Arlingtonian, vol. 2 2020-21

ARLINGTONIAN

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

VOLUME 84, ISSUE 2

THE COVERAGE DOESN’T END HERE arlingtonian.com Featuring these stories and many more.

READ NOW: IMPEACHMENT COBBLER Four far-right Ohio lawmakers announced plans for impeaching Governor Mike DeWine.

BY MIA DORON, ‘23 AND JAMES UNDERWOOD, ‘23.

THE PALINDROME PROTAGONIST A review for the return of the blockbuster in Christopher Nolan’s newest film Tenet.

BY BEN RIGNEY-CARROLL, ‘21.

EDITOR’S NOTE

I

t seems that almost everyone has been busy or overwhelmed this past month. Maybe it was agonizing over a Halloween costume, educating yourself on candidates for election day, turning in college applications before Nov. 1 or trying to put together an issue of Arlingtonian, but I think it is fair to say we all are patiently awaiting Thanksgiving Break.

Now, we’ve reached the point when you wash your hands for even longer, not just because of a pandemic but more to keep your hands warm for even just a few more seconds. It’s the time when it’s dark outside by the time you drive home from practice or work and when you’re getting reminders to register for AP exams.

Despite the darkness and these deadlines, I hope this issue may give you an excuse to take a break from a constant state of work.

In the spotlight, Noah Mizer and Mia Doron took a look into the Online Academy and its many changes since the option first became available. Sophia Hudson and Carly Witt both take a look at the rise of social media and digital assignments while at home on pages 11 and 12. Cameron Smith and Luke Eriksen interview athletes on page 22 to offer a look into the struggles of recruiting.

Although this issue is online and may not be the same when you can’t hold it in class until your teacher takes it away, we hope you still read to learn to appreciate the reasons why others in this community are just as busy as you. While one person is on the field, another is at work. While you are finishing homework, we are writing, editing and struggling with InDesign to publish just for you. Let’s encourage this dedication to our own passions and to that of others even while we’re at home as we enter the coming months. I know I will, even if it will be a while until I see you again.

For now, happy end of election season, and I hope November slows ARLINGTONIAN EDITOR IN CHIEF down for us all. arlingtonian.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

@uaarlingtonian

ARLINGTONIAN VOLUME 84 | 2020-2021

NOVEMBER 6, 2020, ISSUE 2 EDITOR IN CHIEF

Josie Stewart CO-DIGITAL EDITORS

Noah Mizer Callia Peterson MANAGING EDITOR

Ben Rigney-Carroll COPY EDITOR

Ben Underwood STAFF WRITERS

SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Meghan Beery Mia Doron Luke Eriksen Gracie Helfrich Sophia Hudson Lucy Miller Reese Plagenz Cameron Smith James Underwood Carly Witt

Michael Ballenger ARTS EDITORS

Morgan Plagenz Pierce Thompson PHOTOGRAPHERS

Penelope Clark Bridget Mitchell Bella VanMeter GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Lucy O’Brien Sophia Shen

BUSINESS MANAGER

Ava Adamantidis

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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.

@UAarlingtonian W W W . A R L ING T O NIA N. COM | 3

Hello to Hybrid

How the transition to hybrid learning has affected students, staff, and the operations of UAHS—and what’s to come. BY CALLIA PETERSON,

A

‘22 AND BEN UNDERWOOD, ‘21. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ‘22.

fter four weeks of fully remote learning for all UAHS students, masked teachers and administrators welcomed back hundreds of students to the building on Monday, Sept. 21.

Students who chose the school-based option were put into one of two groups based on the first letter of their last name and returned for a hybrid learning experience the week of Sept. 21.

The goal of hybrid learning is to add an in-person option while still following safety guidelines that wouldn’t be possible if all students were in the building at once.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, students with last names beginning with letters between A and K attend school inperson, whereas on Thursdays and Fridays, students whose last names are in the other part of the alphabet attend in person.

Wednesdays are assigned on an alternating basis.

When students in the school-based pathway are not at school, they engage in remote learning activities.

In previous years, students went through each of their eight periods every school day with seven different class transitions.

These transitions are opportune times for the COVID-19 virus to spread, so students now follow a block schedule with students attending only four periods in one given day.

Similarly, there are now one-way hallways in all places where a two-way hallway isn’t required. To account for this, there are now eight minutes between periods instead of five as in past years.

All students are required to wear masks when inside the building except for during their lunch break. Desks are spaced six feet apart and are wiped down between periods.

With this new system, students usually only see each of their teachers once a week.

“Hybrid is not ideal, educationally speaking,” principal Andrew Theado said. “This is kind of the middle ground between getting students live access to their teachers, and following safety protocols.”

KE E PI N G U P The mix of independent remote learning and in-person block scheduling has impacted how students juggle their course loads and structure their weeks.

Senior Erin Murphy goes to school in the second half of the week and said the shift in her weekly schedule has been an adjustment.

“Going in the last half of the week—it feels like you are waiting for the week to start. Like your Monday is on a 4 | ISSUE 2 | N O V EMB ER 6, 2 0 2 0

Thursday or Wednesday. That is just weird to me,” she said. “I find that it’s really hard to keep up. I find myself doing a lot of work late at night instead of during the day when I’m supposed to be.”

Science teacher Bryan Wenger said one of the biggest challenges students face with hybrid learning is organization.

“From what I gather, organization is a big thing. You [have] a lot of information with a lot of different ways the information is presented and not a lot of oversight on managing that information. Stuff can get lost in the shuffle pretty easily,” Wenger said. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing that I’m seeing.”

Murphy said a benefit to hybrid learning is the freedom and flexibility to work at her own pace since she is balancing a senior course load, volleyball practice and work at a local nail salon.

Since she has flexibility in the way she structures her remote learning days, she said she tends to pick up extra shifts at work during the time she would normally be in school if students went five days a week.

“I work Monday through Wednesday when I can,” Murphy said. “School is happening but it’s way more self-paced.

Especially as a senior and someone who can drive, there is a lot more freedom now with hybrid learning, which is so nice.”

Freshman Lauren Wagner said handling the amount of work she is assigned and the transition from staying home full-time to attending school half the week have been the biggest challenges.

“It may just be my classes, but I’ve talked to some friends, and we all agree that we have a lot of work. Last year my brother was a freshman, and he did not have this much work,” Wagner said. “Another [challenge] would be just the transition going from being in the comfort of home and then going into actual school and having a long day of 85 minute classes.”

Murphy said her work load can vary, but she appreciates how teachers are handling hybrid learning.

“It’s kind of like the Goldilocks thing. Some [teachers] definitely are assigning too much, but for the most part my teachers are really doing a nice job with it,” Murphy said. “I feel like teachers are doing a good job providing outside resources for us right now because they know they can’t physically be there. A lot of teachers are giving us as much preparation as they can given the circumstances.”

Murphy also described her remote work as mimicking class work while in-person classes are primarily spent taking tests.

“Most of our class time is actually just spent taking tests, which sucks but it’s the only way to do it where you are going to get through that content,” Murphy said.

Wagner said that like Murphy, she enjoys the self-paced FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

learning aspect of the hybrid model. She also said she likes the smaller class sizes.

“I think that you can work at your own pace. You just have to be disciplined to do your work,” Wagner said. “I also think that it’s good for half the class to be with the teachers so that the teacher can give the students more oneon-one time.”

Upon returning to the building, students have had to adjust their behavior to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.

Murphy said she noticed students struggling with social distancing and masks procedures.

“During the school day there are definitely times where [I think] there are too many people. I see people not social distancing in halls and stuff, especially in between classes,” Murphy said. “I will see people take down their masks to talk to people, and I’m like ‘why?’ You can tell that there are some more aware than others.”

Similarly, Murphy described crowds of people walking through the hallways very close together during a recent fire drill.

“I remember walking back into the school and thinking [that] there [were] so many people so close to me,” Murphy said. “We were all wearing masks, and they say there is a 15 minute incubation period for it to actually spread, but I was still hyper aware. It [didn’t] feel right. That was definitely something that kind of struck me like, ‘Wow, I haven’t felt this close to people in this long.’”

Outside of school, Wagner said she abides by the same restrictions students have at school and does not see people as often.

“I have had some limits on seeing other people,” Wagner said. “We wear masks and go places and keep our hands clean and area clean. We sanitize our phones a lot—just the normal precautionary measures.”

Murphy said she keeps a tight circle of friends that she exposes herself to outside of school. She also believes that she and her friends are more careful than some of her classmates, who she claims are attending large parties outside of school.

“I only hang out with the same four or five people. We are all attending school and we are all staying safe outside of school.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

We take it with a grain of salt. We’re not going to share food, but we don’t wear masks,” Murphy said. “But there are people out there that are partying all the time—a good amount of people who still are attending high school.”

Wagner typically stays at school for lunch, and she said most of her classmates do the same. Students stay in their second or sixth period depending on the day to eat lunch.

“I stay. It’s just awkward because [the desks] are so far apart [and] you can’t really talk,” Wagner said. “It’s weird to have the masks off.”

As a senior, Murphy has open lunch, and she leaves the building for her lunch hour.

“I do not stay in the building. I think that the high school is doing a very good job about trying to keep people distant, but I find it easier when I’m just with my small circle of friends,” Murphy said.

English teacher Sean Martin said his biggest concern for spreading the virus during hybrid learning is the behavior of students outside of the building.

“At lunch I saw eight students get out of the same car. Only one of them was wearing a mask, and he had the mask tucked under his chin,” Martin said. “That’s the kind of thing that I think is a problem. It’s carelessness that will lead us to having a wider spread than we actually would have otherwise.”

‘WE ’ L L F I G U R E I T O U T ’ Though Theado described the hybrid model as not ideal, it’s seen by some as an improvement from the distance W W W . A R LING T O NIA N. COM | 5

learning model.

“In hybrid learning I get to talk with the kids. I get to interact with them,” said Wenger. “I can see what they know … and do things to help the class move along.”

Wenger also acknowledged the downsides to hybrid learning.

“Seeing the kids once a week makes communication very tough, and it also slows down the process,” Wenger said. “We’re not going to be able to get through as much content.”

Martin said he viewed hybrid learning as the worst of all worlds.

“I do think we moved faster when we were fully online, and I know I moved faster when I was fully in-person with my students,” Martin said. “One of the things I value is a classroom community and having a critical mass of students to bounce ideas off one another.”

In the spring, students could choose to have their fourth quarter grade be marked as pass/fail or as a traditional letter grade. This year, though, there is no pass/fail option.

Wenger feels comfortable with this.

“I think there’s enough data to go ahead and give a better evaluation than pass vs. fail,” Wenger said.

According to Theado, learning should take priority over the assignment of grades.

“The most important thing is that students feel like they are learning. The grade should reflect the learning,” Theado said.

Steps are being taken to improve hybrid learning. For instance, screens have gone up around the make-shift classrooms in the Learning Center to make them more private and soundproof, according to assistant principal Matthew Jordan.

“We try to improve things as they come to our attention to try to make it better,” Jordan said.

Beyond the obvious changes in teaching and learning this year, the pandemic has necessitated drastic changes in many other district operations.

The nutritional services department is now requiring students who want a school-provided lunch to preorder online.

This system of lunch distribution was implemented because it helps maintain social distancing and reduces the movement of students to help with contact tracing.

Lunches are delivered to classrooms where students eat lunch under the supervision of the teacher of their previous class.

Freshman, sophomores and juniors are not allowed to leave the school building unless a parent signs them out.

According to Jordan, lunch time is one of the biggest challenges in hybrid learning.

“Lunch has been a little tricky for everybody. You’re in [a] room for 85 minutes and 60 minutes on top of that,” he said.

But according to Wenger, lunches have been going well overall.

“Lunches seem to be doing fine,” Wenger said. “Kids take their masks off, eat their lunch and put them back on.”

Counselors have recently begun taking students to the track during lunch, so they can spend some time outside.

As more procedures change, the transportation department has also implemented new protocols in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Students are required to wear masks 6 | ISSUE 2 | N O V EMB ER 6, 2 0 2 0

when on busses, and bus drivers make efforts to keep students separated from each other.

According to transportation director Don Williams, there have not been many problems with students not following protocols. He attributes this to the strength of the UA community.

“Students are well behaved from what I’m getting,” Williams said. “It speaks to how the parents have really spoken with and drilled it into the students [to wear masks]. They’re really just good kids, [too].”

Rather than unruly students, the largest problem within the transportation department is recruiting enough bus drivers after a year heavy in retirements. This is something Williams attributes in part to a fear of the virus.

“We’re actually going to face a driver shortage. We have five retiring between now and January,” Williams said. “I think that [COVID-19] is part of it.”

This issue isn’t unique to the transportation department.

According to nurse coordinator Gina Rancitelli, the nursing department has “seen a drop off in [the substitute] nurse pool this school year.”

Rancitelli also does contact tracing for students and staff who have tested positive for the virus. After a positive test result is reported to the school district, Rancitelli goes through who might have been in close contact based on classes, sports or extracurriculars. Those who are deemed a close contact are then instructed to quarantine.

The district defines a close contact as people are closer than six feet for longer than 15 minutes. This means that if teachers are following the safety protocols, students having to quarantine shouldn’t be an issue according to Theado.

LO O K I N G FO RWA R D On Oct. 30, as many families were gearing up for the Halloween weekend, parents received an email from Theado stating that there were three new confirmed positive tests in the school. This email was sent to fulfill a state mandate issued on Sept. 30 by the Ohio Department of Health about notifying parents of COVID-19 cases broken down by school.

In order to abide by HIPAA and FERPA regulations, Theado writes about positive cases referring to infected individuals as “members of our high school family.”

Students who share a class with an infected individual are also notified, but are not given any identifiable information about the positive case.

Information about the positive test results is also posted on the district’s COVID-19 dashboard that lists active and total cases in the entire district along with data about COVID-19 cases in the UA Schools attendance boundary and state-wide data.

Cases are not broken down by school, which district communications director Karen Truett said is to protect the identity of individuals who have tested positive.

The data about cases within the UA Schools attendance boundary is part of a pilot project that allows district officials FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

to make decisions on more than just county-level data.

The program, called COVID-19 Analytics and Targeted Surveillance (CATS), was developed in partnership with The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Hilliard City Schools and Dublin City Schools to help the district look at more specific data about the way COVID-19 spreads in Upper Arlington.

“What [CATS] does is give us a chance to look at deeper level data—more than just a straight case count, at our school district boundary level,” Truett said. “We feel like that is a really important piece of evidence to tell us how we’re really doing.”

As of Nov. 2, the dashboard counted 13 active confirmed COVID-19 cases among the 7,175 students and staff in the district, and there have been 24 confirmed cases since Aug. 31.

In consultation with the district’s Medical Advisory Team, which is made up of seven local medical professionals, UA Schools has created a draft matrix awaiting approval from the Board of Education for returning to five-days-a-week where all recommendations must be met for at least three consecutive weeks. It is slated to go before the Board for approval at the Nov. 17 meeting.

The first matrix indicator is the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s classification of Franklin County with the recommendation being that Franklin County be listed as Orange or Yellow (the levels that indicate the least amount of risk of transmission) for the required time period. On Oct. 15, Franklin County switched from Orange to the Red, where it still remains.

The second indicator is the UA case rate per 100,000 people in the past two weeks for the population within the UA Schools attendance boundary. The requirement is that the case rate must be under 100 cases per 100,000. As of Oct. 29, there are 188 cases per 100,000 people in the boundary.

The third indicator is the schoolage case volume by school level as recorded by the CATS system. The recommendation that there are fewer than three cases within the UA attendance boundary for each of the school levels.

The fourth indicator is student and staff illness data. This looks at three data points: student absences due to illness, staff absences due to illness and student clinic visits due to COVID-like symptoms. The matrix recommends that two of these three points are below normal for at least three consecutive weeks.

The fifth indicator is about COVID-19 mitigation measures and is met when mask compliance FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

is greater than 90%, all contact tracing is completed within 24 hours and all cleaning and disinfecting protocols are followed.

If students were to return full-time, the district would begin a two-week transition to five-days-a-week. This all-in learning model, as it is referred to by the district, would try to maintain three feet of distance between everyone.

A similar matrix detailing the conditions for returning to enhanced distance learning has not been released.

“I do wish we went all five days, but for safety and health reasons, I do think it’s good we are in hybrid right now,” Wagner said.

Murphy said she does not believe students can return to school in-person full time while still following all safety precautions.

“Now that we’ve turned Red, I personally can’t really wrap my head around five-days-a-week,” Murphy said. “Even when we are only at half capacity, I still see a lot of congestion in certain places. The main stairs will always be congested no matter what. I have memories of upwards of a hundred kids pushing each other like sardines. We look like a mosh pit trying to get through from the main stairs to the attendance office. There is no way that we’re going to be able to maintain distancing. There’s going to be a huge outbreak, and it’s not going to end well.”

Wenger wouldn’t feel completely comfortable with an all-in learning model.

“I’m not running away in fear, screaming about it,” Wenger said. “But I would not be the most comfortable.”

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A Story Not Forgotten

The story of Pleasant Litchford, an excavation and the remembrance of a racist history. BY JOSIE STEWART, ‘21. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ‘22.

E

very day, students walk through the language arts hallway out the door to pile into cars in the senior lot. Although this year it may look different inside with masks and fewer students, the area outside has changed even more.

The construction of the new high school begins very close 8 | ISSUE 2 | N OV EMB ER 6, 2 0 2 0

to the current building, with students being able to watch the progress from classroom windows. Right outside these doors, the usual asphalt has been replaced with gravel, a fence and near-frozen, wilted bouquets of flowers. It is not for the new school’s construction, though. It is in part to amend a problem created with the construction of the current high school FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

building in 1950.

TH E H I S TO RY Pleasant Litchford was born in 1789 as a slave to the Litchford family in Campbell County, Virginia. After buying his freedom, he came to Columbus, Ohio, as a blacksmith and ended up the fourth largest landowner in the Bachus Tract (the area south of Fishinger Road) with 90,181 acres of land.

Included in this land is the area where the high school stands.

“Pleasant Litchford owned all the land from North Star all the way to the other side of the Tremont Shopping Center. All of that was his land,” author Kim Shoemaker Starr said. “He started a school in 1872 and his daughter taught there since there was no place for African American students to be able to learn. That’s [where] the senior center [at Northam Park] is now.”

Besides being involved in education, Litchford also was involved in the Underground Railroad and with the founding of the Second Baptist Church in Upper Arlington.

Along with these accomplishments, he kept a cemetery on half an acre of his land where he himself was buried when he died in 1879 along with many other people who resided in this community.

After his death, his descendants inherited his land. It was not until 1918 that the more well-known Ben and King Thompson were able to start their “Country Club area” when they created Upper Arlington, then a village with less than 5,000 residents.

While many students learn about the brothers who founded Upper Arlington, many are not aware of how they accomplished this goal.

“In 1920, Ben and King Thompson decided to make it a country club area. So, they started the Northwest Association,” Starr said. “[Despite the] Civil Rights Act in 1877 which said that everyone could buy land any place, they got away with not selling to African American or Jewish people by making an association. In order to buy a house in Upper Arlington, you had to pay $50 to the Association, and they had to check that you were not an African American or Jewish person.”

In 1948, similar restrictions were ruled upon by the Supreme Court in Shelley v. Kraemer when they considered whether this racially restrictive enforcement violated Equal Protection.

It was found that these restrictive housing covenants are not enforceable in court.

Despite this, Upper Arlington continued this practice for years. In 1971, a suit was levied against the Northwest Arlington Homeowners Association after they blocked a Black man from purchasing a home. It wasn’t until this case that the association formally ended after being ruled against.

Assistant Director of the UA Historical Society Kristin Greenberg offers the fact, though, that these practices were common at the time.

“Many restrictions existed as Upper Arlington developed.

Some of these involved creating open, green spaces, maintenance of parks, generous setbacks ensuring large front and corner lawns and carefully controlled development of separate areas for businesses and multi-family housing. But FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

unfortunately during the period between 1920 to 1945, the practice of placing racially restrictive covenants in property deeds also became commonplace in subdivisions nationwide, including Upper Arlington,” Greenberg said. “From 1930 to 1945, 77.3% of the 22 new subdivisions built in the Columbus area either explicitly prohibited African Americans or permitted only whites.”

Greenberg also explained that there is language in deeds about race that remains today, but it is no longer enforceable.

It sometimes reads “...until the [first] day of [ January] 1999, said premises or any part thereof, shall not be sold, leased, mortgaged, pledged, given or otherwise disposed of to, or owned, used or occupied by, any organization or persons in whole or part of the Negro race or blood, and this restriction shall be a condition and covenant running with the land for the benefit of any present or subsequent owner of other premises shown on said plat; provided, that nothing borein shall prohibit a person, while occupying said premises in compliance with this restriction, from employing as a servant a person not of the white race.”

Considering this along with practices such as redlining also being common, many pushed Upper Arlington to work on curriculum reform to include necessary background for UA students and ensure that they have a complete education and background of the long lasting effects of racism on socioeconomic status. Students usually learn about the history of Upper Arlington in middle school and following the requests for reform, a committee led by Chief Academic Adviser Keith Pomeroy formed to add more information to this curriculum. Both Greenberg and Starr sat on the committee with Superintendent Paul Imhoff and other members of the community.

“We started with a timeline that gathered information and primary documents, which are being placed into the UA Archives with help from the Upper Arlington Historical Society,” Imhoff said. “This group looked for opportunities that can be used to expand our history curriculum across all grade levels. After the timeline committee finished its work, we formed a committee of third grade teachers so we can start by expanding the local history taught at that level. While this work has been delayed a bit due to the pandemic, we will still be able to make the update to these units and implement them this year.”

TH E B EG I N N I N G S In 1955, a jury required that the Upper Arlington Board of Education remove bodies from a cemetery that Litchford kept on his land from their purchased tract of land before beginning construction on their new high school. It was decided that the Board must do this at its own expense and “reinter [the bodies] at some suitable place.”

When the Board was called to a meeting, the topic was put up for a vote where all five members voted in favor of the motion that “a sum not to exceed $5,000 … is appropriated” for the purpose of removing these remains.

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This agreement based on the $5,000 is where Starr first began developing ideas and research for Secrets Under the Parking Lot, a book she co-authored about Upper Arlington and Perry Township during the nineteenth century, “When we first started doing the research, [co-author] Diane and I went to the Upper Arlington Board of Education building and said we’d like to see the minutes from 1955. They brought out this big book, and we sat in the conference room and started going through. [We] found where they said they allotted $5,000 to remove the seven to ten bodies that they thought were there,” Starr said. “After they removed 27 bodies, they stopped exactly at $5,000 since it was not to exceed [that amount]. That’s the first thing where we thought there had to be more bodies. You don’t just stop exactly at $5,000.”

As someone who cleans headstones, Starr followed this first realization with much of her other knowledge of cemeteries and the history of areas surrounding Upper Arlington.

“There was no place to bury African American people in that time frame of 1830 because they couldn’t be buried with [white people],” Starr said.

The two continued the process of authoring the book and researching the past of Columbus Suburban area and eventually published in 2016 dedicating their work to Pleasant Litchford “and all the people he influenced in his life.”

Although much of the book is about life during the 19th century and the major families that lived here, there is a biographical section about Litchford’s life. Starr began researching him after moving back to Upper Arlington.

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here from California in 2015 and after I got here—I’m from here and my kids are from here—I decided I should go clean the three cemeteries that are here,” Starr said. “I cleaned the entranceway to one, and I started wondering who are the McCoys? The Richards? I had no idea because I wasn’t taught that at [UA] schools. I went to the library and found a paragraph that said ‘A negro family cemetery was on the land of the Upper Arlington High School.’”

From there, she contacted co-author Diane Runyon who ran a genealogy business. After looking into the cemetery in Upper Arlington, she found the name Pleasant Litchford.

“When Upper Arlington hired people to remove the bodies [in the ‘50s], they came in with a backhoe and scooped them up and threw them into a turkey roaster—bones, sticks, everything.

They drop an arm, it doesn’t matter,” Starr said. “All into this turkey roaster. There’s no markers. We don’t know who is who.”

These bodies were all moved to Union Cemetery where they are marked on their plot by a headstone that reads “Litchford Cemetery.”

After working with the school, a team dug underneath the area between the senior and back parking lots in late August earlier this year revealing six graves that were left behind.

“At times, twenty five people [watched the excavation],” Starr said. “We had some cross country runners or football players stop by. Construction [workers] were always at that gate and were so excited. It’s not just that we found some bodies, it was a Black cemetery [with] a story behind [it].”

Some of the remains, though, were only partial.

“There was a pile of bones. There was the ankle and foot bones of one person, but we have no idea who it is. We had another grave that had the leg bones, the feet and the ankles.

Obviously, the back hoe [from the original excavation] split the person at the pelvis and left the rest of the body,” Starr said.

“In the court case, it said that they were to remove all of the bodies respectfully. That’s not respectfully, and it was not all the bodies. They removed [some], covered the rest up, built the high school and led us to now.”

This was done at the district’s expense as Starr said that the school and Imhoff has been extremely receptive to their findings throughout this process. Both Starr and Imhoff agree that they need to “make a wrong right.”

TH E F U T U R E Starr said that she is hoping that in addition to excavating remaining bodies and changing parts of the curriculum, the city will continue to honor Pleasant Litchford and the thriving African American community that sat in Upper Arlington prior to the Thompsons. She believes that his success inspired many of his descendants.

“All of his relatives have been so prosperous and they have continued to be so prosperous,” Starr said. “He was an amazing man, and Arlington should be so proud.”

Considering that six graves were found in August, Starr said FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

they will likely be digging under other parts of the parking lot in the spring to ensure there are no remains left.

She is hoping that with her discoveries, people will want to honor Litchford.

“We want to get Northam Park’s name changed to Pleasant Litchford Memorial Park. They changed Lane Road Park to Thompson. This is his land. It should be changed,” Starr said.

“We’ve had a lot of pushback from people in the city wanting to talk to them to change the name. If you had Litchford, that brings the whole thing together that we are a welcoming community trying to get rid of that racist feeling. If you go around the city, people think that Upper Arlington is Upper Arlington. If you put Litchford there, it shows a balance. You’re not getting rid of the history. We’re trying to embrace it and make it better.”

Other residents wanted Ridgeview Road to be returned to its original name of Litchford Road. Starr doesn’t see this as necessary and more of a way to anger some people living on the street. Instead, she has seen his name left out of many books with Upper Arlington’s history, especially those written by the UA Historical Society and wishes for his name to be included more often.

Imhoff is also committed to this same change.

“The cemetery and the people who were laid to rest there are an important part of our community’s history, and we are committed to honoring that history. We will take the time that is needed to ensure that this is done completely and with dignity,” Imhoff said. “We are planning to work with the descendants of Pleasant Litchford as well as students, teachers and historians, to create historical displays regarding the family’s many contributions to our area. We will also have a memorial and are working with the descendants to find an area of the building to name in honor of Mr. Litchford.”

After uncovering this story, Starr felt a special connection to the remains recovered—especially to one of a young girl found this August.

“I was raised right across the street [from the high school]. You take the driveway that goes out and it goes right into my driveway.

I’m an only child, so I ran the halls [of the high school] and brought my dolls over there. That was my place,” Starr said. “That little girl FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

was all alone and so was I. When I’m six years old and going to Tremont, I had a key around my neck and would go home and let myself in. I was all alone, and there she was all alone, too.

We found her, and now she’s not going to be alone anymore.”

She hopes that the remains of the young girl will also get more empathy and clout for their cause and the change they want to make since Starr believes that this shows the character of a community.

“The respect a community has for its people is how they take care of their cemeteries. If you’re ever having a bad day, go to a cemetery. There are families wiped out, babies not born, mothers buried with a baby still in them—it says it all on the headstones. The stories are told there, and that’s why I clean them because you can’t even read some of them. The stories are there and they want to be remembered,” Starr said. “When I got started, I took some classes online, and I started in the very front of the cemetery and cleaned headstone by headstone.

Everyone was important to me.”

She believes that this is why she finds Pleasant’s story so captivating.

“At one point, I started pulling at the grass and found this little square that had been grown over. It said ‘Baby Forrest,’ and there was no date on it. That mother doesn’t want her child forgotten. So, I brought him back,” Starr said. “That’s my goal with Pleasant. I want to bring him back. Wherever you want to be, it’s your story. You deserve to be there from the beginning to the end.”

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A Post in the Wrong Direction

With the growing popularity of social media activism, a performative version could be growing just as strong. BY CARLY WITT, ‘23. GRAPHIC BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ‘22.

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ver since March, the world has been changing and evolving constantly with people educating themselves on different topics. Focus on issues such as police brutality, racism, politics and the coronavirus have been talked about more and more these past months. Social media sharing has become a big part of how people learn and communicate with their peers and share opinions and perspectives.

News outlets and large organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization and medical journals have been using social media to update and spread new information about the pandemic across Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and other platforms. Graphics, statistics and petitions have been popping up on people’s feeds more frequently. In an article by The Daily Universe, author Spencer McWilliams said that especially for college students, petitions are a great way to get the word out because most college and high school students don’t have the financial means to donate to causes.

However, with this comes the murky waters of performative activism— activism done to increase one’s social media appeal rather than actually show their devotion or commitment to the issue. Many times, it can happen without people even noticing.

In June 2020, a video of journalist Fiona Moriarty-McLaughlin was posted of her posing with a drill pretending to be boarding up a window for a photo.

The video spread across many platforms, and McLaughlin lost sponsorships along with credibility in her field. Even though this occurred, many times this same form goes unnoticed or is not treated in the 12 | ISSUE 2 | N O V EMB ER 6, 2 0 2 0

same way. “ I don’t know if I would call [performative activism] a problem but it is definitely very prominent,” sophomore KK Murphy said.

One of the most recently cited examples of this type of activism is “Blackout Tuesday,” which occurred on June 2 when Instagram users posted black squares in alliance with Black Lives Matter and to protest the death of George Floyd.

However, this caused issues when people would use #blacklivesmatter on their post, which clogged up the hashtag

often used for information about safety at protests with black squares.

“While it did bring awareness, it took a minor step back from what the actual goal was,” Murphy said.

On the other hand, some may believe that even this type of activism is better than none at all to at least make some users aware of the situation and its breadth. Still, Murphy sees it as a way to gain personal clout rather than to actually help others.

Murphy said, “It’s the difference of doing a good thing and making a change.”

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Digital Downsides

The impact on students’ mental health during online schooling and recommendations to stay afloat. BY SOPHIA HUDSON, ‘22.

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ince the beginning of March, students all across the country have been partaking in full or part time digital learning in an effort to decrease the spread of COVID-19.

Many school districts, including Upper Arlington, started completely online while still trying to maintain the quality of education.

This decision was not made lightly by UA Schools Superintendent Paul Imhoff, as disagreeing opinions from all sides still run wild.

Some have praised this new style of learning, arguing that the self-paced and judgement-free environment has improved comprehension and helped students truly focus on schoolwork. Others emphasize the disadvantages of at-home learning, such as isolation and the effects it can have on a person’s overall health while students are still outside of the building two to three days a week for the hybrid model.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness recently reported that Americans are increasingly becoming more aware of mental illness issues and that over 90% of adults view mental disorders as something that shouldn’t be shameful. These results are encouraging, as the overall stigma around mental illness has continued to decrease.

In a society that emphasizes the importance of mental health more than ever before, quarantining has become a concern for the well-being of students, regardless of age, gender or social status, as some studies have shown that isolation can lead to negative changes in a person’s mental well-being.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 76% of students have reported a negative FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

impact to their overall mental health due to the pandemic.

Feelings of anxiety, depression and stress are not uncommon as our country dives head first into these unprecedented times.

Junior Anna Schweisthal says that the distance from friends and normal school scheduling has been the hardest part for her.

“I think that just because things are so crazy right now, plus not being able to see my friends or anyone that I would normally see on a daily basis, it’s really taken a toll on my mind. I’ve been really stressed out these last few months,” she said.

Isolation caused by a lack of faceto-face connection is just one of several downfalls of digital learning in terms of the mental well-being of students.

Another concern with digital learning is the dramatic increase in necessary screen use, which has sparked concerns about long-term eye damage and can also be detrimental to a person’s mental health. Students may experience fatigue, headaches, as well as new or increased social anxiety in normal settings along with it becoming more difficult for students to manage time and stay motivated.

The concern seems to only be growing as UA schools began the hybrid learning model and students are struggling to develop a routine but also have more freetime, asking the question whether or not this will have a net negative or positive impact on students .

Some resources such as stress relief Zooms have been made available by

counselors along with some art therapy sessions posted on Canvas, but without any conclusive data from Upper Arlington about student well-being, it is difficult to say whether these resources are of help.

In the meantime the CDC recommends that students find a coping mechanism in order to deal with pandemic-induced stress. These managing skills include: Sticking to a routine: Following a similar schedule each day and waking up and going to bed at a reasonable time can be factors in creating a positive and productive work environment.

Engaging in some type of physical activity: Exercising can relieve stress and boost one’s mood. Whether it be an intense home workout or a simple family walk around the neighborhood, exercise is a great activity for both physical health and mental health.

Connecting: It can be easy to feel alone during this time, so it’s important to reach out to loved ones. A text, phone call, or even a socially distanced get together can be beneficial.

Knowing when to get help: During these uncertain times, experiences may vary from person to person. If someone is struggling, do not hesitate to reach out for help. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is 1-800-622-HELP (4357).

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The Rhode from UA

Arlingtonian sits down with Henry Wu, class of 2016, to discuss his Rhodes Scholarship and his time at UAHS. BY JAMES UNDERWOOD ‘23. GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA SHEN, ‘21.

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ate last year, Henry Wu, a 2016 UAHS alum, was announced as a 2020 recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship. Wu was one of 32 Americans and 100 students total to receive the prestigious scholarship, which was established in 1902 and allows students to study at Oxford University in England.

The Rhodes Trust, the organization behind the scholarship, selects students on the basis of academic achievement, drive, character and other factors. Prominent past winners include former President Bill Clinton, astronomer Edwin Hubble, and U.S. diplomat Susan Rice.

Wu graduated from OSU earlier this year, majoring in philosophy and political science, and at Oxford will pursue degrees in migration studies and public policy.

Once he returns to the United States, Wu plans to go to law school before becoming a practicing attorney with a focus on human trafficking and immigration issues.

Q: Could you start by telling us a bit about your work with human trafficking?

WU: I grew up in UA, and I went to [UAHS], and I didn’t really understand some of the issues that were facing the central Ohio community. And so, in my [freshman year at OSU], I, along with some other students, got to hear from people working in the community— [people] who work in nonprofits, community leaders, and also survivors of human trafficking. Their stories were incredibly inspiring.

We felt a sense in which this was an issue that was happening just a couple of miles away from our classroom, and we felt a sense of duty of giving back to the community and focusing on this issue.

And so from there it really took off. In the beginning we were much more focused on awareness, and education, because we realized that as college students there’s not a whole lot we can do—I mean, we’re not 14 | ISSUE 2 | NOV EMB ER 6, 2 0 2 0

police officers, we’re not lawyers, we’re not doctors. And so, we found our capacity quite limited. But I think later on, what we worked on really fell into place.

We started a student organization that later became a nonprofit called Enlighten.

And we started working with some local nonprofits that deliver educational materials and bars of soap labelled with human trafficking hotline number to local area hotels. And then in my senior year we actually were able to start this partnership with the law school at OSU, and we started working with juvenile victims of human trafficking. The law school [has] a clinic that represents them in legal proceedings.

And we were there essentially for support.

And so we did fun activities: we took them to COSI, we took them to these outings that made them feel like a kid again, because they’ve gone through such terrible things, and they’re high school- or even younger-aged. And so we took on that opportunity as a kind of mentorship role, and as an opportunity to assist the really busy lawyers and social workers and case managers who were focused on the other end of things, but not so much on maybe some of the more recreational events.

Q: Was there a specific moment that inspired you to take on that challenge? Or was it more gradual?

WU: I think it’s interesting, because in the beginning, I actually felt like there wasn’t a whole lot we could do. [I’d] heard people who were survivors of human trafficking talk about their experience and it was incredibly inspiring, but again, as college students I felt like it was difficult for us to get involved. And I don’t think it was a single moment. It was a journey and a process. The more you learn, the more you figure out how you can make an impact— how you can make a difference.

Q: What prompted you to take that work, and

then to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship?

WU: I’m not sure if this is a normal answer. In my freshman year, I was very lucky to have actually gone to the UK on a different kind of scholarship-fellowship.

The summer after my freshman year, I was lucky enough to go to the UK on what’s called a Fulbright summer institute. I was at the University of Bristol, and Bristol U.K. was one of the largest slave ports during the transatlantic slave trade. And so, I saw that experience as incredibly eye-opening, exploring the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, while I was working on modern forms of slavery. And I think once I did that, I had an idea of what the fellowship process was like, for applying to these things: getting tons of recommendation letters, going through the process of revising personal statements— it’s almost like applying for college again.

But I think because I had that initial experience, I knew what was going on and I was maybe a little prepared for the process. For example, for the Rhodes Scholarship, you have to be nominated by your school, and so, you essentially apply to your school first, and then you apply to the actual thing. So I think I was just a little prepared for that, because I had some prior experience.

Q: Could you describe your reaction to being selected?

WU: Yeah, it’s almost like a reality TV show, because after your interview you’re waiting for a super long time. It was held at our location, our district’s. So it was Ohio, Wisconsin and Illinois, and our interview site was at the Chicago History Museum. It was like the whole morning was interviews, and then after we’re done, we’re just sitting and waiting around, and there [were], I think, 13 other finalists who were also interviewing for it. And we’re just kind of getting to know each other, hanging out, and I remember because when they finally FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

had this decision, the judges come out into the room and make everyone stand up, and then they announce it. I think my first reaction was kind of shock. There’s another kid who was also from Ohio, who also won, and his name [also started with a ‘w’], and so, when they first announced his name, because it’s alphabetical, I was like, OK, there’s no way I’m getting it.

And then they announced my name, and I think I just ran over and gave him a hug or something. And that’s all I remember.

Q: On the whole, what do you hope to get out of this experience?

WU: So, I feel what people often may not even realize about the Rhodes Scholarship is that it’s such a global community. The U.S. has 32 Rhodes Scholars, and every year, when they announce them, there [are] news reports about 32 American Rhodes Scholars, but there [are] actually a hundred Rhodes Scholars in the entire year, and they come from all different sorts of countries. I think being in Oxford and being in such a global community— Oxford already is a top university that attracts the best students from all around the world. I think that’s going to be incredibly eye-opening, and I’m looking forward to learning from other students from all sorts of different places: what they’re experiences are—and getting that global awareness.

practice, whether that’s more criminal justice-related, or more international. I’m still open on that. But I think my previous experiences working on human trafficking, immigration issues—that’s going to shape my journey forward as a lawyer.

Q: Did your time at UAHS prepare you in any way for what’s to come and your work today?

WU: It’s kind of a mixed bag. It’s not that I don’t think that Upper Arlington prepared me well; it’s that I don’t think I was the best student in high school. And to be honest, I think in high school I was really just trying to rush through, and [to] get to college as quickly as I could.

When I was in high school, I was one of those kids [where] you just care about your grades, your GPA, you’re trying to take classes that give you a weighted GPA, and I can’t say that I really enjoyed the process of learning. So just reflecting on my own experiences, I think I didn’t take advantage of some of the resources that [UAHS] had to offer, because I was so focused on [the] getting to college step. I really enjoyed speech and debate when I

was in high school, and so, I felt like that was such an incredible opportunity to learn by yourself, and pursue independent learning. I also was involved in science research, where I went to OSU to work on science projects, and that was a great experience. Going back on it, I think I felt maybe constricted by just high school, but being in so many classes, and being in a stressful environment when you’re a high school student, and not taking advantage of opportunities to really fall in love with the topics you’re learning about.

Q: To that point, what would be your advice for a high school student today at UAHS? WU: Yeah, I think that’s related: don’t do as I do, do as I say. I think high school is a great time to get to know yourself, get to understand what you’re interested in, what you’re studying, and I think for a lot of people, you just keep getting caught up in the rush of so many different things that you let the opportunities pass.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Where do you see yourself in the future from this experience?

WU: After Oxford I’ll be headed back home to law school, and so I still have five years of schooling ahead of me, but I’m very interested in actually practicing as a lawyer. I work a lot with lawyers, during my involvement with issues relating to human trafficking, and that’s where I think I’m going to focus. But I’m pretty open about exactly what kind of law I want to FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

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G IS FOR GUN:

LEAVING ACELLUS A series of controversies on the digital platform has prompted the district to seek alternatives.

BY NOAH MIZER, 21 AND MIA DORON, ‘23.

GRAPHICS BY SOPHIA SHEN, ‘21.

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A

s the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the United States, UAHS students were given the option of two learning paths for the 2020-2021 school year. The first path, hybrid learning, divided the student body into two groups, with only one group attending the school on a given day while the other group completes digital learning assignments. The second option offered to students consisted entirely of online learning through a platform called Acellus.

Acellus offers a variety of courses from preschool to high school levels. However, the UA School District recently made a decision to switch from Acellus to a different online program, Edgenuity, due to citywide complaints of Acellus hosting stereotypical and offensive content.

CONCERNING CONTENT While Acellus provides a variety of course options to students, especially for high-schoolers, parents felt the program presented lessons in a way that was inappropriate for young children.

Associate Superintendent of Learning and Leadership Dr.

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Andy Hatton said, “It was the delivery of some of the content that was very concerning, and examples started to come to light almost daily in the opening days of school, primarily at the elementary level. [I]t wasn’t necessarily the content itself, it was delivery of the content that was just so concerning and then as days went on, more reports came in.”

One incident that received attention from parents and administrators was an elementary math lesson that began by addressing the question: Why do we need math? An instructor then answered this question by listing various professions, such as a doctor or scientist. The lesson presented a wide array of professions represented by a diverse set of characters. However, as the lesson came to a close, gender roles began to emerge.

Explaining how math is used in different walks of life, the instructor said, “even moms need math,” and showed a photo of a woman in an apron surrounded by children in a modernday kitchen cooking.

This incident pushed harmful gender stereotypes on young children, according to Hatton.

“That sent a strong signal perpetuating a female stereotype [to young kids],” he said.

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Along with perpetrating outdated stereotypes, there was suggestive content, most notably in an elementary-level book, involving a character named “Sweetie Lips” and sexually inappropriate dialogue.

The most infamous of these controversies was at the kindergarten level. While teaching the alphabet, the instructor pulled items out of a box that began with that specific letter. When she reached the letter G, she pulled out a six-shooter revolver and said “G is for gun.” She also held the toy revolver to her head and explained that it was a “good thing it has [an] orange tip so we know it’s a toy,” Hatton paraphrased.

While this incident was one of the later ones to come to the district’s attention, it stood out. “[I]t’s just poor form [and] poor taste. It has nothing to do with how anyone feels about the Second Amendment, it’s just not [acceptable] in a public school,” Hatton said.

Chief Academic Officer Keith Pomeroy said this particular incident was a turning point for the district.

“It’s not just the number of incidents, it’s the type of incidents that we were seeing in terms of the way the content was being delivered that were concerning and really led us to make the decision that we needed to change platforms,” he said.

S E A R C H N E A R A N D FA R “While we know that there isn’t a single perfect digital resource, we do feel we must shift away from the Acellus platform at the elementary level and evaluate other options at the secondary level,” Superintendent Dr. Paul Imhoff wrote to families on Aug. 28.

After a period of research and communication with FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

students, staff and parents, the district decided to transition Online Academy students in grades 6-12 to Edgenuity and Accelerate Education, while keeping Acellus for certain elective courses. For elementary students, courses on Acellus were replaced with a variety of platforms, such as Dreambox and RaxKids.

Edgenuity and Accelerate Education were chosen for the secondary students because of their unique abilities to handle the separate content areas, Pomeroy said.

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“As we looked at the platforms, we did analysis of what we thought would be the best option for each content area, and that’s why we landed on Edgenuity and Accelerate [Education] in those two settings,” he said.

Pomeroy said that unique offerings, such as at-home lab kits for AP science classes and global language content from Middlebury, were paramount in choosing Accelerate.

Edgenuity was chosen because it is more rigorous than Acellus, having more in-depth instruction and more writing assignments. “[W]e expect 15 to 20% of the assignments to include writing across the curriculum. [That’s] really important because writing across the curriculum … shows your ability to take that content and apply it,” Pomeroy said, “We felt that that was an important part and both of the platforms provide more than what we were seeing before.”

E N G AG I N G E D G E N U I T Y Students transitioned to Edgenuity on Sept. 21, to fairly positive reception. “I feel like [Edgenuity is] a lot better organized, … Edgenuity is better suited for some students,” sophomore Qwynn Starrwalker said. Starrwalker also said that Edgenuity offers more up-to-date and in-depth content compared to Acellus.

“What I really like about the overall course is that it’s self-paced,” sophomore Ava Richard said. “They give you recommended dates when to complete things, but what I really appreciate about the whole aspect is that you can work ahead fairly easily.”

However, Richard also experienced several difficulties in her transition from Enhanced Distance Learning to Edgenuity.

“It’s just difficult transferring this stuff from Enhanced Distance Learning. I think the transfer between Enhanced Distance Learning to Edgenuity was probably the hardest thing,” she said. Despite these challenges, Richard enjoys Edgenuity.

“Overall, I think the course is really easy to maneuver.”

While Starrwalker and Richard enjoy Edgenuity, sophomore Leah Tucker believes the district made the wrong decision. “I think it was kind of a poor decision. I know a lot of it was based [on] parent feedback, not student [feedback], and it was mostly geared toward the elementary levels because of their problem with Acellus, but I don’t really like Edgenuity,” she said.

Tucker said she prefers Acellus over Edgenuity because Edgenuity is “just not as straightforward, [and] there are a lot of different steps to just answer a question, and it’s very tedious.”

Tucker suggested utilizing Canvas in addition to Acellus as an alternative to Edgenuity for high school students. While elementary and middle school students would use a variety of platforms, she suggested the high school “could have just supplemented more rigorous stuff on Canvas because in my opinion, Acellus is much easier than Edgenuity to navigate 20 | ISSUE 2 | N OV EMB ER 6, 2 0 2 0

and understand.”

Although Edgenuity and Accelerate Education are being used for the majority of courses, certain courses are staying on Acellus. The majority of these classes are electives with the exception of AP European History, in addition to electives that are not typically offered at UAHS, such as Agriculture 1, Medical Terminology and various other technical classes.

C O N F U S I O N A N D C O M M U N I CAT I O N While students are now settled into Edgenuity, the transition unearthed several issues within the Online Academy as a whole, specifically a lack of communication.

“I feel like [the administration is] not giving good enough instructions to the students that are completely online because I’ve experienced a lot of confusion … while I was switching from Acellus to Edgenuity. It’s been really difficult,” Starrwalker said.

Both Tucker and Richard were confused during the transition, as they felt there was not enough information given to students. Tucker made a suggestion saying, “they could have a set place for announcements and stuff because I’m getting a lot of information from … different sources and a lot of it doesn’t line up.”

Richard believes some of her teachers are maintaining good communication, but she still feels isolated from both teachers and peers. “[Communication] could be improved because … [online school feels] almost isolated from everyone else because you don’t really get to communicate with others that much.”

Starrwalker proposed a solution to the confusion and isolation of the Online Academy. “I feel like there should be more mandatory [advisory] meetings. [For example,] my advisory only meets once a week and my adviser doesn’t really go over a lot of helpful stuff and she doesn’t ask for student questions. I think there should be more meetings with advisory teachers,” she said.

In addition, Starrwalker thinks teachers need to individually meet with students. “I think occasionally it would be good if the teachers of each class met with each of their students individually for a mandatory meeting every once and a while, like after two or three units.”

Members of the administration share concerns of isolation amongst students.

“My biggest concern is just making sure that we’re establishing a space for [teacher-student] relationships to be built and those supports to be in place. I feel like we’re really laying those things in a way that will provide consistency … and connection,” Pomeroy said. “We believe that it’s the relationship with the teacher and the support … that’s going to be critical as we move forward, so that contact with our teachers and students is critical to the support of a kid who is working through these online classes,” he said.

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While students and teachers alike have done their best to adapt to a new style of learning, the transition to either hybrid or Online Academy has been difficult.

“I feel bad that we put our teachers and our kids in this position. This is not how we wanted to start the school year, by any means, so I feel for that,” Hatton said.

Despite this, he is optimistic.

“I do think we have amazing teachers who will learn, … and they will adjust to do what’s best for kids.”

The school year may not have begun as expected by the community; however, the administration is confident in its Responsible Restart Plan, which follows guidelines from Franklin County Public Health.

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“I think the Responsible Restart was excellent, I mean, Superintendent Dr. Paul Imhoff has us positioned in a way where we are going to follow the science, we’re gonna listen to the science and medical doctors who specialize in this in the Franklin County Public Health Department,” Hatton said.

Learning from past mistakes has been a staple of the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking into account both student and parent feedback has been another contributor to the constant changes of the Online Academy program.

“I want to be talking about … ideas being generated by students [in collaboration] with teachers to really enhance [the online learning] experience even more in the midst of this, and I feel like we’re about to turn that corner,” Pomeroy said.

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Rocky Recruitment

COVID-19 has brought changes to college recruitment for athletics.

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BY CAMERON SMITH, ‘21 AND LUKE ERIKSEN, ‘22.

s fall sports seasons have come to a close, many UAHS athletes are seeking attention from college programs, but new COVID-19 guidelines in place have hindered the normal recruitment process.

The rules for the NCAA recruiting process vary depending on the state where a college is located as well as the division of the college. Due to recommended social distancing guidelines, new COVID-19 procedures at UAHS have limited the number of spectators at each game. This not only limits the ability of students to watch games but also prevents college scouts from attending to watch players.

Since many coaches are not able to come in-person, athletes can send their game highlights to coaches. Athletes such as senior football player Michael Ballenger have taken to uploading their game film to social media as a way to gain interest from different coaches. “[Not having] visits has made it a lot more difficult [to get recruited]. After every game, I make a little tape of the game [and] then send it to coaches on Twitter and through email,” Ballenger said.

As of now, Ballenger has been contacted by a variety of schools including University of Toledo, University of Buffalo and University of Akron.

Recruiting for football has been especially difficult amid COVID-19, with the variety of different stages of schools

Philip Vilardo pitches at a game against Dublin Coffman on April 26.

PHOTO COURTESY PHILIP VILARDO.

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being open.

Senior lineman Jack Flowers also had a difficult time with his recruiting process throughout the current pandemic. Compared to recruiting before the outbreak in the United States, the process looks very different.

“Recruiting was at an all time high for me. Whether I was calling, texting or direct messaging [schools or coaches], it always felt like I was talking to a recruiting coordinator,” Flowers said.

Flowers still faced challenges with being unable to visit, though.

“Even though I was always in contact with coaches, it was still pretty hard because I couldn’t visit any of the schools that I was interested in,” Flowers said.

Once the pandemic broke, it launched a recruiting dead period where no Division I college athletic teams could recruit.

“The dead period kept getting pushed back further and further, and now it’s set to open back up on Jan. 1, but who knows at this point,” Flowers said.

Flowers recently concluded his senior football season and is still waiting for coaches to reach out. He understands, though, as college football is starting up again, that this is a stressful time for coaches across the United States.

“Recently with our season starting up and college football returning, recruiting has slowed down because coaches are super busy, but they still have to make time if they really want to find a roster spot for you,” Flowers said.

Other athletes have committed to schools despite the pandemic such as senior field hockey player Elizabeth Cramer. Cramer began the process her freshman year.

Despite this, the pandemic still affected her recruitment process even with offers before the season had begun.

Cramer recently committed to Kenyon for field hockey but was unable to visit other schools with interest during the fall. If she had, Cramer may have made a different decision.

“I had already seen Kenyon, but I had three or four visits lined up this fall. They were postponed or canceled, so that helped me decide. I think my decision could have been different, but I love Kenyon and they have been FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @UAARLINGTONIAN

talking with me the longest. Who knows what could have happened,” Cramer said.

Playing for club teams in the summer is popular for field hockey players with aspirations of playing in college, but COVID-19 prevented senior field hockey player Lucy DeVita from having a normal spring and summer season, too.

“Unless you are constantly sending film to coaches from high school games, you will get recognized more in clubs. If you want to play in college, I feel like you have to play club.”

DeVita said.

One of the biggest club tournaments of the year takes place at ESPN’s facility in Disney World. This tournament was also canceled over the summer due to the ongoing pandemic, but the tournament is usually a golden opportunity for all players with college aspirations because of the long list of college coaches that annually attend.

“I went [to Disney] the last two years, and it’s one of the biggest tournaments for recruiting. There’s a huge list of coaches and you can look at the website and email whoever you want,” DeVita said.

DeVita is still trying to decide whether she should play in college. She is visiting select schools that allow visits while she decides.

“The biggest thing is that I haven’t been able to visit non-field hockey related schools, so I’m really not sure if I want to go to a big school,” DeVita said.

Athletes in fall sports have had a difficult time with recruitment in terms of not being able to visit schools that are interested in them, but hopeful college athletes in spring sports are able to go on visits in the near future as their season hasn’t started yet.

Senior Philip Vilardo, shortstop for the UA baseball team, has multiple visits scheduled with schools that he plans to take in the coming months to go along with the few visits he has already taken.

“I have a few visits planned but recently I have visited both Heidelberg and Adrian College in Michigan,” Vilardo said.

Vilardo does plan on playing in college but is ultimately still looking for the right destination for him to play.

“I love going on visits because it gives me an idea of what I’m looking for in a school,” Vilardo said.

Unlike Flowers who currently has Division I aspirations, FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

Michael Ballenger and his teammates rally during a game against olentangy orange on Oct. 9.

PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL BALLENGER.

Vilardo is being heavily pursued by Division III baseball teams that are looking to fill their recruiting classes and don’t have to oblige by the dead period that Division I teams do.

“This pandemic has caused a dead period amongst the Division I schools which has allowed for Division III baseball programs to recruit me even harder because they aren’t competing with the Division I programs,” Vilardo said.

Vilardo currently holds offers from multiple schools, including Heidelberg University and Adrian College. Despite visiting both, Vilardo is still unsure of where he will end up playing, but overall, he is grateful for the opportunities these schools have offered him.

“It’s always been my dream to continue playing baseball and I am very grateful that these schools saw that dream and are willing to give me the opportunity to continue playing. No matter where I end up, I am grateful for the offers,” Vilardo said.

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It Does Not Do to Dwell on Dreams A look at the new reality shifting phenomenon. GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA SHEN, ‘21.

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ver since humans discovered language, authors have been bringing their stories to life and sharing their characters with the world.

Readers all over the globe experience the haunting universe of The Hunger Games, the magical world of Harry Potter and the adventures of Percy Jackson. However, as much as bookworms may wish that they could live in their favorite books, there is no way to do so. Or is there?

Reality shifting, a new trend on TikTok with over 61.8 million views, has been taking the online community by storm.

Supporters of the idea claim that humans have the ability to shift to desired realities, whether it be Hogwarts or a reality where horses can talk.

According to a Subliminal Users group on Amino, a community app home to one of the largest shifting communities, humans shift realities every second when making decisions.

“Shifting is switching [your] consciousness from one reality to another,” a user on Amino said. “Everyone can do it, in fact we do it all the time. When u decide to turn left, u switched to a reality where u

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turned left, there’s a reality where u turned right, one where u didn’t turn at all.”

There are several methods to shift, such as the Raven method, where the shifter lays in a starfish position and counts down from 100. The method also uses subliminal messaging, a message in the form of a video or a sound that supposedly tricks the brain into subconsciously receiving a message. Subliminal messages are used in many shifting methods, and these videos can be found on virtually every online platform.

Although there is a scientific basis to subliminal messaging, there is not any conclusive proof of reality shifting.

According to therapist Grace Warwick in an interview with Vice, shifters are entering transliminal experiences, not jumping through reality portals.

“Transliminal experiences occur when awake and are most common when the mind is in a soothed state—for example, upon waking and before falling asleep,” Warwick told Vice. “The ‘instructions’ [for shifting] that abound on social media include being half asleep as a start point.

They then introduce repetitive music [or] counting backwards slowly. All these factors would induce a state conducive to a transliminal experience.”

In addition to inducing a transliminal state, shifters write scripts on their phones to direct their experiences. Scripts can outline the basic plot of the experience, what the shifter looks like in their experience and how others act toward the shifter.

“Shifting is a very strange experience.

It’s like an extremely vivid dream, yet it’s more real than any dream I’ve ever had,” TikTok user @helen.jenko told Vice.

“Before I plan on shifting I write myself a script in the notes app on my phone, in which I plan exactly what happens

BY MEGHAN BEERY ‘21

in the desired reality. This makes it easier to visualise exactly what I want to happen—so I might script that I want to go to Hogwarts and for Draco to be my boyfriend, or that he will flirt with me.”

Warwick compared the script to a general outline for a transliminal state.

“An interesting aspect of the techniques is the central part that a prepared ‘script’ plays—I would liken the role of the script to creating a guided meditation or working with active imagination,” Warwick told Vice.

While shifting and scripting may not be unhealthy, it is unknown. Shifting remains a largely secret and exclusive practice that has not been extensively researched in the scientific community. Other than testimonies from shifters on apps like Amino and Reddit, there is no conclusive evidence as to what a shift looks like or its effects.

As much as we all might love dating a young Tom Felton, it is important to use both reason and caution. Shifting in itself may not be dangerous, but an unhealthy attachment to daydreams can be. As Dumbledore famously told Harry in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

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Subsequent

A review of Sacha Barron Cohen’s Borat 2.

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ritten and produced

by Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is a well-timed breath of fresh air released at a time when its message may be most valuable. Borat, played by Baron Cohen, is a character first introduced in the original 2006 film. He represents an exaggerated stereotype of American ignorance and misogyny projected on some Middle Eastern countries. Supposedly coming from a country whose culture is behind that of the first world, the first film is a mockumentary where the Kazak government sends Borat to the “US of A” to learn American culture. Upon arrival, Borat and his producer ,Azamat Bagatov (played by Ken Davitian), are the only characters who know they are being filmed. Throughout the rest of the film, Borat causes havoc on his journey across the country all while subtly (or not so subtly) exposing racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and other misguided ideas that otherwise may not be called out.

Though the first film received numerous lawsuits for its portrayal of many participants who were not fully aware of their role, any lines delivered by those in the film were unprovoked.

The second film follows a similar formula. With another journey to America, Borat is tasked with gifting his 15-year-old daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova), to someone close to the

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GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA SHEN, ‘21.

American “throne” as a child bride.

Starting out early in the movie with a remark by Borat referring to his daughter as “livestock,” one of the core themes of this satirical comedy is the way Tutar comes into her own when brought to a place where women are independent and represent themselves. While all the mayhem of the first film is still present here, the focus of the movie this time is more concerned with the emotional development of both Borat and Tutar as they are forced to acknowledge the varied and contradicting prejudice of their home country of Kazakhstan to that of America.

The reality here is that different people are labeled narrowly by ideas born out of ignorance. Although I cannot speak for any groups that this movie might offend, I can speak for the human empathy that the characters gain in response to learning the flaws of their ways. The first Borat film is quite possibly more outlandish than this one, but when the satire in the first film is implied, and in my opinion goes too far at the expense of those mocked, this film does a better job of addressing the need for growth as a part of the arc for the central characters. Though the goal of this film was not to make a profound impact on those filmed, seeing the way that they think and behave in an environment that many of us would not otherwise see firsthand gives us the opportunity to address our own biases.

Aside from the core message of this movie, Baron Cohen also spends plenty of time in this film with a more crude approach to humor, with vulgar language, wildly inappropriate sexual references and a lean into the morality and values of American politics. Unlike the first, this movie was filmed in an election year, allowing Baron Cohen

BY BEN RIGNEY-CARROLL, ‘21

to embrace the raw comedic material that is the US of A right now. With two vastly different candidates in an era of stark political polarization thrown together with ten months of a global pandemic, the process for generating material was a bit different in this movie than in more traditional comedies. Restricted in both movement and filming due to COVID-19, Baron Cohen quickly integrated the plot of the film to neatly accommodate the divide the pandemic has brought to the American population. Addressing newly relevant and sometimes overwhelming issues like the politics of the virus, quarantine and QAnon conspiracies, the Borat formula of wild absurdity looks at the events of present day with a more outdated and childish outlook.

Though it may no longer hold the absurdity the first did in a time where exposing racists and homophobes doesn’t hold the same weight it did in 2006, Borat Subsequent still manages to stay relevant and evolve to current standards while also including a stronger plot. With the addition of Tutar and Borat’s growth, the same wild mock Kazak dance music and a new array of humorous lawsuits for defamation, Baron Cohen brings new life to this fantastic character while also offering insight for those willing to look closely.

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The Good Place, Veganism and Online Shopping

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The reason I changed my lifestyle and why a sitcom might make you do the same.

hat do we owe to each other?

This is a question that I often considered throughout my life. After learning about sin in Sunday School, I focused anxiously on how I affected others with my decisions.

That may seem like a lot for a second grader to be thinking about—and you’re right. This anxiety of making the right choices started early for me, but after a few lessons and many differing experiences, I was able to transform this anxiety into a conscious, ethical mindset that I realized I had after finishing season four of The Good Place, a sitcom developed by acclaimed writer Michael Schur.

Despite my admiration for every aspect of the show, I wouldn’t consider this a review or a way to persuade you to binge all four seasons. Instead, I’m writing to show an often missed broad passion and empathy for your own life and that of those around you as portrayed in Schur’s writing The plot (briefly) follows four humans in an afterlife made up of both a Good and Bad Place. There are no Gods, but rather demons and architects who either torture you or tend to your every need for eternity, respectively. This placement is

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based solely on the number of “points” humans are awarded on Earth for their actions. The real story, though, comes into play during the third season when the protagonists realize that no one has entered the Good Place in over 500 years.

After a series of episodes, they realize it is nearly impossible for humans to live a “good” life considering the chaos and complexity of life on Earth.

Although I agree with the show, I find this view of complexity has been twisted in daily life to justify unethical actions.

The show offers an example of a man who buys a tomato. He loses points for the purchase since the fruit was picked by underpaid workers, negatively impacted the environment when it was shipped and gave even more money to a racist CEO. Yes, there are always unforeseen consequences to every action, but to me, there is a significant difference between purchasing an essential need without knowing these effects and purchasing a want with the knowledge that it is actively harming others.

Clothing brands like Shein and Zara have been shown time and time again to use child labor and sweatshops to produce cheap products. As a fashion lover myself, I understand the appeal of inexpensive statement pieces, but it seems that having a cute outfit doesn’t outweigh the suffering of another human being when many other options exist.

You cannot say that you are against child labor and underpaid workers while simultaneously purchasing from brands that use either. This is known as cognitive dissonance or having inconsistent thoughts or beliefs relating to behavioral decisions, and you may be suffering from it.

The response of “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism” seems to be an excuse to make people purchasing

these products feel better when in reality, you are being ignorant of the real world and the importance of your actions.

In order to change the actions of these companies, we have to show that we won’t support it. Purchasing products is supporting these practices whether you say you’re against it or not. We all have to draw our own moral lines somewhere, and I recommend that you draw yours equivalently to your own words.

Cognitive dissonance is more than this, too. When you are heartbroken by the sight of a dead dog, why can you justify the killing of pigs who are just as intelligent? I cannot force you to care about the lives of animals, but I can ask you to follow through with your promises.

If you’re against animal cruelty, be against it even if it’s not to your advantage.

While I may not be well-versed in moral philosophy or ethics more than what Chidi taught me about Kant throughout The Good Place, I can say that most philosophers and religions believe in one general statement: “do good.”

This answers the question asked many times throughout the show. We owe to each other what we ask of life for ourselves and must stick to the moral promises that we speak aloud with our actions. If we choose not to follow through, we instead forfeit our right to speak against these and therefore are missing the empathy that we need to survive.

We do not know what waits for us in the afterlife, but we should choose to be better now. The expected reward should not be eternal peace but a general respect and acknowledgement that yours has been a life worth living. Maybe, The Good Place or this piece can be the end of this dissonance for you.

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From Pages to Screens The best film adaptations of school classics.

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cademics can be taxing and tiring—especially assigned reading. Over the years, the celebratory end of a required book with a viewing of the film adaptation has become one of my favorite parts of English classes. Even though we may not do this often, it always seems to be a class favorite through my travels at Barrington, Jones and now UAHS. Despite reading many books through this journey, there are three that immediately come to mind with the best film adaptations that we

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GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA SHEN, ‘21.

have viewed in class: Holes, The Outsiders and The Great Gatsby.

HOLES: It’s safe to say that I became obsessed with Holes. The book was extremely well-written and the movie was just as good. The movie, released in 2003, starred Shia LaBeouf and ironically, despite its title, was extremely good at avoiding plot holes. There aren’t very many differences between the book and movie, so if you’re a fan of the book, chances are you’ll like the movie and vice versa. The Disney film was mainly shot in Ridgecrest, California and did a fantastic job of visualizing Sachar’s characters, setting and overall story.

THE OUTSIDERS: Once I moved on to Jones, we graduated from finishing S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders to watching Francis Ford Coppola’s movie version. The story overall is very different from Holes and is more mature with more intertwined symbolism. Compared to Holes, it also was much older, being released in 1983. Its cast, though, is just as popular today, featuring Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise and Matt Dillon alongside many other famous cast members.

The movie grossed $33.7 million dollars on a $10 million dollar budget making it a moderately successful film financially.

Both the book and the movie share a large amount of characters which can make the plot hard to follow at some points, especially

BY GRACIE HELFRICH, ‘22

for a younger audience, although this doesn’t change the fact that both are still very entertaining.

THE GREAT GATSBY: As I got older, the books I read became more and more complex. A perfect example of one of those books is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald written in 1924. The text is very well-written but it can sometimes be difficult to imagine the setting. This is where the two movie versions of this book comes in to help.The first was released in 1974 with the main cast played by Mia Farrow, Robert Redford, Sam Waterston and Bruce Dern. The second movie, released in 2013, starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Macguire and Joel Edgerton.

While both movies have the same plot, there are still differences that go a long way. In the 2013 movie, the story is told from one of the main character’s future self in a mental facility. This creative leap taken by the writers makes the viewer think about the toll the events of the movie had on the characters.

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By the Numbers

Explore UAHS through statistics. COMPILED BY REESE PLAGENZ, ‘23. GRAPHICS BY MORGAN PLAGENZ, ‘21.

424

students will be graduating from UAHS this spring. The Class of 2021 is the last graduating class from the current high school building.

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years ago, the current high school building was built. It will be replaced next year, though, by the building currently under construction.

EIGHT in EIGHT

2022 will be the first class to graduate from the new high school.

Construction on the building will be done before the fall of 2021 when the next school year begins.

5,000

dollars were allotted in 1955 to excavate bodies from underneath UAHS construction. This year, more were removed with help from the district.

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minutes are now dedicated to lunch each day under the new schedule. This also shortened class changes to eight minutes rather than the original ten.

Eight students respond to a question in eight words. COMPILED BY REESE PLAGENZ, ‘23.

What do you think about the current hybrid schedule?

I literally have no motivation to do anything.

Hybrid isn’t as enjoyable as being in school.

SOPHOMORE PATRICK BERTKE

FRESHMAN TREY KNIGHT

Learning more in school; relaxed studying at home.

FRESHMAN NATALIE LINE

I can’t remember going five-days-aweek.

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SOPHOMORE CHARLOTTE REINKE

I don’t like it, but it is necessary.

JUNIOR NATHAN MARK

I wish I could go back every day.

JUNIOR MADDIE FINE

Sleeping in is nice, in-person tests aren’t.

SENIOR MICHAEL LEE

Hybrid has been a lot of busy work.

SENIOR CLAIRE KRAMER

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Keep the Ball Rolling

We agree that we aren’t our past. Now we need to prove it.

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curriculum but the state-mandated curriculum as well. We cannot let this momentum go to waste. If we as a school decide to make these changes, we can help to show other school districts how important it is to teach an accurate history. We should use these recent changes as inspiration to help finally get our community into a place we’re proud to be frm.

It has been proved with the removal of Acellus that there are people in this community and in our schools who care. Not only about education, but the compassion that should be taught in schools in case it is not being taught at home. We live in a community where we are not taught the true realities of the world and do not meet the different groups of people that we will meet when we finally exit our bubble. This education provides for this lack of experience.

So should we stop there?

This change also showed that our voices even in Upper Arlington matter.

Even if we are not sharing opinions through yard signs or organized protests, reports and phone calls can make this difference. If you had a problem with the stereotyping and biases in Acellus, the ones being spoken and believed by our students should want you to take even more action.

There are so many ways for the student body to help make a difference with or without the support of their parents. Students have already taken the initiative of

creating clubs dedicated to just this. If you support their message: join. Just as discussed in the issue, you must act on what you support and not against.

Don’t forfeit your right to want change just because you aren’t actively part of it. All these opportunities can make our community more inclusive and welcoming.

There is always work to be done. We have the power to make UAHS into whatever we want it to be, but change doesn’t happen overnight. This change is not just for the experiences students will have in high school, but it directly correlates to the experiences and beliefs we will have for the rest of our lives. We choose change for empathy and change from our past to show that we are not the white, bigoted town that surrounding areas believe we are. We should welcome all the best we can and show that we are happy to support the lives of everyone who crosses into the bubble assuring them that we don’t believe they have popped it.

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY SOPHIA SHEN, ‘21.

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nown as “the bubble” to other highschools throughout Ohio, UAHS has always struggled with the stigma that it’s not quite like everywhere else. Rooting from a history of biases and a lack of diversity, we tell ourselves that these ideas are just that: history. Our city has come a long way from what it was in the past, but most students recognize that as a community inside UAHS, we haven’t come quite far enough yet.

We want change. We talk about it all the time. We’ve once again gained momentum and started ourselves on a path to getting there, but now we need to keep the ball rolling.

By switching out of Acellus, we’ve shown that we take pride in the quality of the education provided in the district.

It shows that a high-quality, accurate, appropriate and complete curriculum is a significant piece of schools. We have shown this again with plans to include more information about Pleasant Litchford and the origins of racism in Upper Arlington. Though these changes are important, but it doesn’t mean we’re done.

While we should celebrate each change into a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, we can’t give up after only one success. Our curriculum still lacks an unbiased and complete history of the United States shown from all sides. If we want students in the future to show the same empathy and passion we have, we need to give them access to the proper resources that will show them the importance of growth, compassion and change. We are hiding specific details about our past and rather than making us more loyal to our country, we are blinding ourselves from the true history of our nation and it’s leading to the inability for us to move forward.

There are details that should be tweaked about not only the UAHS

BY EDITORIAL BOARD

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