February 2014 - Oak Hills Local School District

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Event Reminder:
February 17: PRESIDENT’S DAY-NO SCHOOL
February 19: DELAYED START
March 5: DELAYED START
March 10-14: OGT TESTING
March 14: MORP
March 17-21: OGT MAKE-UPS
March 19: LATE START
March 21:LAST DAY OF THIRD QUARTER
March 24: TEACHER INSERVICE-NO SCHOOL
The Tartan
February 14, 2014
Volume 54, Issue 4
C u s t o d i a n
S p o t l i g h t
by Maddie Cable
There are many
people we appreciate at
Oak Hills; we appreciate our teachers, we give
thanks to our principals,
our counselors, and anyone
that helps us get through
the school day. But there is
one group of staff members
we forget to give thanks to,
and they
probably
deserve it
most.
All
of our
custodians do
so much
on a daily basis. From
mopping floors to refilling
the bathrooms, cleaning
classrooms to shoveling
trash out of the commons,
literally. They even go as
far as coming in on off days
(teacher inservice, snow
days, etc.). First shift custodians work until 2:30 in
the afternoon, keeping Oak
Hills functioning during
the school day.
John Sinkhorn has
been doing custodial work
at Oak Hills High School
for 13 years. Despite the
hours he works, he still says
he loves his job. He said he,
“loves coming in everyday
and just laughing at some
of the kids.”
He said that he
forms great bonds with
many kids every year, even
though he doesn’t usually
keep in contact with them
as they move on to college.
He said he still “manages to
find a few good eggs” every
year.
After working here
for 13 years, he’s seen some
very interesting things. The
craziest thing he said he’s
ever had to clean up was
when someone
defecated on
the floor. If that
doesn’t make
you appreciate
custodians and
all that they do
here, what
would?
Contrary to
popular belief, the custodians hear more than
you think. When walking
around the halls all day,
they hear everything we
students talk about. Even
though Sinkhorn said he,
“blocks it out”, he still hears
about all the “crazy partying the students do on the
weekends.”
Next time you see
one of our custodians, just
talk to them. Tell them
“thank you” for all that
they do here at Oak Hills.
The custodians love when
students come up and say
hi. They aren’t teachers, but
they give us the tools to
keep this school running,
and that deserves some
appreciation.
Oak Hills High School
Cutest Couples of Oak Hills
The cutest couples of Oak Hills were selected by staff members of the Tartan. This
is just one example of the many cute couples. Flip to page 4 for the entire list.
Ian Veldhaus and Chloe Turner: 5 months
Ian:
Best Feature? - Her beautiful eyes.
What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? - I
can’t say, it’s a secret.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? Who wears pants?
Nickname? - Honeymuffincakes.
Chloe:
Favorite memory? - When he told me that all
he wanted for his birthday was for me to be his
girlfriend.
How did you meet? - We were in the same English class last year. Basically love at first sight.
Nickname? - Ian my wittle koala.
Funniest thing to occur on a date? - Uhmmm
this one time he fell asleep driving on the way
home from Kings Island…
Single and Ready to Mingle
by Audrey Laker &
Paige Chesney
Jessica Gourley
Age: 18 (Senior)
Height: 5’4”
Hobbies/ Interests: Cheerleading, Pizza.
Idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day Date: Buy pizza and watch movies
with me.
What do you look for in a guy: Good personality, accepts my ugly
snapchat selfies.
Turn ons: Someone who treats me well, pizza.
Lexi Hughes
Age: 17 (Junior)
Height: 5’5”
Hobbies/ Interests: Gymnastics, and boys in baseball pants.
Idea of a perfect Valentine’s date: Buy me Wendys spicy chicken nuggets!
What do you look for in a guy: Good sense of humor and gotta be able
to make me laugh.
Turn ons: Boys who look like Jake Collinsworth.
Hannah Masmintser
Age: 16 (Junior)
Height: 5’6”
Hobbies/ Interests: Dogs, Gymnastics.
What do you look for in a guy: Probably someone with legs and maybe a
pair of eyes.
Turn ons: Pretty eyes, and guys who love to eat.
Turn offs: Vegetarian haters.
Page 2
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In Love With Love
by Brandi Liebing
High school is the
ultimate coming of age
story, and with it comes the
excitement of first loves. As
Valentine’s Day approaches,
love is in the air - or rather the halls. While it can
seemingly be found in boxes
of chocolate and the annual
last-minute carnation sale,
love is much more complicated than Cupid makes it
seem.
For decades, adults
have squashed any mention
of adolescent love as immature and teenagers were
told that because of their
age, they do not possess the
capacity to be in love. That
because of their undeveloped brains and excessive
hormones they cannot rationalize and have no ability
to discriminate between
true love and something
much less absolute. However, the age-old argument
is flawed. While age can
seemingly dictate rational thought, love is never
a rational thing. Marilyn
French once said, “Love is
insanity... you lose yourself,
you have no power over
yourself and you can’t even
think straight.” Quite simply, love doesn’t come with
a set of restrictions - only
for ages 25 and up.
Granted, recent generations do seem to be a
little too eager to be in
love. With the ILY’s after
two weeks, it is understandable that many think
that they are confusing
being in love, and being
in love with the idea of
love. While it is easy to
fall victim to the sense of
longing felt after watching
a 24 hour marathon of
the Notebook, that’s not
to say all young love is
just raging hormones and
built up romantic comedy
expectations.
Students seem to
believe in true love too,
even early on. Senior
couple Anthony Jantzen and Katelyn Scherer
weighed in on the topic.
“ When you feel it, you
feel it. Whether it’s when
you’re 17 or 83, you can
fall in love with someone.”
Anthony seemed to agree
adding, “There is no time
frame for love. It is an
uncontrollable emotion
that occurs on its own.”
They both continued on
to say the only emotion
that could describe their
Love Poems
Say Hey
feeling towards each other,
which Katelyn compared to
First glance
a dream, was the most natfirst smile
ural one of all - love. And
heart skips
it isn’t just couples who feel
runs a mile
this way, single (and ready
first kiss.
to mingle) senior Alex Vest
said he believes in young
This,
love stating, “It's very rare
but it can happen. I know
love.
plenty of friends that have
been in relationships and
Crushing
some of those relationships
Falling
had true love.”
Time is a nonreheart is aching
newable resource. It is
Together forever
limited, but love and one’s
what are you
capacity to love is not.
saying?
Time, however, fails to be
limiting. There is no age reOverflowing
quirement to feel the most
raw and real emotion of
thoughts
all. High school love might
loving dreams
be juvenile, but that does
oh no you’ve
not make it any less signifibeen caught
cant. The heart racing and
he could have
butterflies are universal, no
the key.
matter the culture or age.
The T.V. show One Tree Hill
to your heart
said it best, “You can drive
at 16, go to war at 18, you
but as he walks
can drink at 21, and retire
by you’re too
at 65. So how old do you
shy,
have to be before your love
to even
is real?”
say...
Hi.
by Alysa Helmers
Valentine’s
Day
Flowers
Chocolate
And teddy
bears
For the cutest of couples
But
Dread
Ice cream
And Netflix
Await all
that are
alone
by Zoe Despres
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His vs Her Expectations
for Valentine’s Day
Her
by Chloe Turner
I just don’t get it. All I want for Valentine’s Day
is something small. Maybe some candy, flowers, or even
just a, “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe”. It seems like most
girls nowadays expect the world from their boyfriends for
this holiday. Yeah, it’d be nice to just go out and catch a
movie. But I’m not over here demanding a hundred dollar
gift for a Hallmark holiday. If you’re one of those boys
who goes all out for Valentine’s Day, more power to you.
But girls, don’t get mad if your boyfriend doesn’t purchase
an Edible Arrangement or some fancy new watch to win
over your heart for the day. There’s more to love than the
newest item on television, so be thankful that someone
wants to spend this special day with you and acknowledge
the fact that there are plenty of other days to show your
love for each other.
His
by Ian Veldhaus
I just don’t get it. The expectations are too high.
Am I supposed to buy her a pony? All the other guys
are probably buying their girlfriends rings from Jared’s
jewelry store, and bouquets of roses, but isn’t that a little
too much? You would think that my presence is enough
to please her, but I wouldn't bank on it. Most couples will
probably go out to eat to a place like Red Lobster, and
then a movie after. Maybe we could get some McDonald’s and then watch some Netflix? No, she deserves more
than that. Maybe I’ll make it very secretive, act like I have
something big planned, and hope I can come up with
something in the end. I wish I could just buy her some
candy and wish her a happy Valentine’s Day, hoping that
it will make her happy. If I knew what she was thinking or
what girls actually want, that would help, but who really
understands girls? Valentine’s Day is just a complicated
day that was made to challenge the lives of boys. I’ll just
wing it and hope she still loves me when it’s all over.
Page 3
Super Bowl Recap
by Brandon Davis
In the 48th Super
Bowl of the National Football League, the Seahawks
brought Seattle home their
first Super Bowl victory in
franchise history with an
offensive rampage score
of 43-8. At the start of the
game, Seattle won the toss,
selecting to kick. On the
opening drive, the Broncos snapped the ball on a
busted play into and out
of the back end zone for a
safety. The Seahawks’ Steven Hauschka went on to
kick two straight field goals
of 31 and 33 yards, while
Denver was unable to spark
any kind of offensive threat.
Following a Manning
interception, Seattle went
down field to score the first
touchdown of the game. Off
of a one yard, Marshawn
Lynch run, they go up
15-0. On the next Broncos’
possession, Manning threw,
yet again, another interception off a tipped pass that
fell into the hands of MVP
Malcolm Smith. It was
returned for a touchdown
and puts Seattle up 22-0.
The Seahawks’ Percy Harvin took the opening
kickoff of the second half
back, for another Seattle
touchdown, 87 yards, to go
up 29-0. After two unsuccessful offensive drives by
Denver, Russell Wilson
connects with Javon Kearse
for a 23 yard score. This
put Seattle up by 36 unanswered points.
The only Broncos’
points came on a 14 yard
pass from Manning to Demaryis Thomas, and a suc-
cessful 2 point conversion
pass to Wes Welker. Wilson
and the Seahawks answered
back with 10 yard pass to
Doug Baldwin to close out
on an ugly scoring attack,
43-8.
What came as a disappointing end to a great
Bronco year and Denver
fans everywhere, brought
the city of Seattle their first
Super Bowl victory in franchise history, and will go
in the record books as the
third largest scoring margin
in Super Bowl history.
TARTAN STAFF
ADVISOR: AMANDA TUCHFARBER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: SAM CARROLL
EDITORS: LEAH BODENSTEIN, SAMMY SAGERS, BECCA DAVIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: IAN VELDHAUS, CHLOE TURNER, BRANDON
DAVIS, MADDIE CABLE, BRITTANY FISCHER, COURTNEY MCCARTHY, ALLIE BRUEGGE, AUDREY LAKER, PAIGE CHESNEY, CIERRA UNDERWOOD,
DUSTIN STEIN, MASON GARRISON, CHRIS FLINCHBAUGH, GARY SAULSBURY,
COURTNEY NEW, KATIE URBAN, KELLY LINDSEY, ALYSA HELMERS, ZOE DESPRES, BRANDI LIEBING, KAYLA WIRTZ
THE TARTAN IS A FORUM FOR STUDENT EXPRESSION PRODUCED FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND
ALL PERSONS INVOLVED WITH OAK HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, 3200 EBENEZER ROAD, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45248. THE TARTAN IS PUBLISHED ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND CONTAINS ARTICLES
WRITTEN BY THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY OF OAK HILLS HIGH SCHOOL. EDITORIALS
APPEARING IN THE TARTAN REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE EDITORIALIST, NOT OF THE
FACULTY, STAFF, OR ADMINISTRATION OF OAK HILLS HIGH SCHOOL.
Page 4
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Cutest Couples of Oak Hills
by Courtney McCarthy, Allie Bruegge, &
Brittany Fischer
Kelly Rogers and Michael Patrustie: 3 years
Wade Deffinger and Faith Genoe: 1.5 years
Kelly:
What are you doing for Valentines Day?- Probably going out
and eating and hopefully admiring my new piece of jewelry!
(hint, hint).
Best feature? - His biceps..lol.
Do you have any nicknames for each other? - We have a lot
but they’re all too embarrassing to say.
Secret to a lasting relationship? - Do what I say (;
Faith:
Who wears the pants in the relationship? - (No comment) I think everyone knows.
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened on a date? -Someone asked
if we were brother and sister.
Best feature? - DUHHHH. His personality, he’s such a baby.
What are you doing for Valentines Day? - He’d better take me to dinner
and a movie.
Brandi Liebing and Nick McGinnis: 2.5 years
Ethan Skowronski and Kayla Weber: 3 years
Brandi:
Favorite memory?- Seeing him graduate from basic training, I
was super proud of him (plus he looks hot in his uniform).
Best feature?- His eyes. I’m a sucker for those baby blues.
Nicknames?- He calls me The Boss and I call him Snuggly Wuggly
Cuddly Bear.
Secret to a lasting relationship?- Laughing. Every time Nick
laughs I fall more in love with him. I think it is super important to
be able to laugh things off and make fun of each other.
Ethan (Ski):
First Date? - Wendy’s.
What are you doing for Valentines day? - Probably chilling, Kayla will be
at volleyball.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? - Obviously I do, no doubt.
Secret to a lasting relationship? - Trust, yeah it’s definitely gotta be trust.
Michael:
Favorite Memory?- Walking on the beach our first
night in Daytona under the
fireworks.
Who wears the pants in the
relationship? -Honestly, her.
Best feature?- Her eyes and
she has a really small nose,
and it’s cute.
How did you meet?- Her best
friend was dating my best
friend. I met her at Fearfest
and she didn’t want to go
through a haunted house
alone.
Nick:
How long have you been
dating?- Like a million (and a
half) years.
Who wears the pants?- Obviously me. She wears the leggings, she thinks they’re pants
but as we all know they aren’t
really pants.
Do you have any nicknames?- Honey Bunches of
Cuddle Muffins is hers and
mine is Hunchback of Notre
Dayumm.
Secret to a lasting relationship?- Never go to sleep mad
at each other.
Mason Garrison and Katie Carter: 3 years
Katie:
How did you meet? - At a party in eighth grade. I was
dating his best friend at the time and he introduced me to
Mason. Never knew the tall kid I had met that night would
be so special to me.
Funniest thing that ever happened on a date? - The time
Mason chased me around the store. We were hiding in the
walkways from each other. It was so funny and we were
getting the craziest looks from people.
Best Feature? - His personality of course. Mason can always
make me laugh.
Do you have any nicknames for each other? - Mason
wouldn’t admit what I call him because he knows he will get
crap for it. But I call him “Boo Bear” and he calls me “Love
Bug”.
Wade:
Who wears the pants in
the relationship? -We both
make decisions.
Best feature? - Her amazing
personality.
Do you have any nicknames
for each other? - She calls
me “Wadeyyyy”.
What’s the secret to a lasting
relationship? - Don’t try
to hide things from each
other and stick through all
the fights, no matter what
they’re about.
Kayla:
Funniest thing that ever
happened on a date? - When
Ski walked out of his front
door for our date and
slipped and fell on ice.
What are you doing on
Valentine’s Day? - Probably
volleyball...it rules my life.
Best Feature? - His eyes...or
maybe his crooked smile.
The secret to a lasting relationship? - Trust, and the
woman is always in charge.
Mason:
Favorite memory? - Katie took me to a UC Football game at Paul Brown Stadium.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? - I do...
however she thinks she does.
Best Feature? - She’s understanding.
What’s the secret to a lasting relationship? - Don’t
over react and break up for stupid reasons. It gets
to a point where the relationship is either right or
wrong; you have to make a mature decision about
it.
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Q: Why do guys wink at
tell a guy you like him?”
girls?
Nothing is more attractive
A: I really don’t know. I
to a guy than an assertive
guess it could be to show
girl who goes after what
them that he’s interested in
she wants. Be the one to
This is Rita, Oak Hills High School’s own advice columnist.
her although that is probastep up and say you like
I’m here to help you sort out your numerous high school
bly the creepiest way to do
him. Whether he turns you
problems, because everyone has them. If you have a quesit.
down or not, life is about
tion, email me and I’d be happy to help. askrita.ohhs@
taking risks isn’t it?
gmail.com
Q: I don’t like relationships...
is there something wrong
Q: What do you do when
Q: Are there more boy or girl awesome idea was to do a
with
me?
your bestfriend is jealous of
students at Oak Hills?
flash mob. Someone could
your boyfriend?
A: Boy students outnumber bring in a boom box, plug it A: Absolutely not. Maybe
you
don’t
like
relationships
A: It’s terrible how much
girl students by a mere 121 in, and then have all the sethis actually happens. You
people. This is good news
niors start doing a synchro- because you just haven’t
end up spending your free
for you girls. It means that
nized dance. Then when the found the right person to
be
in
one
with.
Also,
retime with your boyfriend
you have more options to
song is over, go back as if
lationships bring on a lot
instead of spending it waitchose from when picking a nothing happened. Everyof
unwanted
things
along
ing on your best friend. The
boyfriend!
one would be so surprised,
with the great things so
thing is, your bestie can’t
it would be hilarious.
that could be why as well.
always just expect you to
Q: Do you have any senior
Another cool dancing idea
If
that’s
the
case,
try
not
be free when she wants to
prank ideas?
is to plan to wear bathing
to focus on what can go
hang out. But, that doesn’t
A: I thought and thought
suits or something unusual
wrong
and
focus
on
what
mean you shouldn’t make
but I couldn’t think of
under your school clothes
could go right. You never
time for your best friend
anything witty enough so I and at exactly 1:00 or so
turned to Google. Google
start blasting the same song really know what’s going to too. If you find yourself
happen when you get into a ditching or lying to your
never fails. One really great in every senior classroom.
idea I found is to have a
Then, continue to dance out relationship, but if you want friends to hang out with
your boyfriend, you might
senior camp out in front
of your classrooms and into that relationship enough it
be too addicted to your
of the school. I don’t know
the hallways. It’s going to be shouldn’t matter. I guarantee there is nothing wrong
boyfriend. If you have
if Stoddard would go for
hard to find a senior prank
with
you.
nothing to do and you ask
this one, but it would be so that won’t make Stoddard
your boyfriend to hang out
funny if everyone drove up mad but if we do it can be
Q:
How
do
you
know
if
a
guy
instead of your friend, then
to school as all the seniors
hilarious.
likes you?
I think you’re fine. If you
were climbing out of their
A: The question you should pick your boyfriend every
tents in their PJs. Another
be asking is “How do you
time you have nothing to
Ask Rita
#ForeverAlone
something that’ll make
you happy and pamper
yourself. Have a spa day
with other single friends
or simply have a day alone
to enjoy being single (or to
hide from everyone making single jokes and trying
to hook you up with their
cousins).
If a spa day really
isn’t your style, then have
the longest sappy movie
marathon of your life. If
you have Netflix you’re set.
The Notebook, Safe Haven,
The Vow, The Last Song,
Titanic, Dear John, Sixteen
Candles, The Spectacular
Now… heck, even pop
in the Twilight Saga and
you’re good for hours.
If for some reason
you aren’t human and can’t
lay in bed watching movies
hours on end take a break
for a dance party. This is
the day to break out your
favorite T-Swift album and
sing along to every heart
break song she’s written…
and we all know you have
a lot to choose from. Sing
about how you knew he
was trouble and burn all
those old pictures of him
because face it… you
do, then I can see where
your friend is coming from.
My advice would be to sit
down with your best friend
and talk about why she feels
that way. She should tell
you the truth. Then its up to
you what to do about it.
Q: What would you do if the
guy you like treats you like
a girlfriend behind closed
doors but in front of people
he barely makes an effort to
be by you?
A: What I wouldn’t do is
just let it slide, because then
things will never change.
Say something. You don’t
deserve to be a “secret
girlfriend.” You deserve
a guy who will show you
off and tell everyone how
amazing you are. If you
talk to him about it, things
could change. If he doesn’t
change, dump his butt. It
might suck but it is far, far
better to be alone than be
with someone who doesn’t
appreciate you.
Respect Each Other
by Dustin Stein
by Kayla Wirtz
Attention all single
ladies out there grab your
Ben & Jerry’s and your
favorite Nicholas Sparks
movie, Valentine’s Day is
coming! That’s right February 14 is today, so either
find a boy fast or hop on
the train to singlesville full
of sappy movies, food, and
loneliness.
If you’ve ever been
single on Valentine’s Day
you know how much you
dread having to come to
school and watch all the annoying couples proclaiming
their love for each other… All. Day. Long. This
year, make the best of this
tragic day. When everyone around you is getting
carnations in first bell you
could sit there and cry to
yourself about how pathetic
your life is, or you could
send yourself a flower from
the cutest boy in school.
Pump up your confidence
while proving to everyone
else that you do have a social life and boys do in fact
like you.
After the long
school day of holding back
the tears from your current relationship status do
Page 5
should have said no.
Don’t think I forgot about
the chocolate. Oh yes…
Hersheys and Dove and
Wonka OH MY. Everyone knows the best cure to
broken heart is chocolate,
so eat it, eat all of it. Who
cares… obviously you don’t
have a man to impress,
so take this day to eat all
the chocolate you want.
Stuff your mouth with the
wonderful milky chocolate
while the tears stream down
your face as your heart
breaks along with Noah’s
when Allie’s memory fades
away.
Have fun this Valentine’s Day. Don’t worry
about how you’re the only
one in your friend group
who doesn’t have a boyfriend. Today is Singles
Awareness Day. Be SINGLE. Be Strong, Independent, Noticeable, Generous,
Loyal, and Enlightened…
or just begin to accept your
future with 72 cats.
To sign off I’ll leave you
with this lovely poem…
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I’m Alone
Someone love me
For Valentine’s
Day, students shouldn’t
rely on candy, but rather
the love they receive
from other people on
that day. Valentine’s Day
is about love, not gifts,
such as candy. Love is
what people should feel,
not a delicious piece of
candy. Love wins out
over candy, candy does
not win out over love.
We should care about
others, do good things
for them and love them
as we love ourselves.
We should not only do
things for other people,
but also all year long.
On Valentine’s
Day and also on every
day, we need to show
love to each other and
treat them as if they
were our best friend
even if they aren’t our
best friend. We need to
be best friends to each
other and treat them
properly, every day that
we see them, no matter if it’s at home or at
school. We must treat
our teachers right, not
yell or talk back to them
when they’re yelling
at us for making a bad
choice, whether we
think it’s wrong for them
to yell at us or get louder
no matter what we think
they’re yelling at us for.
It is never okay for us to
disrespect a teacher or
other person who is in
charge, no matter if we
think it is okay for them
to yell or shout, regardless of the situation that
we think is bad, and no
matter what choice we
made. Talking back or
yelling back is never,
ever okay. We need to
respect them when they
yell at us, accept it and
move on from it. Disrespecting our peers is
a bad choice and will
get us in more trouble,
rather than get us out
of trouble. Bottom line
is, if you make a bad
choice, you have to pay
the price for it; in other
words, if you can’t do
the time, then don’t do
the crime.
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Page 6
Interpreting Dreams
by Gary Saulsbury & Chris Flinchbaugh
Interpreting your
dreams doesn’t have to be
down the road in an old
hippie shack, owned by a
ninety year old lady with
a crystal ball from Toys ‘R’
Us. It can be as simple as
small signs or meanings
shown to you when you’re
in a peaceful trance of
dream state. Dreams have
a way of telling subconsciously what is going on in
your life and how you feel
about it. Dreams could even
tell the future…
Have you ever been
nude at school or in public
in a dream? It could mean
you’re in a new environment and you’re in fear.
Have you awakened after
flying through space on
a fun-filled adventure?
This could be that you feel
accomplished or proud of
something recent in your
life. This also tells that
maybe you need more
control in your life. You
might just find yourself
falling from sky, or through
a dark abyss. Be careful if
you’re fearful, anxious, or
stressed because you could
be chased by a fire breathing dragon, or even a three
headed dog.
Lucid Dreaming is a
scientifically proven ability to become consciously
aware while you’re dreaming, so you can control your
dreams. This phenomenon
was referred to by Greek
philosopher Aristotle
who had observed: “Often
when one is asleep, there is
something in consciousness
which declares that what
then presents itself is but a
dream”. We’ve compiled a
list to help you do this.
Guidelines to control your
dreams
1.Before bed set an alarm
clock exactly six hours after
you fall asleep.
2. Record your dreams by
keeping a “dream journal”,
as soon as you wake up to
avoid losing memory of what
your dream consisted of.
3. When you wake up try
hard to remember what
happened.
4. Next time you need rest,
go to sleep thinking about
what your dreamt of last
time you recorded it. Do
your best to avoid random
thoughts irrelevant to your
previous dream.
Dream Fun Facts
• The strangers in
your dreams are
actually people that
you’ve seen in real
life. It’s crazy to
think that you can
dream of something
you’ve never seen.
• Not everyone dreams
in color.
• You have a possibility of having up
to seven different
dreams a night.
• Animals and the
blind also dream.
• If you’re snoring,
you are not dreaming at that time.
Overcoming
Autophobia
by Katie Urban
Valentine’s Day has
always been a stressful day
for people who are not in
relationships. Many people
suffer from Autophobia, or
the fear of being alone. This
fear is only intensified as
February approaches. Some
boycott the day altogether,
others go all out and spread
love to everyone with kiddie Valentines, and a large
majority have renamed the
day “Singles Awareness Day”.
Instead of enjoying time with
their significant other, singles are out celebrating their
freedom.
Single ladies just
coming out of a relationship
tend to find Valentine’s day
particularly daunting. They
find the day unbearable as
they reminisce over their
exes. Single boys are unsure whether or not the day
would be perfect to confess
their feelings for that special
lady in their lives.
While love is a
beautiful thing and definitely worth celebrating,
Valentine’s Day gifts can be a
little cheesy. The giant teddy
bears, balloons, and roses often bring out the jealousy in
all the girls who go without,
and drain the bank accounts
of the boys involved.
It’s time singles stop
being scared of Valentine’s
Day. Instead of hiding in our
rooms with a carton of Ben
and Jerry’s, we should be out
on the town celebrating the
fact that we are not behaving
like love-crazed idiots.
Go to the movies
with some other single
friends and poke fun of all
the couples making fools of
themselves. Stay at home and
watch non-romantic Valentine’s day movies, such as My
Bloody Valentine, or Lover’s
Lane. Have a mixer at your
house and invite some single
friends, and who knows?
Love might blossom over a
plate of pizza rolls.
Valentine’s Day is the
perfect opportunity to take a
chance, so try writing a note
or a letter to your crush. You
can give it to them or keep it
for yourself, but remember,
just because you start the day
alone doesn’t mean you end
it that way.
It is time we singles
stop hiding in our beds and
remember that being single
on Valentine’s Day is not a
big deal because no matter
how the day turns out, the
next day all the Valentine’s
Day candy goes on sale.
http://mystudentweb.org/tartan/Pages/index.php
Top 10 Valentine’s Day Songs
Dear Senioritis,
by Kelly Lindsey
by Cierra Underwood
Valentine’s Day is full of love and couples, but for those
of you without a significant other, Valentine’s Day can get you
“down in the dumps”. Don’t spend all day moping around remembering past relationships. Forget about them by adding these
songs to your playlist.
I hate you. Every
Oak Hills senior hates
you. In fact, every senior
in the nation hates you.
Why don’t you take a hint
and leave? Get out of our
lives.
You are bad for us;
you make us get behind
in our classes and this is
not a time to get behind.
We have college applications to fill out, and we
still have assignments
that are due. Stop distracting us from our work
that we need to get done;
we still have four months
until we graduate and
failing is not an option at
this point.
Senioritis, when I
picture you, I see a black
heart surrounded by a
dark soul. You suck the
life out of every senior
and destroy our will to
achieve in the classroom.
You are my opposition
in life, my nemesis, my
enemy.
10. “Take A Bow”- by Rihanna ed on you, this song’s for you!
If your ex cheat-
9. “Over You”- by Daughtry - You have to let them know it.
8. “Cry Me A River”- by Justin Timberlake - Don’t
listen to their sob stories.
7. “Irreplaceable”- by Beyonce -Trust me honey,
they’re replaceable.
6. “Since U Been Gone”- by Kelly Clarkson - Just think, You’re finally
free!
5. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”- by
Taylor Swift - You know it’s true.
4. “I Will Survive”- by Gloria Gaynor - Obviously, you WILL
survive.
3. “Survivor”- by Destiny’s Child - EVERYONE knows
Beyonce is always the answer.
2. “So What”- by Pink - Hey, you’re still a rockstar!
1. “Forget You”- by Cee Lo Green - When
you see your ex with their new boyfriend/
girlfriend, say this.
Valentine’s Day should still be fun, regardless if you’re in
a relationship or not. Make plans with your other single friends
and listen to these songs and you’re guaranteed a good time!
Page 7
Let’s refresh your
memory; you remember
that test I was supposed to
study for but then you told
me to just wing it and go
out with my friends? Well, I
failed that. I also had a paper due last Tuesday and I’m
just now getting that turned
in to my teacher for only 50
percent credit. My project
that I was supposed to work
on last night so I wouldn’t
fall behind, well because of
you, I didn’t even start that
project. You have to stop
making me turn in my assignments late. I lose points,
which makes my grades go
down and then that ruins
everything. Does that make
you happy? Are you feeling
good that you are letting me
fail before my future even
starts?
I wish my teachers
would believe me when I say
that you do exist. I wouldn’t
just make something like you
up. You’re everywhere I go,
no matter where it is. Just
leave me and every senior
alone please.
Now, after I finish
procrastinating by writing
this letter, I should probably
start studying for my AP
Psychology test that is next
bell. Oh wait, there’s a text
from Lauren. Nevermind
about studying. I’ll just wing
it. Just like you taught me to
do; see you’re bad for me.
Sincerely,
A very mad senior.
http://mystudentweb.org/tartan/Pages/index.php
Page 8
Senior Spotlight
by Mason Garrison
To be successful
at something, one has to
have a certain work ethic,
be tough and be willing to
do what it takes in order
to succeed. Alex Dupps possesses each one of
those qualities. Alex, when
few gave him any sort of
chance, has beaten the odds
and exceeded expectations
whether it be on the football field or wrestling mat,
outside during track and
field or in the classroom.
As a football player,
Alex attended the Purple
Parochial school over on
Vincent Avenue his freshman year. He transferred to
Oak Hills after Thanksgiving break of his sophomore
year, forcing him to be
ineligible to play football as
a sophomore at Oak Hills
because the season had
passed. It is difficult enough
to come from a different
school and adapt to a brand
new setting, atmosphere,
and student body. It is even
more challenging to come
from a school that isn’t
exactly cared for at his new
school, and then go and
by Courtney New
play a sport. However Alex
quickly adapted and played
a substantial role on the
football team as his Junior
year came around.
Alex’s first year
playing football at Oak
Hills, was also the first year
for an entirely new coaching staff. A staff who hoped
to change the culture of
Oak Hills football. The new
coaches challenged not only
Alex, but the whole team
to reach limits they didn’t
think they could and give
everything they had. After
months of hard work, Alex
was named a starter as the
left offensive tackle. As
the final pre-season game
rolled around however,
Alex pulled to block and
and tore the meniscus in his
knee, virtually ending his
junior season. That didn’t
stop Alex though. After recovering and being successful in track and wrestling,
Alex hit the weights with
the football team yet again,
ready to work hard and get
better.
When asked about
the injury Alex said, “Pain
is temporary, the memories
last forever, and I just wanted to make memories and
be successful.”
Alex, yet again,
was named a starter for his
senior year, this time as offensive guard. After having
much success, Alex was
forced to move to center
after a brutal season ending injury to Kyle Miller.
Although the season was
cut short, Alex was able to
leave his impact, setting
the record for most knockdown blocks and earning
the “Knockdown Board” for
the team, marking up 122.
He also was nominated for
the Ohio East-West All-Star
Game. He then earned a
scholarship to Urbana University, a Division II school.
After football, Alex
started his senior season in
wrestling. Jumping out to a
quick lead, Alex is second
in the GMC in his weight
class but leads his class in
pins. With a current record
of 20 pins, Alex is seven
pins away from breaking
the Oak Hills all time pin
record. As of now (2-3-14)
he is four back from tieing
it, and five from breaking
the record which is 26.
Although he is in second
place, there is no doubt he
will finish on top.
In the spring time,
Alex throws the discus and
shot put for the track &
field team. This year however, he will only throw the
discus in order to keep his
elbow healthy for college
football.
As a student, Alex
has managed a 3.0 GPA.
Although it was difficult
losing credits lost from the
transfer, he was able to earn
them all back. As a three
sport athlete that is very
difficult because he never
gets a break in between
seasons and always has
practices after school. In
order to be a good athlete,
you have to be able to get it
done in the classroom, and
Alex achieves in the classroom.
When given adversity, Alex has beaten it.
When there was work that
needed to be done, Alex
exceeded it. Alex went from
fighting to recover from a
season ending injury one
season, to leading the team
after conditioning was over,
through “overtime.” He has
come a long way on the
field and in the classroom.
Alex represents what it
means to wear the “O-H”
and what it means to be a
Highlander. He possesses the qualities that not
only make him succeed in
school and athletics, but in
life as well.
Book Review:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars
is a realistic fiction book written by John Green about a love
story with a sick twist. Green is
a patron at writing books about
teen romance. His other works
include Paper Towns, Looking
for Alaska, Will Grayson Will
Grayson, and An Abundance of
Katherines (all of which I also
recommend). The title for The
Fault in Our Stars originates
from a line in Julius Ceasar,
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not
in our stars, but in ourselves…”
Though, the author’s brother,
Hank Green, would argue that
the fault in our stars is that the
sun contains a limited amount
of oxygen that could explode
and kill all of humanity in
seconds. The main character
was inspired by a real cancer
patient, Esther Earl, who was a
fan of John Green’s books. Sadly, she died in August of 2010
before the book was released in
January of 2012.
The Fault in Our Stars
is focused around two teenagers who fall in love while
battling cancer. Their names
are Hazel Grace Lancaster and
Augustus “Gus” Waters. They
meet at a cancer support meeting in the “literal heart of Jesus,” even though it’s probably
not safe for a bunch of cancer
kids to be in Jesus’ heart. They
act just like any other teenage
couple; Augustus asks Hazel
to come back to her house to
watch V for Vendetta because
he thought Hazel looked like
the actress Natalie Portman.
They start spending a lot of
time together, sharing books,
friends, and talking on the
phone a lot. But Hazel decides
she doesn’t want to date Gus
because she’s like a grenade,
any moment she could be on
her deathbed and she doesn’t
want to hurt anyone. Eventually they take a trip to Amsterdam to meet their favorite
author, and that’s where things
take a turn for the worst. Can
Hazel and Gus’ romance survive, or will they let the cancer
take over?
Even though it’s a
book about cancer that can
only end sadly, Green manages to add humor to his tragic
story. One of my favorite parts
of the book that doesn’t include
too many spoilers, is when
Hazel and Gus help their friend
Isaac egg his ex-girlfriend’s
car. The catch is that Isaac is
blind. Another part was when
Gus finished Hazel’s favorite
book, An Imperial Affliction
(which isn’t an actual book),
and found out that the last line
ended mid-sentence because
the narrator died. He was so
confused, but he loved the
book.
John Green never fails
to create his characters with
so much personality that they
jump off the page, and make
you feel as if you actually know
them. Gus has many quirks.
He uses intelligent words in the
wrong context, he’s highly optimistic, and he uses cigarettes as
a metaphor. Gus said to Hazel
after she saw him take one out,
“It’s a metaphor, see: You put
the killing thing right between
your teeth, but you don’t give
it the power to do its killing.”
Hazel, although not quite as
optimistic, is smart, kind,
sarcastic, and knows how to
phrase a sentence. She tells Augustus, “You gave me a forever
within the numbered days,
and I’m grateful.” Even though
Isaac isn’t a main character, he’s
an important character in the
book. He represents the heartbreak side of love, and they say
love is blind. He can be witty
and funny, but he’s also really
compassionate. He said, “But I
will say this: When the scientists of the future show up at
my house with robot eyes and
they tell me to try them on, I
will tell the scientists to screw
off, because I do not want
to see a world without him
[Gus].”
The Fault in Our Stars
will make you laugh, try not
to cry, then cry anyway. The
Fault in Our Stars will make
you cry just reading the word
“okay” after you finish it. The
Fault in Our Stars will make
you rethink your views on
love, romance, and swingsets.
The Fault in Our Stars will
make you want to watch V for
Vendetta and read An Imperial Affliction (even though it
doesn’t exist). You get a firsthand view of what living with
cancer is like, and you realize,
everyone is a grenade. My
favorite quote is, “My thoughts
are stars I can’t fathom into
constellations” said by Gus.
It shows how difficult it is to
decipher random thoughts into
a complete one to articulate.
That’s how I feel about this
book. The Fault in Our Stars is
a book I hold close to my heart;
it never fails to make me cry
tears of joy and sorrow.
A film adaptation is
set to be released on June 6,
but you can watch the trailer
online. Hazel will be played
by Shailene Woodley, and Gus
will be played by Ansel Elgort.
Woodley recently starred in
The Spectacular Now, and is
known for her lead role in
The Secret Life of an American
Teenager. She’s also starring
in Divergent, set to debut this
summer as well. Ansel Elgort
also plays a part in Divergent,
but was recently in the new
Carrie remake. From what I’ve
seen in the trailer, I expect the
movie to be just as amazing as
the book was.