arlingtonianTWO DOLLARS NOVEMBER 7, 2003 WWW.ARLINGTONIAN.COM UPPER ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL 1650 RIDGEVIEW ROAD UPPER ARLINGTON, OH 43221 Cheaters Beware: Formation of Student Ethics Committee drafts policy november 7, 2003 arlingtonian 1 arts issue 3 volume 67 the students’ voice 21 NOVEMBER 7, 2003 arlingtonian CONTENTS NEWS SPORTS 3 School board candidates run unopposed; 15 Superstitions of high school athletes lack of choice affects voters revealed, evaluated 4 Necessity of gun-carrying security 16 Athletes in action: fall athletes finish officer on campus scrutinized season strong 5 New signs around school spoof Character Enrichment Team’s efforts ARTS 7 Coach Road residents angered at 18 Drama program: Fall Follies, “Miracle possible new development Worker” allow students to shine, 7 Scotland exchange students visit UA community embraces talent 19 Review: Guster in concert FEATURE 21 Short North’s Gallery Hop offers escape 9 The Feature Page: Q&A, Vanilla Coke, from UA boredom Pepsi duel for title VOICE FOCUS 22 Student reveals childishness of school 11 New Student Ethics Committee forms in rivalries, defacing ... rocks 11 response to cheating epidemic, drafts 22 Staff editorial finds need for SEC to be ON THE COVER: Academic Code depressing reflection of morals 13 Roundtable discussion highlights Administration and faculty awareness of the 23 Letter from Editors encourages students’ opinions regarding cheating’s cheating epidemic at UAHS prompted the exploration of weekend options in definition, prevalence formation of the Student Ethics Committee. and around Columbus But will the Committee’s Academic Code proposal affect a change in how students view cheating? This issue’s FOCUS explains the committee’s purpose and outlines the Academic Code Proposal. COVER DESIGN BIRU CHEN CONTENTS DESIGN TASHA MANORANJAN COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTOS BAILEY CAPELLE, ELYSE SCHATZ & YEYE ZHANG 16 2 arlingtonian november 7, 2003 news Easy win for UA school board incumbents Concern raised among parents, community, students regarding lack of voter choice |Kaitlyn Williams| Voters went to the polls to select three UA board of education members who are running will win.” Nov. 4. Normally, residents choose from several candidates, but this time Catalano said he hopes the lack of competition can be attributed to the the challenge of deciding the most-qualified was nonexistent. Three in- board’s past success. cumbent members, Gloria Heydlauff, William Catalano and Chris Widing “[Fellow school board members and I] would like to think there is a Twere the only candidates running for the three open seats. perception in the community that we’ve done a good job,” he said. “Last Heydlauff said she and her fellow board members were surprised when year was an excellent year; Arlington schools are excellent.” they learned they would be running with no opposition. Miller said she is pleased with the way the school board has been run. “We [anticipated] that we would have other people running because “Financially, it has been handling money appropriately and [the mem- there were a number of candidates who ran two years ago,” she said. “We bers] run the board like it should be run,” she said. “They look at the big thought maybe some of those candidates would come out again.” picture and let each school make its own decision.” She said she believed more community members would run due to the Heydlauff said not needing to conduct a large campaign also allowed changing financial plan, which includes $1.5 million of budget cuts for the her and fellow board members to save money and focus on other issues. 2003-04 school year. “One side of me thinks [run- “[Financial issues] are the kinds of ning unopposed is] good be- things that you anticipate will bring other cause [board members are] sort people out,” she said. Local politics and the chance to partici- of in the throes of trying to fig- Junior Abbey Crosby said she is pate in local bodies of government are ure out solutions to these [finan- satisfied with the state of the schools, cial] problems,” she said. “It but she would prefer more competi- probably some of the closest [chances] does give us a chance to con- tion in elections. you’ll ever get to [participate in] real de- tinue to focus on that and not “With more candidates running, have to worry about mounting those who would be the best fit for the “mocracy. But if people don’t run, you don’t a big campaign.” position would get the vote, as opposed get that. Catalano also said he was to someone who is not as well-trained, —School board member Gloria Heydlauff pleasantly surprised with the but who is elected because no one else is absence of opponents because running,” she said. not worrying about a campaign Senior Joe Taris said candidates running unopposed is a flaw in any allowed board members to continue work on problems plaguing the schools. democratic system. “[My fellow incumbents and I] are dealing with a number of issues,” he “[Candidates running unopposed] don’t give the people a variety of said. “We were pleased to ”be able to devote our full time and attention to political ideas to choose from,” Taris said. “It puts voters in a situation the work of the board and not have to divert it to campaigning.” where they have to choose to conform to the system or to get out [by This time will be spent on current issues, including the current budget moving away].” cuts. Catalano said the board is working on ways to balance the reduced UAHS parent Gayle Miller said the lack of candidates makes voting revenue with the already high taxes paid by UA residents. seemingly unnecessary. He said the district is dealing with $5.6 million less due to reduced “As a voter, I think [the lack of options] is difficult because you don’t revenues, such as $212,000 of decreased state funding. There is also an have any choices,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if I vote or not, the people increase in expenditures, including $2 million for worker insurance. Ac- cording to Faculty Facts, the staff memo, UAHS will face $347,796 in cuts over the next year. Despite the financial problems, Heydlauff said a goal of the board is to uphold the school system’s current successes. “We strive really hard to look at the big picture and want to maintain the education system we have now,” she said. “We have so many outstanding achievements among the students and we want to be able to continue to give them that opportunity.” Although Heydlauff said she was pleased with not having to campaign, she said she also feels dis- appointed in the lack of competition for the up- coming election. photo|Elyse Schatz| “To me, local politics and the chance to partici- Board members Margie Pizutti, Gloria Heydlauff, Superintendant William Schaefer, board pate in local bodies of government are probably some president William Catalano and board treasurer Marvin Founds discuss the budget at the Oct. of the closest [chances] you’ll ever get to [participate 20 school board meeting. Heydlauff, Catalano and board member Chris Widing (not pictured) in] real democracy,” she said. “But if people don’t run, ran unopposed in Nov. 4 election. you don’t get that.” november 7, 2003 arlingtonian 3 news Students question need for gun-carrying security oveguards;r administration maintains ‘better safe protective than sorry’ stance |J-I student Daniel Merritt| Matthew Kish does not resemble a normal adult at UAHS. He cruises around it’s a high school with kids. Most likely it would have to be a threat from the block in his sleek, white car before and after school, as well as during outside the? school, and it would definitely have to be an imminent threat.” lunch, wearing a blue T-shirt and dark sunglasses. And one glaring accessory He does, however, consider the gun a deterrent to resistance, even sets Kish apart from every teacher, parent, student: he has a Glock 9 mm if it is never used. Kish said it is an important part of the image of Mpistol holstered at his waist. providing security. Kish is a campus security guard for the school, having worked full- Much more likely is a less severe conflict at UAHS. In the case of a time at the school last year, he now fills in part-time as this year’s regular fight with a student, Kish said he would first try to calm the student down guard. Kish and his colleagues work for Hall and Associates Inc., a pri- verbally and give him or her the chance to defuse the situation. Failing vate security firm that contracts with the high school. The administra- that, Kish would engage in hand-to-hand restraint, trying to pin the stu- tion sees the guards as essential to protecting the parking lots from van- dent and keep him or her from doing any harm. dalism. Some students disagree with the administration on the value of Even so, senior Ross Woessner does not think the gun is necessary. this service, while others feel intimidated by the guns the security officers “I honestly can’t think of a reasonable situation in which they’d use carry in plain sight. [the gun]. I don’t think they should carry them,” he said. “I’m sure mace Kish said they have always had a gun as part of Hall and Associates’ or some measure like that would be more effective.” policy, but sometimes the guards have kept them concealed. It is up to Kish and the other security guards do carry a form of mace, called the individual guard to decide whether to his or her weapon in the open Oleoresin Capsicum or OC gas, in addition to their gun.