Edition 14.3

cover story Looking for a party? It’s been in your back pocket this whole time

Kids are flocking to popular Houseparty app

2 Meghan Pottle | Staff Writer two MHS students he had not spo-
ken to before when they joined his
Students are just now joining the Photos by Meghan Pottle, Photo Illustration by Dalton Craven room.
party – and it has been sitting in
their back pockets the whole time. Senior Destyni Dulin (top left), sophomore Sunny Patel (top right), freshman Jensen “I met those two from another
Adelta (bottom left), and senior Joey Bowlin (bottom right) chat on Houseparty. friend of mine and we were just
In 2015, Developer Alexander Her- talking, then they joined in,” Patel
zick launched the application House- ‘What the heck were you saying?’” We became friends on Houseparty said. “That’s what I like about it.
party, a group video chat that allows Because users can see who their and now, we are friends in real life.” You can be open with anyone. Most
up to eight people to chat together people are always welcomed in as
in one room, which is a group of friends are chatting with on House- Senior Joey Bowlin said he has long as you are not too shy or too
people. The app syncs with the user’s party and have the ability to join been able to catch up with friends he awkward. I am an open person, so
contacts and sends them push notifi- their room, they may meet new peo- has not spoken to in years. I get to meet all these people, and
cations every time their friends open ple from MHS. they are chill and all fine.”
the app and are in the house. “Since high school started, I
Dulin said she met several peo- haven’t talked to a lot of people,” On Houseparty, there is a fea-
Users are able to see with whom ple in the grade below her through Bowlin said. “But then, I added them ture that allows users to lock the
their friends are chatting and can Houseparty. on Houseparty, so we have just talk- room they are in, so that no one
join their room if they choose. Like- ed even though we don’t talk that else could join.
wise, if two people are chatting in “Before I never talked to them, but much (in person) because the school
a room together, any of the users’ now we are pretty good friends,” Du- is so big and you don’t see them ev- Patel said that because users can
friends can join, even if one may not lin said. “My other friend was talking ery day.” lock the room, other people on the
be acquainted with the other per- to them, so I just jumped in on their app could possibly take that as so-
son’s friends on the app. conversation and we started talking. Patel said he became friends with cial exclusion.

Sophomore Sunny Patel said he “Sometimes, me and my friends
uses the app every day. will be talking about something
personal that we don’t tell anyone
“When I first got it, everyone was else,” Patel said. “These are things
still new to it, so it was just a couple that happen in high school life. It
of my friends and we would talk,” Pa- could possibly have that effect on
tel said. “Afterwards, I started using some people if they don’t realize
it for homework too. For homework, what we are talking about, so they
I get on like every night after foot- feel that way.”
ball because a lot of sophomores get
on to do homework together.” Adleta said her boyfriend wants
her to delete Houseparty because
Senior Destyni Dulin said she it takes up too much of her time,
spends about seven hours on House- and he does not like how users can
party on school nights and 12 hours lock rooms.
on the weekends.
“When you lock something, it
“You to talk your friends; you see makes people suspicious,” Adleta
what’s up with them,” Dulin said. said. “It makes people feel like you
“Last night, I made my friend feel don’t want them to come in be-
really good. She had a breakup, so cause you’re afraid they are going
we were dancing on it and jujuing.” to hear what you’re talking about.
That’s why I don’t lock a room any-
Freshman Jensen Adleta said she more because I didn’t realize that’s
had a strange experience when on how it makes other people feel. Now,
Houseparty. I realize I feel the same way when I
see my friends in locked rooms and
“I didn’t know that you could I am like ‘What are they talking
Facetime someone and Houseparty about?’”
at the same time, so I answered and Dulin said if she could give any
I thought it would just go out of advice to people on the fence about
Houseparty, but it didn’t,” Adleta getting the app, it would be this.
said. “They could hear me talking to “If you do not have Houseparty,
her, but I can’t hear them, so I can get it,” Dulin said. “I know some
only hear the person on Facetime. people are like ‘I don’t want to join
When I was talking to my friend, the trend because I am so cool.’ But,
they could hear everything I was you’re not cool. You’ll be cool once
saying and then I hung up with the you get Houseparty.”
girl on Facetime, and I realized I was
still on Houseparty. They were like

11.18.16 About the Cover Artist

Senior Emma Morrissey began exploring art in Digital Image Design in her junior year. She won a National Gold Medal
in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her digital art submission “Metamorphosis,” which she created in the class.
Her oil painting “Woman in Red” is also being shown at Xavier University. Morrissey plans to study entertainment art, or
video games, as well as continue her oil painting at the University of Utah in 2017.

Mendu wins Discovery Challenge for revolutionary design ne ws

Calista Busch | Staff Writer isn’t alone on the market of renewable energy, its small size, low price, and reli- 3
ability makes it applicable to urban settings where space is a main issue.
For freshman Maanasa Mendu, the dedication to her award-winning design
was not energy wasted. “(Current) solar panels and wind turbines can’t be applied to urban areas
due to space requirements,” Mendu said. “My device can be applied
On October 18, Mendu won first place in the Discovery Education 3M to way more applications in urban areas for integrating green
Young Scientist Challenge for her creation of an energy-harvesting energy harvesting. I attached leaf appendages onto a recycled
device called Harvesting Ambient Solar and Vibrational Energy water bottle and metallic mesh to create a small and portable
in a Sustainable Tree Design (HARVEST). The challenge is spon- design. My device relies on several environmental factors
sored by Discovery Challenge and 3M for young scientists across (which) allows it to be more consistent.”
the country to develop their scientific designs. Mendu said her motivation for the device comes from her
trips to India and her desire to provide affordable energy
Mendu said her device converts the energy harvested from around the world.
rain and wind vibrations, and solar panels, into electricity in a “Every summer, my family visits India (where) I experi-
newer design. This is accomplished through the piezoelectric ef- ence persistent blackouts,” Mendu said. “I realized that for
fect, in which electricity can be produced by applying pressure so many people, that is a permanent reality. I thought that
or vibrations to certain materials, and the photovoltaic effect. The a stable and sustainable source of power should be available
photovoltaic effect is when certain materials produce electricity because we have all of the energy around us, we just need
when exposed to light. to find a way to harvest it.”
Mendu said this competition will open up
“I developed a device that harvests energy that many opportunities for her and her future in
is constantly available in our environment, science. Mendu said that past winners of the
like vibrational energy in the form of wind award have spoken at the White House sci-
and precipitation through the piezoelectric ence fair and taken part in initiatives to
effect and solar energy through the pho- get women into Science, Technology,
tovoltaic effect,” Mendu said. “There Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
was solar foil that harvested solar 3M helps the winners of the award
power. (This) was connected to contact companies that would be
a piezoelectric material that interested in producing the devices.
produced electricity when “I get to speak on more women
applied with mechanical in STEM initiatives and meet with
strain. Mechanical strain a lot of leaders and experts in
can be different forms; it’s that field,” Mendu said. “I plan to
just pressure or vibration.” contact any organizations to de-
ploy my device across the world.
Mendu said the applicants I’ve contacted the Light Up The
entered the competition with a World Foundation and several
two-minute video detailing their other (companies) to make this
prototype and how they could a reality.”
expand upon it. The contestants Mendu said winning this
were then chosen to partner with award enables her to improve
a scientist to develop their idea upon her device. She said she
into a working design over the hopes to try new materials to
course of three months. Men- increase the efficiency.
du worked with 3M engineer “It just gives me more op-
Margaux Mitera to develop her portunities to take it to the
design to incorporate solar energy next step,” Mendu said. “With
harvesting materials into her device. the research grants, I could
possibly continue this project.
“I had an amazing mentor throughout I hope to provide a stable and
this process,” Mendu said. “I think having sustainable source of power
a mentor is pretty crucial because they in areas where electricity is a
really allow us to take our initial steps scarcity as a lighting source,
and make it a whole new level. Having as power for medical equip-
a mentor really allows (someone) to see ment, and so much more.”
how a real scientist works. (My mentor)
allowed me to take my project to the
next level.”

Mendu said though her device

Freshman Maanasa Mendu displays her award-winning design. Photo by Ryan D’Souza

The Chronicle’s Policy The Chronicle Staff
Editor-in-Chief
The Chronicle is the official student The Chronicle is published monthly. The Chronicle is a member of The Jessica Sommerville Online Editor Staff Writers Eric Michael
newspaper of William Mason High Call 398-5025 ext. 33103 for infor- Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Managing Editor Asia Porter Calista Busch Ria Parikh
School. mation regarding advertising in The The National Scholastic Press Asso- India Kirssin Multimedia Editor Joey Deaton Meghan Pottle
Chronicle. The Chronicle reserves the ciation, Quill and Scroll International Associate Editor Alyssa Brooks Juliana Discher Asia Porter
The Chronicle promises to report the right to refuse advertising it deems in- Honorary Society for High School Jour- Arnav Damodhar Business Manager Jacob Fulton Alekya Raghavan
truth and adhere to the journalistic appropriate for a high school publica- nalists and the Ohio Scholastic Media Sports Editor Ashton Nichols Bryan Hudnell Lauren Thomas
code of ethics through online and print tion. Association. Eric Miller Graphic Designers Luke Hutchinson Joann Tsai
mediums. Ryan D’Souza Alexandra Lisa Delaney Turner
As an open forum for students, let- Contact Information Dalton Craven Charlie MacKenzie Freddie Wilhelm
The Chronicle is produced by students ters to the editor are welcome, but are The Chronicle Duncan MacKenzie
enrolled in Journalism I, II and III. subject to be edited for length, libel, ob- William Mason High School Isabel Marotta Adviser
scenity, clarity and poor taste. Letters to 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Rd. Jonathan McCollough Dale Conner
Editorials reflect the staff ’s opinion the editor may be dropped off in room Mason, Ohio 45040
but do not necessarily reflect the opin- C103 and must be signed. (513) 398-5025 11.18.16
ions of the school administration or the
Mason City School District.

ne ws Trump wins White House
in election shocker

Pollsters fail to election because if you go to a city like
account for key that, it’s so economically depressed
you get this feeling like there’s no oth-
demographics er options,” Kallgren said. “Now all of
a sudden you have a candidate come
Jonathan McCollough | Staff Writer along that says ‘Here are options. If
you vote for me, you’ll have an option
4 It ain’t over till the fat lady sings, to make things better.’ That’s really Statistics are Real Clear Politics averages. Infographic by Ryan D’Souza
and at 2:30 a.m. she sang in favor of what voters want to hear. I don’t know
11.18.16 Donald Trump. if it’s so much a Democrat/Republican
thing as it is just give me an option.
Donald J. Trump will be the 45th The change message was absolutely
President of the United States after de- vital to him winning.”
feating Democrat Hillary Clinton. Al-
though Clinton won the popular vote Since Trump’s victory, protests have
by more than 440,000 votes, Trump se- erupted across the country. Thousands
cured 306 electoral votes, surpassing swarmed the streets in cities like New
the 270 needed to win the presidency. York, Los Angeles, and Portland to
express their opposition. Senior Tori
This came as a shock to pollsters Berry said that she supports peaceful
across the country who predicted a protest but was disappointed by the vi-
Clinton victory. Prior to the election, olence and hopes that people come to-
the New York Times gave Clinton an gether to support the President-elect.
85 percent likelihood to win the Presi-
dency, CNN had her odds at 87 per- “I think that whatever the results
cent, and the Huffington Post gave are the American public needs to
her a 98.2 percent chance of winning. support it, even if it’s not what they
agree with,” Berry said. “I’ve been
More shocking to pollsters than the disappointed by all of the riots. I’m
loss was how she lost. Michigan, Penn- okay with protesting because I think
sylvania, and Wisconsin, all states that a democracy is about giving your
were polling strongly in favor of Clin- opinions, but when things turn vio-
ton prior to the election, were instead lent that’s disappointing. At the end of
taken by Trump. Michigan and Penn- the day, we’re all still Americans and I
sylvania have not voted for a Repub- would really just love for everyone to
lican since George H.W. Bush in 1988, come back together.”
and Wisconsin has not gone red since
it voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984. Senior Todd Borgerson said that
peaceful protest against Trump is jus-
Government and Current Global tified because of the rhetoric he used
Issues teacher Jake Kallgren said that during his campaign, but that we need
pollsters may have done a poor job to move forward as a country.
sampling voters.
“His campaign was defined by big-
“I don’t think polls necessarily otry and hateful rhetoric towards mi-
reached out to voters that turned out norities, towards people of the LGBTQ
and cast their ballots for Trump,” Kall- community,” Borgerson said. “I think
gren said. “I think there was a large de- the reaction is warranted. For those
gree of non-college-educated as well people it looks like he can say all of
as white working class people that just those horrible things about them and
haven’t voted in a while who showed still become the President. So I think
up and voted for Trump. When poll- they’re feeling alienated and unsafe
ing organizations do that kind of stuff, in their own country, but there isn’t
it’s really hard for them to get an ac- much we can do. It’s very important
curate sample. People who were will- that we move on with the next four
ing to participate in polls were people years and make the best of it.”
who were not Trump supporters.”
Kallgren said that he understands
The Rust Belt consists of parts of why people are reacting so strongly to
the Northeastern and Midwestern a Trump Presidency, but that people
U.S. that are characterized by declin- should wait and see how he governs
ing industry, aging factories, and a before getting too worried.
falling population. Kallgren said that
Youngstown, Ohio is a good example “I think there are legitimate con-
of how Trump surprised experts by cerns from the LGBT community, and
winning the Rust Belt states. they should have legitimate resigna-
tion about a candidate like Trump,”
“Youngstown and that whole Ma- Kallgren said. “What I would encour-
hogany County area of Ohio is a really age them to keep in mind is the way
good example of how Trump won this a candidate campaigns and the way
they govern are often two different
things.”

Arts and creativity lost in shift to STEM feature

Ria Parikh | Staff Writer Kim said this is especially evident in because of the big push to science and

physics. math, so in some cases, we might

Calculators instead of clarinets, Einstein instead “With physics, which I am taking gloss over (the arts).”

of Shakespeare, systems instead of sonnets. Do right now, the problems that we have Science teacher Joseph Schnell

you see a trend here? It seems that in the push to to do require a lot of thinking and said there is a connection between

expose students to more science and technology thinking in different ways,” Kim said. the arts and STEM that helps stim-

related education, the result could be a decreased “(We use) a lot of formulas to try and ulate more parts of the brain.

emphasis on art and creativity. solve a problem, and I think being “There have been a lot of

STEM – science, technology, engineering, and able to think creatively helps with studies done that the arts,

mathematics – is a buzzword around the Mason that.” such as music, stimu-

City School District, but research shows that the Language Arts teacher and late the parts of your

arts provide students with a skill set that helps Speech and Debate adviser Me- brain that relate to

them excel farther academically. lissa Donahue said the arts STEM,” Schell said.

Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium, a philan- provide students with skills vi- “And I think hav-

thropic organization conducting brain research, tal to success in STEM fields. ing a wide body of

conducted a study in March 2008 that examined “Speech and debate, from knowledge allows

the effects of music education on attention and an artistic standpoint, car- you to make more

test scores. ries over to the STEM areas,” connections than

The scientists took a group of 88 three to five- Donahue said. “I have many you might otherwise

year-olds and collected their baseline test scores. students that really devel- be able to (make).”

They split the students up and engaged one group op analytical skills, (and) Senior Faith Kim sketches what she sees in her travels. Such studies in-

in music-related activities daily for eight weeks. critical thinking skills, that clude one from the

They found that this group had significantly I know you certainly would need to use in the University of Utah in which scientists analyzed

higher test scores in the non-verbal, spatial, and STEM fields as well. In fact, many of the people more than 1,000 brain scans of people ages seven

numeracy sections of an IQ test. who are in Speech and Debate or take (it) as an to 29 in order to better understand lateralization:

Senior Faith Kim has done Science Olympiad elective typically go on to fields like medicine or the preference to use a certain side of the brain

and taken multiple advanced science classes, and engineering.” over the other, Live Science, a science news web-

she said that the skills gained from playing the Even work done behind the scenes in the artis- site, said.

cello and making visual art has helped her to tic fields prepares students for many types of ca- They analyzed more than 7,000 regions of the 5

think more creatively. reers, Donahue said. brain when the test subjects were at rest and con- 11.18.16

“Doing art helps you to be more creative,” Kim “You may think of Speech and Debate as some- cluded that on average there was an equal num-

said. “Creative thinking and problem thing that’s going to involve more of your public ber of neural connections on each side of the

solving, especially because those speaking skills and performing in front of an brain. The results debunk the myth that one side

are huge aspects when you are audience,” Donahue said. “(But) there’s a lot of the brain is predominantly used for creativity

making a piece of art, I think it of behind the scenes work and preparation and the other for logic.

transcends all subjects. Espe- I would imagine a lot of science, math, Potential modifications to STEM would be more

cially (with science) where (and) technology majors also use on a beneficial to students, Schnell said.

problem solving and find- daily basis.” “There’s been a lot of emphasis (on) trying to

ing ways to solve your The arts provide students with addition- change from STEM to STEAM,” Schnell said.

problems are a al skill sets that they would lack with just “It’s basically, science, technology, engineering,

huge part math and science, Donahue said. arts, and mathematics, and including (arts) as a

of it.” “I think it’s that idea of having that piece and sort of wrapping them all together. I

confidence or communicating in front think that is a more beneficial and worthwhile ap-

of others,” Donahue said. “Learning proach.”

the social aspect of it, beyond just Schnell said an understanding of one field, such

the intellectual or the educa- as science, makes another, such as music, easier.

tional aspect of it, I think it’s “They sort of feed each other,” Schnell said. “If

that social component, and I say that it changes pitch from high to low, that’s

the idea to be able to empa- a change in frequency as well. It allows me to bet-

thize or sympathize with oth- ter understand what frequency means in a context

ers (that) an arts education that I’ve experienced before.”

or focus is certainly going to Many people assume that they can only excel in

help you excel in that area.” one aspect of academics, Schnell said.

While Donahue said she “I think a lot of people just identify one thing

understands the focus on that they’re good at and they sort of shut out all

STEM, the arts are not receiv- the others,” Schnell said. “I don’t think that’s a

ing as much credit as they great approach. A lot of times, problems that you

should be. are trying to tackle can be benefited from looking

“(It’s) almost as if we at it from a different perspective.”

maybe belittle an arts An open mind will help students better see the

education,” Donahue connection between both fields, Kim said.

said. “(We) think that “Just (be) open-minded and try to see the rela-

something like Speech tionships between the two because they’re every-

and Debate, or perfor- where,” Kim said. “I don’t think you should limit

mance types of courses, STEM and say ‘Art doesn’t go there,’ and I don’t

or music, or art educa- think you should limit art by saying science can’t
Photos by Jonathan McCollough tion is less important be involved in it.”
Senior Faith Kim performs a chemistry lab.

featur e GoMasonComets outlet for real-world design and video skills

Luke Hutchinson | Staff Writer

GoMasonComets.com gives Intergrated Media Photo by Luke Hutchinson
Internship a go at technical and interactive skills Freshman Jacob Brase edits a video for the ESPYs and publication on gomasoncomets.com.
for the present and the future.
6 its viewers. sign for the site. I want to do design in the future
GoMasonComets.com is a modernized student- “We try to put out one banner a day on the site, and (the team) has really helped me get my port-
run website that displays everything with athletic folio nice and clean for when I go to study design
relevance to Mason. Advisor and instructor Craig and on good days, we have two or three, so we try at U.C. (University of Cincinnati).”
Murnan said he is proud of the analytics and mass to have five to eight per week,” Wissle said. “What
production of the site. we had last year was kind of a poorly run system, Senior Colin Shuster said he does special proj-
but we’ve reformed it so that we have a plan for ects like college signings and updating sponsors
“On the athletics portion of our site, we got each week, because last year the banners were not for the site because it will be similar to his career.
around 330,000 pageviews last year,” Murnan said. where they should be in design quality and the in-
“The average person stays on our site two minutes formation was outdated.” “I plan on doing something related to program-
and 25 seconds, so that’s a pretty good view for us.” ming or engineering in the future, so I enjoy my
Senior and graphic designer Cameron Fiorini contribution to the site,” Shuster said.
Murnan said he has a web team that is made up creates the website visuals to go along with ban-
of its own self-sufficient components. ners for activities like football games and social Junior and member of Fiorini’s design team
events, and he said his skills will be applicable to Trevor Vanderyt said he is still fairly new to the
“I have a student web team that basically man- his future. group but thinks it’s a lot of fun and has growth
ages GoMasonComets.com, so their job is to make potential.
sure that all the content and banners and every- “My job is to manage the design team,” Fiorini
thing behind the scenes is maintained,” Murnan said. “The team that Murnan helped me assemble “I think it (GoMasonComets.com) will definite-
said. has been nice to collaborate with to get the best de- ly grow so that more and more eyes will see the
banners I make as the years go on,” Vanderyt said.
Murnan said he had a group last year that built
the entire site, but his web team this year has suc-
cessfully molded the content into something bet-
ter.

“We launched Comet TV last year, so this year
we’re in full bore with creating athletic produc-
tions,” Murnan said. “From September to now,
we’ve released forty different videos that are em-
bedded on the main page with the most recent
ones.”

Senior Cameron Wissle said his position as web
team leader and content manager has benefited
him outside the classroom.

“I manage the entire website with a group of
three guys, and we run the main stories that are
coming out on the sports side of our high school,”
Wissle said. “I have a feel for what it’s like to have
a team under me. It’s a leadership role that gives
me something from the classroom that I can use
as a real world tool to guide people and meet dead-
lines.”

Wissle said his role allows him to see just how
much the team this year has evolved the site for

11.18.16

feature

Horoscope believers see proof in the stars

Jacob Fulton | Staff Writer strongly, there’s nothing scientific to prove it.” behind horoscopes may actually be psychology. 7
Sophomore Leah Markvan said her belief in “There’s a concept that says that what you think
If your horoscope gets your future right, it
might be a sign. horoscopes comes from what she has seen. will happen influences what actually happens,”
“I believe in horoscopes because I’ve just seen Strobel said. “The horoscope becomes real be-
Horoscopes center around the concept that the cause you believe it will be real.”
position of the stars can influence a person’s life. them come true so many times,” Markvan said.
Egyptians observed 12 constellations positioned “It’s not just me; I’ve seen things come true for a AP Psychology teacher Angie Johnston said the
throughout different points in the sun’s 12 month lot of my friends, and it’s just too accurate to not phenomenon Strobel is describing occurs on a
rotation. From these constellations, the Zodiac be true. You start to see that the predictions are regular basis.
was born. Each Zodiac sign is thought to give peo- right, and not just a matter of coincidence.”
ple different traits based on when their birth is in “It’s called Top-Down Processing,” Johnston
relation to the celestial bodies. Sophomore Soumya Jaiswal said that horo- said. “If someone says, ‘Hey, here’s your horo-
scopes have changed along with modern society. scope,’ they may be looking for that more because
Former astronomy teacher Gregory Hayes said it’s in their mind and some part of them wants it
while astrology is based in science, the horoscopes “Astrology used to be taken really seriously, but to happen. However, it depends on the person and
themselves are not. now it can be entertaining too,” Jaiswal said. “You the situation – not everybody experiences it.”
have your traditional horoscopes -- the ones you
“Astrology is based on the idea that the planets might find in newspapers and places like that. But Jaiswal said that everybody experiences horo-
are moving consistently,” Hayes said. “It’s very it’s also become a big part of social media. You scopes differently.
predictable. But what they do with astrology, is see all these posts describing the signs in different
‘Based on this position in the sky, people born at ways, and that’s become very popular.” “There are some people that just get insanely
this time are going to have certain traits.’ While into it,” Jaiswal said. “They put a lot of thought
there are some people that believe in them very Though horoscopes have no scientific proof in into it and it’s a really big deal for them. But for
astrology, senior Kay Strobel thinks some of it most people, it’s just something fun to read, no
could be based in fact. Strobel said the real science matter what you believe.”

Photos by Jacob Fulton, Graphic by Ryan D’Souza 11.18.16

8

11.18.16

Breaking it Down: feature

“Highlighter is used to brighten your
face. I typically use the Anastasia Glow
Kit. I put it above the apples of my
cheeks.”

“First I use a transition shade (a lighter 9
skin tone color). That helps blend your
eyeshadow colors. Then I layer on the
darker shades to achieve the ombre ef-
fect. I usually stick with liquid eyeliner.
A tip to help perfect winged eyeliner is
to put tape diagonally on your eye so
your lines are sharper.”

“I love piercings! I think they’re a cute “I typically use lipstick from any drug
way to express yourself. I think there’s store. For this look, I used liquid
controversy with piercings, but people lipstick. You need to put on a lot of
should do whatever makes them feel chapstick before you use it because it
happy.” dries out your lips.”
Senior Naz Erdeger models a fall makeup look. 11.18.16
Photos by Juliana Discher
Graphic design by Ryan D’Souza

featur e Hooked on Snapchat Hooked on S
Users napchat Hooked on Snapcha
t Hoo can’t ked on Snapchat Hooke
d on Snap break chat Hooked on Sn
apchat Hookeaddictive d on Snapch
at Hooked on Snapch habit at Hook

Juliana Discher | Staff Writer streak anniversary–we went and got ent people,” Groene said. “It’s kind Tysl said. “I have 33 streaks and my
ice cream.” highest is 231 days. So, I am keeping
of hard to keep up with thewm. In them throughout the assignment
In an effort to preserve Snap- because losing a streak is a very hard
For some Snapchat users, main- streaks, while users are unable to the morning in the car I snapchat thing to deal with.”
taining that 100 day Snapstreak is use their phones, some people give
worth giving a friend your account their Snapchat log-in information everyone and say ‘Streak’ and then Tysl said losing a Snapstreak can
sign-in or even paying a person to to a friend to Snap in their absence. be an emotional experience.
help keep the streak. Senior Mikey Loehr first performed continue the conversation with a se-
this when he went to a summer “I feel disappointed because keep-
Since its release in September 2011, camp where he was not allowed to lect few. ” ing a streak is entertaining and
Snapchat has constantly been evolv- have his phone. funny, so when I lose a streak, it’s
ing to keep users engaged. The pop- In an AP Psychology class, stu- frustrating,” Tysl said. “But then I
ular mobile app began with allowing “A lot of kids who went to sum- usually just start it over again.”
users to send pictures and videos for mer camp with Young Life gave dents were given the assignment
a set period of time but now has a their friends their log-in to keep For senior Lorna Martin, the ad-
variety of additional features. The their streaks,” Loehr said. “Now that to stay off their phone for a week, dictive quality of Snapstreaks makes
inclusion of filters and memories I have my phone back, it’s routine, the pain of losing a streak even
have allowed users to explore the you wake up and Snap.” asidefrom calling. Senior Gabby Tysl worse.
app in new ways. But one addition to
the app has inspired a dedication to Senior Tyler Chumney said Snap- said many students were concerned, “I feel stressed out because I see
sending snaps in a whole new way– streaks are an unnecessary ploy by it as a way to stay in touch with my
Snapstreaks. Snapchat. because they would lose their Snap- friends and if I don’t keep my streaks
up I feel like I’m losing my friend-
Senior Josephine Waller has main- “It’s stupid, because Snapchat just streaks. ship in some way,” Martin said. “If
tained a 523 day Snapstreak. This made that feature so users will use you go without Snapchat, you lose
means Waller has sent a Snap to their service more,” Chumney said. “The thought made me your streaks and a lot of people take
somebody and they have sent one “It’s a marketing feature. People pride in them and see that as a sign
back for more than 500 days. Waller are dumb that they think it matters. sad, because I work of strong friendship. Being out of
said that this continuous Snapping People need to chill and take it less touch with my friends makes me
10 has allowed her to stay in closer con- seriously. ” really hard to
tact with her friend. feel anxious.”
Some users put in work to main- maintain them,”
“I would probably cry if we broke tain several Snapstreaks at one
our streak,” Waller said. “I send time; this is true for freshman Eileen
them to my friend in college. It Groene.
helps me to stay in contact with her.
We celebrated our one year Snap- “I have streaks with fifty differ-

11.18.16 Illustration by Alekya Raghavan

The Chronicle is one of the best 11
high school newspapers in the
United State States of
America. The
Chronicle

HAENLATCPCEPTINEGAPPLIDCATIONS re-
WTHE CHRONICLE IS NOW port-

ing, writing,
column writing,
cartooning, and more. Former
part staff members are now attending

of Tonhe e Chsormoenofitchleemoisst pnreoswtigious jour-
spected osfchthoelamstaoicsctjorcueer--ptiannraegliasmtatepsncdphionloiglcsSaiynrtatihcouesnUU.Ssn..iTvheersyity,
nalism programs in AmeSrictaop byOhTiohUneivCerhsitry,othneiUcnlieversity
Scho- then you should apply tToobbeenaapeawrt sroNofooMrtmihswsoeiusnrtei,rICnndU1ina0inv3aerUstnitoiyv,eNrsoittrye,
is a lastic of The Chronicle staff.

mb- Press Associaiton, mmI. TuehmsetbrbeeeraaorfsettmuhdeaenCnyhtraionrneJiacoslueornsntaaTlfhifseymloeuaarDonpfaDpCmmoilneyyc,ooOiuinrhnwnieoaagtnSia,ttoaabttnoreodb, teumhaetoprUean.ritvoefrosiutyr
mer and the Ohio Scholastic
of the Media Association. The Chronicle

Nation- al covers news, sports, entertain- Cfohrreoxnaimcleplyeo, uadcvaenrtgiestining,tvcooilrvcepudilaicn-,k usoptuarfafn?enwAslalryopooumpnlCei1ec0da3totinidoothines hs.tiogphby
Scho- latic Press ment, academics, fashion, and

Associa- tion, the Columbia more. If you would like to be a tion, photography, graphic design, school to pick up an application.

11.18.16

featur e King honored to represent

12 MHS in Washington D.C.

Veteran teacher accepts
Blue Ribbon award

Juliana Discher | Staff Writer

Instead of teaching kids to fly fish and identify bird calls, Language
Arts and Words from the Wild teacher Tim King was exploring monu-
ments in the nation’s capital after being selected by his colleagues to
represent Mason High School in accepting one of the country’s most
prestigious academic honors.

MHS was one of the 279 public schools deemed a 2016 National Blue
Ribbon School. This award is based on overall academic excellence or
a school’s progress in closing achievement gaps among student sub-
groups. With the honor, MHS staff were able to vote for a teacher to
represent them during the award ceremony in Washington D.C. and
teacher Tim King was their nominee.

King has been a teacher at MHS for 33 years. He said he was humbled
by the nomination to visit D.C. from November 6-8.

“It felt like a great honor,” King said. “I really admire the teachers
that I work with and I feel like there are other people that are more
qualified than I am, but they apparently chose me. I wanted to do a
good job representing them.”

This was King’s first time in Washington D.C., which made the expe-
rience more memorable, King said.

“It was emotional and educational,” King said. “We first went to the
Jefferson Memorial and the things written on the walls moved me a lot.
One thing was about the importance of public education in a democ-
racy. It reminded me how essential my job is as a teacher.”

“ My pride for being a Mason
teacher and for the country has

strengthened. Having people tell me

I’m making a difference felt really

good. ”– Tim King,

Language Arts and Words from the Wild teacher

11.18.16 Photos by Tracey Carson King went on the trip with Public Information Officer Tracey Carson,
Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline, Principal Dave Hyatt and his wife MMS
Top: King visits the Lincoln memorial. Middle: King, Hyatt, and Kist-Kline accept the athletic director Stephanie Hyatt. King said he enjoyed the opportunity
National Blue Ribbon award. Bottom: King visits the Jefferson memorial. to bond with the school officials and share a couple of funny moments.

“One of the greatest things about it was getting to know everyone
who I went with,” King said. “One funny incident happened when the
woman in charge of the Blue Ribbon danced throughout the award cer-
emony. Almost everybody who came up to receive their award danced.
I like to dance, but I’m not good at it, so I had to try to dance my way
across the stage. Dr. Kist-Kline had us try to dab. Mr. Hyatt didn’t want
to dance or dab, but she’s his boss, so he ended up trying to do both.”

King said the Blue Ribbon ceremony greatly impacted him.
“The ceremony was incredible,” King said. “Teachers talked about
how rewarding teaching was which was great because sometimes we
forget. My pride for being a Mason teacher and for the country has
strengthened. Having people tell me I’m making a difference felt re-
ally good.”
King had nothing but gratitude for the staff who allowed him this
opportunity.
“I want to thank the staff, not only the teachers but the people who
work at the high school, for choosing me to represent them,” King said.
“It was a great honor, and I hope I represented them well.”

13

11.18.16

featur e Band brings home hardware in histori

14 Asia Porter | Online Editor were trying to portray the e
to incorporate into our sho
It was the medal-winning moment.
To finish off its historic season, the Marching Band Senior drum major Kat
and Color Guard traveled to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indi- meant to pull the audience
anapolis for the 2016 Grand Nationals Championship. tell a set story.
For the first time in the band’s history, Mason brought
home a medal, finishing in third place with a score of “Last year we told a stor
96.55 out of 100. Byerly said. “This year, ther
Prior to the competition, Mason’s season had been and demented, and it’s ba
marked by unprecedented success. At the Bands of story; therefore, it’s a dif
America regional competition in Toledo, the band have a story from start to
placed first, beating its closest competitor by 5.65 an experience essentially t
points and sweeping all three of the captions – addi-
tional awards presented for Outstanding Visual and The Power of Prop
Music Performance and General Effect – in both the
semifinal and final rounds. One staple of this year’
Band director Susan Bass said coming off the big by the Color Guard. Arche
win in Toledo, they had high hopes but focused more balls required a lot from
on their own performance and not the hype surround- their toughest obstacles th
ing the program. addition helped boost their
“Going to Grand Nationals each year we’re compet-
ing against the best bands in the country,” Bass said. “We had a few extra we
“There were 100 bands competing this year at Grand we prepared with our pro
Nationals, and our mindset is always just to do our best something that took awhi
performance. We can’t control what the other bands they’re really heavy,” Arch
do. We can’t control what the judges do. We can only and just getting used to h
control ourselves and our performance, so our mind- rating those into our sho
set going in every year is just to put on our best per- run around with those of
formance.” minutes isn’t exactly the m
visual aspect for our show
score, and in the end, it w
preparation.”

A World Out of Balance From Semifinals to

This season’s show itself, A World Out of Balance, Their preparation withs
was entirely different from previous years. It required weekend. On November 10
new raw emotion from the students that drastically the preliminary rounds to
contrasted from the light-hearted tone of shows in the nals. After advancing to an
past. Junior Makayla Archer said the change in tone nals, the Comets placed th
brought about some difficulties. for Outstanding Visual Per
historic achievements for t
“It was a little bit of a challenge just because we had
to figure out how to portray (the emotion), because Junior trumpet Evan Jo
we haven’t done that in years previously,” Archer said. nals run was strong, they
“We really worked hard on figuring out our character, and went back to work, fin
and we spent a lot of time with our coach and he gave finals.
us different examples in life and how we could use
things in our life that are sad. We used that when we “We had a really good s
ways things to be tweaked

11.18.16

ic third place finish at Grand Nationals feature

emotion that we were trying truly finished,” Johns said. “We went back, we had a 15
ow.” rehearsal, and we tried to feel more confident about
ty Byerly said the show was things that we might’ve changed or tweaked just so we
e into a moment rather than would feel great about how we were going to perform
the show that night.”
ry; we had West Side story,”
re’s no story. It’s all very dark Bass said this hard-working mindset and student
asically this post-apocalyptic leadership is what has driven the success of the March-
fferent portrayal. You don’t ing Band and Color Guard.
o end; you’re living through
through the show.” “Because of the strength of our leadership in our
team of students, we just keep developing and getting
ps better each year,” Bass said. “The students come back
will so many skills, and the new students learn from
’s show was the props used them, and it just keeps getting better all the time, and
er said performing with the it really comes through the students’ leadership.”
the guard and was one of
his season, but ultimately the The Thrill of Victory
r visual performance score.
eeks in the summer where Around 12:30 a.m. on November 13, Mason finally
ops because the props were lived its medal-winning moment. After putting in 30
ile to get used to just cause hour weeks, the band had won third place only 0.9
her said. “They are 33 pounds points behind Avon High School and the 2016 Grand
handling those and incorpo- Nationals Champion, Carmel High School. Bass said
ow took a while. Having to the program was elated with the placement and is
you back on the field for 12 pleased with the continual improvement each year.
most fun experience, but the
w definitely gave us a good “We were excited,” Bass said. “Mason is one of the
was definitely worth all the few bands that continually seems to each year get a
little bit better in our placement. That’s very rare and
o Finals very hard to sustain at the national level, and for us to
move up another placement, this was really exciting
stood the ultimate test last for all of us. We’re always very happy; we’re so proud
0-11, 100 bands competed in of all of the students that perform at Grand Nationals
o earn a spot in the semifi- and our goal is for us to get better, and then if our
nd competing in the semifi- placement is higher, that’s great.”
hird and took home a caption
rformance, which were both Junior clarinet Reagan Tremblay said the band
the group. hopes to continue its success but is unsure of how it
ohns said while their semifi- will stack up against the competition and new bands
did not rest on their laurels that may compete next year.
ne-tuning their show for the
“We’re hoping to get a higher placement, but it’s re-
semis run, but there are al- ally hard to get a higher placement when we’re com-
d for our show and it’s never peting with so many bands across the country,” Trem-
blay said. “Seeing that we have some bands that didn’t
compete this year and that are competing next year,
it’s harder to expect until we know the list of everyone
that’s coming next year. Yes, we want to do better, and
we want to do better as a band, but also at the same
time, we want to try and place well.”

Photos by Lex Nichols

The Marching Band and Color Guard perform their show, “A World Out of 11.18.16
Balance,” at Grand Nationals in Indianapolis on November 10 and 11.

a& e Women power
their way to
leading hero
roles

Alekya Raghavan | Staff Writer

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Wonder

Woman!

Female superhero movies have been a

rare phenomenon in Hollywood. But

recently, the superhero industry has

expanded to incorporate more women

into leading roles. The highly anticipat-

ed “Wonder Woman” hits theaters next

June and will be the first female-led film

of the two major superhero studios, Mar-

vel Studios and DC Entertainment. It

will also be the first modern superhero

movie directed by a woman.

Last month, the popular DC super-

hero turned 75 and was named a United

Nations ambassador for the empower-

ment of girls. Number five on the U.N’s

list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals

16 is gender equality, which includes the

11.18.16 adoption of policies for the promotion of

gender equality and the empowerment of

women and girls at all levels. This ambas-

sadorship will feature Wonder Woman in

social media campaigns and other initia-

tives.

Junior Megan Ledford said that strong,

female characters in leading roles are impor- pearances in the comics.
The decision to make Wonder
tant influences for young girls and women.
Woman a U.N. ambassador has re-
“I think it’s important, because when ceived backlash from those who be-
lieve her revealing costume makes her unfit
I was growing up, we didn’t have (fe- to be a role model for young girls.
Jenkins said that Wonder Woman’s costume
male role models) in the same ca- life,” Som said. “It feels like it levels does distract from the good she does as a char-
the playing field. No longer is it like, ‘Oh no, the acter.
pacity as we do now,” Ledford said. girl is in distress’. Now, it’s the girl saving the “It tends to make you think differently,” Jen-
guy.” kins said. “I don’t think it makes me feel like she’s
“So, when I got into acting, I didn’t not as powerful, but I think it makes her subject
Currently popular on Netflix is another fe- to being looked at by men. It makes it seem like
really have anyone to look up to male-led series – Marvel’s “Jessica Jones.” The they want to draw the eye to (her appearance)
show follows the titular character, an ex-superhe- rather than what she’s actually doing.”
that wasn’t male. (Women) weren’t in r o l e s ro, through the trials of being a private detective. Despite the mixed opinions on appearance,
many are in agreement that women need more
that were demanding or that needed training.” In October, it was announced that the second front-and-center roles. Film club advisor Thur-
season of the series would feature only female man Allen said film studios are realizing that
But that’s about to change. Marvel’s first fe- directors. “Captain Marvel” is also anticipated to stories about female characters are just as appeal-
have a directress, a decision that Feige said is an ing to audiences as conventional male-dominated
male-led film, “Captain Marvel,” is set to release important factor in the voice of the film. superhero movies.
“Until the new Wonder Woman movie comes
in March of 2019. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Junior Emma Jenkins said women directors are out, we don’t have a (superhero) movie where a
able to accurately portray a female character’s female character (is) the main character,” Allen
studios, said the film version of the character will strengths. said. “But, I think that film studios are finally re-
alizing that just because a woman is in a movie
be the most powerful superhero to date, with her “I think it’s a good thing because they actually doesn’t mean that boys won’t watch it. It’ll be nice
know women’s strengths,” Jenkins said. “Some when filmmakers finally realize that stories told
strength and abilities surpassing her many male guys will say ‘Women can’t do this, women can’t about female characters are just as valid and im-
do that.’ But women know what we can do and we portant as the ones that star men or ‘traditional’
predecessors. know what guys can do. Being a director is hard superheroes.”
and knowing that something was directed by a
A discussion is also in the works about giving woman shows that women can rise and be better.”

Harley Quinn, a fan-favorite character that de- While Hollywood is preparing to expand gen-
der roles in the superhero industry, many feel
buted in DC’s “Suicide Squad,” her own spin-off that female characters, such as Wonder Woman
and Harley Quinn, do not set a good example for
movie. women and girls because of their sexualized ap-

The big screen is not the only place women are

flexing their muscles. Female-led, superhero TV

shows are also rising in popularity. Beginning in

October 2015, the CW started airing TV’s first fe-

male superhero series, Supergirl. Since then, the

show has had consistently high approval ratings

from critics. Senior Jeffrey Som said Supergirl re-

verses the stereotypical gender roles we are ac-

customed to seeing.

“In Supergirl, the plot is her defeating bad guys

while trying to find herself and her meaning in

a& e

Harry Potter universe “I don’t even picture it as the same story of Har- “The new movie is a fifty-fifty chance at this

returns to big screen ry,” Kosierek said. “I don’t think they can ruin any- point,” Caimono said. “I had unshakable faith in

after five-year hiatus thing, just build on top of it. They have the oppor- the franchise before, but after (the play), I’m more

Alexandra Lisa | Staff Writer tunity to make something we haven’t seen before.” nervous. They have so much to work with, but

It has been five years since fans Junior Nathan Haltman is also excited about the I also feel like they’re just trying to make more
of Harry Potter have packed movie
theaters, but tonight you will know exactly new release. money, and with five movies, there’s always the
where to find them.
“The books and other movies were so influen- danger that they’ll water down the storyline.”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is
the newest addition to the Harry Potter universe, tial,” Haltman said. “I’m excited to see what this Sophomore Corinne Mattingly said her
released in theaters tonight. Taking its name from
the title of a textbook at Hogwarts, the movie takes movie brings to the table. You’ve got new crea- major concerns are the new char-
place in New York City in the 1920s. It features Ed-
die Redmayne as Newt Scamander as well as an tures, magic in the 1920s, and a lot we haven’t been acters because she felt such a
entirely new set of characters.
exposed to.” strong connection to the original
Little is known about the new movie’s plot. Trail-
ers hint at an alternate world inside Scamander’s Freshman Trinity Erickson has also child characters.
briefcase, as well as glimpses of new creatures. J.K.
Rowling has described an American school, Ilver- been a fan for years, though “I started reading the books in
morny. Its founders based the school on Hogwarts,
resulting in its four houses, though they are dif- this will be the sixth grade, and there was this boy
ferent from the Hogwarts houses: the Horned Ser-
pent symbolizes the mind, the Thunderbird, the first my age who I could relate to,”
soul, the Wampus, the body, and the Pukwudgie,
the heart. movie she Mattingly said. “Growing up

With these exceptions, the storyline has been left is seeing in the- with Harry was cool. This new
up to imagination. The lack of background knowl-
edge has left fans at a loss as to what to expect, aters with the rest of movie has adults, so it’s at a
especially since it was recently announced the
American series would include five movies instead her family. disadvantage.”
of three, all centering around the new characters.
This includes a villain mentioned in the original “Harry Potter is huge in my family,” Mattingly, however, said
series, Gellert Grindelwald. Described in the origi-
nal series as the “second darkest evil wizard,” Grin- Erickson said. “It’s going to be cool, hav- that she trusts this movie
delwald was second only to Voldemort and will be
played by Johnny Depp. ing this experience together for the first more than the play.

Junior Anna Kosierek said the absence of a set- time, because we feel like the Harry “I’m pretty confident that
in-stone plotline adds to the new movie’s potential.
Potter universe is a part of our world. they’ll do a better job with 17
“We knew exactly what was going to happen in
the other movies, because of the books, but now We’re all attached to it.” this, just because they spent
there’s an element of mystery and (potential) sur-
prise,” Kosierek said. While many fans share Erickson’s so much more effort on

Kosierek has been a fan since the first movie opinions, others are apprehensive this than the (play),” Mat-
came out, and said she’s grown to trust the movie
will expand the Harry Potter world without tar- of the addition. Just four months tingly said. “J.K. Rowl-
nishing the original series.
ago, new material was released ing was more involved,

in the form of a play script, they have dedicated

“The Cursed Child,” which was actors who look

both published as a novel and really excited in

performed in Britain. The play all of the interviews I’ve

struck a wave of controversy seen, and I think the makers of

with some fans, including ju- this movie are really invested

nior Jenna Caimono. in it.”

Caimono said she had been Erickson also said she is will-

waiting for new material for ing to place her trust in the

years and expected it to be new movies.

higher quality after so long “Rowling has trusted who

in the making. she’s made her movies with,

“(The play) was fine, but and I don’t think she’s going to

I felt like the characters let that quality drop,” Erickson

weren’t well-rounded, and said. “We have high expectations,

the plot fell off the cliff,” because of how the movies

Caimono said. “I wanted have progressed over

to love it so badly, but it the years, and it will

didn’t feel like Harry Photo by Alexandra Lisa be hard for the movie

Potter.” Sophomore Corinne Mattingly said she to live up to those standards.

Caimono said she loved the original Harry Potter characters But I think they’ll do it, be-
fears this movie will let the fran- but trusts that J.K. Rowling’s influence cause they know so much is
chise down in a similar way. in the production of “Fantastic Beasts riding on it.”
and Where to Find Them” will ensure its

quality.

11.18.16

a& e

Freddie Wilhelm | Staff Writer backbone even in politically contentious times.”

The success of “The Simpsons” has paved the

America’s favorite animated family way for other popular animated shows to come
will be sitting on its couch at 8 p.m. every
Sunday for at least another two years. into primetime spots. These shows include “Fam-

“The Simpsons” was renewed by Fox for ily Guy” and “South Park.” Wyatt said that al-
a 29th and 30th season on November 4. The
popular sitcom cartoon was created by Matt though “The Simpsons” has gained competition,
Groening and was originally part of “The
18 Tracy Ullman Show” as a short sketch. It later the show retains its popularity because it is the
developed into “The Simpsons” known today
11.18.16 after making its television debut on December original humorous animated show.
17, 1989. Now, 27 years later, it has aired more
than 602 episodes. “‘The Simpsons’ was the first one in the line-

Chemistry teacher Joseph Schnell said up with the style of humor that was a bit
the show was the first of its kind.
of pop culture but clever,” Wyatt said.
“‘The Simpsons’ was one of the
first cartoon intentionally aimed “In the older episodes, the humor was
at adults,” Schnell said. “It allowed
adults to think that cartoons and ani- smart. It’s like a smart person writ-
mation were okay to enjoy and can be
a medium for more mature themes.” ing dumb jokes. It’s a stupid joke, but

“The Simpsons” became an instant hit, there’s a bit of cleverness to it which is
with the first season averaging more than 27.8
million views. From then on, it was ranked what made it so funny.”
consistently in the top 30 shows by The
Nielsen Family, a company that creates rat- With four decades under its belt, “The
ings for popular television shows.
Simpsons” has averaged 7.2 million view-
Algebra II and Pre-Calculus teacher Mark
Wyatt said that he used to watch “The Simp- ers per episode and won 30 Emmys. Homer
sons” every day when he was younger.
Simpson’s catchphrase, “D’OH,” an excla-
“When I was in middle school, I would
watch ‘The Simpsons’ all the time,” Wyatt mation following a foolish action, has
said. “It was on three different channels for an
hour, so I would watch about three hours every also been added to the dictionary.
night.”
Wyatt said what sets “The Simpsons”
With its recent renewal, “The Simpsons” will
be the longest-aired scripted television series of apart is its down to earth humor.
all time. After the next two seasons, the show
will have aired around 650 episodes. “‘The Simpsons’ is very whole-

Junior Atneya Nair said the humor in “The some which is why I like it,” Wyatt
Simpsons” is why the show has lasted for so long.
said. “Family Guy is less witty and
“‘The Simpsons’ has lasted so long because its
appeal transcends generations,” Nair said. “The more pop culture. In Futurama,
archetypes in the show are consistent with the tra-
ditional American values that continue to be our you have the same writers in a

different setting. South Park is

very pop culture but very explic-

it, vulgar and edgy. It tries to get under

your skin. ‘The Simpsons’ just pokes fun

at things but isn’t mean.”

“The Simpsons” has become a staple in

American television.

Schnell said the show will be remem-

bered as a classic television show through-

out the 90s and 2000s.

“So many people have nostalgia over it,

especially for the first 10 seasons,” Schnell

said. “It was such a lasting part of peo-

ple’s childhood and lives at the time.

It’s the longest running sitcom; there

will be a legacy, if anything, just

Artwork courtesy Cartoon-clipart.co. The Simpsons © 20th Century Fox. based on that.”

! Trending Now a& e

Two Cities Pizza combines a taste of
the Big Apple with the Windy City

India Kirssin | Managing Editor “My favorite thing was the
It’s a tale of two cities – right here in Mason. experience you get there. The
Two Cities Pizza opened its doors in downtown atmosphere itself is like New
York and Chicago; it’s very
Mason last month. The new pizzeria, located on different from anything else
West Main Street, has already grabbed the atten- you can see in Mason.”
tion of many Mason residents with its mixture of
New York and Chicago style pizza. 19- Nikki Kesav, Senior

Co-owner Zach Greves said he and his business “The pizza is the best pizza
partner realized no one was serving two different I’ve had in all of Cincinnati.”
pizza styles in one restaurant and decided to com-
bine the best of both worlds. -Landon Ballas, Senior
Employee
“About two years ago my business partner and
I were trying to decide what kind of business we
wanted to go into together,” Greves said. “We end-
ed up doing some market research and found out
there is really no place that is doing New York City
pizza and Chicago pizza under one roof. Our big
passion there was, let’s bridge the gap, let’s bring
everything together and do it under one roof and
say we have the best of both cities.”

On top of interesting pizza combinations, Two
Cities’ outdoor patio, brightly lit sign, and unique
art deco building have made it a new Mason
hotspot. Greves said the restaurant was created
not only to serve good pizza but to provide a great
atmosphere and environment for a wonderful
community.

“That was our heart behind it, a concept restau-
rant where people can come and hang out and
not just get a piece of pizza and leave but have
an experience,” Greves said. “This is one of a kind.
You can get a lot of different style pizzas a lot of
different places, but to get a package of product,
concept, and hospitality in the way that we do it,
there’s only one place you can get that and that’s
here.”

Pictured from top to bottom: the outside entrance “The whole (inside) looks like a “It was very good. Not many
of Two Cities Pizza, the Rhythm Road pizza, the city. The bathrooms are like subway places around here have the deep
inside entrance to Two Cities Pizza, The Globe- cars, the inside is fancy and we have dish (style). I liked it better than
trotter pizza. cornhole and a fire pit.” the typical pizza places.”

Photos by India Kirssin -Matthew Kinzsler, Junior -McKenzie Snyder, Sophomore
Employee

11.18.16

sports HISTORY MADE

Perfectly placed punt
clinches playoff win

Eric Michael Photo by Bryan Hudnell
| Staff Writer

It was

the moment

he had been

waiting for

his entire Junior punter Reed
Naglich.
life. Fourth-
down. Up by

one. Playoffs.

Reed Naglich got in position Photo by Johathan McCollough
Zaid Hamdan (57) and Alex King (7) combine to sack Elder quarterback Michael Bittner during the Comet’s 21-20 OHSAA Division 1
to receive the punt which would Regional Semi-Final win over the Panthers on November 4.

determine the outcome of the Comets take down Elder in playoffs

20 game. If he could lay it inside

11.18.16 the 20, the game was over, Mason

wins. If he didn’t get it off in

time, and it was blocked, Elder,

a perennial Greater Catholic Joey Deaton | Staff Writer history, that’s great, now we need to underdog back in 2011, the Comets
learn how to turn the page.” have now not only made the playoffs
League powerhouse, would have The Mason Comets Football team’s in back-to-back years, but they have
season may have ended in a 20-7 loss Senior James Grace was one of hosted a first round game in both of
the ball with great field position to Sycamore on November 11, but the many seniors from Team 55 that those instances and finally captured
Team 55 made history. were able to break through and win that elusive playoff win in 2016.
to put points on the board and their first playoff game in their high
Mason Football was able to take school careers in their final season as Castner said that this level of suc-
defeat the Comets in front of a that next step by defeating the Elder part of the Long Green Line. cess is what is hoped for at the begin-
Panthers 21-20 in a nail-biting first ning of every season, and that the
packed crowd at Dwire Field. Ma- round playoff game on November 4. Grace said that although the win team needs to ensure that expecta-
The win was the Comets’ first playoff vs. Elder was special, it was truly a tions remain to return to the playoffs
son could lose. Its season would win since 1996, and the first Division team accomplishment and did not in future seasons.
I playoff win overall. result from simply the senior class.
be over. The pressure was on. “We need to teach these juniors
Prior to the 2016 campaign, Ma- “It’s something special, but it’s not and sophomores and even incoming
With the crowd roaring in son had two other Division I playoff just us group of seniors,” Grace said. freshmen that this is what’s expected
berths in 2011 and 2015. “It’s all of us together with the ju- every year,” Castner said. “(We made
the background, Naglich called niors and the sophomores. Everyone it to) a tight game in the sweet six-
In 2011, Mason was able to make had a role in us being that first team teen round and we need to make sure
for the snap. He caught the ball the playoffs for the first time under to win a division one playoff game.” this is expected every year.”
head coach Brian Castner and the
and punted it away as fast as first time as a Division I program. After being being considered an
The Comets traveled to St. Xavier,
he could. He got the kick off in and lost to the Bombers 17-6.

time. In 2015, Mason clinched its first
home playoff game under Cast-
The ball soared through the ner. Unfortunately for the Comets,
Springboro was able to come into
air and hit the turf inside the 10 Dwire Field and knock them off 42-21.

yard line; it took a great bounce Castner said that the teams have
always expected to get through that
towards Elder’s endzone. Junior first round game and to get it done.
This year was historic for the pro-
longsnapper Brian Whitney gram. However, the team needs to be
able to recover from this season and
chased the ball down, dove, and look forward to next year.

downed it at the one. Naglich “We’ve been in the playoffs now
three times in the last (six) years,”
had executed the perfect punt, at Castner said. “That’s been great,
and we’ve always felt like we could
the perfect time. win that first game. I think we made

Elder got the ball back with

under 20 seconds to play and

99 yards of ground to cover; it

was too much. The Comets won.

Naglich was faced with every

punter’s dream play, and he

executed it to perfection.

“I had to get it off fast,”

Naglich said. “All I was think-

ing was to get it off as fast as

possible, so I just caught the ball

and kicked it. I got lucky, and

it rolled to the one. I was really

excited; it was definitely one of Photo by Johathan McCollough

the best moments of my career The Mason football team sings the alma mater and fight song with the Black Hole
following its historic 21-20 win over the Elder Panthers.
so far.”

BEAST MODE THAT’S sport s
JUST SICK
Senior Ellie Brush capped off
her terrific cross country ca- Kathy Ottopal
reer Nov. 5 at the state meet.
Brush finished 11th overall “This kid fractured both of the
with a time of 18:08.3, a 36 bones in his lower leg; his tibula
second Personal Record. This and fibula. If you sit down on the
was Brush’s last meet for ground, and your kneecap is up to
Mason. Her time ties for the the sky, his toes were (sideways)
third fastest time in Mason on the ground. Think about your
history alongside 2012 gradu- shin bone; it just wasn’t there
ate Monica Lake and 2016 anymore. It wasn’t in the same
graduate Maegan Murphy. line. It was gone. It was shifted
Brush’s finish led her team to back, further toward the ground,
a 5th overall finish at the state it had fallen off. His foot fell out.
meet.
-Athletic trainer Kathy Ottopal
DIGITS GETTIN’ SCHOOLED 21
FUNNY FACEnior Grady Lipp at the District Me
250Yards junior “The hockey player is Se et
pulling the stick back and
running back giving it potential energy Photo by Bryan Hudnell
Matt Sora and kinetic energy as it
accumlated on 39 falls. Then the experi- WHO’S HOT
carries enced player will hit the ice
in the Comets with the stick and bend it The girls’ tennis team capped off
21-20 playoff backwards, creating elastic an impressive season with a sec-
win against potential energy. The sum ond place finish in the team state
Elder. Sora scored of the energy in the stick is tournament. Falling to
all three Comet touch- then transferred to the puck Magnificat High School 3-1,
downs and on Mason’s and seen as momentum, senior Sneha Khandi and junior
last offensive and momentum= (mass) x Nicole Reid got the only win
possession, carried the (velocity). Since the mass at second doubles. It was the
ball on 11 consecutive of the puck is regulated, highest placement in the team’s
plays. history.
the velocity of the puck is
directly proportional to
the energy in the stick.
So, a small player
with a big stick can make a
big shot.”

-- Linette Graham,

Physics Teacher

THEY SAID IT 11.18.16Photos by Jonathan McCollough and Freddie Wilhelm
“Out of 55 years, we’ve never won a di-
vision one playoff game, and we were
able to do that. For all of the players that
came before us, the Long Green Line, I’m
sure it put a big smile on their face to see
that not only did we win our first division
one playoff game, but we were able to do
it against a strong storied team that has
won multiple championships.

- Head Football coach Brian Castner speaking
about his teams historic 21-20 playoff win over
the Elder Panthers on November 4.

Complied by The Chronicle Sports Staff

Photo by Jonathan McCollough

Photo by Eric Michael

sport s
Kirssin steps up in district championship game

Sophomore goalkeeper takes over for fallen teammate

Charlie Mackenzie | Staff Writer year varsity member did not seem to feel any post-
season pressure. The Comets shut out Centerville
22 Days prior to what 1-0 in overtime thanks to Kirssin’s seven saves. Kirs- Sophomore goalkeeper Ty Kirssin recorded seven saves
could have been his sin said that the game’s stakes did not faze him. in the District championship game against Centerville.
last high school soccer
game, senior Danny “I wasn’t nervous,” Kirssin said. “I felt like the may be one of the best keepers in Mason history.
Mackzum could not program had prepared me for the most part. It was “He’s been a tremendous goalkeeper this year,”
move the right side of pretty comfortable for my first start.”
his body. Reedy said. “Based on his performance this year,
Mackzum started in all 16 previous games of he has put himself in the discussion as being one
Mackzum, the start- the season. Reedy said that he was very impressed of the best goalkeepers we have ever had in our
ing goalkeeper, was di- with both Kirssin’s performance and how the team soccer program. Danny had an outstanding season,
agnosed with hemiple- Senior goalkeeper Danny adapted to the goalkeeper change. and he made about four huge saves in the Beaver-
gic migraines, a severeMackzum creek game.”
type of migraine headache that has symptoms “We can downplay what happened, but there is
common to a stroke: muscle weakness, temporary a lot of pressure for a sophomore who is usually
paralysis, and numbness. Mackzum said that he a backup to be the starter in that position in the
underwent extensive treatment in the hospital to district final game against an opponent like Cen-
make sure he was not having an actual stroke. terville,” Reedy said. “I was very proud of him and
the team as a whole in the way they responded to
“I had to get rushed to the emergency room,” the adversity.”
Mackzum said. “They ran a bunch of CT scans and
MRIs on me to see what was going on. They gave Six days later, the Comets faced the Beavercreek
me a stroke test, and I failed it. I had to stay over- Beavers in the regional semifinal. The Beavers
night in the hospital for two days, and they figured were the one seed from the Southwest 1 District
out that I had a hemiplegic migraine.” and the highest ranked team the Comets played
all season. After being cleared to play by doctors,
The soccer team squared off against Centerville Mackzum took back the reigns as starting goalie
on October 27 in the district final. In the postseason, and said nothing would have kept him from play-
a single loss will end the season. Mackzum was told ing in the game.
he had to sit the game out and he saud he couldn’t
imagine possibly ending his career on the sideline. “I couldn’t miss the game,” Mackzum said. “It
was too important. I knew there was a chance that it
“When they told me I couldn’t play, I was dev- would be my last game, and it was, so there was no
astated,” Mackzum said. “That’s all I was thinking way that I was going to sit out of it.”
about the whole time I was in the hospital. But I’m
just happy I got to be there and support them.” The Comets lost the game 1-0 in a penalty shoot
out. Throughout the game, Mackzum made nu-
Sophomore and backup goalie Ty Kirssin was merous saves to keep the game alive. Mackzum
called upon for his first career start, and the first- ended the season with only four goals allowed
and a save percentage of 95 percent. Reedy said he

Soccer seasons decided by game of chance

PK’s spell doom for language of the player as they come up. Every Sipe said that their coaches have nothing but en-
Comet soccer teams time a player comes up to take one hard kick, she couraging words for their athletes during the nail-
must blindly predict its fate. Sipe has to determine biting time.
Lauren Thomas | Staff Writer whether she should dive left or right and either
low or high in a fraction of a second. “Coach Reedy is saying things like ‘you got
11.18.16 An entire soccer season rides on a game of kick- this’, just inspirational words like ‘you’re gonna
ball. “We did practice them a lot in practice, but make it’, helpful thoughts in general,” Mitchell
there’s not a lot you can do to actually prepare for said.
Both the boys and girls soccer teams had their them in the game, I just react in the moment,”
seasons end at the hands of penalty kicks. The Sipe said. “There is somewhat of a science like you While Reedy puts on an encouraging face for his
girls team lost to Seton in their postseason opener, can read and watch their hips, or sometimes their players, he knows the fate of penalty kicks. In his
and the boys team fell to Beavercreek on PK’s in eyes, or how they come up to take the kick.” ten years coaching at Mason, he has had four post-
the Regional Semi-Final. For senior Max Mitchell, season games go to penalty kicks and the Comets
ending his soccer career this way was painful. Another piece to the puzzle of a perfect penalty have prevailed only once. Recognizing something
is focus. Mitchell said the crowd noise did enter must change, he said he plans to change up the
“It felt pretty terrible,” Mitchell said. “I blame his mind before his kick. way the team preps for penalty kicks.
myself since I was the first one up, and I should’ve
scored.” “I started hearing the crowd in my head, and “My thought is that we practice less, not more
that’s a major factor that you’re not meant to do is because the problem with practice is that you can’t
Players can practice kicks endlessly in practice listen to what’s around you,” Mitchell said. replicate the pressure that they’re going to natu-
,but nothing can prepare them for the pressure rally feel in a big tournament game,” Reedy said.
that penalty kicks bring about because of their As a goalie, Sipe knows the pressure all too well
criticality in a game. when she steps up to block penalty kicks. The sci- After the team’s second loss to Beavercreek in
ence behind penalty kicks comes down to a guess- history over PK’s, Reedy looks forward to revamp-
“All I thought about was going to the one side,” ing game for goalies. Sipe said she knows the odds ing the practices as there is little a team can do
Mitchell said. “I usually go to the bottom left, so are against her when it comes to PK’s. to prepare for the shootouts. He said something
that’s all I was thinking of and just putting the ball must change for the upcoming season in order to
there.” “I feel like there’s pressure because at least for ensure prosperity in 2017.
goalies, there’s not a high chance you save them,”
For senior goalie Kateland Sipe; reaction time Sipe said. “I’m not going to keep doing the same thing,
is everything. Essentially Sipe must read the body when overall it has not been successful for us,”
When it comes to advice from coaches, all they Reedy said.
can do is cross their fingers. Both Mitchell and

Cross country teams continue dominance sport s
of southwest Ohio, make annual trip to State

Girls team takes a lot of injuries and ups and downs Rapp
this season. I’m pretty proud of our said. “There are over a hundred
fifth, boys fight for team for coming together and get- 23obvi-
ting top five in State.” Photo by Freddie Wilhelm
14th place finish
Dobson said Brush played a major Senior Ellie Brush (fifth runner on the right) runs during the OHSAA Division 1 girls
Bryan Hudnell | Staff Writer role in the team’s strong finish.
cross country state championship meet at National Trail Raceway. Hebron, Ohio.
After both finishing first in Dis- “She’s huge,” Dobson said. “It’s
tricts and fourth in Regionals, The always good to have that low scorer Photo by Freddie Wilhelm
boys and girls cross country team and she really stepped up today. She’s
competed for the state championship had bumps here and there, aches Members of the Mason boys cross country team run at the beginning of the
November 5 at National Trail Race- and pains, but she got through those OHSAA Division I State meet. The Comets finished the meet with a 14th place finish.
way in Hebron, Ohio. things and did a great job today.”
ously but I thought we did the best teams that aren’t here so we need
The girls placed fifth state, adding Brush wasn’t the only runner who we could.” to keep that in perspective. Once
another top five state finish to their performed well. Dobson said the you win or get runner up a couple
already impressive resumé. Head whole team has a lot to be proud of. Rapp addressed his team after the times, it kind of spoils you thinking
coach Chip Dobson said their strat- finish and said to his team that it is that you should be there every year.
egy was to start fast and sustain the “I told them that it was a positive an outstanding achievement just to While we aim to shoot that high, it’s
pace all the way through the finish. day,” Dobson said. “They have a lot get to state and to not let Mason’s doesn’t always workout that way. A
of things to feel good about. We com- past experiences dictate success. lot of things have to fall into place
“We had a strategy of getting out peted, got out hard, and did a lot of for you to place high.”
pretty hard and holding your spot,” good things today.” “It’s an honor to run (at State),”
Dobson said. “We came out hard and Rapp “It’s an honor to run (at State),” 11.18.16
had the lead at the mile, third at the With five senior runners running
two mile, and slipped to fifth at the in the meet, Dobson believed his
end.” team’s experience showed and said
it will be a clean slate moving on to
Senior Ellie Brush capped her bril- next year.
liant Mason career with an 11th place
finish, and sophomore Lily Hallum “This is the first time I put five
came in 37th to help contribute to the out of seven seniors on the line for a
Comets’ top five finish. Dobson said state meet, so there was a lot of expe-
his team did a good job executing the rience,” Dobson said.” It’ll be a fresh
plan that was put into place for them. start next year when we’ll have to re-
place them.”
“They followed the plan to the best
of their ability and did a nice job,” With a 14th overall finish, the boys
Dobson said. “I thought they compet- team experienced their lowest finish
ed really well, there were a lot of per- at the state meet in the school’s his-
sonal best times, I was encouraged.” tory. Boys head coach Tom Rapp said
his team did not have any excuses all
Brush competed at state all of four year and the State meet would be no
years of her high school career. Her different.
time of 18:08 was a personal best by
36 seconds. Brush said that she was “We didn’t use the injuries as an
thrilled all of her hard work and excuse this year and it wasn’t some-
preparation paid off. thing we talked about at all,” Rapp
said. “If someone went down, then
“State has a lot of fast runners,” the next guy needed to step up and
Brush said. “I’ve always ran around take us forward. I felt like the guys
the same place here, so I really want- we had here battled hard, knowing
ed to do better and improve. It felt that maybe they won’t be the best
good because it showed that all of team we’ve ever had here at Mason,
my hard work payed off this season but they still kept fighting.”
and that I’ve improved over the past
four years.” The boys’ best finisher was junior
Michael Uematsu who placed 58th
Heading into the meet, the Com- and earned a time of 16:12. Senior
ets were ranked ninth in the state Mikey Loehr was not far behind with
of Ohio according to the Ohio Asso- a time of 16:22. Loher echoed Rapp
ciation of Track and Cross Country and said that the team battled inju-
Coaches (OATCCC). Brush said she ries and fought through adversity
was proud of her team for perform- but never made excuses.
ing above expectations.
“The team has a bunch of fighters,
“Going into it, we were ranked Loher said. “We persevered through
ninth (in the State) because we’ve had a lot stuff this season. We lost a lot
of people and had to fill other people
in. Our motto is always next man up.
Mason always has a lot of depth and
it was tough to fill up all of the holes

opinion Staff Editorial

to the editor Cubs vs. Indians World Series

24 breathes life back into baseball

11.18.16 Who knew that all it would take to get baseball back on America’s frontal lobe
was two championship starved franchises (one more than the other) and the
curse of a billy goat.

If the 2016 World Series proved one thing, it’s that Americans love heartbreak.
Coming into the 2016 Fall Classic, the much maligned Cubs and Indians shared
a championship drought of an incomprehensible 176 years. It’s this type of futil-
ity that made this year’s iteration of the Fall Classic unavoidable. Everywhere
you turned, seemingly neutral fans dug in and took sides, whether they wanted
the Cubs to erase the memory of Steve Bartman or if they thought the year of
the Clevelander needed to continue. Transplanted Cubs fans sported the blue
and red of their beloved Cubbies with pride, and the Cleveland faithful donned
their Rick Vaughn jerseys and hoped Major League would come to life.

The anecdotes were incredible. One Cubs fan, Wayne Williams, promised his
Navy veteran father that if the Cubs were ever able to win it all, he would listen
to the series clinching game with him. Wayne’s father, Wayne Sr., passed away at
the age of 53, in 1980. So Wayne Jr. did the only thing he could do. He drove 10
hours, from his home in North Carolina to his father’s grave in rural Indiana, set
up a lawn chair, turned on Game 7 and listened. It is these types of unbelievable
stories that brought the buzz back to Major League Baseball (MLB).

All series long, the desire of Cubs fans for the century long World Series
drought to end was matched by rabid Clevelanders who prayed for their un-
forgettable year of championships to stay alive. For eight days, millennials put
aside their need for instant gratification and buckled into watch all nine, and in
the case of Game 7, even ten innings of America’s pastime. For years MLB has
struggled with younger viewers, losing viewership to the faster paced NBA and
the hard hitting NFL. Game 7 of the 2016 Fall Classic changed that tune and
earned a 25.2 rating, which, in layman’s terms, means somewhere between 38 and
42 million people tuned in at some point during Game 7. It was the most-watched
broadcast of a baseball game since the Arizona Diamondbacks bested the New
York Yankees in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Baseball was alive and well.

Never have there been so many subplots in a championship series. You had
the obvious. The Cubs’ drought and the Indians’ drought of their own. You had
the improbable. Cubs outfielder, and Middletown High School graduate, Kyle
Schwarber returning to the lineup and being a major contributor just six months
after tearing his ACL in the season’s third game. You had the downright coinci-
dental. After Cleveland was the beneficiary of the Golden State Warriors choking
away a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals, the Indians turned around and matched
it with their own 3-1 collapse (and plenty of Twitter memes to boot).

Game 7 played out like a Shakespearean tragedy. At first it seemed just too
good to be true. Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler led off the game with the first
ever lead off homer in a World Series Game 7 to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. The
Northsiders built on the quick start and jumped out to a 5-1 lead through four
and a half frames. It seemed like a sure thing. The curse was going to end. Then
again this was the franchise that has been haunted for so many years by a goat, a
black cat and one Steve Bartman. So obviously something had to go wrong, and
go wrong did it ever. Rajai Davis belted a two-run homer off of the “unhittable”
Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth to even the game at six apiece, and
it seemed as if the plight of the Cubs may just last another year. Then out of all
things that could have possibly happened: a rain delay. Fans from both teams
laughed, looked up at the sky and said, “Haven’t we waited long enough?” Cubs
outfielder Jason Heyward rallied his teammates in a tiny weight room near their
locker room and gave a Rudy-esque speech that spurred the Cubs to their first
world title in more than a century. It was a script Hollywood could not possibly
have dreamt up.

Baseball is back. America’s pastime recaptured the hearts of every sports fan in
the country. Outside of Opening Day, baseball can tend to take a back burner in a
Cincinnati sports community that is dominated by all levels of football. To hear
the conversation between students dominated by baseball brought back a certain
form of nostalgia that has been missing, especially with the Reds serving as the
perennial National League Central doormat. The 2016 World Series confirmed
what we have always known: sports fans love a good story, even if it takes 108
years to come to fruition.

‘Special’ has to Editorial Cartoon opinion

be earned Global warming not a hoax

Alexandra Lisa | Staff Writer Preserve 25because our politicians were too petty to

Even Disney knows when to prioritize hard work over magic. American agree on something as straightforward
In “Princess and the Frog,” a favorite of mine, James says, “That as disease prevention.
old star can only take you part of the way. You got to help it democracy Our country was founded on compro-
along with some hard work of your own.”
Jonathan McCollough | mise and our leaders’ ability to work to-
Hard work is not foreign to Mason High School. Though Staff Writer
it is not intentional, competition has become the mortar that gether for the greater good. America is great
holds the walls in place. You need hard work to make the team, This election cycle has brought out the
the cast list, the Student Government position. You have to do worst in America. because of these democratic principles.
more if you want to feel adequate, let alone special. And that’s
hard. But, it’s necessary. November 8 marked the end of one of the Trump and the Republicans now have
most divisive elections in our country’s his-
The idea of “special” has become tainted over time. I spent tory, but divisiveness of our politics does not control of all branches of government as
four years in a Pennsylvania school system that never moti- seem to be going away.
vated me to push past obstacles. In that school, we were taught well as most state governments. They have
each person was unique, destined for greatness. That’s a won- Our politicians believe their opinions are
derful thought process that fails in practice. Most people end more valuable than that of their political op- the power to push their agendas, and the left
up being just like everyone else. It is not humanly possible for ponents. They ignore diverse perspectives to
every person to land their dream job or college, to be known push their own agendas, slowing down prog- has a limited ability to check them.
and revered, to reach gigantic aspirations. So few people get to ress and hurting our democracy.
be exactly who they want to be. I hope they will do what they genuinely
One of our most basic democratic prin-
Special and different are two separate things. Just because we ciples is that we have individual worth, the believe is best for the country; I hope we
look different from one another does not mean every person radical idea that every human has inher-
is born with a claim to greatness. I am not great just because I ent value. Our nation has an obligation to misread Trump, and I hope that he will do a
am here. “Special” is not something you get to be because you respect the individual worth of each citizen
exist. It is something you earn. and to acknowledge that nobody holds the good job. But if he fails, we need to go to the
right answer for everyone because we all are
Yet students are hand-held through their educational lives. I so different. This very basic principle has polls in greater numbers than ever before
remember retaking failed tests with the teacher over my shoul- been forgotten by politicians who have put
der. I remember neglecting to turn in homework assignments their own interests and the interests of their and ensure that he is a one-term President.
without repercussions. I remember playing the recorder in donors ahead of the interests of our country.
third grade, where each of the hundred kids got a solo during That is how democracy works.
one of the three recitals. I remember the participation awards, Over the summer, Congress tried to pass
the no-one-gets-left-behind policy, and the delusion that I was a bill that would fight the Zika Virus in Like it or not, Donald Trump will be our
just as good as everyone else, at everything. Florida with a $1.1 billion plan. The nonpar-
tisan issue of preventing the spread of Zika President. That can not be changed no mat-
I remember the shock of moving from that small school became political when Republicans slid in
to Mason Intermediate half-way through fourth grade. When a measure that would defund Planned Par- ter how unfit or bigoted we may think he is.
there are too many kids for everyone to get a solo in the per- enthood. Democrats refused to support the
formance, you quickly realize that you are not actually better Bill, and it got stalled in Congress as a re- While we do not have to respect the man, we
than anyone else. Yes, it was crippling. It was also humbling. I sult. Millions of Floridians were put at risk
am glad I discovered this reality before college. should respect the office because, while we

For college students, underpreparedness and overestima- all have different views, we all want what is
tions have caused the suicide rates for college students to triple
in the past fifty years, the Jed Foundation – an organization best for our country, and in order to achieve
that prevents suicide in college sudents – said. Depression now
affects more than 14.8 million Americans. If you have never that, we must work together.
been exposed to cuts, competition, and rejection, having it all
dumped on your head at once can be devastating. Partisanship has never accomplished any-

Here in Mason, I will never be able to call myself “the best” thing. It has never gotten a bill passed or a
at anything. I will always be fighting tooth and nail, beside my
peers who are doing the same, to feel recognized and appreci- budget written, a reform pushed through or
ated. And that is a tough environment. But that is what we will
face when we buy houses, start families, forge careers. If we a judge nominated. Our politicians must get
want to feel special, that’s something we will have to work to
achieve. That’s the whole reason “special” means anything. things done instead of playing party politics.

Children are not special. That’s a myth that is slowly tear- I know we are better than this America.
ing lives apart. What children should be taught is, well, Dis-
ney’s “Ratatouille” does a perfect job of addressing that: “I We are better than the Twitter fights and
have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous
motto: Anyone can cook. Only now do I truly understand what violent protests that have enveloped us this
he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great
artist can come from anywhere.” election cycle.

The opportunity to be special is there, if you work hard We are all American, and at a time with so
enough, if you dedicate yourself...and if you can understand
that it will be hard. It will hurt. And there is no way to avoid much uncertainty in our world, we 11.18.16
that if we want a successful society.
cannot afford to forget that.

PARTING SHOTS

Water Bottle Flipping You Tell Us Compiled by Staff Writers Juliana
Discher and Delaney Turner
Good What is your longest Snapstreak?
Senior Jurian Misawayee has his pilot’s
1. Countless hours of 151+ days license and flies on a consistent basis.
entertainment
2. Low cost Full results: Q: What sparked your in-
3. Reusable and reduces water terest in flying?
bottle waste Results from the 227 voters on the Chronicle twitter poll. Follow
4. Challenges kids to be creative @mhschronicle to find out when our next poll will go live. A: My dad always took
5. Brings kids together in friendly me on his business trips as
competition a kid. I always got to sit in
first class, and he took me
Not so Good to the cockpits. I began fly-
ing junior year, and I got my
1. Annoys teachers by disrupting license before my 18th birth-
learning day. I soloed, which means fly-
2. The noise is distracting ing by yourself, the day after I
3. It’s pointless – a career can’t turned 18.
be made of it
4. People throw the bottles in Q: What are
places where they cannot be your favorite
easily retrieved
5. Frustration when people fail to places to
land the flip fly?

Compiled by Juliana Discher A: The
coolest
Word for Word places
are Sin-
26 “I’m certainly always buried in papers and always gapore, Hong
running from one meeting to another, from one Kong, and
person to another. Fortunately, I think I’m a per- Osaka. I flew as
son that needs something to do, so maybe my bar a passenger. As
a pilot, I have
is set a little lower in terms of what overwhelms only flown out
of Butler Coun-
me. But absolutely, I get overwhelmed. ” ty Regional
Airport, Middle-
– Stephanie Nally, town Airport and
Warren County
AP English Language and Composition teacher Airport.
See our December 16 issue for full coverage of teacher overload.
Q: How do
Photo Bomb you hope to con-
tinue this passion
in the future?

A: I want to become
an airline pilot. I want to

work for United Airlines. I

aspire to become a Boeing

777 or 787 pilot.

Q: What is your fa-
vorite thing about fly-
ing?

Photo by Jonathan McCollough Jurian A: I love takeoffs and
Misawayee, landings. It’s like a game
Juniors Will Adams (1) and Cole Pearce (23) celebrate the Comets’ historic 21-20 playoff win where you try to perfect
over Elder with offensive line coach Casey Popplewell. senior (them). For landings, I try to
make it as smooth as possible
11.18.16 and get it on the center line.
The views are really awe-
some. I fly at 3,000 feet. I

get to see the surround-
ings, and it’s something
that you can only expe-
rience in the air.

27

11.18.16