entirely
focused on what comes next. Everyday we are
working towards training ourselves both men-
tally and physically for the spring.”

20 Feature December 14, 2018

Diabetic students deal with daily struggle of disease

Lily Geiser | Staff Writer

30.3 million people in the United Photo by Lily Geiser
States have diabetes. But it’s still one of Senior Samitha Kukkilaya was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes and has to frequently inject insulin into her arm to regulate her blood sugar levels.
the most misunderstood diseases in the
world. “It’s just hard, when I have to wear standing of the limitations the disease a shot with it. But sometimes, when I
cute clothes or something, like a dress,” may or may not place on those afflict- run out of insulin, my friends have to
Diabetes, a disease becoming more Bause said. “I take insulin through my ed. Kukkillaya says that although the drive me back or I go back home and
and more common in the United pump, so I have to wear my pump. A disease does sometimes impact her life, get it. But other than that, they don’t
States, makes it difficult to properly lot of people will point it out or stare.” her friends are there to support her. care. They know it’s important for me
digest carbohydrates, which can cause to check it.”
extreme spikes in blood sugar levels. Although strangers may stare, “I usually just eat what I want,” Kuk-
According to the American Diabetes friends and family are usually under- killaya said. “I just make sure to take
Association, diabetes primarily impacts
the body’s regulation of the hormone Graphic by Ryan D’Souza
insulin, which regulates these blood
sugar levels. Whether that means the
body does not produce insulin at all
(Type I) or it is insulin resistant (Type
II) it impacts millions of people around
the world daily.

With the obesity crisis at its peak,
diabetes is often considered a side effect
of unhealthy habits. However, senior
Samitha Kukkillaya, who has Type I
diabetes, says that this is not always the
case.

“People think that obese people are
the ones that get diabetes, and that
you’re eating wrong if you have it,”
Kukkillaya said. “But that’s part of
Type II, not Type I. I don’t think many
people know the difference between
Type I and Type II.”

Although the exact cause of the
disease is not fully understood yet, it
is thought that both types are brought
on by a combination of environmental
factors and genetic predispositions.
Type I diabetes is most often diagnosed
in children and adolescents, and has a
stronger genetic linkage than Type II.
Kukkillaya herself was diagnosed nearly
four years ago.

“I got it freshman year in January,”
Kukkillaya said. “I was drinking like
six bottles of water a day and I still felt
really dehydrated. I lost fifteen pounds,
I went to the bathroom every hour, and
I also felt really tired. I was in the hospi-
tal for three days after I got diagnosed.
That’s when I found out about it.”

Sophomore Lauren Schrand was diag-
nosed when she was five, and although
she was much younger than Kukkillaya,
she experienced many of the same
symptoms. Schrand said a common
misconception is that her Type I diag-
nosis places a restriction on her food
intake, when, in actuality, her diet has
remained consistent.

“A lot of people think I can’t eat cer-
tain things,” Schrand said. “Like, people
think I just can’t eat sugar, and I can. I
can eat whatever I want as long I get
insulin for it.”

Schrand has this flexibility in part
due to the insulin pump she has in her
arm. This pump is able to continuously
deliver insulin to her bloodstream as
she needs it, which can help to prevent
the extreme highs and lows in blood
sugar occurring for diabetes patients.
Freshman Eva Bause also has a pump
for her insulin, and while this prevents
her from needing the frequent insulin
shots that others with diabetes require,
Bause said it also spawns frequent atten-
tion from others.

December 14, 2018 Opinion 21

PETA does Staff Editorial
nothing but start
controversy There is no going back on technology

Henri Robbins | In a couple weeks, you might get the newest think of us. A person is not separate from their
Staff Writer iPhone. Around this time three to five years ago, phone in our minds at this point; it is abnormal
you likely got your first iPhone. for the pair to be separated.
PETA. We’ve all heard of them, the “People for the Ethi-
cal Treatment of Animals”, and yet again they’re making From that day on, our lives have completely And so it seems we have all come to a standstill.
their rounds around social media. This time, it’s because of changed, and will likely never be the same. People want others to both get rid of their con-
a tweet that offers alternatives to “anti-animal language”, nection to technology and satisfy their reliance
including phrases such as “taking the bull by the horns”, Nowadays, we all spend an unhealthy amount on it. And while everyone is aware of and will-
“beating a dead horse”, and “killing two birds with one of time looking at these portable screens. If you’re ing to concede to the former, the latter is often
stone”. This isn’t the first time PETA has said something wondering how bad your addiction is, check the ignored. So what is the solution? If we admit that
like this, and it sure won’t be the last, but this time it’s one “screen time” statistics in the settings app. it is harmful for us to spend too much time with
of the most patronizing. our phones, but we also cannot separate ourselves
Being glued to a phone has many negative con- from them and function the way we are expected
Why is it patronizing? sequences, most of which you’ve probably heard to, where do we turn?
The tweet reads that “just as it became unacceptable to before.
use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that The first step is to acknowledge that we will
trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people To start, it immensely decreases attention spans, never “go back to the good old days.” Students are
begin to appreciate animals for who they are.” making it hard to sit for more than an hour read- no longer the only ones relying on this technol-
So here’s PETA, comparing the livestock industry and ing a book. It takes away valuable minutes and ogy; the constant and immediate communication
simple idiom to years, decades, even centuries of discrimi- hours of the day that could be used to do some- it enables has created a way of life that no one has
nation, to prejudice on a grand scale, so much that millions thing more productive. It is used as an alternative made any attempt to change. With this acknowl-
have been killed out of pure hatred. to social interaction, and will likely make you less edgement comes the understanding that “taking
And I’m not saying the livestock industry isn’t inhu- socially capable. a break” from technology, from social media and
mane, or that the meat industry isn’t a major proponents other forms of communication, is far more daunt-
of climate issues, because they are and it is. What really It is not good for you. ing a task than people realize and will affect far
needs to be addressed is the ignorance towards the world And yet, despite everyone knowing this lecture more people as well. From that understanding,
that PETA is showing - they’re trivializing years of human is just around the corner at any moment, the maybe the generational gap of people who later
suffering by comparing it to, not suffering of humans, and lecture stating the exact opposite is as well. It is incorporated technology and people who were
not literal statements, but figurative speech. just as taboo to not have your phone constantly born into it can come up with a compromise.
You ask anyone, “is it wrong to beat a horse?” and obvi- on you.
ously, most of them will say yes. Throwing stones at birds? Parents expect responses from their children There will likely never be a reform that causes
Of course people will be against that. within minutes, and use apps like “find my teenagers to stop using their phones so much. The
So does PETA just not understand metaphors? iPhone” to track their children’s whereabouts. only thing to do next is to adapt. The school inte-
That’s where PETA is lost, and where they really always Managers from a student’s work grow angry grating Twitter is one example of this, along with
have been. A prime example is back when, 14 years ago, when their phone calls are not answered. It is an the incorporation of online sources for homework
they decided to compare the animal industry to the Holo- expectation from teachers that students check and purposes. Even Schoology messages are a form
caust. You know, the Holocaust, that killed several millions update their emails after they have left school and of social-media-like communication, which shows
of people out of pure, systemic hatred. Unsurprisingly, this before they come in the next day. Despite these that adaptation is happening. If people are going
“display” was banned in Germany, cited as making “the fate being the same people who tell students to get off to use their phones for an unhealthy amount of
of the victims of the Holocaust appear banal and trivial”. of technology, they simultaneously rely on us to time, the only thing to do is to increase the capa-
PETA shot back, saying that Germany was making the be attached to it. bilities of that time.
animal’s suffering “banal and trivial”. Genius. Phones have become an extremely integrated
What they say isn’t only insulting and trivializing, it’s part of our lives, especially at Mason High school. But this hypocritical superiority complex has
downright hypocrisy. In 2014, out of the 3,369 animals that Even those who do not take a stance on the issue to stop. In today’s society, no one is not guilty of
PETA took in, they euthanized 2,454 of them. This is the find themselves affected. Other students get ir- relying on technology for day-to-day function.
exact opposite of what they stand for. ritated when their Snapchat messages and texts We are in this together, and the sooner we stop
But, they do have a global platform, and they do have are left unanswered, and we are encouraged to expecting people to do two things at once, the
enough supporters to bring in $46 million in donations use Twitter to share and hear about the school’s sooner we can move past this standstill and for-
in 2017 alone. We still give them attention for acting out learning achievements. Everywhere, all the time, ward, to new opportunities to communicate and
of line, and they’ll still take it to push their hypocritical a person’s phone is expected to be on that person. inform one another.
agenda. Phones have become a part of us, both in what
we choose to spend our time on and in how people

The Chronicle’s Policy
The Chronicle is the official student The Chronicle is published monthly. The Chronicle is a member of The
newspaper of William Mason High Call 398-5025 ext. 33103 for infor- Columbia Scholastic Press Association, The Chronicle Staff Staff Writers
School. mation regarding advertising in The The National Scholastic Press Asso- Editor-in-Chief Visual Design Editor Evelina Gaivoronskaia Adviser
Chronicle. The Chronicle reserves the ciation, Quill and Scroll International Luke Hutchinson Ryan D’Souza Lily Geiser Dale Conner
The Chronicle promises to report the right to refuse advertising it deems in- Honorary Society for High School Jour- Managing Editor Riley Johansen
truth and adhere to the journalistic appropriate for a high school publica- nalists and the Ohio Scholastic Media Lauren Serge Online Editor Della Johnson Connect with
code of ethics through online and print tion. Association. Executive Editor Andrea Hefferan Sophia Johnson the Chronicle:
mediums. Jacob Brase Alexandra Lisa
As an open forum for students, let- Contact Information Sports Editor Business Manager Ria Parikh @mhschronicle
The Chronicle is produced by students ters to the editor are welcome, but are The Chronicle Rahul Parikh Nathalie Schickendantz Henri Robbins facebook.com/
enrolled in Journalism I, II and III. subject to be edited for length, libel, ob- William Mason High School Kaelyn Rodrigues mhschronicle
scenity, clarity and poor taste. Letters to 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. Jake Sapp @mhschronicle
Editorials reflect the staff ’s opinion the editor may be dropped off in room Mason, Ohio 45040 Staff Photographer Matthew Smith
but do not necessarily reflect the opin- C103 and must be signed. (513) 398-5025 Tanner Pearson Anusha Vadlamani
ions of the school administration or the
Mason City School District.

22 Opinion December 14, 2018

Group projects Editorial Cartoon

are toxic

Luke Hutchinson | Let’s get a scream, drowning out everything else. I was just terrified
Editor-in-Chief over self- that other people would hear my little voice too. It was easier
deprecation to guess ahead of time what it was going to say - control the
My time as a student has taught me a lot. narrative, almost. If I say I’m a bad dancer before my friends
I’m not just talking about random facts about the Lily Geiser | come to see me perform, then at least I can’t disappoint
American Revolution or how to use the Pythagorean Staff Writer them. And if I think it, then I can’t disappoint myself.
Theorem, I’m talking about how to filter out things that
don’t matter: homework that isn’t graded, tardies, mean It’s no secret that I hate self-deprecation. So, for a while, I played along. I did what I was supposed
Instagram comments, etc. I do. I really really do. Which is weird, because I’m guilty to. If someone said my makeup looked good, I’d say “Oh
You see, the educational system tends to exaggerate of it myself. Everybody is, actually. Because it’s so easy, isn’t thanks, but it looks terrible today.” If someone else was
the importance of rather insignificant things to students it? To walk into a test saying “I’m going to fail” -- at least talking about how badly they were doing in a class, instead
from the beginning of grade-school all the way through then, you won’t seem arrogant. To look at yourself in the of building them up, I’d tear myself down: “Oh, you’re not
high school. One prime example I noticed when I moved mirror and say “I look terrible today” -- at least then, you doing half as bad as I am! It’s a miracle I got an A on that
into Mason was our constant practicing of cursive. Where won’t seem vain. Criticizing ourselves is like heroin -- it feels test last week.” At first, I felt kind of dirty saying bad things
did that go? Probably the same place as the PARCC tests right at the time, but in the end, it’s only going to hurt us. about myself. But soon it became automatic, easy. I started
I opted out of in eighth grade. One of my favorite book series of all times is the Sherlock saying those things even when no one was around, just to
There’s one practice, however, that still aggravates me Holmes novels. I remember reading this one line when myself. And I started to believe them.
to this day, especially because it is usually both executed I was twelve or thirteen: “‘I cannot agree with those who
and justified corruptly by teachers. That practice is group rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician, all things That’s when I knew it had to stop.
work. should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate I think there’s a big difference between modesty and
It’s the most toxic aspect to every traditionally aca- one’s self is as much a departure from truth as to exagger- humility. Modesty is the father of self-deprecation - it’s about
demic course I’m enrolled in. Through my experience, ate one’s own powers.’” I liked that line a lot, even if I didn’t not thinking too much of yourself, not overvaluing your-
group projects play out the same way almost every time. know why at the time. Now, I think it’s because Holmes said self. The word always makes me think of the 18th century
First, students with a lousy -- or nonexistent -- work exactly what I had been internalizing for years. I shouldn’t when women had to be ‘modest’ or suffer the consequences.
ethic will always be paired with the ones who actually have to put myself down all of the time - not if I know I don’t Humility is about not feeling the need to constantly show off
care so that the overall grades of the class don’t fluctuate deserve it. So I decided to try and live by that mantra - to try your good qualities to others (Sherlock could have done with
too excessively. That sounds peaceful for the teacher, to neither overestimate nor underestimate myself. To just a little humility himself). But personally, I wish that people
because it is, but it puts students at an unhealthy disad- see me. would err on the side of not being humble enough. The
vantage. That lasted maybe a month. worst thing that can happen if you’re too cocky is that you’ll
The worst part, though, if you’re a student that cares It’s hard to be nice to yourself. It is. For one, there are the be annoying; the worst thing that can happen if you’re not
about your grade, is that trying to get the attention of external pressures. It feels weird to say you think you did cocky enough is that you learn to hate yourself.
the teacher almost never works in your favor. This is ac- okay on a test when all of your friends around you are com- Technically, these words are synonyms -- but that’s just
centuated by the fact that teachers often contradict them- plaining about how they definitely failed it. It’s much easier how I conceptualize my thoughts. But I guess that what I’m
selves in their own preaching; they say that students who to join in the choir - to say that you didn’t study enough, that trying to say is, don’t think that by putting yourself down,
try to take control of other members’ work are just as no, you didn’t know the answer to number 23 either, that you’re doing the right thing. You’re just hurting yourself.
counterproductive as the students who don’t participate. you’ll be lucky to get a C. And there are billions of people in So let yourself know when you’re doing something good.
Now we’re at a stalemate. The student who feels forced the world to compare yourself to. Millions of people prettier Me? If someone asks how I did on a test, I’ll tell them - good
to pick up the slack is criticized for being manipulative than you, hundreds of thousands who have better test scores. or bad. If I think I did my eyeliner well this morning, I’m
and everyone involved gets a poor grade for the lack of And then, internally. Everybody has a little voice in their giving myself a pat on the back. I’m doing my best to make
cohesiveness in the presentation, essay or whatever. head that’s always telling them they’re not good enough. For Sherlock proud - to give myself credit when credit is due, and
There is another argument teachers have been advo- some people, it’s a whisper, lost in the wind. For others, it’s to own my mistakes.
cating for years that is mostly flawed. They’ve told us In a world where it’s expected to speak poorly of ourselves,
that the idea of group projects is one we should take seri- we have to be our own cheerleaders. So grab your pom poms,
ously and stop complaining about because it will always because the game is about to start.
be an obstacle in college, and later on, our careers.
I completely disagree. I will most likely never be
working in my career with someone who goes home and
does nothing on the Google Doc that night. In real life,
my colleagues will have similar interests as me, enough
so that they would have applied themselves to the posi-
tion, whereas my peers at school are completely random-
ized and have no obligation to be present or contribute.
A significant reason a majority of teachers prefer
group work nowadays is due to the lean towards more
innovative teaching styles in the last few years. Sure,
I understand that different students learn in different
ways, but there’s also a clear reason why modern learn-
ing tools like Flipgrid have vanished even from last year.
They dilute the actual content that needs to be taught,
and students do not find them helpful.
So, before designing a new complex group project to
try and make your class more ‘engaging’, maybe first
consider a simple lecture. A lot of students would ap-
preciate it.

December 14, 2018 23

24 December 14, 2018