Arlingtonian Vol 86 Issue 4

ARLINGTONIAN

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS & FEATURES

4 The Exit Interview

Arlingtonian sits down with outgoing superintendent Paul Imhoff to discuss his legacy at UA Schools.

6 The Land Before our Time

A summary of an overlooked Indigenous history and current issues in Ohio.

9 Got Voice?

Student voices are key to a successful school environment. But are they being heard?

11 Inflation Explanation

What is being done to decrease inflation?

12 Instrumental Inclinations

A conversation on music and its impacts on teenagers.

14 Going Clubbing

A dive into four clubs at UAHS.

ON THE COVER

16 Meeting Needs

An investigation on IEPs and 504 plans at UAHS.

UA SPEAKS 22 Skoracki By the Numbers

23 8-in-8

OPINION 24 Stay Away from Crypto

A warning on the dangers of cryptocurrency.

25 Tidings from the Tidepool

A discussion the dissconnect between society and the natural world.

OPINION 26 Not Just Another Christmas Carol

A hilarious new twist on an old holiday favorite.

27 A Remarkable Tribute

Columnist reviews Marvel’s latest movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

28 The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Columnist discusses her admiration for winter.

29 Frosty Fun

Columnist shares her favorite winter plans.

30 Brassica

Columnist reviews popular Mediterranean spot.

EDITORIAL 31

First, Equity

IEPs and 504s at UAHS can be made more equitable. Here’s what we suggest.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Well, we’re here. We have entered midterms season, and the end of first semester is in sight. Teachers have posted massive review guides that prompt students to relearn concepts they forgot long ago The classic UA institution that is Cookies and Cram has taken place. Study groups populate huddle rooms across the building. The building is abuzz — and awash in stress.

As a senior, this is only my fourth exam season at UAHS (barring the pandemic it would’ve been my seventh). Yet it feels like we’ve been here a thousand times before. The stresses of wrapping up the semester are all too familiar.

I encourage you to take a step back, both in this final stretch of the semester and over break, to recognize any pressures you face and to focus on your wellbeing. It’s easy to see your academic performance as the end-all-be-all.

But you will not attain salvation by getting straight A’s this semester, and your aspirations won’t turn to dust if your first semester grades turn out lower than you had hoped. So I invite you to breathe, and to give your mind and body some rest.

Some students will take their exams with accomodations thanks to an IEP or 504 plan. These plans have long been the center of misconceptions and confusion among students. On page 16, Greta Miller and Emily Ayars take a deep dive into what these plans are and what they mean for students.

Whether you’re on such a plan or not, I wish you the best of luck on your midterms followed by a relaxing and rejuvenating winter break. See you next year.

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EDITORIAL POLICY

Arlingtonian is a studentproduced newsmagazine published by Journalism III-Arlingtonian students at UAHS. The publication has been established as a public forum for student expression and for the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution.

Arlingtonian welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns and news releases from faculty, administrators, community residents, students and the general public. The Arlingtonian

editorial board reserves the right to withhold a letter or column and return it for more information if it determines the piece contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy.

The Arlingtonian staff raises and pays all printing and production costs through advertising sales, donations and fundraisers.

The Editor in chief shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy.

To read our full editorial policy, visit our website at arlingtonian.com.

ARLINGTONIAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Exit Interview

Arlingtonian sits down with outgoing superintendent Paul Imhoff to discuss his legacy at UA Schools.

BY JAMES UNDERWOOD ’23

Paul Imhoff has served as superintendent of UA Schools since July, 2013. Over the summer, the district announced that Imhoff would retire from his position in early January, marking the end of an era lasting nearly a decade.

Imhoff will become the director of governmental affairs at the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Associate Superintendent Kathy Jenney will take over as interim

superintendent until a final replacement starts August 1 of next year.

From a sleek conference room deep in the Mincy Center, which houses the district’s administrative offices, Imhoff spoke to his time at UA Schools, including the accomplishments he’s proud of and the challenges he’s faced.

What follows is a transcript of that conversation, edited for length and clarity.

PHOTO BY EDITH LEBLANC ’23

Q: Can you start by describing your proudest accomplishments within the district?

A: I guess the first thing I’d say is that I don’t see it that way, because I think about what we all did as a team. I’m really proud of the team that we have here. So I would say some of the proudest accomplishments of our team, if I could rephrase the question, one is the implementation of all-day kindergarten. We’re one of only a couple of suburban school districts in central Ohio that offer all day, every day kindergarten for every child with no fee. And that’s a game changer.

We [also] were the first school district in central Ohio, a long time ago now, to implement a one-toone technology program. When the pandemic hit, most school districts in central Ohio had to start with finding a device for every child; we already had that.

I think the work our team has done around the Student Services Department, serving kids who have special needs or who are gifted and talented. I’m also really proud of the work our team has done around that area.

Q: And what would you say are some of the challenges or most difficult moments you faced in your tenure?

A: The pandemic, the pandemic, the pandemic. What happened in Upper Arlington happened in every school district, so this is not an area we were any different. But it was so difficult, because typically, when there’s an issue in a school district, [there is room for compromise]. When we got to the pandemic, there was no compromise. Whatever choice was made, there were go-

ing to be a huge segment of people that greatly disagreed with that.

Q: Are you proud of the district’s COVID response overall?

A: Overall, yes. If you were asking me, do I think we nailed everything during the pandemic? No, of course not. We had never been through a pandemic; none of us in the world had. If I had to do over again, and I hope I never do, then sure, there’ll be things that I think we would do better and do differently. But I am incredibly proud of our team. I’m incredibly proud of our students and our families, for how we did weather a once-in-acentury global pandemic.

Q: I understand you presided over the creation of the first equity advisory board and then later the hiring of our first Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Do you have any reflections on your work in that area?

A: I think equity is so incredibly important. And I think so many people don’t understand what equity is. Equity is doing whatever we have to do to meet the individual needs of every child. That’s our job as a public school. And we’re one of the only countries in the world that does it to this extent: we welcome every child, period. We have a lot more work to do to make sure that every child, every adult is welcomed, celebrated, loved, so that they can reach their fullest potential. Because you can’t learn until you have a sense of belonging, until you know you are included. We’re not there yet; we’re on that journey. But that work is foundational to absolutely everything that we do.

Q: Under your tenure, UA Schools rebuilt several of its schools. I’m curious if you have any reflections on the process of creating those buildings and convincing the community of the need for them.

A: Before we even talked about facilities, we started with really focusing on effective two-way communication with our community. It really started there; we spent several years on that before we launched the facilities process. Then the facilities process truly was a partnership. We spent two and a half years working with our community, listening back and forth. It involved thousands of people. When that bond issue went on the ballot, it was a landslide victory, which really said a lot about what the community wanted and what the community valued.

Q: What advice would you give to your successor, whoever it is?

A: Get to know all of the wonderful people in this place, the students and the staff and our community. Learn the culture of this place, learn the history of this place, and then make it better. Move it forward.

One of the things that’s in the DNA of Upper Arlington is always focusing on improvement. We have this amazing past, but we don’t want to live in that past. We always want to be leaning forward, focused on the future and getting better. So take the time to listen and learn, get to know everyone, get to know the place, and then get to work and make this place better.

The Land Before our Time

A summary of an overlooked Indigenous history and current issues in Ohio.

BY ADELAIDE PETRAS ’24

Central Ohio is rich with Indigenous history, from the Clovis culture of 9500-8000 B.C. to Native American communities that still exist today. Native Americans have occupied the land that is now Upper Arlington for as long as hu-

▼ HONORING THE PAST

man history has been documented. Despite this, Indigenous issues garner little media attention due to a centuries-long pattern of discrimination.

Upper Arlington has very little presence of Native Americans, with only 0.01% of its population being American Indian and Alaska Native, according to World Population Review. This can make it difficult to learn about Indigenous issues directly from the source — from Indigenous people themselves.

However, it is necessary to find ways to embrace Native American culture and history, as well as learn about the issues that currently plague Indigenous communities.

A HIDDEN HISTORY

There is evidence of humans existing in Ohio beginning approximately 15,000 years ago with the Paleoindian Period. These people were likely hunters and gatherers who relied on the flora and fauna of the area they occupied. This period included the Clovis people, known for their distinctive stone and bone spear points and other tools.

They used these tools to hunt big game, according to Brad Lepper, Senior Archaeologist for the World Heritage Program at the Ohio History Connection.

“I excavated a site called the Burning Tree Mastodon south of Newark that had butchered mastodon bones in it, so we know they did occasionally [hunt mastodons],” Lepper said. “And they also hunted deer and whatever other animals were here.”

Next, in roughly 8000 B.C.E., the Ice Age concluded, and a new era of Indigenous history began: the Archaic Period, which lasted until 800 B.C.E. According to Ohio

A memorial celebrates the life of Bill Moose, recognized as the last Wyandot in the region.

PHOTO BY EMERSON KATZ ’23

History Central, these people continued the hunting and gathering societies of their predecessors, making stone tools and existing in chiefless communities. However, the end of the Ice Age came with changes in land resources that the people had to adapt to.

Following the Archaic Period was the Woodland Period, which is divided into the Early, Middle and Late Woodland Periods. Lepper explained that, during this time, people began to settle down and experiment with agriculture, in addition to hunting, fishing and gathering.

The Adena culture flourished during the Early Woodland Period and consisted of a web of Native American societies (not of just a single tribe). The Adena shared architecture styles and cultural practices such as mound building. These mounds could be massive and were impressive architectural undertakings considering the technology of the time. Mounds were used for ceremonial and burial purposes and acted as territorial markers.

The Middle Woodland Period made way for the Hopewell Culture. Hopewell people developed agricultural practices, raising maize, beans and squash. They also participated in mound building, and their pottery and ornamental stonework and metalwork were prominent. The Hopewell held a significant role in trade, enriching Ohio’s position in the economy.

“Large quantities of [mica, copper and obsidian] were coming into these Hopewell ceremonial centers, and very little from Ohio was going in the oth-

er direction. There used to be this old advertising slogan: ‘Ohio: the heart of it all,’” Lepper, who has a focus on Hopewell culture, said. “And I think 2,000 years ago, it was absolutely true that this was the religious and cultural center for much of Native America.”

Eventually, though, the egalitarian Hopewell society, which lacked a centralized leader, faded away. Lepper noted that the civilization possibly failed because it was an unsustainable model of government. What followed was intertribal competition for farmland and hunting territory, which led to the Late Precontact Period from A.D. 700-1700. The Late Precontact Period was characterized by warfare and separation between tribes.

“They lived in large villages, and we’ve got a wonderful example here in Ohio, in Dayton. It’s called SunWatch Village; that’s a large Fort Ancient culture village, about 1,000 years old, that archaeologists excavated… and reconstructed the houses,” Lepper said. “You can actually walk into

these 1,000-year-old houses and see the fire pits that people used to stand while they were warming themselves at the fire.”

This period continued until the French first set foot in the land that is now Ohio in the 17th century. In 1754, Ohio became a part of the British colonies after the French and Indian War.

On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law, beginning official displacement of Native Americans. Many Native Americans resisted, as the act led to the violation of numerous treaties involving native land. Although the act was considered unconstitutional, Jackson carried out his plan to force Natives off their land.

Thus followed the Trail of Tears, the deadly trek of tens of thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole people after being forced off their land under threat from the United States Army. Thousands died, establishing the Trail of Tears as an

PHOTO BY EMERSON KATZ ’23

example of the cruelty inflicted by the U.S. government and the continuous oppression of Indigenous peoples.

EDUCATION IN UA

Upper Arlington and its surrounding land was once home to the Shawandasse and the Myaamia tribes, among other Indigenous people. Today, it is a predominantly white suburb with a minuscule population of people who identify as Native American.

Oftentimes, people learn the most from their day-to-day encounters with people who are different from them–not from going out of their way to research a subject. In a place like Upper Arlington, that is not always possible, considering the lack of Native American people to provide first-hand knowledge.

“I’ve worked in environments where there was a bigger presence [of Native Americans], and you could actually engage with people from that background and learn from them, learn from their lived experiences, that kind of thing,” Matthew Boaz, UAHS Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion said. “And because we don’t have that here, it does become difficult to learn about, to ensure accuracy.”

A primary outlet of information about Indigenous peoples is history curriculum. Education can influence people’s worldviews beginning from a young age, so it is crucial that curriculums accurately and sufficiently portray Indigenous history.

Ohio’s learning standards for social studies require acknowledgement of the fact that Native Americans existed in North America before European settlement.

“Various groups of people have lived in Ohio over time, including American Indians, migrating settlers

and immigrants. Interactions among these groups have resulted in cooperation, conflict and compromise,” the standards read.

Additionally, the standards recognize the consequences of European colonization for Native Americans.

“Continued settlement by Americans in the west intensified conflict with American Indians and reinforced the policy of the reservation system,” the standards read.

The standards also require students to learn about the cultural practices of groups that originally inhabited North America: “American Indians developed unique cultures with many different ways of life. American Indian tribes and nations can be classified into cultural groups on the basis of geographic and cultural similarities.”

Boaz emphasizes the importance of including Indigenous history in school curriculums. He commends the efforts of educators in highlighting the subject.

“I think when you look at the state standards of education, particularly as it pertains to social studies, there is Native American inclusion in that,” Boaz said. “And the leaders who are responsible for teaching and learning curriculum are certainly subject to those state standards and [are] certainly trying to be as inclusive as they can.”

NATIVE VOICES

LandBack is a movement that officially began in 2018, started by Aaron Tailfeathers, a member of the Kainai Tribe of the Blackfeet Confederacy of Canada — but its mission has been present for generations. The movement’s goal is to decolonize Indigenous land, returning it to its original inhabitants. However, the initiative doesn’t only include the re-

turning of land; it involves rights to land, language, ceremony, food, education, health, governance, medicineand kinship.

The movement is led by Indigenous people and for Indigenous people, and it’s motivated by a simple goal that encompasses numerous topics: decolonization.

The Shawnee Tribe is based in Oklahoma and has members across the country. The tribe funds numerous tribes to support its members such as housing and utilities assistance, youth and family services and child care assistance.

Chief Ben Barnes of the Shawnee Tribe has shown public support for the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA establishes federal guidelines regarding adoption of Native children. The act would ensure that cases of abuse and neglect are properly handled and that Native children are placed in homes that reflect their cultural values.

The legality of the act was challenged, and on Nov. 9, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments. A final verdict is expected in the spring of 2023.

Many view the possible elimination of ICWA as a threat to Native American sovereignty and a major step back in terms of social progress.

To support Indigenous people and allow their voices to be heard, the Ohio History Connection provides opportunities for Indigenous people to share their experiences.

“We don’t provide the agenda for what interpretation goes on there — the tribes do. So the tribes get to say what they want to say and tell their story there,” Lepper said. “And I think that’s going to happen more and more, particularly with Indigenous sites, because that’s the only right thing to do.”

Got Voice?

Student voices are key to a successful school environment. But are they being heard?

BY RYAN CHO ’25

The student body of Upper Arlington High School makes up around 2,000 students, with everyone having different opinions and backgrounds. Despite the large number of students, many question whether their voices are being heard by the staff and the school board.

“Sometimes, I do believe that some decisions are made for us,” sophomore student council member Ben Stamm, said.

In the high school, there are many decisions that students arguably should not be in charge of, such as funding decisions, faculty, building changes and many others. Getting student opinions in these decisions can make them much harder than is necessary, which is why some students may believe that they are not being heard.

However, this does not mean that there are not any polls for students to vote on.

“I think that there are a variety of polls where students get to share their views on,” Kim Brown, a social studies teacher at UAHS, said. “We have a few that come out from external agencies. Then we have different polls that are done within the building.”

Even though students have opportunities to express themselves and their opinions to the administration, many students may not see these opportunities. However, polls are not the only means of com munication between students and teachers.

Arlington, students, through clubs, are

given the opportunity to voice their opinions to administration if needed,” Stamm said.

Students are given many opportunities to talk to teachers, counselors and even administrators. Some of these opportunities may be talking to them one-on-one or booking a meeting with a counselor.

“If you come to your [teacher] one-on-one and ask them, you know, for something or “can we do this,” they’ll probably listen to you, and maybe appreciate your input,” Stamm said.

Teachers are often willing to talk to students about any issues that they might be having. This does not mean that they will always be able to help a student through any and all issues they might be having; however, they will try their best to do so.

“As long as [students] are bringing forth their concerns I think we are pretty attentive to those,” said Allen Banks, a counselor at UAHS. “I can speak for the principals and the counselors, we do a pretty good job of getting back to kids on concerns and criticisms and suggestions.”

So while some students may believe that their voices

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE KEGG ’24

EPISODE 2 OUT NOW

Host Gracie Helfrich discusses holiday films with Matthew Doron and Carly Witt

School supplies, paperback books, gift items and apparel for Golden Bears of all sizes. Open for

PHOTO BY CAMRYN JOHNSON ’24

Inflation Explanation

Writer explains what is being done to reduce inflation.

BY GEORGE BERNARD ’23

When speaking at the Brookings Institution on Nov. 30, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that he believes that he and his colleagues can successfully thread the needle between bringing inflation down and hampering growth. Many people have at least a basic understanding of how inflation works: the overall price of goods and services through the economy increases, reducing the purchasing power of a fixed amount of money. But understanding of how monetary policy is being used to fight inflation is much less widespread.

Maximum Employment

This is generally self-explanatory, but maximum employment does not mean 0% unemployment. The unemployment rate is currently 3.7%, which is mildly low, the Federal Reserve estimates that it will level off at 4%. Too much employment is bad because companies are prevented from growing and hiring if too few people are looking for work.

Price Stability

Price stability is really just code for 2% inflation, which is optimal for growing an economy. When inflation rises, consumers are hurt because everything gets more expensive, stretching people’s wallets thin. If inflation gets too low and becomes negative it is called deflation, which causes money to become worth more. This may initially sound appealing, but because most people have debt, whether it is student loans, a mortgage or credit cards, deflation causes the amount of money people owe to effectively increase while wages stagnate, which is very dangerous to the economy.

On the ground

Despite the troubles of inflation, the labor market is doing exceptionally well, especially for workers. For every unemployed person, there are 1.7 job openings and there are 4 million more jobs than workers. Job growth also remains strong. Most encouraging of all, wage growth for low earners is exceeding inflation due to competition for workers.

What is being done?

As highlighted in Powell’s speech, the Federal Reserve has raised the Federal Funds Rate by 375 basis points since March (100 basis points = 1%). The Federal Funds Rate is the interest rate used by banks when they lend to each other overnight to meet their reserve requirements, and it forces banks to have higher interest rates on loans they offer. These higher rates make it more expensive to buy a house or car, start a business, or attend post-secondary education, causing people to spend less, slowing the speed that money travels through the economy and thus lowering inflation.

“We need to raise interest rates to a level that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent,” Powell said.

Powell is working to find the point where inflation starts to decrease expeditiously without moving so fast that they overshoot, excessively restricting borrowing and slowing the economy more than needed.

Who is helping?

The Federal Reserve is a government entity created by Congress with two jobs (1) price stability and (2) maximum employment. There are 12 members on the Board, which makes decisions on policy; it is led by Chair Jerome Powell.

Instrumental Inclinations

A look into the impact of music on the students of UAHS.

BY SAFIA MALHOTRA ’24

Music is central to human expression cross-culturally, and, based on its ubiquity, it is argued that it has played an important role during our evolutionary history as a species.

Music is a highly emotionally charged sensory stimulant that has been shown to have a large impact on teenagers due to its effect on their limbic systems and prefrontal cortexes. Teenagers are most susceptible to changes in neurological pathways due to the changes in brain chemistry during puberty; during that time adolescent prefrontal cortexes and limbic systems are in the midst of their development. This causes teenagers to be easily affected by their surroundings.

“It’s been found that music is like a stimulant for the brain, and in some cases to help people work better and be more productive,” senior Taylor Speas said. “I think it just engages a different part of the brain than normal things would do.

Music strengthens the same part of the brain that math or reading might.”

Speas is currently completing his Capstone project on how music education benefits students academically and socially.

“For my Capstone I was doing more of a research-based thing, so I found a bunch of sources for my first project,” he said. “And then for my second project I did a little study between orchestra, band and choir students, testing their memories and seeing if there was one program that had an increased memory over the other.”

Researchers have concluded that musical reactivity is causally related to basic social motivations. The reactiveness to music plays a role in successful group living. This means that the music we share can help us find identity in groups and affiliate with them. Throughout his research, Speas recognized the importance music held in his life, specifically within his relationships with his peers.

“Having [music] as a shared common value definitely helped me form a lot of friendships and relationships that I’ve had throughout high school,” he said.

Music’s ability to cultivate communities and relationships that are vital to adolescent development is a unique aspect of it that can be reflected across all demographics.

“Music is a key part in my relationships with others.

My friends and I send songs to each other all the time and have playlists for one another,” junior Sara Davy said. “One of my friends and I try to send a song each day that describes the type of day it is.”

It has been suggested that a key function of music during its development and spread amongst human populations was its capacity to create and strengthen social bonds amongst interacting group members.

“I think [music has] given me a really good sense for working as a group because in orchestra… it’s not all about you. You have to operate together and know how to work with other people,” Speas said. “And I think having those skill sets really helps outside of the orchestra room just in life in general, knowing how to cooperate and make compromises and be able to work together as a team with other people.”

Neurologist Walter J. Freeman conducted a study which determined that music has evolved biologically and culturally to serve as a technology of social bonding. He came to this conclusion based on findings of anthropologists and psychiatrists that show how the rhythmic behavioral activities that are induced by music can lead to altered states of consciousness, which constructs the sense of trust and predictability in each member of the community on which social interactions are based.

“I think music education in schools and stuff has a good impact on people socially: it builds a lot of friendships and creates environments, like through the musical or marching band,” Speas said. “There’s a lot of

GRAPHIC BY NOE BEAUDOIN ’24

friendships that are made and it really brings people closer together and it has a lot of benefits beyond the academic ones.”

Music has many other benefits as well, especially for musicians or those closely involved in the creation of music.

“You’ve got to be a certain type of person to be a musician, and that person should be focused. I don’t think it has much to do with intelligence at all; I think it really has to do with what people call heart, I think sometimes we now refer to it as grit,” orchestra director and UAHS Music Department Chair Ed Zunic said. “But I’ve just always thought of it as focus and a dedication to bettering the art. And there’s a lot of high school people in this building that have that passion.”

Additionally, it allows students to develop important skills, which can then be translated to other aspects of their lives.

“You can’t do music half-way you know? When you’re a musician, especially an instrumentalist, where you’re controlling a tool, your focus has to be on that tool and everything that has to do with that instrument,” Zunic said. “I know that musicians tend to hold themselves to high standards, because they’ve already achieved incredibly high standards in their musical careers. And I think that carries over to other aspects of their lives and allows them to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.”

Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory. This, paired with musicians’ willingness to achieve high standards and dedication, allows musicians to thrive in other aspects of their lives as well.

“It’s been shown that people

who are engaged in musical activ ities like orchestra, band or choir in schools generally do better ac ademically than those who are not,” Speas said.

Music is one of the most universal forms of expression and com munication, and has existed for about 35,000 years, though its exact origins remain unknown. Archaeologists discovered bird-bone and ivory flutes in the Hohle Fels and Vogelherd caves in southern Germany that are be tween 20,000 and 40,000 years old.

The design of the flutes and studies of other artifacts from the site suggest that music was an integral part of human life far earlier than first thought. Furthermore, by looking at the behavior of some existing tribal populations and the prominent role of music within said communities, it’s likely that this was true for ancestral tribes as well.

A recently published study suggests that human brains don’t only recognize music, but that evolution has actually produced a neural circuit dedicated to processing music.

Researchers at MIT discovered six distinct neural clusters in the auditory cortex of the human brain that were responsive to sound. Four of these responded to standard acoustic features, such as pitch and modulation, and one responded specifically to speech. The sixth center, located just outside the primary auditory cortex, responded exclusively to music. Due to its location outside of the primary auditory cortex, researchers think the music circuit has an intermediary purpose: to interpret raw sound as music and pass that information along to other neural systems in the brain.

This neurological development reflects just how integral music is for

on people’s brains, especially for adolescents. For example, one’s sense of agency (the feeling of control over actions and their consequences) is often challenged in youth by external demands, and music has been argued to reinstate feelings of self-agency within adolescents.

“Music has affected my relationships with others, the way I see the world, the way I act, the way I dress, how I present myself,” Davy said. “[It] has helped change my identity and… has made me a better person, I believe.”

Every person interprets music differently, but music has a place in every person’s life. Biologically, humans are wired to listen to and enjoy music, as they have done for thousands of years, and will continue to do so for thousands of years to come.

“I think that proximity to music just makes people happier,” Zunic said. “It makes them appreciate life; it makes them better people.”

Going Clubbing

Upper Arlington has a multitude of clubs available to join, as well as the resources to be able to start a club of your own. With all of these choices, it can be easy to overlook some clubs. These are just a few examples of interesting options offered at UA.

Fashion Club was reinstated this year, run by junior Michelle Fernandez and advised by Research and Design teacher Laura Moore. Joined by their love for fashion, the club is very student-collaborative, with engaging design challenges and discussions. They meet after school until 3:30 every Tuesday in room 1307. They are currently accepting members.

FASHION CLUB IN THE KNOW

In the Know is run and advised by Phil Lampe. In the Know consists of a Varsity and Junior Varsity team that compete against other In the Know teams in central Ohio. They practice on Thursdays after Office Hours in room 3203. Interested persons are invited to join practices to observe and compete.

PHOTO BY HAILEY HOFFMAN ’23

PHOTO BY CAMRYN JOHNSON ’24

AMBASSADORS OF CHANGE

Ambassadors for Change is run and advised by Kristyn Anderson. The club’s mission is to create a community at UAHS where all students and staff feel valued. While doing their own projects, they also are interested in collaborating with other student groups on projects that accomplish similar goals. The club meets on Mondays and Fridays during periods 4A and 4B. Students can come as often as they like and there is no attendance requirement. They welcome new members and students and staff can drop in anytime.

Gender and Sexuality Alliance, also known as GSA, is advised by Nick Komjati with club president senior Matthew Doron and vice president senior Lydia Britton. The club’s objective is to create a safe space for all members of the UAHS community and to promote education and organization related to LGBTQ+ issues. They meet every Friday after school in room 3404 and anyone is welcome to join.

GENDER AND SEXUALITY ALLIANCE

PHOTO BY JAYDEN BANKS ’23

PHOTO BY SARAH MCCULLOCH ’23

COMPILED BY SAFIA MALHOTRA ’24, THEA POSTALAKIS ’24 AND JAMES UNDERWOOD ’23

Meeting Needs AninvestigationintoIEPs and504plansatUAHS.

BY EMILY AYARS ’24 AND GRETA MILLER ’23

Publicly educating students in the United States is complicated. Meeting the widely varying needs of students requires a lot of time, knowledge and effort. Each student learns differently, and each student has different capabilities. Some students may qualify for gifted services, while a majority of students are considered ‘on-level’ and do not qualify for any additional assistance. There is, however, also a third group of students that needs additional help to learn and qualifies for either

additional services through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or additional accommodations through Section 504 Plans (504). When a student is struggling, a parent can request that a school psychologist complete a Multi-factor Evaluation (MFE) to determine if there is a problem affecting the student’s ability to learn. An MFE includes a series of tests that are designed to identify academic issues and is usually ed over several days in order to not overwhelm a student. Once a conclusion is

reached, a student may qualify for an IEP or 504. Each plan has its own unique arrangement that is designed to fit a student’s needs and can involve daily services from an Interventional Specialist (IS) or classroom accommodations such as extra time on tests. So what is the difference between an IEP and 504?

WHAT IS AN IEP?

Through legislation titled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the United States federal government says that a student with a disability who could qualify for an IEP is a school-age child who has been evaluated and determined to have a discrepancy between their intellectual capacity and academic achievement and identified as having one of 13 specific disabilities that adversely affects the child’s educational performance, therefore needing special education and related services.

The 13 disabilities that make students eligible for an IEP, in order from most common to least common, include Specific Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Speech or Language Impairments, Other Health Impairments (ADHD, Executive Functioning problems), Autism, Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disabilities, Emotional Disturbance, Multiple Disabilities, Hearing Impairment (including deafness), Orthopedic Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairment (including blindness) and Deaf-Blindness.

“It might be other health im-

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pairments that affect your learning, but you have a deficit and you’re working towards getting better at that deficit,” Upper Arlington High School Individual Needs Center teacher Kim Wilson said.

Approximately 19.3% of Upper Arlington PK-12 students or 14.6% of UAHS students have IEPs. If a student is identified with a disability after undergoing an MFE, an IEP is written by an IEP team that consists of parents, teachers, administrators and other service providers. The IEP then documents the student’s needs, the goals that address those needs and how the team plans to help the student meet those goals. Services, such as assigned Intervention Specialists and access to specialized learning areas like the Individual Needs Center (INC) at UAHS, encompass an IEP student’s learning process.

“You have to do the correct assessments and you have to go through all of the steps in order to get an IEP,” Nicole Holder, an Individual Needs Center teacher at Upper Arlington High School,

said. “And the reason for that is because an IEP shouldn’t be the answer. It really should be, ‘how can we support the student with as little support as possible, but also give that student as much access to the curriculum’?’”

Everyone in the Upper Arlington High School INC classrooms is on an IEP plan. Part of Holder and Wilson’s roles as teachers within this class is to create lesson plans that fit every student’s distinctive standards while learning in one collective space.

“The big word that you’ll hear especially when thinking about IEPs is differentiation,” Holder said. “And so that’s when you take something like one big lesson plan and divvy it up to meet each student’s needs.”

IEPs differ from 504s mainly because they consume a student’s learning experience completely. Advisors are placed for supervision over students, and large measures are taken to create the best learning environment for each student.

Junior Sam Carine has an IEP that includes accommodations like extended time on tests, working alone for group projects if desired and no more than a 20% reduction in grade for late assignments.

“What I like about my IEP is that it helps me be organized, which is something I really struggle with,” Carine said.

WHAT IS A 504?

On the other hand, if a student is experiencing challenges, but after undergoing an MFE is not determined to have a large discrepancy between their intellectual capacity and academic achievement, they may be identified as having other disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law which prohibits discrimination against people with a handicap in any program receiving federal financial assistance. The act defines a person with a handicap as anyone who has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.

Depending upon a student’s specific 504 struggle, such as ADHD or anxiety, they can request accommodations not services that might be able to

GRAPHICS BY LINDSEY ACKER ’24

help with academic performance. Some 504 directives can include extra time for tests, specific seating placement within classrooms or written directions for classwork. 504 accommodations can address a student’s academic, non-academic or extracurricular needs.

“My 504 just allows me to have extended time on assignments and tests,” said Ellison Kase, a junior at Upper Arlington High School with a 504 plan. “I go into a testing center just [to] find different alternatives instead of taking it in a classroom.”

A small but substantial mi-

nority of students are on a 504 plan — 6.4% of UA students PK12 and 11.6% of UAHS students and yet both staff and students feel the majority of the student body still remains uneducated in many aspects. Because of this, students can feel unsure if they are in need of a 504 plan or even an IEP and don’t recognize when to reach out for this help.

“I don’t think the general student really understands, and I honestly don’t think the general teacher really understands truly what [a 504] is and why you would need one,” Wilson said.

Kase shares this observation, noting the absence of conversation regarding 504s.

“I feel like there’s still a lack of awareness of them,” she said. “They’re really flexible, so I feel like there are some instances where students don’t really know when and what they can use them for. And [there’s] just kind of a gray area.”

Another factor that shadows over 504s is the comparison of IEPs. IEPs provide a more dramatic shift in learning due to a larger range of students with more deficits that can require an entirely different schedule and curriculum.

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE KEGG ’24

504s include more subtle accommodations, like allowing students an extension on assignments or extra time given for a test.

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

While both IEPs and 504s benefit students, the management of these plans falls to different figures within the education system. Intervention Specialists are responsible for implementing and servicing IEPs, while each classroom teacher is responsible for meeting any accommodations for 504s and IEPs. This can become a daunting task for teachers if they have the UA district average of 19% IEPs and 6% 504s in each class.

“Ensuring that all accommodations are implemented for both IEP and 504 meetings is the teacher’s responsibility,” Jaclyn Angle, the director of student services at UAHS, said. “And depending on how many students a teacher has with accommodations, it can be challenging.”

Classroom teachers, who could have gifted, on-level and IEP/504 kids, must not only tailor their teaching methods to a wide-

range of capabilities, they also have to schedule around IEP Intervention Specialists and meet IEP and 504 accommodation requests.

“I think that the paperwork is daunting and overwhelming. And so for a lot of teachers, it’s a lot because they maybe weren’t educated on the background of it and why it is and what it is,” Wilson said.

There is also an issue of transitioning through grade levels and how services and accommodations shift from elementary school to high school and through college. Senior Gwyn Jones, who has an IEP plan, has had first hand experience with the chaos of managing every student’s needs and maintaining an IEP through multiple schools and grade levels.

“In middle school, I felt like my IEP really helped me, but the IEP teachers at the high school have so many students that you don’t get as much help,” Jones said.

But there are steps that can be taken to improve this situation. To take the burden off of teach ers, Holder and Wilson propose switching focus to the education plans rather than the educators themselves.

“Really, the education sys tem needs to change to support concepts like mental health or to

support more 21st century skills,” Holder said.

A large part of having a specialized plan also comes down to the students themselves. The classroom teachers and Intervention Specialists can specialize their teachings and meet accommodations, but the students play a huge role in their own success, especially as they get older.

“My IS is super helpful and to be honest it comes down to me just not doing the work, so the IS can only do so much,” Carine said.

HERE TO HELP

Managing the special education of students is hard for families, classroom teachers, intervention teachers and administrators. With 19% of UA school district kids on IEPs and 6% on

GRAPHICS BY LINDSEY ACKER ’24

Skoracki

BY ARLINGTONIAN CARTOONIST LUKAS SKORACKI ’23

BY THE NUMBERS

15,000 is the number of years humans have existed in Ohio.

11.6%

of UAHS students have a 504 plan.

70% decrease has been seen in the value of the crypto market since its peak a year ago.

1 in 6 neural clusters in the auditory cortex responds exclusively to music.

1843

was the year “A Christmas Carol” was published by Charles Dickens.

GRAPHIC BY MALLORY JOHNSON ’24

GRAPHIC BY LINDSEY ACKER ’24

GRAPHIC BY LUKE ROCKEY ’23

EIGHT IN EIGHT

Santa, funny, spaghetti, syrup, enjoyable, spirit, cotton, gum

— Freshman

Ashton Mumaw

Snow, mountain, dog, green, community, sleigh, stolen, chimney — Sophomore

Nick Ubert

Describe your favorite holiday movie.

Fun, robbers, traps, kid, travel, creep, vacation, funny

— Freshman

Lucas Andres

Santa, spaghetti, syrup, snow globe, dad, reindeer, singing

— Sophomore

Nora Nawrocki

Family, lights, rooftop, fire, midnight, trees, wintry, peppermint — Junior

Yesslyn Salazar

Boy, forgotten, burglars, traps, cold, family, airport, comedy

— Senior Maxwell Layne

Family sets up for Christmas, it goes wrong

— Junior Mason Ballou

Comedy, burglars, traps, alone, family, mansion, late, spirited

— Senior Naomi Maurer

Eight students respond to a question in eight words

PHOTOS BY EDITH LEBLANC ’23, HAILEY HOFFMAN ’23 AND VIOLET HOUSER ’24. COMPILED BY GEORGE BERNARD ’23.

Stay Away from Crypto

After the collapse of a major cryptocurrency exchange, counsumers should excersise extreme caution.

BY GEORGE BERNARD ’23

Last year, Luke Eriksen and I opined on the speculative bubble around NFTs in a piece called Non-Fungible Trash. Although I wish I could be positive in this follow up about crypto as a whole, I am unfortunately going to be the bearer of bad news. To put it nicely; do not touch crypto with a ten foot pole.

Buried under news surrounding the Midterm elections, possibly the greatest scandal in the history of crypto has emerged: the fall of FTX.

For those of you who may not know much about crypto, FTX was a cryptocurrency exchange platform that millions of people used to buy, sell, store and trade crypto. Think of it like a combined bank and stock exchange for cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. They also had their own cryptocurrency called FFT, which at its peak was worth $7 billion. It was backed by billions of dollars and big investors like Kevin O’Leary. FTX had become very visible in the public eye, naming the Miami Heat’s stadium and doing ads with Tom Brady.

Despite being a middleman, allowing them to make money on every transaction, FTX never made a profit during its existence, instead promising investors that profitability was just around the corner.

On Nov. 9, after a few days of building turmoil, FTX announced that it was not processing withdrawals (taking clients money) and on Nov. 11, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, just hours after the CEO tweeted that the company had plenty of liquidity and was in no immediate danger. In the blink of an eye, a $32 billion company had been reduced to nothing. Keep in mind that deposits made into FTX are not FDIC insured so there is no guarantee that clients will get their money back.

Then the evidence of fraud started pouring in. On Nov. 12, CNBC reported that “between $1 billion and $2 billion of FTX customer funds have disappeared” and then Reuters reported that the CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, who had been a leading figure in the crypto world and the richest person in the world under 30, had a secret back door that allowed him to transfer customer money out of FTX without notifying anyone else. On December 12, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas for securities fraud and illegal political donations.

There are now numerous civil and criminal investigations ongoing, but the outlook for crypto looks bad. Many other crypto companies had money with FTX and it seems likely that as they lose their money, they will also be at risk of bankruptcy too.

While some may interpret the events above as simply a case of one bad apple and still believe that crypto has value, I would beg to differ.

At their peak on Nov. 9, 2021, the two biggest cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum combined were worth $1.85 trillion, almost exactly the same value of Amazon at the same time. Despite this, there are no practical uses for cryptocurrencies for the average person in day to day life.

It hasn’t helped oppressed people escape government surveillance.

It hasn’t provided a way to safely store money outside of a bank.

It hasn’t removed financial middlemen, instead replacing experienced, regulated banks with juvenile, unregulated crypto exchanges that do not have insurance to protect consumers.

It has provided a means for people who were already very wealthy to make hoards of money riding a speculative asset bubble. (Think of Matt Damon doing an ad for crypto.com that essentially called viewers cowards if they didn’t buy crypto, but omitting that he directly benefits from this increase in buying.)

All of this brings me back to the premise of this piece. Cryptocurrencies in their current state are at best an early iteration of a technology that will take decades to become widespread and useful. But now the music has stopped, crypto is down roughly 70% since its peak a little over year ago and the hype is gone. It turns out that most people don’t like losing money.

If you truly believe that crypto is the future, good for you, I respect that but I remain skeptical. Right now, the entire system is riddled with scams and lacks any unifying vision or practical uses. At this point in time, buying a cryptocurrency is like betting on a horse in the Kentucky Derby, except that at any moment, the horse you were betting on can just disappear and you lose your money.

Tidings from the Tidepool

Columnist dicusses the disconnect between society and the natural world.

BY IRIS MARK ’23

As a ZooAide, the name for teen volunteers at the Columbus Zoo, I was on the lowest rung of the volunteer hierarchy. As such, I had no control over where I was assigned to work. Each time I volunteered, I was handed a printed-out Excel sheet with little color coded boxes outlining which exhibits I was supposed to rotate to each hour. Without fail, the seashell-pink box stamped with black Ariel font reading “Tidepool,” consistently appeared next to my name throughout the summer, and internally I prayed that the aquarium shut down before I made the trek over.

It’s not the actual job that I hated; in fact, it seems like just the kind of task that I, someone who is looking towards marine biology as a future career, would want to have: helping an institution connect people with the underwater world. But what caused me to dread the prospect of the tedious tidepool, is far from this idealized goal of human–nature cooperation. I am tasked with standing at the front of the line, welcoming visitors and instructing them to “rinse their hands off here, and wait for further instructions before touching any of the animals.” It is monotony at best.

My dislike, however, is not the focus of this story. Far from my own woes, I have come to observe a reluctance amongst visitors to interact with the denzions of the tidepool. It is understandable for little kids; a sea urchin looks like a creature conjured up from outer space rather than something docile and friendly. But after hours of listening to squealing children, and even watching grown adults demonstrate a fear of touching the animals, I began to wonder if there is some kind of disconnect between humans, in all our technological supremacy, and the life-sustaining natural world we take for granted. In the face of the “iPad-kid” generation, will kids today grow up to view the exploration of nature optional? Furthermore, is disconnect inevitable in an industrial world, where progress is marred by the destruction it leaves in its wake?

Nature holds wonder and the opportunity for discovery, to be fascinated by it is not to view it as “the other.” However, to act as if nature belongs simply in a one-time visit to the zoo, is to overestimate our superiority as a species. It is an

honor to be tasked with the responsibility of taking care of the Earth, not a temporary assignment or an afterthought. Perhaps I am not being fair. Why should a child be blamed for the choices their parents make in raising them? It is not their fault if they grow up knowing nothing but digital gratification; I feel pity rather than annoyance towards the kids who scream at the prospect of touching an empty conch shell.

I do not want to come across as bitter towards my volunteer position, for each time I volunteer, I am reaffirmed that my decision to pursue conservation and marine ecology is the right one. More importantly, I have the opportunity to share my passion with visitors, furthering the Zoo’s ultimate goal of connecting people and wildlife. There is no stopping technological progress and I am not advocating for the return to analog. What I am trying to say, what I feel is a vital point, is that no matter how much we are blinded by star-studded comforts, we must remember our place as pieces of a larger ecosystem.

Not Just Another Christmas Carol

A hilarious new twist on an old holiday favorite.

BY KATIE MESSNER ’24

’Tis the time for holiday movies and

“Spirited” has just arrived. So, I curled up with some hot chocolate and high expectations and was not disappointed. With laugh out loud moments promised by Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds and a touch of tears, “Spirited” embodied a funny and somewhat ridiculous movie, full of sarcasm and holiday spirit.

“Spirited” adds a musical twist to Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol”. Ferrell plays The Ghost of Christmas Present, with The Ghost of Christmas Future played by Loren Woods and voiced by Tracy Morgan and The Ghost of Christmas Past played by Sunita Mani. Reynolds plays Clint Briggs who is the ‘Scrooge’ needing to be saved from his own behavior and

Be warned: it is a musical. I was surprised to hear actors like Ferrell, Reynolds and Octavia Spencer break out into five-minute long singing tangents. Though neither Ferrell or Reynolds are Broadway talented, it only adds to the comedy. Ferrell and Reynolds’ most ridiculous performance, “Good Afternoon”, has them transported to Victorian London with Ferrell tap dancing and Reynolds singing with a cockney accent.

Ferrell and Reynolds’ comedic chemistry is enjoyable. The two characters finally meet when Ferrell attempts to make Reynolds understand his past mistakes, and their witty banter brightens the otherwise emotional storyline. Something about Ferrell’s tone and expressions can make an otherwise serious statement into a hilarious joke (“a non-existent puppy”).

The acting is good, as promised with a star-studded cast. Spencer impresses yet again with a singing performance, along with Mani.

The spending for props and production was certainly spirited and adds to the extravagant, flashiness of the movie. It wants to be a hit. While the dance scenes get away from themselves at points, the over the top, ridiculousness seems to coincide with the rest of the movie.

The “A Christmas Carol” remake has been done time and time again. Yet I think “Spirited” adds a unique twist to the story. The danc-

ing and singing certainly makes it more fun, but the importance of friends and family expressed in this adaptation shed new light on what really makes people want to change.

The plot was nothing extraordinary, however, I don’t think a feel-good holiday movie has to be. What won me over was the heartfelt message that people can always change and that everyone needs a friend around the holidays. The dialogue and jokes are well-written, including surprise moments and a subtle “Elf” easter egg to keep you on your toes. The trick with this movie, it seems, is not to take it too seriously.

And to those who don’t appreciate “Spirited” for it’s ridiculous, saracstic self, bah humbug.

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GRAPHIC BY LUKE ROCKEY ’23

A Remarkable Tribute

Columnist reviews Marvel’s latest movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

BY THEA POSTALAKIS ’24

Watching Marvel movies on opening day has always been a tradition for me and my family. Through their failures and successes, their release of tv-shows and throughout the pandemic, we’ve always made it a priority to go. Therefore, when “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was announced, my family and I immediately bought tickets.

I was apprehensive going into this movie. As most know, beloved actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, or T’Challa, died in 2020 due to complications with his health. Instead of cutting the movie, Marvel rewrote some of its previous script to incorporate T’Challas death. I was very nervous to see what exactly that meant. I didn’t feel that this story needed to be told, on behalf of honoring Bose-

man’s character as it was.

For the sake of the Marvel fans reading this, I won’t go into spoilers, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with the way that Marvel handled this turn of events. The way they dealt with Boseman’s death was extremely touching, and they definitely did a great job honoring him. The movie entered with an emotional beginning and kept that somber reminiscent tone throughout.

Focusing on a smaller, much more personal story, the film centered around the main themes of loss and despair. It was refreshing to see a change of pace within Marvel since they seem to have pivoted to flashy visuals and shock factors in their latest films.

Some Marvel fans might be disappointed to hear that “Wakanda Forever” does not follow suit, as it has few moments of comic relief and is more focused on world-building and storytelling. I, however, felt that it was much needed- to maintain sensitivity in talking about Boseman’s death.

Recently, it’s been difficult for me to fully appreciate Marvel movies. Phase Four, which included movies such as “Black Widow”, “Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness” and “Thor: Love and Thunder” was very hit or miss to me. However, I thoroughly enjoyed “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, and felt that it had a special touch that the others were sorely lacking.

While I agree that the movie was not perfect; the villain was not

great, and it definitely had some slow parts, I enjoyed that more than the over-done version that Marvel has been doing nowadays.

The performances were incredible, with Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett giving some of the best acting I’ve seen in Phase 4 yet. They both provided an element of deep emotion and were extremely powerful in their roles.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was the 30th movie in the Marvel franchise, and the seventh in Marvel’s “Phase Four” installment. With a 161-minute runtime, this was one of the longest movies Marvel has made. I only felt the film dragging toward the end, otherwise, it had relatively good pacing. While the exact budget has not been determined, it’s estimated around $200 million was spent on this film. Since releasing, “Wakanda Forever” has produced $205 million domestically and $176 million internationally.

Honoring Boseman was one of the main things that director Ryan Coogler wanted to make sure was key when rewriting. In a message on Marvel’s social media platforms, Coogler wrote that he hoped the movie would also serve as something to be remembered for a long time. “Something to be quoted and discussed. To be debated. Something to make people both physically and emotionally feel seen,” Coogler said.

GRAPHIC BY MALLORY JOHNSON ’24

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Columnist explores her love for winter, and why others should love it as well.

BY CARLY WITT ’23

Winter is my favorite season. Yes, call me crazy. The question, “what’s your favorite season” always enlists the numerous responses of summer and fall being everyone’s favorites, and my typical response of winter gets its own special reaction. It’s not only the chilly weather, but the endless stream of memories and nostalgia that winter brings that fills me with the most joy, ultimately making it my favorite season.

Being born in January already provides me with a special gift for bearing the cold, and I’ll never forget the birthday eve nights I spent begging the earth to make it snow the next day. I’ve always associated snow with happiness, and felt uncomfortable in the sun. I’m someone who becomes extremely irritated in the sun, another reason winter is important to me. A time to enjoy being in the cold, and all it brings. A lot of people complain about the endless layers of clothing, snow and ice in their lives during winter, making it their least favorite, however I find so much joy in bundling up, and marching out into the white, frozen world.

November, December and January have always been my favorite months. Something about the wind starting to get chillier, and the memories of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years bring so much happiness into my life. I have many family traditions that make these winter weeks so fulfilling, and each year they seem to grow more meaningful. Seeing my mom hang up the mini Santa’s along the stairs, or smell the fir as our fresh tree infiltrates the living room.

I also have an admira -

tion for winter because I think it’s versatile. Some winter days I wanna stay in with a hot drink, and watch the snowfall while reading a book. And some winter days, I’m begging my friends and family to go sledding down a giant hill, destined for injuries. Being able to decide how I want to spend the perfect winter day makes it the most fun season as well.

Most of my friends associate summer with the happiest memories of their lives, full of sunny days on the beach, no school, two blissful months filled with travel and no expectations or obligations. I understand the freedoms that summer brings, but to me winter always makes up for its activities and the happy memories I have in those months. Climbing on the giant snow piles in our driveway as a kid, getting the call in the middle of the night that we got a snow day and frosting cookies with my family to our favorite holiday music will always reign as the best times, not being on the beach or cooking outside.

Our favorite seasons showcase a lot about who we are. Depending on the normal activities of that season, we can grasp what a person enjoys doing, and how they choose to spend their time. Some believe that summer people are more extroverted, and winter people more introverted. Others think of winter as a saving grace period, to reflect on the restless summer and fall, before the calm and serene winter months.

Seasons play a part in depression, and how mental calendars operate as well. Seasonal depression for most, comes into play during the winter, and I feel the opposite. I can feel depressed in the summer, and my happiest in the winter. We all experience different feelings, memories and nostalgia during certain seasons, and for me, winter provides the perfect mix of weather, emotions, and activities to fulfill how I want to live my life, making it truly the most wonderful time of the year.

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Frosty Fun

Columnist shares her favorite plans for the winter season.

BY THEA POSTALAKIS ’24

Winter has always had a special place in my heart, as it holds some of my favorite memories of my birthday and celebrating with family, as well as the hard-earned relaxation of winter break. During winter break, I always find myself making a “checklist” of things that I want to do, or accomplish before it’s over. I am never quite able to meet all of my expectations, as it’s hard to narrow down such a huge list. However, it took me some time, but I think I compiled a simple easy-to-do list for this winter season.

“Little Women” is a classic known to most. While I have yet to read the book )and believe me, I shame myself for that), I think that the 2019 film version directed by Greta Gerwig is a pretty good contender. While “Little Women” is not exactly a holiday movie, it still manages to hit all the same heartfelt spots that my favorite holiday movies do. With overarching themes of loss, love and the importance of family, “Little Women” ties together many different interests. To summarize, the film surrounds a family of four daughters living after the Civil War, and how their lives change as they grow up and find their place in the world. It’s a great film to watch at any time; I’ve probably watched it a dozen times this year already, and it creates the perfect winter, cozy ambience.

“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt has been on my “to-be-read” section of Goodreads for a while now. From what I had heard, it’s a perfect “winter” read, and so as soon as the temperature started to drop, I made my way to the library and checked the book out. My expectations were high, as Tartt is known for being an exceptional writer and has even won Pulitzer prizes for her work. I would absolutely say that my expectations were met; I was captivated from the first sentence. The story takes place at a prestigious New England college where a group of eclectic individuals, under the rule of their enthralling professor, discover new ways of learning and living. The book offers powerful descriptive imagery that lure the reader in, as well as shocking twists.

As for good, cozy winter restaurants, The Fox in the Snow offers great pastries, drinks and a warm place to study. My personal favorites there are the

chai, or even a coffee with peppermint syrup, and the cinnamon roll is always delicious. It is located in two places in Columbus, one in the Italian village and one in German Village. In either of these locations, you can get some holiday shopping done while enjoying a tasty treat.

Every year, my family and I drive around looking at holiday lights. Already this season, I’ve seen two places in Columbus that have beautiful lights: The Columbus Commons, and the Franklin Park Conservatory. The Columbus Commons features six acres of grassy space, as well as gardens, a carousel, performers and interactive equipment. The Franklin Park Conservatory, while still having exhibitions inside, highlights an array of holiday lights outside. I had a tremendous time at both of these places; they were both different and had varying things to do at each. And while I was quite cold, they both provided warm hot chocolate and I argue that the cold was definitely worth it.

Brassica

Columnist enjoys Mediterranean here in UA.

BY ALI ABUBAKR ’24

If you want to eat some excellent Mediterranean food while also helping the environment, Brassica is certainly the place for you. With a location on Lane Avenue near UAHS, it’s conveniently located for an after-school meal.

Established in 2015, Brassica opened its first location here in Columbus. Inspired by the Lebanese heritage of their grandfather, owners Kevin and Darren Malhame wanted to build a restaurant honoring traditional Mediterranean flavors and a commitment to organic and sustainable practices.

I walked in on a Saturday afternoon to a nice sight. The early-setting sun was shining in through the windows, warming the place up on a cold day. It was pretty busy, and right in front of the door was the start of the line where you ordered your food. I ordered a pita sandwich, french fries and a vegan chocolate chip cookie. I’m not a vegan, but the cookie was interesting. We’ll get to that later.

On my pita sandwich, I put some thick hummus, “greens” (which I think is a mixture of lettuce and cabbage), shredded chicken, ‘Brassica special sauce’ and roasted carrots. The shredded chicken was soft and juicy, and its juices mixed with the hummus and special sauce and soaked into the bread. I don’t know what the special sauce was but it was a thin light green sauce. The pita sandwich is placed in this open, circular piece of fluffy pita bread that is freshly cooked in front of you in an open oven. Very solid and filling sandwich, 8/10. Honestly, I was surprised. I really don’t know what it was, but when I was sitting down to start the meal,

I wasn’t very excited to eat the sandwich. Weird. But safe to say I was excited for what was to come.

The french fries. I ordered them somewhat offhandedly just to expand the meal; I didn’t have high expectations, not something that I was thinking much of. But oh man, was I surprised. The best way to describe these fries would be to say that if they were being sold by a popular fast-food restaurant, they would be in contention for the best fries in the country. No joke. Better than McDonald’s, much better. McDonald’s fries need a sauce to complement their taste to be good, but Brassica fries can operate just fine on their own. This is because of the seasoning they put on the fries. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a dark brownish-red that’s just slightly spicy and so flavorful. Wonderful french fries.

I think it was because of these breathtaking fries that I went into the vegan cookie with high expectations. I didn’t even realize it, but subconsciously I had set the bar high. To the vegan Arlingtonian readers, it’s not looking too good for you. The cookie wasn’t soft like I expected it to be, and it was almost overwhelmingly full of chocolate. Some people like that chocolate overdose, but personally, I am not a fan. While chewing, I began pondering: If the cookie’s vegan, is this real chocolate? I had to do some research as to what it exactly means to be a vegan, because I would say that I’m not too educated on the topic and that this was an opportunity to learn. And I love learning. Oxford Languages defines a vegan as “a person who does not eat any food derived from animals and who typically does not use other animal products.” And something that I am educated on is the fact that chocolate is a dairy product, meaning that its ingredients do, indeed, come from animals. So after I had my facts and reasoning, I could come to the conclusion that the chocolate that I was currently eating was not, in fact, real chocolate. Unless Brassica is lying, of course. But I sincerely doubt that.

Overall, the Mediterranean food offered by Brassica in Upper Arlington is pretty good. The amazingness of the fries weighed equally to the mediocrity of the vegan cookie. Go get yourself some Brassica because it is indeed Ali Approved.

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE KEGG ’24

PHOTO BY ALI ABUBAKR ’24

First, Equity

IEPs and 504s at UAHS can be made more equitable. Here’s what we suggest.

BY EDITORIAL BOARD

Equality is idyllic, and something that most people strive for, but seeing that we live in an inherently unequal society, it is unattainable at this period in time. This is largely due to the fact that social systems aren’t naturally inequitable — they are rooted in discriminatory practices and beliefs intentionally designed to reward specific demographics. It is because of this that we must turn our focus to equity.

“Equity” and “equality” are not synonymous. Equality means providing the same resources and opportunities for everyone under the assumption that everyone is starting at the same level to reach the same outcome. Equity, however, recognizes that due to external factors some communities need more help than others to achieve the same outcomes. In social and racial justice movements, equality can actually increase

inequities in communities as not every group of people needs the same resources or opportunities allocated to them in order to thrive.

Student access to IEPs and 504s is an example of an equitable solution to an unequal situation. The American educational system is not adaptable enough to create equal learning opportunities for all students, seeing as every student has a different learning style and classroom presence. The use of accommodations in the 504 and IEP plans allows for students to gain access to the same level of education as their peers, despite certain ailments that may have derailed them in the past. Despite this, however, access to equitable learning environments is still something that all schools, including our own, continue to struggle with.

As an organization, we, the staff

of Arlingtonian, have a responsibility to use our platform to advocate for changes within our community to improve the livelihoods of those around us.

Because of this, we suggest that teachers be better trained in how to support a student with an IEP or 504, and allow students some form of documented recourse if teachers do not respect their accommodations. Additionally, students should be informed of their ability to apply for an IEP or 504 plan, as many students are not aware of their existence, and if they would benefit from one. In order to achieve an equal society, we must first maintain one that is equitable. We cannot fulfill the promise of equal opportunity for all students without first implementing equal access for all students.

EDITORIAL PHOTO BY HAILEY HOFFMAN ’23