CONCERT PREVIEW TEACHER FEATURE AUTUMNAL FESTIVITIES NEW BANDS COMING LEARN THE NEW FUN WEEKEND ACTIVITIES FOR OCTOBER TO COLUMBUS FACES AT UAHS $3 | OCT. 7 2009 UPPER ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL 1650 RIDGEVIEW ROAD UPPER ARLINGTON, OH 43221 Gaming galore: UA student excels at his unorthodox passion, looks to make it a career on the web: www.arlingtonian.com UAHS student potential professional videogamer 10 Possibility considered for juniors to Choral department gears up for New alternative rock bands are 04 receive open study hall privilege annual fall production 19 hitting up Columbus this fall Check out the new lunch spots Sports spotlight: Teams finish up fall A question for eight students to 05 around UA 08 seasons 20 answer in eight words Administration weighs in on the Video games are becoming a bigger Columnist ponders utility of UGGs option of paying students for 10 part of teenage culture—especially 21 06 good grades for one junior Quality of 21st century horror movies questioned UAHS grad finds quick success in LA New teacher feature: Meet the 22 acting career 14 newest additions to the UAHS staff 23 Columnist reveals dangerous ailment Honors classes now to receive Students find weekend fun with fall Editorial: It is time to decide about 07 benefit of reprieve passes 16 festivities around Columbus junior study hall 06 cover photo illustration by nicolewagner and coreymcmahon contents main photo by nicolewagner Any thoughts, comments or questions? contents lower photos and photo illustrations (in numerical order) by lizzyshpitalnik, Let your voice be heard and emilypoole, boyslikegirls, paramountpictures e-mail us at [email protected] some content courtesy asne/mctCampus or visit www.arlingtonian.com HighSchoolNewspaperService 16 19 22 arlingtonian 9 october 7, ’09 “We always appreciate 2009-10 STAFF Editor in Chief feedback from our readers” Leah Johnston Managing Editor Kristy Helscel Design Editor It was the first time we featured a Corey McMahon spotlight on video gaming, a topic WRITING STAFF on which I, for one, am no expert. I In Brief Co-Editors learned many new expressions like Noah Grumman “pwning” and “camper” and began to Maria Paskell understood the appeal of the Halo Spotlight Editor franchise. From upcoming concerts to Marisa Patwa fun, fall activities to a column on horror Features Co-Editors movies, the season of Halloween and Alison Gilbert harvesting was the topic of the issue. Hannah Jochem In the school, several possibilities are Last Word Editor being considered for later in the school Evan Smith year or the next. Honors classes may Staff Writers receive reprieve passes, and juniors may Eman Albash get the privilege of open study hall, an Lina Alkhatib issue that created heated discussion Bo Fisher in Arlingtonian. But I won’t give all the Parijat Jha details of this issue. Zoey Whitmeyer I’d like to bring attention to our BUSINESS STAFF Producing the second issue of updated website, which allows readers Business Manager Arlingtonian has been an experience that to comment on stories. We always Megan Knoop can be described as trial and error. appreciate feedback from our readers, Ads Editor The only experience I can relate it to so please comment on the website and Erin Williams was my first time driving a car, instead let your voice be heard. P Business Staff this time it was a much larger car with a As I continue to steer Arlingtonian Tess Galantowicz lot more people under my responsibility. down the road of another school year, Maggie Minor Just like my first time behind the wheel, I I can only hope the road does not Megan Stucko approached my new responsibility with a have too many bumps ahead. Here’s to mixture of trepidation and excitement. smooth driving and another amazing VISUALS STAFF Luckily, my staff once again impressed year of Arlingtonian. Photo Editor me from day one. From brainstorming Nicole Wagner to making layouts, they tirelessly worked Photojournalists to finish another issue. It wasn’t all work Brittany Miller though. In fact, Arlingtonian is the one Emily Poole class where the staff can relax and bond Lizzy Shpitalnik all while working together to achieve a Leah Johnston Graphics Editor common goal. Leah Johnston, Editor in Chief Alice O’Neill This issue was marked by many firsts. Graphics Artist Lou Ward Arlingtonian is a student-produced newsmagazine published approximately piece contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy. every four weeks by Journalism III-A students at Upper Arlington High As a public forum, all letters and columns meeting the above criteria will ADDITIONAL School. The publication has been established as a public forum for student be posted in full on the Arlingtonian web site at www.arlingtonian.com for a CONTRIBUTORS expression and for the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. It minimum of four weeks. Arlingtonian and its staff will strive to publish only will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or legally protected speech following the legal definitions for libel, obscenity Adviser distribution. and invasion of privacy. Since Arlingtonian is a forum for student expression, the editorial board, The staff will also refrain from printing stories that create a material disrup- Carol Hemmerly which consists of the staff’s top editors, will determine the content of the tion of school activities. Because the Arlingtonian staff will determine content of newsmagazine and all unsigned editorials; therefore, material may not neces- the publication, it will therefore also take complete legal and financial responsibility Printing Representative sarily reflect the opinions or policies of Upper Arlington school officials. for what is printed.Arlingtonian will not avoid publishing a story solely on the Bob Moyer with Arlingtonian welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns and news basis of possible dissent or controversy. releases from faculty, administrators, community residents, students and the TheArlingtonian staff raises and pays all printing and production costs Beckman XMO general public. The Arlingtonian editorial board reserves the right to with- through advertising sales, subscription sales and other fundraisers. The editor hold a letter or column and return it for more information if it determines the or co-editors shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy. arlingtonian arlingtonian october 7, ’09 3 News • Briefs • Reviews • Bits • Bytes Unresolved opportunity Possibility of open study hall leaves juniors in suspense mariapaskell ’11 All high school students dream of senior privileges, such as having study environment. a parking spot, leaving school for Capstone, or finishing the school “Closed study hall creates an environment where homework and year before everyone else. Now juniors may be experiencing one studying are easy to work on,” Kandel said, “where as open study hall of these perks a little sooner than expected. Although undecided, [creates an alternative] in which people sometimes leave or socialize principalA Kip Greenhill said he is considering the possibility of open with their friends.” study hall for juniors. Kandel said open study hall should only be for seniors, as they Greenhill said the school has a job of teaching students lessons have more responsibilities requiring them to leave campus. beyond the mandatory curriculum. “Open“ study hall allows students to leave and accomplish “I want our students to be well-prepared work, such as college applications they may for life beyond high school,” Greenhill said. “I otherwise not be able to work on during believe we have a responsibility to teach more We are mature enough school,” Kandel said. than just academics. We must teach [students] to handle such a big Along with the students, teachers would lessons outside of the classroom.” responsibility. also benefit from the change, as they would Although Greenhill said this idea might be “ have fewer study halls to monitor. controversial, his thought is to give students “I want our teachers to assign a lot of writing independence so they learn how to handle it Junior Ameya Deshmukh to the students. This means you have to give now in order to be better prepared for life after them time to grade this writing,” Greenhill said. high school. “By opening study hall, this will free some teachers’ periods to grade.” “When kids go to college, the trouble always comes in their free However, this privilege will come with certain restrictions, similar time and not knowing how to handle it,” Greenhill said. “We can to those of seniors. Students must still uphold their responsibilities. teach them how to handle this free time.” “You must be taking at least six classes and cannot be failing Junior Ameya Deshmukh said he believes juniors should be anything, but I want to open it up to everyone, so I would not get into allowed to experience this kind of freedom. looking at grade point averages,” Greenhill said. “Everyone needs to “Juniors and seniors should solely be given the open study hall learn how to manage freedom.” option because not only do we drive our own cars,” Deshmukh said, With the idea yet to be brought to the attention of teachers “but we are mature enough to handle such a big responsibility.” and restrictions in need of finalizing, Greenhill said, this privilege However, senior Amy Kandel takes the opposing position. would most likely not be implemented until late in the school year, She said the open study hall does not always allow for the best if at all. NOW OPEN! 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