-How to Try to
Prevent the
Inevitable
-Students’
Perspectives
-Motivational
Quotes
-Gift Ideas
-Where to go on a
Date
-What Kids are
Doing
-History of the
Day
• What is love?
-Rosa Parks Turns 100
February 2013
Issue #1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Senioritis
2
Valentine’s Day
5
Gift Ideas
6
What is Love?
7
Black History
8
Sports
9
Art Competition
10
Clubs/Musical
11
Puzzle
14
Maze
16
About Us
17
SENIORITIS - A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include laziness and
an excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as graduation. - Urban Dictionary
-Cooper March
As the frost of January
and Springboro High School’s
semester exams melts away,
there seems to be a spring fever going about the school.
This condition particularly
affects seniors, and side
affects include lax homework
performance and dropping
test grades. But what exactly
is this disease? We surveyed
seniors in Mr. Porter’s classes
asking for their perceived susceptibility to and understanding of this timely circumstance: senioritis.
What one student humorously defined as
“literally, inflammation of the
senior,” senioritis was unanimously agreed upon to be the
drop in motivation a senior experiences when faced with the
last month, last half, or great
majority of his or her senior
year. Reasons were cited to be
college acceptance, warm
weather, and anticipation for
the end of the high school experience. Some said they’re
slacking off on homework, others are studying less for tests,
and one student said “I just go
home and sleep instead.” The
malady itself seemed to creep
in to our own survey; we received answers such as “don’t
do anything/perhaps” and
“senioritis is not wanting to fill
this out.” It’s plain to see that
senioritis has spread greatly
and the senior class has reasons to offer for their drop in
motivation.
“Life is so much easier
if you just face the facts
*and complete your
assignments in a timely
and well-organized
manner+.”
feel like doing a few bookwork
problems one night, but we
would like to bring up some
consequences of this risky behavior.
Most seniors are banking
on either perfect attendance
“After a storm*and
homework+ comes a
calm *and graduation+.”
– Matthew Henry
or all 90s to exempt exams
this May. That alone is a reminder to do well and show
up. Also, AP tests are around
the corner, and college, which
largely causes this motivation-
– Gabriella Furlong
Senioritis, however, is not just
the celebration it appears to
be. The affects of senioritis are
well-observed: cheating, copying, missing work, and truancy.
The Roar is not attempting to
convict someone who doesn’t
al decline, demands rigorous
study habits for success. The
New York Times reports that
the University of Washington
voids about 24 acceptances
annually based on poor performance second semester,
and many more college-bound
students from a variety of universities are setting an ominous start to their college careers with a letter expressing
disappointment from their
deans.
“By failing to prepare
*for a big test+, you are
preparing to fail *at life+.”
– Benjamin Franklin
Senioritis needs to be
handled carefully. It’s fine to
be optimistic about the future and have fun with
friends. However, a little motivation can go a long way
when students consider that
colleges are watching them
closely, even after enrollment deposits are submitted.
"I hope people
give me
chocolate.
That is all."
"Valentine’s is like
Christmas; you hope you
get stuff, you give some
stuff, and you're sad if
you don't get any. Hope I
get something."
"Flowers? Check.
Candy? Check.
Card? Uh oh..."
"Happy Valentines
Day, me! :D"
"Who needs a date? I’ve
got my friends! Let's show
them Valentine’s like a
boss!"
"They should
play “What is Love”
on the announcements! That would be
hilarious!"
Thoughts compiled by
Austin Marrow
From diamonds and
chocolate to roses and cards,
Valentine’s Day is laced with
tradition. A holiday that
seems to be written by the
heart of a woman, this celebration is not always the way
February the 14th has been
celebrated. It is known
throughout history as a day
of love, but it didn't become
the Valentine’s Day that we
know until the 17th century.
Before the rise of Christianity, February 14th was a day
devoted to a festival called
the Feast of Lupercalia. The
event took place in the Roman Empire and was a celebration of fertility and
harvest. During the feast,
women were whipped by
young soldiers so they might
be blessed with fertility in the
coming year. Afterwards, unwed girls placed their names
into an urn to be drawn by
the city's bachelors. The two
became partners for the year,
which was an arrangement
that usually led to marriage.
When the rise of Christianity
outlawed all pagan festivals
and traditions, the Feast of
Lupercalia was cast aside. Although Lupercalia isn’t linked
to the modern Valentine’s
Day, this time of year
remained connected to love
and romance in the eyes of
Rome.
The Valentine’s Day that
we know today comes from
two varying legends of the
Catholic Saint Valentine (or
Valentinus). In the best
known version, the Roman
emperor believed that unmarried men make better,
focused soldiers. He made it
illegal for young men to get
married in Rome, but St.
Valentine defied his emperor's laws and married young
couples in secret. When he
was discovered, he was killed
and became a martyr of love,
which allegedly occurred on
February 14th. The second
legend says that Valentine
helped Christians escape
from harsh Roman prisons.
Also killed, he wrote a letter
to the woman he loved
beforehand. The letter was
signed “From your Valentine”
and is often referred to as the
first Valentine card.
With the dispute aside,
what matters is what St. Valentine represented: love.
Geoffrey Chaucer, an author,
was the biggest advocate of
Valentine's Day. His romantic
tales of love and retelling of
the story of St. Valentine
popularized the saint
throughout Europe. In both
France and Britain, the “day
of love” was reinstated during medieval times with
allusions to the Catholic
priest. People exchanged
cards and girls dreamed of
their future husbands. Just
like today, it fell on February
14th, a day that corresponds
both with the ancient Feast
of Lupercalia and the beginning of birds mating season.
For centuries this day has
been ingrained in our minds
as being a day devoted to
love, no matter what the
origin.
From Europe, the holiday
spread to America, Canada
and Mexico until it finally
reached Australia. Today, Val-
entine's Day is the second most
celebrated holiday in the world,
topped only by New Years. Traditions vary from country to
country, but the ideals and values of Valentine’s Day remain
universal. It's a day of romance,
a day to declare your feelings to
the one you love, and a day to
exchange cards and kind words
with friends and family.
With Valentine's Day upon us, you may be
looking for ideas on how to make the day special for
you and a loved one. We compiled some ideas for
the perfect gift for your partners.
1. Jewelry, but make it meaningful. Add a personal charm or
think of her favorite colors.
2. Candy, all girls love sweets
and it's something light hearted
and classic.
3. Flowers, an all-important Valentine's Day tradition- Red for
passion, pink for sweet heart,
yellow for friendship, and white
for true love.
1. Baked goods, like cakes and
cookies
2. Candles, they create any
mood and many aromas.
3. Cologne or perfume, a cute
gift they'll be sure to appreciate.
If you're spending the day with
a special someone and haven't
made plans yet, you could always go with the classic movie
and dinner. If you're an active
couple, going dancing, ice
skating, or bowling could make
the day special for you two.
However, many of you out there
aren't spending the day with a
special someone. Instead of
moping about, you could invite
your other single friends over
for a night out— have a group
dinner at a favorite restaurant
or treat yourself to a movie or
mall trip. Also, your group could
1. Mixed tapes/CDS, it's a
thoughtful gesture to add sweet
songs that remind you of them.
2. A Valentine's Day Card
3. Stuffed animals, this time of
year many local stores sell a
plethora of cuddly animals.
4. There's also the gift card option!
get together and play laser tag!
There's also the option of
staying and giving yourself a spa
night, with face masks and
fingernail painting. Guys may
want to get together and have
pizza or play video games,
or whatever it is you guys love
to do!
Abby McGuire
Love. It’s all the cliché words that form the definitions of the action, it’s the senseless following of one’s heart, and it is most definitely a four letter word. It falls out and disappears on those
who forget how to capture it. Love arrives with a smile and leaves with a slap. It’s this crazy thing
that seems basically impossible to hold onto just because it happens in so many forms. The thing is
that although this mess of an emotion exists in both horrible and great ways, we’d be nothing without it. Promising that it’s more than just a teddy bear with plastic eyes and a heart wrapped in its
arms may not be enough to convince some people, but there has to be more in reality. If it wasn’t so
influential, why would people do strange things for this one concept? Why would we scream out the
words of our favorite songs? Why would the complexity of it end in such simple ways? People will
spend a lifetime trying to figure out its mysteries only to find out that it has none. Love is all the
simple things in life we forget to acknowledge. Dreams, tears, that stupid laugh you will never forget,
the fact that the sun shines for you every single day, and the one thing you do without trying:
existing. So maybe we are stupid for believing that it is alive; maybe it isn’t real, but at least we all
get to chase it together.
So maybe you are wondering what everybody else is thinking? Well allow us to feed your curiosity with Springboro High School’s definitions of love:
“[Love is] to be able to live life without that “[Love is] mutual respect.“
person, but not choosing to let a day go by
-Allison White (senior)
without them in it because they make your
“[It is] an intense personal attachment
life better.”
with someone else. “
-Becky Lewis (senior)
-Anonymous
“Love is overwhelming compassion and
“You know you're in love when you can't
concern for others.”
fall asleep because reality is finally better
-Jackie Wood (senior)
than your dreams.”
“I don’t know…”
-Maddie Ritter (Dr. Suess) (senior)
-Cameron Funk (junior)
“Love is a verb.”
“Love is understanding. “
-John Leis (senior)
-Anonymous
“….People in their 40s don’t even know
“[Love is] the ability to close your eyes and what love is…”
wake up in 100 years next to the same
-Linde K. (senior)
person with the same smile on your face.”
-Jake Pfahl (senior)
“Um, [love is] when you want to spend the
rest of your life with someone… That’s
what my mom says.”
-Mary (freshman)
“Arianna Rohrig.”
-Markus (sophomore)
“[Love is] an unconditional feeling.“
-Marium (sophomore)
“[You are in love] when you would die for
someone. “
-Alex Rech (senior)
“Love is when you enjoy someone’s existence enough you are willing to devote the
rest of your life to making their life perfect.“
-Jacob Hardin (junior)
So maybe we know nothing, but maybe we know something…
Remembering
Rosa Parks:
1913—2005
The civil rights activist would have celebrated
her 100th birthday earlier this month.
Although Rosa Parks' death occurred nearly a decade ago,
America still remembers the woman who wouldn't move.
On her 100th birthday, February 4th, the United States
Postal Service released a stamp to commemorate the life
of a woman whose actions helped
spark the Civil Rights movement.
The stamp shows a picture of Rosa
Parks as she might have looked on
the day she refused to give up her
seat to a white man, a day that forever changed American society.
gomery for her noncompliance on
the city bus, Parks continued to
make strides in the Civil Rights
Movement despite the threats she
faced each day. She became a supporter of Malcolm X and the “Black
Power” movement of the 1960s.
She was the co-founder of instituEveryone knows the story of
Rosa Parks' defiance on that day in tions devoted to improving the
lives of youths and making sure
1955, but Parks' contribution to
nobody was denied the rights that
the Civil Rights movement is more
than just one act of civil disobedi- most Americans take for granted.
We remember Rosa Parks for
ence. Alongside her husband, she
combated the recurring problem of her courage and devotion to improving civil rights throughout her
racial violence. She raised money
for the victims, like the Scottsboro life. After a lifetime of this, she was
Boys, and gave support to women able to prove her point by simply
whose injustices were ignored be- saying no. When Parks chose to
remain seated, she faced arrest,
cause of their race.
Even after her arrest in Mont- death threats, and hostility from
the city she called home. “There
had to be a stopping place,” Parks
said, “... I had decided that I would
have to know, once and for all,
what rights I had as a human being
and a citizen, even in Montgomery,
Alabama.”
There was more to Rosa Parks
than just the woman who refused
to give up her seat. She was an activist, a radical, and one of the
most courageous women in American history. Her actions helped
spark a revolution, her devotion
inspired a generation, and her determination changed the world.
She died at age 92, in 2005, but
America will never forget her.
— Hayley Atkins
Springboro Swim and Dive
Last weekend, the swim team did a phenomenal job at the Sectional Meet. The boys’ team
placed second at the Centerville Meet on Friday night and the girls placed fifth at……on Saturday. The
dive team competed on Wednesday, February 16, and also did a great job!
As for the boys’ team, many boys qualified for the Districts Meet, the most in quite a few years.
The 200 Medley (Grant Sellers, Logan Joo, Justin McKinnon, and Justin Chapman), the 200 Free (Max
Harendza, Kyle Smith, Logan Joo, Robert Kahmann), and the 400 Free (
) Relays all made it on to
Districts. The 200 Free Relay is even ranked fifth! Individually, Max Harendza qualified in the 200 Free,
Grant Sellers in the 100 Back, Grant Schneider in the 100 Breast, Kyle Smith in the 50 Free and the 100
Breast, Robert Kahmann in the 50 Free and 100 Free, and Alex Matthews in the 500 Free. The 200 Free
Relay set a new school record, as did Alex Matthews in the 500 Free.
On the girl’s side, they also did a fantastic job. The 200 Medley, the 200 Free, and the 400 Free
Relays all qualified for Districts, as did Ashley Whitely, Rebecca Nelson, Allison Clough, Shelby Tomasiak,
Hannah Whitely, and Marianne Kahmann.
And let’s not forget the dive team! Julia Hazel got fifth and is moving on to Districts, Katy Jobe
got tenth, and Haley Oda got twelfth. Congratulations, girls!
Good luck to all qualifiers this weekend at Districts!
Hockey Updates
Springboro High School hockey team won against St. Xavier in the Swohshl Championship game this past Sunday, 3-1. This is the third consecutive
year that Springboro has won this. They also defeated Elder in Centerville. They resume play this Sunday at The Ice House at 3pm at Nation Water
Arena.
ART COMPETITION WINNERS
Molly
This year’s school musical is “Fiddler On the Roof”, a play about a man trying
to marry off his three eldest daughters traditionally when everything seems to
be going wrong. All three girls love someone other than their betrothed husband and don’t want to go through with the weddings. During all this they’re
being forced out of their homeland for being Jewish.
Showtimes for the musical are Thursday, May 2nd at 8pm;
Friday, May 3rd at 8pm; Saturday, May 4th at 8pm; and Sunday, May 5th at 3pm.
We meet on
Fridays in Ms.
Lewellen’s
room!
• Poetry Readings
 Group books (ex/ Perks of Being
a Wallflower, Cloud Atlas)
 Art Sharing
 Music Discussions

Movie Nights!
Contrary to its name, Lit Club gets together to discuss all things art and
music as well as literature. Past events have included a “white elephant” gift
exchange and a “book hate” session at Dorothy Lane Market. Join in!
The Young Democrats Club
By Julia Cash
As of the 2012-2013 school year, a new club called The Young Democrats has emerged
in Springboro High School. This club, founded by Julia Christie, myself (Julia Cash), and
Graeme Maternie, is set to spread the democratic word and teach today’s youth about what being
a Democrat is all about. So far, The Young Democrats have had two meetings, one informational
meeting about the club’s goals and opportunities, and a second meeting where we tackled the
subject of gay marriage (specifically Proposition 8).
During the club’s meetings, members are given a subject to talk about that is current and
possibly controversial in today’s society. The meeting is conducted by the co-founders, but we
encourage an open discussion where members can debate different opinions on the issue and
decide what the Democratic stance would be. In our last meeting, we split into groups where we
had focus questions and talked about Proposition 8, what it did to same-sex couples, and what
the future of gay marriage might be. Our objective is to explain to all of our members that they
have the freedom to choose any political beliefs they like, and that they should be able to
distinguish their own thoughts outside of what social media and their peers might believe. We try
to accomplish all of this while still having fun and keeping the mood light and not argumentative.
As for the future of this club, there is no set date for the next meeting. To see when The
Young Democrats will meet, just listen to the morning announcements. As the year progresses,
the club intends to cover social and economic issues that are important to the Democratic
platform, hopes to possibly debate with a rival club, and wants to provide a number of volunteer
opportunities. For more information about the club you can talk to one of the co-founders or stop
by Ms. Lewellen’s room, E-109. It’s never too late to join!
Remembe
ring
Remember, this maze is
printable! If you caomplete it, you may meet
your true love within the
month ;)