Arlingtonian vol. 7 2021-2022 by Arlingtonian

APRIL 29, 2022

VOLUME 85, ISSUE 7

ARLINGTONIAN

A FINE L I NE : RE LIGION IN UA S CHOOLS READ NOW ON PAGE 14

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES, NEWS & NOTES

UA for Ukraine Students form organization dedicated to fundraising for the country of Ukraine.

Miller, Fessler Win Golden Apples The Upper Arlington Civic Association (UACA) presented the Golden Apple Award to langauge arts and film teacher Leah Miller and Band Director Todd Fessler.

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The Night of Nights Hundreds of juniors and seniors attended the 2022 Prom, themed “Under the Stars.”

A History-Making Confirmation

Students and staff discuss Supreme Court appointee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The Future of Online Learning

A discussion of the digital learning options at UAHS.

SPOTLIGHT

A look into the relationship between religion and education within the UA public school system.

SPORTS

Residue of Racism

One year after the Atlanta spa shootings—where are we now?.

To Test or to Rest

Lou’s Reviews: Loops

With state testing ongoing, columnists debate whether it should be scaled back.

Columnist loves Greek gyro shop Loops.

ON THE COVER

GRAPHIC AND DESCRIPTION BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

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hen making this cover, I definitely wanted to approach it with the same style as issue six. I wanted to mimic the view you get while you are filling out a worksheet in class. I

At a Glance ARL Athletes

Seniors Mitch McConnell and Camryn Callaghan EDITORIAL

A Month for Celebration

left the chalkboard in the top view of the art somewhat hidden to represent not only the small excitement of a day off, but also how little we realize that day is off of a Christian calendar.

A Fine Line

OP-ED

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EDITOR’S NOTE

s I drive to school, I can’t help but smile at the blooming trees that line both sides of Zollinger Road. Although we have endured a rollercoaster of weather patterns this month, including both torrential downpours and clear blue skies, the blooming plants around UA indicate that spring has, indeed, sprung. April is almost over, and many of us are bubbling with excitement over what May will bring. Within the walls of UAHS, seniors are buzzing about senior tag, guessing who is after them and planning their next moves, and many students are enduring state testing and/or preparing for AP/IB tests. Although it is easy to get caught up in our own endeavors, I also challenge you to spend some time thinking about Ukraine. Our tests, activities, and free time are important, but the war in Ukraine gives us perspective about world issues impacting millions of people. Just like us, Ukrainian students were taking tests and playing with their friends before their country was invaded by Russian forces. Here in UA, we get to appreciate the flowers of springtime because our houses are not crumbling from Russian bombs. We get to eat dinner with our families and friends because we don’t need to flee to different countries. We get to learn about and question our government’s decisions because our media isn’t censored. Sometimes it’s hard to put yourself in the ARLINGTONIAN EDITOR IN CHIEF shoes of people an ocean away, experiencing the unthinkable tragedy of war. Even watching/reading/listening to the news about the conflict in Ukraine can be difficult. But it is wise to still take a moment to learn, discuss and empathize with the people of Ukraine. A great way to support Ukrainians is to offer your time and money. UA for Ukraine, a new club at UAHS that organizes service projects and fundraisers to help Ukranians, is a great organization to get involved in or to simply support through a donation. You can read more about UA for Ukraine on page four.

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ARLINGTONIAN VOLUME 85 | 2021-2022 April 29, 2022, ISSUE 7 EDITOR IN CHIEF

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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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UA for Ukraine

Students form organization dedicated to helping the country of Ukraine. . BY CARLY WITT, ’23. PHOTO BY HELOISE DUTEL, ’22. GRAPHIC BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

he Thursday 7th period bell rings, signaling the start of office hours. Students scramble to visit teachers, study on Golden Bear Boulevard or attend club meetings. Among the clubs meeting is UA for Ukraine. The club was created after students in teacher Kim Brown’s 7th period Beyond Tolerance class heard about the ongoing war in Ukraine. The students decided they wanted to get involved and help make a difference for Ukrainians. Juniors Ayva Lasley and Hanna Andersson are two of the club’s members. They are working on the organization’s fundraisers, running their social media, and presenting information and updates at the meetings. “We thought it would be like a good chance to get involved in the community and make an impact with something that’s exactly what we’re learning about in class right now,” Andersson said. UA for Ukraine has many activities and fundraisers planned to help Ukrainians. They recently went on visits to the UA elementary schools to share information about the war and educate younger students on their fundraisers. The group is hoping to inspire elementary school students to also organize a fundraiser, and

combine the earnings from each of their fundraisers to donate to Ukraine. “We want[ed] to promote empathy and awareness about the war by presenting an age appropriate slideshow explaining what is happening in Ukraine. They were really cute and really wanted to help Ukraine after learning about the war,” junior Chloe Friedman, another member, said. “We felt like this was something that the whole community could get involved in, not just the high school,” Lasley said. The group decided to hold meetings open to the entire school so that other students could get involved and join the cause, not just those in their class. Their weekly meetings are a time to regroup and talk about the future plans for the organization and fundraisers. Members prepare slideshows and information to share at the meetings. “We create a slideshow basically covering everything for that week and things that are going to happen in the future,” Lasley said. The club has many fundraisers planned including a bake sale, t-shirt sale and a drink collaboration with UA Rise. All proceeds from all fundraisers will go to Americares—a crisis organization that is currently helping aid Ukraine.

Americares provides access to medicine and healthcare for those in need. UA for Ukraine is also collaborating with other clubs and organizations at the high school, such as Ambassadors of Change. “Ambassadors [of] Change, I think, is trying to make pins that have a blue and yellow ribbon on them. So if you can’t buy t-shirts, you can get one of those for free, and it’s still a way for you to show your support,” Andersson said. In an attempt to gain more members and expand their reach, the club members are using social media, specifically Instagram. “Follow us on Instagram, @ uaforukraine, for more information about our upcoming events and to raise awareness,” Lasley said. The members are committed to helping the crisis in Ukraine and are constantly coming up with a variety of ways, besides monetary donations, to get the community involved. “We are trying to promote peace, healing and empathy through our work.” Friedman said. ◀ BRANCHING OUT Members of UA for Ukraine visit elementary school students on March 29.

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Miller, Fessler Win Golden Apples

The Upper Arlington Civic Association (UACA) presented the Golden Apple Award to language arts and film teacher Leah Miller and Band Director Todd Fessler. BY JAMES UNDERWOOD, ’23. GRAPHIC BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22. PHOTOS BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

n April 11, the Upper Arlington Civic Association (UACA) announced its 2022-23 Golden Apple Awards. The honor was given to teachers in the various schools, both public and private, throughout UA. English and film teacher Leah Miller won the UAHS award, which was announced during 3rd period. The UACA directors, donning their signature golden jackets, trickled into Miller’s third period Books and Cinema class to present the award. The procession of director and the subsequent awards surprised Miller. “I was completely shocked, because it was right in the middle of class and Mr. Theado walked in,” Miller said. “And then he had a very long trail of people wearing the golden jackets from the Civic Association.” Those directors then read statements from Miller’s nominations. “[Dr. Miller] commands respect by giving respect, and every student wants to be their best to make her proud,” one nominator wrote. Also present at the ceremony was Principal Andrew Theado, who called the award “well-deserved.” “Dr. Miller is an amazing teacher. We’re very fortunate to have her,” Theado said. “She puts her heart and soul into her classroom.” Senior Kendall Crotty, who is enrolled in Miller’s 4th period IB Film Analysis class, agreed. “You can tell that she’s truly passionate about everything that she’s teaching,” Crotty said. After Miller was presented with the award, the UACA directors drove to Hastings Middle School to give UAHS FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

band director Todd Fessler a Golden Apple. Fessler received the award given to districtwide employees as he teaches at both UAHS and Hastings. Like Miller, Fessler was surprised to receive the award. “I’m definitely blown away by the award, and very thankful, very appreciative of the parents and the students that took the time to write such nice things about me,” Fessler said. “I don’t do what I do for a trophy or for an accolade.” Senior Georgia Rehl, a trumpet player in the band and one of four student officers, spoke to her experiences in the band under Fessler’s direction. “My favorite thing about band is just the community,” Rehl said. “It’s like a 150-person family, and he just does such a great job bridging us all together.” The UACA directors read aloud nominations for Fessler sharing a similar sentiment. “Mr. Fessler always comes to school with great positivity and energy,” one nomination stated. “I’ve never seen a teacher care about their students the way Mr. Fessler does.” Theado, for his part, applauded Fessler. “Mr. Fessler is an amazing teacher,” he said. “I think he serves our kids very well and is always looking out for their best interests, and I think that’s why he got that award.” The Golden Apple Awards have been given out yearly since 1981. The award is run by the UACA, the nonprofit community organization that is also responsible for, among other things, the Independence Day fireworks and the Bare Scare at Smith Park. “[Teachers] are genuinely touched that they’ve been recognized in this way,” Angela

Lanctot, the UACA director in charge of the award, said. “They just are always very overwhelmed by it.” This year, the UACA received 553 different nominations, including one for Ferris the dog, according to Lanctot. Miller and Fessler, Lanctot said, “both had a large amount of nominations.” In addition to Miller and Fessler, the other 2022 awardees were Kelli Wilcox, kindergarten teacher at Barrington; Mary Rappaport, paraprofessional at Greensview; Chris Lape, orchestra teacher at Jones Middle School; Amanda Walton, English teacher at Hastings; Julia Redmond, nurse at St. Agatha; Michele Faehnle, nurse at St. Andrew; Angela Morway, kindergarten teacher at Tremont; Emily Szabo, second grade teacher at Wellington; Felice Kassoy, guidance counselor at Wickliffe; and Jodi Palmer, P.E. teacher at Windermere. ▼ GOLDEN TEACHER English teacher Leah Miller poses with her Golden Apple.

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Losing the Hour Forever Students and staff share their opinions on Daylight Savings Time. BY ANTONIA CAMPBELL, ’22. GRAPHICS BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22.

any can relate to the somber feeling, especially as Ohioans, of the realization that a cold winter is approaching when it is 6:00 p.m. and completely dark. Daylight Savings is responsible for the early sunsets as every November, the clocks are turned back an hour, giving people an extra hour of sleep that night and ensuring darker afternoons for the next five months until people turn the clocks forward an hour in March. But why the time change? The idea of Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been around for hundreds of years, but wasn’t implemented in the United States until 1918. In the late 1700s, Benjamin Franklin originally came up with the idea of waking up earlier during the summer months to make use of the daylight and conserving candles. However, it was first implemented in Canada in 1908 for the purpose of conserving energy. DST then became popularized by Germany in 1916 during World War I when they implemented it for the purpose of conserving energy for the war. Many countries followed suit after Germany, including the U.S. two years later. The U.S. has changed its DST system many times mostly due to different energy conservation efforts over the past hundred years. The system we use today was crafted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which made it so that DST began on the second Sunday of March and ended on the first Sunday of November. Today, mostly western countries use DST and the majority of the world does not. However, the Senate passed a bill in March without objection to make DST permanent. Many House members also support the bill and President Biden has 6 | ISSUE 7 | APRI L 2 9 , 2 0 2 2

yet to state an opinion on the issue. The goal is to get the bill passed before DST ends in November, so that Americans would keep their clocks in the time they currently are. Supporters of the bill think permanently living in DST will improve sleep patterns and health overall. This isn’t the first time the U.S. has tried to make DST permanent. In the 70s during an attempt to conserve energy, yearlong DST was implemented with the thought that if evenings had more daylight, people would use less energy. The yearlong DST was supposed to last two years, but got reverted back to the original system before then because people generally disliked the dark mornings more than dark evenings, and it didn’t seem to save energy either. Although the new bill hasn’t been implemented yet, some members of the UAHS community have opinions on the issue. Senior Ian Murphy has similar views to those in the 70s. “I did not know they were trying to do that, but I like daylight savings because in November, you get an extra hour of sleep and I like that it’s not dark out when I go to school,” Murphy said. “If we don’t get our hour back this November, I’ll be very disappointed and I won’t know how to deal with it.” But some people like the idea of having more light in the afternoons even at the cost of a sunny morning. “I knew they were trying to pass the bill, and I like it because if it passes, it’ll stay lighter for longer and I like when the sun sets later,” senior Ella Isenbarger said. “I don’t really mind if it’s dark in the morning.” Science teacher Jordan Walker agrees,

noting that there are after-school activities that would be able to have more sunlight in the afternoon if the bill were passed. “When I think about fall sports, I know athletes are playing in the dark sometimes and maybe [permanent DST] will prevent some of that,” she said. However, Murphy feels there are flaws to the line of reasoning behind the bill and its supposed positive impact on health. “I don’t think it will help mental health and that it’ll do the opposite because when you wake up and it’s dark out, you can feel really unmotivated,” he said. Walker has an opposing view to Murphy’s and pointed to the potential benefits of a lighter evening. “It’s nice going home after a long day of work or school and it still feels like you have time in the day to enjoy things. As far as mood, I think having more light after I’ve been stuck inside all day is going to be beneficial,” Walker said. “People being able to go outside and enjoy nature and fresh air, which have been proven to improve someone’s mood, should be beneficial.” It cannot be confirmed how permanent DST would affect the country if it is implemented. With so many different elements to the topic, it’s difficult to say how the house and Biden will vote on the bill. It’s possible that the attempt from the 1970s reflects how Americans today would feel about permanent DST, but the world is so different now that it may not be accurate to compare. For now, people can enjoy the late sunsets and take advantage of the rare sunny moments Ohio has during the spring.

EXPIRES MAY 30 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

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The Night of Nights

Hundreds of juniors and seniors attended the 2022 Prom, themed “Under the Stars.” BY CARLY WITT, ’23. PHOTO BY CARLY ROTHEGEB, ’22.

very year, Prom lurks in the back of many students’ minds for months. There is the anticipation of getting an outfit, taking pictures and Prom proposals. Students count down the days until they get to dance the night away with friends at a beautiful venue. This year’s Prom, themed “Under the Stars,” has been long-awaited after the two years of Prom being affected by COVID-19. As last year’s Prom was seniors only—in order to keep capacity down— this year’s dance was especially unique because it was both the juniors’ and the seniors’ first UAHS Prom. Senior Kamryn Rushin attended Prom this year but wishes special accommodations were made for seniors. “As a senior, I think I probably enjoyed Prom more because it was my last high school dance,” Rushin said. “Since we did not get to go to Prom last year as juniors, I think they should have done something specifically for the seniors because we only got one Prom instead of two.” Juniors and seniors were both able to attend this year’s Prom and they also both had the opportunity to participate in the early stages of the planning process. Two forms were sent out earlier in the school year for juniors and seniors to vote on the theme and location of this year’s dance. The chosen location was the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) with the theme “Under the Stars.” Other options in the form included Hollywood and 1920s. The museum was reserved for April 9 and the planning began. Planning started a few months before the event and was carried out by the junior and senior class officers. Junior class officer Katniss Weisberg was an influential part of the Prom planning committee for this year. “At our committee meetings, we made 8 | ISSUE 7 | A PRI L 2 9 , 2 0 2 2

a lot of decisions about how we wanted to set up COSI, everything from the playlist to the table centerpieces had to be decided on,” Weisberg said. Students had access to the first floor and mezzanine of the museum with the ocean exhibit and planetarium open for exploration. There was a room for dessert and tables for students to sit at as well. The dance floor was close to where students entered, being one of the first things visible to students as they walked in. The planetarium had shows running every 30 minutes, including “Dark Universe,” narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. COSI’s planetarium is the largest in the state with a 60 foot dome and a five projection system. Students were allowed to move in and out of the space as they wanted, and many chose to sit back and watch the display of the solar system. A DJ booth was placed at the front of the room with the dance floor. Some of the music that played was selected by the planning committee with student input. “My favorite part of the process was making a Spotify playlist because it was really cool to have the opportunity to sort of lace it with my own tastes,” Weisberg said. Attendees were also handed a small coaster map of the COSI areas open to them that also served as a scavenger hunt. Prom planners strived to make sure all student needs were met by including spaces to dance and spaces to sit and talk, as well as opportunities to explore the museum. “The two issues we went back and forth the most were on having a sort of scavenger hunt and having some souvenir, both of which we did...kind of,” Weisberg said. “The coaster with the map kind of served as both a souvenir and scavenger hunt of sorts.” There were also planning difficulties when it came to the monetary side of the

event. “My least favorite part was thinking about ticket sales and ticket pricing. I really hate selling things and making people pay large amounts of money for things. No one would give us all the free money we needed though, so of course a pricing plan had to happen,” Weisberg said. There also was a change in the time of the dance as in past years, dinner has been served, and the event started earlier in the evening. This year, dinner was not served, so students had to make dinner reservations of their own. Students were also responsible for finding and paying for their parking. “I was kind of confused on why we had to pay for parking even though the tickets were $45. I don’t mind paying the $5 [for parking], but I thought that could’ve been included at the very least,” junior Hunter Rapp said. Students were instructed to park in a garage across the street from COSI, where they just had to take an elevator and walk up the stairs to COSI to enter, but did still have to pay five dollars. Although this year posed many changes and challenges to the traditions of Prom, students were able to get dressed up, dance and enjoy the night they had waited so long for. “Overall, I thought Prom was really fun, and it was my favorite dance that I went to,” Rushin said. “What made it better is that instead of everyone congested on the dance floor, people could go to exhibits or talk in other places.” ▶ ON THE FLOOR Seniors Marin Sneed and Lilly Loudon dance at Prom, held at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) on April 9. “It was so much fun, ” Sneed said. “Me and Lilly were getting really into it, and we were trying to get the crowd going.” FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

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A History-Making Confirmation

Students and staff discuss Supreme Court appointee Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first African-American woman to join the nation's highest court. BY GRACIE HELFRICH, ’23 AND GEORGE BERNARD, ’23. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

n April 7, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the Senate to be the next Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, replacing Justice Stephen Breyer when he retires at the end of the current session on Oct. 3, 2022. The vote was 53-47, with all Democrats and three Republicans voting to confirm. Jackson will be the first African American woman as well as the first former public defender on the court. The process for a judge to be confirmed to the court is lengthy; it involves private interviews with the President and Senators and days of public testimony and questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee. UAHS Government teacher Doug Rinehart teaches the process to his classes. “Presidents typically say they don’t give what's called a litmus test, but more often than not they do. They are looking for, ‘Is this person of likemind as me?’ A Democrat is going to typically get a judge who is going to have a judicial philosophy similar to more moderate-toliberal

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judges. Whereas if a Republican is in office, you are going to have a more conservative [nominee],” Rinehart said. Fellow government teacher Abigail Dorsainvil teaches her students the same process. First, a team of advisors compile a list of qualified candidates that the President selects from. “Usually what happens next is they get vetted,” Dorsainvil said. “[The White House] looks into her background, [and] makes sure she's safe to nominate. Then, once [the president] nominates her, … they go before the Senate Judiciary Committee.” Once the nominee reaches the Senate Judiciary Committee, they are questioned by the members of the committee. Due to the current polarized political climate of the country, many of the questions Jackson has received have been very political. For example, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas proposed the question “Do you agree with this book that is being taught with kids that babies are racist?” However, there has not always been controversy surrounding the confirmation process. “In the past, in the early 80s for instance, judges were being confirmed unanimously even at the highest levels,” Rinehart said. After the failed nomination of Robert Bork in 1987, there was a perception that the way senators voted on nominees changed from being based on qualifications to whether or not they agree with the nominee’s judicial philosophy. This was further exacerbated

in early 2016 when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to hold hearings for President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, saying that he would wait until the next president entered office, infuriating senate Democrats. Sophomore Gabe Lynd, who is enrolled in Rinehart’s AP Government class, recognizes this as well. “It’s gonna be political no matter what, ever since Bork, Robert Bork” Lynd said. In theory, a Supreme Court Justice is not supposed to impose their personal politics on their decisions which is why they are often evasive when answering political questions. Along with being non-partisan, judges also carry many other qualifications, such as experience as a federal judge and clerking on the Supreme Court. “In terms of just academic and professional credentials, [ Jackson] has pretty much everything you would want. But that being said, she may not get a unanimous confirmation because it is political,” Rinehart said. Senior Rachel Leach supports Jackson’s nomination. “I think it is really good to have a public defender and a Black woman on the court; both are super important things,” Leach said. “Especially being a public defender, I think she has knowledge of how the criminal justice system works and what it is like being a defendant in America— especially one that can’t afford a lawyer— in a way that no one on the court does.” Leach also said Jackson’s experience as a Black woman would be a valuable addition. “It [would] bring a new perspective that has never been on the court before which is really good,” she said.

An Alternative Route

Exploring a popular UAHS senior destionation: The Ohio State University at Newark. BY GRACIE HELFRICH, ’23. GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

here are over 450 seniors in the UAHS class of 2022 and countless possibilities for the future of those students. However, college is the most popular option for seniors to pursue after highschool, and in-state colleges are the most popular destinations for seniors. The Ohio State University (OSU) main campus is only three miles away from UAHS, making it appealing to students who wish to stay close to home. However, OSU has been getting increasingly competitive in recent years, making it a less achievable option for more and more students. There are other options for students who do not get into OSU but still want to stay close to home, such as satellite schools like OSU at Newark. UAHS college counselor Kathy Moore assists students in the college application process every year. “The biggest pro of OSU Newark is for kids who are dying to get into OSU but don’t get into the main campus because you still graduate from Ohio State University, you just start in a different place,” Moore said. “And we know how competitive Ohio State is getting.” OSU at Newark is a popular option among students for various reasons, including financial perks.

“Newark is going to be cheaper than [the] OSU Columbus campus. It’s not as cheap as Columbus State, but it’s cheaper than main campus,” Moore said. UAHS guidance counselor Heather Peebles said that going to OSU at Newark is a good financial decision for incoming college freshmen. OSU at Newark has a much smaller campus than the OSU main campus, which provides the feeling of a smaller college while still being affiliated and involved with the large school. Senior Cathrine Dolbow is attending OSU at Newark in the fall and planning to transfer to the OSU main campus for her sophomore year. “My dad went [to Newark], and he thought it was a good idea to go to Newark first [be]cause it [has] smaller classes, and you get to know the professors a lot better than you do at main campus where it’s a big college. It’s a good stepping stone to go there then [to] main campus,” Dolbow said. It may be easier to find a sense of community in Newark due to the size of the campus. “As a freshman, you’re going to have smaller classroom sizes [at Newark]. The campus is smaller; it’s a little bit easier to find your way around, to connect with professors and other students. So I think that’s another pro of Newark,” she said. Although Newark is not physically near OSU’s main campus, students attending OSU at Newark are eligible to participate in activities taking place on the main

campus. “If you want to be in the OSU band, you can be on Newark’s campus and be in the OSU band. You can still take part in a lot of different activities on campus and be pretty involved,” Moore said. Balancing main campus activities and commuting to Newark are common complaints from OSU at Newark students. “I’m not looking forward to the commute because I’m living in a house on main campus,” Dolbow said. OSU at Newark provides different opportunities for different students. “Oftentimes I think there’s two types of students who look at one of the OSU branches. One, their passion is to go to OSU, and they didn’t get into main campus, so they’re going to one of the branches as a way to eventually get into main campus. I also feel like another population might not be ready to leave home and go into the college experience, so it’s kind of nice to have a smaller setting [and a] more supportive atmosphere. Some kids stay at home or you could choose to live off campus or live there, and I think that’s also good; it meets their needs.” Peebles said. W W W . A R L ING T O NIA N. COM | 1 1

The Future of Online Learning A discussion of the digital learning options at UAHS.

BY GRETA MILLER, ’23. GRAPHICS BY MOLLY HENCH, ’22. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

OVID-19 has changed nearly every aspect of life. From social interactions, to travel, to school, little has remained the same. One of the largest evolutions that resulted from the pandemic was the increased use of online learning. Prior to the pandemic, UAHS offered only a few online classes with the most commonly taken one being online Health. After the pandemic, however, there are numerous alternative educational methods, but the lingering question is: What is the future of online learning at UAHS? The pandemic brought the need for distance learning (Zoom classes), UA Online Academy, online courses through private companies and hybrid schedules. Of those options, the only 12 | ISSUE 7 | APRI L 2 9 , 2 0 2 2

methods still currently offered are UA Online Academy (OA) and online courses through private companies. ONLINE ACADEMY OA is a virtual learning option that allows students to learn at home with a curriculum specifically created for online education and monitored by UA teachers. OA has become the new way of school life for many students, logging onto the platform in the morning and completing their assigned tasks at their own pace. “I started the year with 917 students in Online Academy last year, and I currently have 89 students, so a much smaller number this year,” Keith Pomeroy, UA’s

Chief Academic Officer who has been referred to as the principal of Online Academy for the past few months, said. Pomeory monitors the course offerings of Online Academy. “[During the height of the pandemic], we offered a lot of options. We tried to expand elective options for kids as well,” Pomeroy said. While the numbers of online participants have decreased, online options still remain, continuing to provide a new method of learning for students and bringing both positive and negative impacts. Sophomore Laila Dillard participated in the Online Academy last year, her freshman year, and the second semester of this year. Being that she was a member FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

◀ CLASSROOM TECH Seniors Sam Cannon, Nora Diday and Roman Manganaro and junior Hailey Hoffman work on an assignment in English teacher Matt Toohey’s Russian Literature class.

of the online learning community during both 2021 and 2022, she is able to compare the two years. “Online [school right now] is okay. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I feel like this year they did better than last. They’re more involved with the students, but I also feel like I lose an aspect of seeing friends and things like that,” Dillard said. Online Learning is a different method of learning—one that includes less faceto-face interaction and engagement. Online Learning does, however, offer the ability to pace and pause lessons so that students can complete tasks on their own time and even get a little ahead of the workload. Junior Kampbell Stone is also a member of UA’s Online Academy and enjoys being able to manage her own time through online learning, possibly even helping her overall performance in school. “I personally think I do better online. I get to work on my own time,” Stone said. PRIVATE COMPANIES The second online option currently offered at UAHS is online classes provided by outside companies, such as Trekka, BYU and Apex, where students can take courses on topics ranging from art to math to business to science. These online courses offer many positives for students, including access to infinite possibilities when it comes to course offerings. “[The options are] limitless because there are institutions out there that I haven't even heard of that can offer credit for high school. So yeah, it’s infinite,” UAHS counselor Allen Banks said. These online courses are also beneficial for students who are credit deficient as they allow them to get credits fast. With all of the positives of these online courses, there are also a few negatives, including making things more FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

complicated for administrators, teachers and counselors. With all of the differing online institutions, it can be difficult to track who is doing what. Additionally, the accessibility of these classes could possibly allow for students to use the courses as a way to get out of classroom learning, missing the purpose of online classes. These online courses could also be a nightmare for students who seek face-to-face interaction with their teachers. Junior Liam Fimmen experienced online learning during the pandemic last year. “It was excruciating and painful because we couldn’t be in person, [and] we couldn’t ask teachers questions,” Fimmen said. LOOKING AHEAD UAHS plans to continue to offer both options of Online Academy and online courses with outside companies to students in the foreseeable future; however, next year, Online Academy will most likely only be offered to students 6-12, rather than K-12. UAHS is continuing to offer online options because of the belief that it serves as a valuable option to students in numerous circumstances, including those who prefer a self-paced schedule or the option to pause or replay a lesson whenever needed. It is also a valuable resource for students who feel overwhelmed by the in-person school experience or are very invested athletes who are pursuing elite and time-consuming sports. Finally, online options also bring benefits for those with health

struggles that do not permit them to attend in-person school. With the continuation of online learning into upcoming years, many of the course offerings will stay consistent, and if students would like to learn more about their options, they can contact their counselors.

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A FINE LINE

A look into the relationship between religion and education within the UA public school system.

BY MATTHEW DORON, ’23; ELLIE CRESPO, ’22; FIA GALLICCHIO, ’22 AND SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’24. GRAPHICS BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22 AND MOLLY HENCH, ’22.

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A FINE LINE

ifeWise Academy, a nonprofit religious program that provides off-site Bible-based education to public school students, announced that they were planning to introduce their Christian instruction program to elementary school students in UA starting fall 2022. LifeWise operates based on Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) laws which allow public school students to, with written permission from their parents, receive religious instruction during regular school hours. The foundation for LifeWise’s program comes from the 1952 U.S. Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson, which decided that public school students are allowed to be dismissed from class to receive religious instruction at an off-campus location. UA parents had a variety of reactions; some were excited for their children to engage in the study of the Bible during school hours, and others worried about students of other faiths who would not be able to attend LifeWise programming. Students and staff in the UA school system represent a diverse array of religious and spiritual beliefs, and LifeWise Academy is one of many programs through which students interact with and learn about religion in UA, from IB World Religions SL to student organizations. However, some believe that certain religions are not represented equally, which causes students to feel excluded and to experience harassment. A PILOT PROGRAM During the 2022-2023 school year, students at UA elementary schools will be the first in UA to experience LifeWise Academy’s opt-in religious instruction program. LifeWise UA director Julie Coffman said that a pilot program of LifeWise is set to begin at Windermere Elementary School in the fall, and the organization is working with the district administration to create a timeline for the program’s starting dates at the other four elementary schools. “LifeWise Upper Arlington started in February of 2021 when a group of interested parents came together to form a steering committee to determine if there was interest,” Coffman said. “Right now, since we are in the launch process, [we’re] overseeing our steering committee, interacting with the administration to formulate a launch plan and overseeing the community interests.” The website for LifeWise UA says that over 200 parents are interested in the program’s introduction to UA Schools. “[LifeWise UA] really spread through a grassroots effort where people that found out about it would share with people

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they know,” Coffman said. “We did have a few community interest meetings [where] we shared general information to the community, but those were [generally] shared through a grassroots effort where people would share with their friends.” LifeWise Academy sessions are planned to be during the elementary schools’ Elementary Exploratoratons learning time, a 70-minute period in which students participate in activities exploring and enhancing grade level curriculum, social emotional learning and STEM learning, that occurs every other week. During this time, students will have the opportunity to leave their school campus to attend lessons about Christian and Bible-based character education. The LifeWise curriculum is based on a non-denominational Christian curriculum called “The Gospel Project” that connects the themes and stories of the Bible to real life. “The draw for most families is to have the opportunity for their children to have a Bible education program during [school] time,” Coffman said. “We do have a lot of studies [that] support the improvement in mental health, improvement in classroom behavior and improvements in classroom performance as a result of Release Time Religious Instruction.” Some parents, however, have expressed concerns that their non-Christian elementary school students will feel excluded since they would be unable to attend the lessons. Coffman explains that LifeWise is an optional program that welcomes students of all faiths to attend. “This is an opt-in program, so all students are welcome regardless of their Christian background, so any child is welcome to participate,” she said. “The children that choose not to participate have an amazing program and explorations to attend [during their exploratory period].” Using the funding they receive solely from private donors, LifeWise has made plans to ensure the inclusion of hard-ofhearing and special education students. “We have been working with administration recognizing that a percentage of our students have IEPs and 504s. We’ve actually hired a teacher that is a certified sign language interpreter— anticipating that need—and we will work with individual parents who have children that choose to participate that have additional needs,” Coffman said. Coffman said that LifeWise UA has taken precautions to comply with the related laws and policies. “We have worked with the administration of Upper Arlington to ensure that our launch follows the US Supreme Court ruling, the state of Ohio Revised Code on Released Time Religious Instruction as well as UA’s local policy which allows for this

A FINE LINE

instruction as long as it is off school property, privately funded and with parental permission,” Coffman said. CALENDAR CONFUSION Although the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits public schools from closing to observe religious holidays; many school calendars, including Upper Arlington’s, align with certain Christain holidays. “We all know that the days we get off are because they’re Christian holidays,” senior Eliza Wunderlich said. Every year, the Friday before Easter Sunday is listed as “No School Students and Staff” on the district calendar; and while the day is not formally recognized as Good Friday, many refer to that day off as such. “We get Good Friday off, and we get Christmas off [while] Hanukkah doesn’t necessarily get off. So I do recognize that [it] can seem like it’s skewed towards the Christian faith,” senior Anneliese Johanni said. Coincidentally, the first day of Passover is also on Good Friday this year, a rare occurrence which allows Jewish students the opportunity to observe that holiday without missing in-class learning. However, other holidays such as Vaisaki, an important Sikh religious festival, and Layat Al-Qadr, an important night during the month of Ramadan, as well as the first day of Passover in other years, do not align with the district’s days off. Despite this, students who miss school for a legitimate religious reason, no matter their religion, can be excused. “Obviously, breaks coincide usually with Christian holidays,” senior Noah Freud said. “But at least I get the excused absence if I want to miss Yom Kippur because I want to fast and have my Day of Atonement. I’m not held accountable, really, for the days that I missed. I have to make up the work, but I’m not punished for it.” Despite the excused absences, however, some non-Christian students find it difficult to miss in-class learning for religious purposes. “I think especially for families that are more, like, I just think are more devout, it could be really hard to have to work school around religious holidays because [the] calendar isn’t super accommodating,” sophomore Shira Bohrer said. In the state of Ohio, students are required to spend 1,001 hours in school each year, and some feel that could not be feasible if every religious holiday was a designated day off of school. “If you want to get nitpicky then [you] could have like every day off if you wanted. I think that the good thing is that if you need to take a religious day off and that’s like allowed, but I don’t think [we] necessarily have to have the entire school take all these certain days off,” Johanni said. Other students believe that closing school for non-Christian holidays would be beneficial. “Seeing the calendar change to accommodate new holidays could also bring awareness [and] be a good opportunity for people to learn about new holidays and new religions,” Bohrer FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

said. “So that could be really nice, and plus, I think you would also just be more like welcoming [for] people from those religions to know that the school is [accommodating] them.” However, many non-Christian holidays revolve around the lunar calendar, or other nonGregorian calendars, making it difficult to design a consistent yearto-year school calendar. “Christianity revolves around the same calendar that we use. Whereas most Islamic or Jewish or Eastern holidays in general, revolve around the lunar calendar,” Freud said. “I think it’s difficult to follow and chase those lunar holidays, when, you know, there’s six Jewish kids [or] there’s 20 Islamic kids and you know, you can’t call off school for 26 kids.” CONNECTION OR DISCRIMINATION? In Upper Arlington, the only registered religious facilities are 18 registered Christian churches, ranging from Evangelical Lutheran churches to Presbyterian churches. “There’s no synagogues nearby. The closest one is 20 minutes away, and you have to take a freeway, so I couldn’t walk there if I [wanted] to,” Freud said. Some believe that the prominence of Christianity has led to false ideas about religion in UA. “The nature of Arlington being so predominantly Christian definitely creates this idea that everyone’s Christian,” junior Sanay Tüfekçi said. “Which is not the case.” Bohrer shares a similar view with Tüfekçi. “It’s very oriented around Christianity… and I think that sometimes that’s okay, but I think it’s also something to sort of be aware of, in the sense that there are definitely a lot more other religions,” Bohrer said. “Even though Christianity is definitely the dominant one here, there’s still a big community of people that believe in other things.” Freud said that this lack of visible representation of other religions has negatively affected his relationship with his faith. “I definitely feel less Jewish because of it… [and] because I have almost no day-to-day regular connection to anyone of my faith, I’ve just kind of fallen away from it,” he said. Some Christian students also feel that their religion is not correctly represented. “I just think [Christianity] can be better well represented. Like, for example, having more people come to Faithful Forces, W W W . A R L ING T O NIA N. COM | 1 7

A FINE LINE

going to UA Young Life, [joining] FCA,” freshman and member of Faithful Forces Laila Knight said. While the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, also known as FCA, and Faithful Forces are both Christian programs available to all students within UAHS, Knight feels that increased student participation within those programs would better represent the Christian community within the school. Knight said she often feels out of place while practicing or talking about her faith during school hours due to the negative reactions she receives from her peers. “There’s a weird, like, fine line, where it’s like… ‘Am I allowed to talk about my Christianity at school?’” she said. “Because, for example, [at] my lunch table, we get too many glares reading our devotionals, like, just little things I feel shouldn’t happen.” Tüfekçi, however, believes that the Christian community is well-represented in the community. “I think that there definitely are more opportunities for Christians to really openly practice their faith,” Tüfekçi said. Wunderlich is a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and said they believe that their church policies influenced the way people perceived them. “While I was still a practicing Mormon, I did get a lot of comments about being racist and homophobic because the church policies, even to this day, are very racist and homophobic,” they said. “And that was hard for me as a member because I personally didn’t believe in those policies.” Johanni shares the sentiment of feeling out of place because of her faith. She said she believes that the school’s attempt at creating a welcoming environment for everybody has created an environment in which she does not feel comfortable because of her faith. “[I] just think that so much of it is skewed towards making sure everyone feels welcome and in doing so, creates a space that is really angled towards welcoming people of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “And I think they’re trying to build a culture surrounding that, but it’s something that I don’t feel comfortable with.”

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UA Schools Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Matthew Boaz said that the district has attempted to create an environment that is welcoming for all students. “We’re trying to build the most inclusive environment possible and we recognize that there are people of a variety of faiths and some people who don’t have an outward expression of faith in our midst every day, and we try to facilitate the most positive culture and environment that we possibly can so that everyone can thrive,” he said. CLASSROOM CONCERNS The role of religion in the public classroom has been a subject of debate for decades. In 1962, the first Supreme Court case regarding religion and public schools ruled that schoolsponsored prayer violates the First Amendment, impairing the relationship between public school systems and the church. However, debates of the same nature have continued over teaching religion in the classroom and some students feel unsatisfied with how their education has dealt with this issue. “I think that we should have more information about all the different types of religion because I think that just helps people understand more about other people,” sophomore Aubrey Steiner said. Some students wish the school taught them more about religious history as well. “I guess in classes, teachers don’t spend enough time on history of different religions and types of religious discrimination,” junior Emerson Katz said. Jones and Hastings Middle Schools teach about different religions as part of the social studies curriculum and some students have expressed a desire for more high school social studies classes to teach about various religions. “The only time that we ever have [religious instruction] is [in] sixth grade Social Studies, learning about the different religions and having a test on it, and then, that was it. I feel like it should be a lot more than that,” Knight said. The high school does offer a one-year IB World Religions elective course for students who wish to explore multiple global religions through independent projects and classroom discussion, taught by social studies teacher Mark Boesch. “I think this is a class that opens itself up to discussion. And while I have to do some lectures, and you know, some direct instruction, because if you don’t know anything about Daoism, or Buddhism, or Islam, for that matter, then you have to learn something, but I like discussion... when you have Muslims and Jews and Christians in a class that can relate their experience and relate their understanding of what they know to the religion,” Boesch said. However, some students do not want FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

content about religion to be limited to elective courses. “Why don’t we do a language class within the Bible, and we can study the Bible?” Knight said. Some students also believe that religion being taught in schools is unnecessary altogether. “I don’t think that every religion needs to be represented in some [way]. As long as we’re just accepting that people have different religions and we’re gonna just accept the fact that that exists,” Johanni said. “I think that if kids want those classes and are interested, then go for it.” There are also concerns about non-religious classes, such as literature courses, having Christian influences. “I’ve only really had talks about Christianity. Like when you read books like ‘Of Mice and Men’ and I’m not saying it’s bad that we read that, but there’s like really heavy Bible symbolism, but there’s nothing similar with that with any other religion,” Bohrer said. Tüfekçi said she believes that Christianity has become an undertone as a result of a predominantly Christian community. “There’s definitely sort of an undercurrent of Christianity, I think, throughout a lot of our courses, especially from books we read and like just the fact that this community is so predominantly Christian. I mean it makes sense; I suppose that that’s how it goes,” Tüfekçi said. “The nature of separation of church and state and like not having religion in public schools is that you’re not allowed to talk about it, sort of, which means that to some extent it sort of creates these undertones. Where like, we’re sort of talking about it without talking about it. And then Christianity becomes ingrained into everything we do a little bit because we’re not allowed to explicitly talk about any of these religions or promote them.” However, others feel that religion is absent from the classroom. “I honestly think that our school district doesn’t talk about faith that much in general... I feel like religion is wildly not talked about or reflected in our administration at all,” Johanni said. Boaz said that Upper Arlington Schools does not formally promote “any specific faith.” “There’s a delicate balance as part of our inclusion efforts to allow people to express their freedom of speech, freedom of expression as much as is allowed within the confines of the law,” he said. “Policies and laws related to discrimination… state that a government entity, [such as] a public educational institution, is to treat people without regard to their race, national origin, FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

religion, sex [or] gender identity. It’s not that we focus in on one or the other. It’s [to] treat people as equitable as possible without regard.” Some students agree that a public school should be neutral regarding religion. “In a public school system, I believe that there shouldn’t be any role for religion,” Freud said. “I think that you know, especially in school systems that may be more diverse than UA, bringing religion into the school can [do] more harm than good.” A BRIGHTER FUTURE In the future, some students hope that UAHS will make more efforts to help the student body become increasingly knowledgeable about other religions and cultures. “That culture festival that we used to have…. was actually really awesome. If we could get that going again, that’s one of the best ways I think to promote that diversity. I always wanted to participate in it,” Freud said. Boesch said that overall he believes education about religion and culture is important to shaping students’ understanding of society. “I think it’s important that we can learn religion, teach religion, be tolerant of religions, and if we’re tolerant [of] religions, then maybe we’re tolerant of others, you know, understand that it’s important to be tolerant of other aspects of life,” Boesch said. “Religion and culture are kind of intertwined, and people are intertwined...Religion is important in a person’s life and important in society. But what religion you are doesn’t matter.” W W W . A R L ING T O NIA N. COM | 1 9

A R L

SPORTS AT A GLANCE

COMPILED BY JACK DIWIK, ’22.

UPCOMING GAMES 4-28: Boys Volleyball vs Olentangy Orange 4-30: Girls Lacrosse vs New Albany 4-30 Boys Lacrosse vs Saint Xavier 5-2: Baseball vs Hiliard Bradley 5-3: Girls Lacrosse vs Hiliard Davidson (senior night)

COMMITTED ATHLETES Kate Leach: Allegheny Basketball Megan Basil: Ohio State Tennis Caroline Ubert: Bently Swimming Ella Devine: Eastern Carolina Lacrosse

5-4: Softball vs Dublin Coffman

Macy Medors: Toledo Volleyball

5-5: Boys Volleyball Westerville North

Alyssa Gest: Kenyon Baketball

5-14: Rowing Midwest Scholastic

Mallory Tolliver: Willamette Golf Ally Miller: Sam Houston State Dance CORRECTION: Ella Devine: East Carolina Lacrosse

SPORTS

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UAHS VS. HHS

The Bears, led by senior attackman Leo Caine (pictured), maintained their perfect record with a 15-12 win against the Hudson Explorers on April 16. This victory keeps UA within the top five in the state rankings (currently 4th). BY JACK DIWIK, ’22. PHOTO BY JACK TATHAM, ’22. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

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ARL ATHLETE

▲ AT-BAT

MITCH MCCONNELL

Senior Mitch McConnell swings his bat during a game on May 7, 2021. PHOTO COURTESY MITCH MCCONNELL

BY LUKE ERIKSEN, ’22

hen senior captain of the UA Varsity Baseball team Mitch McConnell was announced the starting catcher, he knew he had big shoes to fill. Since McConnell was a freshman, all three starting catchers before him have gone on to play club or college baseball: Sammy Sass for Wright State University, Matthew Green for Marietta College and Joe Hendrix for a club team at The Ohio State University. “It’s always been a good community around the catchers, and it's been some pretty high-level competition,” McConnell said. Even with the pressure to perform like the catchers before him, McConnell separates himself with his high baseball IQ. “I feel like my mental game of baseball, I don't think it can really be coached. Some people are 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds and hit home runs, but they struggle with the mental side of baseball. I just kinda learned over the years of watching baseball and playing a lot [to] where my mental game is at the top of the line,” he said. 22 | ISSUE 7 | A PRI L 2 9 , 2 0 2 2

McConnell, at 5-foot-9, is not the largest kid on the field, and he has found it difficult to find a voice in the program. “I've always been like a smaller guy on the field. It’s been challenging to get respect from teammates. I always kind of felt like my voice was small in the program,” McConnell said. “Being a captain made me feel like I had a place in the program. It was a really big thing for my self esteem, and it felt good to be named.” McConnell isn’t a big hitter, but he has found himself in the lineup because of his tactical hitting and strong fielding skills. “One of my strong suits offensively is bunting. …. And then defensively I can receive the ball really well. I can steal a lot of strikes which is a catcher term for tricking the umpire and making the pitcher look like [they threw] strikes. I think that’s my main strong suit,” he said. McConnell is a part of Coach Sam Clark’s first senior class—the first class to spend all four years with Clark. When McConnell was a freshman, Clark took the team to a regional semifinal.

“Coach Clark has kind of brought the program together, and what I think he has done best is he personal[ly] cares about everyone not only in [a] baseball sense, but he cares deeper than that,” McConnell said. “I think that culture has given us [the team] a tighter relationship…It drives us on and off the baseball field.” Although he admits baseball games aren’t always the most entertaining, McConnell encourages fans to come to UA baseball games this season. “I cannot watch a game on TV all the way through; I only can watch 15 minute recaps, but the energy we bring is unmatched. Our pitching staff in particular and I think Michael Glaser can lead us and brings a different kind of energy to the game. We are all screaming and between innings, we are chirping [trash-talking] the other team—not in a mean way—and it’s been a really fun environment. When it’s game time we are serious, but when it’s not, we have fun,” he said.

ARL ATHLETE

CAMRYN CALLAGHAN

BY ANTONIA CAMPBELL, ’22.

t was around 5 p.m. on June 1, 2019 when the final buzzer went off, and the UAHS 2019 Varsity Girls Lacrosse Team members ran to their teammates, hugging while holding their lacrosse sticks. This was the UAHS Girls Lacrosse team’s tenth state championship overall, fifth consecutively and senior Camryn Callaghan’s first. Being a freshman at the time, Callaghan is one of only a few current seniors on the team to have experienced a state championship firsthand with the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID-19 and the team losing to Dublin Coffman in the regional finals last season. Now in the 2022 season, Callaghan, one of four varsity captains, has led her team on a winning streak, and on April 11, the girls beat Dublin Coffman 21-4. She has earned a plethora of awards for her lacrosse skills including All-American Honors, 1st Team All State and OCC Central Division Player of the Year in 2021 alone. Callaghan began lacrosse as a young child. Her mother, who played in high school, deeply encouraged her to play. “I started playing when I was 9 years old…Originally, I hated it. I didn’t want to play, but [my mom] made me go out in the backyard and throw the ball with her…until I could catch it, and I couldn’t go inside until I could catch the ball,” Callaghan said. “But I ended up really loving it and stuck with it.” Callaghan continued to play throughout middle school and realized that lacrosse was the sport she wanted to pursue when she reached high school. “I realized freshman year after I made varsity and I was really set in stone with playing in college,” Callaghan said. “I was pretty excited that I made varsity, and I saw a lot of interest from coaches and colleges.” In September of 2020, Callaghan committed to play Division 1 lacrosse at the University of Cincinnati after FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

numerous discussions with the coaches and visiting the school twice. “I decided in September of my junior year. I had a couple Zoom calls with the coaches and my brother also goes there, so when I went to visit him. I knew it was the perfect school for me,” Callaghan said. Callaghan notes that there were many challenges that came along with committing to Cincinnati, the first being the decision to play lacrosse over soccer, a sport she also found success in. “I had so many thoughts about it, and I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had to go see so many people and get their opinions on it, and it seemed like everyone said to play lacrosse,” Callaghan said. Then, there was the decision of which school she should attend. “It was between Ohio State and Cincinnati. Originally, I was set on OSU, and I wanted to go there so bad because it’s close, it’s a bigger school and everyone knows it. But when I saw Cincinnati, I realized I needed to focus less on the image and focus more on what fits me best,” Callaghan said. Callaghan officially signed to play in November and began her final season

at UA in March. She discussed how the season has been going thus far. “The season has been good. We have a new coach, so it’s definitely been a challenge to adapt to a different coaching style, but we have so much talent on the team,” Callaghan said. Callaghan is looking forward to what the season will bring and has high hopes to bring home another state title. “I’m excited to see how well our team does this season. Last year, we lost to Coffman pretty early on in the tournament, so we have a big goal to win states this year,” Callaghan said. Overall, Callaghan said that lacrosse has provided so much to her life and considers it an outlet for escaping stress. “I love the people and the relationships it brings me. It gives me a different environment to go see people and get away from all my problems.” Callaghan said. “I love the sport so much, and it’s given me so much.” ▼ ALL SMILES ON THE FIELD Senior Camryn Callaghan celebrates a goal during a game against Thomas Worthington on March 5, 2021. PHOTO COURTESY PAUL VERNON

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OPINION

Residue of Racism One year after the Atlanta spa shootings—where are we now? BY SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’24. GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

ome of my core memories feature my grandmother’s kitchen. She would tell me stories about her childhood growing up in Agra, India as we cooked foods I could barely pronounce. It wasn’t often that I connected with my Indian heritage, and I grew to cherish those moments with her. I remember sitting down for lunch one day in middle school and being so incredibly excited to eat what my grandma and I had cooked the night before. However, as I opened the containers, one of my friends started to laugh and plug her nose, making some offhand comment about the “smell.” Another one of my friends used the end of her fork to poke at all my food before stealing my naan and declaring it to be the only “relatively normal food” in my lunch. About a year later I brought my friends a selection of Indian sweets for them to try. It took about two minutes before somebody made a show of spitting theirs into the trash can while everybody around us laughed. Racial inequity and discrimination of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (also known as APPIs) is an integral part of American history. According to the Stop APPI Hate Organization, of all racially motivated incidents against the APPI community, 63% include verbal harassment, 16.2% include physical assault and 16.1% represent “deliberate avoidance

of APPIs.” Verbal harassment includes microaggressions that comprise a large percentage of assaults on AAPIs. Microaggressions can be defined as, “a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. Microaggressions aimed at AAPIs are often manifestations of harmful stereotypes projected on Asian Americans and the belief that Asians (particularly East Asians) pose a threat to Western values, power and culture. While Asian Americans are no strangers to microaggressions, the recent rise in microaggressions is certainly a new development. The FBI has reported a 6% increase in racism against minorities from 2019 to 2021, and the number of hate crimes reported in 2021 was higher than any other year since 2008. The number of reported hate incidents against AAPI persons increased by 149% from 2020 to 2021, and San Francisco alone experienced a 567% increase in hate crimes targeted at the APPI community in the past year. As alarming as even these numbers are, they are likely an underestimate as most hate crimes are not reported. The rise in xenophobia towards AAPIs in recent years is largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the fact that the first documented COVID-19 case was discovered in China, the virus was immediately coined the ‘Chinese virus’ and the ‘kung flu’ by Former President Donald Trump. The blatant racism expressed by Trump not only allowed but encouraged anti-AAPI racism across the country. Just over one year ago, eight people lost their lives in the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings. The victims included Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, Yong Ae Yue and

Delaina Ashley Yaun, six of whom were women of Asian descent. This incident has since been classified as racially motivated and heightened fear in Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans who were already facing increasing hostility since the of COVID-19 pandemic. As an Asian American, this palpable increase in violent hate crimes towards AAPIs within the past two years has been terrifying to witness. Michelle Alyssa Go was killed on Jan. 17 after being intentionally pushed in front of an oncoming Times Square subway. Vicha Ratanapakdee was violently shoved to the ground in a daylight attack on Jan. 28 and died shortly after his arrival to the hospital. Christina Yuna Lee was stalked and stabbed to death in her NYC apartment on Feb. 13. Steven Zajonc, a 28 year old man from New York, was arrested for assaulting seven Asian American women over the span of two hours on Feb. 27. These incidents merely represent a small degree of the violence AAPIs experience daily. Racism, discrimination and xenophobia are curated by a cycle of ignorance and avoidance of history. As we enter AAPI Heritage Month, it’s important not only to celebrate the AAPI community but to take the time to learn more about APPI history and honor those whose lives have been lost in the centuries-long struggle against racism. For more information visit https:// stopaapihate.org/. If you would like to join UAHS’ AAPI committee, contact Elizabeth Liu at elizabethliu@uaschools. org or Frau Fellinger at tfellinger@ uaschools.org

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OPINION

To Test or to Rest

With state testing ongoing, columnists debate whether it should be scaled back.

No, testing should not be scaled back. BY GEORGE BERNARD , ’23. GRAPHIC BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

here are few things in life that are fair, without any bias favoring one over another, but that is what state testing is. Every student in Ohio takes the same test with the same amount of time and resources, giving every student an equal opportunity to score well regardless of background. There is no opportunity for preparation, and it isn’t used in college admissions, but that doesn’t make it any less important. While there is a modest correlation between socioeconomic status and scores, that is a reflection of an unfair world, not an unfair test. Furthermore, standardized tests are one of the most accurate methods of predicting college success, confirming their ability to measure academic aptitude. Therefore, using an even-handed test is important to assessing students' abilities relative to others and measuring the effectiveness of teachers and districts. First, we’re going to take a step back and define exactly what the government’s objective in education is so we can see if scaling back state testing will advance or stray from these goals. The mission statement for the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is, “In Ohio, each child is challenged to discover and learn, prepared to pursue a fulfilling post-high school path and empowered to become a resilient, lifelong learner who contributes to society.” According to the ODE, students begin to take standardized tests in English and Mathematics in 3rd grade, and then, every year until the end of middle school with science tests in 5th and 8th grades. According to Time magazine, the most important point in a child’s education is achieving reading, writing and speaking fluently by 3rd grade. If delayed, the child may 26 | ISSUE 7 | APRI L 2 9 , 2 0 2 2

consistently lag behind their peers and require extra help to catch back up. That is why testing early is critical to prevent any child from getting so far behind that they stop learning. On the other end of the spectrum, testing can also serve to find students that possess more academic and mental aptitude than their peers, allowing for them to be placed in more advanced classrooms. Without testing, the process of placing gifted students in advanced classrooms becomes much more subjective, as it relies more on teacher recommendation or other non-numerical systems which are more liable to racial and socioeconomic baises. Using testing programs is the best objective method of making sure every student is challenged by enabling educators to place gifted students in advanced classrooms. In addition to standardized testing for 3-8th graders, Ohio also requires End-of-Course testing for English Language Arts II, Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, American History and U.S. Government. These are equally important because they are necessary to confirm that students have a solid foundation in subjects essential to future employment and for most, higher education. At the end of the day, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that today’s kids will grow up to be educated and productive citizens, and testing is the best way to fulfill that goal. By making sure elementary schoolers become fluent in English and understand basic mathematics at a young age, a foundation is created for the years to come. The yearly testing from then on prevents students from

falling behind and promotes continuous learning. In high school, testing in ELA, Algebra I, Geometry and Biology creates a framework for the two-thirds of high school graduates that attend a higher education institution. Most importantly, testing in American History and U.S. Government helps to create a new generation of responsible citizens who understand the importance of participatory democracy. By scaling back testing, we would be removing a central tool to successfully educating our youth.

Yes, testing should be scaled back. BY JAMES UNDERWOOD , ’23. GRAPHIC BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

tate testing assumes that everything important in education can be flattened into a standard metric. Through a grid of multiple-choice bubbles, state tests try to measure how well a student has mastered a handful of “learning targets” deemed important by the powers that be. But these tests make no room for depth, complexity or nuance. They do not care for the beauty, chaos, creativity and randomness inherent to true learning. Standardized state tests, in other words, try to quantify the unquantifiable. State testing’s shortcomings and limitations are especially harmful when it has real-world consequences, creating vicious feedback loops of poverty and stagnation. State testing factors into a district’s state report card which presumably, is considered by those deciding where to raise their family. In turn, when districts vie for new residents

and new growth (and thus new tax revenue), they are incentivized to try to boost their state testing scores whether that means boosting actual learning or not. From this comes “teaching to the test,” in which state testing is not just a tool in the school administrator’s or government bureaucrat’s toolbox but instead becomes an ends in and of itself. Of course, families can’t be blamed for wanting their children to have a good education; likewise, it only makes sense that districts want a spot at the top of the testing leaderboard. The problem comes when state testing picks up on existing inequalities (across any number of social, demographic or economic lines) and doesn’t resolve but rather reinforces them, preventing underprivileged communities from gaining the wealth and social capital from which they have been historically excluded. And, on that note, it’s not as though state tests are the unbiased equalizers they’re made out to be. Too often, state testing scores are measures neither of “natural” aptitude nor of earned smarts or hard work but rather of social class and wealth. Of course, state tests may well reveal real educational disparities (it should be no surprise that underfunded schools score worse than affluent ones like UAHS), but that does not make these tests a useful metric. And that’s to say nothing of the time we spend on state testing. This year alone, the six end-of-course testing days, each with its own 130-minute delay, have eaten up 13 hours of instructional time. While upperclassmen may enjoy that time to sleep in (I know I did), others aren’t so lucky. Those who have to take end-of-course exams are made to recite course materials early in the morning and for an uncomfortably long two hours. And teachers, many already overstrained and pressured to get through all their course content in time for AP or IB testing, are forced to condense their material according to the demands

of 30-minute class periods. Proponents of state testing may argue that we need it to effectively teach or to create a “foundation” for students’ learning. But how can measuring learning be learning? After all, checking your height doesn’t make you taller, and measuring your height with a warped or inaccurate measuring stick is straight-up useless. So, what should be done? I’m not proposing that state testing be done away with altogether. Still, I believe we should first resist the urge to measure learning at all. Maybe it’s fair for states to set standards of learning, but we shouldn’t (try to) measure students’ learning for the sake of it, especially if those measurements don’t truly track learning. Second, to the extent that we do need to measure students’ performance (for, say, identifying at-risk students), grades, GPAs and student evaluations can be handy metrics that are already built-in to the school experience. And while students can meet a graduation requirement through state testing, they can check off the same box with their SAT or ACT score—something many students already take seriously anyway. Finally, the resources and time devoted to measuring student performance can be reallocated to actually fixing the disparities in educational opportunity that we already know exist. If we do use state testing, we should use it to find educational inequalities and to seek solutions to close them. Just crunching these scores into a district “report card” isn’t enough; we need real investment in and opportunity for struggling schools. State testing may be one piece of the larger puzzle of K-12 education in America, but, at least without the other pieces, it is ultimately a harm to students and districts alike.

Scan the QR code to vote for the best argument.

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LOOPS

Columnist loves Greek gyro shop Loops. BY LUKE ERIKSEN, ’22. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

he name Loops may sound familiar as it appeared on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in 2018 and again earlier this year. While I’m no Guy Fieri, I am featuring Loups on Lou’s Reviews. Loops is a greek gyro shop with influence from Chicago; Owners Andrew and Jimmy Constantinides are from Chicago. Loop’s sells everything from spicy gyro rolls, loaded Chicago hotdogs, smoked beef polish sausages, gyros and an Italian beef sandwich. The name Loops is inspired by the subway in Chicago called “the Loop.” The interior design of the shop is decorated like a subway, including blackand white-tiled walls and shiny silver tables. While the menu isn't enormous, everything on it is intriguing, making my decision strenuous. No matter what I ordered, I felt like I was going to miss out on another item. To make things simpler, I ordered the same items as Guy Fieri.

The food is prepared quickly; expect your food to be ready in 15 minutes or less. I ordered the fan-favorite gyro: The Titan. The gyro meat is sliced off a skewer, topped with onions, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce and served in a warm pita. The Greek spices create a mouthwatering flavor while the gyro meat is tender and juicy; Loops’ gyro meat is exceptional. The tzatziki is light; it’s the perfect sauce for this gyro. While the fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce are typical toppings for gyros, they are unrivaled. I wouldn’t call myself a gyro expert, but The Titan is as delicious as I’ve ever had. The gyro rolls consist of gyro meat rolled in cheese and then fried. The rolls have a spicy tzatziki sauce on the side as well. They remind me of an Asian vegetable roll but with different ingredients inside. The outside is crunchy, while the inside is warm and cheesy. The spicy tzatziki is also a brilliant dipping sauce for the rolls. You shouldn't leave

Loops without trying the gyro rolls. The final item I tried was the meatball sub: three meatballs with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese placed inside a warm hoagie bun. The homemade meatballs are seasoned with Greek spices. The bun is toasted, and the parmesan and provolone cheese melts into the bun. A meatball sub seemed unusual on the menu for a place that sells Chicago style hoagies and gyros, but the meatball sub at Loops is one of the feature items on the menu. If you don’t enjoy gyros, I highly recommend the meatball sub. Loops is a must visit if you want a traditional greek gyro or are in the mood for an excellent hoagie sandwich. Guy Fieri, if you are out there reading this, I approve of your review of Loops. Loops is Lou Approved.

Columbus Concerts BY ANTONIA CAMPBELL, ’22. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

MAY

5/7: Omar Apollo, Newport 5/16: Justin Bieber, The Schottenstein Center 5/20: NLE Choppa, Newport 5/26: Tame Impala, KEMBA Live!

JUNE

6/3: Wallows, KEMBA Live! 6/14: Lord Huron, KEMBA Live! 6/16: Charlie Puth, KEMBA Live! 6/20: Rex Orange County, KEMBA Live!

JULY

7/12: Third Eye Blind, KEMBA Live! 7/23: Buckeye Country Superfest, Ohio Stadium 7/29: Foreigner, Celeste Center

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By the Numbers

Explore this issue through statistics. COMPILED BY JAMES UNDERWOOD, ’23. GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

792

students purchased tickets for this year’s prom, according to junior class adviser Leah Miller. The dance was planned by junior and senior class officers.

6:35

30+

is the time of sunrise in Columbus on April 29, 2022. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution last month to make daylight saving time permanent.

students and stuff attended the first UA for Ukraine meeting. Led by social studies teacher Kim Brown’s Beyond Tolerance class of 7 students, the group has raised more than $6,500 as of April 20.

students, K-12, are enrolled in UA Online Academy, a virtual learning option offered by the district.

The number of votes Ketanji Brown Jackson received for her nomination to the Supreme Court. Three Republican senators—Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah—joined their 50 colleagues across the aisle in voting to confirm Jackson.

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EDITORIAL

A MONTH FOR CELEBRATION BY EDITORIAL BOARD. GRAPHIC BY AVA NEVILLE, ’23.

t is natural to become comfortable in our simple, everyday lives. Our friends, family, classmates and teachers become our everyday hellos and goodbyes. Our everyday routine can cause us to not take the time and energy to observe and learn about other cultures and ways of life. However, when a rare occurrence, tragedy or life event takes place, we are drawn out of our comfortable lives, out of our ‘bubble.’ This year, many large religious holidays all take place in April, causing people of all walks to life to notice and forcing individuals to take a step back and educate themselves on other religions, their holidays and their meanings in a more personal way. Meeting people with different opinions and of different religions is one way to break the cycle of nonFOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

diverse communities and helps build the moral of a community in general. When there is no merging of diverse individuals, no progress is being made towards ending a separated society, town, country or school. When we let ourselves be educated and informed of diverse communities, we become more empathetic towards the tragedies and difficulties that other people face. For example, UA for Ukraine is an organization started by students seeing a world in conflict, wanting to educate themselves and wanting to help the people in Ukraine. By the group posting information on social media and around the school, other students are being educated, creating a more diverse and informed school community. Our government is also opening itself up to diversity by confirming

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first female, African American Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The representation of diverse individuals is crucial to creating a more diverse and equal society as the thoughts and opinions of people with different identities can be expressed, not just the thoughts and opinions of those who have always been in power Taking the time this month to celebrate, educate and inform those around us helps us develop the ideals our community needs to succeed. With several important religious holidays being in the same four weeks and by continuing to listen, inform and have conversations with those of different backgrounds and beliefs, we can cultivate a more empathetic and welcoming school and society. W W W . A R L ING T O NIA N. COM | 31