black and whitelack of diversity becomes an issue of concern in ua students report their oscar picks, based on nominations seniors travel to help less fortunate columnist criticizes

acadamy award buzzstudent poll predicts winners

$3 | feb. 24 2010 Upper Arlington HigH ScHool 1650 ridgeview roAd Upper Arlington, oH 43221

Haitian eartHquakestudents aim

to Help relief effort

columnist sides witH

conan o’brien

black and whiteHomogeneity in ua causes ignorance, animosity, lack of understanding

on the web: www.arlingtonian.com

february 24, ’10arlingtonian

literary arts magazine seeks recognition

new online program helps students avoid plagiarism

ua school district faces lawsuit upon changes in independent status

student athlete’s workouts increase in commitment level

students encounter cyber bullying on social network sites, such as facebook

Haiti crisis brings international community together

illegal music downloading can have pricey consequences

lack of diversity becomes an issue of concern in ua

students report their oscar picks, based on nominations

seniors travel to help less fortunate

columnist criticizes nbc and leno’s role in late night scandal

editorial: internet etiquette should be mandatory for all

eight in eight: eight students answer a question in eight words

9

black History month highlights lack of diversity at uaHs

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05 06

Any thoughts, comments or questions?let your voice be heard and

e-mail us at [email protected] visit www.arlingtonian.com

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cover photos by emilypoolecontents top photo by nicolewagnercontents lower photos/graphics (in numerical order)

by brittanymiller, brittanymiller, courtesy DreamWorks, joeadams

some content courtesy asne/mctCampus HighSchoolNewspaperService

arlingtonianvolume 73, issue 6february 24, 2010

3february 24, ’10arlingtonianarlingtonian

Arlingtonian is a student-produced newsmagazine published approximately every four weeks by Journalism III-A students at Upper Arlington High School. The publication has been established as a public forum for student expression and for the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Since Arlingtonian is a forum for student expression, the edito-rial board, which consists of the staff’s top editors, will determine the content of the newsmagazine and all unsigned editorials; therefore, material may not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Upper Arlington school officials. Arlingtonian welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns and news releases from faculty, administrators, community residents, students and the general public. The Arlingtonian editorial board reserves the right to with-hold a letter or column and return it for more information if it determines

the piece contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy. As a public forum, all letters and columns meeting the above criteria will be posted in full on the Arlingtonian web site at www.arlingtonian.com for a minimum of four weeks. Arlingtonian and its staff will strive to publish only legally protected speech following the legal definitions for libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy. The staff will also refrain from printing stories that create a material disruption of school activities. Because the Arlingtonian staff will determine content of the publication, it will therefore also take complete legal and financial responsibility for what is printed.Arlingtonian will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy. The Arlingtonian staff raises and pays all printing and production costs through advertising sales, subscription sales and other fundraisers. The editor or co-editors shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy.

2009-10 StaffEditor in Chief

Leah JohnstonManaging Editor

Kristy HelscelDesign Editor

Corey McMahon

WritiNg StaffIn Brief Co-Editors

Noah GrummanMaria Paskell

Spotlight EditorMarisa Patwa

Features Co-EditorsHannah JochemAlison Gilbert

Final Word EditorEvan Smith

Staff WritersZoey Whitmeyer

Parijhat JhaBo Fisher

Eman Albash

BuSiNeSS StaffBusiness Manager

Megan KnoopAds Editor

Erin WilliamsBusiness Staff

Tess GalantowiczMaggie MinorMegan Stucko

ViSuaLS StaffPhoto EditorNicole Wagner

PhotojournalistsEmily Poole

Brittany MillerGraphics Editor

Alice O’NeillGraphics Artist

Lou Ward

aDDitiONaL CONtriButOrS

AdviserCarol Hemmerly

Printing RepresentativeBob Moyer withBeckman XMO

Tthe beginning of second semester means many things for students.

for freshmen, they have survived the first half of the year. for sophomores, national History day projects have begun, and the prospect of soon becoming upperclassmen is looming. for juniors, there’s one thing on their minds —college. the stretch before applications are due is a daunting one. Seniors also have college on their mind, but with applications and first semester grades sent, we are more likely to be counting the days until school’s out.

i, like many other seniors, have found myself more relaxed and less stressed out about school. to use my dad’s terminology, we seniors are in the “home stretch.” ready to pass the finish line and leave high

Leah Johnstonleah Johston, editor in chief

“We approached the issue of race with apprehension; it’s not exactly a comfortable topic for most.”

school, yet hesitant about our future in college.

on a more serious note, february is black History Month. we approached the issue of race with apprehension; it’s not exactly a comfortable topic for most; however, that does not mean it is not an important one. Upper Arlington, a community that prides itself on its excellent academics and traditions, is also known for several other, more negative aspects. diversity is not a strong presence felt in the high school—or really any part of the community. while definite strides have been made, there is still room for improvement. it is important to understand and appreciate different cultures, and that is what we have dedicated this issue to.

we’d love to print feedback from students, teachers and readers alike. So if you have an opinion about any of our articles, feel free to e-mail us and we’d be happy to print it. You can also comment on individual stories on our website at www.arlingtonian.com. feedback is always helpful in terms of knowing how we are doing and what we can do to improve.

Hoping everyone has an enjoyable winter season and some snow days of their own,

4 february 24, ’10 february 24, ’10arlingtonian

News • Briefs • Reviews • Bits • Bytes

february 24, ’10arlingtonian

IIn the hallways of UAHS, many students have seen posters displaying mysterious eyes, followed by the words, “Submit to Bare.” Bare, the literary arts and music magazine, was recently rated as one of the top high school literary magazines in the country, an accomplishment unmatched by any other school in Ohio. Despite the magazine’s success and advertisements, the staff of Bare still encounters many students who know little-to-nothing about the magazine.

Any creative student interested in writing, art or music can submit his or her work to Bare for possible publication. The magazine is produced annually in May, and the deadline for students to submit their work this year is March 15. According to Bare adviser Nancy Volksen, the staff reviews each piece of work without knowing who submitted it and then decides if it should be included in the magazine.

“We do our utmost to get as many different students’ work in as we can afford each year,” Volksen said. “If you’ve got creativity, we want it.”

The Bare staff is composed entirely of students, whose jobs include gathering and sorting all the pieces of work and then preparing them for the publication. One of the main tasks for the staff this year is to raise

awareness for Bare.According to senior Amanda Ball,

editor in chief of Bare, staff members raise awareness for Bare by putting up fliers around the school, filling the staff display case and spreading the word about the magazine. Despite this, she said most students seem unaware of the magazine.

“I think Bare has been under-advertised since the beginning,” Ball said. “At this point, it kind of seems like only upperclassmen can really say that Bare is a magazine, but most don’t know much more than that.”

On the other hand, music editor senior Phil Lindsay said he thinks the general awareness of Bare has grown during his four years at the high school, especially recently.

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t know [Bare] existed,” Lindsay said. “I think that advertising in past years has been fairly confusing and essentially failed to get the word out. However, in the past two years the staff size has grown and word is definitely spreading.”

With the growing awareness, Bare has undergone changes and improvements during the past couple of years. According to Volksen, Bare was first produced in full color in 2007 and has remained that way ever since. Additionally, Bare has evolved from

Aware of Bare?emanalbash ‘10

award-winning magazine struggles for recognition

bare editors, seniors phil lindsay and Amanda ball, stand before their new signage. the staff reviews works without knowledge of the author to determine if it will appear in Bare.

photo by nicolewagner

simply a literary magazine to include artwork and music, as well.

“Last year, with Phil Lindsay’s leadership, Bare produced its first CD of original student compositions,” Volksen said. “If we could add moving art—drama, dance, film [and] animation—we would be able to celebrate more student creativity. I guess we need to take it one step at a time.”

Ball said her biggest challenge is reviewing all the late submissions. She said students usually wait until the deadline to submit their work to Bare, so she and the rest of staff must schedule extra meetings to make sure they review everyone’s pieces. However, Ball said she loves seeing all of the students’ creative work.

“It’s inspiring,” Ball said. “The absolute best experience is choosing a piece to be in Bare, and then when the author [or] artist is revealed in the final magazine, seeing that this kid you’ve been sitting next to all year is a creative genius.”

thousands of high schools and colleges across the country, and UAHS is now one of them. The program allows students to upload their essays onto the website which searches its database of information for any matches or similarities. Students will then receive an originality report that will highlight any areas of concern.

According to principal Kip Greenhill, the program is not meant to punish students.

“We are not trying to play ‘gotcha’ here,” Greenhill said. “Rather, we want to set a philosophy to be a better writer.”

Greenhill said the program is meant to help students avoid plagiarism rather than get them in trouble.

tUrn it in: new web-based program aims to help students, teachers check for proper citation, end plagiarism

mariapaskell ’11

PPerhaps it has passed through the minds of many students. Staring at a computer screen trying to draft an essay that seems impossible to write, it seems almost too easy to conduct a quick Internet search and—with a copy and paste—the essay is done in a snap! But maybe that is too obvious. Maybe take a few words here and there and paraphrase the rest.

However, with the new anti-plagiarism online program starting at UAHS, students might find that such methods of completing an essay will be quite easy to identify. TurnItIn is an online program used by

february 24, ’10arlingtonian 5february 24, ’10arlingtonianarlingtonian

T

UAHS’ $1 million problemnew conversion school standards could alter funding for upper arlington community and ib High schools

The Upper Arlington School District faces a huge problem—a million dollar problem. According to the law firm Bricker & Eckler, the Ohio Department of Education has changed position on the issue of funding conversion schools, such as the Upper Arlington International Baccalaureate High School and the Upper Arlington Community

High School. Such a change could, according to a staff bulletin, cost the school district $1 million.

According to Bricker & Eckler, which described the situation in a January 2010 report, the controversy is caused by wording within section 3314.01 (B) of the Ohio Revised Code, which states, “a community school created under this chapter is a public school, independent of any school district, and is part of the state’s program of education. A community school may sue and be sued, acquire facilities as needed, contract for any services necessary for the operation of the school, and enter into contracts.”

The phrase in question is a community school being “independent of any school district.” To ODE, this means the school must operate in an entirely self-sufficient manner. In recent letters to schools with conversion schools in question, ODE stated what constitutes operation independence.

“Indicators of a conversion school’s autonomous operations include such things as separate facilities, staffs, students, treasurers and governing boards, and whether the day-to-day operations are carried out by an [independent administator],” ODE letters said.

Bricker & Eckler, on the other hand states that the phrase within the Ohio Revised Code simply indicates that community schools have a status of independence as a matter of law.

coreymcmahon ’11 “Every community school has all of the powers associated with independent entities, including the power to choose with whom to contract,” the report said.

According to a earlier report in Dec. by Bricker & Eckler, the ODE letters laid out a timetable for schools to be in compliance with the law. To do so, the letters asked that schools develop a “corrective plan” within 90 days. The plan should be implemented by July 1, 2010.

Principal Kip Greenhill expressed dismay with the decision by ODE.“We had these plans approved by [ODE],” he said. “We made it

very clear that it would be in the same building as the regular high school, and that was approved.”

Greenhill also stated that compliance might not be possible, especially as early as ODE wants. Compliance would require a new administration, teachers exclusive to the conversion school and separate facilities.

If schools cannot or do not comply with the measures, funding could be pulled. A staff bulletin on the issue stated that the amount of funding that Upper Arlington has received for its two conversion schools totals approximately $1 million.

Bricker & Eckler has laid out a possible scenario if ODE persists.“In the event that ODE persists in its demands, the conversion

schools’ options will be limited,” the Jan. report said. “The schools may choose to modify the manner of their operations, in order to satisfy ODE’s semands; or alternatively, if they believe they either cannot continue to operate on the terms required by ODE (or cannot maintain fiscal integrity and student achievement while operating on those terms), the schools may close. As yet another option, schools may choose to challenge ODE’s new requirements through litigation.”

It remains to be seen whether a settlement between ODE and the school districts in question can be made, or whether the dispute will require legal action. According to Greenhill the issue probably will not be resolved this school year.

“The decision is way down the road,” Greenhill said. “We’ll see how it works out.”

“It gives a student feedback, so they can know if it is really his or her voice,” Greenhill said. “It informs students.”

Social studies teacher Michael Hinze said the program can be very beneficial to students.

“Students will become better writers with this tool...students will have to cite their sources,” he said. “It gives the student instant feedback and makes clear what needs to change.”

Hinze said this will help students in the long run in terms of college and future jobs..

“TurnItIn provides direct feedback in terms that students understand. It might sound threatening, but as long as you… give it a fair shake, you will find it a great tool for writing,” Hinze said.

Not only is the website beneficial to students, it provides many

benefits for teachers as well.“It helps teachers because they don’t have to go through and

check students’ work,” Greenhill said.Hinze said he will use the program in his classes in the future.“I plan to have students use TurnItIn to submit their research

papers for the Capstone project and perhaps other papers too,” Hinze said. “Of course, students will have the opportunity to submit their work to the website prior to the due date to see how they are doing.”

An assembly last January informed the student body of the philosophy behind the TurnItIn program.

“It is a widely used program and many colleges have gone to it, meaning students will most likely see it again,” Greenhill said. “Therefore, it is best to expose them to it now so that they can better prepare.”

6 february 24, ’10 february 24, ’10arlingtonian february 24, ’10arlingtonian

TAlways workin’ out parijatjha ’11

Twenty years ago athletes such as Brett Rothgeb, a star football and basketball player at Dublin Coffman high school, did all of their work on the field. The off-season ac-tivities were minimal, and the players spent much of their off-season training individually or simply enjoying the time off.

Athletes have limited time to rest in the off-season. Instead they spend many days with their teammates working on preparing for the future.

“I think this change is brought upon by all the new resources athletes have these days,” Rothgeb said. “In my day we only had one gym. These days there are multiple weight rooms, gyms and fields to practice on.”

Rothgeb’s son, junior Damon Rothgeb, plays football and works out for the sport year round. He lifts, runs and does individual speed training all in preparation for football, Damon said.

Such dedication is typical for off-season athletes as they prepare for their respective sports. Athletes undergo rigorous activities

such as lifting, running and even fundraising to raise money for their teams.

“I feel like in my dad’s day student athletes had it much easier. It’s easy to be overwhelmed[because of sports],” Damon said.

Junior Drew Dakin is a two-sport athlete and goes through preseason conditioning before both lacrosse and football season. Like most football players, Dakin begins his first few weeks of summer by lifting and conditioning. In late June, running and scrimmages begin, and soon part of the summer is lost in prepar-ing for the upcoming season. After football season ends, he begins preparing for lacrosse.

“For me, since I can't do anything in fall because of football, in the winter I go to indoor lacrosse. Along with indoor [lacrosse] we also have lifting, morning running, after-school captains’ running, open gyms and basketball,” Dakin said.

Despite the multitude of tasks laid out in front of Dakin and other athletes, he does not think that all the extra activities are unreasonable.

“All of the running helps condition and build stamina. I think it is definitely neces-sary, but there is a lot and sometimes it is difficult to balance everything,” Dakin said.

One of these scenarios is when lacrosse players have morning running, after-school captains’ running and open gyms all in one day.

Athletic trainer Ron Walters has spent many years dealing with these athletes. He said they do not have to be overwhelmed.

“It is the athlete’s choice to let the sports overwhelm them. Academics obviously come first,” Walters said. “In the past I have seen captains’ running [days] be on differ-ent days than morning running, but it all depends on how astute the athletes are, and how they decide to organize their activities.”

Walters said that lifting and conditioning are important parts of an athlete's off-season. Off-season workouts are important because they not only prepare them for the season, but they also help reduce injuries.

Swimming and cheerleading are other sports that require major commitments. Sophomore Andrew Rabe decided to stop swimming after his freshman year.

“We have swimming practice almost every-day, even in the summer,” Rabe said. “It can be really hard to get school work done sometimes when I get home really late from practice.”

Cheerleaders are also often thought to have it easy, but sophomore Abby Dugger said cheerleading is nothing to laugh about.

“In the off-season I have tumbling classes, I prepare for tryouts and go to cheerleading camp,” Dugger said.

Athletes these days have many obliga-tions to fill. Along with excelling in sports they must keep up with rigorous school work.

“Whether sports have a negative or posi-tive effect on kids is their choice,” Walters said. “They just have to prioritize and learn how to manage their time appropriately.”

captionwith lacrosse season coming up, many players are in the weight room three times a week hoping to increase strength and stamina. Along with lifting, the lacrosse bears also run and have open gym lacrosse sessions multiple times every week.

athletes balance rigorous pre-season workouts with school

photo by brittanymiller

2140 Tremont CenterUA, Ohio 43221

MOndAy - SATUrdAy8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

SUndAy10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

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WWhen senior Audrey Plant discovered a cruel blog post made about her by a fellow classmate, she was shocked. The blog criticized her Filipino skin as “orange,” among other things. She had read cases about cyberbullying and had seen movies featuring it, but never did she think she would be a target.

“I couldn’t hold it in any longer after I found the blog,” Plant said. “I started to cry and I cried for the entire day.”

According to a report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, about a third of all teens using the Internet say they have been bullied online—39 percent of which have been harrassed through social networks such as Facebook.

This increase in cyberbullying has been noted by sophomore Ryan Fry.“I have seen multiple accounts of hatred towards others on Facebook

through photos, comments and groups,” Fry said. “This is not what Facebook and other social sites were made to do, yet people take advantage of being able to type in anything they want to.”

Although Plant said she thinks cyberbullying is unthinkable, she said she believes people do it because they have nothing better to do.

“After experiencing a day like I had, I think that it is the worst thing someone could do behind one’s back,” Plant said. “I wasn’t able to defend myself on the Internet.”

Along with Plant, sophomore Chris Hemmingsen was also targeted by cyberbullies. A fair amount of students joined the Facebook group made about him before Hemmingsen reported it to Facebook administrators and it was shut down—but the damage was already done.

Hemmingsen decided to leave UAHS and enroll in St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, where he said he believes people will no longer judge him.

Though both Hemmingsen and Plant have dealt with their cyberbul-lying, some cases across the nation have led teens to commit suicide.

According to the Jan. 24. story “The Untouchable Mean Girls,” by Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince commited suicide after being continuously bullied at school and online. Her bullies were suspended from school, but they continued to post disparaging remarks on Prince’s memorial page on Facebook, which were

marisapatwa ’12

internet enemiescyberbullying affects some students

then immediately removed.Fry said he believes cyberbullying is becoming more prominent

because the bully is able to put someone down without having to deal with a confrontation.

“They can just hide behind their computer, because it’s easier to do [on the Internet] than in person,” Fry said.

Although Plant’s parents, friends and teachers have been her support system in dealing with her cyberbully, she said she still believes the blogger does not understand the extent of the damage done.

“This bully will never understand what they have done until they have to go through what I had to,” Plant said. “When they experience the violation and hurtful comments, maybe then will they understand.”

There are a number of ways to stop the cycle of abuse and create a safe place for communication online. The National Crime Prevention’s website lists several ways to stop cyberbullying. These include: refusing to spread hurtful messages online, blocking all forms of communication with any cyberbullies, reporting cyberbullying to either the website on which it is occurring or to a trusted adult, as well as raising awareness of cyberbullying.

Plant said she now has a new outlook on cyberbullying and would never accept a request for a hateful group or a demeaning site about one of her classmates, especially after having gone through it herself.

“Cyberbullying fuels people’s insecurities and tries to break down people’s self-esteem,” Plant said. “Teens who do that are insecure about themselves and need a reality check.”

Plant said she believes that anyone who purposely tries to make another human feel worthless through cyberbullying will receive a special visit from Karma, because as the popular adage warns: What goes around comes around.

According to the pew research center’s internet & American life project, about a third of teens using the internet say they have been bullied online. Social networking websites like facebook are common places where cyberbulying takes place.

photo illustration by nicolewagner

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could buy and sell items,” Markovich said.Another student group that is committed to the cause started a

Facebook group called Highschoolers for Haiti.Created by junior Yeri Lee, this group has organized several benefit

events. Junior Ameya Deshmukh, another leader of the Facebook group, said the group will also be organizing fundraisers for Haitian relief.

“We work to spread the love and to provide donations and aid to those who have been affected by the tragedy in Haiti,” Deshmukh said.

In the Facebook group, kids from any grade have the chance to post their ideas on how to provide help for those in need.

The group’s first event started off with a Valentine’s Day candy gram sale that took place during the week of Feb. 15.

The events also include a St. Patrick’s Day candy gram sale on March 11-12 and a three-on-three basketball or dodgeball tournament also taking place

in March. In April, the group will also host a Pink Flamingo Fundraiser kick-off starting April 3 and a Haiti benefit concert on April 16. All of the funds raised by these events will be donated to a yet-to-be-decided charity.

If you cannot donate to any of these local efforts, there are other ways to help. Although over a month has passed, help is still desperately needed. Ways to donate are as simple as texting. Text “QUAKE” to 20222 in order to donate $10 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation or text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross. Doctors Without Borders is another organization offering medical assisstance, and more information can be found on their website doctorswithoutborders.org.

The past month, and the effort on the part of many, has shown the wealth of compassion at UAHS.

J

A helping hand for HAiti

mariapaskell ‘11

students, teachers work together to raise funds for country stricken with crisis

January 12 was the day that forever changed Haiti. The country experienced a 7.0 Richter scale earthquake leaving the country in disarray. Haitians were left without food, water or shelter until relief efforts reached the country five days after the quake. Many were left injured, stuck under piles of rubble or dead. The estimated death toll at press time was 250,000.

“I am sure we will need everything,” Haiti ambassador Raymond Joseph said.

The devastation left the country in desperate need of help. People across the globe have united in different ways to provide relief to Haiti. UAHS students are doing their part by raising funds to be donated to Hand to Hand Haiti.

One of the efforts made by students was a bake sale. During classes, foreign language students went to classrooms selling baked goods.

French teacher Lisa Markovich led this effort along with her students to raise money for the cause.

“My student, [freshman] Lena Saleh, had the idea for a bake-sale-on-the-go when we were brainstorming ways to help the earthquake victims in Haiti,” Markovich said.

Markovich said they raised over $1000 in a week.“[We plan to send the money to] Hand to Hand Haiti. Its founder,

Pelege Lareus, [is planned to be] at our school … Feb. 22,” Markovich said.According to Markovich, the bake sale was successful due to the

dedication of the students and the teachers.“The students showed a lot of commitment to providing the

baked goods. The willingness of many Global Language teachers [helped] as they allowed an interruption to their classes so students

nine-year-old Altenu bill cosby Jones, shown here in petite riviere, Haiti Jan. 29, is lucky to be alive. Jones was injured during the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti.

““we work to spread the love and to provide donations and aid to those who have been affected by the tragedy in Haiti.

Junior ameya Deshmukh


“Our mission is to provide music education and support services to help individuals achieve their musical goals.”

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Learn to Play from the Performing Professionals

FFor senior Jane*, downloading music is simple and most importantly, free. In a matter of seconds, she can use LimeWire to get nearly any song at no cost. It’s illegal, but who will ever find out?

Illegal downloading remains common among music fans and students, despite iTunes and many other legal downloading sites.

“Most of my friends [download illegally] too,” Jane said. “I only have one or two friends who actually buy music.”

And though the act seems harmless and widespread, the consequences can be severe.

One Minnesota woman was recently ordered to pay $1.92 million for illegally sharing 24 songs on the Internet, according to the June 19, 2009 article “$1.92 million fine for music piracy” in The New York Times. The harsh penalty was later reduced to $54,000, but the warning was clear.

According to Jason Elvers, an intellectual property lawyer in Columbus who has worked in the music industry, huge lawsuits against even minor illegal downloaders and sharers are one of the ways that the recording industry is attempting to combat the illegal downloading problem.

“[Record companies] realize that there is no way that they can go out and file lawsuits against every single person who downloaded illegally, because the practice is so widespread,” Elvers said. “The more they can get the word out and strike fear into the hearts of these people who are [illegally downloading], the better it is for them.”

The warning is not enough for some illegal downloaders, like Jane.“I’ve heard stories, but no one I know has been caught yet,” Jane said.And chances are good that she never will get caught.“In all likelihood, if you go out and download a handful of songs

illegally, nothing is going to happen to you,” Elvers said. “But just because

noahgrumman ’12

as prices rise on itunes, illegal music downloading remains an issue with expensive consequences

*Denotes source who requested anonymity

downloading dilemma

you’re not a heavy downloader of illegal music files, I wouldn’t think that you’re completely safe or immune from legal action.”

Besides lawsuits, downloading illegally raises another issue—does downloading from these sites count as stealing?

“I don’t really think about it,” Jane said. “[But] I feel bad because I know the music industry isn’t doing too well.”

For many who say they would not otherwise steal or shoplift, the ethical situation of downloading illegally is different.

“When you can buy songs for 99 cents on iTunes, people think, ‘A dollar here and there, what’s going to happen?’” Elvers said. “When they’re uploading and downloading and copying, there’s no physical manifestation that they can really see or hold on to, so to some extent, it feels less wrong.”

Sites like Grooveshark and even YouTube are another debate for the illegal music battle. On Grooveshark, members can upload music to the site that can then be played for free by anyone who visits the site. The same is true for YouTube, including music videos.

Because the websites themselves are not usually responsible or liable for the user-uploaded music, it is difficult for record labels to pick out whom to target, according to Elvers. In a June 18, 2009 blog, Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Grooveshark “operates in a legal gray area...enjoy it while it lasts.”

The future of music downloading is still difficult to predict, Elvers said.“There are certainly folks out there who think that copyright laws

should be changed so this stuff isn’t illegal,” Elvers said. “It’s really hard to predict. Whether it’s going to be five, 10, or 20 years before a resolution is found, it’s hard to say.”

Some students turn to illegal downloading sites like limewire to find music. the consequences of being caught for illegal downloading are usually hefty fines to the record company in question.

illustration by brittanymiller


Whatever race the groups are filled with, the lack of diversity in social groups does not go unnoticed.

Freshman Derek Galantowitcz is one of many to notice the lopsided groups.

“I believe many people limit their friends because of race,” Galantowitcz said. “I think [the students] could invite or befriend other people.”

To principal Kip Greenhill, a more diverse school has long been an aspiration of his. In his opinion it would help students of all races.

“I wish we were more diverse,” Greenhill said. “It makes well-rounded students and we try to break out of the bubble.”

The need for diversity is not limited to just the student body. According to Greenhill, UAHS does not have one black teacher on the school staff. To him, this would not necessarily result in teachers of different cultures steering away from UA, but it is a definite concern and is difficult to fix.

“It is a concern that we do not have diversity on our staff,” Greenhill said. “[Culture] is not always easy to bring in. You need to hire groups of teachers so they have their own support system.”

A disproportionate ratio between races, like the one Upper Arlington suffers from, can sometimes make minorities its victim. That is exactly what Kilstrom believes from experience. On several occasions, Kilstrom believes that he has been a victim of racial stereotypes from residents of his community.

According to Kilstrom these racist events began way before he attended any schools of Upper Arlington. Kilstrom, an adopted son of a white family, was brought to his great-grandmothers house shortly after his adoption. Many years later he was told by his parents that his great-grandmother was not fond of the idea of having a great-grandson who was black.

“My great-grandma called me a negro when I was one-year old,”

T

Walking through the hallways of UAHS, one may not notice the disproportionate racial representation, but the statistics speak for themselves. According to the Upper Arlington High School website, 91 percent of Upper Arlington’s residents are Caucasian while just 6.2 percent are Asian. Additionally, less than one percent of Upper Arlington’s population is African American. This can present a difficult situation for students like Kilstrom.

“[The lack of diversity] took some getting use to,” Kilstrom said. “I wish we had more diversity in our school.”

These lopsided ratios between races can result in ignorance or even animosity from students and the communtiy. According to senior Sonia Suber, students may be sheltered to the point where they are uncomfortable around people of other races or cultures.

“I feel like we’re in this little bubble, sheltered,” Suber said. “There are some kids who don’t even make an effort to get out [of UA] and because of that, UA can create these ignorant kids.”

Junior Jack Bowman attends both UAHS and the Columbus Downtown High School and said the experience of attending a different school was eye opening.

“[The reason] I was ignorant of the lifestyle at Columbus Public Schools [is] because I’ve lived in UA so long,” Bowman said.

Bowman expressed a similar sentiment to Suber, saying that UA is too sheltered.

“I do feel though that UA students are sheltered, which makes them unaware of culture of kids in the city,” Bowman said.

The lack of ethnicity in the Upper Arlington school system may not only be affecting minorities. Venturing from clique to clique of students, one may find that most friend groups of the high school are populated by one race. Sophomore Rachel Bishop finds the lack of diversity in groups troubling.

“It’s not weird, but I find it sad that they [aren’t more] diverse,” Bishop said.

A Homogeneous Mixture

Hidden Racism

zoeywhitmeyer ‘10 & bofisher ‘11

while attempts have been made, the lack of diversity at uaHs has left some students uncomfortable

A hidden truth the bell rings, a classroom full of students scramble through the room searching for their seats. the teacher begins to walk up and down the rows, handing stack of papers to their students. Junior Michael Kilstrom reads the heading at the top of the page —black History Month. once the teacher finishes distributing the handouts to the class, he announces that today they will be discussing february, the month dedicated to black history. immediately, Kilstrom receives looks from many students in the class, some smiling, some laughing. Kilstrom looks around the room and notices that he is the only black student among nearly twenty white students; he sinks in embarrassment.


A hidden truth

photo by emilypoole

Junior Michael Kilstrom stands out in a class populated by all white students. the lack of diversity at UAHS is a troubling situation for minorites.


Kilstom said. “My parents told me that they brought me to see her and she said, ‘Oh, you adopted a negro.’”

Though Kilstrom realizes that his great-grandmother was raised in a different time and therefore an old time perspective, he does not believe that excuses her comments.

Junior Jeff Shy can relate to Kilstrom’s family struggles. Sometimes Shy feels out of place being the only black member in his family.

“[Sometimes] I feel like I’m the odd one out of my family,” Shy said.

Shy’s parents have never heard him complain directly about his race regarding comments that his family or classmates have made, but they admit that he has complained about not fitting in.

“We moved here when Jeff was four-years old,” Shy’s mother, Becky Shy, said. “We were not focusing on the lack of diversity [when we moved here] but on a good education.”

His parents said they believe that racism will exist anywhere they go, but they have not experienced it in UA.

“Students in Upper Arlington can be sheltered from different cultures,” Becky Shy said. “Perhaps they are naïve of the surrounding ethnic groups and cultures. If we wanted Jeff to experience African American culture, we would have to take him outside UA.”

Traces of the old world perspective can still be found in UA, although sometimes it remains hidden. In fact, in some areas deeds to houses still state that the house is not be sold to an African American.

According to Sociology teacher Chris Swartz, some deeds on houses exclude “undesirable persons” from owning property in UA.

“Specifically the term ‘colored’ is used,” Swartz said. “Not just African Americans, but also Jewish, Catholics, and all ethnic groups can be excluded.”

This topic is discussed in Swartz’s sociology class and Kilstrom finds it offensive when students act apathetic over the subject.

Classroom discussions on racial topics is yet another touchy subject in the world of racism. Kilstrom and Suber said they believe the discussions are mostly handled well, yet some students can come across as ignorant during these topics.

“In Minorities [class], there are a lot of topics and questions that are insulting,” Suber said. “I am offended when students act ignorant or apathetic to the subject.”

Kilstrom said he believes that the discussions never cross the line when handled by teachers, but can create awkwardness

among the students.“They handle it pretty well but

everybody looks at me because I am the only black student in the class,” Kilstrom said. “It is really awkward sometimes.”

For Kilstrom and Suber, most racism traces back to school and their classmates, mainly in a joking or non-intentional manner. These situations are easy for them to handle without confrontation. One situation that extended out of the classroom caught Kilstrom’s attention and made him re-consider whether or not Upper Arlington was the warm and welcoming place that some may

describe it as.During the summer, Kilstrom recalls a

situation in which he and his friends were driving around the community and Kilstrom was a passenger in the car. At one point in the car ride, the car full of teenagers was pulled over by a police officer.

According to Kilstrom and others present during the incident none of the passengers had been drinking and they gave the police officer no reason to be suspicious. Kilstrom stated that the officer then ordered him to

step out of the car and searched him. Kilstrom was the only passenger to be searched by the officer. Whether or not the officer did this purely based on the color of his skin, Kilstrom’s perspective on UA’s welcoming status changed for the worse.

Over the past few years racism has become popular grounds for joking among students of all races. Such jokes have taken a toll on minorities throughout the years. Kilstrom and Suber said the joking is easy to get accustomed to after the course of a few years, but it does not feel good, especially when the jokes are taken too far.

Kilstrom said it took him several years to adjust to the content of some of his friends’ jokes. Now, he said it rarely bothers him.

“I was offended when it started in eighth grade [but now] I’m used to it,” Kilstrom said.

To Suber, if the jokes are made to be funny and not harmful, she can handle them.

question

an

swer

&

do you believe racism exists in Upper Arlington? this can be in either the school or the community.

senior george Schooley

“i believe that there still remains some hostility towards other races, but it is very rare. i would not call it a problem by any means.”

Just a Joke?

““if we wanted Jeff to experience African American culture, we would have to take him outside Upper Arlington.

uaHS Parent Becky Shy


“In a joking sense, I’ve never [been offended by] offensive comments [made] towards me,” Suber said.

Suber said the jokes are acceptable when made by her friends, but Shy said he believes there is a line that has been crossed by even some of his friends. To him, once this line is crossed, the joke changes quickly from good taste to being racist.

“Students usually take racist comments too far and cross the line,” Shy said. “You know it is too far when people start using the N-word through the roof.”

On the other hand, Greenhill said there are not any jokes regarding races that are acceptable.

“There is no joke,” said Greenhill. “Anything that hurts someone is not funny.”

Though racism is not acceptable to Greenhill, he said he feels that traditional punishments such as detentions or suspensions are not the answer to the problem. Instead, Greenhill said he believes that when problems like these arise, the best solution is to sit the student down and have a formal discussion, setting everything straight.

According to Swartz, most racist comments or jokes heard by him are not necessarily meant to harm other students.

“All racial comments in my classroom have been subtle,” Swartz said. “In Sociology, I have related to some ethnic jokes to show how dangerous they can be, as a part of a lesson about stereotypes.”

Though Swartz said he believes most comments are made without intention of harm, when he hears racist jokes in the classroom too often or jokes that become too dangerous to the students, he takes disciplinary action.

Junior emma frair

“i don’t know if it does. i don’t surround myself with those kind of people.”

sophomore Molly groza

“i’m sure racism still exists to some extent, but i have not really noticed any problemat school or in the community.”

freshman Zach Lee

“Yes. like people hang out with their own race and not really any other races.”

Though many groups of students at UAHS may be dominated by one race, some students find their way through the racial segregation. Kilstrom, Suber and Shy all believe their groups of friends are racially diverse and feel no problems accepting friends of different races.

Students of different races that transfer to UAHS may find themselves out of place, wondering where they would fit in and turning immediately to whomever they can relate to. Suber notices this and sympathizes for these students.

“I think we need more culture at UA,” Suber believes. “I feel bad for new students at UA that do not know where they fit in.”

This is not the case for Kilstrom and his group of friends who believe they have a very diverse social group. Kilstrom and his friend, Corbin Grimm, who is Caucasian, said they have been friends since the eighth grade.

Grimm, who also attends the Columbus Downtown High School for a half a day, is happy to have such a diverse set of friends. In fact, he can not imagine what it would be like to only have friends of his race.

“It could be a little weird only having white friends,” Grimm said. “I think it is nice having diversity in our group.”

Grimm and Kilstrom admit that they and the rest of their friends share racist jokes at the expense of each other. Neither of them find it to be offensive as long as it is all in good fun.

In the past, the two of them remember times they had to overcome a few racial obstacles of their own. According to Grimm, his grandmother, like Kilstrom’s, can have an old fashioned perspective that can be construed as racist.

“She usually throws around the N-word around Michael,” Grimm admits. Grimm believes that her attitude comes from where and when she was brought up and not hatred for Kilstrom.

“She grew up in that time and does not know any better,” Grimm said. “She just has that mind set.”

To Suber, diversity is an important part of feeling comfortable in school. She admits to feeling out of place on one or more occasions in elementary school.

“Sometimes I wish I lived in a different place with more diversity,” Suber said.

Though she felt like this in the beginning, Suber surrounded herself with friends of different races as a way of feeling individual.

“[When I was younger], I hung out with a lot of people who were different races,” Suber said. “I feel comfortable being an individual. It’s a bittersweet feeling.”

Coming Together

though UAHS is not a racially diverse school, some students find ways to integrate their groups. Senior Sonia Suber considers her group of friends to be racially diverse.

photo illustration by nicolewagner


Best Actress in a Starring Role

Sandra bullock (62.7%)Starring in The Blind Side, Sandra bullock

plays leigh Anne tuohy, a devoted, strong-willed mother. without over-acting, bullock is able to inhabit the larger-than-life spirit and

determination of tuohy, while at the same time revealing the character’s own personal

struggles and weaknesses. it is her best performance since Crash.

Meryl Streep (18.1%)gabourey Sidibe (11.8%)

carey Mulligan (4.5%)Helen Miran (3.6%)

Best DirectorJames cameron (58.1%)

famed director of Titanic and The Terminator, cameron has a knack for action sequences and intense special effects. in his most recent film, Avatar,

cameron reaches the peak of his directing skills, seamlessly switching from the most frantic of action scenes, to personal, more

dramatic scenes.

Quentin tarantino (22.7%)peter Jackson (6.3%)

lee daniels (4.5%)Kathryn bigelow (5.4%)

Best PictureAvatar (40%)

A space expedition to a feral planet, Avatar follows the adventures of Jake Sully,

a paraplegic marine who finds himself thrust into encounters with the planets natives, the na’vi. As he grows more

attached to the natives, he must ultimately face a decision between his duty as a

soldier and his love for the native people.

The Blindside (17%)Inglourious Basterds (9%)

Up (9%)Precious (8%)

kristyhelscel ‘11 & evansmith ‘11

oScAR oPinionS

Wwhile the oscars may be a night of celebration, star-studded intrigue, and breathtaking moments for some, for others the annual awards show means a night of disappointment, of shattered dreams and of hours spent crying in the stall of a Kodak theatre bathroom. So who will come out with the coveted golden trophy and who will come out empty handed? Students have made their predictions, and the winners are…

Best Actor in A Starring Role

george clooney (33.6%)nimbly alternating between comedy and

subtle desperation, clooney starring in Up in the Air as ryan bingham, perfectly represents the nuances of his character and, in doing so,

raises the movie to altogether greater heights.

Up

Avatar

Morgan freeman portrays South African president, nelson Mandela, in Invictus, who

tries to unify his country one step at a time. freeman brings any role full circle.

Morgan freeman (33.6%)

Jeremy renner (16.3%)

toby Maguire (11.8%)Jeff bridges (5.4%)

*Source: voluntary Arlingtonian survey of 110 students during the week of Feb. 8-11


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Best Supporting Actress

Mo’nique (36.3 %) A stand-up comedian by trade, Mo’nique

sheds all sense of comedy and instead takes on a role of devastation and brutality as the

abusive mother in Precious.

penelope cruz (30%)Anna Kendrick (20%)Maggie gyllenhall (8.1%)

vera farmiga (5.4 %)

Best Animated Feature Film

Up (80%)A story of old dreams and missed

opportunities, Up follows one old man, one boy, one talking dog, and one giant bird as

they fight on a tropical island against an old explorer and his own force of talking dogs.

while it may sound strange, Up is actually one of the most heartfelt films of the year.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (10%)Coraline (8.1%)

The Princess and the Frog (1.8%)

photos courtesy pixar,fO

X, w

arner bros. pictures, dreamworks & graphics by aliceo’neill & louward

Avatar

Best Supporting Actor

christoph waltz (41.8%)this relatively unknown german actor

jumped into the spotlight with his role as Hans landa in Inglourious Basterds. landa, a

sociopathic nazi “Jew Hunter,” manipulates and kills throughout the film, while at the same time

appearing comical.

Matt damon (31.8%)Stanely tucci (20.9%)

woody Harrelson (10.9%)christopher plummer (3.6 %)


MEANINGFULMISSI NS

Joe Adams

Hospice volunteerCalcutta, IndiaDec. 22-Jan. 4, 2010

Reason for Trip: Senior Joe Adams and his older brother, David,

went on a personal mission to work directly with a small hospice in

rural India.“The main goal of the [mission work] was to provide dignity to the

dying,” Adams said.He explained that he felt like it was his job as a Christian to help

those less fortunate.Daily Schedule and Activities: Adams said his daily routine

consisted of keeping the patients clean, fed, and as comfortable

as possible.“One day I was specifically assigned to comfort an elderly dying

man; as I held and massaged his hand to try to keep the blood flowing,

I prayed and sang whatever came into my head,” Adams said. “It was

hard, but I knew I was working for something greater than myself.”

Impact on Current Life: Adams said he was impressed by the

simplicity of the Indian people’s lives. He said he believes what he

really learned was how to be thankful and appreciative for what he has

been given. “It was much more peaceful. I realized how materialistic we really

are,” Adams said. “I feel like some of the fancy products we take for

granted complicate rather than simplify our already busy lives.”

Jordan Blossom

Medical clinic volunteer

Nuevo Progresso, Mexico

Jan. 14-17, 2010Reason for Trip: Seniors Abby Moore and Caroline Wulf traveled to Honduras

to provide a variety of services to the poverty stricken country.

“It was a really good opportunity to bless other people with the blessings we

have already been given,” Moore said.

Daily Schedule and Activities: Over the course of one week, the group did

everything from opening a medical clinic to building houses. Wulf explained

that in the mornings, they worked at the rural clinic and treated every type

of injury.“One day we met a young girl who had dropped an axe on her foot while

chopping wood for her family. Apart from the obvious injuries she was also

seven months pregnant,” Wulf said. “Her parents had given her a pill to prevent

infection, but it ended up turning her entire foot green.”

Moore said that they were able to work with and get to know the whole village.

“We worked with everyone, ages six to 79,” Moore said. “It was truly inspiring.”

Impact on Current Life: Both Wulf and Moore were in awe by the faith of

the villagers.“Even though the poverty was beyond extreme and the villagers had

literally nothing, they believed in the little things and were extremely

thankful,” Moore said.

“Because they had nothing, [the people] could see God’s blessings everyday,”

Wulf said.

Abby Moore and Caroline Wulf

Aide workers

Caliche, Honduras

Jan. 16-23, 2010

graphics by aliceo’neill and louward


alisongilbert ’11 & hannahjochem ’10

four seniors donate their time and energy to help those less fortunate

MISSI NS

Nuevo Progresso, Mexico

Jan. 14-17, 2010

Reason for Trip: Senior Joe Adams and his older brother, David,

went on a personal mission to work directly with a small hospice

in rural India.

“The main goal of the [mission work] was to provide dignity to the

dying,” Adams said.

He explained that he felt like it was his job as a Christian to help

those less fortunate.

Daily Schedule and Activities: Adams said his daily routine

consisted of keeping the patients clean, fed, and as comfortable

as possible.

“One day I was specifically assigned to comfort an elderly dying

man; as I held and massaged his hand to try to keep the blood

flowing, I prayed and sang whatever came into my head,” Adams said.

“It was hard, but I knew I was working for something greater than

myself.”Impact on Current Life: Adams said he was impressed by the

simplicity of the Indian people’s lives. He said he believes what he

really learned was how to be thankful and appreciative for what he

has been given.

“It was much more peaceful. I realized how materialistic we really

are,” Adams said. “I feel like some of the fancy products we take for

granted complicate rather than simplify our already busy lives.”

photo courtesy joeadams

Joe Adams stands with his older brother in front of the hospice

in India where they worked.

Abby Moore takes a break with the local people of Caliche.photo courtesy abbymoore

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W

BBoycott NBC. Do it.For those who only skimmed headlines during the late-night

scandal this will seem like an overly dramatic response, but I assure you it’s not. The ousting of Conan from “The Tonight Show” is an insult to the comedian who put everything he had into improving the quality and legacy of a classic TV dynasty.

When Conan took over “Tonight” in June 2009, Jay Leno had apparently changed his mind and decided he wasn’t actually ready to retire. NBC graciously gave Leno his very own primetime talk show to air every night of the week at 10 p.m.

The Jay Leno Show inevitably fell in the ratings and local NBC affiliates threatened to broadcast their own programming at 10 p.m., because they needed higher ratings to lead audiences into their local news programs.

The Jay Leno Show had to be canceled, but Leno still wasn’t ready to retire. “The Tonight Show’s” ratings had dipped with Conan, but with only seven months under his belt, Conan had not received much time to build his audience, either.

The solution NBC proposed bumped the entire late-night lineup back one hour, starting with Jay Leno’s show. Being later means fewer viewers, so Leno’s acceptance of this proposal would be his success at the detriment of all the other shows after him.

Luckily, Conan stood up to Leno and NBC and rejected the proposal. In a open letter to NBC he said, “I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting.”

NBC, however, wouldn’t let Leno go, so Conan left, and Leno took back his old post at “Tonight.” Conan held his last show Friday, Jan 22.

As I’ve talked to people about the ordeal, many have said to me, what should Conan be upset about? He walked away with millions of dollars in severance, some of which he gave to his staff because he was upset with NBC’s compensation. He’s even gained some popularity and sympathy from viewers. Why shouldn’t he be happy?

But it is not now, nor was it ever, about money. It was always about the years of hard work and dedication to NBC—all with the hope of hosting “The Tonight Show”—being forgotten literally overnight.

The right move would have been letting Leno go. He had a long run with NBC, but his time was up. Conan was the next era in “Tonight.” NBC showed that they care nothing for company dedication and loyalty.

So I will boycott NBC, and I hope to watch Conan put the network behind him, as well. The question is: What will he do next?

I hope he utilizes the Internet to still get his comedy out to the public. I hope that after seven months, he hosts a show on another network and simply destroys NBC in the ratings. Lastly, I hope that they see that forgetting the dedication and loyalty of employees is not a good business decision.

I’m with Conan.

i’m with conan

coreymcmahon ’11

with the many advantages of technology, it is inevitable there will be a few drawbacks. one of these is the trend called cyber bullying.

teens are now able to make facebook groups, blogs, MySpace pages and more that make fun of their peers. However, the consequences of these actions are not usually considered by the teen even if they are very real. numerous stories about teens being cyberbullied and the horrible effects on these teens have circulated the media, yet the problem still persists.

like a scene from the movie “Mean girls,” teens have taken to the web to bully others. Hiding behind a computer screen to tell someone how you truly feel is not only cowardly and immature, but it is devasting to the other person. in a digital age, it’s hard to tell online if someone is “just joking” or if they are serious. the personal connection is lost, so when someone blogs about how dumb he or she finds another person, the person reading it will immediately take it the wrong way. even if this supposed joke was not meant to be taken in a negative way, there is no way to tell for sure if the person was kidding or being serious.

it’s best to just avoid these situations by keeping such comments to yourself or save them for a more appropriate environment. After all, if you wouldn’t say the comment to someone’s face, how does typing it onto the computer make it oK? it doesn’t. it just makes the person a coward.

the next time you find yourself tempted to make a facebook group or blog about someone, think again. imagine if you ever found something like that about you. it would deterioriate your self-esteem. So why put someone else through that? it’s just not worth it.

cyberbullying is an immature, selfish and an ultimately hurtful act. when it comes to the internet, the old platitude applies: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

let’s keep the internet safe

StatuS uPDate: John Smith is a loser.

John Smith

editorial cartoon by aliceo’neill and louward


eigHt inEight students respond to a question in eight words

If you could hang out with any celebrity, who would it be and why?britney spears, because

bald chicks rock my world.

Senior phil lindsey

sandra bullock. she’s

great in The Blind Side. Sophomorebreana patwa

chris brown, so he

can teach me dancing.Junior

mary corbett

vince vaughn, because he

is funny in movies.freshman John cambell

audrey Hepburn, because she is a classy lady.

Seniordanielle endicott

lebron James, because he is sick at basketball.

Sophomoreconnor casey

brad pitt. He has

a beard like rasputin.Junior

will seymour

meryl streep. she’s

old but still has it.freshman

patty Huntley

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black and whitelack of diversity becomes an issue of concern in ua students report their oscar picks, based on nominations seniors travel to help less fortunate columnist criticizes