The Oracle 2017-18: Issue 4

THE 0RACLE

february 8, 2018 | vol. 46, no. 4 | Cehs news

ability to access Students’ struggle to get fresh food becomes burdensome page 12

Table of Contents Cover

Students and community members are affected by a large food desert in Columbus and are unaware of it.

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Opinion

Senioritis Strikes Again Saying Hello to New Beginnings Unacknowledged Olympics Musical Magic

Feature students & lifestyle Sports Arts & Entertainment 2

february 8, 2017

|4 |5 |6 |7

Teachers Got Talent! | 8 Dehydration Causation | 10 College to Classroom | 11 Harassment at Home Dance Marathon Preview Gender Outnumbered Pencil Valentine DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas Class Cravings

| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23

Right Up My Alley Pushing Forward Flippin’ for Fun Snowy Alternatives

| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27

Star Wars Isn’t Star Wars | 28 Music Icons | 29 “Growing” a Group | 30 Forthcoming Fanatics | 31

cover & page design by Emily Hales | cover photo by Noah Shoaf

Photo by Maggie O’Connor, 9

Staff

Submit your photography to cehsnews@gmail.com for a chance to be featured in the next issue!

Editor in Chief | Natalie Ryan Content | Natalie Glaid & Delaney Jackson Design | Emily Hales & Aliza Presto Photography | Reagan Perkins Cover/Feature | Yetla Reyna Opinion | Shelby Gordon & Thomas Voils Sports | Klayton Brummett & Caleb Davidson Arts & Entertainment | Isaac Harper & Courtney Schnur

cehsnews.com| Eli Newell, Cam Key & Kat Richardson Writers | Kylie Brooks, Brayana Cacho, Eric Cardoso, Soren Fox, Savannah Garrett, Maggie Gregory, Luke Harpring, Hannah Harris, Athena Jenkins, Kayla Jones, Toby Kelsay, Chesney Loehr, Max Nolting, Lexi Parton, Riley Repp, Jake Schoenegge, Madi Schutte, Elaina Sims, Abigale Smith, Grace Staggs Designers | Annie Bastian, Logan Foote, Robert Kanehl, Tori Overfelt, Reagan Perkins, Connor Reed, Sean Ryan, Audrey Tian Photographers | Bre Burton, Irma Bruce, Savannah Garrett, Liz Hagan, Josie Royer, Noah Shoaf, Nick VanAartsen Adviser | Scott Duncan

february 8, 2017

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opinion

Senioritis strikes again

Crippling Lack of Motivation Hits Seniors Everywhere

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ell, another school year yields another crop of seniors ready to finish their time in high school, most of them getting ready to leave Columbus, and start their new adventures and new lives in college. For many it’s a fresh start, a new beginning.

It can be a time that you dread, or look forward to with mounting anticipation, but regardless, it is coming.

However, no matter the amount of excitement coming your way as a senior, there is one small thing that gets in the way; the last two quarters of the year.

Nothing about these last two quarters are necessarily harder than the others, or so it would

seem on the surface. But, there is something else going around right now, and it is definitely not the flu. No, this is much worse.

This is a disease for which there is no known cure...

Senioritis.

There are numerous names for this condition. Many falsely label this disease as just laziness, no desire, etc. But this disease is a real thing. And the main symptom is a killer: lack of motivation.

Now, most people in high school will tell you they have a lack of motivation, and that is probably true. However, only a senior can have a full case of senioritis.

Senioritis starts after the first quarter of freshman

year, when you realize you no longer want to do any work.

But, almost all freshman do that work and continue on.

This continues and worsens all the way to senior year. As a sophomore, you walk in on the first day and you might be excited to see friends, and you forget about the workload that is about to crash into you like a tidal wave on a beach. Junior year, you come in ready to be a senior already, and don’t really want to be there because even though you might be excited to have some social interaction again, you remember that tidal wave from the year before and recognize that the wave is only getting bigger.

However, until this point people have continued to try

Thomas Voils to tackle that tidal wave with varying degrees of success.

But now we have reached senior year.

The tidal wave is as big as it will ever be...and most seniors have learned by now, the easiest thing to do is just float with the wave and let it take you off your feet.

If you are a fellow senior reading this, don’t let that third quarter slump try to drag you down, just keep floating on, and we can make it to the end of our high school career riding our wave of school work and sleeping all the way through classes.

This story is dedicated to the motivation of seniors everywhere, R.I.P.

Senioritis Forecast through high school

Motivation

Freshmen realize they no longer want to do work after the first quarter

First day of sophomore year, students are excited to see friends again

The workload becomes a reality once again

Slight increase in motivation for senior year to come as juniors

The burden of junior year kicks in

Senior year at last! But little do they know... senioritis at its worst is just around the corner...

At least we graduated?

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Oracle, Columbus East High School, and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.

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February 8, 2018

design by Audrey Tian

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ith only four months left in the school year, the undeniable pressure to apply to colleges and to attend college is at an all time high.

Seniors everywhere are either dreading denial letters or are ecstatic about acceptances to their favorite colleges.

However, the stress of college is upon us seniors as these last quarters of school speed away.

For some students, college is the only option. Ingrained into us by our parents, “You must go to college or else you’ll fail at having a successful life.” Maybe it isn’t that extreme, but I for one do not have the option of simply not going.

However for others, college is not essential for the overall success of their futures, so who could blame them for not going. It’s dramatically expensive, and who wants to go to school again after just graduating four strenuous years of high school.

Figuring out where to attend college and what we want to study is something that we have been trying to figure out throughout the entirety of our

high school careers. But it’s not as easy as it seems and some haven’t quite figured out how to function well at this whole ‘“high school thing,” because school definitely isn’t for everyone.

While getting into colleges was easier than I expected it to be, figuring out why I am even going there has been a challenge. Of course when applying to schools, I chose majors that I was interested in at the time of applying, however, since then my mind has changed at least three times which is suppos-

edly normal, although I beg to differ.

On top of trying to piece together my next four years, I still have the constant stress of finishing out senior year in one piece.

So far it’s been okay.

However some are not so fortunate. Attendance gets skewed; grades plummet. The excitement of finishing four years is overshadowed by being free of the stagnant place we have been in for four years.

It’s understandable why some would not have college on their

opinion

Saying Hello to New Beginnings Why College Benefits All

shelby gordon radar.

But regardless of how expensive and strenuous college may be, it is essential in order to obtain a job that will be financially fitting. Not only that, but many good paying jobs require some sort of college degree.

When most think of the college life in Indiana, they think of the big ones like IU, Purdue and even Ball State, which are all great colleges, and I am extremely thankful that I will have the chance to attend one of them. They pose great drawbacks due to how expensive they are, which is why it is completely understandable as to why some don’t consider the possibility of going.

However, even if it’s a small community college like Ivy Tech or IUPUC, college is definitely something everyone should look into.

High school may not have been the best four years of your life. Maybe academics are what you struggled with, or maybe it was the social aspect of it all, but college is a different ballpark since your learning is based upon doing what you want to do.

College is the best option for me, however I do believe that college should be the best option for everyone regardless of how you get it done.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Oracle, Columbus East High School, and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.

design by Reagan Perkins

February 8, 2018

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opinion

Unacknowledged Olympics Opportunity to Appreciate Lesser-Known Sports

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he 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in PyeongChang, South Korea, beginning on Feb. 9. However, this season of Olympics is not awaited for as much as its Summer doppelganger.

The Winter Olympic Games were created in 1924 to show, according to the 2017 Olympic Charter, “only those sports

tropical and equatorial regions are unlikely to send athletes or have a large number of viewers.

While the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics gathered 205 competing countries, the 2014 Sochi Olympics had only about 100. Globally, having half as many competing countries will undoubtedly decrease viewership and publicity.

The winter games are underappreciated in the sense that people do not typically consider the games as equal to the Summer Olympics. Generally, the Winter Olympics are not seen as the “true” Olympics, but rather an afterthought to accommodate polar regions of the world.

The Winter Olympics

which are practiced on snow or ice are considered as winter sports.” Since its induction, sports such as short track speed skating, snowboarding and freestyle skiing have been added in an attempt to accommodate athletes of all popular snow and ice sports.

Inherently, viewers of the Olympics will gravitate towards sports which they are familiar with, meaning that countries in

While fewer people are likely to relate directly to playing any of the sports in the winter games, people should watch the games to learn about other sports that they may not know as much about. However, one major element of winter sports is that most winter sports have a much steeper learning curve, making them harder for intrigued athletes to begin competing.

deserve the same appreciation and excitement surrounding them as the summer games, since athletes for winter sports are just as dedicated as their counterparts in traditional Olympic Games.

As the world of sports has evolved to allow people around the world to share what sports they play, the Olympics are required to evolve accordingly.

The Winter Olympics are a

Luke Harpring platform that allows athletes from non-conventional sports to share their talents with the world, and when people are too closed-minded to allow themselves to learn about other games from around the world, it damages the notion of the global friendship that the Olympics represent.

Ultimately, the best way to respect these winter athletes is to give the Winter Olympics a watch and keep an open mind about what it means to be an athlete. There will undoubtedly be a sport everyone finds entertaining, so find what is fun for you to watch and support athletes who do not often times get recognized.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Oracle, Columbus East High School, and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.

February 8, 2018

design by Reagan Perkins

opinion

Musical magic

The importance of headphones in a positive listening experience

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or many individuals, music is one of the best parts of life; I proudly admit to falling into this category.

Lightly put, I couldn’t live without music. It’s been there for me through my best days and my worst days, my happiest moments and my saddest moments, my successes and my failures. It’s never let me down.

Obviously, I have favorite genres, artists and styles, but they don’t prevent me from exploring music outside my comfort zone. That’s the beauty of music: there is something out there for everyone.

Due to my passion for music, I consider headphones to be absolutely essential.

What if I get a sudden song craving? What if I need to work and talk on the phone at the same time? What if I need to ignore someone?

Great headphones compliment great music; consequently, the headphone selection process is a very important one.

Similar to music, there are various styles of headphones created for various purposes and people. I tend to favor Apple earbuds, as they are reliable, comfortable and easy to store. Traditional headphones, such as Beats, are another popular option, as well as the up-and-coming bluetooth earbuds. Some people also choose to play their music out loud (a

choice I highly don’t recommend).

In addition to the reasons listed above, Apple earbuds are superior because of their classic look and great sound. With the purchase of an iPhone, they’re also free.

Despite the universal headphone debate, the issue of how loud to listen to music is an issue most can agree upon: the volume at which one listens to their music is merely a matter of personal preference, so long as it doesn’t disrupt surrounding parties.

While it is arguable that a certain volume should be maintained in order to preserve hearing, I believe people should

natalie glaid simply do what makes them happy. This happiness comes in many forms, ranging from jamming to a hard rock playlist at full blast to softly listening to an old jazz album on replay.

Music is a blessing and must be treated as such. It’s enabled global communication, prompted groundbreaking discoveries and most importantly, allowed individuals to find themselves.

All that’s needed is a good pair of headphones.

Next headphone brand teens plan to follow Other 12.2% Bose 3.3% Sony 4.2% Skullcandy 9.8%

Beats by Dr. Dre 46.1%

Apple 25.3%

Headphone market share by type

Wireless 31%

Wired 69%

Source: Statistic Brain

Junior Tom Jenkins uses Apple headphones to listen to music.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Oracle, Columbus East High School, and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.

design by Tori Overfelt and Audrey Tian | photo by Liz Hagan

February 8, 2018

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feature

Teachers got talent!

East Faculty Members show their hidden skills

By Grace Staggs

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rom a kindergartener’s point of view, school is a teacher’s entire life. However, as students grow up, they quickly learn that teachers do much more than teach. Some of them even have special skill sets that are entirely unrelated to school. That is rightteachers have lives away from their textbooks and lesson plans.

Elgin Kupferer, a math teacher at East, has been armorsmithing since he was in

college. Armorsmithing is the forging of armour out of raw materials such as metal or steel. He began armorsmithing to make armor that was fit to be worn for combat tournaments. In order to be used in these tournaments, the armor had to be safe according to modern standards, but also historically accurate.

Kupferer continued making maille and armor after college, and he now generally focuses on one project per year.

One thing Kupferer makes is a hauberk of maille.

A

hauberk of maille is basically a shirt of armor, made from several small metal

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February 8, 2018

links packed tightly together. According to Kupferer, each hauberk of maille can take several hundred hours to make.

With such specific and painstaking work, Kupferer has found the importance in the journey, not just the destination.

“I learned from the effort, not from the completion,” Kupferer said.

While Kupferer’s talent reflects a well-known and studied medieval past, Mike Walls plays with the great unknown.

Walls, a biology, anatomy and ocean science teacher at East, likes to bring a little bit of magic into his classroom. Walls has been doing magic since around 2000.

design by Emily Hales

Walls and Gail Heredia, a Spanish teacher at East, both use their talents in the classroom. Walls is famous for casually inserting magic tricks into the lesson plan, while Heredia devotes every Wednesday to music in some of her classes.

Heredia has been playing piano since she was six years old and has been singing for most of her life.

“I started singing church music with a choir and then I just started doing popular music. My cousin and I both played at Clowes Hall when we were teenagers… That was a one in a lifetime deal,”

Heredia said.

Heredia competed in competitions for both singing and piano, and she

performed into her 20s before the demands of the non-musical world caused her to take a step back.

Through this musical experience, Heredia dealt with some harsh judges.

“Rejection is okay. You just keep going, even though you know the song wasn’t awesome, because you give it your best. There’s always somebody better than you; you’re never going to be perfect,” Heredia said.

Both Heredia and Steve Hambling, a science teacher at East, have been motivated through their lives by the capacity to be better than they already are. While Heredia did

photos by Noah Shoaf, Liz Hagan, and Eli Newell

this through music, Hambling does this through crossfit training.

Hambling has been physically active for most of his life, whether that be through organized athletics, skateboarding or more recently, CrossFit training.

“After we graduate high school or graduate from college, we no longer have a coach. Nobody is any longer pushing you… like a coach would do. One of the things that I really enjoy about CrossFit was just having people to push me,” Hambling said.

The people around him eventually convinced Hambling to try out for American Ninja Warrior.

They began taping him as he did extraordinary physical tasks, which he then compiled into a tryout video. This process pushed Hambling to work harder and focus more on his endurance and strength than ever before.

“I think the most valuable lesson that anybody can learn from anything like that is just to have a believe in themselves.

There’s so many things that I think that people want to do, but they just honestly believe that they can’t do it… Part of it is just having a belief that you actually can figure it out even if you do fail, and not being

afraid to fail. Getting over that fear is really big,” Hambling said.

Teachers have layers. What students see at school is only one part of their story.

feature

While he knows many tricks, his favorite is involves a monetary bill and a kiwi. Walls is a selftaught magician and he learns more about magic every day.

“There are a lot of secrets with it; the more you learn about magic the more you find resources for how to do things,” Walls said.

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feature

Dehydration Causation Lack of School Water Consumption

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here is easy access to many things at East High School. Whether it be books, computers or help from a teacher, East provides a number of resources to help a student thrive and learn in school. Although these materials are quite useful, there is one resource more important than the rest: water.

Water is crucial in the process of learning. Drinking water can rid headaches, improve moods, maximize focus and increase energy.

Although water has paramount importance and is fairly accessible at East, there is a surprising number of students who are still not staying hydrated.

The lack of school water consumption among students may result from its taste. Unpleasant effects from use of the water is common.

“It don’t drink it because it has a bad aftertaste,” sophomore Jaeda Berkemeier said, “It makes me sick.”

Students spend about seven hours at East per week day.

If they are not drinking water because of a “bad aftertaste,” then they go a long time without water. It is an appropriate amount of time to become dehydrated, too.

Dehydration is a possible problem at East, even for students who do drink school water. These students struggle to locate a fountain between passing periods without being late to class. Even though East has more than 10 water fountains placed throughout the school, not all of them are in convenient places.

“The beginning of the day it’s kinda hard because I have to go across the school,” freshman Nathan Baird said.

Another inconvenient factor is the size of a student’s water bottle. It can be found difficult

10 February 8, 2018

to fill up on water every time it needs refilled, especially with smaller water bottles. Small water bottles need filled up more often than larger ones just to drink the same amount.

Filling up on water can be exhausting, so students do not fill it up when they should.

It may be that students gets too caught up in school work and simply forget to drink water. Between the constant mounds of homework and tests, hydration just seems like another task to add to the never-ending list.

Short Term Symptoms

By Hannah Harris

Long Term Symptoms

q Fatigue

qHeat Injury

q Dizziness

q Urinary and Kidney Problems

q Headache q Dry Mouth

q Seizures q Hypovolemic Shock

Source: www.mayoclinic.org

The body is made up of 60% water Dehydration occurs when the body does not have enough water to carry out its normal functions.

75% of Americans are dehydrated As humans age, total body water decreases due to an increase in muscle mass Lack of time is cited as the number one reason for not drinking enough water Sources: news.health.ufl.edu, www.hydracoach.co.in

design by Sean Ryan

Student teachers bring new ideas Student teaching is a valuable opportunity and a great way for someone who is interested in education to gain real world experience. This year at East, there are a couple of student teachers who are looking towards their future and career in education and are hopeful that East will provide that opportunity.

Hunter Foist and Alisha West are two student teachers at Columbus East High school.

Foist is a graduate from Indiana University and is student teaching for English 9 and English 9 Honors “I’ve always loved the classroom environment, and I love learning new things. I wanted to share that passion for learning with my students,” Foist said.

Foist was not keen on teaching English, and in high school English was not on his radar.

“English wasn’t my favorite subject in high school. It wasn’t until I attended college that I discovered how fun reading and writing can be,” Foist said.

Being a Columbus East alumni, Foist is thankful for the opportunity he was given by the high school. He mentioned that he really enjoys what East has to offer. He loves the openness of the school and the freedom this grants, including the resource floor and the off campus lunch.

West teaches for Mr. Meier’s government and United States history classes. Her

teaching style can be perceived as different by some. She does not like having students sitting listening to a lecture for 45 minutes.

“I would describe my teaching style as ‘guided learning.’ No student likes to sit

feature

college to classroom

By Max Nolting

and listen to a teacher talk the entire class. I like to guide my students to where they can do the learning on their own. I like to do a lot of mini projects and worksheets,” West said.

West is looking forward to gaining the full classroom experience. She is excited to see what it is like to be in the classroom every day and is ready to one day to have a classroom of her own, and encourages students to look to education as a career path if they enjoy it.

“I would say go for it and don’t let anyone convince you not to. Teaching is such a rewarding profession,” West said.

It is clear that West loves what she does, and that she is excited to share her passion with her students. She is ready to be a positive influence for her students and to learn from them as well.

West and Foist are very similar in the fact that they love what they do and thankful for the opportunity to be a student teacher.

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Room for Dessert?

deserts.

Cover

Food deserts and food insecurity continue to affect East students with few options available for relief. While there are a few grocery stores around town, they are insufficient for all community members. However, East Food Pantry is a small yet powerful solution to this large community problem. Read the following story to learn more about the food desert epidemic that is perpetuated in Bartholomew County.

design byline

February 8, 2018

#

Cover

How food deserts in Bartholomew COunty affect students and community members

Parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and

By Yetla Reyna

healthy food providers.

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in the United States live more than a mile away from the nearest supermarket and do not own a car

are 9 percentage points higher in counties with the highest concentrations of food deserts compared to counties with the lowest source: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

# of times East students eat out in a week vs # of times East students cook at home

# of People

= out to eat = home cooked meals

0

1

2

3

4

# of Times a Week

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ith so many renovations and new developments occurring in the downtown area of Columbus in the past five years, the city has grown tremendously.

Having a larger population, the city has yet to create more grocery stores for the spread community.

There are two large food deserts in Bartholomew County that have the possibility to affect students at East.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food deserts are an area in which a substantial amount of the residents have low access to a supermarket or large grocery store that provides fresh foods and produce.

Food deserts are determined by the census tract, with groups people based off of the United States census and by urban and rural areas.

Urban areas are considered a food desert if they are a mile or more away from the nearest grocery store, whereas rural areas must be 10 or more miles away from the nearest grocery store.

A map by the USDA shows a large prevalent food desert in the middle of Columbus from 17th street closely to State Road 46 and another substantial one in the northwest corner of Bartholomew County which extends to the crossing of National and Washington.

Not only do these food deserts cover a large portion of the county when combined, but the map places East High School itself right in the middle of one of the food deserts.

Some students do not even

know that food deserts exist.

Out of 40 students, only 13 even knew what a food desert was. After learning what a food desert was, seven students believed they live in a food desert. Even when they are not aware of the problem, students can be affected by lack of access to food every day.

As a result of the price and lack of access to fresh foods, people would rather go to a convenience store to buy foods that are processed and high in sugars and fats than go to grocery stores. If a convenience store does have something typically considered healthy, like an apple, it often costs a more for one item than it would for a bundle at a supermarket. For many students, getting to the grocery store is harder than anything else due to minimal means of transportation.

When looking at transportation to these grocery stores, many are limited in transportation and getting to supermarkets is harder than just hopping in the car with a parent. Resident often have to rely on public transportation, carpooling or walking to and from the stores. In a city such as Indianapolis, the downtown area is highly populated and seemingly easier to obtain travel means to a grocery store, yet Indianapolis has food deserts all over the city simply due to a lack of healthy options.

The two large food deserts in Columbus cause concern for member of the Columbus Human Rights Commission

design by Emily Hales & Annie Bastian | photos by Noah Shoaf

Does your family regularly go to a supermarket or grocery store for fresh produce/foods?

No 15% Yes 85%

Entire families sometimes do not have the resources or the time to travel across town for their groceries, nor can the city expect them to. Instead, residents must work together to provide a place where families are able access proper nutrition at a price they can afford.

Does your family go to pantries available in the city? (i.e. CEHS food pantry) Yes 2.5%

No 97.5%

Fairoaks Mall Donnor Park

Do you believe your home is located in a food desert?

N

te

St.

Columbus East High School

Sta

Yes 21%

d

Bartholomew County Public Library

oa lR

Columbus Regional Hospital

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and Social Studies Department Chair, Greg Lewis, when seeing how large they are.

“I was a little bit surprised by how big it is, because in Columbus we talk about ‘It’s Columbus, Indiana,’ ‘We’re the Athens of the Midwest.’ We’re such a progressive city, and in many ways we are, but it’s a sobering reality that that map still exists,” Lewis said.

There could be a potential solution to the large food desert in the middle of town though. A food cooperation (co-op) is a food distribution program that has members basically own the grocery store.

The Columbus Food Co-op has the idea of opening up near people out of reach of the Krogers or Walmarts in town.

The Columbus Food Co-op promotes locally grown and produced foods to be sold to community members.

Although they are still trying to raise money for the store’s opening, the idea is to strengthen the economy and improve health while supporting local community members’ farming and growing.

As the community continues to grow, there will continue to be a problems related to food access in Bartholomew County and Columbus specifically. The growth of the population calls for far more than new houses and apartments.

“With that resurgence and all those people choosing to live downtown, one of the goals is to try to find a way to bring a grocery store or supermarket or something closer to the downtown area to try to eliminate some of that [food desert],” Lewis said.

# of times students eat out in a week vs # of times students cook at home

design by Emily Hales & Annie Bastian | photos by Noah Shoaf = out to eat = home cooked meals

No 79%

out of 48 students surveyed

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Cover

Food pantry helps students and community members have a reliable and accessible food source

By Yetla Reyna

N

ot having a stable income can lead to complications in getting food.

While there are many ways someone can end up in this situation, there are different places that help these people in the community. Many students at East are able to use the Columbus East Food Pantry, formerly known as the E Street Food Pantry.

Over 13,000 families have been helped by the Columbus East Food Pantry since its opening in 2013.

Over 30 percent of the students at East are on free or reduced lunch, and the pantry was opened to help said students gain access to food outside of breakfast and lunch provided by the school.

An anonymous junior at East attends the food pantry regularly. As a child, she was unable to reach a grocery store easily so she had days where she would not know where her next meal came from.

“I was way out [in a rural area], so I wasn’t able to get to the store every day. I wasn’t close, so I didn’t have the

choice,” she said.

The student does not go for just herself, she goes to help friends and some in her family.

She helps them because she knows they would rather not go to the pantries themselves.

The junior student particularly enjoys going to the food pantry at East, but is continuously dragged to other pantries by her grandma.

“She’s probably one of the regulars because she doesn’t have any income at all. I go to help her. I get like mashed potatoes and corn or vegetables and give them to her,” she said.

Although the food pantry was originally for students, there was a struggle in getting students to come when it first opened. With there being so much food available, the doors were opened to the com-

munity.

Greg Lewis, the head coordinator for the food pantry, orders all food and makes sure that shipments come in smoothly. He explains that the number of students attending the pantry did not grow steadily.

“You would think we would just have tons of kids in there.

If they qualify for free and reduced lunch they might be food insecure at home too,” Lewis said.

Food insecurity is a feeling brought on from not knowing where or when the next meal is coming from. The term also applies if a person knows their next meal will not be plentiful or nutritional enough to be considered a real meal.

The pantry is set up in a point system with all of the cli-

ents having 20 points each time they go. The system helps all the clients make sure they have a little of all types of foods, with five points for meat, two points for snacks and the rest for items like canned corn or boxed macaroni and cheese.

Part of the insecurity is alleviated when student and community clients know their food will have a variety of nutrients and be generous.

Since it is a free food pantry, all food is donated by Gleaners, a philanthropic organization located in Indianapolis. Lewis explains the partnership with high schools and Gleaners itself.

“They raise money, and they use that money to buy staple items; items people would want. They give us $1000 a month to spend. Gleaners just brings down a big huge truck, it’s a refrigerated truck, and they usually will deliver two to three pallets of food. Then we schlep it inside the food pantry,” Lewis said.

The pantry itself is no larger than a small storage room that used to be an office. The orga-

Cover

The Columbus East Food Pantry nization is key to packing as many foods as they can, including frozen and fresh goods, into the small space available.

Since opening in the April of 2013 and ordering about twice a month, the Columbus East Food Pantry has ordered 74,929 pounds of items from Gleaners’ website, which has amounted to a total of $39,150.44. But these totals do not count for the canned goods donated from local drives. With such large numbers, it is hard to see what impact the food pantry really has on Columbus. In a three hour time period, the pantry processes about 60 families

each opening.

The Columbus East Food Pantry has helped students tremendously in finding an accessible food source. Students and community members all benefit from the food pantry at East, but it only opens up twice in a month. Having a stable source of food is a troubling problem in Columbus, but the Columbus

East Food Pantry is helping solve the problem one family at a time.

Students & Lifestyle

at Home Student furthers the ‘Me Too’ movement at East

By Noah Shoaf

T

he Me Too movement has gained momentum in the world of social media with stories of women coming forward and accusing powerful men of sexual harassment. Famous producers, actors, politicians and tech giants have been blacklisted. It is a phenomenon that seems somewhat disconnected with high school.

In reality, schools have many issues regarding sexual

harassment. The American Association of University Women found that nearly half of students surveyed in grades 7–12 experienced some form of sexual harassment within school walls. Verbal harassment was the most common but physical harassment and harassment on social media were high as well.

Verbal and physical sexual harassment is what a fellow Olympian found herself expe-

riencing. She was trapped in a classroom where those of the opposite gender felt they had power over her. The student chose to remain anonymous.

“Last year. I didn’t feel very comfortable in a certain class but nothing bad happened. Going into the second year of the class, I escalated to the point where I physically couldn’t walk into the class without somebody yelling something

sexual towards me or touching me anyway shape or form.”

In the male-dominated class, the victim felt powerless and her situation kept getting worse. Also, it didn’t help that the teacher was often not in the classroom.

“One instance I was sitting there and one of the guys grabbed my neck and whispered sexual things into my ear. It made me very uncom-

reasons for sexual harrassment

it said they were wanted to get back at the person 39% thought 34% 23% was funny being stupid for something done to them

33%

of students had someone make unwelcome sexual comments, jokes, or gestures about them

46% of girls 22% of boys

18 February 8, 2018

ME TOO.

after being sexually harrassed...

32% 31%

did not want to go to school felt sick to their stomach

30%

found it hard to study

design by Aliza Presto | photo by Noah Shoaf

tell the Deans. I didn’t want them to think I was making it up or just wanting attention.”

Luckily, she had a caring friend who saw a video of the harassment taking place. The friend then went to a teacher who then got in touch with the counselors and deans.

The video brought proof and with that, she was able to drop the class. She admits without the proof and without her teacher caring for her well

being, she might still be in the class. A class that was not teaching her knowledge for a career as she expected, but rather about the harsh reality of sexual harassment.

Because of her experience, she has learned that sexual harassment is closer to home than expected and that it affects the whole study body.

“I have friends, whether it was a guy or a girl, say they have been called sexual names

or over a text or Snapchat, or have just been touched in an inappropriate way. Both genders experience it, it’s not just a female issue.”

The Me Too movement may not directly be affecting East, but there is an important conversation taking place in this school. It is a topic focused on respecting and maintaining equality and aimed at preventing victims of sexual harassment.

students & Lifestyle

fortable then he took my hand and wrote with a sharpie sexual things on my hand and he told me if I washed it off, he would slap me.”

After that incident, she tried to get out of the class. She was told to wait until the end of the semester to transfer. At the end of the semester, she was denied once again to dropped the class because she didn’t tell the reason for dropping the class.

“In a way, I was scared to

Dance Marathon preview

By Jake Schoenegge

W

hen the arrival of February, Dance Marathon is coming up and it is going to be bigger and better than ever before, with plenty of food, drinks, prizes and entertainment.

The annual dance will take place at Central Middle School. It will be on February 24 into the morning of February 25. The dance starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday and lasts until 6 a.m.

Sunday. The doors will open at 7 p.m. so don’t be late!

The entertainment will be awesome with the night featuring a game of Nine Square, Zumba, awesome DJs, bands, Giant Cup Pong, Gaga Ball and so much more. There will also be awesome prizes including scholarships for seniors, event tickets; gift cards.

People who fundraise the most could receive a $200 visa gift card!

There are plenty of food sponsors so be ready to dig in to food from some of the best places around. Food will include sweets, a taco bar, wings, pizza and milkshakes. There will be new food every hour and as much as you can eat.

Registration can be accepted at the door or will be available online at turningpointdv.org. Do not forget your minimum donation of $20, a student ID; and a parent signature. Come support Turning Point Domestic Violence Services and have some fun!

Left: Students pose at the “Friends” photo booth. | Right: Students from Dance Marathon 2017 share the reasons why they dance.

design by Aliza Presto | photos provided by David Phan and Paige Beales

February 8, 2018

19

Students & Lifestyle

Gender outnumbered Students experience classroom gender imbalance

M

ost students are aware of the stereotypes associated with certain classes, such as age or academic history. However, one stereotype people do not always consider is the correlation between gender and certain classes.

The rosters of East’s AP Language and Composition classes show that the majority of enrolled students are female, whereas AP Physics rosters show that the majority of enrolled students are male.

Junior Jared Baker is one of five males in his AP English class. Out of the twenty-two students in his class, there are seventeen females.

“It’s kind of pressuring sometimes because the girls in that class are a lot smarter than me,” Baker said.

In addition to taking the class for college credit, Baker also feels inclined to do well because he is one of the only males.

“I don’t want to be characterized as the dumb boy in the class,” Baker said.

Chasidy Kannianen, the AP Language and Composition teacher, believes the gender differences affect her classroom and the perspectives brought to class. However, she does not believe the differences in gender have an effect on student performance.

“I think both genders have strengths and weaknesses,” Kannianen said, “Girls tend to be more organized, but I have had some males who are extremely organized.”

20 February 8, 2018

By Liz Hagan

This English class requires students to analyze different texts as well as write a variety of papers. As an AP course, the content is more challenging for most students.

“Some boys, in my opinion, don’t believe they can tackle that rigorous of content,” Kannianen said.

The percentage difference of males to females in AP Physics classes are quite similar to that of AP English classes, however, males claim the majority.

Sophomore Emie Kiser is one of eight females who chose to take the course. She believes more girls do not sign up for the class

because of the stereotype that boys are going to be better at it.

“If you think you’re going to be outnumbered, it’s kind of discouraging to enter that kind of class,” Kiser said.

Dellvenna Hambling, the AP Physics teacher, believes that a student who may have had a bad experience learning math early on may decide to opt out of higher level math and science courses in high school. As a result, some girls may choose not to take such advanced classes.

“Unfortunately, I think it’s still a case where we tend to

pigeonhole that guys are good at math and girls are good at English,” Hambling said, “and that’s absolutely not true at all.”

According to both Kannianen and Hambling, student performance is not affected by the vast difference in number of males to females in their classes. Although this may be true, students typically recognize whether or not they are a minority in certain classes.

Statistics in Classes: (2018, Semester 2)

AP English 73.1% 49 Female Students 26.9% 18 Male Students

AP Physics 32% 8 Female Students 68% 17 Male Students

26.9%

32% 73.1%

68%

design by Connor Reed

V

alentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love. More importantly, it is a day to get candy and cute little Valentine’s Day gifts for someone else, or even yourself. Not everyone has a job to pay for expensive gifts, so if you’re stuck making a craft, here’s a cute idea that takes about ten minutes and very little crafting ability. Enjoy!

students & Lifestyle

By Elaina Sims

materials

1

2 1

• Construction paper (yellow, light pink and dark pink/red for the hearts) • Miniature Reese’s Cups • Hershey’s Kisses (I got Hugs, which are basically the same thing) • Gray ribbon • Scissors • Tape (glue will also work too) • Pen and pencil • Optional: red ribbon

3

5

Take about four Reese’s cups and carefully wrap yellow construction paper around them. This is a bit difficult, so roll the paper first and then put the Reese’s cups in. Tape the first one on the bottom of one side.

After putting in all of the Reese’s, it is time for the pencil eraser. Take a small square of light pink paper. Take the

2 paper and put the pencil in the center. Bend the paper around the end. This might look a bit messy, but ribbon will go over the uneven pieces. If it is too uneven, take scissors and cut. Tape the paper onto the pencil.

it is time for the gray ribbon. Cut a piece that is a little longer than the circumference of the pencil. Wrap it 3 Now around the pencil where the light pink paper ends to cover the uneven edges, then tape it onto the pencil. it is time for the gray ribbon. Cut a piece that is a little 4 Now longer than the circumference of the pencil. Wrap it around

the pencil where the light pink paper ends to cover the uneven edges, then tape it onto the pencil.

take a piece of tape and roll it to where it is sticky on both 5 Now sides (Double-sided tape works too). Then take a Kiss (or Hug, in my case) and put it onto the bottom. Stick this onto the other end of the pencil, opposite from where the eraser is. The kiss will represent the lead tip of the pencil.

write your message on the heart. I wrote Happy Valen6 Now tine’s Day, but other messages work, too. I also wrote in pen on the heart, but if you are fearful of messing up, write it in pencil first.

7

Tape the heart onto the middle of the pencil. I used the same tape technique I did with the Kiss (roll the tape so it is sticky on both sides). Doublesided tape works, too.

Optional: Take red ribbon and wrap it around the pencil wherever you would like (I did mine under the eraser and silver ribbon.) Finally, tie the red ribbon into a bow.

design by Audrey Tian | photos by Elaina Sims

February 8, 2018

21

Cards Students & Lifestyle

here: Dollar Tree rice: $1.07

Happy Valentine’s Day

valentine’s day gift ideas Candy

Where: Target Price: $1-$15

te Night

By Bre Burton

Any restaurant 50

Flowers

Flowers

Where: Grocery stores Price: $5-$25

Where: Grocery stores Price: $5-$25

Cards Where: Dollar Tree Price: $1.07

Cards

Happy Where: Dollar Tree Valentine’s Jewelry Price: $1.07 Where: Kay/JaredDay Price: $15-$100

Jewelry Where: Kay/Jared

I Love you to the moon & back

Date Night Where: Any restaurant Price: $50

Price: $15-$100 I Love you to the moon & back

Date Night Where: Any restaurant Price: $50

Candy Where: Target Price: $1-$15

Candy Where: Target Price: $1-$15

22 February 8, 2018

design by Bre Burton

H Va

East students share ideas for new COURSES to be offered at school

E

ast offers a great diversity of classes, from unique science classes like Paleontology to hands-on experiences like Education Professions, but there are still more classes students would like to have a chance to take. Students’ biggest complaint with courses at East is that they provide few practical skills. Below are the most demanded courses that would pull attendance from every type of student.

How to Adult Overwhelmingly, a course on the basics of adulthood intrigued East students. High

By Delaney Jackson

schoolers often leave high school feeling unprepared for basic life tasks such as buying a car, paying taxes and cooking basic meals.

“How to Adult” would be a single semester class possibly paired with Personal Finance providing the tools young adults need to survive on their own. According to the National Public Radio, adults ages 18 to 34 are more likely to live with their parents than in any other living situation, showing that “adulting” is challenging to many young people.

Students constantly com-

ND . GP 570

plain of leaving East knowing how to find the square root of x, but having no idea how to cope in the real world. A class on adulthood would allow for a deeper understanding of real-world issues and may encourage a more independent future for East students.

Drivers Education High school is full of many milestones to independence and perhaps the most notable is receiving the driver’s license.

In order to earn a license as soon as possible, students are required to take a Drivers Ed course at a local driving

students & Lifestyle

class cravings school which takes a significant amount of extra-curricular time, not to mention the steep $500 cost! This extra time leads many East students to desire the class to be offered during the school day.

The concept of a school-day course is not rare in the U.S., as it teaches students a very practical skill. With Drivers Ed as a high school course, students would come away with not only a practical life skill, but an improved understanding of safety.

Pregnancy Services STI Testing & Treatment

ClarityCares.org design by Robert Kanehl

February 8, 2018

23

Sports

right up my alley the striking story of taylor branigan

By Chesney Loehr

A

s a community, we typically identify the word “sports” with football, baseball and soccer, but Columbus East junior Taylor Branigan associates the word “sports” with bowling. Branigan is a part of the bowling team at Columbus North High School.

Branigan began bowling in sixth grade and started playing for the Columbus East Bowling team in eighth grade. He played for East up until his sophomore year, but the team lost several players prompting his transfer to North’s team.

Luckily, joining the team was easier than he expected.

“I have friends at North and I have class at North so I was eligible to play for them,” Branigan said.

Branigan participates in team competitions every month through a tournament called The Kegler Open (TKO), and has won twice. In the singles category, he triumphed in Regionals and finished 21st in the state.

Branigan’s interest in bowling developed as a child.

“I have fun with my friends and my family. My grandpa got me into bowling and taught me how to [play], then I made a whole bunch of friends and had fun,” Branigan said.

When bowling, Branigan feels a delighted about himself and all of his accomplishments.

“I feel happy and proud of myself when I’m bowling because it has taken me so long to get where I am at now,” Branigan said.

Although unexpected, bowling is a fun sport and a great way to meet new people. Branigan suggests joining bowling, as it is provides intense competition in a relaxing atmosphere.

“I think others should bowl because it is a great sport and it’s fun to go with your friends and a great way to make new friends,” Branigan said .

Branigan has accomplished so much in his bowling career, and plans on continuing his streak of success no matter the team.

24 February 8, 2018

design by Leo Saldivar and Aliza Presto | photo by Natalie Ryan

D

espite the already high standards, Columbus East’s Wrestling team has still managed to excel this season after coming off a great 2017 season that included a Hoosier Hills conference team title as well as a State Championship victory by then sophomore Cayden Rooks. All the wrestlers that earned their way to the State Championship last year have returned. Wrestlers include brothers Cayden and Graham Rooks, Corban Pollitt, Jake Schoenegge and Dawson Combest, and they all intend to return to the State Championship.

“The whole team has really come together and put in a lot of work. I feel like we’ve grown a lot as a team inside and outside of wrestling. We’ve had to work really hard especially this year for us seniors, to try and make our last chance at a state championship in the best way that we can,” senior Dawson Combest said.

Unfortunately, for some of East’s most successful wrestlers, this is the final hurrah.

Seniors Corban Pollitt, Dawson Combest, Graham Rooks, Andy Davidson and Victor Cruz only have one more season to perform.

“It was fun and I’m going to miss my team,” senior Graham

Sports

Pushing forward wrestling continues success streak

By Erik Cardoso and Caleb Davidson

Rooks said.

Despite the departing seniors, the team will still be left in good hands. The Olympians are as deeply established as any team in the state of Indiana.

Though there will be five seniors leaving, the team will be left in good hands especially from juniors Jake Schoenegge, Cayden Rooks, Jacob Bolte, Nick South, Jeremy Clark and Dalton Anderson. All of these wrestlers already have excellent accolades from their first three years and will look to continue to become better.

This year’s season has been a major success from the beginning and is now coming down to its final stretch. The team captured a second straight Hoosier Hills Conference title on Jan. 13 as well as finishing 19-4 during the regular season, which is an improvement over last year’s mark of 18-5. In spite of last year’s post wrestling season, the Olympians are still looking to improve and have more success than they have even had before. Having a variety of top tier wrestlers from multiple weight classes gives the Olympians a shot of a

state title.

Looking forward to this year’s state tournament in February, Columbus East wrestling team is arguably in one of the most difficult semi-states in the state. However, facing top tier kids is nothing new to the team.

Throughout their season, they have been going to a handful of the toughest tournaments to compete with the best teams the state has to offer.

design by Logan Foote and Audrey Tian | photos by Shelby Gordon

February 8, 2018

25

Flippin’ for fun

Abby Lewis

J

By Maggie Gregory

unior Abby Lewis has been a part of the East gymnastics team since she was a freshman. She competes in all four events: vault, bars, floor, and her strongest, beam. Outside of gymnastics, Abby enjoys hanging out with her friends and playing with her golden retrievers.

influence

My older sister Audrey influenced me to start gymnastics. When I was little, from ages 4 through 10, she used to put bean bags on the floor and force me to do back tucks and back handsprings. I hated it at the time, but she made me a better gymnast and helped me become more advanced for my age.

Favorite part

When you are in a high school sport that practices 6 days a week for 3 hours a day, your teammates become more like family, and goofing around and talking to them is the highlight of my day.

Favorite professional athlete

Ragan Smith, she is my age and made the backup Olympic team.

favorite memory

26 February 8, 2018

How long she has been a gymnast

I started taking gymnastics classes when I two, just like all other kids, but I started competing when I was 5 years old. Though I was too young to compete in the first couple meets, I finally was able to when I turned 6. I quit club gymnastics when I was twelve and started highschool when I was fourteen. So I have been a gymnast for about 10 years.

Biggest challenge Pain and broken bones, throughout my life I have had to deal with breaking my foot 4 separate times, my wrist 4 separate times, as well as having knee and wrist surgery. I also have scoliosis, and a shoulder that dislocates everytime I raise it above my head, and many other little things. I’m very prone to injuries.

My favorite memor y was beating Colu mbus North Gymnastics as a team this year.

design by Aliza Presto | photo by Liz Hagan

Sports

Snowy Alernatives Best places for winter fun

By Ethan Glaid and Lexi Parton

Perfect North

Paoli Peaks

At Perfect North, which is located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., you will find 5 chair lifts, 22 trials and plenty of activities like snowboarding, skiing and snow tubing. Guests have to buy a lift ticket to stay up to eight consecutive hours.

Paoli Peaks is open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is located in Paoli, Indiana. It has a nice and cozy lodge. It has many options like the Bonk, which is for the beginners and has a 100 foot rope tow, and Pioneer Park, which is a trick park for experts and contains obstacles like a downpipe rail and 40 foot launch pipe rail. With all of these options, visitors are still able to hide inside instead of facing the cold.

Hamilton Ice Arena

Hamilton Ice Arena is a year-round indoor ice skating arena in Columbus, Indiana. Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., there are available private rentals, birthday parties and other events such as Princess Tea and Shamrock Skate.

Princess Tea is a time when you can eat cookies, drink tea, and skate with your favorite princess. Shamrock Skate is wear green and get free skate rental.

Cost is $4.50 for adults, $4 for kids and $2 for a skate or scooter rental. Kids four and under are free. Hamilton Ice Arena offers plenty of reasons to get out of bed during Winter.

Ceraland Last but not least, Ceraland Park is an awesome place for the little kids of town. While the park is primarily known for its awesome camping retreats and water park, it is also a top-notch sledding spot. The hills at Ceraland are not too steep or tall, making them ideal for children. design by Reagan Perkins

Pop Weaver Youth Pavilion Pop Weaver Youth Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Admission is $9 and $3 for skate rental. The facility gives lessons on how to skate if people Clifty Hills is a great sledding spot for are beginners or if they just want to all types of sledders. It has various hills get better. Public skate is open from 11 ranging from beginner level to a much a.m. to 1 p.m. There are birthday parmore advanced level. Located by Clifty ties rentals, hockey lessons and figure Creek Elementary School, the hills are skating lessons and shows available. easy to get to and very kid-oriented.

Clifty is great for a last-minute school cancellation plan.

Clifty Creek Elementary School

Freedom Park

Freedom park is another fun sledding option. While the park is a good option, the location is not ideal. Located in Greenwood, Indiana, Freedom Park is a little out of the way for a few mere hours of sledding, but it still holds a worthy spot on the list. While the park Mill Race Park is a great family-friendis mostly known for its waterworks, ly sledding spot. It is home to some of it still brings just as much joy when the best architecture around Columbus, sledding. and there is no better way to view it than sledding down a hill. The park includes a variety of hills ranging from small to tall, with the largest located behind the park’s amphitheater.

If speed is your thing, Grandview is the place to go. Grandview Lake is the best spot for the daredevils of Columbus.

The lake includes some of the steepest hills around, making it the perfect thrill ride down the hill. Grandview never fails to provide a good time.

Mill Race Park

Grandview Lake

February 8, 2018

27

Arts & Entertainment

Star wars isn’t how star wars has changed for better or worse

I

n a galaxy far, far away, there once was a monolith-styled film saga called Star Wars. In the 70s and 80s, Star Wars focused on core values to establish what sci-fi could and would do, making strong characters and an even stronger universe for them to live in.

Star Wars held true to a religious-like doctrine, usually drifting towards what could and could not be done in the world. This was easily obtainable for viewers to comprehend in its time.

The prequels stayed with the ideals and lore of the older films and even helped to better establish it for the new generations of viewers. Character development was very prevalent, focusing primarily on one character, Anakin Skywalker, and a little on Obi-Wan Kenobi. This overall helped the film strengthen its universe.

Fast forward, and Disney has released the newest material for this generation to gobble up passionately. However, disheartened fans found a shell of what was once a beloved series.

What drove them away, or at least to a feudal state?

Character development, world development or perhaps style and aesthetic some would say. The movies, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi try hard to reinvent and to make themselves stand apart from the original series, and this is where things are changed.

The new trilogy works as a nostalgia cash in for past

30 February 8, 2018

By Isaac Harper

fans, and as most movies also do this, it was no surprise when the new Star Wars was announced. Disney took the perfect opportunity of their newly acquired asset to boost marketing.

Star Wars has always focused on developing a set group of characters in its universe. For the prequels this was Obi-Wan and Anakin, and for the originals Luke, Leia and Han Solo were plotted with the most development. This allowed for the audience to create a personal connection with the characters, making it easily digestible to the viewer. The new trilogy, on the other hand, introduces an abundance of characters and has not stopped doing so.

The world has also been changed vastly. The world obviously is not always referring to actual planets, but instead things that happen in the universe. The locations visited in the movie seems a little underdeveloped and dry.

But possibilities in the universe itself now have been expanded to very far ends in terms of technology.

As mentioned before, Star Wars had a set of rules that were to be followed religiously.

The new movies try to introduce elements that confuse a lot of people, which cannot be explained without heavy spoilers.

Finally, humor, something that Star Wars always approached in a indirect manner, is now changed forever. Star

Wars never had an intentional jokes, only moments that possibly could be interpreted as funny. If you have seen any of the new trilogy, excluding Rogue One, you can easily find it teeming with purposeful jokes and humor. This separates it from the original untouched feel.

The style of film has changed over the years, and sadly Star Wars franchise has also. Having to adapt to modern cinema they have had to lose their unique quirkiness found in the original films.

Star Wars is not the same anymore, but perhaps it is more adaptable for younger generations.

design by Reagan Perkins

Arts & entertainment

I

n the days after an album is released, new reviews pop up everywhere. Critics are quick to cover it while people care. In the rush to finish the review and entertain viewers, crucial details can be underrated or completely overlooked. This is to be expected, especially when an album later becomes iconic in pop culture.

While many of the albums

Nirvana bleach Rating: 7/10

The ramones rocket to russia Rating: 5/10

viewed in this sense are great, for various reasons, they tend to be somewhat glorified.

Most music sounds better the second time it is listened to. If someone goes a long time without hearing their favorite song, it can be easy to overrate it.

Think about how many Nirvana shirts pass through the hallways every week.

Why? Some of the people

wearing them have never listened to Bleach. While the idea that people will not recognize the iconic band is incredibly unsettling, it is true.

However, it does not really matter. Nobody says anything because of the band’s icon status, but what gives them this status?

As with many other artworks, genius is not immediately recognizable. When

an album or other work is first released, it is underrated and, not given the credit it deserves.

An album’s impact is often propelled by an event relating to the work. When they were first produced, the records that changed the face of music today, did not do so great in the charts. They sold some copies and got decent reviews, but were not making history.

When Bleach was first released in 1989, people liked it. Most seemed to think it was a decent album produced by a good band, but that was it. Today, there are two main opinions circling around.

There are those that believe “Bleach-era Nirvana” is the true sound that changed the history of music, and there are those that believe the band’s 1991 album was the soundtrack of their generation.

While many Bleach-era fans describe the great intensity and energy of the beloved album, it may not have had as much success if the later release, Nevermind had not gained the band so many followers. Most fans of this album seem to be on the older side, the original fans, while many millennials seem to prefer the newer sound.

One important detail to remember about Bleach-era Nirvana, is that it was not yet the famous trio. It instead featured Chad Channing as the drummer, which caused a bit of controversy in 2014, when he was not inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame alongside Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic.

Originally released in 1977, this album is in one of the most debated genres of its time. While there are a few reviewers that swing totally one way or the other, most have agreed to place it somewhere between rock n’ roll and one of the earliest examples of punk.

Most of the influences on this album came from popular music around in the 70’s, such as the Beach Boys. What most critics initially said, was that the band dressed up popular music, to create their own unique sound.

This resulted in the songs we have come to know, like Sheena Is a Punk Rocker and Why is it Always this Way? While this album has sort of lost its hold on pop culture, it laid the foundation for some of the most iconic works today. All of the artists that people know and love, were influenced by bands such as the Ramones and others from their time.

design by Aliza Presto | story by Abigale Smith

February 8, 2018

29

artist spotlight

F

or his senior project, Dylan Erdman set out on the ambitious journey of recording and releasing an album with his band, Grow. Erdman’s bandmates and fellow East students Isaac Harper, Alex Schumacher, Jacob Murphy and James Harrison formed the group through Nomad Arts, where all proceeds from the albums sales will be donated.

How did Grow form?

Seeing the talents of other people [through Nomad Arts] let me know that there were people in my own company that I could work with.

When did you decide to produce an album?

I didn’t know what I wanted to do for my project and I had a band… I had to think of something for my proposal I was like, ‘Hey I could make an album with these guys.

It would be fun, they would be willing and we have the resources to do it.’

What resources did you use to make this happen?

Alex [Schumacher] was given to opportunity through his church to use very nice audio equipment there... and they would have us just play live sessions of our songs. That was a huge opportunity for us because four out of six songs on the album are

30 February 8, 2018

By Natalie Ryan from the church recording and they sound really good. We’re just starting to write cohesive songs so having that come together is a really big step for all of us.

How are you planning on promoting the album?

I have posters… and of course the Grow Instagram page.

What other steps are you taking for your senior project?

I’m grateful I have my mentor [Robert Jim] Roeder, he’s the head of the television and radio department, and he had these huge disk burners and I’m buying disks myself that I’ll burn.

And Logan Clem, his father works at Prestige Printing and he obliged to print us 100 cases for free. It’s being done with art that I’m making myself along with Alex [Schumacher].

What is your favorite song and how did it come to be?

We have a song called

Love/ Hate/Passion/Warfare and it’s eight minutes long, almost nine, and [Isaac Harper] took a very simple melody, only three cords. It’s very slow; very buildy and he put almost tear inducing lyrics over it about loss. Just the emotion that comes out of it in the first place and how it all comes together at the end like a big climax is really rewarding to play and to call our own.

Where will people be able access the album?

You can listen to it on Bandcamp… You can approach any one of the band members and buy a copy for $5 which all goes back to Nomad Arts.

design by Emily Hales | photo by Bre Burton

Arts & entertainment

T

Forthcoming fanatics Fan Culture at East

By Courtney Schnur

he sheer power of the fandom, a group of dedicated fans bonded together by a common interest, is an almost unrivaled force in the world of media and pop culture. Through fandoms, individuals band together to form a community of support for the revered person or work they admire. Any accessible form of media can easily become subject ripe for winning over the affections of

connects with other fans through their accounts.

On any given late night, sophomore Faith Briggs and her family members or friends could be caught at home together after a long and stressful day “gleeking out,” a term dubbed by fans of the popular television show Glee.

They bond over the experience and discuss the episodes after watching them.

The popular television show has made an extremely positive impact

on her life.

The program revolves around the struggles of an ever evolving main cast of characters in the show choir at fictional McKinley High School. When the show first aired on Fox in 2009, it stood out as one of the first shows to center around characters in a music performance group, which initially attracted Briggs to the program.

“Glee is all about differences and accepting those differences.

They really want to highlight the

fact that something other people may not like about you can be an advantage rather than a disability or something bad,” Briggs said.

As a member of the East show choir and theater group she finds the scenarios and plot of the show to resemble and relate to her personal life and experiences.

Both of these ladies have found a source of happiness from supporting the creative pursuits of others, which is something to definitely be a fan of.

an audience and creating a fanbase.

For East senior Heather Langevin, a passion rooted in her appreciation for pop music fuels her immense enthusiasm for supporting popular musicians in the genre. A few artists on her long list of idols which she follows include the likes of Little Mix, One Direction, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and an up-and-coming boy band known as Pretty Much.

“I just really really like pop music and it’s kind of a part of me. I feel like pop music is like really peppy and upbeat and eccentric and I feel like I’m really out there and I feel like the music I listen to is poppy and kind of shows who I am as a person,” Langevin said.

By spending time on popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, Langevin stays updated about the whereabouts of her favorite celebrities and

Faith Briggs and Heather Langevin represent their fandoms through clothing and hand gestures. design by Tori Overfelt | photo by Noah Shoaf

February 8, 2018

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The Columbus East Show Choir placed ďŹ rst runner up at the Lebanon Charisma Invitational on January 20.

They also won the People’s Choice, Best Crew and Best Band awards.

The East Girls Basketball team celebrate after winning the Sectional title on February 3. They advance to Regionals this week.