Arlingtonian vol. 5 2021-2022

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

VOLUME 85, ISSUE 5

ARLINGTONIAN

B E YO ND THE CL ASSICS: E N GLISH AT U AHS READ NOW ON PAGE 14

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES, NEWS & NOTES

A Virtual World Students explore the upcoming technology virtual reality.

May the Faith Be with You UAHS club merges Star Wars and the Bible.

The Beat of Dancing Feet

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The spring musical cast tap their way to “42nd Street.”

The New Wave The Omicron variant of coronavirus tears through UA.

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A Citywide Celebration UA Schools and city organizations present an unprecedented amount of Black History Month events and programming.

SPOTLIGHT

Beyond the Classics

Nearly two dozen new English classes are running this year. Here’s why that is and what it means for students.

OP-ED

SPORTS

Stupid Cupid Columnist discusses her distaste for Valentine’s Day.

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Latine

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Lou’s Reviews: Mr. Hummus

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Columnist discusses her heritage and provides a guide to referring to individuals of Hispanic descent.

A lovely Lebanese meal.

ON THE COVER

GRAPHIC BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

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During the brainstorm process, I sat down with the Arlingtonian staff and asked how we could involve both the stories within this issue and the spotlight. We came up with a cover concept focused

Seniors Frankie Mulligan and Max Robins

A look at weight loss culture on the UAHS wrestling team.

EDITORIAL

Snow and Sore Throats

on books. The popcorn, laughing emoji, lightsaber and Russian flag represent the themes of the language arts courses. Additionally, the titles on the books are the titles of some of the stories in this issue.

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ARL Athletes A Wrestler’s Diet

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EDITOR’S NOTE

ccording to my older sister, a little over eleven years ago, when she celebrated her “golden birthday” (turning 10 on Feb. 10) with a special sleepover party, I looked at her, crestfallen.

“I can’t believe I have to wait until I’m eighteen to have my golden birthday. That’s forever away.”

When I think about this conversation, I can’t help but smile. Not just because of the way my sister perfectly replicated a 7-year-old’s whiny tone when she recounted the memory, but because today I turn 18 on Feb. 18, and it came in the blink of an eye.

I’ve always loved February. February is full of so many things to celebrate: birthdays, snow days, Valentine’s Day and Black History Month.

The Black History Month citywide celebrations in UA include events and artwork that honor Black heroes and Black culture. The celebrations remind us to step away from the Eurocentric curriculum that has dominated school districts across the country and think about how we are learning about Black culture, and the cultures of all identities, year-round.

28 days are not enough. I hope you soak up the trivia, exhibitions, guest speakers and movie screenings that will be on display this month, but I also hope that you choose books, businesses and media by Black creators all year. I hope you have conversations with your peers about ARLINGTONIAN EDITOR IN CHIEF history and identity regularly and seek out the perspectives of people with different identities than your own. You have the power to shape your education, both at UAHS and as a lifelong learner.

As I enter adulthood, I don’t feel very different. I still don’t know where I am going to college, and I still engage with the same classes and extracurricular activities that I have all year. But I am planning on seeking advice about adult things (like finances and moving away) and leaning into a new sense of independence. Although things don’t feel very different now, in a few months, everything will change.

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ARLINGTONIAN VOLUME 85 | 2021-2022

February 18, 2022, ISSUE 5 EDITOR IN CHIEF

Callia Peterson MANAGING EDITORS

Matthew Doron James Underwood COPY EDITOR

Brooke Mason ARTS EDITOR

Lucy O’Brien MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Ava Adamantidis WEBSITE MANAGER

LAYOUT MANAGER

Greta Miller

Ellie Crespo

STAFF WRITERS

PHOTO MANAGER

George Bernard Antonia Campbell Luke Eriksen Elena Fernandez Fia Gallicchio Gracie Helfrich Safia Malhotra Iris Mark Lucy Miller Carly Witt

Bella VanMeter

BUSINESS ASSOCIATES

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Austin Henley Hayden Kegg Lauren Leff Krish Mawalkar Alexander Wilkins Zac Yoakam

SPORTS CORRESPONDENTS

Jack Diwik Julia Molnar

Jayden Banks Héloïse Dutel Sarah McCulloch Bridget Mitchell Jack Tatham GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Daphne Bonilla Ryn Card Molly Hench Caroline Kegg Megan McKinney Ava Neville

BUSINESS MANAGER

Parker Badat

MULTIMEDIA CONTRIBUTORS

Lauren Buehrle Elizabeth Goth Grant Overmyer

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EDITORIAL POLICY Arlingtonian is a studentproduced newsmagazine published

by Journalism III-A 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.

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◀ GOGGLES ON, CONTROLLERS IN HAND Junior Lance Thrush plays a game on the Oculus.

A Virtual World

Students explore the upcoming technology virtual reality.

BY GRETA MILLER, ’23 AND GRACIE HELFRICH ’23. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ‘22.

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ne moment, junior Lance Thrush is in his living room, and the next, he is in a ninja warrior world.

With just goggles and a pair of controllers, it is possible to transform into a different character and see a new world. The shift in reality is made possible through a technology called virtual reality (VR). VR uses cutting-edge graphics to create a computer-simulated experience where one is fully engaged in realistic 3D worlds. VR’s popularity has increased rapidly within the past few months, pushing a number of VR companies, such as Oculus, to the top. Oculus is soon to be renamed Meta Quest as its owner, Meta (formerly Facebook), continues its rebranding. With the rising popularity, many UAHS students have studied the topic or have taken up VR gaming as a hobby.

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for Christmas last year and has used it frequently.

“The first time I did it, I was like, ‘Wow, this is sick,’” Thrush said. “It’s very responsive, and it’s not just working—it’s working really well. It’s really cool.”

The types of “realities” that one can experience are wide-ranging. Working out, simulating jobs, walking through an art museum and conducting espionage are just a few.

Senior Greyson Fowler also frequently uses an Oculus device.

“I guess my favorite game currently would be ‘I Expect You to Die 2’ which is kind of like an escape room, but you’re playing as a spy—James Bond style,” Fowler said. “It also has really good graphics.”

Senior Dylan Trent also uses a VR device. However, he uses one called HTC—a competitor of Oculus.

“My favorite thing about VR in general is the total immersion you can get with the game that you're playing,” he said.

“You are standing in a room, and you can interact with everything around you.”

Trent participates in many of the immersive games offered through his virtual reality device.

“I would have to say my favorite game is currently ‘Job Simulator,’ which honestly doesn’t sound like it should be my favorite, but it is a fun game where you just simulate doing jobs; that’s the best way to put it,” Trent said.

Fowler and Trent both enjoy the fact that each VR game comes with its own experience; however, they do see a downside regarding the size and price of many of the devices.

“It is a bit clunky still. It’s like holding up a pair of huge binoculars to your face which kind of wears down on the neck. It’s kind of heavy,” Trent said.

This technology is currently pricy, with a standard unit costing $300—a similar price to other gaming systems. However, that is expected to change as Fowler added that technology gets cheaper over time.

Of course, given how realistic the graphics and mobility of the devices are, users may experience a downside to those features as well.

“My least favorite thing [about VR] would probably be the motion sickness.

The first time I got [Oculus], I was probably in there for like 4 hours a day for like 3 or 4 days,” Thrush said. “It hurts your head, and I had to sit down in between games. It was bad, so I took a break from it for a while.”

A downside of virtual reality is it can disconnect the user from the real world.

However, virtual reality can help solve real-world issues and improve education.

For example, a heart surgeon could potentially conduct a practice simulation of a surgery before they actually do it, so they know what to look for in the future.

Virtual reality offers an opportunity to experience things that otherwise may not be possible. For those who choose to participate in the virtual world, the possibilities are endless.

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May the Faith Be With You UAHS club merges Star Wars and the Bible.

BY ELLIE CRESPO, ’22. GRAPHIC BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22.

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ositioned around a table, students attentively watch a scene

from “Star Wars: A New Hope” as it is projected onto the Apple TV. The line, “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope,” fills their ears.

The movie clip is followed by a series of questions and subsequent discussions about its relation to the epic hero’s journey cycle, the students’ personal lives, other Star Wars storylines and the Bible.

In September 2021, sophomore Tali Caruso formed the club Faithful Forces which combines her interest in Star Wars and her religion. In Faithful Forces, students discuss the similarities between Star Wars and biblical stories. Caruso was inspired to create the extracurricular after enrolling in her freshman language arts course Honors Star Wars.

“I just began to realize how much I really love Star Wars,” Caruso said. “I found a lot of ways that it correlated with the Bible and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, this would be such a cool way to be able to share my faith with other people in the school.’”

Caruso integrates many topics, such as the epic hero’s journey cycle, taught in the language arts course, into Faithful Forces. The hero's journey cycle includes steps like “call to adventure” and “refusal of call,” similar to how Obi-Wan Kenobi asks Luke Skywalker to join him on a mission to defeat the First Order but Luke is initially reluctant to make that commitment.

During club meetings, Caruso asks members to relate the scene or topic being discussed back to the Bible, whether it be a specific verse or a story.

Caruso has found many common themes in Star Wars and the Bible. For example, both Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Anakin Skywalker’s mother conceived their babies as virgins. In the Bible, Mary FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in Star Wars, Anakin’s mother conceived him through the cosmetic force. Caruso has also drawn a comparison between the First Order and the Empire, found in Star Wars, and Satan.

Initially, Caruso’s friends, like freshman Laila Knight, were reluctant to join.

“I was like, ‘Tali, no one’s going to come,’” Knight said. “[With] our other friend, Liv… In the beginning, the first couple meetings, it was just the three of us.”

After advertising their club at Young Life meetings, Faithful Forces saw an increase in participation. However, the club is not solely for Christians.

“Anybody is more than welcome to come, whether you love Star Wars, whether you’re interested in learning more about the Bible, whether you literally just want to hang out and watch Star Wars or eat food and have good discussions with your peers,” Caruso said.

Sophomore Liv Smith encourages all students to join Faithful Forces.

“I would totally say give it a try, I mean at least once. It’s super fun, especially if [you’re] open to hearing about other people’s opinions,” Smith said.

Knight expressed her appreciation for the club’s atmosphere.

“It’s a good time to have a positive environment with your friends and talk about Jesus during the school day,” she said. “I look forward to it. Yeah, it’s early in the morning, but I’m hyped for it. The night before I’m like ‘Ooh, I have Faithful Forces tomorrow.’”

In the future, Caruso is hopeful

to have more students be positively impacted by Faithful Forces. “[I] hope that we’ll probably get a couple more people,” she said. “I am hoping that people get as much out of it as I do. [I] think it’s just a great place where people can just come together and bond over their common interests, whether that’s Star Wars, the Bible, whatever they enjoy doing.”

Faithful Forces meets on Wednesday mornings and Thursdays after school on an alternating schedule.

For more information about the club, students can email Tali Caruso at ncaruso@uaschools.org.

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The Beat of Dancing Feet The spring musical cast tap their way to “42nd Street.”

BY MATTHEW DORON, ’23 AND ANTONIA CAMPBELL, ’22. PHOTOS BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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he clacks of tap shoes echo through the UAHS Performing Arts Center from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day after school. The students wearing these tap shoes are the cast members of “42nd Street,” the UA Vocal Music Department’s latest winter musical.

“42nd Street” follows the tumultuous rehearsal process of a musical called “Pretty Lady,” making the show a musical within a musical, with students cast in the roles of directors and chorus performers.

Senior Reva Baste-Bania, who portrays a waiter and is a featured dancer, said that the show, being about a musical, puts great emphasis on its choreography.

“We have a lot of songs to learn, especially the featured dancers, and it’s lot of tap [dancing],” Baste-Bania said.

The show’s dance captain, junior Alana Sayat, who also plays the character Lorraine, said that the show’s choreography was difficult for the large cast to learn.

“Before audition weekend started, they had been doing these tap workshops to help people learn the dance audition choreography because tap is a whole other beast compared to jazz or ballet,” she said. “You’re making sound that you

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Featured dancers share their favorite aspects of “42 Street.”

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need to be aware of, and for people who have never put on a pair of tap shoes, it’s a little difficult.”

Sayat said her duties as dance captain consist of memorizing all the choreography so she can teach others.

“When choreography is being learned, I learn all of it, even if it’s not something I specifically do, so that I am able to help others who might struggle a little bit more with it or need some help just really understanding it and learning it,” Sayat said.

Freshman featured dancer Logan Magliery also said that the choreography has proven to be one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of rehearsals.

“Learning how to dance, specifically to tap dance—it’s a lot harder than you might think,” she said. “I never really danced before this, so it’s been a pretty cool, new experience.”

Since freshmen make up a significant portion of the cast, the musical also serves as a way for students to connect across grade levels.

“I feel like I probably wouldn’t have met a lot of upperclassmen without doing it,” Magliery said. “It’s a way to have a common interest.”

In addition to the large cast, “42nd Street” boasts a well-staffed tech crew.

Head carpenter junior Taylor Speas

“The dancing of the show just brings everybody together. The tap [dancing] is absolutely insane.”

JUNIOR MEREDITH HANOSEK

said that the new high school provides more set design opportunities than the previous building.

“We have more room, which is really nice, so we don’t hit things. There [were] many occasions in other years when we accidentally broke things because we ran into the wall,” he said. “It’s a new stage. It’s going to be fun, brand-new; it’s exciting.”

Junior Nathan Adams, the assistant lighting director and system lightboard operator, emphasized that “42nd Street” is the first musical performed in the new high school.

“I’m excited for people to see the new school and the new auditorium. I think it’ll feel really nice to have a new show, which we have every year, but a new show in a new space,” he said.

Sayat said she is excited to show the months-long work of the cast and crew.

“What I’m most excited about is getting to perform,” Sayat said. “It’s a really exhilarating rush when you’re standing in front of an audience and you’re just doing something that you have been working so hard on for so long.”

“42nd Street” will be performed at the UAHS Performing Arts Center Feb. 24 through Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m.

“Getting it all put together with tech crew and all the costumes, I feel like it’s going to be super fun.”

JUNIOR CATRINA JAGLOWSKI

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The New Wave The Omicron variant of coronavirus tears through UA.

BY CARLY WITT, ’23 AND ELENA FERNANDEZ, ’23. GRAPHICS BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22.

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s 2022 advances, the world seems to be constantly evolving with the pandemic, accepting it as a part of life. Over winter break, the highlycontagious Omicron variant quickly spread throughout the country, placing a stop on holiday plans and putting more restrictions on the lives of millions.

Although the UA School District did not go back to distance learning, schools and businesses across the country went back online, flights were canceled and finding COVID-19 tests became a challenge.

According to The Washington Post, a total of 3,800 flights were canceled on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, hindering the holiday plans of hundreds of families around the world. These flights were canceled due to the newer spike in cases and staffing issues between flight attendants and pilots.

TESTING TROUBLES Due to the recent spike in cases, testing for the coronavirus has become a normalized part of life and is typically easy to complete. The UA Public Library started distributing test kits in March, 2021, as a part of an initiative by Gov.

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Mike DeWine. Since then, the library has given out 28,667 test kits. “[The state] asked if we wish[ed] to participate,” UA Public Library Assistant Director Kate Porter said. “Not all libraries, I know, joined right away. When we heard that March of last year, we were like, ‘Yeah, we want to do that.’ And so we signed up [as] soon as it was possible.”

However, once the Omicron variant began to spread, tests became harder to come by.

“So temporarily, we won’t be getting any more kits,” Porter said. “I don’t know when we will get any more kits, but they are extremely popular.”

WINTER WORRIES Due to the increase in air travel, the Omicron variant spread rapidly as hundreds boarded their flights, causing thousands of flights to be canceled in late December. Many were not able to see family and friends, halting long-awaited plans.

Junior Paige Parker contracted coronavirus for the first time over winter break, canceling her holiday plans.

“I was double vaccinated before I had COVID and then got the booster after,” Parker said.

To pass the time, Parker established her own routine while in quarantine.

“I would Facetime my softball friends who also had it and binge Netflix to pass the time, Parker said. “I also couldn’t see my grandma.”

Omicron continued to spread

after winter break. The daily COVID-19 cases among members of the high school reached its peak of 24 cases two days in a row in mid-January. Due to a shortage of substitutes, the staff has been filling in for one another. In January, members of the administration served at the lunch counters. “[Nutritional services are] one area where we have been understaffed. We are monitoring and hanging out during lunchtime anyway, so we stepped up,” principal Andrew Theado said. “We were happy to do it because our nutritional service does an amazing job, and they just happened to be down a few folks. Most of the folks in the building would do that at the drop of a hat.”

On Jan. 8, the UA School Board extended the district mask mandate to after-school, evening and weekend activities that take place within district buildings. Originally, the mandate began at 8:05 a.m. and ended at 3:05 p.m.

“The virus does not change between 3:05 and 3:06,” Theado said. “There were still lots of people in the building; we were having big events like our [winter] dance; we had some athletic events. It was just time to press pause, talk to our medical advisory board, [ask], ‘Are we doing the right things? Could we be doing anything better?’ and that’s just what came out of it.”

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A Citywide Celebration

UA Schools and city organizations present an unprecedented amount of Black History Month events and programming.

BY CALLIA PETERSON, ’22. GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY ’22. PHOTOS BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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couple of months after she moved to Upper Arlington, then new resident and current city council member Ukeme Awakessien Jeter noticed an absence of Black History Month programming and events in February 2019. There was a read-aloud at Wickliffe Elementary School, book kits at the UA Public Library and a display in the window of local bookstore Cover to Cover, but that was the extent of which Awakessien Jeter had seen.

Awakessien Jeter’s daughter had just started kindergarten in UA, and the lack of Black History Month events and programming in the community left few places for her daughter, and her daughter’s peers, to learn about Black history.

“In all the communities that I’ve lived in, there’s always a lot more, and so I was taken aback,” Awakessien Jeter said. “Like, ‘Okay, where do I take my then five-year-old kindergartner, who already was experiencing, for the very first time because of us moving here, her Blackness?’”

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not just herself.

“I’m Black 365 days a year,” she said. “So Black History Month is not for me, because I’m Black all the time.

But I recognize the importance of Black History Month in honoring the people that have come before us, their accomplishments, but also in recognizing the work that still needs to be done and that educates our children.”

In her first post on the Upper Arlington Discussion Forum on Facebook, Awakessien Jeter asked what the community was doing for Black History Month. In response to her post, she did not get a clear answer.

“I was having this ‘Aha’ moment,” she said. “It was just kind of like, ‘Okay, we have got to do better.’”

Now, three years later, in February 2022, there are more than a dozen Black History Month events and celebrations taking place citywide with participating organizations including the City of UA, the UA Public Library, the UA Historical Society, Equal UA, the Senior Center, Rainbow UA and UA Schools. “[Awakessien Jeter] really helped serve as a catalyst for everyone putting their heads together to think about,

‘Okay, we need to honor this month; we need to put together programming and opportunities for people to celebrate and learn more about Black history,’” Community Affairs Director for the City of UA Emma Speight said.

Last year, Awakessien Jeter, then a member of the City of UA’s Community Relations Committee (CRC), partnered with Equal UA to coordinate a virtual multi-session panel discussion about Pleasant Litchford, a Black man who owned some of the land that has become Upper Arlington. Among the panelists were authors of “Secrets Under the Parking Lot” Kim Shoemaker Starr and Diane Kelly Runyon, Director of the UA Historical Society Kristin Greenberg, Litchford descendant Toya Williams, UA City Manager Steve Schoeny and UA Schools Chief Academic Officer Keith Pomeroy.

There were also resources from the UA Public Library, book bundles delivered by Equal UA and dialogue within some schools across UA about Pleasant Litchford, Awakessien Jeter said.

This year, the events have expanded significantly, involving myriad city FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

◀ NORMA MERRICK SKLAREK Senior Ava Taylor works on her Black History Month poster about Norma Merrick Sklarek, the first female African American Architect. organizations.

“I look at it and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ Actually, it warms my heart...that just a little seed has kind of evolved to this,” Awakessien Jeter said. “We have the student groups doing things. It’s just great.”

COMING TOGETHER Last year, the planning for the twopart virtual panel discussion about Pleasant Litchford began in January 2021, a little over a month before the event. For the 2022 festivities, the planning began last November, this time with a vision of bringing the entire community together.

“This year, we wanted to do a little bit more advanced planning and try to grow the program,” Speight said.

The City of UA, the UA Public Library, the UA Historical Society, UA Schools and Equal UA came together for the initial planning in November.

Together, the groups invited other city organizations such as Rainbow UA and the Senior Center, to provide programming as well. Now there is a monthlong lineup of events.

Serving as an umbrella that brings together all of the Black History Month activities, the City of UA’s CRC houses all of the events and programs on its website and provides all of the groups involved with social media graphics and information to help them promote their events on their various platforms.

According to its website, the CRC “evolved from a desire by many residents to advance Upper Arlington as a place that is welcoming, cohesive and inclusive.” In 2019, the process of creating the committee began with workshops, an online survey and a temporary committee to develop a framework and propose next steps.

Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UA City Council officially formed the CRC in fall of 2020.

“We want to obviously help advance the community as a welcoming community where everyone feels that FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

they belong and are a part of the community,” Speight said.

THE PROGRAMMING One of the first events to join the lineup of programming for Black History Month in UA was a presentation, Q&A session and book signing event with author Ann Hagedorn; the event is part of the UA Historical Society’s History Speaks series. On Feb. 16, at the Jones Middle School auditorium, Hagedorn spoke about her book “Beyond the River” set in Ripley, Ohio, about the major Underground Railroad route that ran from Kentucky to Ohio.

“We sensed a lot of interest in the community about the Underground Railroad, given some of the conversations we’ve been having about life in the 1800s and Pleasant Litchford,” Executive Director of the UA Historical Society Kristin Greenberg said.

“Whereas we don’t have any concrete evidence that shows an Underground Railroad route through Upper Arlington, we thought it would be beneficial to learn about [one of the main entrance points to Ohio].”

The UA Historical Society will follow the author talk with an event in April where guest Leslie Blankenship will talk about Columbus’s Underground Railroad.

Next in the lineup, Columbus filmmaker Chris Bournea will discuss his documentary “Lady Wrestler” at the UA Public Library Tremont Road branch on Feb. 22. The UA Public Library, the City of UA, Equal UA and the UA Historical Society have come together to coordinate and facilitate the event. There will also be a screening of the documentary on Mar. 2.

Additionally, UA Public Library Community Engagement Specialist Jennifer

Faure said the UA Public Library is putting up book displays, video displays and a new subject guide for the research tools offered on Black History, including the Pleasant Litchford archive collections. Upstairs in the youth services department, there is a bulletin board with interactive elements called the Periodic Table of Black History that features Black Americans from throughout history.

The almost one-year-old Rainbow UA, a community organization that seeks to create community, provide support, and share resources for LGBTQ+ families and individuals in UA, is hosting a virtual “Power Panel” on Feb. 24 with five Black LGBTQ+ leaders from the community who will share their perspectives on the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ identity and Black identity.

On Feb. 19, a family-friendly event called “Let’s Learn Together: The Black Queer Family Experience” will take place at the UA Public Library.

Put together by Rainbow UA, the UA Public Library, Cover to Cover and the Harper’s Corner Foundation, the event will have screenings of two short, family-friendly films titled “Tyler” and

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“Carino” as well as a historic episode of children’s TV. Book lists, crafts and snacks will also be available.

“We want exposure and for people to understand that families come in all shapes and sizes and colors,” founding member of Rainbow UA Jillian Maruskin said. “We’re just trying to present our community as the growingin-diversity kind of community that… we’re turning into.”

Other programming, ranging from a presentation on Buffalo Soldiers by UA Senior Center member Gregory Edmonds to Black History Month Celebration Packs full of books and cookies from the Black-owned bakery Yavonne’s Cookies delivered by Equal UA, can be found on the CRC website.

“There is a dynamic program happening this February again. I’m excited. There’s a lot of hybrid going on,” Awakessien Jeter said. “I’m just looking forward to this snowballing and growing because we have our own dynamic kind of Black history here within Upper Arlington that needs to be celebrated, and our children need to know about it.”

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TEACHING RACE Leading up to Black History Month, German teacher Tricia Fellinger’s classroom was filled with glue sticks, colored paper, markers and the students that make up Ambassadors of Change, a group that promotes inclusion at UAHS. In between bites of their lunches, the students sprawled over tables and the floor, diligently creating informative posters about historical Black figures.

The posters have been hung around UAHS to form a gallery throughout the school, with contributions from students and staff both in and out of Ambassadors of Change. The community will be invited into UAHS for a gallery walk and open house on Feb. 23.

“The hope is that this will bring awareness to the so many accomplishments and contributions of Black people to our culture and to our global culture—people past and present,” Fellinger, who serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) building and district teams and the Equity Advisory Board, said. “Last year,

we had lots of people—teachers and students—comment that they learned so much from the same project and that the posters featured so many people who have either been forgotten or that they’ve never learned about.”

For the entire month of February, UAHS students have been invited to participate in a trivia activity during second period, and some music students are learning songs by Black composers.

Other schools in the district are also getting involved. At Hastings Middle School, where Fellinger also teaches German, students are doing a similar poster project, and music group Jason Buchea & Friends will play West African music on Feb. 11.

Meanwhile, at Tremont Elementary School, the Tremont School Association funded an educator toolkit and boxes of crayons from the More Than Peach project, a multicultural crayon brand, for teachers to use in their classrooms.

DEI building and district representatives Shelly Bloom and Lina Taylor provided teachers with a list of ideas of how to tie the crayon project to Black History Month.

The DEI team at Tremont also

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runs a book program that provides five books and corresponding activities to all the adults at Tremont to use with students. Through the books and classroom dialogue, Taylor emphasized that her students are exposed to diverse perspectives year-round.

“For...the grade that I work with, Feb. 1 or the month of February is not the first time that they are seeing a text or having a discussion through the lens of a Black or African American author or voice,” Taylor said.

At Tremont, teachers are provided resources for lesson plans, conversation starters and activities to do with their students, but they have flexibility in how they choose to use those resources.

“We’re very lucky that it’s not scripted, [like], ‘Here’s what you have to teach,’” Bloom said. “But it’s nice that we have resources that we can all pull from.”

Bloom also spoke of the balance between teacher autonomy and ensuring students are exposed to diverse perspectives.

“No one’s checking to see if I’m doing it, I do it because I feel like that’s what is best for kids,” Bloom said. “But that’s where teachers are all going to have their own points of view of what they feel is best for their classroom.”

UAHS students are also exposed to diverse texts throughout the year in their language arts classes. English teacher Matt Toohey said the language arts teachers have enveloped Black achievements and diversity of all cultures intrinsically in all that they teach.

UA Schools DEI Director Matthew Boaz said he has spent the past year listening and learning about the community, collaborating with others and discussing avenues for sustainable change.

Instead of requiring teachers to teach certain topics, Boaz said he wants to create change by sharing a common vision, educating others ◀ GLUE AND SCISSORS Sophomores Emma Braum and Keita Watson work on their Black History Month poster during an Ambassadors of Change meeting.

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through conversations and professional development opportunities, discussing processes for desired outcomes with people who hold different perspectives, and piquing interest.

“I want to engage people so that they become interested and lean in,” Boaz said. “I don’t want to go and say I want every teacher to be forced to do XYZ because that will not get them to engage.

That will get them to revolt—and what good is that to a kid in their classroom?”

Regarding the Black History Month celebrations in the district, Boaz said they are geared toward highlighting the achievements, history and perspectives of Black people throughout the world.

Students across the district have been involved in planning the projects and festivities.

“I’m really proud of the way that this district has not only embraced Black History Month but involved students in creating the ways that we celebrate it and letting students lead with their voices of how we go about it,” Boaz said.

He said this pride extended to the district’s involvement in broader city-wide events.

“I will say it speaks to the fact that many entities in the Upper Arlington community area are working hard and working together to try to highlight the efforts of those who maybe haven’t had as much of a voice in our community in

the past [and] to highlight efforts and situations that bring a better sense of balance for certain people’s perspectives to the community,” Boaz said. “And Black History Month was a great opportunity for that.”

On Feb. 7, Awakessien Jeter and her colleagues on the City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to contribute funds for the construction of the Litchford Plaza, a memorial to Pleasant Litchford, at the high school.

“I want to thank all those that were involved in birthing this visionary idea to honor what was once a hidden part of our community’s Black history,” Awakessien Jeter said in a Facebook post. “...Hope has bred change again and again. I cannot wait to hear all the stories the children of our community and afar learn from the Litchford Plaza…including mine!”

To learn more about the the Black History Month events in UA, visit https://uacommunityrelations. upperarlingtonoh.gov/resources/ or scan the QR code below.

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BEYOND THE CLASSICS Nearly two dozen new English classes are running this year. Here’s why that is and what it means for students.

BY FIA GALLICCHIO, ’22; SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’24; BROOKE MASON, ’22; AND JAMES UNDERWOOD, ’23.

GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

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RUSSIAN LITERATURE Students listen to English teacher Matt Toohey's 2nd period Russian Literature class.

PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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CHOICE REJOICE

S

hakespeare. Russian Literature. Books and Cinema.

These were some of the classes that greeted students during scheduling week last year. These offerings—three among many—reflect a broader shift in how English language arts is taught at UAHS. For years, students’ English language arts path was fairly simple. As freshmen, students could choose between Freshman Literature and Composition (FLC) and the honors version of that course, HFLC. Sophomores chose between the sophomore equivalents of these courses, SLC and HSLC. As upperclassmen, students’ options marginally broadened with students being able to pick between on-level, AP, IB and College Credit Plus English classes.

A small handful of semesterlong English elective courses, such as etymology and creative writing, were also offered throughout this time. Still, for the most part, students selected between limited yearlong options. But this previous model was replaced this year with the 2021-22 program of studies, which marked a sharp pivot in the English classes taught at UAHS.

Literature,” are not sectioned off for juniors and seniors only but rather are available to all upperclassmen.

Beyond these ELA Explorations courses, juniors and seniors are still able to take traditional AP classes—typically AP Language and Composition for juniors and AP Literature and Composition for seniors—as well as IB and College Credit Plus options.

WHY AND HOW

There was not one sole reason why the ELA department felt the need to update the courses available for students, but rather a conjunction of underlying motivators. The biggest of these was the desire to build student choice into course scheduling.

“We were wanting to add in choices for students so that… they had some options ahead of time that they could choose from and perhaps, be more invested in as a result,” English teacher and ELA department co-chair Meredith Niekamp said.

This desire to implement more choice in students’ scheduling soon launched conversations within the ELA department.

NEW PATHWAYS Eventually, the idea for specialized, thematic language arts classes came to be. Those conversations began informally years ago FLC and SLC have lived on under the new system but in a before gaining further traction. different form: underclassmen now select one yearlong “ELA “It began fluidly, reached a tipping-point pretty quickly, and Foundations” course from a spate of themed options for their then it was a very concerted, directed effort,” English teacher grade. Each ELA Foundations course is offered in both honors Melissa Hasebrook, who was department chair until 2019, said. and on-level options. These courses cover the same content by That tipping point came during the 2019-20 school year, with grade level in their first semester but branch off to their respective Niekamp helping to spearhead the effort. In November of that focuses after winter break. school year, several members of the English department went to After sophomore year, English classes have seen a still more a National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) conference. drastic change. Whereas English classes previously were mostly The NCTE aims to “improve the teaching and learning of English offered as yearlong commitments, the 2021-22 school year ushered and the language arts at all levels of education,” according to the in a suite of more than a dozen semesterlong courses, most of organization’s website. them brand new. These courses, dubbed “ELA Explorations in English teacher Leah Miller was one teacher present at the NCTE convention.

“Everything we kept hearing at the conference was that student choice was really, really important in engagement, and then consequently student learning,” Miller said. “So the goal was if students chose [their courses] and had some choice in their learning, that they’d be more engaged.”

In the summer of 2020, which came after COVID-19 cut the 2019-20 school year short, all teachers in the department were invited to optional meetings to discuss new ideas.

“We spent that summer of 2020 meeting via Zoom and just hashing the ideas out,” Hasebrook, who was present at several of those meetings, said. “Hours and hours and hours went into that, hashing those ideas out until we came forward with, ‘Here’s the plan.’”

These summer meetings were part of a broader departmentwide effort.

“Everyone in the department was involved in the change of program,” English teacher Marlene Orloff, who later joined Niekamp as department co-chair, said. “We listened to the voices of every department member.”

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CHOICE REJOICE Once the basic idea had been set down, teachers began proposing courses more formally. That process afforded teachers a large degree of creative freedom, but it took place within the entire department.

“We had open, rich, intellectual discussions about these courses, and it was really one of the highest modes of professionalism you can have–is to be able to say, ‘Hey, I like this idea that you’re proposing, but what if you added this strain as well?’” English teacher Matt Toohey said.

Nonetheless, teachers had to make sure their courses fit within the scaffolding of standard curriculum requirements.

“We didn’t just say, ‘Hey, I really like this movie; I’m going to teach a whole course on it,’” Toohey said. “So much went into making sure that it was a thematic or genre based approach that still brought in all the necessary skills and all the proper pedagogy for every student.”

These course proposals were also discussed in a meeting with department chairs from across the school, including UAHS vice principal Jennifer Mox. “I was excited to hear about [the department’s] ideas,” Mox, who also handled scheduling for this year, said. “And I think that they were super passionate about trying to make their classroom and their content more engaging with the students.”

Throughout this process, the department coordinated with various levels of administration. Eventually, a final proposal was made and sent to the building administration before finally reaching district administration for a final review.

“The administration here and the district have been so supportive, every step of the way,” Niekamp said.

UA Schools Chief Academic Officer Keith Pomeroy shared a similar sentiment. “[The English department] had done quite a bit of work working through their themes, and were able to answer all the questions about standards and how they determined their themes,” Pomeroy said. “So I love when there are ideas like this that come from a department, and they’ve already worked through how they could overcome any obstacles that might be difficult to think through in terms of implementing it.”

From there, the courses were presented to and approved by the Board of Education in January, 2021.

The courses also had to meet National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requirements. NCAA schools require college-bound student-athletes to have a foundational high school education in order to succeed within the academic expectations in college.

Once the courses had been fully crafted and approved, they were ready to be included in the 2021-22 program of studies and run this year.

One of the most popular course choices was the freshman Star Wars course taught by Michael Donelson.

“This year, I have three honors and two on-level Star Wars [classes] and fairly good turnout numbers,” Donelson said. “There were seven sections signed up. Of course, I can only teach five.”

Since the goal of the new classes is to teach a standard curriculum in more engaging and personalized ways, Donelson has implemented Star Wars into many aspects of the course.

“For the narrative unit, we wrote a Star Wars story, so it already had characters that were developed, and then we told [students to] look for places where the story could be expanded or conflicts could be explained,” Donelson said. “All the vocabulary words come directly out of Star Wars scripts; all the grammar examples are from Star Wars.”

While courses such as Star Wars are based on media franchises, other courses explore literature through the lens of a certain culture. Toohey, for example, teaches two classes with cultural focuses: Irish Literature and Russian Literature. Those courses explore the literary history and heritage of their respective countries.

Several other courses aim to connect contemporary life with

THE COURSE CAFETERIA For the 2021-22 school year, freshmen had four class theme options, while sophomores were able to choose from five. In addition to AP, IB and College Credit Plus courses, juniors and seniors had 15 semesterlong course options.

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CHOICE REJOICE traditional literature, such as Orloff’s honors Young Adult and Classics course. Each quarter, Orloff pairs a young adult book with a classic book, and students compare and contrast the two.

“We read ‘The Book Thief’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451.’ We talked about censorship of books, and it was interesting because one was a historical novel, one was dystopia,” Orloff said. “The next quarter we read ‘Just Mercy’ and compared it to ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ which allows us to have a richer, deeper understanding of the characters in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’”

In addition to the courses running this year, the courses on next year’s program of studies include ones about true crime, feminist literature and other topics.

ONE SEMESTER LATER Now that one semester under the new system has passed, students and teachers have gotten a taste of the new course options. Donelson said that his new classes were warmly received by community members.

“There was not really any pushback from parents or students,” he said. “In fact, they seem to welcome the idea of having the change.”

As all of the new upperclassmen ELA Explorations courses are one semester long, teachers had to adjust to spending less time with more students.

Niekamp, department chair, said this was a positive.

“We get to know more students now that it’s one semester, which I love,” Niekamp said.

Still, the semester approach also means that teachers have less time to get to know their students.

“I know the one complaint that some teachers and students have is that it’s hard to foster strong relationships with teachers if you’re only in there for one semester,” Toohey said.

Additionally, some students and teachers believe switching courses mid-year is difficult and creates problems.

“I don’t think it’s good to switch language arts halfway through the year,” Jett Corso, an eighth grader at Hastings Middle School who will soon schedule his freshman courses, said. “And I don’t like to restart just over Christmas break and have two new classes for no reason.”

Challenges are also introduced in the pacing of courses, especially since this is their first year being run.

“You had that luxury before of, like, ‘Hey, I’ll see you after winter break, and we can finish some things up.’ And now you’ve got to be finished by winter break,” Miller said. “So the pacing took me a little while to figure out first semester.”

Nonetheless, many students have found themselves more engaged than they previously had been, achieving one of the main goals of the new courses.

This was the case for junior Lauren Talarzyk, who said that her “Hamilton” course was much more interesting than previous years’ language arts classes.

“It was not boring at all,” Talarzyk said. “I mean, it was probably partially due to the people in the class, but Mrs. McPherson is fantastic. She’s a wonderful teacher. She just made it 18 | ISSUE 5 | FEB RUA RY 1 8 , 2 0 2 2

such a fun atmosphere.”

Freshman Joey Shepherd, who is currently in the Honors Star Wars course, also felt positively about the new language arts classes.

“I feel like there’s a lot of good talking happening, like good communication between teachers and students,” he said.

Teachers have also noticed that their students are more engaged thanks to the new course options.

“Kids are really engaged,” Hasebrook said. “Kids like it; they’re coming to class prepared.”

Additionally, some parents have reached out to teachers regarding the new courses and their children’s enjoyment of them.

“Probably the greatest compliment I received was from a parent who said her child had lost interest in school in like the second grade,” Donelson said. “But then, because of the Star Wars class, she’s like, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing in there, but he can’t wait to get to class. And so keep doing it.’”

Donelson said he even noticed an uptick in his students’ grades after the first semester.

“For the most part, [they’re] higher than they’ve been previously,” Donelson said. “Obviously, you still have some students that are not performing, but I have a hard time determining whether that’s the curriculum or whether that’s COVID.” Engagement has also increased for teachers, several of whom reported having taught the same curricula and books for years.

Now, they have the opportunity to craft and teach a new course more suited to their individual interests and skills. “[Students] sense that maybe the teacher needs a change of scenery as well,” Toohey said.

For Talarzyk, that change in scenery meant new insights into connections between Shakespeare’s works and “Hamilton.”

“I feel like I was able to learn a lot more,” Talarzyk said. “I was actually understanding Shakespeare, which is really weird.”

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SCHEDULE UP!

GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22 AND LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS PARAPHRASED FROM PROGRAM OF STUDIES.

A LOOK AT ENGLISH COURSES OFFERED IN NEXT YEAR’S PROGRAM OF STUDIES

FOR FRESHMEN

ELA FOUNDATIONS I

THE AUTHOR’S CRAFT

Each course is available in both honors and on-level options.

SOPHOMORE SELECTIONS

ELA FOUNDATIONS II EXPANDING THE AMERICAN CANON Each course is available in both honors and on-level options.

STAR

WARS

uses George Lucas’ Star Wars saga to explore epic mythology across time periods and cultures.

DRAMA AS LITERATURE analyzes the impact of performance on society and progress by reading, viewing and critiquing plays.

DESIGN MY OWN ELA ADVENTURE

allows students to design their own learning experiences that build upon their language arts skills.

BOOKS AND CINEMA explores how literary texts are transformed and adapted for the big screen.

IRISH LITERATURE provides an introduction to the rich variety of Irish literature— fiction, drama, poetry, mythology—of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

COMEDY AS A LANGUAGE ART examines the powerful writing behind great comedy, the history of comedy, theories on why we laugh, the tools of comedy writing and the role of comedy in culture.

MAD MEN: AMERICAN NARRATIVES OF GENDER, CLASS & RACE

pairs the award-winning “Mad Men” television series with classic American texts to analyze historical and present-day narratives of race, gender and class.

SPORT IN AMERICA

focuses on the voices of people of diverse races, religions, socioeconomic statuses and LGBTQ+ identities.

challenges the traditional canon by examining America’s obsession with sports and analyzing its role in our ever-evolving culture.

RUSSIAN LITERATURE

SHAKESPEARE’S GENIUS develops an appreciation for the nature of Shakespeare’s language and ideas through close analytical reading, performances, class discussions and critiquing film and stage adaptations.

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SURVIVAL INSTINCTS / NONFICTION

explores nonfiction texts through the lens of survival and why some people may have an advantage towards survival.

TOPICS IN AMERICAN NONFICTION

aims to ask tough questions and challenge students’ thinking through analysis of ideas presented by disparate thinkers in nonfiction texts.

YOUNG ADULT AND CLASSICS

uses young adult literature to develop better understandings of challenging, canonical texts.

YOUNG ADULT AND CANON

focuses on classic works of literature as well as young adult literature, similar to the 9th grade course Young Adult and Classics.

These courses are not available in honors form; students interested in greater rigor should consider AP, IB or College Credit Plus options. Three additional English electives are also being offered with varying grade level requirements.

THE DYSTOPIAN STORIES OF OUR LIVES explores a variety of themes, motifs and archetypes related to dystopia, as well as considers how dystopian literature reflects the past, present and future.

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY POETRY

explores poetry from the Modernist movement into the contemporary voices of today’s poets.

STORIES OF SUSPENSE

focuses on poetry, short stories, drama and novels of Russian literature, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

studies how literary texts connect to contemporary society, specifically through the lens of the news.

HIDDEN VOICE

UPPERCLASSMAN UNDERTAKINGS

EXPLORATIONS IN LITERATURE

LITERATURE AND CURRENT EVENTS

CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE OF SUSPENSE, PSYCHOLOGY & CRIME

explores the thrills and chills of classic and contemporary psychological thrillers, mysteries and crime stories.

THE ENVIRONMENT IN TEXT

examines literary works that reveal humanity’s harmonious, destructive and redemptive relationship with nature.

NOVELS OF TRANSFORMATION focuses on literary works with characters that experience profound psychological, spiritual and societal changes.

THE WESTERN AND THE SHAPING OF THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION

explores the ways in which the “Western” represents and reflects our uniquely American historical, political and cultural identities.

FINDING BEAUTY IN A BROKEN WORLD

focuses on analyzing literary responses to a number of catastrophic events—how authors find beauty in a broken world.

PAGE TO STAGE THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT

examines plays from a literary perspective and the role of the playwright as both a catalyst and commentator of social change.

WOMEN’S LITERATURE

focuses on the contributions of female writers to the literary canon.

HAMILTON, U.S. FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS & POETRY

examines various perspectives of our nation’s history using LinManueal Miranda’s “Hamilton.”

THE PAST IS PROLOGUE is perfect for students who enjoy history as the class examines authors’ reactions to pivotal moments in history.

WRITER AS MUSE encourages students to cultivate the habits, attitudes and flexibility of a professional writer.

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A R L SPORTS

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SPORTS AT A GLANCE COMPILED BY JACK DIWIK, ’22.

WINTER RECORDS Boys Basketball: 13-4 Ice Hockey: 22-6 Girls Basketball: 12-7 Girls Swimming: OCC Champions Boys Swimming: OCC Champions Wrestling: Super-Tri meet winners

UPCOMING GAMES

COMMITTED ATHLETES Zac Yoakam: Notre Dame Football Jake Badgeley: Cleary Wrestling Doak Buttermore: Findlay Football Ceci Dapino: Case Western Reserve Soccer Carson Gresock: Tiffin Football

2/17: Girls Basketball vs Northland

Caroline Langmeyer: MIT Softball

2/18: Boys Basketball vs Hiliard Davidson

Kuyper Lashutka: Denison Baseball

2/26: Boys Wrestling (OHSAA sectionals)

Nick Heath: Denison Basketball

2/26: Girls Swimming (state finals) 2/27: Boys Swimming (state finals)

Paige Merryman: Ohio Wesleyan Field Hockey Caroline Porterfield: Georgia Tech Swim

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UAHS VS. HDHS

At the home meet on Jan. 14 against Hilliard Davidson High School, Lizzie Oliphant swims across the pool.

Oliphant got first place in the 50 meter freestyle and second in the 100 meter freestyle races.

BY JACK DIWIK, ’22. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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ARL ATHLETE

FRANKIE MULLIGAN

BY MATTHEW DORON, ’23.

S

enior varsity wrestler Frankie Mulligan lost every match he competed in during his first year wrestling in sixth grade at Hastings Middle School.

Now, after two years on the UAHS varsity lineup, Mulligan leads the team through an uncertain but successful senior season.

Mulligan has been on the varsity wrestling team since his freshman year but was not placed on the lineup until his sophomore year, during which he earned multiple titles and records.

“I had a decent run at [the district competition]...that was a good year for me,” he said. “And that was the same year I got the pin record for the whole season which was pretty nice.”

That same year, Mulligan won his Ohio Capital Conference first team title, an award given by a high school athletic conference in the Columbus area, and won second place in UA’s own Spitzer tournament.

However, COVID-19 drastically changed Mulligan’s junior year season.

“Last year was really spotty for the whole team in general because we didn't have our big tournaments, like the big individual ones,” he said. “We just had little meets and duels, so it was pretty difficult to start off that season. Not just for me but for pretty much all of Ohio.”

The few tournaments that were held had strict attendance policies.

“It was very spotty to get fans,” Mulligan said. “It was very tough to get people to come in, and then for [larger meets], it was just strictly family.”

Despite initial difficulties due to COVID-19, Mulligan said he and his teammates adjusted to these changes in the postseason. “[O]nce we got to sectionals and districts…that’s when we started to really feel it and started to kick back into it,” he said.

However, due to the Omnicron variant, Mulligan’s senior season is shaping up to be

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similarly difficult.

“We [had] a big tournament for us canceled over [winter] break, [called] Medina. It's a tournament that has at least 25 or more teams, so it was deemed as a superspreader or a potential one,” Mulligan said. “Not only the tournaments that we have in our own schedule, but... big tournaments throughout Ohio have been getting canceled so far. And yeah, it’s definitely due to Omicron.”

Mulligan and his team continue to win tournaments, including the home Spitzer tournament and Kettering Fairmont tournament, despite this uncertainty. Mulligan placed second at both tournaments.

“I was pretty happy with it but you know, [so] close to first. Not yet there though. I had tough match[es] in the finals, but as a team we did great,” he said.

Mulligan said that one of his goals was to leave the team in capable hands once he graduates.

“I’ve got a lot of high hopes and high expectations for…just all of our freshmen and sophomores around the board.

And that’s been kind of my main goal this season,” he said. “I want to see our underclassmen push themselves, work harder, and so we can leave the team in good hands, and so far I’ve actually been seeing that; it’s been great.”

He emphasized that the season is not over. “[February is] pretty vital for the team.

We just all have to focus and kind of hone in,” Mulligan said. “Keep moving forward.

Keep wrestling.” ◀ HAND HELD HIGH A referee declares Frankie Mulligan the winner of a match against a Hilliard Bradley opponent.

PHOTO COURTESY AIMEE JUDY.

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ARL ATHLETE

MAX ROBINS

BY LUKE ERIKSEN, ‘22. PHOTO BY JACK TATHAM, ’22.

T

here’s only one thing on Max Robins’ mind when he's on the ice: holding up a massive trophy after winning the frozen four.

There are few hockey players in Columbus with the resume of senior wing Robins, and he is ready to lead the Upper Arlington Golden Bears Ice Hockey team into the playoffs. Last season the bears made the final four, the Frozen Four.

This season, the bears are off to a solid start with a 16-5 record. Recently winning a holiday tournament in Cleveland, Robins is on pace to surpass the 35 goals he scored last year, already scoring 16 goals this year.

Last year, Robins was recognized as one of the best hockey players in Columbus. He won the ThisWeekNews Columbus Player of The Year and was second team all state. Robins’ role grew even more this year.

“I have a lot more assists this year; I’ve become more of a playmaker than a scorer. That’s just how it panned out. I don’t mind that though. My numbers are just gonna look a little different being a FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

pass first guy,” Robins said.

The bears lost an instrumental senior class, including goalie Garret Alderman, but Robins and his teammates were ready to step up and accept the challenge.

“Garrett was pretty special. I was never nervous when the puck was in our zone.

[He] was a strong piece on our defensive side that we lost,” Robins said.

Robins commented on the strength of the 2022 senior class.

“If we get one more [win], then my class will be the winningest class ever,” he said.

A few of the seniors came late, including Carson Gresock and Sam Cannon, as they were playing on the regional championship football team.

“It’s just an immediate energy just having him [Cannon] in the room. He’s a captain. He’s one of our best defensemen, so getting him back boosts everyone’s confidence. Carson was out a little longer with his ankle, but adding him is another boost of energy. He brings physical play and makes us deeper as a team,” Robins said.

BATTLING FOR THE PUCK Senior and lead scorer Max Robins eyes the puck at the Dec. 10 game against Archbishop Moeller High School.

Robins also applauded his senior teammate Sam Burns, who moved back to UA during the end of last season.

“I’ve been playing with Burns all year, so he makes my job pretty easy. He’s scored a lot of goals, so we have made a lot of plays together. He’s definitely gotten me my fair share of goals,” Robins said.

The ice bears are looking to move into the end of the regular season and into the postseason with momentum.

“Our expectation every year is to win our conference tournament, CBJ cup and eventually, the final four. We aren’t going to settle with winning a couple games in the playoffs. We know we are a good enough team, good enough program and good enough coaches that we could win it all,” Robins said.

Robins is determined to finish his hockey career winning the Frozen Four.

“We have to keep working hard everyday in practice and beat the teams we are supposed to,” Robins said. “We need to keep playing hard and not taking any days off.”

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A Wrestler’s Diet

A look at weight loss culture on the UAHS wrestling team.

BY GEORGE BERNARD, ’23. GRAPHIC BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

U

pon returning to school on Jan. 4, the wrestling team breathed a collective sigh of relief.

When they returned from winter break, all of the weight classes increased by two pounds, providing a significant margin for weigh-ins. Some wrestlers “cut weight,” a process where they lose weight to qualify for lower weight classes because they believe it will give them a competitive advantage.

This season, the wrestling team has had a number of important wins and some wrestlers have set new personal records Boothby is approaching his 100th win in his high school career.

“We are having a really good season,” Boothby said.

Jake Badgeley is also on a winning streak with a record of 15-2 this season. He partly attributes his record to his choice of cutting, which places him in the 175 pound bracket. “[There are] all these different weight classes and guys with different skill sets in each weight class, and I found that I felt more comfortable, and I have a great opportunity at being successful at 175 [pounds],” senior Jake Badgeley said.

That weight bracket is now at 177 pounds after the 2 pound increase over

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winter break.

“It lets me relax a little bit,” Badgely said.

A myth that often surrounds cutting weight is that wrestlers simply do not eat for long periods of time. However, wrestlers need to eat healthy foods accompanied by strenuous workouts to effectively lose weight.

“If you don’t eat at all, you will lose a lot of muscle mass,” Badgeley said. “[It’s about] eating the right things rather than not eating at all.”

To lose weight, wrestlers have a structured system that takes out the guesswork.

“You have to have a no junk food diet, spread out all five food groups, drink a ton of water and get eight hours of sleep,” Boothby said. “I cut from 155 to 138, but I started like three weeks before the first weigh-in.”

Wrestlers will often make the choice to cut as a way to win more matches.

“You only do it for yourself if you have high goals,” Boothby said.

Sometimes cutting is used to gain an advantage or prevent an opponent from gaining an edge.

“It is better to compete in a lighter weight class because you are bigger in that

weight class. A lot of other kids do that too, so you don’t want to be in a situation where you are wrestling in a weight class everybody else has dropped and you haven’t” coach Matt Stout said.

Wrestlers also lose water weight by forcing themselves to sweat. To make himself sweat, Badgeley wears warm clothing (i.e. long sleeve shirts and sweatpants), and he tucks his sweatpants into his socks so no heat escapes.

“I drink a lot of water and stay hydrated throughout the week [before a match], so I just sweat it out,” Badgeley said. “I try not to lose very much body mass because I want to retain my strength.”

The day of a match, wrestlers stick to a strict diet. They do this to ensure that they will not be over the weight cutoff when they are weighed at the beginning of the match.

“A full 24 hours before [a match], you try to eat food that don’t weigh much like chicken or broccoli,” Boothby said. “The day of a match, you just don’t eat” In all, cutting can be an effective method of potentially advancing a wrestler’s career and gaining an advantage.

The varsity wrestling team has its sectionals on Feb. 26 at UAHS.

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OPINION

Stupid Cupid

Columnist discusses her distaste for Valentine’s Day.

BY GRACIE HELFRICH, ’23. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

M

y relationship with Valentine’s Day is, in a word, tangled. Every year Feb. 14 rolls around, and every year I am disappointed. It is safe to say I am more of a Halloween gal. A materialistic, relationship harming and overall problematic holiday is not my cup of tea. At the very least I’m consistent: my Valentine’s Day is never spent going to dinner, exchanging gifts or enjoying the holiday at all.

The ancient Romans celebrated their own form of Valentine’s day: the feast of Lupercalia. The celebrations were held from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15. Filled with irresponsible sexual behavior, animal sacrifices and violence, this holiday was an utter fiasco. Today, we set aside a day for romantic love in the grimmest portion of winter. But in theory, Valentine’s Day isn’t that “bad.”

A day devoted to loving your significant other sounds nice: spending time with them, appreciating what they do for you and what you do for them. However, that’s not what we as a society today value about Valentine’s Day. In 2019, a LendingTree survey found that the average American was expected to spend $142 on a gift for their significant other. We view the value of our holiday experience through a materialistic lens.

The origin story of Saint Valentine begins with Roman ruler Claudius the Cruel attempting to build a stronger military. He ran into problems when he discovered men were not interested in leaving their wives and families to fight. To combat this, he banned all new marriages and engagements throughout Rome. Saint Valentine lived through this as a priest in Rome. He was outraged by Claudius’ 26 | ISSUE 5 | F EB RUA RY 1 8 , 2 0 2 2

new law and began to perform secret marriage ceremonies. Eventually, Valentine’s practices were discovered; Claudius ordered for Valentine to be clubbed to death and beheaded on Feb. 14. This date became his feast day and today, Valentine’s Day. I would argue that our notions of Valentine's Day are not consistent with St. Valentine’s intentions. We prioritize goods and services over feelings and emotions on one of the few days out of the year we are expected not to. Our society’s new version of this holiday isn't all bad though. Positive celebrations such as Galentine’s Day have emerged.

Although Galentine’s Day is not consistent with the romantic, love aspects of Valentine’s Day’s history, it is a fun way for single people to enjoy the holiday.

Especially for those in relationships, it’s a stressful holiday overall. Making dinner reservations, buying presents and anticipating what your significant other wants is taxing and applies a lot of unnecessary pressure to the relationship. According to an article

from CNN, Facebook relationship statuses are more likely to become “single” from Feb. 14 to spring break.

This same study also showed that you are more likely to be broken up with on Valentine’s Day than Christmas Day. This information leads me to question why we celebrate Valentine’s Day at all; why take so much time and effort in some sort of grand endeavor just for it to hurt you more than help you?

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OPINION

Thank You, Journalism

Columnist shares why she chose to join Arlingtonian and why you should too.

BY GRETA MILLER, ’23. GRAPHICS BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’24 AND MOLLY HENCH, ’22.

I

n early 2020, I was handed my first issue of Arlingtonian. Sitting in my assigned seat, I waited for my Spanish teacher to start the next lesson, but she handed my classmates and me an issue of Arlingtonian instead.

Throughout middle school, I never really thought of myself as a writer. While I liked discussing people’s life experiences, thoughtprovoking topics and music or pop culture, I never thought of engaging that through writing.

Once I received that issue of Arlingtonian, however, I was immediately excited to open it. I felt like I had been given a window into the high school experience—a time where students find their interests and pieces of who they truly are. Opening that colorful newsmagazine for the first time would end up being a pivotal experience of my high school career.

While reading my first Arlingtonian, I enjoyed seeing all of the contributors with different talents coming together to create a publication for the UAHS student body. I was drawn to the varying topics throughout the publication, none seemed to repeat. I liked that there were names of actual peers attached to the stories, and I liked that they were writing about topics that meant something to them and to the person reading it, whether that was a feature story on a current event in UA or an opinion article about a topic that was close to their values.

It all seemed to fit cohesively. As the newbie freshman that I was, I had found something that I knew I FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

wanted to do. I later took that Arlingtonian issue home to show my parents, and I still have that exact issue to this day.

When it was time to schedule classes for my sophomore year, I registered for a semester of Journalism I and another semester of Journalism II because I knew those were the requirements to join Arlingtonian as a writer the following year. Journalism I and II offered valuable information about the history of journalism, journalistic terms, practice with writing and even a few opportunities to be featured on the Arlingtonian website as a Journalism I or II student. One of the articles that I chose to write during my second course of journalism was about music, more specifically “What Makes Great Music?” That article was featured on the website, along with another one of my articles profiling two staff members of UAHS. As a Journalism II student, I was getting a glimpse of what it felt like to be a member of Arlingtonian, and I was excited.

After completing those two prerequisite classes, I enrolled in the Arlingtonian class my junior year. I have now experienced a full semester, and I have really enjoyed it.

The Arlingtonian community is welcoming, and there are so many people with so many different talents that range from writing to graphic art, to photography, to business, to multimedia, to sports coverage. I have enjoyed the opportunities to connect with others, specifically fellow students, teachers and administrators, through Arlingtonian.

As a writer, I am proud to have my name attached to an article that I spent hours researching, organizing and writing. After

being part of the day-to-day operations, I now also have a better understanding of the incredibly huge effort required by every staff member to publish and distribute each issue of Arlingtonian. It is truly a team effort, and I really like that.

It was not until after experiencing all of this that I realized how pivotal receiving my first issue of Arlingtonian really was. It led to me experiencing being a part of a supportive, honest and caring team of people for the first time.

Had I not been handed that newsmagazine my freshman year, I know that I would have missed out on enjoyable connections, great learning experiences and unique ways to embrace my interest in writing. I would totally encourage anyone who is drawn to a collaborative, hardworking and inspiring environment to think about joining Arlingtonian as a writer, a graphic artist, a photographer, a multimedia specialist or even a business manager. There really is an opportunity for everyone.

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OPINION

Latinx e

Columnist discusses her heritage and provides a guide to referring to individuals of Hispanic descent.

BY ELENA FERNANDEZ, ’23.

E

ven though I’m Hispanic, I grew up never knowing that Hispanic Heritage Month existed; I found out about it in more recent years through social media.

My middle and elementary schools hardly taught cultural appreciation, which led to a disregard for the cultures that are less wellrepresented. Those who are of minority descent may feel whiny or dramatic when speaking up about these issues because the majority of students, who are white, do not need to do this. But their feelings of rejection are valid, and it is important to acknowledge the cultures still fighting for a place at the table here in the United States.

In a predominantly white community such as UA, it is imperative to address these disparities.

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Aside from flag decorated pumpkins and posters confined to the LC (both thanks to Spanish Honors Society) and a sparsely attended discussion panel for Hispanic people in UA to share their experiences (which I spoke at), this month of acknowledgment was not celebrated or honored in our school district, particularly within the middle and elementary schools.

Introducing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) education at a young age will create a more responsive environment for Hispanic Heritage Month events and projects. We must address this problem to ensure that other minorities are celebrated moving forward. February is Black History Month; March, National Women’s History Month; April, Autism Awareness Month and Arab-American Heritage Month.

There are many opportunities to celebrate underrepresented groups, yet most of these months are rarely acknowledged. We need to start now.

Even at the most basic level, the media 28 | ISSUE 5 | FEB RUA RY 1 8 , 2 0 2 2

and public in the U.S. have not been able to agree on a common and respectful term to encompass Latine cultures, begging the question, “How should one refer to people of our descent?” When considering this question, there are two important concepts to consider: who is being referred to at a cultural level and who is being referred to at an individual level. This is a tense subject regarding my identity as I am very uncomfortable with the colonizing history of my Spanish ancestors. Instead, I align myself with my Cuban ancestors by introducing my ethnicity as Latine.

Hispanic refers to anyone descending from a Spanish-speaking country, including Spain, Mexico, several islands of the Caribbean, and the majority of Central and South American countries. Latine, a more inclusive term, refers to South America, Mexico, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean. It includes some non-Spanish-speaking nations like Brazil but excludes Spain. Although certain countries are applicable under both terms, many people will prefer to be referred to as Latine because it is more specific to their identity, excluding the countries that colonized their ancestors in the past (Spain and Portugal).

When referring to individuals, it is important to recognize that Spanish is a highly gendered language. Typically words ending in “o” connote a masculine gender, and words ending in “a” connote a

feminine one, i.e. Latino and Latina. How, then, would you address a non-binary or gender non-conforming Latine person?

The recently popularized term “Latinx” uses a letter that is very rarely used in the Spanish language, especially as an ending to a word. It is a term created on social media and imposed on us by others to refer to our ethnicity and identities. Making an intended inclusive term difficult for native Spanish speakers to naturally integrate into their language is actively making it noninclusive.

Latinx was begrudgingly used by many until a movement began to make a genderneutral term more accessible to Spanish speakers. This movement encourages the use of “Latine,” a term much more fitting and uniform to the language. Though it is less popular at the moment, I encourage you to use the term “Latine” to normalize it and promote inclusivity. I fall under both the Hispanic and Latine categories as a majority of my heritage can be traced back to Spain and more recently, Cuba and Chile. Based on my personal experiences regarding ethnic identity, I feel validated and accurately perceived by this term.

CIRCA 1950 Fernandez's grandfather, Balbino Fernandez (left), poses with his parents near Havana, Cuba.

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MR. HUMMUS GRILL A Lovely Lebanese meal.

BY LUKE ERIKSEN, ’22. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

T

he warm, authentic chicken shawarma is tender, and the flavors from the spices took me on a trip to Lebanon.

Mr. Hummus Grill is a Lebanese American restaurant run by Tarek Albast. Albast has an incredible story.

He is an immigrant from Lebanon who is now a chef and manages food trucks and Mediterranean restaurants.

According to the Mr. Hummus Grill website, “Tarek has loved food since he was a chef in Lebanon and always planned on running his own kitchen.”

The menu has a mixture of American and Lebanese dishes. A few items on the menu that caught my attention were the falafel pizza and the Lebanese burger, which combine Lebanese and American cuisines. The menu also includes platters that range from $40-$100 and are meant to serve large families.

There were dozens of drinks to choose from including hot teas, smoothies, fresh-squeezed juice and cold soft-drinks.

I decided to try the chicken shawarma sandwich with falafel and tahini on the side.

The sandwich was more of a wrap,

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as it was prepared with thin Lebanese pita bread and looked like a thick taquito. Inside the warm pita bread, the chicken shawarma was a delicious combination of spices and tender, juicy, shredded meat. The chicken in the sandwich is made with traditional spices common in shawarma, including cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne.

Additionally, it came with a yogurtbased garlic sauce that was a bit thicker than I expected, creating an odd texture similar to ice cream; nonetheless, it was an excellent complement to the pickles and chicken inside the wrap.

Falafel is one of my favorite Mediterranean foods, so I knew I was going to order the falafel appetizer.

The crispy outside layer, fried golden brown like a hushpuppy and dipped in the thin and sweet tahini sauce, made this an appetizer you can’t miss out on.

Mediterranean food has quickly become one of my favorite cuisines.

450 BETHEL ROAD A look at Mr. Hummus from the street. PHOTO COURTESY MIRIAM BOWERS ABBOTT The spices and flavors are often bold, yet I find them comforting and unique compared to most of the food I typically eat. As there aren’t many restaurants that offer a family-style experience, I’m eager to order a platter and share it with family or friends. The menu is vast, and I look forward to experimenting with new options in the future. Mr. Hummus is a valid choice if you are looking for a Lebanese American meal. With that being said, Mr. Hummus Grill is Lou approved.

Mr. Hummus is located on 450 Bethel Road.

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By the Numbers

Explore this issue through statistics. COMPILED BY ELLIE CRESPO, ’22. GRAPHICS BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22 AND MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

12+ 40%

99

was the age of Betty White when she passed away on Dec. 31, 2021.

events will take place in UA for Black History Month. Among them is a Zoom presentation about Buffalo Soldiers with Gregory Edmonds.

of Hispanic Americans are bothered or offended to some degree by the word Latinx, according to a nationwide poll of Hispanic voters. The poll was conducted

by Bendixen&Amandi International.

28

XOXO, ARL

58

students are in the cast of the UAHS 2022 musical, “42nd Street.” Roles range from featured dancer to chorus member to lead.

language arts courses will be offered for the 2022-23 school year, including Star Wars.

Arlingtonian staff members share their custom Valentine’s Day candy hearts.

COMPILED BY ELLIE CRESPO, ’22. GRAPHICS BY MOLLY HENCH, ’23.

You are my favorite idiots

I miss you

luv u

Be mine

“FOR MY DOGS”

“FOR TRAVELING”

— Matthew Doron, Managing Editor

— Greta Miller, Website Manager

“FOR TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET”

“FOR HUMMUS AND PRETZELS”

30 | ISSUE 5 | FEB RUA RY 1 8 , 2 0 2 2

— Antonia Campbell, Staff Writer

— Lauren Buehrle, Multimedia Contributor

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EDITORIAL

SNOW AND SORE THROATS

It’s the time of year to wait for spring.

BY EDITORIAL BOARD. GRAPHICS BY MOLLY HENCH, ‘22.

B

efore the COVID-19 pandemic, January and February were considered peak times for flu and cold cases. This was expected every year due to more time spent indoors and worse air flow.

However, this year, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, flu and cold rates have decreased as a byproduct of COVID-19 health precautions. While there are still many cases of the common cold and the flu, the world is mostly concerned with COVID-19.

And concerned we should be—a new variant called Omicron was discovered in December and spread rapidly during winter break. The World Health Organization (WHO) then announced that the Omicron variant was considered less harmful but more contagious than previous variants.

After returning from break, both the U.S. and our school district saw extremely high numbers of coronavirus cases.

According to The New York Times, more than 800,000 cases were reported in the U.S. in mid-January, while there was a double-digit number in every COVID-19 update from the high school. Classes were half-full and teachers were absent.

Omicron had replaced the staple cold and flu season.

One reason for the large number of COVID-19 cases is the stalling vaccine rate, especially the booster vaccine rate.

The New York Times reported that while 63% of all Franklin County residents have been fully vaccinated, only 30% have received a coronavirus booster shot.

Despite these low vaccination rates and the cold temperatures, Omicron infection rates in the U.S. are steadily decreasing.

As spring grows closer, we begin to think about our futures. With scheduling FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

week beginning at the end of February, we will soon be planning our next school year.

The district will be offering many new courses, and we will have to choose how to fill our schedules.

For seniors, college decisions and career choices await in March. Not only is this planning for the next school year, but for several years to come. We will all be looking to the future, away from the cold and snow.

This winter has been particularly vicious, with solid sheets of ice and below-freezing temperatures for days on end. The sunsets at 5:30 p.m. and high COVID-19 infection rates certainly don’t make this winter any easier.

At the Feb. 8 UA School Board meeting, the board voted 4-1 to repeal the mask mandate beginning Monday, Feb. 28. This means that masks will be optional for students, staff members and visitors in all school and district buildings. The vote came after the mask requirement for after-school and evening activities had expired, meaning masks will be optional for everyone in every building, regardless of school hours.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, wearing a mask in a public space, no matter your vaccination status, greatly lowers your risk of either becoming infected and/or infecting others. When deciding whether or not to wear a mask, please take time to consider the impact of your choice.

The views stated in editorials represent that of the majority of the editorial board. No single member of the editorial board can be held responsible for editorial content decisions. To read the full editorial policy, visit www.arlingtonian.com/edpolicy.

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