HaitiOrganizations around world extend helping hands

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THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI resulted in numerous casualties for the nation. The capital, Port-au-Prince, was devastated. Numerous organizations have come together to provide basic resources and help relocate individuals, as shown, and these efforts will continue until the country is back on its feet.

At 4:53 p.m. on Jan. 12, an earth-quake of magni-tude 7.0 struck Haiti’s capital,

Port-au-Prince, as the inhabit-ants of the island nation sat down for dinner. The nation was devastated by the death of hundreds of thousands, with about a million left homeless, as buildings and power lines crumbled like a gingerbread house in the hands of a hun-gry child. It has been over a month since the initial quake, and it may seem like the worst is over, but it is far from it. Last month’s news? By no means. In the month follow-ing the initial quake, there have been well over 50 after-shocks, each measuring no less than a magnitude of 4.5. The streets of the densely-populated Port-au-Prince are flooded by a motionless sea of human bodies—so many that there is no possible way to show respect for them other than to drag a piece of cardboard to cover them from

rashmiborah editor-in-chief

elleanzhang news chief

moriahkrawec staff writer

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those walking in the streets. According to Haitian au-thorities, 180,000 have been confirmed dead since the initial earthquake—a count that continues to rise, daily. About 480,000 have been able to flee the capital, finding ref-uge with relatives elsewhere in Haiti. Over 225,000 buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged, and an estimated 3 million people were affected, with 1.2 million left homeless. The call for relief is con-stantly sounding, and while those who are not there can-not possibly imagine the mag-nitude of suffering Haitians are enduring, they certainly hear the mournful pleads for more help. And even after all the calls for relief have been answered, the nation must still face the challenge of rebuilding itself, calling on the expertise of all types of engineers to help establish a new and improved version of Haiti. This is not a short-term project that lies ahead; most likely, it will con-tinue on for up to a decade.

leafFRIDAY February 26, 2010 Volume LVI Issue 7 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.goaves.com

the Sycamore

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B rebuilding haiti friday, february 26, 2010

Global Efforts:Everyone, from celebrities to militaries step in to provide aid, money, awareness

‘hit for haiti’ | charity tennis match

T ennis fans had an extra surprise when tennis star Roger Federer organized a special match, featuring the top play-ers at the 2010 Australian Open. Upon hearing about the earthquake,

shortly before the start of the Australian Open tennis tournament, Federer called a number of his fellow rivals and tennis-play-ers, as well as those in charge of the tourna-ment, detailing his plans for a charity drive to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti. Federer, along with Rafael Nadal, Sam Stosur, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick, agreed to play a rotational exhibition doubles match. Tennis enthusiasts could watch this match for $10, with ticket proceeds going directly to the Haiti relief effort. This effort, which Federer dubbed “Hit for Haiti,” was nearly as popular as a regular tennis match at the Australian Open, and fans were thrilled to see the tennis stars, who were hooked up to wireless microphones for additional entertainment, working together, showing off their tennis skills, and enjoying themselves before the upcoming two-week tournament. After the one-set match, Federer presented the event’s winnings to two representatives from Haiti. Overall, ticket sales and individual contri-butions raised over $185,000 for relief efforts in Haiti. In addition, tennis players Maria Sharapova, John Isner and Marcos Baghda-tis contributed a total of $20,000.

steps to recovery

Moments after the earthquake in Haiti, countries joined together to provide aid in whatever way they could. From armies to cruise lines, everyone was pitching in within days of the disaster.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes 16 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in the early evening, destroying over 200,000 buildings.

january 12The Royal Carribbean cruise line began to use its scheduled ports of call in Haiti to deliver emergency supplies on its cruise liners.

january 18The government of Haiti offi-cially declared an end to relief efforts in Port-Au-Prince, but relief workers in the area still claimed that help was needed.

january 23

‘we are the world for haiti’ | song remake Representing a plethora of genres, 81 singers gathered in a recording studio on Feb. 2 to record a remake of the 1985 classic “We Are the World.” The song was originally produced by Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones for African famine relief efforts. A clip of the remake, called “We are the World - 25 for Haiti,” premiered during the opening of the Winter Olympics on NBC. In addition, the original seven-

minute video premiered across approximately 120 networks the very next day. Originally intended to be pro-duced for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, plans for the song changed after the earthquake in Haiti. Stars from Kanye West and Lil Wayne to Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus participated in the chorus. Other well-known artists who participated in the remake include Pink, Usher, Vince

rashmiborah editor-in-chief

Vaughn, Jordin Sparks, Jason Mraz and Randy Jackson. Various online retailers agreed to sell the audio and video for the song, and to donate nearly 100 percent of all proceeds to Haiti. In addition, physical copies will be sold by Target ap-proximately two weeks after the digital version is released. The prices will be $1.29 for the audio version, $1.99 for the video ver-sion, and $2.99 for both versions.

rebuilding haiti Cfriday, february 26, 2010

The government of Haiti offi-cially declared an end to relief efforts in Port-Au-Prince, but relief workers in the area still claimed that help was needed.

january 23141 orphans were flown from Haiti to the United States by a group of doctors and nurses initially planning to rebuild a hospital in Haiti.

january 29Haitians begin self-organization of refugee camps in order to distribute food and necessary medical supplies, though for-eign relief workers remained.

february 2

‘we are the world for haiti’ | song remake

50 The number of people, in thousands, presumed by the Red Cross to be dead within two days of the earthquake.

The number of bodies, in thou-sands, collected so far by relief workers in Port-au-Prince within four days of the earthquake.9

The European Union’s estimate, in thousands, of the death toll within seven days of the earth-quake . In comparison, 230,000 individuals perished in the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.

200

The number of people, in millions, rendered homeless within seven days of the earthquake.1.2

by the numbers

Attempts to distribute aid | military help The first time the U.S. Army at-tempted to distribute food to the masses of starving individuals in Haiti, chaos ensued. There was such a desperate need for food that the distributors were unable to keep the crowd under control. Initially, the U.S. was depos-iting over one thousand tons of food and beverage over the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, by helicopter, resulting in violent fights over the contents. But after a week in the area, the U.S. mili-tary workers in Port-au-Prince claimed that they had “found their rhythm.” With a routine found, relief work-

ers cooperated with the military in order to make sure that the elderly, disabled and injured had just as much access to food as those who were still in good health. Military doctors have also been working with civilian doctors from the University of Miami to provide the necessary medical assistance to those injured by the earthquake. But with inadequate supplies and crude conditions, many of the doctors reported being severly scarred by their experiences. For example, for the more than 400 amputations that had to be performed as a result of shattered limbs, a lack of The number of U.S. troops, in thou-

sands, currently working to restore Port-au-Prince to its pre-earthquake condition.10

The number of UN troops, in thou-sands, who have reached Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.20

The number of dollars, in millions, committed by the U.S. govern-ment for relief efforts in Haiti.500

The last year an earthquake of this magnitude was recorded.1770

The number of people, in thou-sands, fed by the World Food Program in Port-au-Prince.8

The percent of Haiti’s economic output that the damage caused by the first of several earthquakes equated to.117

The number of U.S. dollars, in bil-lions, that the damage caused by the earthquake equated to. 14

february 16Eight farmers from Michigan shipped a half million eggs to Haiti, as part of the national Good Egg Project.

Vaughn, Jordin Sparks, Jason Mraz and Randy Jackson. Various online retailers agreed to sell the audio and video for the song, and to donate nearly 100 percent of all proceeds to Haiti. In addition, physical copies will be sold by Target ap-proximately two weeks after the digital version is released. The prices will be $1.29 for the audio version, $1.99 for the video ver-sion, and $2.99 for both versions.

oxygen did not allow for typical anesthetics to be used, and a local anesthetic, which were much less effective, had to be used. But the struggle to provide aid to the suffering is far from over, as other military officials block access to the city by humanitar-ian workers due to extensive infrastructure damage. With only one functioning run-way and hundreds of airplanes attempting to enter the city, getting aid into the city has been a problem from the beginning of the earthquakes, and the number of aftershocks has not helped the situation at all.

friday, february 26, 2010D rebuilding haiti

With the recent earthquake, the community at SHS has gone into a frenzy of dona-tions. From T-shirt sales to club meetings focusing on how to help, the tragedy has allowed the student body to find a way

to benefit the relief effort. SHS’ chapter of the international marketing alliance DECA has organized a T-shirt sale with a portion of the proceeds going towards assisting Haiti. As with many other local Haiti fundraisers, the money earned will be given as a cash donation to Matthew 25: Ministries. According to their website, Matthew 25: Min-istries is a local non-profit organization that is ‘committed to helping all people in need.’ The SHS chapter of DECA decided to assist Haiti mainly due to its dependence on the community. DECA’s mem-bers felt that it would be best to give back, and the tragic earthquake provided an opportunity to give towards. “We thought we needed to give money back to the com-munity, so with the situation in Haiti, we thought that they needed it more than we do at DECA,” said Brent Perlman, 12, marketing student. Specifically, the funds raised through the spirit wear sales will be put towards Matthew 25: Ministries’ ship-ping costs. “Our donation goes to Matthew 25: Ministries. They’ve collected a lot of clothing, food and water, but they need money to ship it,” said Mr. Jerry Kuhn, marketing teacher.

Many different options for help Meanwhile, the community service organization Inter-Act Club has several plans for alleviating the situation in Haiti. According to Mrs. Kate Korchok, InterAct Club sponsor, there have already been several club meetings focusing on how to help. “InterAct club has met several times during this plan-ning process of our upcoming fundraiser to benefit those who have been devastated by the earthquake in Haiti,” said Korchok. Most notably, the week of Monday, April 12 has been designated for a fundraising event called ‘Hearts for Haiti’. The theme was decided by the InterAct Club board with assistance from Nick Peltz, 12. During this time, SHS students will have a number of InterAct Club-sponsored options to be involved in, in-cluding the Hearts for Haiti event. As of press date, some of the other ideas are currently in a “generating stage”, but the Hearts For Haiti event’s planning is in full gear. “The club is working with enthusiasm to produce a major fundraising event,” said Korchok. Additionally, there will be numerous other planned events scheduled for February and March. All proceeds will go towards the American Red Cross’ Haiti Earth-quake Relief funds. Even with all of the provided assistance, Korchok

knows that Haiti’s dilemma will be an issue for longer than one may think. “The need in Haiti is not going to disappear anytime soon and we are confident that our fundraiser in April will help alleviate the continual need that Haiti will have for support,” said Korchok.

Bare essentials, lost Despite all of the funds going to the Haitian cause, there are still other areas of need. When Mrs. Marnie May, English teacher, went to Matthew 25: Ministries to drop off diapers, toothpaste and soap packs, she noticed that the diaper bin was empty. During the week of Monday, Jan. 18, May’s students were encouraged to give money towards packs of diapers and the toothpaste and soap packages. “This came up during exam week, and the students donated a pack of diapers or a multi-pack of toothpaste and soap,” said May. As there were no diapers going to Haiti from Matthew: 25 Ministries, the charity was “very happy” to get the diapers, according to May. Freshman Alex Martinson donated to Haiti through May’s class. Simply put, he feels that the vast majority of Americans are incredibly fortunate to have the basics, and that one should sympathize with Haiti. “If you haven’t lost the bare essentials, you don’t know how important they are,” said Martinson.

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te download musicBuy the “Hope for Haiti Now” album on iTunes for $7.99; the 20-track CD was released in the week following the earth-quake. It includes the collaborative efforts of several artists, including Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, and more. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to organizations that are currently active in bringing Haiti immedi-ate aid. In addition, the remake of the song “We are the World” can be purchased from various online retailers for $1.49 for audio, $1.99 for video or $2.99 for both.

For those who want to get involved by actually doing something, there is the op-tion of going to help at local charities that are all pitching in to do their share for the relief effort for Haiti. The Cincinnati chapter of the Red Cross, as well as Matthews 25 Ministries, is always willing to accept more volunteers to help package all the dona-tions they have been receiving to ship them off to Haiti.

volunteer

donateDonations can be made as easily as through text message. Contact your cell phone provider for more details. In addition, monetary donations can be made directly to organizations such as the Red Cross and the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. But donations are not limited to monetary donations alone. The Salvation Army has been collecting gently used clothes and accessories to deliver to individuals in Port-au-Prince; if you have any old clothes that can still be used, they can be dropped off at the Salvation Army Office down-town. The Matthew: 25 Ministries Web site also lists items that need to be donated or collected, in order of importance, and these items can be dropped off at the Matthew: 25 Ministries office on Kenwood Road.

What is $10 to someone at SHS? A lunch at Chipotle? To someone in Haiti right now, $10 means sustenance for an entire week. Here are quick and simple ways you can help rebuild a nation.

From diapers to donationsSHS organizations find unique ways to help Haitimoriahkrawec staff writer elleanzhang

news chief&

THE DECA MEMBERS SOLD t-shirts at lunch for two weeks to raise money for Haiti. Nearly all of the groups that raised funds for Haiti gave them to Matthew 25 : Ministries, which was able to provide more direct assistance. Many of these fundraisers will continue throughout the next few weeks, and other schools in the district will also raise money.

Social Networking:web sites team up to help raise money

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Donate to Haiti.

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Not many students have the time or the resources to just take a trip and personally aide those suffering. This is where the role of technology comes in. Haitian support groups have popped up via multiple social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. These groups are designed to help raise support and money for the Haitians. Even through text messaging, donating $10 has never been as easy as texting the word “HAITI” to the num-ber 90999. Donations go to the American Red Cross donators are charged through their phone bills. Within 24 hours of the foundation of the text-dona-tion program, $1 million was raised. One of the most popular Facebook groups people have joined is Mission of Hope: Haiti. Although pri-mary organization that backs the group is Christian, the page has attracted people from multiple different religions. “Basically I joined this group because I have been hearing about a lot of the horrible things that are going on in Haiti, and the people suffering there, so I wanted to do something to show support,” said Emily Gilgoff, 10, a fan of Mission of Hope: Haiti. Similar to many Twitter pages, the group sends out links, ideas of ways people can help, and general infor-mation on the progress they are seeing in Haiti. “People really come together when disaster strikes. We saw it on 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and now with the earthquake in Haiti. When you visit MOHH’s page, so many people are wondering how they can volunteer and are praying nonstop for the Haitians,” said Megan Wittenberg, 11.

annieseiple staff writer

photo courtesy of leaf staff

‘Fashion for the Children’

On the night of March 17th the commons of Sycamore will be transformed into a night of fashions on the runway, food by the bite, over 25 baskets full of great items and a fabulous silent auction, features sports

memorabilia from the players themselves. Fashion for the Cure has become a yearly event where the students model fashions, and raise money for a special cause. This year Fashion for the Children is raising money for “The Cure Starts Now” www.thecurestartsnow.org, which is a children’s charity raising

leafFRIDAY February 26, 2010 Volume LVI Issue 7 | 7400 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, 513.686.1770 ext. 3089 | www.goaves.com

the Sycamore

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news bites

Fine Arts WeekendThe 48th annual district art show and Pancake Day is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 6. The bands and orchestras from E.H. Greene, the junior high and high school will be playing throughout the morning.

SEE1 Concert The annual SEE1 concert, featur-ing classical and modern music on electric instruments will be tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the main auditorium.

Yearbook Sales Yearbook prices have been raised to $65 as of Jan. 1. Yearbooks can still be purchased through March 16. Checks and order forms can be turned into room 115.

ReadicideHas assigned reading killed leisure reading?

Readicide: The system-atic killing of the love of reading, often exac-erbated by the inane, mind-numbing prac-

tices found in schools. This is the basis of the book Readicide, written by Kelly Gal-lagher which is currently being read and discussed by a handful of SHS’s English teachers includ-ing Mr. Tom Gaffigan and Mr. Breen Reardon. The book discusses the impor-tance of “reading for fun” and how it is becoming less and less prevalent in the lives and agen-das of high school students. “We realized that we are kill-ing reading for kids by the book choices we make,” said Gaffigan. After Gaffigan conducted a survey with several of his classes, he found the percent of students who actually read the assigned books to be surprising. Out of his AP English students, it was evident that about 90 per-cent of them read 75 percent or more of the assigned books. His academic classes responded with 50 percent. The survey also asked the stu-dents what their favorite books were and if they were read in or out of school, with the majority saying that their personal choices trumped the school’s curriculum. This was enough for teachers to question the types of books they were assigning. “What is the point in assigning a book that no one will read?” said Gaffigan. Reardon found the book’s content to be prevalent which further led him to hand out a packet of ex-cerpts from the book to his students

mariamarballi associate editor

LIKE MANY OF HIS peers, Brad Kohel, 9, has put his “want to read” books on the back burner for his “have to read” books for the sake of the school’s curriculum which is slowly ‘killing his love of reading.’

in hopes that they too, would learn the importance of “reading for fun.” Thus, he and others have de-cided to adopt “silent sustained reading” (SSR), a silent day of reading that students may re-member from their younger years in elementary school. Teachers have considered the fact that the junior and senior cur-riculums are heavy in American classics, novels that high school students are not always in favor of. “I felt the same way in high school,” said Gaffigan. Although it is a core part of the cur-riculum to give the students what they want, they cannot get rid of the base of American literacy in schools despite the opinions of students. “What we can do is be a little more flexible with the books we choose to assign,” said Gaffigan. “With so many distractions to-day, it is easier for kids to just put down a book they don’t like and get on the computer.” After the exposure to Readicide, teachers are reconsidering their book choices and how they will approach their assignments in hopes that students will begin to revisit their love of reading. The book also discussed the correlation between standardized test scores and the amount of time students read for fun. It is evident that reading gives teen-agers exposure to everyday, or not everyday, topics that will in turn ben-efit them when it comes to test time. Thus, teachers are also begin-ning to see that schools may be putting too much emphasis on test preparation, and less empha-sis on “reading for fun.” Whichever way one looks at it, the evidence points that the love of reading among teens is dying and teachers will do what they can to prevent this from happening.

Fashion for the cure; back again with new causerashmiborah editor-in-chief

daniellastar staff writer

See ‘For the Children’, page 3

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Parent conferencesParents can sign up now on Black-board for parent-teacher confer-ences. They will be Thursday, March 4 from 1-7 p.m.

Relay for Life The time is now to begin forming teams and signing up for Relay for Life. (getting info during 6th bell) Contact student co-chairs Emily Boutilier, 12, or Sara Lindsay, 11, for more information. They are still looking for volunteers to help orga-nize the event as well, so any help will be appreciated.

PromThough it may seem like Winter Formal just happened, Prom will be around the corner before you know it. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 17 at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland.

OGT ScheduleBe sure to check out the revised bell schedule for the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) week on page 4. Juniors and seniors who have passed the test will be able to arrive late during the week and the school will oper-ate on a modified schedule.

‘OZZ’ Couples BallThe annual Odd Couples Ball is scheduled for Saturday, March 13. Parents and students alike will be in for a treat with the PTO sponsored event with a Wizard of Oz theme.

NEWS 3-4 SPORTS 18-19FEATURE 10-13SPOTLIGHT 9FORUM 5-6CALENDAR 2 A&E 14-17 SNAPSHOTS 20HUMOR 8ADVERTISEMENT 7

Is a dragon on your list of pets to own in the future?

Find out the Leaf’s pet wish list on page 8

sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday

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SHS Event: 7:30 p.m. Choral Concert

Early Release Day

Daylight Savings Time Begins

End of Third Quarter

First Day of Spring

No School: Spring Break

No School: Spring Break

No School: Spring Break

SHS Event: 6:30 p.m. Odd Couples Dance

SHS Event: 8:00 a.m. Syca-more Band & Orchestra Booster Pancake Day and Fine Arts Fair

SHS Event: 8:00 a.m. Fine Arts Fair

Weird Holiday:Peanut Butter Lover’s Day

Weird Holiday:Pi Day 3.14

Weird Holiday:Roller Coaster Day

Weird Holiday:Make up Your own Holiday Day

Holiday:St. Patrick’s Day

History:Anniversary of the Death of Anne Frank, 1945

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Famous Birthday:Dr. Seuss, 1904

History:First meeting of Congress, 1789

History:Telephone Patent Granted

History:First walk in space

History:Pancakes First Made

History:Coca-Cola was Invented

History:1st paper money issued in 1862

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elizabethhoopes calendar chief

MarchWeird Holiday:Toast Day

news 3friday, february 26, 2010

The Mock Trial team is the only club in SHS where students are allowed to yell, “Objection!” and still be taken seriously. Led by Ms. Holly Schall, social studies teacher, the SHS Mock Trial team is split into two teams:

a Green and Gold. Each is composed of a plaintiff and defense, each with two lawyers and two witness. The team has enlisted the help of lawyers throughout the city to help them with their case. This year, they have received guidance from, Beth Silverman, Trista Portales-Goldberg, Erinn McKee-Hannagan, and Shannah Morris. This case, presented to teams across the state, deals with online privacy. Plaintiff “Alex Leslie” created a blog post-ing class notes and certain derogatory comments about his teacher, “Professor G. Lee” and is suspended for doing so. Although the contents of the case are not real-hence, the “mock”- all of the proponents are incredibly similar to those of a normal trial Mock trial teams from the tri-state congregated at the Hamilton County Courthouse for the first competition, where teams acted out the case as if it were a real trial. “Going down to the court house was really exciting. After practicing for so many months, it was really nerve-racking for it all to come down to that moment. But after my trial was over, I felt really good about it, and I am

drewgelwicks staff writer

s.m.dipali business manager&

‘We have all worked so hard, and I’m glad it paid off’

advances to regional competition

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money for Pediatric Brain cancer, one child at a time. The night will feature authors, Keith and Brooke Desserich who authored “Notes Left Behind,” Featured on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” This is the story of their 7-year-old daughter Elena, who at six years old was diagnosed with brain cancer. During her fight against the disease, she continuously left notes and drawings hidden around the house. Elena Lost her battle with cancer one year later, but her parents kept finding the notes left by her and developed this story to inspire others. Not only will they tell Elena’s story, but they will also be available to autograph the book. The evening will also feature student models showing fashions designed and made by students from SHS. A second show will also feature local stores’ designs that will be auctioned off for the charity. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and VIP seating will be available. For more information, please contact Ms. Deb Klempt at klemtd@sycamoreschools.org.

Fashion for the Cure cont’d

Matt Korn, 12, reCeived a $100,000 scholarship from Hanover College located in Hanover, IN on Thursday, Feb. 18. Two representatives from the school came to present him and his parents with the scholarship. He participated in a competition which included an essay and an interview. After this process, he became one of four students from across the country to receive this prestigious award. Korn is a National Merit Finalist and has a leadership role in Asian Club. “It was exhilarating. I was surprised that the presi-dent would visit me personally,” said Korn.

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really glad I did Mock Trial,” said Sarah Inskeep, 10, a lawyer for the Gold Team defense. At the end of each trial, one witness and one lawyer is awarded ‘Best Witness’ and ‘Best Lawyer’. Recipients of the ‘Best Witness’ award were David Rosen, 10, Drew Gelwicks, 10, and S.M. Dipali, 10. Winners of the ‘Best Lawyer’ award were Simi Barr, 12, Jeffrey Goodman, 12, and Liz Keefe, 12. To be eligible for the regional competition, both the team’s plaintiff and defense side must win their separate trials. The Green team has done so and is now heading to the regional competition, which will be held today at the Clermont County Courthouse in downtown Batavia. “I was so happy when I found out that we made it to the regional competition. We have all worked so hard, and I’m glad it paid off,” said Barr, 10. The Green Team will continue its hard work in the hopes of advancing to the state Mock Trial competition. “I think every single member of both teams should feel very proud and accomplished for what they have achieved this year. The other coaches and I have been thrilled with the teamwork and dedication of all members and hope that the word about Mock Trial will spread and become more recognized in high schools. It is a great learning experience and a lot of fun,” said Silverman. The phrase, “laying down the law,” has taken a whole new meaning thanks to the SHS Mock Trial team.

Mock TrialBi

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This lab science class focuses on current and new technologies used in industry and researchTalk with your counselor today

MoCK triaL CoLLaBorateS, HavinG just completed their second trial. Lawyer advisors discuss with the lawyers and wit-nesses what was good and what can be improved on for the next competition.

For the past few weeks, students and faculty have been pushing to get class scheduling completed for the next school year. On Jan. 26, class meetings were held, in which guidance counselors talked about the new process for online scheduling to underclassmen and talked about gradua-tion with seniors. While the freshman and sophomore meetings went very well, the juniors left their mark when they continued to clap at pauses during as-sistant principal Mrs. Karen Bare’s speech, and the seniors failed to impress with their incessant talking. The following day, freshmen and sopho-mores were given out to lunch passes for their good behavior (most likely a result of the disrespectful behavior by the juniors and seniors). If this was some sort of punishment, the upperclassman showed no signs of remorse. In fact, many jokingly posed this question: how will the under-classmen get rides to go out to lunch? On Jan. 27, students had their class recommendation forms signed by their teachers during each class. “If a student doesn’t agree with their teachers recommendation for their class

next year, then the student will have to fill out a form if they still wish to take that class next year,” said Rose Mitchell, a guidance counselor. Juniors were aggravated to find that they had to schedule their classes online by Jan. 30, because it did not allow them enough time to decide on their classes for next year. Sophomores had until Feb. 10, freshman until Feb. 23, and current eighth graders have until March 9 to schedule their courses online.

“The online schedul-ing has gone pretty well, although there have been a few kinks and we’ve had to utilize a new system,” said Mitchell. Throughout the year, there are always students looking to change their classes, although it is seen mostly after class schedul-ing is finished for the next

school year. “If students wish to switch their classes for next year after they have already been scheduled, students need to meet with their counselors. It is very important for us to meet with you so that the classes next year can be as accurate as possible,” said Mitchell. Overall, the process of scheduling next year’s classes has gone smoothly. Although there will be students who will switch classes, and some that will struggle through the process, the majority of the outcome was a success.

Class scheduling brings confusion, tension, applauseStudents sign up for next year’s classes

sarahjanning staff writer

“The online scheduling has gone pretty well, although there have been a few kinks and we’ve had to utilize a new system. -Mrs. rose Mitchell

4 news friday, february 26, 2010

T he sound of “Ave Ma-ria” echoed through-out the main audito-rium in SHS as seniors Tim

Andrews, Ben Keefe, and Neil Krishnan began their dazzling dance routine. The crowd of nearly 300 cheered loudly and clapped along as the contes-tants showed off their skills. Raising money for the Juve-nile Diabetes

‘Whenever you can identify with a real person, it makes your donation seem more important.’

spencerwurzelbacher staff writer

The demand for blood never lets up. Elizabeth Lothrop, freshman at Mason, is living proof of this. “Normally, we have one of the high-est number of donors in the area,” said Mrs. Kathryn Korchok, senior class coordinator. “The Hoxworth Center depends on our donations a lot.” As soon as sign-up dates are an-nounced for the March 25 annual blood drive, students over the age of 17, or 16 with parental consent, can donate between one and two pints of blood, depending on their height and weight. “Quite simply, giving blood is so important because my daughter would not be alive without it,” said Mr. Randy Lothrop. “She depends quite heavily on other people who make the choice to give.” According to the American Red Cross, there is a 97% chance someone you know will NEED a blood trans-fusion. To meet patients’ needs, the Red Cross must collect over 6 million blood donations each year to give to cancer, sickle cell, leukemia, surgery, and hemophilia patients, as well as premature infants, accident, burn and trauma victims. “Whenever you can identify with a real person, it makes your dona-tion seem more important,” said Mr. Lothrop. From one unit of blood, red blood cells can be extracted for use in trauma or surgical patients. Plasma, the liquid part of blood, is administered to patients with clotting problems. Platelets, the third component of blood that is used from donor blood,

catherinefarist staff writer helps form blood clots when cuts or

other open wounds occur, and are often used in cancer and transplant patients. Cryoprecipitated anti-he-mophilic factor (AHF) is also used for clotting factors. Most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in the bone marrow. This com-monly leads to low levels of white blood cells and platelets, which can sometimes put a person at risk for life-threatening infections or bleed-ing. With leukemia, these blood trans-fusions are crucial in two separate areas: whole blood to relieve the anemia, and platelets to help prevent bleeding with their blood clotting fac-tor, as leukemia patients’ blood can no longer produce these fast enough. “In one transfusion, four pints or units of whole blood—red blood cells and platelets are needed—and this is the common amount,” said Mr. Lothrop. “It’s not even just for the cancer for Lizzy at this point; it’s for the chemo treatments, as they not only kill her cancer cells, but also her good im-mune fighting white blood cells.” The Red Cross estimates that 15% of all blood donors in the United States are high school or college students. Not all the blood types are on the shelf when they are needed, so blood donors of all types are needed to make regular donations to ensure that our community has an adequate blood supply. “I think giving blood is EXTREME-LY important; I wouldn’t be here if people didn’t give blood. I received over ten units of blood in the first couple days I was at the hospital, and I still receive blood, just not as often,” said Elizabeth Lothrop.

Research Founda-

tion (JDRF) alongside Andrews, Keefe

and Krishnan were freshmen Ryan

Gamber and Xavier Jimenez, sophomores Jimmy Chau and Zim Zimmer, and juniors Max Riehe-mann, An-drew Adler and Michael Streicher.

Red Cross seeks donors of all blood types

The contestants displayed their formal wear and answered questions asked by the panel of judges, includ-ing Dr. Adrienne C. James, super-intendent, Ms. Renee Hevia, SHS assistant principal, Ms. Meredith Blackmore, SHS Spanish teacher, and Mr. Gary Gindele, JDRF representa-tive. The Mr. Sycamore hopefuls also

competed in an ice-cream-eating contest.

After all, Mr. Sycamore should have the innate ability

to down a pint of Graeter’s raspberry chocolate chip ice cream, right? In the end,

through all of the sprinkles,

questions and bow-ties, Keefe arose victo-rious as Mr. Sycamore with intense ice-cream-eating skills and dashingly good looks that seemed to sway the panel of judges. “I know everything there is to know about SHS. I’m the right man for this title,” said Keefe, a week prior to the event. The title of Mr. Con-

geniality was captured by Andrews, who managed to bring in over $140 in donations from fellow students during the preliminary

BEN KEEFE, 12, RISES aBovE the competition, and takes the title of Mr. Syca-more, receiving a 100-dollar prize. Living up to his title, Keefe immediately donated his check back to JDRF. Below, Zim Zimmer, 10, Jimmy Chau, 10 and andrew adler,11, compete in the very messy ice-cream-eating contest, won by Adler.

all images by sarah may and ellean zhang

Pageant brings big bucks to JDRF

competition during lunch the week preceding the Mr. Sycamore Pageant. “I exemplify school spirit,” said Andrews, before receiving the title. It appears he was correct, as Mr. Congeniality is given to the crowd favorite. Both Keefe and Andrews were given a check for $100 and $50 respectively—both decided to donate the money to JDRF, bringing the total amount raised to just over $3,400. “The event was a huge success, and we hope to see it take place in the years to come—it’s a great way to raise money for JDRF,” said Josie McKinnon, 12, head-chair of the Mr. Sycamore event.

MR. CoNGENIaLITY WINNER , TIMoTHY Andrews, 12, hugs Mr. Sycamore pageant hostess annie Ramstetter, 12, while answering questions during the interview portion of the competition. Throughout the course of the week prior to the pageant, fans of Andrews’ biceps, smile, and eyes, donated a total of 140 dollars to the JDRF.

Monday

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2nd Bell

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5th bell

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6th Bell

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1st Bell

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10:31-11:34 4th Bell2nd Bell

6th Bell

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Reading Test

Math Test

Writing Test

Science Test

Social Studies Test

1st Bell

2nd Bell

3rd Bell

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5th bell

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7th Bell

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

Lunch (1st 11:34-12:04) (2nd 12:08-12:38)(3rd 12:42-1:12)

Lunch (1st 11:20-11:50) (2nd 11:50-12:20)(3rd 12:25-12:50)

OGT SCHEDULE

• Three million Americans have juvenile diabetes• More than 15,000 chil-dren(40 per day) are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in the U.S, annually • 2010 is the 40th anniver-sary of JDRF’s mission to find a cure for ju-venlie diabetes

Juve

nile

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tes, JD

RF

Forum 5friday, february 26, 2010

the Sycamore

Sycamore High School7400 Cornell RoadCincinnati, OH 45242

Editors-in-chief: Rashmi Borah,Michela TinderaAssociate Editor: Maria Marballi

Mission Statement: The Leaf, the official newspaper of Sycamore High School, serves as an educational tool in the training of student journalists to provide information and editorial leadership concerning school, national, and world issues, to provide a public forum for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints, and to give coverage to news-worthy events directly related to the diverse school population. Editorial Policy: Although students work under the guidance of a professional faculty member, the content is ultimately determined by the student staff and should reflect all areas of student interest, including topics about which there may be dissent and controversy. Students cannot publish material that is obscene, libelous, or will cause “a substantial disruption of the educational process.” Content that may stimulate heated debate or discussion is not included in this definition.

PhotographerJeremy McDanielAdviserCheralyn JardineAbout usProfessional memberships:• Columbia Scholastic Press As-sociation• Journalism Education Association• National Scholastic High School Press Association• Ohio High School Media Association• Ohio Professional Writers (National Federation of Women Writers)• Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honorary

The Leaf operates as an open forum for the healthy, robust exchange of ideas. Opinions expressed in the editorials are those of The Leaf staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged. All letters must be signed. The letters, not to exceed 300 words, may be edited for clarity, spelling, and grammar. Letters may be placed in Mrs. Cheralyn Jardine’s mailbox, dropped off in room 115, or e-mailed to jardinec@sycamoreschools.org. The Leaf reserves the right to decide not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness, and circumstanc-es decided on by the editorial board. In cases that the editorial board decides not to cover a death, letters to the editor in regard to that death will be printed. The Leaf’s complete editorial policies can be found at www.goaves.com. For comments about columns, please write to write-totheleaf@gmail.com

NewsEllean ZhangForumJamie AlemagnoKelsey DrapkinGabe EnglanderFeatureEmma OhJimmy ChauA&ES.M. DipaliEmma RosenSportsBrandon SosnaPaul PescovitzCalendarElizabeth HoopesSpotlight Shivani ParikhGina RomeoSnapshotsRashmi BorahMichela TinderaWebmastersJacob KatzMark Rubeo

CartoonistLilly LeftonStaff WritersDaniel BaylissDenae BelliltiAlexander BergerLina CardenasChad ChessinRishi ChoubeySam ClearyEmily CohenBen DhimanCatherine FaristJane FinocharoDrew GelwicksElise GelwicksEllie GoldmanHannalee GoldmanKelcie GregaSamantha HammerClayton HamreElizabeth HoopesNanki HuraSarah JanningKevin JinBennett Kaplan

Managing Editor: Jake NewtonBusiness Managers: Emily BegleyS. M. Dipali, Kelsey Drapkinleaf

Ben KeefeMoriah KrawecMihir KulkarniStuart LindleAli LopezSarah MayFrank PanOrion RadtkeCasey RayburnDaniel RickertJason RobkeErika RodriguezAnnie SeipleAditi SharmaMatt SlovinChase SpicerDaniella StarGarrett SteinbuchSpencer Wurzelbacher

Kelsey’sConservative

Cornerkelseydrapkin forum chief

staffeditorial

Q:leafing through the masses

Atomic bomb. Just those two words are frightening. Now imagine one of our enemies using one. On the 31 year anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced to the world that the Islamic nation now has nuclear capability and is a “nuclear state”. In his internationally televised announce-ment, Ahmadinejad claimed scientists have successfully enriched uranium to 20 percent. While fuel for a nuclear bomb needs to be enriched to 90 percent or more, they claim they have the capability to achieve this if necessary. “If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it,” said Ahmadinejad. “There is no limit on enrichment. We can enrich up to 100 percent...But we never had the intention and we do not have the inten-tion to do so, unless we need,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organiza-tion of Iran, on the same day. While Iran claims at the current time that they have no intention of building a nuclear bomb, there is no way to predict when they will feel that they “need” to. At this point, we do not have to worry too much that we, as citizens of a country across the ocean, will have to deal with a nuclear strike. Countries in closer proximity, on the other hand, will be on edge as this develop-ment unfolds. The world has known for quite some time that a nuclear Iran would be a dangerous threat to world peace. And when Iran’s leader publicly states that another sovereign nation, Israel, should be wiped from the map, it is clear that other nations must take action. In 2006, President George W. Bush said that “there must be consequences” for Iran’s defiance of demands that it stop enriching uranium. In 2008, then President-elect Ba-rack Obama said that the U.S. must “ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran”. It is clear that neither the sanctions thus far imposed nor the promise of talk and the extension of our hand has been effective in curtailing Iran’s nuclear ambition. This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed concern in a report that Iran may be working to develop a nuclear warhead. This is a startling departure from the idea that Iran abandoned such efforts years ago. The final wake-up call has been delivered. The United States and the world must com-mit immediately to take whatever action is necessary to prevent Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, whether that means using harsh sanctions that finally get their attention or even, if it comes to it, military action. Our foreign policy needs to beef up. We need to stop apologizing for mistakes of the past and realize what is happening. If we keep our eyes shut and keep hoping for the perfect, peaceful world to create itself, we are in for a very rude awakening. “Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!” said Leonardo da Vinci.

Looking back on our days in elementary school we often remember events like playing at recess, school carnivals, and

maybe even a time out or two...or more. Regardless, there are a lot of activities that we grow out of by the time we make it to high school. Trading in one experience for another is not always a bad thing. However, some of the more important aspects of the learning environment seem to get lost in the shuffle as students make their transitions from the elementary to high school and those grades in between. Remember those Scholastic book fairs? Or the times when everyone would run to the book-shelf in the library to be the first to grab the newest Goosebumps novel? There is an indubitable fervor for reading in elementary school that, as most high school English teachers would attest to, becomes somewhat lackadaisical by the twelfth grade. Even the most studious of students can say that by senior year their interest in reading for pleasure has waned. And finally—some teachers at SHS are taking note of that attitude. After two literacy council meet-

ings that have taken place over the last month, many English teachers are coming to terms with what students have been saying for years. English classes teach students how to read in the elementary levels and then bore them with literary works that many dislike so much that they would rather not ever pick up a novel after high school. Perhaps the answer is to in-clude more relevant novels in the curriculum. Some of these books have already been included. Students need to have more time for reading for pleasure. While “Twilight” or “Harry Potter” may not have the same intellectually stimulating at-tributes as “Beowulf” or “Lord of the Flies,” these books still have the ability to increase the reader’s vocabulary and provide more examples of writing style and even grammar. Certainly, we cannot com-pletely throw away our current curriculum, no matter how much some of us may object. The classics that our school teaches are important for reasons of cultural literacy, but incorpo-rating some more relevant titles cannot be too much to ask. We can be glad, however, that teach-ers have decided to look into this issue and begin the motions for change.

Do you think reading at school has spoiled students’ desire to read for fun?

“Yes, because of the excessive amount of reading we have to do at school I really don’t feel like reading at home.

-Kelsey King, 9

“Yes. I still read outside of school, but I would have more time to do so and I would do more of it if we didn’t have to read so much for school.

-Micah Herrington, 10

“No I never really read outside of school, so I am not affected much. -Cody Schwaegerle, 11

“No, I love reading so nothing can really stop me from devouring every book possible. -Annie Xie, 12

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Security: Historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson concocted the idea of a week to honor important black men and women of the past. It was 1926, and to most, the thought seemed nothing short of ridiculous. He chose the second week in February for the tentative date, as it held the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fred-erick Douglass, two key figures in black American history. In 1976, the Bicentennial of the United States, his dream was realized with the coining of February as Black History Month. Many fail to realize the importance of the Black History Month, particularly when it was first created. Prior to that point, black American history was studied solely on the subjects of slavery and economic rank. However, the initiation of Black History Month opened the doors to numerous topics and brought about recognition for some of the most important men and women in American history. If the remembrance is taken for what it is worth, the celebration means a lot. Unfortunately, over the past years the month has been reduced to simply “February.” Critics have complained that if there is no “White History Month,” why should there be a “Black History Month?” On the other side of the spectrum are the supporters of Black History Month, who have provided widespread support. Student unions of all races, around the country, have devoted much time and effort to learn and pay tribute to the memories of black Americans who have permanently left their marks on this nation, despite immense opposition in many cases. “To me, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions of African-Americans to the world,” Kgai Jones, 12. It is important to commemorate the achievements that Afri-can-Americans have accomplished during the past century. Without the continuance of the tradition, the memories of those men and women who devoted their lives to improving our nation are in jeopardy of being reduced to nothingness. Pay tribute to black Americans and do not let Black History Month become just “February” again.

chadchessin staff writer

bennettkaplan staff writer

Black History MonthFebruary honors African-American heritage

‘Christmas Day bombing’ uncovers need for more security, but more money may not be the solution

Several months after the now infamous “Christmas Day Bombing,” many travelers still feel unsafe dur-ing airport travel. Since Umar Farouk Abdumutallib failed to detonate explosives aboard Northwest flight 253 on Christmas day, Transportation Security Admin-istration has gone into panic mode, upping security levels and causing worry among pas-sengers about their safety in airports and aboard airplanes. However, many people feel safe and are frustrated with longer secu-rity lines and other inconveniences that come with heightened security. “My thought is that no matter how much money you spend on security, there is always a way for somebody to get through it with deadly weap-ons,” said Josh Goodman, 10. President Barack Obama has pledged almost $750 billion to pur-chase full body scanners for airports. These proposed scanners are more revealing than current scanners and some see them as a violation of per-sonal privacy. A more productive way to stop terrorism is to borrow an approach

that many other countries use: The Human Factor. This is a security method that has airport security personnel engaging in conversation with travelers and

using intuition to determine if that specific person is a legitimate threat to national security. The people who perform these duties are known as “profilers.” Their job is to spot anything that may seem suspicious or out of the ordinary.

For example, if a traveler was ner-vously walking through the airport with no bag-gage, this might catch the eye of a profiler who could further investigate the suspicious be-havior. Show me a machine that can do that. While some may consider this system to be intrusive, it is the perfect way to improve airport security. America can spend all the money in

the world on full body scanners, but how effective will they really be? Can an airport scanner detect nervous-ness? Can an airport scanner feel suspicion or use intuition? No. Only human interaction can effectively determine whether someone is a security threat. Israel is a country that faces more terrorist threats than perhaps any other. But its airport, Ben Gurion International Airport, is considered one of the safest in the world. Why? Because Ben Gurion airport questions each passenger and uses profiling as a security measure. Unfortunately, this approach to security is very controversial, in part because some see it is as discrimi-nating against specific ethnicities or religions. While “profilers” may use race, nationality, or religion as a

reason to further question someone, they have the secu-rity of our nation in mind. We can continue to use the failing security systems that we have in place now, but how many more failed attacks is it going to take before we as

Americans open our eyes and take a step towards stopping terrorism all together?

“My thought is that no mat-ter how much money you spend on security, there is always a way for some-body to get through it with deadly weapons.

-Josh Goodman, 10

President Barack Obama has pleged almost $750 billion to purchase full body scanners for airports...A more productive way to solve the terrorist problem is to borrow an approach that many other countries use: The Human Factor.

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Walking through the halls of SHS during any given locker break, one is likely to spot couples hold-

ing hands, hugging, or even making-out outside their classroom. While it is each individual’s choice to display their love for their partner, people must consider the thoughts of those who are forced to watch. “It is fine if people want to be on each other, but at school it is just not necessary,” said Mimi Zakem, 11. I am somewhat in admiration of couples who do not care what others think at all, but also slightly appalled that they feel comfortable pub-licly making out. There are teachers around, after all. “It’s 8 o’ clock in the morning, come on now!” said Mrs. Jen Ulland, Dean of Student Life. Our school disciplinary policy clearly defines the limitations. It states, “Students should use good judgment

PDAin showing affection to one another. Any display of affection beyond hold-ing hands is not acceptable.” It is rare that students agree with the rules set by our school, but it seems this rule is accepted by a majority of students. Not only do intimate couples block the hallways, but they seem to be striving to get as much attention as possible. “There are different degrees of PDA. Holding hands is fine, anything else…” said Jamie Thoms, 12. On the other hand, it is quite amusing to watch couples partake in a long embrace, sometimes for as long as three minutes, in between bells. It is as if they are saying good-bye to their loved one before they are departing for war. “I am in a relationship but don’t really show any affection at school. It’s kind of weird to be making out in front of teach-ers,” said Ariana Speridakos, 10. It is fine to hold hands and even give an occasional peck on the cheek, but please couples, save it for later. No student or staff enjoys seeing you grope each other between classes.

How much is too much?elisegelwicks staff writer

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Lion An accent of wealth. Nothing is so luxuriant as the lion. A plush mane and coat beckons guests to be drawn to a sustainable calm and pleasurable atmosphere, while the jaws and claws of the animal shout authority and danger. The lion symbolizes a balance within a household.

Panda The paragon of an ideal lounging buddy. Sit back, relax, munch on bamboo, and throw in “The Godfather,” chill-ing out with a panda is an afternoon never wasted. The panda is a creature of few words, a creature too cool for words; he is a household symbol of peace and comfort. Native to mountainous regions of China, the panda reveres a mellow company. The 300-pound gentle giant is the ultimate pet of leisure and tranquility.

Tiger Beast of the notorious. Suitable for the drug king pin type individual, the tiger is the optimum pet of shock value and intimidation. A tiger needs lavish, silk bedding and a golden cage large enough for the animal to pace, the task of tiger care is not for weak hearted; they are powerful, at times aggressive predators. A tiger symbolizes unhesi-tant, raw power.

Dragon Mystics dream. To fly high into the atmosphere and to cast fire upon enemies, the dragon is archetypal for those fantasy connoisseurs. The dragon might be the most loyal and practical of all the pets but requires tremendous care. A dragon is a symbol of die-hard medieval romanticism and eternal Potter love.

Penguin For those seeking attention. The penguin is as close to portable as an exotic pet reaches. Throw him or her in your backpack and I guarantee you will notice a boost in opposite-sex attention. Ladies, am I wrong? If you saw a guy with a penguin in his backpack, would you not go strike up a conversation? A penguin symbolizes a sleek, extrovert personality and lively, party household.

friday, february 26, 2010

8 Humor

Sarah Spotlight 9

friday, february 26, 2010

RyanSophomore couple dishes about their relationship

Q A with Sarah Inskeep & Ryan Hall, 10Q. How long have you two been together?

A. Two years, three months, and 23 days.

Q. How did you two start dating?A. S: Well I thought he was really cute, and I told his friends that I was interested in him. Then we met at the football game and started dating.

Q. What has been your most memorable date together?

A. Sarah: Ryan and I don’t really go on dates, but one that is most memorable to me has to be when we saw “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” It was just a simple date that I enjoyed. I don’t need all the fancy things to be pleased. Just a good movie and being together is enough.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do together?

A. S: Eat Indian food.

R: We’ve had a lot of good ones; they’re all so hard to choose from.

Ryan: Go to the movies together.

Q. Who knows the other one better?A. S: Ryan knows me better.

R: I definitely agree with that.

Q. Describe your relationship in three words. A. S: Sassy, genuine, humorous.

R: Exciting, open, fresh.

Q. Do you have any nicknames for each other?A. S: I call Ryan the following: Ry Baby, Rye Bread, Googi, and Pooki.

Q. What is the most important aspect of a relationship?A. S: I think the most important aspect in a relationship is communicating. You need communication in order to have trust and loyalty.R: Trust is key. You need to be able to listen. You can only take out of love as much as you put in.

Q. What makes your relationship different from other high school couples?A. What makes us different is that we keep it real; we don’t try to fluff anything up. We’ve been through really rough times together; things that would hinder and affect other couples but have only made us stronger and made our relationship more durable. It’s an open thing, and drama-free, really.

Q. Have you learned anything from being together?

A. S: I’ve learned how to accept differences better, like be more open minded and how to handle our differences and accept them. I have also learned how to have fun and be myself around people who aren’t just my good friends. R: I’ve matured a lot throughout this relationship. Sarah is my first girlfriend, so I have learned a lot from her.

Q. How often are you two together?A. We see each other every day at school, but we usually hang out on Saturday and Sunday too.

Q. What advice do you have for other couples?

A. S: My advice to other couples in high school is to cut the drama. Keep it simple. Things that are genuine and real don’t just come easily; they take time. And for all the single ladies out there: keep it classy, live it up. R: Try to be in relationship with somebody that you can genuinely get along with, and don’t hold anything back. Just be yourself.

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Need more coverage? Visit the feature page at www.goaves.com

Elizabeth Lothrop, 9, at Mason High School was diagnosed with leukemia after spend-ing three weeks with

what was thought to be a stress

Q A with Liz LothropQ. How would you describe your experience with Leukemia?

A. Having Leukemia has really changed my outlook on life. You see who your true friends are, and I have learned to value and appreciate every “healthy, good feeling” day I have. I would sometimes complain about practices and just being too tired, but when I get back to being my old self again, I am going to be happy that I am healthy enough to be playing on the court, and I will not be sitting on a couch unless I have to.

Q. When do you plan on returning to school, and how have you been balancing school currently?

A. Mar. 9, 2010 is when I am planning to go back to school. It is the begin-ning of third trimester. I have my tutor from last year come on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we get in about five hours per week. I do math, which my dad helps me with, and language arts online. I am also thankful for my physical science teacher, who comes to help me because I wouldn’t have passed without him.

Q. How do you feel about all the support?

A. I am honored by all the students and families who come out to sup-port me, which then supports Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What really makes me feel great is that I don’t know more than half of the people who support me, and they still contribute to all the fundraisers we have.

Q. Overall, how has being diagnosed impacted you?

A. Overall, this has impacted me in such a positive way. I have grown a lot closer to family and have really seen who my true friends are. I have met so many great people, and I hope this positive trail continues long after I am cured.

Q. As a Leukemia patient, how do you feel about donating blood?

A. I think giving blood is EXTREMELY important. I wouldn’t be here if people didn’t give blood. I received over 10 units of blood in the first couple days I was at the hospital, and I still receive blood, just not as often.

michelatindera editor-in-chief Students and their parents will be taking a trip to the Land of Oz for the annual PTO sponsored “OZZ Couples Ball” on Saturday, March 13. “I’m really excited for Odd Couples. I hope I have as much fun as in years past,” said Sophie Wall, 12. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for music and appetizers, and though it is not required, students and their dates are encouraged to dress up according to the theme. While some may cringe at the thought of attending a dance with a parent, others are seasoned veterans and have lots of fun spending the evening with their parent. “It’s definitely not awkward going with a parent,” said Jeff Goodman, 12. “My mom and I went freshman year and we had a really fun time.” For those who are not fans of regular school dances, Odd Couples is a completely different experience and should definitely be given a try. Instead of a DJ there is live music performed by a

district favorite, The ReBops which includes Mr. Kevin Mays, assistant principal and Mr. John Alexander, junior high math teacher, among others. Also, along with appetizers at the beginning of the dance, dinner is served in the main gym with dancing following that. “I love Odd Couples because the ReBops are awesome, the decorations are always fantastic, and it’s entertaining to watch the parents dance,” said Christine McLaughlin, 12. Even if you do not plan on attending, volunteers are still needed to help decorate for the dance. Set up and take down is scheduled for March 12, 13, and 14, and volun-teering with decorations is a great way to get hours for National Honor Society (NHS) or Interact Club. Contact Karin Noland at knoland@fuse.net if interested. For first-time attendees remember to bring a camera. There are tons of photo ops with all the decorations around the commons and gym, so they are always fun to pose around with friends.

Liz Lothrop discusses experience

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Hannah Kelp, 12, Liz Lothrop, 10, Ashley Schaefer, 11, and Leah Jordan stop for a photo before watching the Layups for Leukemia basketball game. Both Lothrop and Jordan were honored heroes at the event.

‘I have learned to value and appreciate every ‘healthy, good feeling’ day’

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fracture in her back. When first diagnosed, Lothrop describes the thoughts running through her head as, “shocking, how much longer do I have, and what does this mean?” After experiencing intense radiation and other medical

procedures, Lothrop feels her experience with leukemia is making her stronger. Now, she and her family strongly support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and work to help others with similar blood cancers.

Are you ‘BFF’s for life’? Take the best friends quiz to make sure | page 11

Mandarin opens doors to new worldsLearn about new language offered at SHS| page 13

Dinner, dancing, fun - oh my!‘OZ’ to be theme of Odd Couples Ball

friday, february 26, 2010

10 Feature

hannagoldman staff writer

On Feb. 8 and 11, SHS students may have noticed that the people in the hallways looked a bit, well, shorter than

usual. This may have been because of the eighth-grade tours going on those days. The second tour was originally scheduled to be the Feb. 9, but was rescheduled because of the snow days. The annual visits by incoming freshmen are set up to help them feel more comfortable heading into high school and leaving the junior high. “I’m most impressed by the warm welcome we try to give with the vari-ous groups, they show what we’re all about,” said Mr. Chris Davis, principal. “It takes a lot of effort to organize all the groups that perform, but it is definitely worth it.” When the buses unloaded, the eighth graders were treated to see acts by many activities and clubs, in-cluding the Flyerettes, Touring Com-pany, Improv Aves, Fencing Team, Step Team and an ASL class. Repre-sentatives also spoke from Student Council, Unified for Unifat, Journal-ism, Yearbook and Buffet Club.

The academic counselors were introduced, and staff members in-cluding Mrs. Maggi Cobb-Wessling, Mrs. Valerie Nimeskern, Mr. Dan Buchanan, Mr. Scott Dattilo, and Mr. John Whapham had a chance to talk about their courses or activities. Many upperclassmen helped out, leading tours around the building and pointing out important locations and classrooms. Room 233, ceramics, the nurse’s office, and many others were stops along the tours. For many current SHS students, this is a fulfill-ing and fun experience. “It’s cool to be able to show eighth graders a bit of what they’ll be a part of,” said Kathryn Rosenberg, 12, “Because I remember what it was like, having to learn everything at once.” Other things, like the locations of bathrooms and alternative stairwells, were useful to the incoming ninth-graders, although some appeared to doubt their abilities to find their way around. Some were shown land-marks around school to use as guides for the first few weeks of school. “I really like the signs on the walls that say the different subjects, because it’s helpful to know where you are in the school,” said Emily Callaway, 8.

New Kids

“It’s cool to be able to show eighth graders a bit of what they’ll be a part of, because I remember what it was like having to learn everything at once.

-Kathryn Rosenberg, 12

Mallory on Laura:

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Most embarrassing moment: N/A Real Answer: Scoring a basket for the other team in 3rd grade...still haunts me

Biggest fear: Death by fire Real Answer: Death by fire

Guilty pleasure: Chicken!!! Real Answer: Musicals!

Song played too much on their i-pod: Bad Romance?!? Real Answer: Salty Eyes by the Matches

If they were a worm, they would be: Five dollar foot long! Real Answer: Five dollar foot long!

A saying they say a lot: Wuddup shawty? / Get it! Real Answer: Get it/ Whattup shawty, and occasionally Hey Gangsta

Most embarrassing moment: At Steak n’ Shake with Neil Krishnan, (12). She tried to hit me with a straw, ac-cidentally blew it into some random guy . Real Answer: Tripping in front of my entire acting class on my face!

Biggest fear: Throwing up…. Don’t judge me Real Answer: Throwing up

Guilty pleasure: Texts from last night (website) Real Answer: Texts from last night (website)

Song played too much on their i-pod: Best of Both Worlds by the one and only Miley Cyrus Real Answer: Best of Both Worlds by the one and only Miley Cyrus...Judge me.

If they were a worm, they would be: Five dollar foot long! Real Answer: Five dollar foot long!

A saying they say a lot: Meow!/Presh/Don’t judge me Real Answer: Meow/Presh

Laura on Mallory:Mallory on Laura:

How well do they know each other?Mallory Condron,11, and Laura Birckhead,11 test BFF knowledge

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linacardenas staff writer

Helping out

feature 11friday, february 26, 2010

Voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’

Twelve years ago, Camie Jensen took SHS by storm. Captain of the tennis team, senior class president, heavily involved in the Spanish department, as well as maintain-ing excellent grades, this senior was voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ Currently, she goes by the last name of Christensen, and lives in Minneapolis, with her three kids and husband. But to get her there, a lot has happened. After graduating high school, in the approximate top 7 in her class, she went to Brigham Young University with a full ride scholarship, where she got her degree in spanish teaching. Two years ago, in 2007, she planned the 10 year reunion for the class of 1997. “I was a little anxious about what people would think of my accomplishments, and if I had lived up to that title. But everything was fine, and I don’t think I let anyone down.” During an interview, Christensen was asked to what she attributes her success. “I had many goals – I knew the steps that I needed to take to go where I wanted. I did what I had to do to get where I wanted, and stayed focused. This still helps me now, twelve years after high school,” said Christensen. After all these accomplishments, where is she today? “Now, I am working to be a successful mother. I am liv-ing the life I have always wanted to live, and I’m happy with where I am, and the path and direction I’m taking,” said Christensen. Camie’s brother, Andrew Jensen, 12, will graduate this school year.

‘I did what I had to do’ Most sophomores are preoccupied with getting their drivers license, or an upcoming test. That was not the case for Robert Lesan, class of 1997, and voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ “In my sophomore year, I started my own internet service provider company that sold dial-up accounts to consumers who wanted to use a modem to connect to the internet. We also developed and hosted websites for small businesses,” said Lesan. Lesan has not strayed from SHS. He is currently a law-yer at Keating Muething & Klekamp in Cincinnati, and has been there for the past four and a half years. After graduating from SHS, Lesan went on to Ohio State University where he got his degree in economics in merely three years. “After OSU, I went on a church mission to Hong Kong for two years. After that, I went to Brigham Young University, where I got my law degree,” said Lesan. Lesan was asked to what he attributes his success. Did he think it was discipline, raw intelligence, or social skills. “Intelligence is the least important. So far, in my career, hard work and social skills have been the biggest help to my success. When I got into the ‘real world’ I saw how many other elements are needed to be successful. It wasn’t just about acing the test anymore,” said Lesan. After accomplishing so much in his life, he is still work-ing “All of this is just part of my success. I would consider my biggest success so far my family of my wife and two kids,” said Lesan.

‘This is just part of my success’ Not so long ago, Ronjan Sikdar, walked the halls of SHS. As a graduate of the class of 2000, he, along with Christine Santos, were voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ “I was surprised to learn I was voted that. There were so many others that I thought had potential,” said Sikdar. He competed in many math competetions while at SHS, while also being heavily involved in the orchestra depart-ment. After he graduated, Sikdar moved on to Carnegie Mel-lon, where he majored in business. He now works at the Nielsen Company, where he is a senior research analyst in the online division. “Carnegie Mellon’s business division tries to steer you into careers like finance. I wanted a job I would actually enjoy, so I took the job with less money, because I knew I would be happier,” said Sikdar. To be the most successful out of a few hundred is a very hard task to accomplish. “We’re all in the same boat. Anyone of my classmates could flame out or come out of nowhere and reach tremen-dous success. But, I don’t think I have fulfilled my notion of succeeding. If I could go back to high school, and see where I am now, I would be happy. But, you always need to keep working. It’s a never-ending cycle,” said Sikdar. Though he currently lives in New York City, he is able to come to Cincinnati as a part of his job somewhat fre-quently. “As long as you have options, do what you want to do, because in the long run, it’s more important to be happy,” said Sikdar.

‘It’s more important to be happy’

drewgelwicks staff writer

Robert Lesan, Class of ‘97 Camie Jensen, Class of ‘97 Ronjan Sikdar, Class of ‘00

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“He [Rob] was a very talented writer and analytical thinker. He had a great ability of interpreting topics. He also got a five on the AP [American] Exam.-Mrs. Rosemary Ennis, history teacher “Camie spent two summers

teaching in Mexico in an impoverished village. She slept on a pile of corn husks and had no electricity, but loved every second. -Andrew Jensen,12 “Ronjan was a very talented

musician and a great leader. He was a very intelligent and likeable young man who was talented in so many areas. -Mr. David Smarelli, orchestra director

Every year, the senior class votes on their senior superlatives. ‘Best Dressed,’ ‘Cutest Couple,’ and ‘Mr. and Mrs. Sycamore,’ are among these. Along with them is ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ To get this nomination is a very high honor, for

it means their peers acknowledge their aptitude for suc-cess. But what happens after they walk out of the doors of SHS? Do they go on to achieve immense success? Or do they crumple and fall? After years of being on their own and away from SHS,

three graduates look back at their times at SHS and the path they have taken since. They confront the question of whether they actually did achieve the title of being, ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’

Where they are now

12 feature friday, february 26, 2010

There are many foreign lan-guages offered at SHS that every student has the choice to take. The newest language now available to take is Man-

darin Chinese. In China there are alot of different dialects, the two main dialects being Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin is most commonly spoken in China. Unlike English, Mandarin does not have an official alphabet. Instead it has a series of characters that all mean a different word. You need to know at least two thousand of these characters just to read a Chinese paper. “I took Mandarin because I was already taking French, so I thought that it would be interesting to take a different language. I also wanted to learn more about Chinese culture,” said Amy Gordon, 12. Most of the students who are taking Mandarin Chinese are really enjoying the class and are improving every-day. Most students can now read, write, and speak entire introductions. “I am very surprised that the stu-dents can already communicate with me in complete sentences without using any English,” said Wu Lao Shi, Chinese teacher. Wu is the first to introduce Chinese as a second language to SHS. “I really like our teacher, when she is speaking Chinese she is always acting out what she is saying which helps us learn better,” said Dallas Burris, 12. Chinese has grown very popular in the last decade and SHS is one of the first schools to teach it. “Mandarin Chinese will grow and will become as popular as all the other languages that are being taught,” said Wu.

Mandarin’s Benefits Before the beginning of globaliza-tion learning a new language was just something students did for fun. For example, teenagers who learned Spanish, French, German or even Latin, did not typically use those languages after they graduated from high school. Recently, however, Chinese has be-come the language of choice in high school and colleges, SHS is one of the lucky schools who offer Mandarin.“Though Chinese characters look so complicated and hard to learn, if you are fluent in it I think that it could

kelciegrega staff writer

be very helpful in the future,” said Aaron Ishida, 9. Taking Mandarin and mastering the language opens doors to almost one fifth of the world’s population. Besides China there are many Chi-nese speakers in Singapore,Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Brunei, Thailand, the Philippines, Russia, the USA, Vietnam, Laos, UK and Mauritius. Learning to be fluent in Chinese will be important to people in the business world who may want to ex-pand their business to new consum-ers in Asia. “I think Mandarin Chinese will be very useful for me in the future, especially when looking for a good college to get accepted into,” said Angela Lee, 9. China has also started to face a breakthrough in economic advances since the beginning of the 21st cen-tury. “Chinese will become very popular and its economy will grow. Students in this program will have so many opportunities in the future.” said Wu.

Globalization Mandarin Chinese is booming in schools all across the United States It has slowly started to climb up in popularity. Major international companies will soon have much use in Mandarin. “It will become the new business language,” said Christine Lu, 9 Its rise in popularity has become very noticeable in recent years. China is much larger than the United States so it is no surprise that over one fifth of the world’s population already speaks it. China’s economy is also growing stronger every day. “As China’s economy grows, I believe that Mandarin will soon lead to be a major spoken language,” said Lu. The United States is not the only country that Mandarin may perhaps dominate. Mandarin has replaced many dialects, becoming the language of the younger generation in China. It is slowly but surely replacing the Can-tonese dialect in the southern most parts of China. Although Mandarin has seemed to slowly take over as one of the main international Languages spoken, it is unlikely that it will overpower English anytime soon.

photo by kelcie grega

Reasons to take Chinese:1. The Chinese economy is the fastest growing economy in the world, and so in the work environment even speaking a little Chinese will give you a competitive edge.

2. There are more native speakers of Chinese than any other language, nearly 1/4 the world’s population.

3. Knowing the written language will open up the culture of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

4. It will open up so many doors when applying for college.

5. Lastly, it is fun. You will enjoy the experience of learning another language.

Pictograms:Before the Chinese characters people see today, pictograms were used as a form of writing and com-munication. A lot of Chinese characters started out as pic-tures as seen to the left. As time went by, the pictures started to evolve over many years to the regular script seen today.

Mandarin opens new doors Benefits of learning Mandarin, how it will help in the future

Oracle bone script Seal Script Script seen today

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‘‘Dear John’ reviewsappy romance does not entertain | pg 14

A&Efriday, february 26, 2010 michela’s

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michelatindera editor-in-chief

For comments on this column, please write to WritetoTheLeaf@gmail.com

I feel like a lot of times I am the last person to as some would say, “ar-rive to the party.” I suppose it runs in my family. My dad had finally gotten the chance to see said movie (released on Aug. 17, 2007) for the first time. And while this would normally not be a problem, it starts to become one when the movie quotes and references pop up as many times as the rest of the world is making “The Hangover” and Lady Gaga com-mentary. Unfortunately, I have the same problem. When I discover some-thing, regardless of when the rest of the general population found out about it, I have the ability to go on about endlessly—hence, this column. Two of my most recent addictions, that I also seem to be several years late on, include: “One Tree Hill” and StumbleUpon.com. I have said this to many of my friends, and I will say it again. Sit down and watch two episodes of “One Tree Hill” and you will be hooked for life. I came across it a few weeks ago on SoapNet when I should have been studying for exams. It is on every afternoon at 3 and 4 p.m. The episodes run in order, so it is very easy to follow along. StumbleUpon.com was created in 2001 and has grown to be a compa-ny worth over $75 million. You can set up an account and check boxes of topics that interest you. Then, just hit “stumble” to begin your quest into the unknown realms of the world wide web. They range from things like sports to humor to the environ-ment to music. Just a few examples of web sites I was able to “stumble upon” included one called “Death by caf-feine.” I was required to enter my weight and then select from a list of over one hundred beverages to find out how many bottles/cans I would have to drink in order to die from a caffeine overdose. In case you were wondering: I would need 175.93 cans of Diet Coke, 57.5 bottles of 5-Hour Energy, or 49.48 cans of Rockstar to kick the bucket. I also stumbled upon inudge.net. It is a site where you can, with the simple drag of your mouse, drop some really sick beats. All the directions you need are on the home screen and there are eight different beats available to blend to-gether. It is quick and easy and you can save any of the beats you make. I think I see the next Timbaland… All stumbles are recommended by other users which go into a database and are tracked and suggested to you by the web site to best fit the other web sites you have visited and “liked” and your topic selectors. StumbleUpon.com is able to reach into the furthest depths of the world wide web to bring you entertain-ment you would probably never think to look for on your own on Google. So while I may have arrived a bit late to these parties—OTH’s first episode premiered in 2003 and StumbleUpon.com was founded in 2001—the fact that these forms of entertainment are still around and able to grab my attention, must say something about their quality.

In life, often we are too busy to enjoy the beautiful things. With jobs, projects, home-work, and family responsibilities, we forget to sit back and just enjoy all that Cincinnati has to offer. The Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend, on Feb. 20-21, provided the perfect opportunity to do so. Whether it be music, dance, storytell-ing, theatre, or painting, the Fine Arts Fund weekend had an event for everyone, and more importantly it was free. The 360 degree experience of arts started Saturday and con-tinued through Sunday, with events scattered throughout the greater Cincinnati area. “Lately, I’ve been rather short on money, and the Fine Arts Weekend was the perfect opportunity to have a good time,” said Tay-lar Ventura, 11.

Ever wondered what to do with those witty poems jotted down on the back of a restaurant napkin or that short story that was just too creative to turn in to a language teacher? “Leaves of

Thought” provides a solution. As the school’s literary magazine, “Leaves of Thought” provides an outlet for students and teachers to have their pieces published and distributed throughout the school. Although the magazine has primarily fea-tured creative writing pieces in the past, non-fiction, fiction or short stories, and poetry are also accepted. In addition, artwork, including photos, paintings, or drawings, are welcome. Students and teachers wishing to have their works of writing or art featured in the maga-zine must submit their pieces to Clayton Ham-re, 10, editor-in-chief of “Leaves of Thought.” “I think it [the “Leaves of Thought”] will allow people to see all the different writ-ing styles that students and teachers have at Sycamore High School, and will encourage more people to write,” said Hamre. Hamre, as well as Ms. Christine Minano, English teacher and faculty advisor, select pieces for the Spring 2010 issue, and hope to include at least one entry from each student or teacher meeting the requirements. “I feel like it is important to give students this opportunity to have their creative work published because it builds their confidence, and it is a terrific opportunity to share their talents and insights with the entire Sycamore community,” said Minano. While a specific release date of the issue has not yet been determined, the magazines will be sold for one dollar a piece. “I think the ‘Leaves of Thought’ is a really great way to help students express them-selves and to show off their writing skills,” said Samantha Siler, 9, who looks forward to the magazine’s distribution. Writers and artists, students and staff-mem-bers, napkin-doodlers and closet poets, do not throw away that wonderful work of art yet, for it is not too late to submit pieces for the “Leaves of Thought.” Remember, digital copies are preferred.

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Spring movies extremely diverse from action flicks to freaky children’s clas-sics | pg 15

Events were held at Montgomery‘s City Hall and Raymond Walters college in Blue Ash, so you did not have to venture far to enjoy Cincinnati’s fine arts. Raymond Wal-ter’s featured the Cultural Centre of India: Passage to India-from Ancient to Bollywood. It explored high energy Bollywood dances that got the crowd moving, as shown in the picture above. “I was particular excited by all of the dance classes that were available for free, like the YMCA’s beginner African dance class,“ said Ellie Caldwell, 12. Other fun activities included: Hispanic food and dance at the Su Casa Hispanic cen-ter and local indie music at the Clifton Cul-tural Art Center. The point being, from paint-ing to dancing or Ohio’s oldest brick house and museum it was all free and available to the public. It was a wonderful showcase of all of the international cultures in Cincinnati.

Fine Arts Weekend displays talents of CincinnatiansInternational cultural events showcased

stuartlindle staff writer

eaves of Thought’ allows for student creativityiterary magazine provides outlet for SHS

nankihura staff writer

Victor Hu, 10, concentrates on his writing. Hu submitted his piece to “Leaves of Thought,” which will come out in the spring. The magazine will be sold for one dollar a piece.

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Boy meets girl. Girl plays hard to get. Boy wins her over. Cue whirlwind romance. Tragedy ensues. Tears are shed. An angst-filled reunion occurs. More tears are shed. They eventually reconcile. Add a pinch of autistic father, a dash of 9/11, a sprinkling

of cancer, and a heaping mound of cliché and you have the recipe for “Dear John” down pat. And so continues the endless cycle of Nicho-las Sparks’ film adaptations. Yes, Channing Tatum (John) was especially nice to look at it. And yes, Amanda Seyfried (Savannah) was charming as ever. But the characters they played lacked an immense amount of emotional depth. Sparks failed to give his characters dimension. In fact, they seemed rather stereotypical. Savannah was about as dull as a character can be. She was por-trayed as a selfless, determined young woman who apparently narrated her life via an inner monologue of streaming curse words. From that perspective, she sounds attention-grabbing. But it was her predictability, her conventional dialogue, and her not so subtle vul-nerability that made her a pretty weak female character. In one part of the movie, Savannah defends her betraying actions by screaming about how it was just as hard being away from John as it was for John being away from her and at war. Oh yeah, I am sure the third-world countries, unfamiliar languages, dangerous situations, and overall fight for survival was trivial com-pared to her intense suffering at a posh university. And did I mention John just happened to get shot twice in the back? But of course that is a mere picnic compared to the life of Savannah, the Mother Teresa of our age. All rants aside, this movie lacked the je ne sais quois that was so eloquently expressed in “The Notebook.” The really poignant aspect of the movie was John’s autistic father, played by the brilliant Rich-ard Jenkins. He skillfully took on a role that cannot be an easy one to conquer. This movie was saved by the beautiful scenery and the occasional touching moment. Do not expect to be blown away, or even to need more than a couple tissues. But cynics, beware; the sheer cliché of this movie will have you rolling your eyes and pulling at your hair. Clas-sic Sparks.

“Two weeks. That’s all it took for me to fall for you.” After hearing that line in every “Dear John” commercial out there, I guess I should have expected it. To all of the skeptics of “Dear John,” your worst fears are true. The movie embodies the word cliché. But, then again, most romances written by Nicholas Sparks do. “Dear John” follows Sparks’ playbook to the T. Director Lasse Hallström stayed true to the basics of every Sparks novel and cast two very pretty people: Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. Unfortunately, “Dear John” proves that beauty really is often only skin-deep. Tatum (who could have been cast merely for his body) plays the stoic Special Forces soldier, John Tyree. Seyfried plays the role of Savannah, the seemingly selfless rich girl who captures John’s at-tention. Inevitably, the two fall madly in love; “in two weeks” to be exact. Then of course, reality rears its ugly head into the situation, forc-ing John and Savannah to be pushed apart by circumstances and obligations beyond their control. John goes to war. Savannah goes to school. Love letters are writ-ten. Did I mention the word cliché? Equipped with scenes of death and heartbreak, the time after their epic romance plays out as if it were some long music video. And when the tearjerker of a music video finally ended, I found myself asking, “Wait, that’s it?” In the end, “Dear John” delivers as much as any Sparks product could. The movie is certainly unafraid of wearing its heart on its sleeve. In fact, “Dear John” welcomes the cliché, because, quite frankly, it sells. Some will hate it because of that, and yet others will love it for the same reason. And for those I will say: “Dear John” will earn your approval, along with your tears.

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ginaromeo spotlight editor

s.m.dipali a&e chief

emmarosen a&e chief

System The Leaf uses this rating system1- Don’t Waste Your Money5- Pre-Order Your Tickets A.S.A.P.

Rating: 2

If there is one thing in this world that I value more than a great album, it is a great film. Ask anyone who knows me, I am a sucker for cinematography and a well-written script. I find myself quoting movies several times a day. It is actually kind of sad. A soundtrack must capture every bit of emotion portrayed in a scene in order to be effective. And believe me, that is a tougher feat than it sounds. Thus, I have put together a list of the “cream of the crop” of movie sound-tracks. I highly recommend not only checking out these albums, but the films as well, they are some of my favorites. “Garden State:” Writer, director, and star of the movie, Zach Braff, personally chose and compiled this soundtrack his self. It then won a Grammy in 2005 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Vi-sual Media. Well done Braff, well done. Songs by artists like The Shins, Simon and Garfunkel, and Frou Frou, are only a few of the many musical gems in this film. My personal favorite is Iron and Wine’s melancholy cover of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.” “Almost Famous:” Much like “Garden State,” this Cameron Crowe film was awarded a Grammy for its soundtrack in 2001. Brimming with classic rock hits by bands like The Who, The Allman Broth-ers Band, Led Zeppelin, and many more, this soundtrack fits the movie like a glove. A personal favorite in the journalism room, Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” is one of the best tracks. “(500) Days of Summer:” The film kicks off the opening credits with Regina Spektor’s “Us.” And it only gets better from there on. From the Smiths, to Feist, to star Zooey Deschanel’s band She and Him, “(500) Days of Summer” has one of the best soundtracks I have heard. “A Hard Day’s Night:” Being a die-hard Beatles fan, it is hard for me to pass up the opportunity to praise their music. This movie is a classic, a token from the Beatles’ prime, their plain suits and matching bowl cuts days. Songs like “If I Fell,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and the movie’s theme, rightly named “A Hard Day’s Night” are personal favorites.

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16 a&e friday, february 26, 2010

neak peekpring film season highly anticipated by many

So 2009 has gone, and with it, the recent slew of award-bait movies.

We will have to wait until summer for more anticipated films like "Iron Man 2" to arrive. However, in the com-ing months there are still some things to look forward to.

alexberger staff writer

Director Tim Burton has always had a gift for cinema-tography and darkly imaginative settings. This makes him an ideal choice to head the new adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland." The previews for this movie look great and the cast includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter. This movie shows a lot of promise. Premieres March 5.

The latest movie of acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, this is his first foray into the horror genre. A few early reviews have come back positive, and given the average quality of this director’s work, this looks to be one of the best movies coming out in the next few months. Premieres Feb. 19.

The previews make it look like “Rush Hour,” but with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. Also, it is directed by Kevin Smith, of “Clerks” and “Jay and Silent Bob” fame. Premieres Feb. 26.

Also coming soon:

“Clash of the Titans”- April 2Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes

emma and gina

On Friday Feb. 26, at 7:30 PM, Sycamore’s own electric ensemble SEE1 will be performing at their much anticipated yearly concert. Students may have gotten a glimpse of the group at the variety show, the orchestra’s winter concert, or at the last pep rally. However, what students may not have seen is the group practicing from 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday night since Sept. Five years ago, Mr. David Smarelli, the director of SEE1, brought together orchestra students to create the first high school electric band in Cincin-nati. Since then, the concert has been sold out every year. Famous musicians such as Mark Wood from the trans-Siberian orchestra and Alex Depue, a U.S. fid-dling champion have attended past concerts. “It’s amazing that students in our school that are so talented have played at a level with professionals,” said Mrs. Valerie Nimeskern, social studies teacher. However, this year’s concert will be different. For the first time, the group will be performing without a guest. “Hopefully it does not affect the turnout,” said Smarelli, “this group has put a lot of work into this.” Hoping to impress at their con-

cert, SEE1 will be playing songs by Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles. “There are also going to be original compositions,” said Smarelli, “In fact, I will also be performing with the group on violin.” “It is going to be a lot of fun,” said Jack Henning, 10, bass player, “I am really excited to play.” Henning, along with other SEE1 members Nick Triantos, 12, guitarist, and Dan Seibert, 9, drummer, also competed in the Battle of the Bands competition as Alpyne, the space metal group. “If people had fun at Battle of the Bands then I think they will enjoy this concert too,” said Henning, “Hanging out with friends, listening to music. Plus, you get to see Nick Trilantos bob his head and see his hair wave.” Along with senior keyboardist Rashmi Borah, 12, it is the last year Triantos will be in the group before going to college. It may also be the last time that students can see them play. Like Henning, Triantos, Borah, and Seibert, fellow students Konnor Montchai, 9, Ben Fryxwell, 9, Victor Hu, 10, Natasha Warikoo, 10, Olivia Smith, 10, and Deborah Wu, 10, will also be performing. Tickets will be on sale for five dol-lars at sbob.org or at the door. All students and staff are welcome to come.

‘This group has put a lot of work into this’

SEE1 prepares to rock out for sold-out audience, de-spite lack of guest artistrishichoubey staff writer

lina+orion=eternal love

“Help me find love...” -Emma Oh

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“Repo Men”- Mar. 19Jude Law and Forest Whitaker

“Bounty Hunter”- Mar. 19Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston

Do you belong on ‘Jersey Shore’?

‘We’ll be fist-pumpin’ all summer long’

Need more ‘Shore’?

Test your trivia knowledge of Jersey Shore. Are you the ul-timate guido/guidette or a mere tourist to the shore? Take this quiz to find out. (adapted from MTV.com)

IF YOU ANSWERED

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Once upon a summer eight self-proclaimed “guidos” and “guidettes” decided to live together in a house on the Jersey Shore. A few months later, their summer fun was broadcast on national televi-

Meet the cast of MTV’s hottest show to hit the airwaves since the original “Real World.” Clockwise from top left the cast is: Mike “The Situation,” DJ Pauly D, Ronnie, Vinny, Angelina, Nicole a.k.a. Snooki, Sammi, and Jenni a.k.a. Jwoww.

When the web speculation, discussion of a potential second seasonand count-less reruns are not enough to satisfy your ‘Shore’ cravings, be sure to check out these other hotspots.

Ultimate lines from ‘Shore’

‘We’ll be fist pumpin’ all summer long...’

“This situation is gonna be indescribable you can’t even describe the situation that you’re about to get into the situation.”- Mike, The Situation

“My ultimate dream is to move to Jersey, find a juiced, hot, tan guy and live my life.”- Snooki

“Hater juice is best served cold”- Mike, The Situation

“I feel this job is beneath me. I’m a bartender. I do great things.”- Angelina

“I left the club early because I didn’t want to cheat on my boyfriend. And I felt like eating ham and drinking water.”- Jenni, Jwoww

http://www.unlikely-words.com

Jersey shore Name Generator

“Being an Italian American, I find the show to be of-fensive. I feel as though the cast members are portray-ing themselves as bad people while at the same time disgracing their culture, even if they say they do not mean to.

-Nick capozzoli,12

Italian-American backlash

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check out facebook for more fun applications to do with Js.

There is a situation developing into a sec-ond season on MTV, one that should not be ignored. Numerous outrageous state-ments, steroid-fueled overreactions, and unreasonably flaunted macho physiques,

and that just describes Mike ‘The Situation’ Sor-rentino. Jersey Shore truly has it all. Just a few episodes into the reality program’s pilot season, one room-mate became overwhelmed and left the shore house, two entered a stable (defined incredibly loosely in this instance) relationship, and quickly, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, made an impression as the housemate that may party just a bit too hard. Watching an episode, one finds themself won-dering if humans can in fact act in this ridiculous manner. “I go to the Jersey Shore every summer, and what’s amazing is that if you actually go to Sea-side Heights, where the show is filmed, the people

are actually somewhat like that,” said Keith Diederich, 12. This type of television is not intended for seri-ous viewing, and certainly not for its structure or cinematic value. Approached with a slightly sarcastic mood, Jersey Shore easily becomes a classic, joining the ranks of MTV’s own “The Real World” and VH1’s “I Love New York.” Without a doubt, it is worth it to sit back and at least attempt to sit through a concise, one-hour episode. Everyone else in America seems to be watching, as ‘Shore’ has gained an expansive following to the point where ‘The Situation’ is garnering $10,000 as an appearance fee. After all, there is no reason to hate on the show. As ‘The Situation’ so eloquently de-scribes himself in what is sure to become a modern-day adage: “You can hate on me all you want to, but what can you possibly say to somebody who looks like Rambo, pretty much, without his shirt off?” How can that logic be argued with? With that, take a peek at some of the more intricate pieces of MTV’s reality masterpiece, including how to imitate the cast’s infamous dance move.

2-3 correctly You still watch the show but are not as into it as you could be. Perhaps becoming a ‘guido’ is not your goal in life after all.

0-1 correctly It seems you are not quite up to date on ‘Shore’s’ latest happenings. Maybe tuning in to the next new episode would not be such a bad idea.

4-5 correctly You are an expert on Jersey Shore. Hon-estly, you are more on this show than Vinny is. Jersey Shore Season 2 here you come.

5. You’re on the dance floor and your move of choice is:a. The Jerkb. The Fist pump c. The Pelvic thrust d. The Booty pop

sion for all to see. While some just see the show as a representation of the degeneration of American youth, many Italian-Americans have taken an especially sensitive viewpoint to the show.

1. J-WOWW tried to fight her attraction to Pauly D with the help of this late night snack: a. Salami and beerb. Pickles and sodac. Ham and a bottle of water d. Italian sausage and wine

2. Which one of the guys has been rockin’ an ‘I Heart Hot Moms’ tee in his confessionals? a. Ronnieb. Mike ‘The Situation’c. DJ Pauly D d. Vinny

3. What is the name of Danny the Landlord’s souvenir shop? a. Shore Storeb. Tees by the Seac. Mr. T’s d. Shirt Shack

4. Ronnie introduced the roomies to a drink he had in-vented. What was the name of that concoction? a. Ronnie’s Panty Removersb. Shore Slusheec. RonRon Juice d. Punch Drunk Love

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michelatindera editor-in-chief

paulpescovitz sports chief

emilycohen staff writer

rishichoubey staff writer

ilanavinnik staff writer

sarahmay staff writer

& &

& &

answers: 1.)c 2.) d 3.) a 4.) c 5.) b

a&e 17friday, february 26, 2010

Take aHike

brandonsosna sports chief

For comments on this column, please write to WritetoTheLeaf@gmail.com

After 13 consecutive GMC titles, the SHS boys swim team failed to win the title in back-to-back years. This year they regained the title in an authoritative fashion.

A weekend mixed around due to snow, the meet, originally planned for Saturday, Feb. 6 was postponed until Sunday, Feb. 7. The date change did not matter to the team. “The date move did not bother us at all; we stayed focus on the day off. We had practice and stayed loose. We were ready to swim fast and ultimately win on Sunday,” said Chris Culin, 12.

Dominating opponents No other school in the GMC came close to SHS. Mason, who was the second place team, was 93 points behind SHS including diving. “It feels real nice to finally hand one to Mason. They have been taunting us since they entered the GMC two years ago, it feels great to get them back,” said Manuel Gutier-rez, 11, who won both the 200 IM and 100 freestyle. To start the meet off, the medley relay of Jose Cerda, 11, Matt Schramm, 11, TJ Biddle, 12, and Culin placed second. Fairfield won the medley relay.

“It was a little disappointing that relay did not win. We were the number one seed and we did not live up to expectations,” said Culin. In the 200 freestyle, Steven Winkler, 11, Ben Keefe, 12, and Patrick Aguilar, 9, placed second, third, and fourth respectively. In the 200 IM, Gutierrez won, while Thom-as Norris, 10, placed fourth. In the next event, Culin and Schramm placed fourth and eighth respectively in the 50 free. Keefe, Biddle and Aguilar went third, fourth, and fifth respectively in the 100 but-terfly. In the next event, the 100 freestyle, the team also had three top ten placers. Gutier-rez won the event, Culin placed fourth and Cerda placed tenth. The team also had two tenth place finishes in the 500 freestyle. Norris placed second while Charlie Fry, 9, placed sixth. The 200 freestyle relay of Gutierrez, Win-kler, Culin, and Keefe was the only relay that was not the number one seed coming into the meet. The relay ended up winning the race by over 1.5 seconds. “We were expected to finish second and we ended up blowing every team out of the water,” said Winkler. The final two individual events, the 100 backstroke and 100 breastroke also went well for the team. SHS placed fourth, fifth, sixth

and eighth in the backstroke with Cerda, Winkler, Stephen Ioas, 9, respectively.

Sustaining success In the most surprising showing of an SHS swimmer all day, Schramm placed second in the 100 breastroke. Lenny Bressler, 11, and Jonathan Segar, 9, also placed sixth and ninth respectively. In the final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, also known as the team’s signature relay, SHS dominated nearly every leg of the race. The relay team of Norris, Winkler, Keefe, and Gutierrez defeated Princeton, the second place team, by over two seconds. “That relay capped off the title. Once we saw that relay win, we knew the title was back to where it belongs,” said Culin. The championship season continue on. Sectionals are the next step for the state bound team. Sectionals were held on Friday, Feb. 12 with Districts, the next step in the road to state held one week later on Feb. 19. The OHSSA Swimming and Diving Cham-pionships are Feb. 26-27 and are the final step in a long road for seniors Keefe and Culin. Both have been swimming for over a decade and State will be their final meet. “It is a championship season. As for Ben and me it is a bittersweet ending to a success-ful career for both of us,” said Culin.

benkeefe staff writer

GMC CHAMPSBoys swim team regains GMC Title with dominating championship meet performance

Girls basketball team looks towards postseason

After starting off strong, win-ning nine of their first ten games, the team has cooled off, losing close games to Princeton, Mason, and Lakota West. The team lost to Lakota West 64-58 in overtime on Feb. 3. It was a physical game that came down to the wire, but in the end the team’s defense could not make the crucial stop to win the game. Varsity bounced back after los-ing to Mason, beating Oak Hills

emilycohen staff writer

32-28. It was a great defensive effort, holding Oak Hills to their lowest total of the season. “It was a great victory for us because we beat a good team on the road,” said Amy Isaacs, 12. As the regular season wraps up, the team is focused on mak-ing a run in the post-season. “We want to peak at the right time,” said Quisia Dockery, 11. The team has worked hard in practice to prepare for the post-season. Even though the squad struggled down the stretch, the team was in

SHS SWIMMER STEPHEN IOAS, 9, and many other swimmers have contributed to the success of the SHS boys swimming team. They blew away the competition at the GMC championship meet, beating out second place Mason by 93 points.

a position to win every game this season. “If we hit out shots we can beat anyone,” said Isaacs. The team has a tough road ahead of them, and will have to take down talented teams in the early rounds of the tournament. Last year, the team was shocked by losing in the second round and players do not want to suffer the same fate. Because of this, they are striv-ing to go deep into the tourna-ment this year.

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It’s been three weeks since New Orleans won the Super Bowl. It’s been two weeks and six days since I’ve heard anything about it. You hear about it every now and then. When Drew Brees makes the news for having Oprah Winfrey attempt to rub off his birthmarks or ESPN runs a random highlight. That’s because it was a nice story for a day. It was sexy. It was cool. It was an escape from a far from glorious truth. I’m done hearing about how monumental the Saints’ Super Bowl victory was for the city of New Orleans. Never again. Hurricane Katrina and its devas-tation were five years ago. Sure, the destruction is still pres-ent. I was just there. I saw it for myself. But it’s just like stating that the Giants Super Bowl win in 2007 was colossal for the city of New York after 9/11. Or if the Bengals win the Super Bowl in 2015 and dedicating the win to the late Chris Henry. I could go on. But I’ve already established myself as a cynic. I’m a hypocrite, too. But we live in a world of hypocrisy. The Saints winning the Super Bowl was like the inhabitants of New Orleans consuming a few five hour energy shots. It was a phe-nomenal feeling for a short time. There was enough energy flowing out of the Big Easy to provide all the Earth with light. It was an all out bash on Bourbon Street. Mardi Gras on steroids. Laws and how they are enforced went into abeyance. Smiles all around. Drinks on the bar. But then they crashed. Displaced persons returned to their foreign homes longing for something better. And those who lost loved ones reminisced about how much their departed would have given anything to witness the Saints first championship. Then you realize winning the Lombardi Trophy wasn’t the best thing to happen to New Orleans since the inception of Mardi Gras. Why should it take a football team winning the Super Bowl for America to wake up? What about the University of New Orleans? I haven’t read much about the Privateers. UNO has had to fire 30-plus staff members, eliminate 50 vacant staff positions, and force 20 staffers to retire early. The athletics department is in considerably worse shape. Facing a $1 million annual shortfall, they had to voluntarily, yes, volun-tarily, withdraw from the Division I Sun Belt Conference. They are now in the process of transferring to Division III. With the program having dwindled down to just seven sports teams, the threat of losing athletics is very real. And that’s just one example. The New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl is to be reflected upon, but not celebrated. They won the game, but the fight is big-ger than the game. Because that’s all that football is – a game. The after party was simply a one night stand. A brief honeymoon. A false perception. But the state of the city is reality.

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Need more coverage? Visit the sports page at www.goaves.com

SHS student goes for gold Gao reflects on Olympic ambi-tions, experience

Page>>18

New Orleans needs gold, not rings

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It’s a Thursday afternoon in early spring, and a mediocre South Florida is doing battle with a just-above-.500 Boston College. March Madness at its finest, no? Probably not, but it could be reality soon enough. Recent reports that the NCAA tour-nament field is set to expand to a su-perfluous 96 teams have escalated to more than rumors, and it seems the question at this point may be when it will happen, not if it will happen. The reason: what makes the world go ‘round…money. More games means more opportunities for com-mercials, advertisements, product placement, and sponsorships. Not to mention an even more massive televi-sion package for whichever network wins the bidding war if CBS ever loses its stranglehold on the coverage. Legendary Washington Post col-umnist John Feinstein said it best in the headline of his Feb. 7 column: “tournament expansion would make cents, but not sense.” Why tamper with the magic of the first weekend of the NCAA Tourna-ment, arguably the most exciting couple of days on the sports calen-dar? All adding an extra 31 teams does is water down the field and dilute the chance of a monumental upset or two. What if 2006 George Mason’s Final Four run had been cut short in a Round of 96 game played in front of 3,500 fans in a location more desolate than Dayton, Ohio? Gus Johnson’s electric play-by-play call of Vermont’s T.J. Sorrentine “hitting that one from the parking lot” to stun fourth seeded Syracuse never would have happened if the Catamounts had fallen in an opening round match up. Though bracket expansion may appear to be somewhat of an NCAA tradition over the years, 65 is the per-fect number. If anything, one at large bid, along with the “opening round game,” should evaporate. This one is easy. Jump off the bandwagon, and quick. In a world in which sports are over-commercial-ized and everything from first downs to free throws are brought to you by a corporation, the purity of March Madness is a rarity. Let’s not lose sight of that and watch it slip away. Besides, is it even possible to fit a 96 team bracket on a standard sheet of computer paper anyway?

JumpersBand Wagon

paulpescovitz sports chief

At first glance Chris-tina Gao, 10, may have appeared out of place standing among the winter athletes who

were honored at the winter pep rally on Friday, Jan. 29. Taking her place next to the swim-mers and basketball players on the gym floor, it would be hard to guess that this petite fifteen-year-old had just spent her weekend competing for a spot representing Team USA in the Winter Olympics. At the U.S. Figure Skating Cham-pionships held on Saturday, Jan. 23 Gao was just a few points away from being a part of the women’s figure skating team. She was beat out only by 2006 Olympic silver-medalist Sasha Cohen. The 2010 women’s team is com-prised of four members: Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu with first alternate Ashley Wagner and sec-ond, Cohen. Gao is actually the third alternate. She even placed ahead of accomplished skaters 2006 Olympian Emily Hughes and 2009 U.S. Cham-pion Alissa Czisny. SHS is actually no stranger to the Olympic Games. Gao would have been the second SHS student to par-ticipate. Dan Ketchum, ’00, swam in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics and received a gold medal for the 800-meter freestyle relay. Gao began skating at the age of seven at Northland Ice Center in Evendale. “My parents signed me up for classes and I’ve been skating ever since,” said Gao. At the U.S. Cham-

pionships she repre-sented the Northern Kentucky Skating Club. However, if one would like to congratulate Gao on her skating they will not be able to find her at school. She has recently moved with her dad to Toronto to focus on training. She will be working with her new coach, two-time Olympic silver-medalist Brian Orser, as well as training with her idol and world champion Yuna Kim. “It’s great training with World Champion Yuna Kim,” said Gao. “She is an inspiration to me.” Gao practices for three to four hours a day six days a week to per-

fect her routines. While Gao is currently living in Toronto, she has not left the district. “I’m doing on-line school with Aves Academy right now, so that

I can train in Toronto, but also be a part of Sycamore schools,” said Gao. Even with all of the pressures that go along with skating at such high stakes Gao’s love of the sport is immediately evident upon watching her skate. “I love everything about skating,” said Gao. “Jumping, spinning, and just skating is fun. I love learning new things and improving every-thing I can do.” Certainly this will not be the peak of Gao’s career. The most recent competition she was in was her first competing in the senior division and it appears as if there is only room for improve-ment. Though the current Van-couver Olympics are currently in the spotlight, Gao maintains her sights on the 2014 winter games in Sochi, Russia.

michelatindera editor-in-chief

“My parents signed me up for classes and I’ve been skating ever since.

-Christina Gao, 10

‘I love everything about skating. Jumping, pinning, and just skating is fun. I love learning new things and improving everything I can do.’

-Christina Gao, 10

Gao goes for

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CHRISTINA GAO, 10, SKATES IN a recent routine. Gao, who is a member of the SHS class of 2012 but is cur-rently taking online classes, just missed the cut for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team.

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from left: Sopho-moreS maddie pope and Josh mitchell boogie down on the dance floor at the Student Council sponsored Winter Formal. Excited after his ‘Mr. Sycamore’ the previous evening, Ben Keefe, 12, busts a move.

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Management!

Meet the New Staff!

HAIRCUT

$899

HAIRCUT

$899HAIRCUT

$799

HAIRCUT

$899

Harpers Station11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH

513-489-4448Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm

Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm Adult - $12 • Kids- $10

3145-1

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid April 1 Thru April 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid March 1 Thru March 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Under New

Management!

Meet the New Staff!

HAIRCUT

$899

HAIRCUT

$899HAIRCUT

$799

HAIRCUT

$899

Harpers Station11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH

513-489-4448Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm

Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm Adult - $12 • Kids- $10

3145-1

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid April 1 Thru April 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid March 1 Thru March 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Under New

Management!

Meet the New Staff!

Harpers Station11375 Montgomery Rd.

Cincinnati, OH513-489-4448

Monday thru Friday 9am-9pmSaturday 9am-6pm Sunday 11am-4pm

Adult - $12 Kids - $10

HAIRCUT

$899

HAIRCUT

$899HAIRCUT

$799

HAIRCUT

$899

Harpers Station11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH

513-489-4448Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm

Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm Adult - $12 • Kids- $10

3145-1

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid April 1 Thru April 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid March 1 Thru March 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Under New

Management!

Meet the New Staff!

HAIRCUT

$899

HAIRCUT

$899HAIRCUT

$799

HAIRCUT

$899

Harpers Station11375 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH

513-489-4448Monday thru Friday 9am-9pm

Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm Adult - $12 • Kids- $10

3145-1

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Valid June 1 Thru June 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid May 1 Thru May 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid April 1 Thru April 30, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Valid March 1 Thru March 31, 2010Good for 4 family members!

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Good for up to 4 family members. Must be used at the same visit. Not valid with any other offers. Good only at Harpers Station location.

Under New

Management!

Meet the New Staff!

All Sycamore school district students

and faculty members receive

an

with student or school I.D. until the

end of the school year!

blow dry haircut

and

Winter Formal: ‘A White Night’