Reitz Journalism

He Said - By Nathan Tinner

Relationships, in my own personal experience, are a big deal.
Too many people today are taking them for granted and running around with just about anybody who sounds cool on AOL Instant Messenger and pretending it’s love at first sight. First of all, there was no “sight”, so that can’t be.
This brings me to my main point. Long-distance relationships don’t work for a variety of reasons.
The principle one being that there is very little, if any, face-to-face interaction between two so-called lovebirds, and that makes things awkward, belittling, and downright pointless.
Two people can fall in love at first sight.
It is possible; but it’s strikingly rare, and the chances that two people who don’t even have that, the sensation of actually seeing the other person, can create or maintain a “see you never” courtship are slim to none. Being a guy, there’s already a forgone conclusion that we males judge potential mates dominantly by looks, and we all have to confess to turning our heads or craning our necks every once in a while to see something (or someone) we like.
If that really is the case for most guys, then most girls are in bad shape if they desire to sustain a long-distance relationship with any run-of-the-mill loverboy.
We won’t see you all of the time, but we will be around other girls who we can see and admire right there in proximity, which can lead to some pretty gruesome “cheating” incidents. Why?
All because she didn’t want to break it off and end things when her parents decided to move 3,000 miles away to Timbuktu.
I’ve seen enough relationships between friends and relatives go down the drain when two people tried to make it work cross-town, cross-county, or even cross-state, when they should have stopped struggling when it became “cross-eyed”.
Seeing your boyfriend or girlfriend when you want to is an essential part of a quality relationship, and long-distance relationships usually take that away from whoever is fighting land and sea to force a relationship that isn’t worth the trouble and risk.
All and all long-distance dating cannot and will not work so try and avoid it as much as possible.
It’s in the best interest of you your extended love life.
A peaceful break-up provides a shortcut around tension and future heartache, and calling your beauty in Texas everyday with today’s long-distance fees (don’t even get me started on gas prices, so there’s no face-time happening!) is just asking for trouble.
Here’s the deal: keep it local, or keep it out.

She Said - By Taylor Robinson

For most people in relationships, they feel it necessary to spend every waking moment together. While that’s perfectly fine, some people are trying to continue relationships with people that live on the other side of the state or even country.
Whether it be significant others going off to college or shipped off to basic training or just moving away, there are long distance relationships occurring every single day.
Is it really worth trying to keep in touch with the one you love when they’re moving? Long distance relationships can most certainly be done with a little determination and love.
A major factor in any relationship is trust. If you’re unable to trust someone when they’re at home, then you’re in a very unhealthy relationship from the get go, so it doesn’t matter whether it’s a long or short distance relationship. It’s not going to work out regardless. If you do have trust in your relationship then it’s definitely doable.
If you’re in a relationship with someone that is at home, it’s probably a fairly close relationship.
You participate in a lot of activities and have very little meaningful conversations because you’re too busy having fun.
When you’re in a relationship with someone you can’t see everyday, you’re relationship becomes more about talking and getting to know one another, and building a more emotional bond rather than physical.
Have you ever heard the quote, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”? In most cases, this quote is true. When you’re not able to see your significant other every day, you start to reminisce on the things you miss, the things that you used to “hate”. You start to wish you wouldn’t have taken your relationship for granted, and realize that what you have is something you really don’t want to lose.
For some people, they let their “lovers” become the center of their life and don’t focus on themselves. They focus solely on how they can spend time with their partner, and not focusing on their future, or their friends.
With long distance relationships you’re more able to focus on yourself and the things you want to accomplish and the friends that you may have totally ditched for your amazing significant other.
From personal experience, long distance relationships take a lot of work but can be done. Technology makes it a little easier nowadays.
With the internet, cell phones, and web cams it makes communication a little easier on the both of you.
So for anyone wondering whether or not long distance relationships are really worth trying. Go for it, if you’re willing to make the commitment.

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When fall comes around, so does soccer season, and this year they’ve learned to pick it up. For varsity soccer teams, teamwork is everything.
“This year we’ve learned to play more together as a team, and not as individuals,” said senior and captain, Kelsey Schmitt.
“Coach Wolfe is a lot more relaxed on the sidelines this year, which makes things a lot easier,” said senior and captain, Stephanie Owens.
The girl’s team is made up of six seniors and they’ve had a winning record (8-3) with all losses out of town.
“ We lost to out of town teams that are all ranked in the state. We lost to the defending state champs and Carmel, who are now ranked number one,” said Owens.
The girls are striving to make it to state, and after last year’s sectional loss are even more determined.
“After last year’s sectionals, we knew it was time to step it up. We could have made it a lot further, but we got cocky. It was definitely a learning experience for us,” said Owens.
The Lady Panthers are having an amazing season, and are working together to make sure they don’t have an early end to their season,
“This TEAM is capable of making it to state, and we’ll play hard to get there. We’ve learned from past experiences, and we’re making sure not to make the same mistakes again,” said Schmitt.
The boy’s varsity team is no different than the girls,
“We play as a team. We’re all really good friends and we have trust in each other to get the ball where it needs to be,” agreed seniors Brock Bagby and Andres Angulo.

Junior Cullen Miller is trying to control the ball in front of a Mater Dei defender. The Panthers lost to the West Side rivals in a close and contraversial game.
Photo by Kyra Williams

There are a total of eight seniors on the team but that doesn’t make a difference for them,
“ I honestly forget that some guys are younger. We all get along really well. It’s not about seniority, it’s about being a team, and that’s what we are,” said Angulo.
Their record is better and their goals are higher this year, “Regionals are definitely not out of the question, but our ultimate goal is to make it to State,” said Angulo.
This year has had its fair share of struggles, but they’ve made it through,
“We’ve had a few injuries, with Andrew Phillips out for the season, and then we weren’t sure until recently who our goal keeper was going to be. Then we got Izaac Robinson, and now we’re all doing really well,” said Bagby.
Two specific games stick out in their mind, North and Mater Dei.
“North was an example of what not to do. There were ahead 3-1 and thought they had it wn in the first half, so they started slacking off. We pushed ourselves to work together, and we were able to tie the game,” said Angulo.
“Mater Dei was one of our best games even though we lost. We definitely outplayed them; they just got lucky with a few penalty kicks. We played together really well, and everyone was where they needed to be, and we worked hard to get the ball down the field,” said Bagby.
With the boys, position is everything,
“It goes back to us being so close. We know what everyone is capable of doing, and we move around the field based on who is playing and we make it work,” said Bagby.
Both teams are having outstanding seasons with similar goals in mind. They’ve both made changes and learned a new way to play the game. As a team.

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We often associate bullying with grade school, and don’t take it seriously, but it can be seen even in high school.
Bullying often gets a lot more severe during high school, instead of disappearing altogether like we often think. It stops becoming fun and games, and turns into something a little more serious.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 5.7 million people said that they’ve been bullied in school. 61 percent of people believe that they have been bullied due to their looks. 79 percent of those bullied say it started because of simply bumping into someone in the hallway. There are several forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, and even online bullying.
Bullying occurs when someone repeatedly uses power over another person with malicious intent to physically or emotionally hurt them for personal gain.
There are two main types of bullying, physical and verbal. Insulting, teasing, abusing both verbally and physically, threatening, humiliating, mobbing, and harassment are all forms of bullying.
“Bullying tends to happen in groups against one person than one-on-one. It’s all about the cliques,” said senior Asia Doyle.
We often think it’s the big strong guys that are bullying the scrawny kids, but that’s not true because gossiping, spreading rumors, and excluding others are also forms of what is commonly called “psychological bullying”.
“ The most common form of bullying I see is gossiping. It gets really bad. Most of the time I just see people joking around with friends though,” said senior Tamara Robey.
Being bullied affects people in several ways. Not only does it affect people emotionally and physically, but it can also affect social skills and school. Seven percent of those bullied have stayed home from school, and 50 percent of students know people that have moved schools because of bullying.
Another form of bullying is harassment, and there are different types of harassment as well. The most common form of harassment is sexual harassment, and it’s commonly seen in and around schools.
One researcher calls sexual harassment the “older cousin to bullying”. American Association of University Women (AAUW) conducted a survey of 1,632 students in grades 8–11. An astonishing 85 percent of girls and 76 percent of boys reported experiencing some kind of harassment. The more mild forms included looks, jokes, graffiti on bathroom walls, and comments about body parts. The more severe forms were physically intrusive: being grabbed or brushed up against in a sexual way. Thirty one percent of girls experienced harassment “often,” compared to only 18 percent of boys.
The inappropriate behavior seems to have a more significant impact on the girls. A greater percentage of female students described feeling less confident, more self-conscious, shamed, and embarrassed. Young women can be so affected by harassment that their grades drop. In the AAUW survey, one in four girls said they stayed home from school or cut class because of sexual harassment.
“I know several people that have been harassed, but think that it’s the way guys act, and are afraid to get help,” said senior Cydney Powell.
If you’re uncomfortable with any situation that someone puts you in, it’s important to let them know, because it’s not okay to be bullied or harassed by anyone. And if someone you know confides in you about being harassed or bullied, listen to them.
Be careful not to blame them, because they are coming to you for help, and it’s important that you help however you can.
There are several ways to get help if you’re the victim of bullying or harassment. When you’re walking down the hall during passing periods, there is a reason why all of the teachers are usually standing outside of their room and roaming the hallways. It is for your safety, and you are allowed to go to them for help. The blocks on Myspace and Facebook at schools are all in good reason too; to prevent unnecessary bullying and harassment within school walls. There are even students watching out for those who are faced with bullying. “When I see bullying going on, like name-calling, I try to put a stop to it,” said Powell.
Bullying and harassment occurs everyday even though many people overlook it and think that it isn’t really happening. It’s important to be aware of the bullying going on so we can make an effort to stop it. No one deserves to fear coming to school just so someone else can get a few laughs and a power boost.

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If you’re interested in science, then you’ve probably done a few science fairs in your school career. In elementary school, it’s all about making the volcanoes, but high school gets a little more complex. This year Mrs. Walsh and Mr. Hartman’s advanced chemistry classes competed in the 59th annual Pott Foundation Tri-State Science and Engineering Fair for a class grade. This was the third year that USI has hosted the science fair. The science fair had a total of over 465 exhibits from area middle and high schools.

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Snow days, or two hour delays; that is what every student hopes for when there is a forecast for bad weather. When is it decided that school is called? Who decides it and why? There’s a process that directors must go through every time there is a threat for bad weather. A process that makes sure everyone is kept as safe as possible.

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