2010-11 Issue 1

Spark Lakota East High School October 18, 2010 Newsstand $4

one vote.

$23 million.

excellence.

the future depends on

the faces of the levy

1 | Spark | lehsspark.org

2 | Spark | October 18, 2010

OCTOBER 2010

Volume XXIX Issue CXXXII

Simple Six

Contents

Package

26 Faces of the Levy Exploring the background of Lakota’s financial state and where the district plans to go after the November levy.

30 Little Miami’s Minimum Comparing how the Little Miami and Lakota school districts are heading down the same road due to continually failing levies.

Little Miami School District history teacher Marty Skidmore describes his grim outlook on his school’s future, pondering his lack of job security.

Mike Taylor to Retire Love without Borders Studly Dudley Social Networking On the Upswing Head to Head

09 19 46 56 68 72

30

33 An Ultra-Fine Line The job security of East art teachers Jesse and Melissa Dornan is fading along with the hope for a passed levy.

38 Chalkboard Revolution The opinions of those in opposition to the levy and how they are broadcasting their message to the community.

40 Campbell’s Choice How a young family is doubting the quality of education in the Lakota District if the November levy does not pass.

42 Property Tax Blues How property taxes paid by local business owners affect the way in which Lakota is run.

cover faiz siddiqui, ariadne souroutzidis The different stories described in the issue’s package are illustrated by the collage, showing the levy does not have a single face.

3 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | letters

Forum Dear Spark, I really hope the school levy gets passed.

I feel like bare minimums could affect what college I get into and how much scholarship money I could receive. Keep pushing people to be more aware of the situation and encouraging them to vote for the levy.

—Anna Almquist, East junior Dear Spark, As a senior that has been in the Lakota Local School District my entire life, I know how important it is for the levy to pass. The community is talking about how the Lakota administration does not spend money the right way or control spending, but it does not realize how many classes are going to be cut, how many jobs are going to be lost, or how the student’s ability to learn in the classroom is going to decrease because the student-toteacher ratio is going to be extremely high.

I have noticed even at the beginning of this year that the classes I am in have more students than last year, which makes it hard to learn. My generation and the next generation are going to have an even harder time dealing with this economy because we will not have the knowledge we need to succeed.

The district is not even going to know what success means if the levy fails.

The effect that failing the levy will have on our community is disastrous. If Lakota Schools are not as good then the property values will decrease, causing people to move out of the district or attend private schools.

Overall, we cannot afford to not pass the levy in November. Think about it. Taxes might go up if it passes, but if it fails, property value will go down. As students we need this levy to pass. Our education is in the hands of the community. Everything that we worked toward during elementary, junior high and high school will be gone. The Lakota Local School District does need to control spending

Despite the rhetoric of these demagogues, there is no legal action anyone could take against Park 51. If the government attempted to stop its construction, it would be a violation of both the property rights and religious freedoms of the owners of this property. We cannot, as a nation, claim to defend religious liberty while simultaneously attacking the construction of a religious building because it is close to the site of a national tragedy.

It’s nice to see a calm, rational look at the issue, as illustrated by Faiz Siddiqui’s column on lehsspark.org. His defense of the construction of Park 51, and thus his defense of property rights and religious liberty, is a much greater tribute to patriotism and love of this country than any xenophobic tirade against the center. Keep up the good work.

—Luke Hall, Miami University freshman but we also needs classes and teachers to help create a better future. The district needs to stay outstanding which can only come through the passing of the levy.

—Abby Tepe, East senior Dear Spark, As a Republican, I am ashamed of the rhetoric that has pervaded my party’s ranks in regards to Park 51 or, more infamously, the “Ground Zero Mosque.” I can sympathize with the emotion of many of those who oppose building this community center, but I cannot defend the rampant exploitation of these sincere emotions for political gain.

The facts have been left behind in this issue. It is not on Ground Zero—it is two blocks away. It is not a mosque—it is a community center, open to people of all faiths, that has a Muslim prayer room.

However, these facts are overlooked by cynical politicians looking to exploit the deep emotions associated with the Sept. 11 attacks.

Spark Notes

In the March 2005 issue of Spark, Amy Chang’s special report highlighted the failure of the Lakota Local School District levy by only five votes—with 13,188 votes for and 13,193 against. The school district had concerns over the use of absentee and undervoted ballots.

Jamie Green, chair of the Committee

4 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Got Something To Say? The Spark, which provides an open forum for students, faculty, subscribers and community members, encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent to the publication at the address below or dropped off in the journalism classroom (room 118). Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The Opinion Editors will contact letter writers for confirmation.

Spark c/o Lakota East High School 6840 Lakota Lane Room 118 attn: Opinion Editor Liberty Township, OH 45044 Phone: (513) 759-8615 ext 15118 Fax: (513) 759-8633 Email: opinion@lehsspark.org

for Lakota’s Future stated, “We’re looking at a five-vote difference so every vote should count, whether it’s a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ vote.”

As a result of this, Lakota decided not to pursue another levy at the time.

Five years later, Lakota is back at the ballot, asking the community for another levy to support its schools.

Spark

levying for the levy

Mason Hood, Faiz Siddiqui, Ariadne Souroutzidis Editor-in-Chief Sarah Craig Business Manager Sarah Wilkinson Design Manager Dan Turner Photo Manager Jill Bange, Alyssa Davis Managing Editor Victoria Liang Web Manager

from the editor

Justine Chu Copy Director Tyler Kieslich, Christian Roehm, Lucy Stephenson Entertainment Editor Jenn Shafer, Christina Wilkerson Feature Editor Lauren Barker, Hannah Berling Lifestyle Editor Nathan Dibble, Shivang Patel, Nick Tedesco News Editor Tommy Behan, Sean Lewis, Nitya Sreevalsan Opinion Editor Megan Fogel, Victoria Reick-Mitrisin, Katie Szczur Package Editor Devin Casey, Kyle Morrison, Drew Souders Sports Editor Lisa Cai, Jeff Cargill, Ian Castro, Sarah Fanning, Rashma Faroqui, Emily Merrick, Logan Schneider Art Section Editor Eric Muenchen, Sara Patt, Sierra Whitlock Photo Section Editor Rachel Podnar Business Associate Brittany Bennett Public Relations Director Devon Lakes Ad Designer Melissa Gomez, Sami Knauft, Rachel Knock, Ashley Wolsefer Public Relations Reb Vachon Survey Coordinator Dean Hume Advisor

Spark is a publication that is produced at Lakota East High School. The magazine is completely studentgenerated through the efforts of the Journalism I, Journalism II and Journalism III-Honors classes. The publication material may not always reflect the views of the Lakota Local School District. Content is controlled and edited by the staff editors. The staff will publish only legally protected speech adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity and the invasions of privacy.

The publication is produced every five weeks on recycled paper. Production costs are covered through advertising and subscription sales and fundraisers.

Advertising information is available by writing to the address below or at business@lehsspark.org.

The purpose of Spark is to inform the students, faculty, subscribers and community members of news, information and issues that may influence or affect them.

Spark accepts news releases, guest columns and sports information releases.

Spark, a Gold Crown, Pacemaker and Gallup winner, is a member of the Ohio Scholastic Media Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association, Quill and Scroll and a Hall of Fame member of the National Scholastic Press Association.

Spark c/o Lakota East High School 6840 Lakota Lane Liberty Township, OH 45044 Phone: (513) 759-8615 ext 15118 Fax: (513) 759-8633 Email: editorialboard@lehsspark.org

L

ast year, as I sat through numerous Lakota Local School Board of Education meetings as a Spark news editor I learned two things: One: Board meetings are not the most entertaining way to spend Monday nights, especially when I could have been watching the latest episode of House.

Two: Schools are, in their very essence, businesses. Only instead of mass producing the latest products, schools are charged with making educated citizens.

In an ideal world, education would have all the money it needed. Obviously in these economic times, however, every business has had to readjust due to budget reductions. The reality is that even when the economy is healthy, very few people are open to raising taxes, even if the money is for education.

For that reason, Lakota levies have typically failed numerous times before they are passed. And each time money starts running out, class sizes grow and programs are evaluated for their worth. However, unlike industries, when schools downsize because of a lack of funding, the cuts impact hundreds of students’ futures, teachers’ careers and the community wellbeing.

When the district has less money to spend on educators, class sizes continue to grow and teachers acquire more students, making it difficult to give each student the individualized attention he or she needs to succeed.

The Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio project conducted by the Tennessee State Department of Education studied the effects of class sizes by monitoring over 7,000 students in 79 different schools from kindergarten to third grade.

Students were divided into three types of classes: small classes (13 to 17 students), regular classes (22 to 25 students) and regular-with-aide classes (22 to 25 students with a full-time teacher’s aide). Students who had been in larger classes were six to 13 months behind the other classes in math, science and reading. Additionally, those students were less likely to graduate from high school in four years.

But, if Lakota’s levy fails again and the district is reduced to state minimums, then the student-teacher ratio could increase to more than 30:1. Unfortunately, Ohio is not helping and expects the community to fund the schools. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that the state education finance system is unconstitutional four times, most recently in 2003, on the basis of “over reliance on property taxes” and “forced borrowing.” Yet, nothing is being done to fix the problem and it is almost inevitable that when the levies are failing every couple of years, the school will go through a financial crisis.

Lakota has been rated an “Excellent with Distinction” school in the past.

However, at state minimums, the district would cut over 100 classes and reduce the instructional time by 1,352.8 hours in the high schools. Opportunities for students and the extra help they need to “achieve to their fullest potential” would dwindle.

Students can survive with fewer extracurricular activities. But schools will not be as excellent when students are put into larger classes, class choices are reduced to state minimums and fewer honors or Advanced Placement classes are offered.

Regardless of whether or not the levy passes on Nov. 2, the outcome will affect the district and community for years to come. In this issue, Spark looks at the students who the levy will affect, the people who will decide the outcome of this levy–whether they oppose or approve of it–and the faces that might not be seen around our district anymore if this levy fails again. n

5 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | world map

NEWSWIRE Paris, France

Mexico City, Mexico

[Oct. 3] Mexican police investigated the abduction of 22 people in the resort town of Acapulco. Investigators have yet to find any leads in the case, but have found the cars in which the people were abducted.

[Oct. 1] Former French President Jacques Chirac faces charges of corruption for using his position as mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 to secure jobs for supporters in his political party.

infographic nathan dibble

Jerusalem, Israel Quito, Ecuador

[Sept. 30] Ecuador’s government teetered on the edge of collapse as President Rafael Correa spent hours holed up in a hospital surrounded by rebellious police. The police uprising came after Ecuador’s National Assembly passed a law that increased the time between police promotions.

[Oct. 2] Mideast peace talks grind to a halt as the ban on West Bank settlement construction ends. As new settlements break ground, it is clear that Palestinians will not negotiate for peace until settlements cease to be built on the West Bank.

Kabul, Afghanistan [Oct. 6] Authorities in southwestern Afghanistan seized 19 tons of explosive devices that had been transferred across the border from Iran, police said. Tehran has consistently denied supporting groups opposed to the Afghan government, but U.S. and coalition troops have found evidence of some Iranian weapons inside Afghanistan in seized caches or in the aftermath of attacks.

information and photos used with paid permission from www.mctcampus.com

234205094539284723984703 923904878975912385712390 857129038572395781395875 239841653395872384589234 589469045548946551231567 489874461354897685452135 498798745645213165489798 746543215456878474158524 6 | Spark | October 18, 2010

FACE VALUE

30

of 325 East students have been to an East girls’ tennis match

►

76

percentage of 523 East students think the levy will fail

story sarah craig The opportunity for East seniors to leave school after their fifth period class, commonly known as double early leave, was eliminated by the East administrative team for the 2010-11 school year. Currently, seniors are only offered the option of leaving after sixth period.

Last year, 74 seniors opted to have double early leave first semester and it rose to 120 by second semester. This year, 222 East students opted to take single early leave for the first semester.

“Some of the kids were taking advantage of the situation and were not doing things that they should have done responsibly during their early release times,” said East Principal Dr. Keith Kline. “With reduced resources and having to chase down students who abused the privilege, we simply do not have the staff available [to have double early leave].”

According to Kline, the feedback from East alumni has been negative towards double early leave.

“Kids have opportunities to take classes [at East] that they do not have from here on the rest of their life. We want them to take advantage of the offerings,” said Kline.

Additionally, students are obligated by the state to spend a minimum of five hours each day at school, and double early leave violated the allotted time. “[Students were] leaving in the middle of fifth period, which teeters too close to the state requirement,” said Kline.

East assistant principal Eric Bauman stressed that double early leave has caused scheduling problems as well.

“With reduced staff and growing class size, double early leave would cause 45 students in a classroom periods one through five and having 15 students in a classroom after fifth bell,” said Bauman.

Along with the hassle of adjusting senior schedules, East has one less counselor than last year to help organize schedules after Helene Kriner retired.

In addition, the extended days counselors were paid to organize schedules were eliminated with the budget cuts.

“It really came down to a time issue, and with one less counselor it was not feasible,” said Bauman.

Although East seniors still have the option to leave after sixth period, the removal of double early leave did not go unnoticed by students. In a survey of 523 East students, 57 percent of students said they were disappointed double early leave was eliminated. For example, East senior Katie Konopasek takes five core classes at East and has a sixth period study hall which she planned on being double early leave.

“I think it is unfair that seniors, who have worked hard the past three years of high school and earned all of their credits to graduate, have to sit in class six periods a day for their senior year when it is not necessary,” said Konopasek.

Unlike East, Lakota West administration has decided to keep double early leave for the 2010-11 school year. This has caused frustration for some East seniors who were looking forward to having this privilege during their senior year.

“I think it is unfair that East is not having double early leave. [Lakota] West still gets to have it. We are in the same district and I think we should have the same options,” said Konopasek. n

5

of 523 East students shower once each week

Spark

lehsspark

.org

High School Lakota East Online Edition

“I feel like I have a good relationship with the kids. I know they can come to me with questions and feel comfortable with me.”

—East teacher Sally Barker on her relationship with the English as a Second Language students (news)

“With Patagonian Rats, however, Tera Melos takes a bit of a left turn as Reinhart’s singing, which had previously been sporadic and buried, takes on a more prominent role.”

—East senior Tyler Kieslich on Tera Melos’ new release album (entertainment)

“...maple bats have been sending jagged shrapnel across the infield while ash bats have been sending small flakes that rarely leave the batter’s box.”

—East sophomore John Grasty in his sports opinion on banning maple bats from Major League Baseball (sports)

“I was angry that the terrorists had killed so many innocent and put fear in the hearts of the rest. But most importantly, I was furious at the fact that the terrorists had tarnished my reputation as a Muslim-American.”

—East senior Faiz Siddiqui on Sept. 11 and the Park 51 mosque (opinion)

143 ►

Double Early Leave Eliminated

of 325 East students eat breakfast each morning

21

out of 523 East students are adopted

7 | Spark | lehsspark.org

►

news | district news

District Opts out of Online Transaction Fee Due to budget restrictions, the Lakota Local School District can no longer afford to absorb the $2 online credit card transaction fee. Now, parents must pick up the cost. story nick tedesco | infographic emily merrick

A

s a part of the ongoing budget cuts in the Lakota Local School District, EZpay, the system that Lakota uses to allow parents to update their child’s lunch account and pay fees, will begin to charge a $2 fee to cover the cost of processing all credit and debit card transactions. Before the 201011 school year, this cost was covered by the district.

“Last year the credit card companies charged Lakota over $80,000 in convenience fees,” said Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Ron Spurlock. “Due to our struggling financial situation, we have been reviewing and evaluating all business expenses. Convenience fees were chosen because this fee is optional for our families and it will not negatively affect the classroom.”

According to Spurlock, Lakota started to use EZpay for lunch money in the spring of

2005 and for school fees in the fall of 2006.

From that point until the end of the 2009-10 school year, Lakota absorbed all expenses associated with transaction processing.

According to EZpay spokesperson David Geers, out of more than 100 districts that use EZpay services nationwide, the company observes, “about a 50-50 [ratio] between districts that charge a convenience fee and those that do not.”

Although the new fee will alleviate the burden on the district’s budget, some of the administrators have concerns that the new fee will dissuade parents from using EZpay.

Mike Hood, an East parent and 15-year resident of the Lakota community, used to use EZpay to update his children’s lunch accounts and school fees before the $2 fee. Now, he has decided to send in checks to avoid the charge.

“I find it just as convenient to send a check

in with my kids [as using EZpay],” said Hood.

“I agree with the district’s decision if it saves them money, but we just decided that we did not want to pay the fee.”

Because many families have chosen this route, “it is difficult to estimate the amount of savings Lakota will see this year because fewer families may choose to use EZpay as a result of this new fee,” said Spurlock.

East parent and 20-year resident of the Lakota community Stephanie Davis still uses EZpay to update her children’s lunch accounts, as well as to pay fees.

“I am still using the system but have definitely changed my technique,” said Davis.

“I paid all of the school and fall athletic fees in a single transaction instead of paying as soon as they were available online. Then, for lunch money I put a much larger amount in each child’s account and again combined those into a single purchase.”

According to Geers, the technique involving paying more in a single transaction is now more common among parents.

“While initially there appeared to be a decline [in EZpay usage], parents have changed how they use EZpay,” said Geers.

“Instead of putting $20 a week on a student’s account, [parents] are opting to load the lunch accounts with more money less often to reduce how often they are incurring the convenience fee.” n

Crash Course in Credit The process of preforming a credit card transaction is divided into the four steps diagrammed below.

Store

Service

Issuers

Card Associations

1. Authorization: Request for Approval 1. Authorization: Buyers pay for purchase and the store submits the sale to the card processing service. There the card number and sale amount are verified for the buyer.

Buyer

Sale Verification

2. Batching: After the sale is

2. Batching: Sales Stored in Batches

authorized it is stored in a batch, which the store sends to the processing service later to receive payment.

3. Clearing and Settlement: Batch Submitted

The batch is sent through the bank, which debits the card issuers for payment and credits the service.

4. Funding: The processing service and the store have been paid. The amount the store receives equals the sale amount minus the discount rate, which is the fee the store pays the service.

Terminology: 8 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Batched Sales

Issuer Pays

$ Payment

4. Funding: Funds are Transferred

information www.bankofamerica.com

3. Clearing and settlement:

Acquirer: the financial institution

Card association: a network such as VISA

Issuer: the financial group

that provides card processing services to the store.

or MasterCard that acts as a gateway between the acquirer and issuer for authorizing transactions.

that issues the credit card to the cardholder.

Mike Taylor to Retire The superintendent of Ohio’s seventh largest school district announced his plan of retirement. story ariadne souroutzidis photo sara patt

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akota Local School District Superintendent Mike Taylor announced his plan to retire effective Jan. 31 at the district’s Sept. 27 Board of Education meeting.

Taylor has been an employee of the district for 35 years since he first started out as an American history teacher at Hopewell Junior School in 1976. Since then, he has worked as a football and wrestling coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent.

“This is a very personal decision on my part,” said Taylor. “It is an opportunity for me to begin spending more time and focus on my family, which I have probably neglected in the last couple of years.”

The Board already knew about Taylor’s retirement plan prior to his announcement at the meeting. “[Taylor] is dedicated to this community.

It is fun to go back through the yearbooks— you will find a Mike Taylor in there, either as a young student, a principal or a teacher,” claimed Lakota Board President Joan Powell.

“There are some amounts of service that you just can’t thank someone for and [Taylor] will certainly be missed.”

According to Lakota Local School District Public Relations Director Laura Kursman, the Board has not yet started looking for a replacement to fill the superintendent position.

“It is a pretty extensive process,” said Kursman. “[The decision will be announced] as soon as they get through with [the process].”

While no official applications have been submitted for the superintendent position as of now, East Principal Dr. Keith Kline recently withdrew his application for superintendent of Springboro Community City School District. His application was submitted in June and according to Kline, the applicants were not contacted again until the Lakota school year had already started.

“We were up and running with the new school year so it was not an appropriate time

Superintendent Mike Taylor plans to retire on Jan. 31 after serving the Lakota district for 35 years.

[to change positions]. I felt a strong obligation to complete my commitment to Lakota and East,” said Kline. “Quite honestly, I consider myself to be a Lakota guy. I live here. I have a lot of connections with students and staff and felt it was important that I stay here in Lakota.”

Kline has worked in the district for 14 years. He began as an East assistant principal, then worked as the Freedom Elementary principal for three years, was the Lakota Freshman School principal for one year and has been the East principal for the last four years.

“I received my superintendent’s certification [in] 1998,” said Kline. “I am interested in becoming a superintendent in the very near future and look forward to hearing about the process our Board will use to determine the best fit for Lakota.”

The Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Lon Stettler has no plans, as of yet, regarding the new superintendent position.

“I have not thought much about it. I just found out about Mike’s plan a couple of hours before it went public,” said Stettler. “I’m waiting to see what the Board is looking for in terms of the district.”

On the other hand, current Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Curriculum Ron Spurlock said, “You can never rule anything out,” but he is not planning on applying for the position at this time.

The announcement at the Board meeting was a surprise to many people and invoked a variety of reactions.

“I am surprised by the timing. I mean, I knew he was getting of that age, but I just didn’t expect it this soon. He’s kind of the face of Lakota for me because I’ve worked with Mike for so long. It’s going to be weird,” said East teacher John Severns. “But we’ve gone through change before and we’re going to be fine.”

Not everyone is saddened by the change in administration for Lakota.

“I think it is a good thing that [Taylor is retiring],” said East teacher Patti Toman. “I think we need somebody with new, innovative ideas. [We need] somebody with a different perspective.”

Even though Taylor will be retiring in a few months, he has a lot of work ahead of him.

“I have not spent 35 years building a quality school system to let it be dismantled,” said Taylor. “So over the next several months I will be very vocal, I will be very active and look at the quality educational programs we have, and do whatever I can to make sure that we continue those quality educational programs.”

The change in administration will not change the district’s foreseeable deficit.

“Lakota is in a tough place right now and whether we cut $5 million, $12 million, $15 million we’re still operating in deficit. We need to look at every avenue that we can to save money and I think that we are going to do that,” said Powell. “We do not want to see this district dismantled and we certainly are hopeful that [Taylor’s] last few months of being our superintendent and our leader will be spent on those endeavors.” n

9 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | east news

Boy Scout Builds Sidewalk

East sophomores Tyler Zech and Dan Romerio take advantage of the new band sidewalk to roll the drums out to the parking lot for marching band practice.

East junior Kyle Vanden Eynden built a pathway for his Eagle Scout project to enable marching band students to efficiently transport cumbersome instruments from the band room to practice. story alexandra wilson photos sara patt

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ittle did the East Thunderhawk not have to worry about dirt and mud being Marching Band members know that tracked in after marching band practice, which they would soon have an eagle amongst helps out the custodians.” them giving a helping hand.

According to Vanden Eynden the pathway For his Boy Scouts of America (BSA) also helped cut down on the congestion Eagle Scout project, East junior Kyle Vanden resulting from about 200 marching band Eynden initiated construction this past members returning from practice. summer of a pathway which ran from the side “[The pathway] makes moving pit door of the band room to the sidewalk next to equipment so much easier,” said East junior the parking lot. and drumline member Rachel Harris.

An Eagle Scout is the highest rank in BSA. In marching band, pit instruments It is earned by being active in a troop for at include two vibraphones, four marimbas, least six months, earning 21 merit badges, three timpani and various other auxiliary serving as a troop leader for six months and instruments. After every practice, this completing a self-driven service project. The equipment must be moved back into the band title signifies that the scout is a leader and room. Because of the pathway, pit members embodies the 12 honor points of the Scout no longer have to take the equipment around Law: trustworthiness, the band trailer—they loyalty, helpfulness, can walk directly into friendliness, courtesy, the band room. kindness, obedience, Vanden Eynden cheerfulness, began planning the thriftiness, bravery, project in Dec. 2009. cleanliness and These planning reverence. sessions amounted to Vanden Eynden, 16 hours and included a marching band drawing plans, getting trombone player, was approval for the inspired when East project, shopping Band Director William for materials and Thomas reprimanded procuring monetary marchers for walking donations from on the grass outside community members, the band room.

“Lakota [Local “Kids never went Schools] did not into the band room spend a cent,” said East junior Kyle Vanden in the way they were Vanden Eynden.

Eynden built the band sidewalk supposed to,” said The total cost in the summer of 2010.

Thomas. “Now we do of the project was

10 | Spark | October 18, 2010

$2,583.85. The East Upbeat Club, Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO), friends and family of Vanden Eynden and the Daniel Ferraro Fund—an Eagle Scout project fund created in the memory of a troop member killed in a 2007 pipe bomb explosion—all helped pay for the project.

Not only did Vanden Eynden have to collect donations of money, but also donations of time. He spent 41.5 hours himself and had 154.25 hours of collective volunteer hours from family members, his fellow scouts in Troop 970 and his parents.

Vanden Eynden’s troop member East sophomore Alan Yates was one of the many people who volunteered his time to complete the construction of the pathway.

“It always feels good giving back to community,” said Yates, “but it feels even better giving back to your school.”

Construction began on June 5, 2010 and continued daily from the June 9 to 11. Vanden Eynden returned on June 19, 20 and 26 to put the finishing touches on the pathway such as spreading dirt in low areas and watering the grass.

In order to construct the pathway, Vanden Eynden hired a professional Bobcat driver to help dig out the foundation. After that, gravel was poured on top, then compacted with a plate compacter followed by another layer of the compacted gravel. Finally, Vanden Eynden paved the pathway with two layers of pavers separated by sand.

According to Vanden Eynden, his reason for completing the project was simple.

“I wanted to help out the school and give the band the pathway they really needed,” said Vanden Eynden. n

Late Work Policy Revised East administration has changed the late work policy, allowing students to turn in assignments late with a small penalty each day after the deadline. It is meant to emphasize the importance of the work teachers assign. story nathan dibble

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n Aug. 24, 2010, the Lakota Local School Board of Education changed the policy for student late work.

The previous policy outlined that after an excused absence, a student had as many days to turn in make-up work as days that the student was absent. Assignments for suspended students and students with unexcused absences, however, were due the day the student returned to school. Also, the old policy allowed extra credit to be given as long as it pertains to the subject matter.

The new additions to the policy state that students may turn in assignments up to five days late and receive a 10 percent deduction each day the assignments are late. Additionally, the new policy now limits the amount of credit given to less than five percent of the total grade for the quarter.

The changes incited mixed reactions amongst East faculty and students. East Principal Dr. Keith Kline feels that the policy will emphasize the importance of completing assignments on time.

“The overall goal with the grading policy is to emphasize that all of the work assigned is important for them to do,” said Kline.

“Whether they happen to be out, turn an assignment in late, be suspended or be absent; the work that is assigned in classrooms needs to be so valuable that everybody completes the work to be successful.”

East English teacher David Honhart, recognizes both the benefits and the possible abuse of the new late work policy.

“While it is essential to understand the importance of deadlines, real life is also about prioritizing and making strategic decisions,” said Honhart. “If a student is overloaded with homework, and genuinely wants to do the work to the best of his or her ability, this policy allows for the student to possibly make an informed choice and take an extra day to complete a major project, with the knowledge that the grade will drop 10 percent.”

Although the new policy might motivate students, Honhart is aware that students are “notorious for procrastination,” and therefore might be inclined to take advantage of the late work policy.

“I can see this policy having the unfortunate effect of encouraging students whose priorities are out of order to put their social lives ahead of school work,” said

Honhart. “This is because the penalties for turning in work late are more forgiving than they used to be.”

However, a recent survey of 33 East teachers did not reflect Honhart’s evenly split opinion. Twenty-seven percent of the teachers believe that the new policy will benefit their students, while 64 percent of teachers felt that the policy would be mistreated by students.

East junior Aimee Miley agrees with the teachers who felt the policy will be misused by students whom are not as diligent others.

“The new policy allows kids that do not want to do their homework to keep turning it in late and get credit for it,” said Miley. “It is not fair to the kids that always get their homework done on time.”

East junior Brandon Dietsch disagrees.

“I like having extra time to turn in homework without losing as many points,” said Dietsch, who heard about the new policy in computer science class.

Although the new policy may appear to be in Dietsch’s favor, he believes it has benefits for all students, but can also be misused.

“I think the new policy will help everyone because there are people who have ‘A+’s but may forget their homework someday.

Because of the new policy, they can turn it in late without the huge penalties,” explained Dietsch. “I think it will be abused too; people can do the bare minimum and still get by.”

The late work policy is relatively unknown

by East students. Of the 523 students surveyed, 61 percent have never heard of the policy. Because so few students have heard of the new policy, only 20 percent like the policy and 19 percent dislike the policy.

Regardless to the support, or lack thereof, for the new late work policy, Kline believes that the policy will require a balance in grading. He recognizes that all students have a bad test on occasion. Kline feels grades should reflect content, not attendance. “[East faculty] knows if the quality of the work that is assigned is good, and the students have done the work, they are going to come out knowing more than they did otherwise,” said Kline. “You can not be successful in school unless you do your work.” n

Spark

For information regarding the new WLHS radio antenna go the news section of lehsspark.org.

EAST SPEAKS OUT

Do you prefer the old late work policy or the new one, which states that a student has as many days to turn in work as they are absent?

I did not know we had a late work policy.

– East junior Taft Maness

It depends on how much homework you have.

– East junior Joey Postelwaite

I think the late work policy is pretty awesome; you can slip up and not bomb your grade.

– East senior Wes Meyer

I think it will help more students and benefit them.

– East senior Tori Buck

It is good for kids who might need an extra day.

That extra day for a B is better than a zero.

– East sophomore Hannah Hall

11 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | east news

East Begins ALICE Policy story scott koenig, reb vachon

E

ast will be implementing a new lockdown policy for the 2010-11 school year that is designed to improve the way that the school responds to a violent intruder.

The new policy emphasizes the five steps that make up its name: alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate (ALICE).

Co-founded in 2000 by former SWATteam leader and criminal justice teacher Greg Crane, the policy enforces a “fight or flight instinct.” Crane observed how schools defended themselves against attackers in cases such as the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings and created a system that added onto the traditional policy. Crane did not discard the old policy, which consisted mainly of seeking a defensive position in a room, but filled in many of the holes that have caused disasters in the past.

“The goal is to enhance current procedures, not change [them],” said Crane.

“ALICE is designed to supplement the traditional response of lockdown.”

Crane believes that the trouble with the traditional policy was that it assumed that everyone “would have the opportunity to get into a secure area, or [that] no secure area could be breached.” According to Crane, both assumptions have been proven defective, and the consequences were tragic.

The main changes to the policy encouraged a “fight back or escape” attitude. Crane did not want people to freeze up and become what East School Resource Officer Deputy Doug Hale referred to as “sitting ducks” but rather think quickly and decide the best course of action after assessing the situation. For example, if the intruder were in one end of the building, those in the opposite end should try to flee, while those near the intruder

should fight back by throwing available objects or charging.

In an effort to begin encouraging such behavior, East administrators were trained by officers from the West Chester Police Department for the ALICE program at the end of the 2009-10 school year. The remainder of the East faculty was trained for the new lockdown policy on Aug. 23.

East physics teacher Sandee Coats-Haan thought that the presentation was effective because it encouraged logic and defensive thinking, and gives teachers and students, “more ability to fight back and do what seems appropriate.”

Like Coats-Haan, East Principal Dr. Keith Kline expressed concern over the amount of “episodes” in schools across the nation and was content with the quality of ALICE. “[ALICE] is a logical, research-based approach that says how we can, given a situation, work to keep as many kids and staff as safe as possible,” said Kline.

Hale, who helped present ALICE to the faculty, firmly believes in the policy. He stressed the importance of making smart decisions when faced with an intruder.

For example, students should know to aid wounded classmates by applying pressure

to bleeding wounds, to barricade classroom doors and to break open windows with desks.

Most importantly, Hale emphasizes that if a student sees a gun lying on the floor, he or she should cover it with a trash can rather than picking it up to avoid being mistaken for a shooter.

“We are teaching [East] that [students and teachers] need to do what they can do to save themselves and others,” said Hale. “If you can, go and protect yourself. Fight back if you have to.”

To completely implement this policy, however, student training is necessary.

According to Kline, East students were trained during an assembly on the first block day of October by Hale and East athletic director Richard Bryant.

During the presentation, Bryant stated that students must assume the mind-set that any action, even constant motion, is better than taking no action.

“You know if this happens, you are going to be surprised, there will be some chaos, and you won’t have your wits about you.

Understand that this will help you be prepared should the situation arise,” said Bryant. “The shooter has come to do harm, we are not going to sit under desks and let him.” n

Diagramming ALICE Students should seize any opportunity to escape the danger.

infographic ian castro, nick tedesco, reb vachon

When the violent intruder is in one section of the building, students in other sections can escape.

Alert

Use PA system, email and phones to distribute available information.

Lock down

Assume a defensive position and await further instruction.

Inform

Communicate new information to law enforcement and those in the building.

Counter

Throw books, barricade doors and assault the shooter.

Evacuate

Escape to JV baseball field or behind the tennis courts when possible.

12 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Under the old lockdown policy students, have locked themselves in and are staying away from doors and windows.

Students managed to escape through the window and evade the threat because of ALICE training. information greg crane

Distributing Deputy Doug District-Wide story reb vachon | photo sierra whitlock

T

o counteract the possibility of losing all the school resource officers (SRO) in Liberty Township resulting from budget cuts, the Lakota Local School District, Liberty Township and Butler County Sheriff ’s Office (BCSO) came together to forge an agreement to keep a SRO in the schools.

In previous years, the BCSO provided SROs to schools in Liberty Township, even though the schools were not paying the officers’ full salary. With cuts to its budget, however, the sheriff ’s office needed the schools to pay the officers’ full salaries themselves. “[BCSO] had 94 layoffs and the school was only paying a portion of the salary, so we called the school and said ‘We need you to pay 100 percent,’” explained East SRO Deputy Doug Hale, who is now the only officer for the 11 Lakota schools located in Liberty Township.

Because Lakota has also been going though budget reductions, it was not able to pay the full salaries of two SROs. Faced with the possibility of not having any officers to police the schools, Lakota started looking for alternatives to fund the officers. After meeting with Liberty Township trustees, Lakota and BCSO came up with a solution to keep an officer in the schools.

“Both Lakota and Liberty [Township] were willing to look at different options in which the two organizations could work together to continue providing the [SRO] services without putting too much of a financial burden on either of the groups,” said Liberty Township Administrator Dina Minneci. “After reviewing several ways, it was determined that Liberty would add a SRO as a 19th deputy in its contract with BCSO and Lakota would reimburse Liberty [Township] 50 percent of all costs.”

Even with the new agreement, Lakota and Liberty Township were only able to fund the full salary of one officer, which meant that they had to release the other. Deputy Todd Cordes, a former SRO who worked at the East Freshman Campus, has gone back to working as a regular deputy for the BCSO. “Unfortunately, we lost our second

Student Resource Officer Deputy Doug Hale is now responsible for 11 schools district-wide.

officer,” said East Principal Dr. Keith Kline.

“Tough budget times bring a lot of tough decisions, and we’ve got to balance what we’re able to do with what community resources are able to help. That was the solution that we came up with for this year.”

The loss of the second SRO means that Deputy Hale now has a greater workload than before. Kline recognizes that the extra responsibility placed on Hale will have an effect in the schools.

“Anytime you make a cut to the resources we have, what’s left is going to be stretched.

I think Deputy Doug [Hale] does a great job with the students here at East and at our other Liberty Township schools, but one person can only get to so many buildings and to so many kids on any given school day,” commented Kline. “I know it’s going to be a year of being stretched for him, but the bottom line is, that’s what we’ve got. We’ve got to find ways to make it work.”

Hale also understands that he will be responsible for more work and might have to resort to different strategies than before to handle his increased workload.

“Before [the cuts], I was [at East] 99 percent of the time and [Cordes] would service the other schools. We worked well together,” said Hale. “It’s going to create more work, but I can do what I can do. If I get too busy, I have my radio and I can have one of

the guys on the road take care of it.”

Although Hale might have more tasks than he did before, he does not believe that discipline in the schools will suffer.

“The administrators and the staff do a terrific job [with discipline]; it’s just an added security to have an officer in the building,” said Hale.

Because Liberty Township is mandated by law in the Ohio Revised Code to provide safety services, including in its public schools, it has made having a SRO in the schools a priority.

“By providing as many safety-related resources as financially possible to ensure safety in the homes as well as the schools, the community not only prospers in the short term but also in the long term,” said Minneci.

“Safe schools mean more attention gets paid to the learning rather than the disciplining.”

Minneci believes that the environment SROs provide not only keeps students safer, but also creates a stronger community. “[Safe schools] equates to increased student success, which prepares our students to maneuver in the ‘real world’ with much more confidence, knowledge and abilities,” explained Minneci. “Moreover, the SRO promotes strong interaction with the student, which provides a feeling of connectivity to a community that has grown exponentially over the past decade.” n

13 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | east news

Clinic Change-up

Nurse Sharon Frentzel works at her desk in the East clinic.

East welcomes a new nurse from Hopewell Junior School and a new first time clinic aide. story sara rayburn | photo sara patt

D

ue to the restructuring of school nursing positions throughout the Lakota Local School District, school nurse Sharon Frentzel and clinic aide Karen Del Pino became members of the East staff at the start of the 2010-11 school year.

Budget reductions have put higher demands on the nursing staff in both number of students serviced and in flexibility required.

East Principal Dr. Keith Kline explained that the former school nurse, Peggy Boerke, retired at the end of the 2009-10 school year.

Frentzel, who has worked in Lakota clinics for 19 years, came to East from Hopewell Junior School.

“As a result of the budget reductions that have been part of the $13 million in cuts over the past two years, the district felt we could do some adjusting to save a bit of money,” said Kline. “There is a whole process [involving seniority] that the resources department uses to determine who is going where.”

This process also brought Del Pino

to East. Previously a media aide at Adena Elementary for four years, Del Pino is now responsible for assisting both East and Lakota West’s clinics. She alternates full days between the schools, which is a much longer workday than her previous position’s hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is her first year working as a clinic aide. “[Working as a clinic aide] is a totally different job. I’m used to little kids, so it was kind of funny sometimes, to look up from my desk and see someone towering over me,” laughed Del Pino. “There is not any need for shelving books or reading to kids [in the clinic]. I’m learning a lot.”

Frentzel also had to make minor adjustments to meet the expectations of her new position. She estimated that she sees approximately 50-60 students per day, twice the number she helped daily at Hopewell. Not only did Frentzel have to adjust to the increase in students, but also to the difference in supplies. Simple items, such as plastic gloves,

had to be “bartered and traded” with nurses at other Lakota schools.

“The glove sizes [ordered last year] did not work well for me or with the people who come in to use gloves. Some of the other nurses are finding the same thing, so the items that I might have would work well for them and they might have items that work well for me. We have done some exchanging between the clinics,” said Frentzel.

Scheduling differences between Hopewell and East are another area of adjustment for Frentzel. Block schedules on Wednesdays and Thursdays are a new style of scheduling for the nurse to learn.

“Trying to track down students that I need to track down during a block day is much more difficult for me than it is on a regular [seven period] schedule,” said Frentzel.

However, the clinic staff realized that not having other duties that junior schools have, such as vision screenings for every student, has been a relief. The East clinic staff members only have to schedule these for students who seem to be having trouble with their vision, rather than for the entire student body. Another source of relief in the transition was the opportunity for Frentzel and Del Pino to spend four days training together during August.

“We had computer training and Children’s Hospital provided extensive diabetic training.

The fire department gave training in CPR and first aid too,” said Frentzel.

These areas of care are all responsibilities of the East clinic staff, as well as aiding for students who become ill during the school day.

As for Hopewell, Principal David Pike said that the students “have been fortunate to have a registered nurse serving as the clinic aide.”

Kathy Singer, who was already working at Liberty Junior School, was asked to take responsibility of both Liberty and Hopewell’s clinics. This decision was made with the same process used for determining the positions assigned to Frentzel and Del Pino.

Restructuring and adjusting the nursing positions will be “a gradual learning process,” in Frentzel’s opinion. Nevertheless, she feels that the experience has been positive so far. n

Day in the Life: School Nurses

Spark compares Nurse Sharon Frentzel’s career at Hopewell Junior to her career at East.

14 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Hopewell: Worked 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

East: Works 7:15 a.m. to 2:24 p.m.

Hopewell: Saw 25 students each day East: Sees 50 - 60 students each day

1

2

2

3 4 5

3 4 5

6

6

7

7

1

2

3

4

5

5

7

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Hopewell: Saw students on a regular seven-period schedule East: Tracks down students on a mixed schedule

Hopewell: Familiar supplies available East: Unfamiliar supplies “bartered” among clinics

infographic jill bange

Hopewell: Held entire-school vision screenings East: Schedules individual vision screenings

1

Lakota To Receive $320 K Grant Over the next four years, the federal Race to the Top Program will distribute $320,000 which the Lakota administration must allocate to various programs district-wide. story andrew breland | infographic ian castro

T

he Lakota Local School District is receiving a $320,000 educational grant over the next four years from the federally funded Race to the Top Program.

The program is born out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The goal is to reform school districts across the country by introducing federal taxpayer dollars into school districts that need assistance and qualify under the program’s four criteria: standardized testing, curriculum standards, effective teachers and overall achievement.

understanding with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). According to the agreement signed in April 2010, the district is bound to the Race to the Top program’s deadlines and restrictions, such as submitting a spending plan by early November.

“We had to get a sign-off from the superintendent, treasurer and LEA president.

We agreed that we all wanted to go for this,” stated Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Ron Spurlock.

Recently, the Lakota Treasury Department

approve the funding plan, watch the district’s progress and monitor the use of the federal dollars to ensure the use in specific programs to engage students.

According to the ODE, several school districts throughout Butler County have applied for and will receive funds from the Race to the Top program. These districts include Hamilton City Schools, Fairfield City Schools and Middletown City Schools, receiving grant amounts of $1,749,000, $530,000 and $1,400,000 respectively.

Race to the Top Grant April 16, 2010 Lakota Local School District superintendant, treasurer and Lakota Education Association President apply to Ohio for grant money for the district.

July 24, 2009 Race to the Top grant is created as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

The program was administered in “rounds”—between $300 and $700 billion were given to states that applied and proved to be working toward fostering quality schools.

The first round of grants was distributed in early 2010. Ohio received a $400 million grant in the second round, and the state is now responsible for allocating the funds to school districts that apply for the grant.

Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor laid out why the district applied for the grant.

“We took a look at what the state was mandating under [Ohio] House Bill 1. We also took a look at No Child Left Behind,” said Taylor. “We were already beginning [to analyze] these types of things. [Race to the Top] was supporting the work we were already doing, and allowed us to make money for it.”

House Bill 1, No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top require a commitment to higher graduation rates, increased test scores and the placement of highly effective teachers into low-performing schools. To apply for the grant, schools had to demonstrate an effort towards fulfilling these goals.

To apply for the Race to the Top grant, Lakota and the Lakota Education Association (LEA) entered into a memorandum of

Sept. 11, 2010 The state of Ohio promised Lakota grant money.

May 25, 2010 Lakota Local School District applied for grant money.

2010-13 Lakota will receive an estimated $70,000 from the grant every fall for four years beginning in 2010.

Aug. 24, 2010 Ohio received the grant in the second round.

has been working to integrate the newly acquired funds into the budget forecast and determine the implication on budget predictions. The grant will be awarded in $70,000 increments every year over the next four years, and yearly progress checks will be administered by the state to ensure proper usage of the funds.

The impact on the five-year budget forecast will be immaterial. Interim Treasurer Alan Hutchinson said that the Race to the Top grant money is to be used to fund specific programs, but is not factored into the budget forecast. Hutchinson stressed the importance of other sources of revenue like the Race to the Top grant for offsetting current costs.

“We are not getting additional revenues to help [with the budget shortfall]. We are not bringing enough in to cover our expenditures and that is really the problem.” said Hutchinson. “We have to work for more funding.”

According to Taylor, the district administrators are working in collaboration with teachers and are in the beginning stages of formulating the budget for the grant money. However, ultimately it is under the state’s jurisdiction. The state of Ohio will

Similarly, the district has received a $2.3 million grant from the Education Jobs Funding Program (Ed Jobs). The district has not yet received this grant, but according to Hutchinson, the funds awarded through the Ed Jobs program must be applied toward efforts for teacher retention, compensation and support services. This grant, however, may not be used to fund the Superintendent’s office or to fund the pensions of retired teachers. A deadline of Jan. 2013 has been set for the use of all Ed Jobs funding.

“It is one-time money. We have a two-year window in order to spend it. Since we do not know what the state of Ohio will do in the binding budget next year, I think it would be more prudent for us to hold onto that money until next year,” said Hutchinson. “We are going to use it to the best of our ability to make the best impact on Lakota over the next 18 months.”

According to Taylor, Lakota took a conservative approach when creating its budget.

“We are planning as though our situation does not change,” said Taylor. “Every little bit [of grant money] is going to help keep the district moving forward.” n

15 | Spark | lehsspark.org

feature | dart

Mission Possible After venturing to Southeast Asia for a service trip, East senior Amy Schleitweiler returned with a passion for service and has decided to dedicate her life to teaching in the future.

K

story jenn shafer | photos sierra whitlock

nown as one of the most exotic and laid-back countries of the world, mission to provide for the less fortunate. Further showing her altruism, the mountainous country of Laos is filled with scenic rivers, untouched Amy took the initiative to collect coats and blankets to distribute during countryside and simple villages. Located in Southeast Asia, and bordering Cincinnati Bengals games to the “tent community,” homeless people Vietnam, it is usually looked down upon by other nations because of its living in tents in downtown Cincinnati. lack of modernization. Being in this unfamiliar country, halfway across “Amy is a leader amongst her peers,” explains her youth leader Nick the world and away from family can be overwhelming, unless it is for a Dyson. “She has a lot of compassion for people.” worthy cause. For East senior Amy Schleitweiler, teaching and mission Going on her first service trip out of the country was the next work are described as her “passion.” Hoping to pursue a career in these big step for Amy and required plenty of planning and money saving. areas, most of her time and energy goes into making her aspirations into She paid for part of the trip with her salary from her part-time job at reality.

Target and ran fundraisers to raise the rest of money to pay the cost of “[My passion for helping people] comes before anything,” says $7,000. She received some financial support from her parents, but more Schleitweiler, who has attended Crestview Presbyterian Church for 14 importantly she received from them the encouragement she needed to years. “When you’re over here [in the U.S.] you don’t think about what’s take on the challenge. happening on the other side of the world.”

“I was very excited for her; service to others and compassion are two Schleitweiler is a part of a mission-oriented family that frequently of the most important things in this family,” says Amy’s mother Mimi participates in aide programs, such as Schleitweiler.

Each issue the Spark staff picks a volunteering in soup kitchens to feed the The official week of service was from Monday random East student and covers a to Friday. However, Amy was in Laos from homeless and joining organizations such as unique aspect of his or her life.

Operation Christmas Child and the Shoebox Wednesday to the following Monday after their East Senior Amy Schleitweiler sits with her youth pastor who chaperoned her trip to Laos.

16 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Money and memorabilia from Amy’s service trip to Laos.

service. Because the country is ruled by a communist government, which forbids religious teaching, spiritual lessons could not be included during the week. However, that did not prevent the group from influencing the children in other ways.

Each morning, Amy’s group was divided into three separate sections and the kids would rotate through each station, which included English lessons, games and music. Amy helped in the music section because of her experience as an alto in the East Voices choir. The afternoon followed similar format with slightly older kids.

“I cried when I had to leave the kids,” recalls Amy. “One little girl gave me a ring as a reminder and it was one of the few things she had.”

Many of the Lao natives “idolize” Americans, so when Amy’s group attempted to learn the language and culture it was especially meaningful to them. During the days before and after the week of service, the mission group participated in many fun activities and also got a feel for the Lao lifestyle.

Rice planting was one of activities that truly gave the group a Lao experience impossible to forget. According to Amy, the “disgusting, but fun” ordeal involved wading through a swampy rice field filled with leeches and crabs in order to harvest the rice.

The country is generally very easygoing, and at its own pace, slowly modernizing.

“They think everything is no big deal,” says Amy. “Drinking is a problem for all ages and drunk driving is crazy over there.”

The group not only noticed drinking as a problem, but also prostitution when they visited Bangkok. Amy described the city as “New York on steroids” because of the lights and strip clubs lining the streets.

Visiting an autistic school in Laos was a good chance for Amy to demonstrate her patience and teaching abilities.

However, there were few children in the school because many children are undiagnosed.

Although Laos does have its setbacks, Amy still “fell in love with the Lao people” and according to Dyson, the Lao people also had an instant bond with Amy. “It’s usually not until the very end that the people you’re serving begin to have a connection [with you],” says Dyson. “I was blown away with how quickly they fell in love with Amy.” Forming that relationship with the people made the trip more fun and meaningful for Amy’s group instead of it being all about the projects.

Not only did Amy and the rest of the group form relationships with the younger kids, but also with university students who accompanied them throughout the week. Some of the older students actually knew Dyson and his wife from when the family spent almost a year living in Laos before the trip.

While earning their Master’s degrees in intercontinental studies, Dyson and his wife decided they wanted to help less the fortunate spiritually

and physically. They chose Laos after careful research and decided to help teach English because it is the international trade language and it would help people to learn from native speakers. Their curiosity about the country reinforced their decision to spend a total of ten months in the area, including one month in North Vietnam.

The couple eventually returned to America because of the birth of their first daughter, Sophia, but it was those initial connections that made the group’s entire mission trip possible.

The service group stayed with friends so lodging was free and it was easier to get around because Dyson already knew some of the language.

Dyson also aims to spread knowledge of the Lao culture in the United States because of his prior experience.

“I wanted to get other people interested in Laos and that side of the world,” says Dyson.

According to Dyson, this trip seemed more personal because it was not through a big organization. It took a lot of work but it came with the reward of helping the Lao people and changing the group’s perspective.

“I think that when you go on these trips you can’t help but be changed,” says Mimi. “[Amy is] more concerned about people, more appreciative [of what she has] and looks for more ways to help others.”

The trip lasted only about a week and a half, but Amy will never forget the experience.

“I hope and pray that it will [benefit] her for the rest of her life,” says Dyson.

Before spring break, Amy will be going on another service trip to China for two weeks. This time, however, it will not be with her youth group. Instead, she will go through Butler Tech and the East Teacher’s Academy. Not only will this give Amy more world exposure, but also

“She has a lot of great gifts and talents to share with the world and has real compassion for working with kids.” help her gain more teaching experience for her future as a third grade teacher.

“China, I think, will be more like America, more modernized and more city-like,” says Amy, who will be learning Chinese and running more fundraisers in preparation of the trip.

With a head start on her future, Amy is ready to accomplish her goals one step at a time.

“In the future, I see Amy going to college, teaching and doing more missionary work in foreign countries,” says Mimi. “She has a lot of great gifts and talents to share with the world and has real compassion for working with kids.” n

17 | Spark | lehsspark.org

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18 | Spark | October 18, 2010

photos used with written permission from sandi lerman

feature | teacher feature

Debora signing “I love you.”

B

Love Without Borders

ubbling with life, community members dash up to old friends and eagerly introduce themselves to new faces with bright expressions and animated gestures. As nearly fifty people pile into the TriCounty Mall food court on Aug. 6, 2010, one would imagine that laughter and excited conversations would overwhelm listeners. On the contrary—this reunion is completely silent.

The “Silent Dinner,” as it is appropriately called, is a monthly gathering of deaf community members. As a former East American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, Sandi Lerman fits right into the mix and regularly attends deaf community events.

“I do not see being deaf as a disability; I see it as a culture,” says Lerman.

Although she is not deaf herself, Lerman taught at St. Rita’s School for the deaf for two years. But because she is also proficient

story jill bange | infographic rashma faroqui

in Spanish after living in Mexico for two years, Lerman had always considered adopting a child internationally.

Lerman took the first steps towards adopting a Guatemalan child in Aug. 2007, when she met her six-year-old daughter-to-be, Debora, who happens to be deaf. Since meeting Debora, Lerman has flown to her orphanage, Casa Bernabé, eight times over the course of three years.

“Debora did not know that I was adopting her until the third visit.

For the first two visits, it was like a blind date, but it was completely blind on her side. When I signed to Debora for the first time, it was the best because it just broke her shell. It opened her heart to me,” says Lerman, who imitates a chorus of angels to explain her feelings in that moment.

Certain flaws in the Guatemalan adoption process caused a

19 | Spark | lehsspark.org

feature | teacher feature

“For me, it is like I have sent my daughter away to summer camp, and I have no idea when I can bring her home.”

three-year delay in Lerman’s case, and Debora is now turning ten this December. Even though Lerman is “sad to be missing key years of [Debora’s] life,” she is grateful that the pair has spent all this time getting to know each other. Lerman legally became Debora’s guardian in Guatemala on Aug. 31, 2010, but a new birth certificate, passport and visa are still needed to finalize the adoption in the United States.

In most cases, Lerman explains, an adoptive parent only meets their child when they go to pick them up from the orphanage; however, Lerman has already developed a strong bond with Debora.

“If you have never met your adoptive child, the experience is more like waiting to get pregnant,” says Lerman, who will be a single mom.

“For me, it is like I have sent my daughter away to summer camp, and I have no idea when I can bring her home.”

Not only does Lerman struggle with the lack of communication between Debora and herself, but Debora has difficulty understanding why her mother-to-be continues to leave without bringing her home.

Because Debora is deaf, Lerman cannot call her on the phone, and with limited resources in Guatemala, it is a hassle to take Debora somewhere with Internet connection so the pair can use a webcam to sign.

“We go from month to month and I have no idea what is going on with her, and she has no idea when I am coming back,” says Lerman, who laments her separation from her only child. “Debora has asked before, ‘Why are the other kids going? Why not me?’ I don’t know if she understands that I am coming back.”

Communication is a challenge across the board in Guatemala, especially with the national adoption agency, Procuraduría General de la Nación (PGN). Lerman calls PGN several times a week in an attempt to discover the progress of her case, but “it is like rolling the dice as to whether [Lerman] will get someone on the line.” If a PGN representative does answer the call, Lerman still may learn no new information, or speak with two people whose information does not match up.

“One time [when] I called it was ‘marimba day’ so they were playing music in the background,” says Lerman. “I could not hear the person on the line, and I kept thinking, ‘Stop playing marimbas and give me my daughter!’”

Despite her unrelenting attitude and numerous phone calls, Lerman’s case is still difficult to finalize because a new Guatemalan law was introduced in Jan. 2008 which stopped international adoption. The law was passed because Guatemala has had a great deal of corruption and child trafficking problems within the past few years, according to Casa Bernabé social worker David McCormick. Fortunately for Lerman, any

Lerman’s Adoption Process

cases that had been submitted before the laws were passed were “grandfathered” to follow the old adoption laws.

“Government entities responsible for overlooking the adoption process are reluctant to sign off on adoptions, as there are serious legal implications for any form of corruption,” says McCormick, who believes that Lerman has handled the case persistently and faithfully. “In Debora’s case there are no illegalities, but due to complications that we had with Debora’s last name, birth parents and abandonment decree, there is more suspicion as to whether there are falsified documents or coercion of some kind.”

Lerman worries that there are not enough families within Guatemala to adopt all of the children “living on garbage piles in the middle of the street.” With proliferation of issues like child prostitution, Lerman believes that international adoption is necessary to provide Guatemalan children with good, loving homes.

“I love Guatemala; it has wonderful people and it is a beautiful country. But there is a lot of corruption,” says Lerman. “There are people with no legs crawling on the ground with calluses on their knees from dragging their bodies around. There are no social services in Guatemala, so when I am there, I buy things from poor people off the street.”

Lerman’s anger with the adoption laws drove her to participate in the

Sept. 13—17 First visit to Casa Bernabé; met Debora. 6 years old

Feb. 29—PGN wants special needs awareness letter

Dec. 27 to Jan. 1—Third visit; Debora’s 7th birthday

Aug. 26—First heard about Debora

2007

2008

Dec. 2007—The Guatemalan congress passes adoption law. Parents must regulate adoption U.S. families through the National Adoptions Council. Until adopted 4,727 now, U.S.-Guatemalan adoptions were handled Guatemalan privately between mothers and families with children in 2007. attorneys as middle-men.

20 | Spark | October 18, 2010

2009 U.S. families adopted 41,222 Guatemalan children in 2008.

U.S. families adopted 750 Guatemalan adoptions in 2009.

May 2010 Guatemala 900 campaign “march” on the U.S. Capitol. The goal of the campaign was to bring to the U.S. government’s attention the 900 approximate Guatemalan children that are still waiting to be brought home to their families in America. In fact, the campaign helped persuade 76 Representatives and Senators to sign a letter which was sent to the Guatemalan President as well as PGN on June 21, 2010.

Although she had never been to Washington DC before for political reasons, Lerman felt compelled to fight for her rights, which were violated because the Guatemalan government was not adhering to the grandfathered process. Lerman met individually with Ohio Representative John Boehner and Ohio Senator George Voinovich’s aid, Joseph Lai, to discuss methods the government could use to put pressure on the Guatemalan government or the US ambassador to Guatemala.

“We really had to educate them because they thought that we were just impatient parents wanting to get our kids home,” says Lerman.

“They did not understand that there were laws being broken and that our rights were being violated.”

Later in the day, Congressmen sat in on a Guatemala 900 presentation, which covered the background of the cases and suggestions as to how Congress could help the adoptive families. Each campaign member had two minutes to divulge their personal experiences with the Guatemalan adoption process.

“I used Sign Language when I presented because I wanted [the left: Debora at school with her classmates below: Debora and Lerman together

April 3—U.S. Embassy gives pre-approval to Lerman

Congressmen] to understand that Debora is deaf and that is the point— she does not have that kind of communication in her orphanage,” says Lerman. “For her to be staying there waiting for three years not knowing what is going on is extremely damaging to her.”

Not only is Debora’s time away from Lerman emotionally damaging, but it also hurts her language development. As an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Lakota West, Lerman knows that ages birth through twelve are critical for learning a new language. She worries that if Debora does not come to America soon, she will struggle both learning English and developing her Spanish and signing.

“It concerns me that she is not only going to be language delayed, but also delayed in what it means to have a family—what it means to sit around a dinner table, to have a birthday party,” says Lerman. “There are 200 kids in Debora’s orphanage, so you can’t have a birthday for every single one. She’s never had that one-on-one attention that most children in a regular family would have.”

Lerman’s close friend Cindy Kollstedt shares Lerman’s frustrations, as she recently adopted two boys from Debora’s orphanage.

“The adoption process is agonizing! I have three biological sons, and I can tell you, I would rather be pregnant any day,” says Kollstedt.

Kollstedt believes that although Lerman has “hit more than her share of snags” in the adoption, she has handled the process with grace and has developed a strong relationship with Debora.

“One of the highlights of my trip to Casa Bernabé was ‘Skyping’ with Sandi and Debora. Debora’s face lighting up after seeing her mama for the first time in a long time is a memory I will always cherish,” says Kollstedt.

When Debora does come home, Lerman plans to enroll her in St. Rita’s School for the Deaf. In the future, Debora may be mainstreamed into a regular classroom with an interpreter, depending upon how her English and Sign Language develop.

Regardless of where Debora is in school, Lerman wants her daughter involved in the deaf community—she envisions Debora as one more of those smiling faces attending Silent Dinners and other deaf community events. Until that day, Lerman has been keeping a blog, debora-adoptionadventure.blogspot.com, which she plans to make into a hardbound book for Debora to read when she is older.

Lerman has met a variety of people through her blog, including a thirty-year-old deaf woman who attended Debora’s school in Guatemala when she was twelve. After email correspondence, Lerman discovered that the woman earned an architecture degree.

“We ended up using video relay service to have a conversation, and I could tell that she was very intelligent,” says Lerman. “I am thinking that if this woman went to Debora’s school, was adopted when she was twelve and has done this well, then Debora can succeed too.” n

June 10—Contacted Guatemalan Ambassador’s office in Washington D.C. and CNA in Guatemala for assistance

July 10 to 12—seventh visit

D

VE O R PP

A

2010

May 6—Guatemala 900 Congressional Hearing in Washington, D.C. with 30 other families of waiting children.

June 21—Letter from Congress, signed by 76 Representatives and Senators, sent to Guatemalan President Coloof PGN and CNA

Sept. 1—Debora and Lerman are officially a family

21 | Spark | lehsspark.org

feature | student

Rocky Mountain

HIGH

story tommy behan | photos sierra whitlock, jenn shafer

The J. Kyle Braid Ranch in Denver, Colorado where the nominated teens stayed for one week during the summer.

After spending part of their summer with the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation, East students returned home as stronger leaders.

J

umping above the head of the defender, East junior Whitney Wyckoff grabs the basketball with two confident hands, dribbles past the defense, weaves through heavy traffic and guides the ball to the hoop for an easy layup, scoring another two points for the East Lady Hawks.

Under pressure from both the ticking clock and the close score, Wyckoff boosts the team morale with the example she sets. She takes charge, scoring in crucial times and constantly assuring other team members.

Wyckoff follows the same philosophy off the court, taking on obstacles with a steady confidence. East women’s basketball coach Nikki Drew describes Wyckoff as “the coach’s dream,” not only because of her athletic skills but also because of the excellent behavior she exhibits off the courts.

It was for this reason that Drew nominated her for the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation (JKB), a national leadership program that strives to teach student athletes influential skills.

Participants take a week long trip to the Ranch in Denver to improve these skills through strenuous team building physical activities and engaging classroom work.

Through a process of intense interviews, leaders and returning members narrow down the 16 candidates chosen from the East sophomore class to the final four boys and four girls inducted. Of these eight students, however, only two of each actually go to the Ranch. The other two serve as alternates, aiding in community service projects and

22 | Spark | October 18, 2010

participating in JKB meetings.

JKB co-founder Colleen Braid built the program in memory of her son Kyle, an avid athlete, to help teens lend a hand to peers who are dealing with problems.

According to Braid, research shows that teenagers with personal issues tend to go to their friends to discuss them. Braid says that the goal of JKB is to build on the leadership that has already been displayed by chosen participants.

Though Wyckoff was aware of the program’s goal before she joined, she did not know much about JKB itself. She was nervous for the initial interview but pulled through, earning a trip to the Ranch with East junior Jenn Shafer from Aug. 1 to 8. East juniors Drew Souders and Tanner Lyons also traveled to the Ranch from July 25 to 31.

“Everyone was telling me that getting invited to the Ranch was such a big deal. I didn’t really know why, but as the trip got closer and closer, I became increasingly excited,” Wyckoff explains. “I really did not know what to expect, and I am glad I did not know what was going to happen down to the last detail, because it kept the suspense high; it was a good thing.”

Wyckoff realized, however, that the Ranch would not be just fun and games, but rather a learning experience which could help build verbal communication skills.

As Wyckoff ’s coach of three years, Drew recognized that Wyckoff needed improvement in this area.

“Whitney leads by example–she is quiet by nature,” says Drew.

“My mission statement is to create a chain reaction of teens helping each other, which will ripple down through the school and extend into the community.”

“Her verbal skills needed improvement.”

While working on her leadership skills, Wyckoff also met Erin Draminski, a 17-year-old junior from Illinois. They quickly became friends and helped each other grow from each other’s strengths throughout the week at the Ranch.

Located in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, the Ranch provided many obstacles for Wyckoff and her 22 co-nominees from different states. White water rafting, horseback riding expeditions, paintballing, shooting rifles and shotguns, high ropes courses and interactive classroom activities brought the nominees out of their comfort zones to improve their leadership skills. During classtime, the teens planned ways to improve their community after they went back home.

“The kids write mission statements at the beginning of their time at the Ranch. After we build up their leadership skills, they return home to accomplish their mission statements at school,” says Braid.

Wyckoff learned what improvements she needed to make and subsequently adapted to them to better lead her peers.

“Understanding my strengths and weaknesses, meeting new people, sharing my experiences and planning strategies that improve the community all helped build my leadership skills and gain confidence,” Wyckoff reflects. “I also began to notice more about how people act and how human interactions help [people] deal with peer pressure. My mission statement is to create a chain reaction of teens helping each other, which will ripple down through the school and extend into the community.”

Spending time in the Ranch’s classroom made Draminski realize that

community and the school. She is co-leading Random Act of Simple Kindness Affecting Local Seniors (RASKALS) with Lyons and piloting a program that teaches ninth graders how to be role models for eighth graders she integrates what she has learned into the community. Other JKB members from East have also incorporated what they have learned.

Shafer and Souders joined JKB’s social marketing campaign, which encourages teens to abstain from drinking and other harmful activities. Souders is also running for the East American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life chair, which involves organizing and leading a fundraiser for cancer research. In addition to helping the community, Wyckoff has also improved her leadership abilities on the East basketball team.

Since Wyckoff has returned from the Ranch, Drew has noticed a positive change in her personality.

“We’ve been working out for about three weeks, and in that time I have noticed she is taking the initiative with vocal leadership. I’d like to take credit for it but I can’t. It is because of JKB,” Drew says.

Because of this positive change, Drew has set higher expectations for Wyckoff in her upcoming basketball seasons.

“I expect that her playing will do a lot of the leading, as it has in the past. I also anticipate that her verbal skills will improve and she will lead half verbally and half by example,” says Drew. “She should be able to pull this off because it is never about her; it is always about everyone else.

If this happens, then her potential is unlimited.”

Wyckoff says her JKB experience was different from the other clubs she participated in before—it was not about teaching kids to abstain

(Left) Whitney Wyckoff and Jenn Shafer stand together after white water rafting at the JKB ranch in the summer of 2010.

(Right) the group of 22 girls at the ranch together.

she and Wyckoff have similar lives, both academically and athletically.

After the week ended, Wyckoff and Draminski continued to strengthen their friendship.

“As I had conversations with Whitney, I realized that we are both very similar: We are both very athletic, goal-oriented, hard-working and compassionate,” Draminski says. “We both also care a lot about other people and we are both fun to be around.”

The teens learned from each other, through both physical obstacles and classroom work. The physical aspects of the Ranch taught them how to develop team cooperation and verbal leadership, while the classroom activities educated the nominees about peer pressure and how to negotiate in situations with teenagers. Wyckoff, feeling that her verbal skills had significantly improved, was eager to come back to the community, not only to share her experiences, but also to guide her peers in a more positive direction.

Determined to spearhead a more constructive way of communicating with and leading teens, Wyckoff has become more involved with the

from bad behaviors, but rather about teaching kids to help one another.

Drew is also excited about how JKB will affect Wyckoff as a player and a student in the future.

“I think JKB will give her the extra push she needs to be the star she can be,” Drew says.

JKB has already made a difference in many peoples’ lives besides Wyckoff ’s. According to Braid, the foundation has even saved lives.

“We hear about kids’ lives being changed and even saved on a dailyto-weekly basis because of JKB,” Braid says. “Teenagers actually save other kids from suicides sometimes and help get them the proper professional help. It is really incredible the things that they are actually able to accomplish.”

Braid has seen significant impacts on the students who participated in the program, resulting from the lessons taught at the JKB Ranch.

“The things [these] kids have done at such a young age make anyone proud,” says Braid. “They come to the camp as leaders and leave as fullfledged leaders. They become better people.” n

23 | Spark | lehsspark.org

feature | student feature

It is no ordinary marching band. East seniors Marie Knueven, Jacob Niederman and Megan Manley marched in what is known as the “professional marching leagues.” Clearly, their summer was

hard corps story victoria liang

T

he sun stands firmly against the stark Texan sky like a sergeant inspecting the rows of young men and women lined up on the field, until finally deciding to hike the temperature up to a sweltering 110 degrees. It is a whole new level of hell. Despite having woken up at 7 a.m. after spending a restless night sleeping on a gym floor, they were ready to spend the next 13 hours sweating away. Many participants had been forced to take their final exams early, skip prom and miss graduation parties to spend almost an entire summer on this sort of rigorous schedule.

But this is no ordinary boot camp—they are holding brass instruments instead of rifles and preparing for a performance instead of a battle. And for East seniors Marie Knueven, Jacob Niederman and Megan Manley, it is the experience of a lifetime.

The three seniors auditioned for and were accepted by the Blue Stars Drum Corps in the contrabass bugle, baritone horn and trumpet sections, respectively. Blue Stars is a competing member of Drum Corps International, often referred to as “Marching Music’s Major League.”

Every year, over 8,000 students audition for less than 3,500 positions available in this tier of drum corps. However, high school students face a special challenge when competing against other musicians as old as 22.

“Many [of the] people [I was competing against for a position] had been marching for six years while I had only been playing for six years,” says Manley, who did not begin marching until her sophomore year of high school.

For Knueven, the biggest challenge was being the smallest member of the male-dominated contrabass bugle section.

“It was like a tuba bazooka, I suppose. I’d never held one before and it was very heavy so I had to do push-ups to prepare,” says Knueven about getting ready to play the 29-pound instrument.

The audition process for Blue Stars begins in late October when all

24 | Spark | October 18, 2010

aspiring marchers receive music. The prospective members then go to camps each month in Indianapolis until May, and each camp acts as both a training ground and a marching and playing audition. Afterward, they receive either a contract or a deferral. Once contracted, the prospective member is an official member, but the work has yet to begin. The highschoolers must ensure that through hard work, they are able to keep up with the college students, despite the experience gap.

At the end of the college school year, camps conclude and accepted members report to move-in, the location where the drum corps learns the show and rehearses.

“It’s not just about talent and physical strength,” says Knueven.

“Once you do something all summer, you’re going to get good at it.

Willpower surpasses talent. If you really want [to succeed], you can beat anybody at any age.”

That, however, is not to say that the experience is easy. The 13-hour rehearsals are comparable to a sports camp in rigor but with the fusion of music. The instant members err, they face the universal athletic punishment—running.

In addition to rehearsing and performing, the members of Blue Stars were also responsible for preparing equipment for each show.

For example, the trumpets were responsible for painting lines on the rehearsal fields, the contras were responsible for scaffolding and the baritones were responsible for cleaning the bathrooms and schools.

To cut down costs to a $3,000 touring fee for three months, Blue Stars depends entirely on volunteers to take care of driving and cooking and on school gyms instead of hotels for housing.

While touring, the group sleeps in buses driving to their destination and in sleeping bags on gym floors after arriving. Once the sun rises, they rehearse for as long as they can before loading up and travelling to the evening competition site. This cycle repeats until the end of the season.

feature | student feature

photos used with permission from megan manley, marie knueven

“

Willpower surpasses talent.

If you really want it, you can beat anybody at any age.”

Clockwise from left: Blue Stars at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Indianapolis, IN; Blue Stars members resting in a gym before a performance; Marie Knueven, Megan Manley and Jacob Niederman posing after a performance.

“It’s intense—if anything is not perfect, you’re in trouble. Everybody has a job on and off the field, a duty to the rest of the corps, to make everything function properly,” says Niederman.

But it was this amount of work and dedication that allowed the group to run on a tight enough schedule to prepare an intense 14-minute show and tour a total of 17 states during the season.

On Aug. 14, the Blue Stars’ hard work paid off when the Blue Stars placed 8th at the DCI World Championships World Class Finals in Indianapolis and earned a 91.900 out of a total possible 100 points.

Jeff Dugada, a Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps alumni, parent and member of the corps’ Board of Directors, has witnessed Blue Stars’ success from a rival’s perspective.

“I remember them being a significant corps back in the 70s and then they faded away for many years,” says Dugada. “In the last several years, they progressed through the open class ranks, into world class and on into finals competition. I would not be surprised to see them entering the upper rankings of DCI.” Blue Stars brass arranger and composer Frank Sullivan has witnessed how progressing as a marcher while in drum corps can correlate to progressing as a person.

“In high school, I was hanging with the wrong crowd. I lacked direction, passion and motivation. Once I saw my first drum corps show, my life changed forever,” says Sullivan. “I made it my mission to give back to the activity that gave me so much. I am forever indebted to the activity. The only way I can begin to repay drum corps is to donate my time and energy to these students. It is my purpose and passion.”

Luckily, the experiences of drum corps do not leave these East students after the world championships, either. They apply the experience to both their goals in East marching band and in their lives.

Marie Knueven, a field commander for East marching band, has

found that she has improved her leadership skills.

“I know how to fix kids. I wasn’t the best marcher going in, but I got so much help and the instructors put in so much work. It made me much better at teaching. I look at things under a microscope,” says Knueven.

All three East seniors plan on pursuing music performance or education for a career, and DCI is exactly what the director ordered.

They performed a wide variety of genres for extended amounts of time to enhance endurance and technical ability and find camaraderie with other potential music majors.

“It shows that becoming a music major is possible because most [DCI] instructors are music educators and composers and we see that [pursuing music as a career] can work out,” says Kneuven.

However, the path to becoming a successful music major involves more than knowing a career in music is feasible.

“In music, the technical and endurance demands prepare our performers to be a part of almost any music ensemble. We play all styles of music from classical to contemporary to jazz,” says Howard Weinstein, director of Blue Stars. “[Outside the music realm], being able to make a commitment physically, mentally, financially and timewise prepares them to handle their college careers and the demands that almost any career in life requires.”

Julie Bierschenk, a DCI participant since 2004 and senior graphic design major at the University of the Arts, has found that these lessons apply regardless of the major students choose.

“The processes in learning a show and creating art are similar, so the lessons are interchangeable,” says Bierschenk. “I know how to see things through because I was constantly faced with challenges.”

As these East seniors march into the sunset, armed with their newfound perspective, dedication and strength, they know that they can face any uphill battle. n

25 | Spark | lehsspark.org

faces of the levy

L

Local School District Superintendent Mike Taylor has been with the district for 35 years. He has served as a history teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, and has watched the district grow over the past three decades.

“Lakota has endured tremendous change due to growth,” he says. “We have been able to respond and create multiple opportunities for many students. Educationally, Lakota is second to none, but not only in the classroom. We are also recognized as being top-notch in art, band and vocal programs.”

He states that the students are his greatest source of pride.

“Our students are first class, and they step up to the plate every day. They are what I am the most proud of,” he says.

But Lakota has fallen on tough times. The start of the 2010-11 school year brought $13 million in cuts, which included increased class sizes; reduced gifted and support education and trimmed art, music and athletic programs.

Taylor, who is retiring in January, has the final word in making the tough decisions on what gets cut. His role now, ironically, is to scale back the system to which he devoted 35 years of his life building.

“It is extremely troubling that we have worked as hard as we have to build Lakota up, and now we must make reductions,” he says. “However, it’s not just Lakota, it’s all public schools. If other public schools aren’t facing this now, they will.”

In the face of this upcoming levy, Taylor says that he considers all options when looking for areas to trim the budget, including operational costs, busing, food services, sports and clubs. With akota

Our students are first-class, and they step up to the plate every day.

They are what I am most proud of.

26 | Spark | October 18, 2010

the “number one concern [being] the [levy’s] impact on the students,” Taylor expresses regret that the majority of his time is spent trying to convince the community to raise its taxes, which is something that no one wants to do. His real passion is building programs to help students learn, but that has taken a backseat to educating the community about the upcoming levy.

Regardless of Taylor’s commitment to impact students as little as possible, Lakota students entering this school year are enrolled in larger classes than past years. Due to a levy failure in May 2010, 52 teaching positions were eliminated along with 26 support and educational personnel to prevent the district from encountering the nightmare of a deficit

Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor discusses the ramifications for the district in the case of a failed emergency levy this November.

photo sara patt

balance.

Lakota Interim Treasurer Alan Hutchinson, who is replacing former Treasurer Craig Jones until a permanent treasurer is found, describes a deficit balance as when a district is broke financially. The district is currently spending the reserve balance and has been for the past three years. However, the balance, which is like a savings account for the district, is almost depleted.

Lakota Board of Education President Joan Powell notes the district’s predicament is like being “between a rock and hard place.” Since 2005, Lakota’s enrollment has increased by 1,500 students, but the district has not received additional state funding. Currently, 18,471 students are enrolled in the district, with rising

enrollment despite flat funding from the state of Ohio.

Hutchinson believes that the state funding model is “like a car with no gas.” While the funding evaluation method correlates to the body of the car, the state lacks the funds to follow through, like gasoline to power the car.

“School funding is so complex and difficult to understand,” he says. “There are a lot of nuances. How much money a school receives from the state is dependent on a variety of factors like the number of teachers and students, gifted kids, special needs kids, as well as central office expenses and building sizes.

The district is classified by the state as a “guarantee district,” meaning that the district is guaranteed to receive the same amount of

money from the state every year. Despite this status, the state has decreased the amount of funding from $45 million to the current $41 million.

Taylor hopes to change the school situation by using other states’ educational models to combat the flaws in Ohio’s educational funding system.

“I wish we could look at other states because I do believe in public education,” he says. “It levels the playing field and is the cornerstone of democracy in our society. We are educating the future and school systems shouldn’t get short-changed.”

There are limited opportunities, however, for an Ohio school district to make up the extra revenue needed to keep the quality of

27 | Spark | lehsspark.org

Levy Effects

faces of the levy

infographic sara rayburn, logan schneider, sarah wilkinson

May 2010—Levy failed for the first time.

Since May 2010 levy failure—The district eliminated 53 teaching positions.

July 2010— Revenue TIF payments from the Butler County Auditor (4.7 million) were protected for Lakota

Spark examines the events leading up to the emergency levy and the consequences of Issue 2, depending on whether or not it will pass.

September 27, 2010— Superintendent Mike Taylor announces that he will be retiring on Jan. 31, 2011.

2005— The Operating and Bond Levy in took four attempts to pass.

Grades 9-12 will lose busing .

The numb er of classes off ered will decrea se, mainly by cutting electives.

2010–Lakota loses $1.5 million in funding from Duke Energy.

28 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Funds will not be used to build new schools.

Nov. 2010—Issue n 2, the $7.9 millio vy le emergency on. will be voted up in ils fa vy If the le will November, cuts .

11 20 begin in Jan.

Since 2008—The district has cut $13 million from the budget.

Since 2005— Lakota has been flat funded by the state government.

If the levy passes, current levels of education can continue and fees will not increase drastically.

dents K-8 stu miles of 2 within hools will their sc e busing s also lo

r high Junio will s sport . t u c be

mber The nu ntary e of elem g readin ts will lis specia e by s a decre an 50 h t more t. percen

High schools will switch to a six-period day.

Athletic and extracurricular fees, will be increased

Classroom teachers will be required to teach elementary music, art and physical education.

education up.

“Property taxes are one of the only options,” says Hutchinson.

Powell not only agrees that levies are the only choice to gain funding, but also that they are absolutely necessary, despite the financial constraint placed on taxpayers.

“Levies are a planned part of Ohio state funding,” Powell says. “They’re how the state expects districts to pay the bills. They are the only way we get additional money to cover inflation, growth and state mandates.”

After the community failed to pass an incremental levy in May 2010, which was intended to stabilize and maintain the district’s level of funding, Lakota has been forced to ask for an emergency operating levy, which will be on the ballot Nov. 2. The levy is for 7.9 mills and will generate $21.75 million. Millage is a rate used to convey the amount of money to be asked for in a district levy based on the sum property value within that district. One “mill” is equal to an annual tax of $1.00 per every $1,000 of assessed property value, which is determined by the county auditor. The assessed property value is 35 percent of the appraised property value determined by the county auditor.

Unlike other levies, in which the tax increase will be consistent, Issue 2, the Lakota levy, will expire after ten years and require renewal by another vote. The levy will go towards operating costs such as teachers, textbooks and technology, but not toward the construction of any new buildings. New buildings are constructed with money from bond levies, whereas Issue 2 is an emergency levy. According to Powell, the levy is needed to maintain Lakota’s “Excellent” rating, although Hutchinson recognizes that, with the economy, the district is asking for money in a difficult situation.

“It’s a bad time to be on the ballot,” says Hutchinson. “In this economy, no one wants to pay more taxes.”

Powell notes that the state of the economy, loss of local business and tighter family budgets leave Lakota in a continual spiral toward a desperate need of funding because of the increase in the overall student body. “[The district is] hung out to dry, with the state giving less and less and more students continually coming in,” says Powell.

Taylor sees a connection between the state of the school district, of the businesses in the area and the situation of the greater community.

“In the long run, the community will suffer if the levy fails,” he says. “If the school district isn’t good, property values won’t go up and businesses won’t move in and existing ones won’t rebound. Although the recession might end in other parts of the country, it won’t end here. It’s viewing the long-sighted consequences versus the short-sighted consequences and figuring out the best interest [for the district].”

Board of Education Vice President Ben Dibble agrees that the community and its cooperation with the district is essential for both to function properly.

“Our community is Lakota—it’s the glue that binds this community together,” says Dibble. “Neither [West Chester or Liberty] township [is] very strong so people feel a sense of belonging to Lakota.”

Dibble acknowledges that some people may not realize this correlation and will therefore vote “no” because they do not see the value in something that does not affect them.

According to Powell, citizens oblivious to the connection are a problem in the community, with the obligatory feeling to provide for the students enrolled in the district diminished.

“There is a sense of entitlement,” she says.

“Like, ‘My kids deserve a good education,’ but no one feels an obligation to pay for it.”

Powell addresses the obstacles in reaching these members of the community and educating them on the issues Lakota faces.

One such obstacle is the lack of access to community members who do not have students in the district. Emails sent by the district can only go to Lakota parents. Consequently, Lakota is relying heavily on outside media to communicate the district’s financial situation.

“There isn’t enough money to mail out information,” says Powell. “We can’t afford to do it, but it’s almost like we can’t afford not to.”

Hutchinson figures that the cost of printing and postage to mail information to every home in the district would amount to roughly the cost of two to three teachers. Although the district cannot afford to mail out information, levy

neighborhood literature drops before Election Day. The neighborhood literature drops require around 700 Lakota parent volunteers to leave informational levy pamphlets at the doorsteps of district residents.

“We are trying harder this time to really educate everyone on flat funding,” says Casper.

“All hands on deck.”

Due to increased efforts to educate the community, Dibble believes the mood is more positive for this levy versus the last levy in May. “Maybe it’s due to Issue 2 not being a progressive levy. Maybe our needs are better understood, maybe the economy is not as bad as it was and maybe it’s because of the cuts that were made [after May 2010] and the cuts that will be made [if the November levy does not pass],” he says.

According to Dibble, all that the board members can do is “try, try, try to get the message out and make situations as clear as possible to the people of the community.”

The district is depending on the verbal communication among community members, the pro-levy campaign, televised board meetings and The Pulse Journal articles to educate the public. A September edition of The Pulse Journal included a handout with information from the district detailing why the passing of the levy is needed and what cuts will be made if it fails.

The challenge remains, however, for Lakota to gain the votes of the 70 percent of residents who do not have students in the district.

When anti-levy sentiments were expressed on the radio station WLW with radio host Scott Sloan, the gridlock of the levy controversy was intensified.

[Voting for the levy is] viewing the long-sighted consequences versus the short-sighted consequences and figuring out the best interest [for the district]. committees can. Kelley Casper, chairman of the levy committee Lakota Neighbor Network for the East Theater School reports that the network has raised $33,000 from parents and local businesses. On Oct. 4, the organization mailed a case statement laying out all of the district’s facts and figures.

“There are so many different things in the media that aren’t the actual truth,” Casper says.

“It is a challenge educating the public.”

In addition to the case statement, the Lakota Neighborhood Network for the East Theatre School levy committee holds community forums and has organized three

“It’s all sensationalism and entertainment.

The district is just trying to get the facts out,” says Taylor of Sloan’s attitude. Taylor says he shows no interest in going on the air to contradict Sloan’s claims that Lakota is not a good value to the community.

According to Dibble, those comments “don’t live up to journalistic standards.” He says that there will always be naysayers and the challenge of changing the minds of those who automatically vote “no” will always remain.

“A lot of people don’t want to hear the truth, because then they would see that there is no waste in schools,” he says. “People are sure that

29 | Spark | lehsspark.org

faces of the levy

Little Miami senior Marias Jacon-Duffy tells of her college plans in the midst of her school district’s turmoil.

photo dan turner

there is waste in government, but they aren’t sure where. People can say there are programs to be cut, but really there aren’t many.”

Taylor adds that while there is a lot of negative energy and a push for the “no taxes” movement within the district, most of the antilevy sentiments are due to financial reasons.

“It’s a unique time with what is happening in the economy,” he says. “It’s not less support for the school system, it’s just people trying to find dollars.”

However, if the financial strain of the levy is too great on the community and the levy fails in November, even more drastic measures will be taken, including the elimination of junior high athletic programs, the transition of high school days to six-periods, elimination of 130 more teaching and staff positions and a move to the state-minimum transportation structure, which does not include high school busing.

Lakota Board of Education member Ray Murray recognizes that electives at the secondary level will also suffer greatly in the case of a failed levy.

“Given state and other requirements for certain subjects, it would not be uncommon to find scenarios in which students would be limited to two year-long elective courses during their entire high school experience,” he says.

Taylor foresees a state takeover in 2013 if

30 | Spark | October 18, 2010

levies continue to fail. At that point, the district will be reduced to the state minimum which consists solely of core classes and the loss of all electives. If the levy passes, the district will be able to maintain quality programs and staff, and the first thing to return would be smaller class sizes. The increase in funding provided by the levy, however, may not be enough.

Consequently, the community will be faced with another levy in four to five years.

In Powell’s perspective, the district will be changed forever, whether or not the community checks “yes” or “no” on the ballot Nov. 2.

“Some things that have been cut will never come back,” she says.

—Rachel Podnar

Little Miami’s Minimum As the bell rings, last-minute stragglers jostle their way into class before their teachers count them absent. Slowly the school’s corridors empty, and silence engulfs the school. Yet throughout first period, students continue to trickle through the main-office doors, arriving at school late. Eventually, a blonde-haired senior strides into the office, disregarding her tardiness—she is late every day.

When she does eventually get to school, however, she ambles through the halls smiling

constantly as she heads to her first period– sports medicine. She changes and begins warming up like the rest of her classmates, eager to start the school day.

Under the smile of Little Miami senior Marais Jacon-Duffy lies the truth of what high school has become for her. Due to increased pay-to-play fees and limited class choices, she has had to sacrifice some aspects of school that she loved.

“I was a three-sport athlete, and now I’m a one-sport athlete. I was going to take a lot of electives that only seniors could take, like [Advanced Placement (AP)] classes,” says Jacon-Duffy. “[But] I leave school at 12 o’clock because there are no classes for me to take.”

When Jacon-Duffy participated in cheerleading, tennis and track, she had to make tough decisions due to personal budget issues.

At $651 per sport for Little Miami attendees, students find themselves having to make choices about what sports to play.

“We really value our extracurriculars,” says Little Miami Superintendent Dan Bennett.

“We’ve had to reduce a lot of those offerings in all areas. And by hiking [pay-to-play] to $651, some people just can’t afford it. They have to make decisions. It shouldn’t be that way.”

Students and educators at Little Miami agree that losing extracurriculars because of money

issues is not right. In the morning before school, the school district used to provide a “bonus” time, which was used for a variety of purposes, including making up tests, getting extra help from teachers and meeting for extracurricular activities. According to Jacon-Duffy, this was invaluable time for various clubs and the removal of bonus time has resulted in even more hardship for extracurricular activities to get organized.

Some educators like Little Miami journalism teacher Lisa Koch have, however, gone above and beyond to make sure opportunities remain for students. She has donated her own time and money—as the National Honor Society advisor, she bought candles for all 60 inductees and tablecloths for the induction ceremony.

“I feel like our kids deserve what they used to have. Our [current] kids don’t know what they’re missing,” says Koch. “I do know what they’re missing. I want them to have those things.”

Koch attributes this “unfairness” to the lack of funding received by the Little Miami community. “[The district] just keeps cutting and cutting and cutting from these guys, and [the students] didn’t have anything to start with,” she says.

“That’s why you fund things—because you want them to have what every other high school has. What happens is I just spend my supplemental money. People say, ‘Oh, she gets a supplement.’ But I don’t really get a supplement because I put all that money back in [to the clubs I sponsor].”

Koch helps students with her own supplemental money because the lack of extracurriculars hurts some students in their prospective career choices. Jacon-Duffy, for example, wants to major in journalism at an accredited university. But because Little Miami’s student-run newspaper was cut, she does not have a real opportunity to gain experience for the profession she envisions.

The reduction of elective offerings has significantly impacted the opportunities students have in the classroom as well. As programs are cut, so is some of the educational preparation students receive for college and the

Reflecting on his district’s changes, Little Miami math teacher Mark LaPille believes that the efforts of educators determine the quality of a student’s education.

photo dan turner

that last year. So when I go to college as a journalism major, [colleges are] going to say,

I feel like our kids deserve what they used to have. Our [current] kids don’t know what they’re missing. real world.

“I think writing is my thing. I love to write, and journalism would be a fun career,” says Jacon-Duffy. “[But after the budget cuts], I didn’t get to do yearbook anymore, or the school newspaper because they got rid of

‘Oh, well where’s your school newspaper?’”

While the opportunities available to students may be dwindling, Little Miami math teacher Mark LaPille does not see the quality of education his school district offers abating. He believes that as long as the teachers and students

apply themselves in the classroom, they will still be able to achieve to their potential.

“With [this year’s] course offerings, we lost some programs. We had a shop program that was cut,” says LaPille. “We’ve had some other programs that were tweaked down a little bit. Instead of having four or five levels of something, it dropped down for a little bit. I think the teachers still work hard, and the kids get prepared. I don’t think the education in the classroom has changed. The material is still there, we still expect our honors kids to work.”

According to numerous Little Miami teachers, the majority of problems the district has faced are the result of larger class sizes.

While other factors such as limited instructional materials and less technology available in the classroom also affect the learning ability of

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faces of the levy

students, Little Miami history teacher Marty Skidmore sees teaching the same way as LaPille—teachers are ultimately responsible for the education of their students.

“Fewer resources means that we have to find more creative ways to communicate the material to them,” says Skidmore. “We have the responsibility, whether or not we have the material to do it, to prepare them for the OGT and life beyond high school. Regardless of whether or not we have the material, we are responsible for their education.”

Class size, however, can dramatically affect the students’ performance in school. This is generally due to the lack of one-on-one time between teachers and students, according to LaPille. Even so, as a math teacher, he says he has only another 10 tests to grade and class size does not necessarily reflect students’ education.

According to Bennett, the excellent rating the school district has managed to maintain is a credit to teachers such as LaPille and Skidmore.

“Last year was a really difficult year because we’ve lost so many staff members and we had to create work environments and learning environments that were really tough on our teachers,” says Bennett. “But teachers have stepped up to the plate and gone the extra mile.

Our motto was that we weren’t going to let our kids fail over an unfair way of having to fund our schools. Whether or not we can sustain that

however according to Koch, may have hurt the levy campaign, rather than helped it.

“I think [the rally] brought out the ‘novoters’ and not the ‘yes-voters’ [for the levy]. I think [the levy] was the only thing on the ballot,” says Koch. “So you had to go specifically to vote. And the ‘no-voters’ come out unless there’s an ice-storm. The ‘yes-voters’ are like, ‘Oh, shoot, that’s on my list.’ But maybe they don’t get to it.”

Ohio State Senator Gary Cates sees the current economy as another reason “novoters” are turning up at the polls.

“Voters are tapped out. Voters are scarred,” says Cates. “People are getting concerned with having to pay more for their house payments.

There is no easy solution.”

It will be critical this November whether the “no-voters” or “yes-voters” appear on Election Day. Little Miami is not the only school district on the ballot, however—the Lakota Local School District is also asking for a levy.

Little Miami is asking for a 10.95-mill incremental levy, while the Lakota Local School District is requesting a 7.9-mill emergency levy that would expire after 10 years, due to the district’s predicted $48 million deficit in fiscal year 2013. Bennett is hoping his community, despite previous lack of support, will view the incremental levy favorably.

“We’re so far behind because we’ve failed for

You would think that after six years of experience I would be [able to keep my job]. in the coming year with even more cuts is going to be really difficult.”

Yet despite the excellent rating maintained by the district, community members have continually rejected Little Miami’s levy proposals. In February, the district asked for a 17-mill levy and in May, an earnings tax with a 7-mill property tax. Both measures failed.

The superintendent, teachers and students are left to wonder why. Students in Koch’s journalism class recently dissected the origin of this question. They eventually reached several possible conclusions.

“Everybody went to school, so they think they understand education. They don’t take the time to learn the facts,” says Koch. “In the news right now, we have so many shows that are based on editorials. People hear things and take that as fact, and it’s not fact.”

Students themselves have attempted to try and change their community’s view on educational funding. At one point, students walked out of school to show how their “community walked out on them.” This,

32 | Spark | October 18, 2010

so many years and put ourselves in such debt that the economy is the way it is. We went out in February and asked for all 17-mills—didn’t make it. Came back out in May, and asked for an earnings tax with seven mills, and it didn’t make it,” says Bennett. “So we felt from the data we had, this was the best approach for having the least impact on our residents, but at the same time, providing us with a plan over the next five years to get out of state oversight and get back on our feet.”

A ramification from the state takeover is that the school district’s Board of Education becomes powerless. All decisions have to be approved by an oversight commission including an Ohio Department of Education fiscal consultant, Office of Budget and Management budget analyst, business person appointed by the Warren County auditor, business person appointed by the Ohio Governor and a parent of Little Miami children appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Little Miami teachers mainly fear that this oversight commission will end up cutting the

last strings that are holding the district together and keeping Little Miami from completely tumbling over the edge.

“We’ve not seen much impact since the state has come in, mostly because the budget cuts occurred a year ago [and the state took over on July 20]. We’ve already been dealing with budget issues for quite some time. We all suspect that as of November, should the levy fail, a drastic impact on the class,” says Skidmore. “Once again, we’ll be looking at increased class sizes and our state minimum classes for kids. Students will not be able to have the opportunity to pick classes. They’re only going to have state minimum opportunities.”

Furthermore, Skidmore worries about his job security should the levy fail again. Despite his experience six years teaching at Little Miami, he has continually felt his job is in jeopardy.

“The state requires 20 credits and at Little Miami, we require 24 credits. So, naturally, if you’re down to 20 credits, that means fewer teachers,” he says. “If you increase class size and remove those electives, you have a need for fewer teachers.”

Protecting teachers’ jobs will require securing revenue from the community, something with which the state oversight commission will have its hands full according to Bennett. As Little Miami has cut 90 staff members and $7 million from its budget over the past two-and-a-half years, there is not much left to cut without severely impacting the classroom.

Little Miami has currently gone to state minimums in transportation and eliminated art and music classes at elementary schools. It has also reduced its staff to the state minimum recommendation in terms of number of classroom teachers and support staff.

“The real challenge of this district, is going to be can [the oversight commission] continue to make recommendations to cuts knowing that it’s already been done,” says Bennett.

“All of our performance audits are indicating we’ve done the right things. That’s where the comments keep coming—from the different members of the commission. [The members think] that this is not a spending issue for Little Miami—it’s a revenue issue. They need more local revenue. They need to pass their levies.”

Taylor suspects a state takeover similar to the Little Miami state takeover in Lakota’s immediate future if Issue 2 does not pass on Nov. 2. He is concerned with the impact this failure will have on the community’s values.

“If things don’t change and we continue to lose money, by 2012-13, I think we’re bumping against [a state takeover] right then and there,” says Taylor. “[But] I’m pretty optimistic [the levy will pass]. I’ll go back and say that our community values education and will realize that having a solid school system in the community is one of the reasons why this is a great community to live in. I would hate to think of what the alternative is, because I have

begun to paint that picture.”

What Little Miami is fearful of in the near future, and the fear of the Lakota Local School District in the distant future, is the prospect of ceasing to exist as a school district. Money borrowed from the state must be paid back eventually by the taxpayers because Columbus does not give school districts free money.

If the state sees the situation as beyond repair, eventually it may dissolve Little Miami into neighboring school districts.

“Realistically, in three years, we could be out of business. If you don’t have money, you’re done,” says Koch. “[The community] doesn’t understand that if we go into Kings, they pay Kings taxes, plus they have to pay to get us out of debt. It would be smarter to vote yes now than to wait for later. People are almost making the statement that Columbus needs to change the way schools are funded in Ohio—but they’re doing it at [students’] expense. I think that they forget that somebody paid for them to go through school.”

While this has never before happened in the state of Ohio, the state oversight commission is “scaring” the community with proposed cuts if the levy fails.

“People are giving hints at what the best thing to do is,” says LaPille. “I think the speculation scares people in the community and scares kids on what programs will be cut.

But it’s all speculation. It’s just not a good time.

It’s kind of scary.”

This speculation is not uncommon among schools—the Lakota Local School District has had to do the same. The state oversight committee outlined cuts that will occur in Little Miami if the levy fails in November.

“We’re going to be real close [to state minimums]. We’re going to be real close,” says Lakota Board of Education President Joan Powell. “We will [eventually see a state takeover like Little Miami if the levy fails]. Because there are only so many things we can cut.”

Despite the impending cuts and bare resources that will be in place if the levies fail, both districts remain optimistic. However, Powell remains, “cautiously optimistic,” as she has for virtually every levy campaign in her 13 years on the Lakota Board of Education.

How both districts plan to rebuild, however, is yet to be seen. Bennett says how Little Miami is rebuilt must reflect the community’s voice.

“Once we pass our levy in the fall, we’ll start right away in rebuilding this the best way that we can. We’ve always been a district that has struggled in this area,” says Bennett. “It’s been like this for a lot of years, a very conservative district. Our numbers have always reflected our community values, which is the very best for the cheapest price. It’s always been that way.

Excellence with value, that’s always been our motto here. And that hasn’t changed and will never change in the future.”

Students can no longer use school printers.

photo sara patt

Seniors arrive late and leave early. Sports prices have dramatically increased. Electives that prepare students have been cut. Extra time for students to learn has been removed. Teachers and support staff have lost jobs. There are no detentions, only suspensions. Teaching materials are limited. Class sizes have expanded.

After-school time has disappeared.

Numerous teachers and administrators have said the same thing—the Lakota Local School District is two years behind the Little Miami School District.

“We’re on the same path—there’s no question about it,” says Taylor.

—Mason Hood

An Ultra-Fine Line If after all the ballots have been counted and all the votes have been tallied and there is not a majority of “yes” votes cast for the Lakota Local School District levy, newly hired East art teacher Melissa Dornan will be riffed by the district—for the second time.

As a Lakota West graduate with a Bachelors in Art Education from Bowling Green State University, working at a Lakota school seems

Ohio State Senator Gary Cates discusses the causes of recent levy failures.

the logical choice for Dornan. However, if the Nov. 2010 Lakota Levy does not pass, she will be let go by the district due to budget cuts.

After Dornan graduated from college in 2002, she got her first teaching position at Lakota West. A year and a half after being hired, the levy failed and she was laid-off.

“The last one hired is the first one fired,” says Dornan who followed the footsteps of her parents who have taught in the district. “I ended up at Colerain High School thanks to everybody’s hard work and I was there for six years.”

However, because Colerain was cutting funds and positions in their district, she was let go for the second time in less than eight years.

“Being the low man on the totem pole again, I lost my job,” says Dornan. “You would think that after six years of experience I would be [able to keep my job].”

She was asked to begin teaching at East only three weeks before the 2010-11 school year began because of a job vacancy. The upcoming levy, however, will decide her job position once again.

“As it stands, if the levy fails, I will most definitely lose my job again. They have to make

33 | Spark | lehsspark.org

number 23 the

faces of the levy

Lakota’s budget woes have forced the district to put a $23 million emergancy levy on November’s ballot.

Projected Cuts if Levy Fails Service Ongoing Efficiencies: $213,661

Reductions: $1,257,720 High School Reductions: $1,894,000

Operational Athletic Reductions: $3,800,000

Administrative Reductions: $459,302

Jr. School Reductions: $2,082,082

Elementary Reductions: $2,659,464

Lakota’s Recent Levy Results Green indicates passed levy measures, gray indicates failed ones measure failed by 70-30 percent margin

Nov. 2000

34 | Spark | October 22, 2009

March 2004

measure failed by five votes

Nov. 2004

Feb. 2005

How it gets there

the levy by the numbers

SOLD For Sale

SPARK Real Estate

Property Tax:

Real Estate Taxes: $73,515,756

$8,082,142

Other Local:

Other State:

Sales Tax, Income Tax, Ohio Lottery $15,760,258

State Foundation:

130

LAKOTA LOCAL SCHOOLS

Total Lakota Budget: $153,934,778

Lakota’s total projected employee loss if November’s measure does not pass.

How much is left

$13

2007* 2008* 2009* 2010* 2011*

The amount in millions of budget cuts that Lakota has alredy made, including $8.2 million this year.

2012*

2013* -50

-40

1 2 3

-30

-20

*Fiscal Year

0 -10 10 Dollars in Millions

20

30

$23

The amount in millions that Lakota is asking for on November’s upcoming operating levy.

$45,943,085

Donations, facility rentals, busses rentals, ect. $10,633,558

40

50

60

Where it’s all going

Teachers

A portion of the levy will be allocated to funding teachers’ salaries across the district to prevent further cuts.

Textbooks

The levy will also cover textbook costs so that the schools can continue to offer courses which are driven by textbook material.

Technology Levy money will be used in order to maintain the technology and techonological standards currently in place by the district.

2011

The year that the levy will begin its collection from taxes within the district.

$9503

The amount of money that Lakota spends per student within the district on average.

Lakota has guaranteed that that no levy money will be used to fund new buildings.

measure failed by a 62-38 percent margin

Nov. 2005

May 2010

information lakotaonline.com, butlercountyelctions.org infographic mason hood, logan schneider, faiz siddiqui

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faces of the levy

36 | Spark | October 18, 2010

photo dan turner

Jesse and Melissa Dornan’s jobs are in jeopardy if the levy fails this November.

cuts and the arts are always the first ones to go,” says Melissa, who was warned of her job insecurity when she was hired. “I will get cut.”

If the levy fails, not only will she lose her job, but her husband, and fellow East art teacher Jesse Dornan, may also lose his.

“Because I have my master’s [degree], I have a continuing contract,” says Jesse, whose contract places him higher on the seniority list. “However, from what I have seen on the seniority list, if [the district] cuts all elementary art classes and takes away specialized classes from the high schools, I will be gone.”

According to East chemistry teacher and Lakota Education Association Vice President John Severns, the policy that dictates whom is let go when cuts are necessary is a contractual issue.

“It all goes back to seniority. [Seniority] is true not just of teachers, but [takes effect] in any unionized work force,” says Severns. “With teachers it is a little more complicated because [seniority] is within a certification area. So, if [the district] decided to get rid of five science teachers district-wide, they would look at all the teachers certified to teach science and would start with the least certified and go up.”

Melissa acknowledges that this policy is how things work in the “real world.” However, she still believes art is a necessary part of a student’s day because of the relaxation it offers.

Though the district has not specified which classes will be cut, she knows the arts classes will be the first. If the levy does not pass, not only will Melissa leave her 135 students without an art teacher, she may also have trouble finding another job in education due to the weak condition of the economy.

“Lakota can eliminate certain courses, [therefore] cuts might not be exactly proportional,” says Severns. “Everyone has to take English and everybody has to take math.

Even though a science teacher might have less seniority than [Melissa], she could still get cut because her certification area is being cut.”

Though the possibility of being let go is likely, Melissa knows of no other schools that can hire her, because, as she says, other school districts are all faced with a similar personnel policy and pressures of district levies.

“The sad thing is that being cut [with] eight years of teaching [experience], I have too much experience for this day and age to get hired,” says Melissa. “With the economy the way it is and the public school funding the way it is, [districts] are only looking for people with two years of experience or less. If you have a master’s [degree], they are not even looking.

The more experience you have and the more degrees you have, [the more districts] have to pay you for.”

With a master’s degree from Miami University, Jesse says it would be difficult to find another job because of his credentials. He also, costs too much for a district to hire due to

the struggling economy.

“It will be tough to find a job with nine years experience and a master’s degree,” says Jesse. “Making the money I make, there is not another job [that I could get in this economy].

It is frustrating because I put myself through school and I have invested a great deal of time, energy and money into doing something I love.”

According to Severns, the issue of the district being unable to potentially hire an employee due to higher degrees of certification is a legitimate concern.

Although the district spends less to hire a “rookie” right out of college, he believes the district must be careful to not jeopardize the student’s education with inexperienced teachers.

Facing the possibility of losing her job again, Melissa has stopped working on her own master’s degree so that she will have a better chance of getting a job if she is riffed again.

“I am two classes away [from a Master’s degree] and I am not going to finish. Number one, because of money, and [number two], it doesn’t make me employable,” says Melissa.

“If I lose my job here and I try to get a job somewhere else [with] a master’s, they are not even going to look at me.”

The new East teacher is left with no options

I will stay home with my kids for a year if we can afford it. If not, I am not opposed to doing any kind of job that I need to do, [even] if it is flipping burgers. I hate to say it, but if it is doing something like that, then I am going to have to commit to do anything to support my family.”

When Melissa considers the possibility that her husband could also lose his teaching position, she admits to experiencing some stress, especially over the futures of her children, Riley and Reagan. However, despite the uncertainty of a job as an educator, she says that she would have still pursued her education degree even if she had known what the future held.

“I love [teaching]. It is what I wanted to do, and I love it,” she says. “Even on a bad day, I still want to be here. I like sharing my knowledge, I like seeing what the kids can do.

It’s amazing.”

If the district were to lose specialized classes and extracurriculars, Jesse feels that the school would lose its spirit especially because art and sports are what got him through childhood.

“It is just frustrating. I am sure everyone is feeling it,” says Jesse. “It is tough when you start the school year off and you think about all the possibilities and all the positive things that can happen in your class but the whole

I’m not opposed to doing any kind of job that I need to do, [even] if it is flipping burgers. I am going to have to commit... to support my family. but to accept the consequences of a failed levy—there is no way to escape losing her job.

Even if she were not the last one hired, she may have been in the same situation because of her certification in the arts.

“I hate to say it,” says Melissa. “But it has happened to me two times already and there is nothing that you can do about it. A job is a job. I look at Little Miami School District where they had a 25-year veteran who was let go and did not find a job for three years because [school districts] wouldn’t even look at her. And it is not just education. All businesses are cutting.

[The bad economy] just kind of trickles down and education will be affected by it.”

Despite her passion for teaching, Melissa is open to the possibility of another job because she is aware of her situation as an educator. “[Not teaching anymore] would be a hard decision. I have contemplated that many times,” she says. “But how am I going to get money to go back to school if I don’t have a job? It’s scary. I think that if I do lose this job

time, laying in the back of your mind, you’re wondering if this school could basically be flipped upside down and inside out if there are not enough ‘yes’ votes.”

Unlike the similarities between school districts in terms of seniority or hiring policies, the loss will put the district’s students at a disadvantage. Lakota Board of Education member Ray Murray says that this inversion of the district’s extracurricular options will be drastic if the levy fails.

“Nearly 140 course selections that students depend upon today to create a diverse academic experience would be reduced or eliminated,” says Murray. “While other districts that already spend considerably more per student than Lakota continue to offer a diverse experience, the ability of our students to compete will be directly and severely impacted.”

Murray says that he wants the same thing for Lakota students that his parents desired for him to receive—opportunities.

Aware of how a rough childhood can affect

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faces of the levy

teenagers’ lives, Jesse hopes to provide a place for students to “let their hair down.” With the metals program at East ranked number one in Ohio and number two in the nation, he fears all of this could go away if the levy fails.

“It will be very black and white,” says Jesse.

“There are going to be cut and dry classes that are needed for standardized tests. When specialized courses or elective courses such as the arts and technology classes are cut, it will take the heart and soul out of the school.”

—Alyssa Davis

Chalkboard Revolution Just north of the intersection of Cox Road and U.S. Route 42 in Mason lies an abandoned strip mall, the outlines of the failed businesses’ signs clearly visible. Directly adjacent sits a Dollar General store, an old Dairy Queen and patches of grass covered by vinyl “For Lakota” banners burrowed sturdily into the ground. The intersection is flooded with eyecatching advertisements catering to drivers and passersby, but drivers shift their attention elsewhere. Their attention is diverted to the giant chalkboard 800 feet north of the intersection, staring them square in the face.

The billboard, paid for by the Education Action Group, reads: “Did you get a raise for not dying this summer?” inscribed in text resembling that of old-fashioned chalkboards.

It then goes on to promote “OHEAexposed. com,” a website that claims to “expose” the Ohio Education Association’s under-workings.

But the billboard, one of 25 around Greater Cincinnati, is just a small part of a bigger and more complex issue. The signs display the simple message of a campaign that could

across Greater Cincinnati and even across the district. Liberty Twp. Real Estate Developer Mark Sennet saw a 62-38 percent landslide, with voters turning down Lakota’s levy in May 2010 as a wake up call to the district.

“The last levy [should have] let them know that this is for real when 6.2 people [out of 10] voted down the levy,” he says. “That had to say something. They did acknowledge that the community was speaking, but they didn’t go far enough to solve the problem.”

Sennet believes that Lakota’s wage freezes and $13 million in cuts to date have done little to alleviate the district’s financial issues— namely its $26 million dollar proposed deficit.

He sees Lakota’s reaction, the aforementioned wage freezes and cuts as a “slap in the face.”

One of his main issues with the district budget is teachers’ incremental pay, the issue to which the Route 42 billboard refers. So far, the district has already eliminated 52 certified staff members, increased class sizes, reduced gifted and support education and made significant cuts to transportation service as a result of financial issues. Sennet believes that Lakota should stop allocating taxpayer money and district funds to excessive services.

“Now I was in the slow learner class, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that you do not need $50 million more to operate the next year unless there is excess,” he says.

Lakota’s perceived financial irresponsibility has prompted the developer to spearhead a campaign against this November’s emergency levy. Sennet, a member of two separate antilevy organizations, Citizens Against the Lakota Levy (CALL) and “Nolakotalevy.com,” claims that Ohio’s pension system is to blame. He illustrates his issue with Lakota’s $23 million levy through the analogy of a single dollar,

Students...become the type of well-rounded, creative problemsolvers that today’s colleges and employers require. determine the fate of $23 million—the cost of Lakota’s proposed emergency levy set to hit November’s ballot. Though he will not disclose the billboard’s cost, Education Action Group Founder and Vice President Kyle Olson believes he has dispensed a valuable message.

“Across the country, public schools have a spending problem,” says Olson. “We looked at contracts across the Greater Cincinnati area, and we decided to do a billboard campaign to show our viewpoint.”

Based on the last campaign’s votes, it is clear that Olson’s sentiments are felt by thousands

38 | Spark | October 18, 2010

separating 10 dimes into a group of eight and a group of two.

“You have eight dimes to deal with [wages], and you have two dimes for your other uses,” he says. “What would you do to correct the situation? If you’re going to cut and you’ve got 80 percent in wages and all you’re going to do is freeze wages, are you really cutting that much?”

The anti-levy campaigns believe that Lakota’s current system is wasting taxpayer money on salaries and benefits instead of putting it towards education. Sennet would prefer to appropriate the funds elsewhere.

“I’d rather put [80 percent] into your pocket and say ‘here, go get any education you want.’”

But because CALL is a local group, Sennet believes it can only do little to fight Ohio’s pension system. Sennet and similar-minded people are keen on proving their point anyway, through Lakota’s levy and through others like it. They plan to utilize the power of the polls.

“We can’t go to the state of Ohio and fight the union. We have no power against the union, and they have the backing of all the teachers,” says Sennet. “How can we do anything other than show [our power] in the voting booth?”

The developer draws parallels between Lakota’s financial situation and that of the rest of the country. Sennet demands that Lakota make the same sacrifices that the rest of the country had to during the throw of what he called “the biggest recession since the Great Depression.”

“Everybody else, businesses and families are making adjustments,” says Sennet, remembering a time when he had to make a sacrifice of his own by helping a client. With his own taxes raised, Sennet had to raise his common area maintenance charge for his tenants, which is ultimately allocated to taxes.

After learning that one of his tenants could not afford the new rate, Sennet reduced the tenant’s rent in order to accommodate for her.

Sennet’s long-time friend and fellow developer Tom McGill has seen the recession’s effect on the local economy firsthand, noting that Liberty Twp. and West Chester have seen over 40 businesses close in the last two years.

“Lakota has to learn that they can’t just keep going to business [owners] and they want more and more and more,” he says. “Businesses are closing down. [Lakota was] trying to make a very pure picture that ‘Oh people are coming to Lakota and everything is great.’ They’re not coming to Liberty [Twp]. You can drive anywhere and see buildings for lease.”

Vacant buildings seem to be a common theme. One of CALL’s issues with Lakota’s budget is the mishandling of Olde West Chester’s Union Elementary, which no longer houses students. CALL members believe the building could have hosted the all-day kindergarten now required by the state.

“Maybe [Lakota] should have thought ahead of time and not leased Union [Elementary] for a dollar a year, rather than have someone tell me that in order to have all-day kindergarten, they would have to build a $17 million school, $2 million to equip it and $2 million to run it,” Sennet says.

Logistics aside, some business and homeowners downright cannot afford a tax increase.

“People are out of work. They just can’t keep paying more taxes,” says McGill.

The same holds true for businesses, according to Sennet.

“I’ve worked hard all my life, but I’m not

This Mason billboard expresses the Education Action Group’s disapproval of national public school spending.

photo dan turner

going to go sell my building so I can pay more taxes to Butler County and the school system,” he says.

But his view has led many to draw conclusions. Sennet’s voting record from his 33 years of Liberty Twp. residence shows his support for Lakota’s levies in all instances except two: Lakota’s Feb. 2005 campaign and the recent one. Though Sennet will vote “no” on the upcoming levy, he affirms that he is not against the Lakota district, or its students.

“I’m a good guy,” he says. “I want you guys to know that if you were in the river, and you were drowning, I’d come in and save you. I’m not against Lakota kids.”

“Nolakotalevy.com” relays a similar message. The website’s banner declares: “We love our community and our schools and believe that all kids need an education,” before stating the group’s disagreement with the premise that money equals a better education.

Lakota Board of Education President Joan Powell, however, fails to see how opposing the emergency measure is supporting Lakota.

“No, I don’t think they support the district,” she says. “I think it was pretty clear in May that [Sennet] doesn’t support the district. The hard question you have to ask is, why? Because you can point to anything and say, ‘Oh, well, the pension system.’ [Lakota doesn’t] control it.

Over the years what I’ve found is people who want to oppose can always find a reason to oppose.”

Powell questions the feasibility of the antilevy campaign’s desired outcome. She wonders

how the district can maintain “Excellent” status, which the Ohio Board of Education has awarded it for nine years running, without funding for some of the programs that helped earn it. Powell is especially concerned about the potential removal of programs designed to help special education and economically deprived students. The rating is based on the district’s state report card. Without the necessary funding, Powell has little optimism for the future.

“Lakota doesn’t make that rating simply by how many kids pass the test, how many kids pass the Ohio Graduation Test, how many people pass math and science and fourth grade,” she says. “Do I think our rating will go down? Absolutely, I do, because it’s only by a lot of concerted help that some of the students are able to be successful on standardized tests.”

But CALL and “Nolakotalevy.com” maintain their belief that a quality education is determined by a non-monetary value. Sennet believes that a district’s success is determined by its educators, rather than its funding.

“You’re not going to kill the schools if [the district] just had an excellent rating instead of an excellent with distinction,” he says. “It’s the people inside. It’s a numbers game on all the rest. It’s the heart of the administration, the school board and the students who will carry this Lakota school system to a magnificent future. No school rating system is going to crush the spirit of the whole. ” Sennet’s belief is fueled by his own experiences. He remembers his grade-school

education, which was very different from that of today’s students, believing that his way of schooling was both efficient and effective.

“The teacher taught music, art and arithmetic and spelling and everything else,” he says. “You don’t need a specialist teaching art and music in the first and second grade. All we have to do is provide a secondary education to these people.”

But Lakota Local School Board member Ray Murray sees these positions as compulsory.

He believes that specialists in the areas of art, music and physical education further prepare students for their future.

“Art, music and physical education are provided by licensed specialists who have a genuine passion for inspiring students in this curriculum,” he says. “Skills learned by students in these areas help them become the type of well-rounded, creative problem solvers who today’s colleges and employers require.”

Sennet, however, would rather revert back to a simpler education.

“You get back to the basics,” Sennet says.

“Keyboarding. Obviously computers are the future. You have a wonderful school system as it is.”

Although he believes Lakota’s school system to be “wonderful,” Sennet is fully aware of the harsh realities of the situation. He knows that under a better economic situation, Lakota might have the support of the community. He, along with McGill, believes that the district is fully responsible for the mishandling of the situation.

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faces of the levy

“Why didn’t [Lakota] come back for four mills (referring to ratio of the tax increase) and continue to do more cuts? To come back at eight mills and know they’re going to come back for four more [in 2014] is a slap in the face because the public turned them down on the last one. They probably would have gotten support at four mills.”

For Sennet, the entire situation boils down to a simple analogy.

“You can only squeeze so much blood out.

In the past, everybody was willing to give as much blood as was needed, but when you start

Campbells have been living in fear that their two boys will lose that “quality education” they envisioned for their children. The Campbells, along with other young couples in the district, are concerned about their children’s education if the district’s levies continue to fail, and if Lakota’s proposed cuts begin to take effect.

“We don’t care if we have to pay an extra $30 to $50 a month on our taxes. All we want is to make sure that our kids are getting the best education we can offer them,” says Katie.

“Even if it means we have to pay out of pocket each year for them to receive the best education

If Lakota continues to cut teachers... there will be less oneon-one time for my kids to learn. to be anemic, whether business or personal, the willingness to give the blood is reduced.”

But until CALL and “Nolakotalevy.com” reach their desired outcome, Route 42 will surely bear one resemblance to a classroom.

Failed businesses will continue to surround a chalkboard that pushes drivers to vote “no,” with CALL and “Nolakotalevy.com” in hopes that it might just lead to a failed levy.

—Faiz Siddiqui

Campbell’s Choice For many years, the Lakota Local School District has enjoyed the reputation of offering students a superior education in the state of Ohio. Thousands of families have flocked to Lakota with hopes of providing their children with the best education possible. With a previous levy failing last May and a second attempt coming in November, however, families are growing skeptical of whether or not the Lakota District will be able to meet the needs of students if the levy fails for a second time.

Three years ago, Katie and Jason Campbell decided to move from their home in Fairfield, OH, to find a place to raise their two boys, Jackson and David, who are now seven and five, respectively. While looking for houses, they realized that Lakota offered a higher quality of education than other districts around the area.

“It’s funny,” says Katie. “Neither of us went to Lakota, but we both knew we wanted our kids to go here.”

Since then, the Campbells have settled into their new home, only to find that Lakota is not reaching the potential promised through the district’s mission that the family saw when they first moved here. For the past two years, the

40 | Spark | October 18, 2010

that Lakota has to offer.”

The main concern the Campbells have about the cuts being made in Lakota is the number of teachers that have recently been riffed, as well as the number of teachers the district is planning to cut if the levy fails a second time this November.

“If Lakota continues to cut teachers, that means there will be less one-on-one time for my kids to learn,” says Jason. “The teacher-tostudent ratio will go up, making it harder for kids to get individual help in school.”

According to Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor, if the levy this November fails, many families in the district will begin to see a reduction in the quality of Lakota’s education for their children.

“It will not be unusual to have classes at 30 plus students,” says Taylor. “That will become more of the norm [in Lakota].”

While their children’s education is the main concern, the Campbells are also worried about the security of their sons’ opportunities to play sports in junior high and high school if the Lakota Local School District levies continue to fail.

Jason, who coaches his sons in Little League baseball, does not think that the chance for his kids to play sports will disappear—it will only become more difficult.

“Sports are such a big part of the schools that they will never be completely taken away,” says Jason. “I think that pay-to-play will always be there as an option. Thankfully my family will always be secure enough to pay, but unfortunately there will be a large number of kids that will not be able to afford the pay-toplay rate.”

Katie is concerned for individual sport athletes, as well as those in sports that do not bring money to the school, because they are

the ones who have to worry about their sports being cut.

“Single-athlete sports don’t bring in much, if any, revenue for the school,” says Katie. “My son, who plays golf, may not have that option to play once he reaches junior high or even high school.”

The Campbell family acknowledges that the community is poorly informed on the issues at hand. They find that the levy is a topic of conversation throughout the district, with the majority of statements being “false accusations” thrown at the district.

The young couple is bothered by the current treatment of teachers in Lakota and the pressure they are experiencing through the various levy and anti-levy campaigns.

The Campbells note that many misinformed members of the community feel that Lakota is wasting money on “high teacher salaries” and that a levy should not be necessary since Lakota teachers have recently agreed to take a pay freeze.

“I know a lot of people who go around spilling what they believe to be the truth,” said Katie. “But it’s not.”

The mother of two, with one on the way, firmly believes, however, that the main problem is not the number of people who voted “no” for the levy. She feels that the real problem is the dismal voter turnout on the issue all together.

“People are getting caught up in all the hype of the levy and then doing nothing about it,” says Katie. “Even if you do vote no, just get out there and vote.”

Although times in the district are tough, the Campbell family makes it very clear that they have no intentions of leaving Lakota at this point, and will continue to stand by the quality of education they believe in. They are more than willing to pay the extra taxes on their house and fund their children’s educations and athletics. However, if Lakota continues to fall into its downward spiral to the point where the state of Ohio steps in to reduce the district’s offerings, the Campbells would find alternative means to educate their children.

“If Lakota went to the state minimum, I would look elsewhere for my children’s education,” says Katie. “They would either be in private school or I would teach them myself.”

—Brittany Bennett

Better with Age? He definitely has a personality. With a Lakota Local School District levy around the corner, politically conservative and outspoken Lakota resident Graem George will take his voice to the polls on Nov. 2.

With personal financial security at risk, George believes the monetary strain of levies on residents is the basis for an argument against

photo sierra whitlock

photo sierra whitlock

Independence second graders work on art projects that may no longer be funded in the future.

the district’s upcoming emergency levy. “[The levy] takes money out of my pocket.

All I have now is Social Security and that doesn’t quite cover enough, so I take some out of my Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

I am lucky that I saved when I was working,” says George, a 12-year Lakota resident and former civil engineer. “I have to take out about $1,000 [from my IRA] just to pay the bills. If the levy goes up, I will have to pay another couple hundred dollars every year and that’s less money to spend at a time when the economy is down and I am retired.”

George, who has always been against levies, believes that Lakota spends too much money.

One of the problems he observes lies in the transportation of students to and from school.

“We bus too damn many kids too often. It is too damn expensive. They need to walk or ride a bike, especially if they live [in the general vicinity of the school]. If safety is an issue, we need better police protection like crossing guards,” says George. “[Lakota] is busing too many kids too short of distances.”

In agreement with George is grandfather of two East graduates Bill Razor. Supporting Lakota financially through the upcoming November levy might seem natural for Razor.

However, he is choosing to vote “no.”

“Lakota is an excellent school. My grandkids, Anna and Jacob Hartman, have been through [the district], as well as my son,” says Razor.

“I know it is an excellent school system and you have to support it, but in a situation where money is very important, [it is difficult to do so].”

Razor, a 22-year resident of Lakota, is a teacher who is currently working at Lebanon Correctional Institution in Lebanon, OH. There, he teaches inmates, helping them earn

their General Equivalency Diploma (GED), a degree equivalent to a high school diploma for people who did not graduate high school.

Even though the levy will not extensively affect Razor due to retirement savings, not everyone is as financially stable. “[The levy] will jeopardize a lot [of people] because currently there are a lot of people who have lost their jobs. If [the people] do not have the money and they have to pay the taxes, it is of course going to detract them from paying for rent, food, benefits and things like that,” says Razor. “People have to consider those things too. I have supported past levies. The cost of living is not fully supported by my job, but I am fortunate and still have a job unlike many people who have to use Social Security and welfare to [meet their needs].”

Apart from the difficulties George faces living on Social Security, he believes controlling teacher unions is a solution to the frequent levies every two years. George believes that if unions do not exist, teachers will be judged based on merit and accomplishments.

“I think teachers are spoiled and [Lakota] just likes to keep on raising taxes. Then teachers like [the district] and those are the people [Lakota] deals with,” says George. “It is not sensible. It is not right. You have taxpayers having to pay the bill because taxes keep going up. We just cannot continue that.”

However, school board member Ray Murray denies George’s assumption that the unions control too many aspects of teachers’ positions, such as the amount they are paid.

“The union does not affect the day to day decisions of the board. They have their own mission and purpose,” says Murray. “They have, by the way, provided some excellent scholarships for our students over the years.”

However, Razor expresses a less indignant opinion toward teachers and their respective salaries and believes in the credibility and respect of their positions.

“I think that most teachers are highly professionally educated,” says Razor. “They have Master and Doctorate degrees [and] have to go through a lot of selection processes, and criminal background checks. They are the cream of the crop of society.”

In retrospect, Murray agrees with Razor’s sentiments in believing that teachers have and always should hold a position of respect, especially in today’s modern and developing society.

“Nothing is automatic when it comes to being a teacher. It is earned. I honestly tip my hat to anyone who can keep up with the college degrees necessary and subject matter which they teach in an ever changing world,” says Murray. “In my day, they were the most respected individuals in the community.”

Regardless of their positions on the upcoming levy, the three Lakota residents agree that the appropriation of money from the state and federal government needs to be reevaluated and analyzed by the [district’s] Board of Education and the state government, respectively.

“A lot of the problem is the state and I think Mike Taylor realized that. I think he is the best qualified in this school district to take on the state and say ‘listen, we are having problems,’” says George, who is disappointed that Taylor is resigning in Jan. 2011.

In order to avoid jeopardizing the quality of students’ education, George believes that the system of school funding needs to be changed. In his eyes, one aspect in Lakota that was funded incorrectly was the Central Office,

41 | Spark | lehsspark.org

faces of the levy

photo dan turner

Although retired civil engineer Graeme George feels that education is important, he also feels it is improperly funded.

which can be used by parent organizations and outside groups to host meetings. He believes that the district had money left over and they wanted to use it, so therefore they built the Central Office.

Murray clarifies the discrepancy by saying, “The Central Office was built because there was a need to keep records and administrative staff in an easily accessible location,” and that it was not built because Lakota had extra money to spend.

Property Tax Blues could help provide for maintaining elective classes, paying teachers and updating textbooks.

Instead of giving the district money, Duke Energy’s dispute concerning the reevaluation of their property tax bill could cost the district more than $150,000. The revenue that the Lakota Local School District gains from businesses in the area through property taxes is vital to the preservation of the district for its

If Lakota continues to cut teachers... there will be less oneon-one time for my kids to learn.

Lakota’s average cost per student, which is $9,503, and “excellent with distinction” rating is a source of pride for many in Lakota. Yet if the amount of money per student is further reduced, both Murray and Razor thinks the decrease will diminish opportunities for student success.

“It takes everyone’s participation [in voting], not just looking at [the levy] and forgetting about it,” says Razor. “If you forget about [the levy], you are going to be losers and the students will lose too.”

—Shivang Patel $1.5 million—money that Duke Energy

42 | Spark | October 18, 2010

future generations of students.

“We asked for a reassessment because we felt like [the property tax] was too much,” says Duke Energy Spokesperson Patt Hoffman.

Although Duke Energy decided at a later point to pay 90 percent of their disputed tax bill, the money is ineffective because it is not impacting Lakota’s $10 million deficit expected in 2012. This is because the district’s financial planning had been completed before Duke decided not to pay taxes.

Even though Duke’s expected tax revenue next year is currently undergoing reevaluation through the Ohio Taxation Department,

Lakota is grateful to know about Duke’s tax dispute, despite the cloudiness that it brings upon financial planning.

“Duke has been upfront, they didn’t have to tell anyone what they were doing, and it works out better for us to know about it ahead of time than waiting until it’s time for tax collection,” says Lakota Interim Treasurer Alan Hutchinson.

In the business world, maintaining a relationship between companies is essential to preserve an area’s economy. Rarely are education systems considered an industry, but at its heart, education ultimately comes down to business itself.

School districts in Ohio cannot gain revenue from a “growth” in property values, unlike other states. Due to House Bill 920, the effective millage of voted property tax levies in Ohio is reduced according to rising property values. This means the state charges districts for increases in property values when obtaining their local share, even though an increase in local tax was not collected. Because of this impediment, known as “phantom revenue,” Ohio school districts are often forced to consider passing a levy whenever inflation causes costs to rise in order to secure their economic state.

“It’s important to have a strong financial partnership with our business community,” says Hutchinson.

When a business gets reevaluated for less, everyone else in the community pays more.

The practice of contesting property values, which began in 1998, is done to help maintain revenue and protect homeowners from an

revenue of the district. Regardless, reevaluation is a major investment either way because more than 60 percent of applicable property taxes are paid to schools, according to Butler Country Auditor Chief Deputy Mike Tilton.

76 percent of 523 students surveyed at East believe the November levy will fail.

75 percent of 32 teachers surveyed at East believe the November levy will fail. increase in taxes.

Property taxes are one of the most essential ways in which this partnership is maintained.

The entire system of how businesses and school districts coexist functions through an intricate system of several aspects, one of which is via property taxes. The conflict in this situation arises when a school district, such as Lakota, challenges the auditor’s valuation of property. School systems and developers have the right to present evidence to the county auditor in favor of a higher or lower property tax value. Ultimately, the Board of Revisions has the final judgment to either favor the appeal, compromise between the two contesting values, or leave the value as is.

Last year, Lakota paid Ennis Roberts Fischer Co., L.P.A. about $50,000 to fight for property revaluations on the district’s behalf.

Lakota Board of Education President Joan Powell says that while the community may view the process as trying to get more money out of businesses, in actuality, it “protect[s] the tax base,” which in turn, preserves the district’s level of funding. While residential property values can be reevaluated, the district chooses not to battle with those values. However, the reevaluation of property taxes often increases tension between the district and local developers.

“Developers were upset with the way we

The financial crisis that Lakota now faces has brought the district to seek passage of a 7.9-mill emergency levy, marked on the ballot as Issue 2. A renewal levy extends the duration of an ongoing levy, and a replacement levy returns the millage rate of a reduced levy to its original state. The levy Lakota has up for vote this November, an emergency levy, is reduced in relation to new development so that the tax collected is the same regardless of the size of the tax base.

During the past five years, the recession and the growth of Lakota have both been working against the economy of the area. The

41 percent of 32 teachers surveyed at East believe their jobs will be in jeopardy if the November levy fails. consumer price index, which is a measure of the prices of goods and services bought by the average household, rose 15.6 percent. In order to accommodate the 15 percent growth in Lakota’s enrollment, expenditures of the district rose 39.6 percent. In the long run, a failing educational system will eventually cause businesses to leave in order to obtain a better educated workforce. This can have profound effects on the financial well-being of an area,

Of 325 surveyed East students, 26 percent believe budget reductions should be made in athletics, 14 percent in academics and 34 percent in arts and music. contested property. They’re hurting because the economy is terrible,” says Hutchinson. “It’s a real balancing act, because we need to be responsible to our taxpayers.”

This balancing act effectively finds middle ground between irritating taxpayers by pursuing property reevaluations and preserving the

of the logistics of the area,” he says.

Although those on the pro-levy side and the opposition both agree that a good school district benefits the community, Sennet believes that Lakota must learn how to adapt to these pressing times.

“We don’t think that if you have to tighten the belt more, that it is going to dismantle the school system,” Sennet says. “It just can’t be business as usual, because on the outside, business isn’t usual.”

The effect of the levy upon businesses, in the end, comes down to the businesses, themselves. Although some companies, such as The Cone in West Chester, choose not to involve themselves with anything relating to the levy, stating that they “have no comment on anything political.”

Other businesses have a much more open approach. Owner of Middletown Skyline Chili restaurant Phillip Fillios believes that if Issue 2 fails in November, it will not have such a profound effect on the quality of education Lakota has to offer, because the district has always managed to maintain a superior school system.

“The more businesses an area gets, it’s going to take the burden off the homeowners,” Fillios says. “The homeowners and elderly people are affected [by the levy] more than anyone else.”

causing property values to depreciate. Levy opposition spokesman Mark Sennet does not believe that the levy will decrease property values, however, and still sees people moving into the West Chester Township and Liberty Township areas.

“People are still going to come here because

As a business owner, Fillios believes in a good connection between the Middletown Public School district and his business and donates to the school system. Seeing the passage of the Middletown Public Schools levy as a positive message for his area, Fillios feels that Lakota must ultimately learn to manage its money more efficiently in the future.

“Businesses are not anti-school—they’re just less willing to support a tax levy right now,” explains Lakota Public Relations Director Laura Kursman. “There are many business leaders volunteering in the schools and making donations. We are very thankful for them because they help offer opportunities to students, and it’s a community partnership.”

The relationship between schools and businesses goes hand and hand—the two entities financially support each other. The actual correlation between the education system and the success of businesses may be more or less pronounced. One thing is certain, however—the two need each other.

—Sean Lewis n

Spark

For information regarding the levy, go to the package section of lehsspark.org.

43 | Spark | lehsspark.org

lifestyle | how to

East sophomore Raul Takeute, Ursaline senior Nicole Muni and East senior Luiza Takeute express their school spirit with face paint at the East v. Fairfield homecoming game.

How To: Paint Up

infographic hannah berling, lauren barker photos sierra whitlock

At East football games, eyes are drawn to the painted bodies shouting with spirit in the student section. But after the games end, the wrath of the paint takes its toll. Some people shower multiple times to rinse away their colors; others scrub stain remover on the paint-stained clothing. By learning the correct way to paint up, however, conflicts such as these can be easily avoided.

1Know your paint.

Knowing the paint type to use is essential. Be sure to buy washable paint, such as Crayola Finger Paint. Look for Food and Drug Administrationapproved brands like Wolfe Face Art, FX, Snazaroo and Ben Nye.

2Pick a design.

There is an array of options when picking a design, but it is important to plan ahead. Choosing the design will help you know how much paint to buy and how much time is needed to prepare. Stripes or handprints are a way to show spirit without clogging facial pores.

3Smooth it out.

The paint must have a smooth consistency for easy application because the face is a sensitive canvas. To prevent breakouts and clogged pores, be sure to use actual face paint. Additionally, moisturizer prevents itching and irritation caused by some paints.

44 | Spark | October 18, 2010

East juniors Cynthia Ballou, Kelly Barker, Haley Kurtz, Michael Zimmerman and Kyle Ross planned out their paint up for the East v. Fairfield homecoming game. Using Kroger-Brand Halloween face paint, the students each represented a letter spelling “East� to show their Thunderhawk spirit. information emily merrick, mark mcdaniel

Each issue, a member of the Spark discusses his or her current favorite eight items.

FAIZ SIDDIQUI

Profound Aesthetic T-Shirts:

Sharpie Pens:

This website provides the coolest graphic t-shirts I own, and unlike the “Vote Pedro” t-shirts that were once the epitome of fashion, these actually have a message. The progressive and open-minded would be glad to own them.

The Rolls-Royce of pens.

Writing an essay with a Sharpie Pen leaves no strain to the hand or pain to the wrist.

Its ethereal feel on paper leaves nothing to be desired.

I credit it with improving my handwriting significantly.

Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush: With the Oral-B Pulsar toothbrush, you wake up every morning to a massage in your mouth.

The toothbrush leaves you with that “fresh clean” feeling.

08

JBL Creature III Speakers: Best speakers I have ever owned. Smooth bass, crisp sounds and sleek design. Perfect for any music genre from hip-hop to indie, and definitely worth $100.

things of the moment

Lacoste Essential Cologne: This subtle-scented cologne works not only for everyday activities but also for formal events.

It is no Axe Body Spray, but a classy upgrade for those mature enough to appreciate it.

Chiddy Bang Air Swell Mix:

This mixtape is full of deep bass and catchy hooks.

Verses not only complement the hooks, which feature bands like Passion-Pit and Gorillaz, but also fuse tracks with a balance between indie and rap.

Blackberry 8520 Smartphone: The phone’s ergonomic keyboard is as comfortable as a computer’s, and the little device packs enough power to do your daily computing activities. Now I can take my Facebook creeping with me in my pocket.

Huffpost.com: It is the CNN.com for students. The Huffington Post reports on prominent issues, but makes them interesting by telling them in graphic form or accompanying them with videos. The site’s clean design makes for an aesthetically pleasing experience.

45 | Spark | lehsspark.org

lifestyle | fashionable student

StudlyDudley Possibly one of the most fashionable members of the junior class, Michael Dudley personifies sophistication with his eccentric style.

story victoria reick-mitrisin | photos dan turner

A

s the 5-foot-six-inch junior struts into honors pre-calculus with his knee-high pants, calf-length socks and sweater vest, everyone turns to greet him. East junior Michael Dudley is anything but a run-of-themill student.

He is known as “classy” and “independent” among his peers and, though fashion is only skin-deep, Dudley’s style reflects everything that makes him unique.

Some of his favorite stores to shop are H&M, PacSun and Forever 21.

“It’s all about what I’m into,” says Dudley.

“I don’t dress to please other people. I dress to please me.”

East junior Travis Martin agrees that Dudley’s fashion is unusual for the typical East student, though the stores Dudley shops at are well-known to high schoolers.

“You might not notice it at first,” says Martin. “But his fashion is very different.”

Aside from his unique fashion taste, Dudley also participates in many East extracurricular activities, such as Academic Quiz Team and East Thunderhawks Marching Band. At the beginning of the 2010-11 school year, Dudley began a tradition of bringing Henry Weinhard cream soda, which is only found at the Meijer in Dayton, to Friday night football games to

share with his marching band friends.

“It all started this one time at band camp,” says Dudley. “We wanted to have something that tasted good after a hard day’s work. We drank it at night when we had the most fun, so we made it a tradition.”

Along with his particular taste in cream soda, Dudley also has an affinity for Japanese culture after visiting the country when he was in junior high.

“I think he just really digs the fashion and the technology incorporated in [the Japanese] lifestyle,” says East junior Tim McKenna.

Dudley met Martin and McKenna during his freshman year in marching band. Since then, he has begun to share his perspective.

“Once you’re good friends with him, he opens up to you,” says McKenna.

This year, Dudley was elected to the Homecoming Court and nominated for Mr. Lakota East.

“Michael is [an icon] among everybody around the school,” says McKenna “It’s his universal appeal that got him elected.”

Not only does his “universal appeal” to the student body become evident when Dudley turns a corner, but it is also mirrored in his wish to become known for being an all-around kind person.

Dudley’s style is a casual reflection of his classy personality.

46 | Spark | October 18, 2010

“I try to talk to every kind of person,” says Dudley. “If you only hang out with one group of people, you limit yourself.”

Dudley not only finds himself socializing with different groups, but also he is generally open-minded and prepared to try to master several different honors courses.

“He’s a pretty smart dude,” says McKenna.

“Even though he doesn’t always do his homework, he usually knows [how to solve the problems].”

His caution makes him appear to be eloquent and polite towards his peers.

“Michael Dudley is an old-fashioned guy,” says McKenna “He doesn’t curse. He’s nice to everyone and he always tells you what he’s thinking.”

Martin agrees that Dudley is particularly careful about how he presents himself.

“He chooses his words very carefully,” says Martin. “And he talks very slowly.”

If Dudley could be remembered for one thing once he graduates high school, he would want to be known not for his urban and explorative style, but for being a kind person.

“There are times when I kind of lose my cool,” says Dudley. “But they are far and few between. I generally try to be an agreeable person.” n

Dudley gets classy with a wool sweater over a button down shirt.

Whole Wheat Banana Raisin and Walnut Muffins Ingredients

If they contain nuts, muffins can be a good source of both carbohydrates and proteins, which provide energy for the body throughout the morning.

Fuel Before School story and infographic jill bange | photos sierra whitlock Each issue, Spark explores nutritious dining options for each meal.

W

hen a high school student wakes up at 7 a.m. realizing that the alarm clock did not sound, he or she will hurriedly throw on clothes, snatch a backpack and car keys and rush out the door. This student will hope that he or she will plop into a desk before the tardy bell rings. But the last thing on that student’s mind will be eating breakfast.

“I do not eat breakfast because I would rather sleep. Eating breakfast is just extra stuff in the morning, when I can just wait until lunch,” says East senior Bethany Stephens.

Skipping breakfast, however, deprives the body of carbohydrates and proteins, which are important energy sources for the brain and body. Carbohydrates burn more quickly than proteins, so balancing the two is important to prevent “crashing” before lunch.

“If you have a very carbohydrate-heavy meal, especially with simple sugars like cakes or soda, your blood sugar goes up very fast and your body gives [out] a bunch of insulin to help bring it down,” says Tanya Jolliffe, a nutritionist for the online diet plan website, Spark People.

“The body sends so much insulin that it crashes, and that is when you get the munchies, eat more sugar, and the cycle repeats. A balance between carbohydrates and proteins keeps the cycle at a lower level.”

One breakfast a student could make after is a banana nut muffin, which is a carbohydrateand-protein-rich food. The student can quickly grab a muffin and eat it on the way to school.

“A lot of times kids get the fastest food, like a

Pop-Tart, but you could do the same thing with half of a whole grain bagel with peanut butter on it. You are getting much more nutrition for the kind of fast, easy, out-the-door option,” says Jolliffe.

Students could also prepare a scrambled egg sandwich, toast and cheese or a bowl of cereal quickly. With a balance of carbohydrates and proteins, students will stay full and alert longer.

East junior Buse Aydore eats the same big, healthy breakfast every morning, knowing she needs protein to stay focused: a glass of milk, a bagel with cream cheese, some walnuts, cheese and scrambled eggs.

“I think, especially when you have school, that it is just important to have your brain working throughout the school day,” says Aydore. “It just gives you that energy to kickstart in the morning.” n

Nutritional Info Serving Size: 1 muffin Servings per Recipe: 18 Calories: 195.2 Total Fat: 7.5 g Cholesterol: 30.9 mg Sodium: 214.1 mg Total Carbs: 29.1 g Dietary Fiber: 3.4 g Protein: 4.3 g

2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/8 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 2 mashed bananas (1 cup) 1/2 cups light applesauce 1/2 cups Splenda brown

sugar blend 2/3 cups light vanilla yogurt 2 eggs 1/3 cups vegetable oil 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cups raisins 1/2 walnuts, chopped

Directions Preheat oven to 400o F Stir together flour, raisins, walnuts, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.

In a larger bowl, mix together banana, applesauce, brown sugar, yogurt, eggs, oil and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet ones, 1/4 of the mixture at a time, stirring until smooth.

Spray muffin tins with nonstick oil spray.

Pour batter in 18, 2-1/2” muffin tins.

Bake for 20 minutes.

47 | Spark | lehsspark.org

lifestyle | seasonable fashion On Rachel Jecen: v-neck: $24 (Urban Outfitters) vest: $17.50 (Forever 21) On Noah Fisher: cotton t-shirt: $6.99 (T.J Maxx)

Fall into Fashion

photos dan turner outfits hannah berling

Autumn is the time of the year for falling leaves and cool breezes. When the sun goes down, the temperature drops with it, but the chill disperses by the afternoon. With the fluctuating weather, a mixture of pieces is a must. Laid-back layers, all denim and thicker fabrics can convert a wardrobe from warm-weather clothes, but still keep the fun of summer captured.

48 | Spark | October 18, 2010

top: $15.99 (Forever 21) jacket: $99.99 (Guess)

thermal: $9.99 (T.J. Maxx) pea coat: $34.99 (T.J. Maxx)

Cozy up with a sophisticated pea coat over a thermal this season.

Carry your summer wardrobe into fall by pairing a denim muted top with a feminine high-waisted skirt.

Reflect the striking textures of fall with a floral top accented by a leather jacket that protects the wearer from the crisp chill of October air.

A sheen Members Only jacket over a bold v-neck provides a clean but casual silhouette with enough pop to keep all eyes on you.

jacket: $20.00 (T.J. Maxx) v-neck: $18.00 (Macy’s)

denim button down: $40.99 (Gap) cotton skirt: $15.99 (Forever 21) 49 | Spark | lehsspark.org

bpt

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www.bptcsonline.com

The world of print is evolving‌ and so are we.

In a multi-channel world, print is not only relevant, but essential.

Rather than taking a backseat to digital media, print is a catalyst of communication... driving traffic, engaging audiences and ultimately producing the results that help businesses and organizations succeed.

Integrating the power of print, data management and web strategies, bpt has evolved to not only meet traditional print needs, but provide multi-channel communication solutions.

Spark speaks as a testimony to the contributions students are making in the world of print even now. Just imagine the impact your generation is going to make in the future.

b+p+t communication solutions is proud to print Spark Magazine.

lifestyle | money-saving styles

bang for

your buck

When one ventures on a shopping spree, style is a must, but high prices might be discouraging. Smart shoppers, however, can save big if they know which stores to visit and what types of clothes to buy. story lauren barker | photos dan turner

A

fter slaving away her summer, a girl proudly puts down the $200 at the cash register for the most perfect homecoming dress she has ever laid eyes on, making every second of arduous labor worthwhile. At the other end of the mall, another girl has found a similarly perfect dress, with the same striking color and exquisite design for only $40.

Shoppers often surrender the contents of their wallets to clothing stores, hoping that high prices will correspond to high quality products. Many customers look to save money without compromising the style or durability of the clothing.

High school students are no exception— teens love trends and style, but are often on tight budgets. One such bargain hunter is East junior Sara Trampe.

“I do not want to buy something that is going to rip the second time [I wear it], so quality [is important to look for when I shop],” says Trampe.

Because pricing often determines quality, a shopper can use the price tag to determine an item’s worth.

“Pricing is based on the amount of time spent on the piece, how easy it was to make, the material and the stitching,” says Cindy Wilkerson, brand consultant for Chantelle lingere and visual associate for Bon Chic Bon Genre (BCBG) Max Azria Group.

Therefore, according to Wilkerson, in order to get the best value for the smallest buck, buyers should spend more on clothes that they expect to keep the longest, such as jeans and

coats. Furthermore, consumers should spend less on items which are easily replaceable, such as T-shirts and casual wear. Designer brands like Valentino and Chanel are good to consider when shopping for durable items. On the other hand, brands like Forever 21, Target and T.J. Maxx are better suppliers of clothing that is fashionable and inexpensive, but does not need to be long lasting.

“I was in the mood to buy tank tops,” says Trampe, as she describes one of her numerous shopping escapades. “So I went to Forever 21 and I bought ten of them for $30 total.”

Resale stores are another place a bargain shopper can find deals on clothing. East senior and extreme bargain shopper Andrew Zielinski once spent over $50 on a Goodwill shopping spree.

“I prefer inexpensive and cheap clothing because I am the kind of guy that does not care how he looks at school,” says Zielinski, who is more concerned with price and function than a fashion statement. “‘Brand name’ does not mean anything to me. Why waste so much money on clothes when I can spend it on something I actually want?”

Goodwill determines pricing for its secondhand clothing collection with a much different method than the one Wilkerson described.

“We have a set price around $10, but we always have sales,” says Mason location Goodwill lead cashier Amy O’Connor. “If [the item is] a nicer brand, we put a bit of a higher price on it, but we want to [set the price of the item] so that anyone can afford it.”

Target carries fashionable outfits like the dark brown leather jacket over a chiffon floral sundress accented by a beige scarf featured here for under $70.

Regardless if one is a brand name shopper or bargain hunter, smart money-spending strategies can enable a customer to get a better value. By considering the expected use one will get out of the piece, along with the price and store brand, a shopper can avoid overspending on an item or overestimating an item’s quality.

“I look for something that is going to last awhile,” says Trampe. “But there’s a [difference] between something that is too expensive and something that is good quality.” n

51 | Spark | lehsspark.org

N w showing

Legend of the Guardians 

MOVIES:

You Again Touchstone Pictures PG-13 105 mins.

Legend of the Guardians Warner Bros.

Pictures PG 90 mins.

I’m Still Here Magnolia Pictures

R 106 mins.

The Social Network Columbia Pictures PG-13 120 mins.

52 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Legend of the Guardians: The Warriors of Ga’Hoole has all the elements of a classic fantasy film in the making: a screenplay based off of critically acclaimed books, masterful usage of 3D effects and epic battle scenes directed

by Zack Snyder of 300 and Watchmen fame.

It is a combination that fantasy-lovers of any age would devour, but first, the viewers must allow themselves to become engrossed in the agonies of avian heroes.

Based on the series Guardians of Ga’Hoole

by Kathryn Lasky, the movie opens with Soren (Jim Sturgess), an idealistic young barn owl who relishes in accounts of the war between the fascist Pure Ones and valiant Guardians. One day as he is learning to fly, Soren and his brother Kludd (Ryan Kwanten)

are owlnapped by the Pure Ones. Their leader, Queen Nyra (Helen Mirren), reveals her plans for world domination. Kludd gives in to evil, but Soren remains true to himself and warns the Pure Ones, ending in a climactic battle scene between the two factions.

Looking beyond the hard-to-distinguish characters, formulaic script and childish premise of talking animals, Legend of the Guardians triumphs in one area—it is a true visual masterpiece. The breathtaking backdrops, ranging from golden skies to forest fires to torrential downpours, are a perfect mix of fantasy and realism, proving to be one of the only successful uses of 3D effects. The engrossing battle scenes, with 300-esque slow-motion and hyper-speed moments, are surprisingly violent and exciting for the movie’s PG rating. Perhaps the avian adventure seems juvenile because of its talking animals, but anyone craving a fantasy fix should ignore the expectations of their peers, listen to a wise, fallen owl and learn to “trust their gizzards.” —Victoria Liang

You Again 

Imagine this: Eight years after high school, you are suddenly reunited with your worst enemy—only to find out that you two

are soon going to be in-laws.

This nightmare becomes a reality for Marni Olsen (Kristen Bell) in You Again. Due to her clumsiness and unfortunate initials M.O.O., Marni was constantly bullied in high school. Joanna Clark (Odette Yustman) was the popular girl in school and Marni’s main tormentor. She did everything she could to make Marni’s life a living hell.

Returning home to be a part of her brother’s wedding, Marni learns of the awful truth—her brother is marrying the girl who single-handedly ruined her entire high school experience. The worst part is that Marni’s family loves Joanna and has already accepted her as a daughter figure. Acting as though she

does not remember Marni at all, Joanna treats her with overwhelming kindness. As she prepares for the wedding, Marni’s mother, Gail (Jamie Lee Curtis) meets Joanna’s rich aunt Ramona (Sigourney Weaver).

Coincidently, Ramona was Gail’s frenemy in high school.

Curtis and Weaver are definitely funnier than their younger co-stars, being much cattier in their revisited high school drama.

Moviegoers can all relate to the drama and pettiness of high school that is reflected through two generations. However, the funniest character of the movie is Grandma Bunny, played by the beloved Betty White. She has several hilarious moments throughout the comedy, including the final scene of the movie in which she meets her enemy from high school as well in an all-out girl fight.

The only part of You Again that is not worth seeing is the ending, which is so cliché that it is disgusting. It was overly predictable and can be expected from a chick flick comedy. But these chick flick clichés, You Again is hysterical at times, even to male audiences. —Lucy Stephenson

entertainment | movies

I’m Still Here 

Mark Zuckerburg and friends make history by creating the social networking site, Facebook.

photo used with written permission from columbia pictures

It is an old Hollywood cliche— the immensely talented actor drowning in a sea of drugs alcohol and egotism. It wasn’t much of a surprise to see it happen to Joaquin Phoenix, whose career seemed to fall from the heavens like an Acme anvil.

I’m Still Here is the story of Phoenix’s fall from grace—his retirement from acting, his budding rap career, his infamous appearance on David Letterman and his unfortunate beard. There are hookers, defacation and every other kind of debauchery included in any decent hedonistic road to ruin. But it is all fiction, a joke dreamed up by Phoenix and his close friend and drinking pal Casey Affleck.

The film itself is hilarious. The idea of Joaquin Phoenix dropping everything to become a rapper is ridiculous, and in hindsight it’s hard to imagine why everyone bought it. Phoenix does such a good job at coming off as an entitled prick that he had absolutely everybody fooled, including legendary film critic Roger Ebert, who in his initial review said that Phoenix was “bringing desolation upon his own head.”

As a piece of high-risk performance art, the film has no real rival. Phoenix compromised his career, his personal life and his well-being to become a Grizzly Adamsesque drunkard making a general fool out of himself every chance he got. Phoenix stayed in character for over a year, only revealing the ruse at the pleading of his production company. If anyone deserves an Oscar, it is Phoenix.

I’m Still Here ends up being an incredible commentary on the celebrity lifestyle. The fact that everyone bought it, that they all believed Phoenix was an actual rapper in the midst of an actual breakdown is a powerful statement about society. At the end of the day, the circumstances of the film are not all that far-fetched. The tabloids eat up instability, from Lindsay Lohan to Paris Hilton to whatever flavor of the month TMZ catches falling drunken out of a Mercedes.

Phoenix has some serious acting chops to become another one of these Hollywood tragedies, not to mention a ton of balls. I’m Still Here is the most interesting film made this year, and it deserves every bit of the hooplah. —Tyler Kieslich

EDITORS’ PICK

The Social Network  The Social Network is the essence of modern culture wrapped in a drama-filled cocoon. It provides social commentary on the inherent good of our evil cutthroat culture by exaggerating the relationships between the main players in this sensationalized true story. This statement about contemporary civilization would be impossible to convey without the talented cast.

Jesse Eisenberg makes a great jerk.

Portraying creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, Eisenberg is a delightfully witty, arrogant attention whore. But deep down, audiences realize that he is in fact a good person—just with a few character flaws. Justin Timberlake is surprisingly effective at playing the drug-addicted, party-loving Shawn Parker, founder of Napster. However, the real star of the show is Zuckerberg’s former best friend and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield). Garfield’s portrayal of the trusting and loyal Saverin is heartwrenching and realistic, winning over the entire packed theater and making him the movie’s true protagonist.

The cinematography of the film is fantastic in that it truly captures the powerhungry spirit of the Harvard socialites without being off-putting to the middle class in these economic times. Brand names and luxury echoes everywhere, from Saverin’s attire to the beautiful backdrops, and yet the movie remains relatable because of the common theme of Facebook. Little details, like the ending during which Zuckerberg repeatedly hits the refresh button to see if his ex-girlfriend has accepted his friend

request, add a bit of reality to the movie because these are shared experiences of every Facebook user. However, these minor scenes are the closest the film comes to reality.

Though “thoroughly researched” according to Sony Pictures, The Social Network is not authorized by any of the founders of Facebook, save some input by the film’s sub-protagonist Eduardo Saverin.

In an article by Wired, one cofounder of Facebook, Dustin Moscovitz, calls the movie a “dramatization of history” saying that the movie “emphasizes things that didn’t matter” and portrays them to have worked a lot less than they actually did.

Essentially, The Social Network is entertainment with an ulterior motive.

The movie shows how power-hungry our American culture has become, especially with the entire atmosphere of the first segment at Harvard. According to the movie, Facebook was only created so Zuckerberg could impress a girl and become famous. And yet, every person (even the villainous twins whose lawsuit against Zuckerberg helps form the plot of the movie) is shown as having a conscience. The Social Network is not just a funny history of one of the most popular websites ever—it is also a catalogue of our ever changing culture. —Nitya Sreevalsan

53 | Spark | lehsspark.org

N w Playing

Weezer 

ALBUMS:

Weezer

Hurley Epitaph records

The Walkmen

Lisbon Fat Possum

Jimmy Eat World Invented Interscope

Linkin Park

A Thousand Suns Warner Bros.

Maroon 5

Hands All Over Octone Records

54 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Seeing Weezer’s new album cover featuring a close-up of LOST character Hurley will cause fans to smile with slight confusion.

Although there is no apparent reason for the artwork other than to give a shoutout to the band’s favorite character, it fits the tongue-in-cheek attitude consistent throughout the album. Though some veteran Weezer fans may not like the slight change to more of a pop sound, rookies to the Weezer experience will enjoy the band’s eighth album. Despite being the band’s first album under an indie record label, Hurley still maintains the “nerdy-high-school-loser” charm that made Weezer an icon.

The first single “Memories” is an amusing reflection about the band’s early years in the 90s. The Jackass crew, including Johnny Knoxville, Wee-man, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and others, actually makes an appearance in the song, singing back-up vocals and featuring Pontius as an additional guitarist. Another

celebrity guest artist, Michael Cera, makes an appearance on the album in “Hang On,” in which he not only sings background vocals but also plays the mandolin.

Besides the celebrity guest vocals, other aspects make Hurley unique as well. For example, the nonsensical song “Where’s my Sex?” sounds as though they replaced the word “socks” with “sex.” “Mom made my sex/ She knitted it with her hands” and then goes on to say in the chorus, “I can’t go out without my sex/ It’s cold outside if my toes get wet.” It is this kind of humor that makes the album unique. Another song, “Smart Girls,” pays tribute to all the hot yet smart girls out there in an upbeat, jump-aroundyour-room tune.

However, most songs on the album are not as adventurous. Both “Run Away” and “Hang On” are safe but great love songs. “Run Away” is a slower, melancholy song about lost love and the toll it has taken. “Hang On” has a power ballad feel, in which lead singer Rivers Cuomo promises to fix a failing relationship.

Hurley stays true to Weezer’s reputation with its classic nerdy style, random but great lyrics and upbeat sounds. —Lucy Stephenson

Jimmy Eat World  It’s hard to believe that with the release of their new album, Jimmy Eat World is entering their third decade as a band.

This Arizonabased rock quartet broke through in 1999 with their sophomore album, Clarity, and caught fire in 2001 with Bleed American. Their 2004 album, Futures, marked the departure of producer Mark Trombino and contained a much heavier, emotional sound. It was followed by the power-pop sounding record, Chase This Light.

Without a doubt, the band was not as good after Trombino’s departure. He finally returns for Jimmy Eat World’s newest album, Invented.

The band spent much of 2009 touring to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Clarity, prolonging the release of the record. Despite a three-year delay, Invented is well worth the wait.

The opening track of Invented, “Heart is Hard to Find,” is a folk-sounding acoustic ballad unlike anything on Jimmy Eat World’s previous studio albums. This leads into “My Best Theory,” which, despite being the first single from the album, is not by any means the

best track.

Vintage Jimmy Eat World-sounding songs “Movielike” and “Coffee and Cigarettes” contain the same driving emotion and flawless melody that made Bleed American such a hit, and are among the best songs the band has ever released.

Guitarist Tom Linton sings the main vocals on “Action Needs An Audience” for the first time since Clarity’s “Blister,” a favorite of loyal fans. The heavy, fast-paced song provides contrast to the slower ballads on the album.

The title track for Invented is one of the most emotionally stirring tracks the band has ever produced. After five minutes of melancholy vocals accompanied by slow, melodic instrumentals, the song launches into a stream of electric guitar and pounding drums, accompanied by some of Jim Adkins’ most inspired vocals. It all culminates in one of the best sounding arrangements this band has ever recorded.

Invented blends together all of the great elements from Jimmy Eat World’s previous albums into their most refined and cohesive record to date. Many say that Jimmy Eat World invented the emo genre with Clarity.

Now, with Invented, they may have perfected it. —Kyle Morrison

entertainment | music

The walkmen  The Walkmen are a bunch of sad sacks who write songs drenched in melancholy and regret.

Singer Hamilton Leithauser has spent a career singing about the girl he used to know in junior high who never called him back. His brand of selfpity has always bordered on the self-indulgent, dating back to their critically hailed debut, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone. With Lisbon, the New York indie rock heroes take their streetwise sound into adulthood.

The album starts off with Leithauser saying, “You’re with someone else tomorrow night/ Doesn’t matter to me/ ‘Cause as the sun dies into the hill/ You got all I need,” a bit of romantic fatalism that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Leithauser’s tension and frustration is mirrored by the band, whose main focus is the interaction between off-kilter drums and shiny guitar tones.

When this tension breaks, such as it does in “Angela Surf City,” the band explodes.

Leithauser spend much of his time mumbling the lyrics, but here he yells them. “You took the high road! I couldn’t find you!” Most of Leithauser’s words are sad ones, but he avoids sounding pathetic because he and the rest of the band are incredibly smooth in their production and execution.

This slick production is an important motif throughout Lisbon. Every sound is quiet and razor-sharp. The Walkmen pay attention to every little detail, taking care to make sure things like microphone placement get them just the sound they need. There is so much emotion behind every instrument that Lisbon could have been recorded in a tin can and it would still break your heart.

Lisbon is anything but in-your-face. There are no thudding kick-drums, no wailing guitar solos, no gimmicks of any kind on Lisbon.

It’s all about nuance, and the power of less is more.

Songs like “Woe Is Me” embody everything that The Walkmen are about. On the surface, it’s a pleasing pop song with its surf guitar and its upbeat rhythm. Beneath that, though, lies a dark journey into the heart of depression. —Tyler Kieslich

Linkin Park  “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky that would be like the splendor of the Mighty one.” It was this verse from the Hindu holy book Bhagavad Gita that J. Robert Oppenheimer recalled while looking upon the first artificial nuclear explosion. It also acts as the inspiration for A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park’s newest and most political album to date.

The first surprise of Linkin Park’s new album is their techno infused sound. It is forceful, but requires some adaptation to listen to. Songs like “Blackout” start out slow, but are still mildly interesting. However, by the end of the song the music builds to an explosive point where finally some of the old Linkin Park, similar to 2003’s Meteora, shines through.

For fans who sung along to Linkin Park’s earlier anthems, this album is a total change of pace. Lead singer Chester Bennington hits impossibly high notes, but it creates a sound that is uncomfortable to listen to and does not fit the music very well.

The central focus of A Thousand Suns is

nuclear war. In “Burning in the Skies” Bennington chants, “The blood of innocence burning in the skies/I’m swimming in the smoke/of bridges I have burned/So don’t apologize/I’m losing what I don’t deserve.” Humanity has doomed itself to annihilation from the creation of such destructive weapons.

Modern techno beats back up all of the normal guitar, bass and drum action, creating somewhat likable grooves. Some of these beats will no doubt be heard cranked in the car cruising down the street.

Others will not be heard at all. Linkin Park’s new album is really a hit and miss cycle of songs. Songs like “The Catalyst” are catchy, while others, like “The Radiance,” are not.

Casual fans of Linkin Park will most likely catch on to the new album and musical style. More avid followers of Linkin Park, however, will probably be disappointed in the sudden change in sound of the artists. The new direction that this band seems to be going in does not fit them well. It uses all of the technological assets available and since society demands up-tempo songs, Linkin Park is providing this. Subsequently, their music has a pop feel, the new musical trend. —Tommy Behan

EDitor’s Pick:

MAROON 5

 Following their 2007 release of the multiplatinum It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5 spent nearly two years on tour, visiting every continent except maybe Antarctica.

Upon returning to California, Maroon 5 was approached by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, a well-established musician and producer who has worked with AC/DC, Def Leppard and Shania Twain. After agreeing to collaborate on a new album, Maroon 5 traveled to Lange’s Switzerland studio and spent three months grueling over their third album, Hands All Over.

Their isolation in the Swiss countryside was beneficial, as the album is focused and fresh. While still staying true to their pop and soul sound, the majority of the album is upbeat, even more so than their previous albums.

As with their two previous albums, the songs focus on relationships, continuing to be risqué like in “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” and “Hands All Over.” Lyrics include “Put your hands all over me/ Please walk with me, walk with me now/ Love is a game you say/ Play me and put me away.”

The album’s first single “Misery” is one of the catchiest songs on the album, which has plenty of hooks, but upon closer inspection the constant complaining seems whiny. “Stutter” however, is catchy and would make a decent single.

In contrast, “Just a Feeling” is a heartfelt song, containing a chorus with a beautiful harmony that really showcases singer Adam Levine’s range.

For the last song on the album, Maroon 5 partners with Lady Antebellum for “Out of Goodbyes,” but misses a chance to make a hit with the popular band due to its slow, dull melody. Lady Antebellum singers Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley harmonize pleasantly with Levine, but the song is so dreary it puts listeners to sleep.

Regardless, Maroon 5’s new album is sure to please old fans while attracting new ones.

While not every song is remarkable, there are several gems on the album, and they are what will be remembered from Hands All Over. —Christian Roehm

55 | Spark | lehsspark.org

Mapping

Social Media

Social networking is a trend that has developed tremendously over the past 30 years in the United States as well as across the globe. Hundreds of millions of people have flocked to these sites to connect with lost contacts as well as current friends and acquaintances. The number of registered users that these sites have acquired over the years is equivalent to the populations of the highlighted countries. infographic mason hood, faiz siddiqui

w

500 million 75

million

In 1988, ICQ gives PC users a new and unfamiliar experience with instant messaging.

117 million

The Evolution of

1980s AOL Instant messenger is released in 1997. Maintained the largest share of instant messaging in North America.

Xanga, launched in 1998, is one of the most popular tools for blogging online, a new concept.

Blogging is derived from “weblog.�

entertainment | social networking

opinion

Christian Roehm

T

130 million

What’s Next?

Link websites like Digg, Linkedin and del.icio.us look to pave the way for social media of the future.

his past February, I gave up Facebook for Lent. Being a self-proclaimed “Facebook addict,” going 40 days without logging on was a death sentence. Though I use Facebook to communicate and plan events with friends, Facebook is also my tool for procrastination. I get online multiple times a day, and I am not alone. In a survey of 325 East students, 35 percent said they log onto Facebook multiple times a day, and 28 percent log on once a day. By giving up Facebook, I was hoping to break my nasty addiction once and for all.

Though it was strange not knowing what was happening with my friends’ lives, I made it through the 40 days without logging on once.

The second Lent was over, however, I was back online, checking all of the spam my friends left on my wall and everything else that I missed. Six months later, I still continue to log on almost every day. This behavior isn’t productive and it could prove to be costly. A study of 219 college students by Aryn Karpinski of Ohio State University and Adam Duberstein of Ohio Dominican University in 2009 suggests that people who use Facebook have lower grade point averages (GPAs). Students who use the site average a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5, compared to the average of 3.5 to 4.0 of students who did not use the social networking site.

There is no purpose of sharing every little detail with 500 friends on Facebook, but the thing is, people love

the Revolution

to have an audience and they adore the limelight. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, people love to talk about themselves, and strangely, people like to read about other people.

People are spending a greater amount of time online on these websites. In fact, Facebook recently surpassed Google in the amount of time internet users spend time online. According to a comScore Inc. study, people spent a total of 41.1 million minutes on Facebook, compared to Google’s 39.8 million minutes. That’s a lot of time doing nothing and a lot of time being wasted.

Students and staff at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology gave up Facebook among other social media sites for a week in September.

The goal was to demonstrate just how much time we really spend on social media. While some students struggled to give up social media, taking a break from social media helped others focus on school work. Life goes on even if every event is not broadcasted on a newsfeed all of your friends what you are doing.

We all need to reevaluate how we’re spending our time online. Instead of using the Internet as a distraction, we should be using it as the great resource it could be. “Facebook addicts” need to realize how much time people are wasting away doing nothing. There is much, much more to life than being on Facebook and reading about other peoples’ lives. Go do something with your own. n

Twitter, a microblogging website in which users post 140-word “Tweets” is launched in 2005.

Now Myspace, a more advanced blogging tool, eventually becomes the most popular social media site, before being overtaken by Facebook.

In 2004, A Harvard student designs a website known as “The Facebook,” which eventually reaches 500 million users by 2010.

entertainment | social networking

Stacking Social Networking Four Spark editors weigh the pros and cons to different social media, while expanding upon their most notable.

lucy stephenson

faiz siddiqui

Its hard to find someone who does not have a Facebook anymore. The best and worst part about the site is that users are constantly connected to one another. Though being able to know every detail about a person with just a click of a button can be nice, there are just some details that shouldn’t be revealed to 1,846 socalled “friends.”

For all who are looking to delve into the lives of their favorite celebrities, Twitter is the obvious answer. But the site is not only for mindless perusing. Twitter is perfect for anyone looking to stay informed with news from sources like ESPN, CNN and even the office of the President.

The site’s simplicity and accessibility make for a constant stream of news and entertainment.

The site has become very popular, especially among celebrities. It gives everyday people the chance to constantly follow/stalk their favorite celebrities, further inflating their egos.

Unlike the alternatives which have individual specialties, Facebook is a composite of several.

The simplicity of its interface makes for a simple but pleasant experience that users will attach to.

People write in it like a diary, and then their friends can see it. It’s cool that users can personalize and create original themes for their page but Tumblr is the typical blog—nothing special.

It’s for more than blogging. It’s a blank slate of creativity, kind of like a digitized scrapbook.

While I don’t value my creativity enough to make one, I can always find myself interested in friends’ posts.

It may be fun for a while, but users should be wary of harassment from anonymous questioners. Degrading and inappropriate questions are quite common.

“Formspring will be the downfall of humanity.”

Most people can’t handle the responsibility of asking a question anonymously, instead choosing to ask questions too personal for print.

christina wilkerson It’s a blog site that is of substance, allowing people to write posts that are like journal entries.

Tumblr is a way to really get to know a person by reading their blog posts instead of Facebook stalking them. It’s not only a site for other people to get to know someone but also a way for people to help themselves sort their thoughts simply by writing it out.

This is the ultimate way to stay connected and to communicate with friends. It’s also the ultimate time consumer and every students first resort when procrastinating on homework.

The site is an annoying social networking site that constantly updates users on every detail about people’s lives, from when they brush their teeth to when they go to bed. It’s completely unnecessary, but people love knowing these details.

It’s popular with insecure, immature high school students who would rather spend their free time bashing on peers, because they know that they can get away with it. It’s a cyber-bullying hot spot.

58 | Spark | October 18, 2010

tyler kieslich Formspring is a cesspool of immaturity. Most of the time it’s used as a forum for people to say ridiculous things that they would not in a million years say if their identities were not concealed.

However, it is a nice place to practice your sarcasm. Most of the time people set up witty responses on a tee and let you hit them out of the park.

It’s especially good for photo blogs, which can range in topic from fashion to music to art to whatever. Also a convenient way to embrace your own mundane existence.

Talking to people is unnecessary. You can creep on their Facebook profiles and find out everything you need to know about them with just a few clicks. Having 500 friends also acts as a virtual pat on the back.

Twitter is good for keeping up with what sandwiches your friends are eating for lunch, as well as having up to date information about which mall Chad Ochocinco is hitting up.

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59 | Spark | lehsspark.org

Top left: The outside of the Mockbee, which acted as a brewery and storage building before housing concerts and art shows.

Bottom right: The members of the band Realcide interact with the crowd during their set.

crust punks and buttered lentils A journey into the heart of the Cincinnati punk rock underground, in which abandoned breweries become concert halls and dance parties are only a buttered lentil away. story and photos tyler kieslich

M

y footsteps echoed down the hallway, the sound bouncing around, ending up somewhere in the blackness at the end of the room.

The place was huge—it might have been an airplane hangar, its ceiling arching high above me. But it was too gray for that. Oh, no, it was much too gray, too dingy, too dirty. It felt more like a bunker, like one of those in the movies about some nuclear apocalypse, when the government and a couple hundred lucky few get to go down and hide out and wait to start existence over again. It was certainly no place for rock ‘n’ roll.

At the back of the room I came to a narrow staircase, the wood creaking and bending and threatening to break with every step. I had to lean hard against the wall to let this other guy pass through, his jet-black mohawk brushing carelessly against me, his inexplicable tank top leaving me wondering if he realized how cold it was outside. I reached the top to find a girl sitting behind a stack of wooden crates that she was using as a table.

“It’s a $5 donation,” she told me. “Or whatever you have, really.” Her hair was done

60 | Spark | October 18, 2010

up in dreadlocks and in the back she had tied them into spirals. She peered at me from behind thick-rimmed glasses. I gave her the bill and she gestured with her hand.

“You going to be drinking tonight?” she asked. I told her no thanks and walked past her into the next room.

I entered the main room of The Mockbee, which on most nights is a quiet and unassuming little place off Central Parkway. It’s easy to miss, as the storefront blends easily into the other grungy buildings around it. On the outside it probably hasn’t changed much from its days as a brewery and storage building, but on the inside it has been transformed, a wide-open and free-flowing space for art punks and rock ‘n’ roll guerillas to express themselves. I had walked in to find groups of people spread out in huddles, laughing and talking and eating food out of red plastic cups. I was glad to see I had arrived in time for the vegan potluck.

“You’re going to have to hurry if you want any of those buttered lentils,” someone called out to me. “They’re going pretty fast.” He was tall and lanky, towering over everyone else in

his little social cluster.

“Oh, Simon!” I waved to him. My introduction to Simon had been a billboard off Interstate 75, on which his face is featured prominently in an advertisement for Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. We had occasionally seen each other snooping around in local record stores, and he invited me to come to this show, in which the band he played bass for was the opening act.

“Good, good, I’m glad,” he said. “The notoriety is what I was looking for, really. Is your story going well?” I had told him I was writing a story about Cincinnati punk rock do-it-yourself-ers.

“I’m actually doing some journalism right now,” I laughed uneasily. My deadline was weighing heavily on my mind and I was in a bit of a panic. We exchanged a couple more pleasantries, I had some of the lentils, and they were just alright, and I bid him farewell so I could go look around.

I came into another giant open space, this one swarming with people and activity.

A DJ blared loud techno music from the top of a large platform, looking down into the stage and the crowd. Scruffy men in tattered clothing walked this way and that, carrying cables and guitars and amplifiers to the stage area. The show was getting ready to start, and more people started filing in, and the room dimmed and I sat on a windowsill. I looked out and saw Cincinnati, with all its lights and its buildings and its calm city streets. Beyond it I could see the river, and beyond that Kentucky. It was maybe eleven in the evening and they were all asleep.

The first band had taken their place, but before they started, some guy, the one from the staircase with the mohawk and the tank top, took the microphone.

“You know who this is, everybody, know what I’m saying, this Scotty, and we gonna have a great show tonight, know what I’m sayin’?” The crowd applauded. “Before we get started, know what I’m sayin’, just wanna’ give a quick shout out to everyone that brought food, know what I’m sayin’, the potluck was crazy good.” He clapped his free hand against the one holding the microphone. “We got some great bands tonight, know what I’m sayin’, we got some crazy punks comin’ in all the way from Michigan. Give it up for Cloud Rat and Xtra Vomit!” More applause. “Yeah, just tryin’ to be brief, you know what I’m sayin’, but before we let my dudes in Veterans here get the show started, just wanna’ make

entertainment | feature one quick announcement, know what I’m sayin’. Last week we had an unfortunate incident, where some dude basically got beat up, know what I’m sayin’, so I’m going to say right now, any of that aggro bullshit, if anyone steps over the line, you will be thrown out, know what I’m sayin’, and we will end the show. Period. Thank you.” He handed the microphone to a small and timid-looking girl.

She was wearing a terrible brown sweater, I’m sure it was all very ironic, and she introduced herself and her band and they got on with their set.

It was strange to see the crowd come alive the way it did when the music started. The way the place was set up had the bands right in there with everybody, instead of higher up on some platform playing down to everyone.

It was probably some metaphor, some “everyone here is equal” kind of thing. People would shove each other, all in good fun of course, and sometimes somebody would run into somebody else in a band, and they would just shove right back, like it was alright, like it was a normal thing, no big deal. From my seat on the windowsill it looked like everyone was shifting and swaying as one single organism, like the crowd itself was an instrument, like it had a place in with the double-kick drum and the chugging guitar.

The DJ on the platform became the sound and light man. Sometimes the bands would call up to him, “Hey, man, turn up the vocals,” or “Hey, man, I need more on my guitar.” Not that he had a sound board or anything. He did it the old-fashioned way, hopping down and adjusting the dials on the amplifiers.

At one point while the third band was playing I walked over to the concession area in the back of the room. The guy behind the counter was maybe 50, wearing military fatigues and thick round spectacles.

“How about some wattah?” he asked in his thick Boston accent. The name tag on his coat said that his name was Larry.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” I told him. “But

can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.” He was reaching into a cooler for a bottle of Ice Mountain.

“How does someone become the bartender in a place like this?”

“I guess you could say I got recruited by this guy.” He laughed and pointed to a man next to him, who also looked out of place, with his tight curls forming a mullet that bounced up and down as he swayed to the music. “He’s good friends with the owners that bought the place about ten years ago,” he said, taking my dollar and putting it away somewhere. “He convinced me it’d be a good idea. It’s a part time kind of thing, something to keep me busy.” We both paused and looked at the guy with the mullet. He just smiled and nodded.

“You guys have concerts here often?” I asked. This was me being a journalist.

“Oh, yeah, every week, just about. Art shows, too. I don’t usually work those.” I shook his hand and stepped to the side, not wanting to hold up the line. Just then someone bumped into me and spilled their drink down the back of my leg.

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry, man! So sorry!” This was Tim, a friend of Simon’s. Tim was a Crust Punk.

Crust Punks are a source of contention for many members of the general music “scene.”

They’re dirty and loud, especially about their fervent belief in the merits of anarchy. Like many of his compatriots, Tim was wearing a studded denim jacket that was generously adorned in stitched-on patches, on which

some of the spillage had landed.

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it,” I told him.

I looked down and saw what looked to be a homemade tattoo of a crossed-out swastika on his leg. I walked back to my windowsill to watch the final band of the evening. Scotty came back up to the microphone, explained that his band, Realcide, was excited to go to Europe and “do it up big over there, know what I’m sayin’,” and that things were about to get “super crunk, know what I’m sayin’.”

The lights went completely off and a guy in an orange jumpsuit came out of nowhere and started jumping around, rapping along with a couple Crusty female friends. Somewhere people had gotten glow-sticks, and they waved them around in every which way.

I didn’t stay for much longer, not being much of a fan of neon, or dance parties, or neon dance parties. I headed back down the staircase, the steps creaking and moaning, and back through the doorway and into the night. I looked back at The Mockbee, its stare cold and empty. It looked forgotten, passed over by time and progress. But it hasn’t been forgotten. It’s a central figure in an organic and underground culture that does what it wants and believes wholeheartedly in the mantra that if you want something done, you do it yourself. It proves that all rock ‘n’ roll needs is an open space and some determination, and it will thrive. I’m reminded of something Scotty said.

“Yo, I know it might be dark in here, know what I’m sayin’, but this ain’t no funeral, baby!” n

They’re dirty and loud, especially about their fervent belief in the merits of

anarchy.

61 | Spark | lehsspark.org

entertainment | books

I Am America (and So Can You)

author stephen colbert publisher grand central publishing pages 240 cost $26.99 hardcover (Barnes and Noble list price)

photo used with paid permisson from mct campus

62 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (and So Can You) is ridiculous and offensive—I love every page of it. The book consists of Colbert expounding on his thoughts on a variety of different subjects. Written from his satirical right-wing extremist point of view with his characteristic faux-radical patriotism, I Am America is broken up into three sections—childhood, adolescence and maturity—and then further into several subsections spanning from religion to sports. But to fully understand the book, one must understand the man.

Stephen Colbert is two people. One is the man himself, and the other is his television persona—a self-righteous, egotistical conservative who hosts The Colbert Report on comedy central. A gifted actor, Colbert models his television show after Republican pundits such as Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck, but takes their views to an absurd extreme, effectively satirizing them and cultivating a group of sarcasmloving followers who collectively call themselves the “Colbert Nation.” Colbert writes I Am America from the perspective of this exaggerated persona.

The beauty of this book is not in the views themselves—which can be found in the minds of many über-conservatives across the nation—but rather in the frankness and absurdity of their delivery. Colbert even spends the entire introduction explaining how he, “like our Founding Fathers, hold [his] truths to be self-evident, which is why [he] did absolutely no research.” For example, though many disagree with America’s current system of Social Security, few say it like this: “Retirement offends me. You don’t just stop fighting in the middle of a war because your legs hurt. So why do you get to stop working in the middle of your life just because your prostate hurts?” Colbert’s entire chapter on animals focuses on how humans need to dominate animals lest they rise up and conquer humans. His rationale is that his childhood pet, Shasta, ran away to “live on a farm,” leaving Colbert feeling betrayed. The juxtaposition between absurd, childish ignorance and extreme conservative idealism further solidifies the main purpose of the book: to mock right-wing radicals.

Ideals aside, critics of I Am America say that the bombastic persona created on television does not translate to print without losing some of its comedic value. On the contrary, the book representation of Colbert’s alter ego is full of interesting infographics and reader participation. In the chapter about homosexuality, Colbert includes a chart for readers to follow when they suspect that someone may be gay. The quiz is a stereotypical representation of the homosexual community. For example, if a man is wearing a mustache and is not Tom Selleck, he must be gay. However, it is entertaining to read and impossible to clearly show on television. Though Colbert makes use of all possible print outlets, he retains his characteristic voice in the print itself, so it still sounds like Colbert is speaking. For example, in the chapter on higher education, he writes comments in the margins of a college course book. Under Introduction to Formal Models in Computer Science he writes “some people just don’t lose their virginity ever.” His strong voice and hilarious one-liners make the absurdity more poignant and yet somehow more personal than anything that could be said on television.

In the grand scenery of media as a whole, I Am America is a small shrub. As hilarious and fun though it may be, the book seems to be intended for his own personal Colbert Nation and a few ignorant strangers who do not understand the concept of sarcasm. Yet, for newcomers to the experience that is Stephen Colbert, I Am America and So Can You is a great way to test the waters to see if his sarcasm is right for them. —Nitya Sreevalsan

Quick Shots

sports | captions

photos eric muenchen

RETURNED. East sophomore Joey Postlewait scrambles during the Hawks’ 42-6 loss to 10th-ranked Centerville. He totaled 41 yards in the game.

EVADED. East sophomore Rob Harpring eludes a Centerville defender. After a loss to the Elks, the Hawks went on to win games against Glen Este and Fairfield, boosting their record to 2-4 overall.

TRAPPED. East senior defender Eric Bloomberg takes a touch on the ball in a 1-1 Colerain tie. After a 2-1 loss to Fairfield broke the Hawks’ perfect record, East, number two in the city, won its next two games against Oak Hills and Sycamore. Senior goalie Evan Peul has allowed one goal in 35 shots.

SPIKED. East junior Morgan Weinheimer, varsity libero, provides a middle attack for the Hawks in their win against Harrison.

DENIED. Fresh off of an 18-7 season, the East girls’ volleyball team is making a run at its second GMC title in three years. East sophomore Madeline Garda leads the GMC in attacks. The 10-5 Hawks are currently in third place, and their next opponent, non-league Chaminade Julienne, begins a three-game road trip.

ATTACKED. East senior forward Nathan Hankins dribbles the ball down the field.

63 | Spark | lehsspark.org

sports | budget cuts Seventh grader Hunter Burdno looks onto the Liberty Junior football field after practice.

Sports in Sudden Death Recent levy failures and state flat funding have led to rising athletic fees and several teams being cut. This has caused some Lakota athletic families to transfer or to stop playing sports all together. story devin casey | photo eric muenchen | infographic drew souders, sarah fanning, devin casey

C

onnor Burdno straps his helmet on as he sprints onto the field.

Coach Rick Haynes calls out an order as the defense takes the field.

“Burdno, get over here!” he barks.

The East junior hustles towards his fuming coach, running through his last missed assignment on the last two reps in his head. Hesitantly, he pulls off his helmet and wipes the beads of sweat from his forehead as he glances to his right and sees another man trotting toward Haynes. The two players exchange glances and laugh as Haynes clarifies by pointing to East senior Deven Burdno while pulling him aside.

In two years, the boys would have expected that mistake to reoccur when the youngest Burdno, Hunter, a seventh grade football player for the Liberty Junior Thunderbirds, carries out the East football family legacy under the Friday night lights.

But Coach Haynes will never have an opportunity to make that mistake again.

Lakota Local School District athletics have been cutting teams and trimming the budget for years. In lieu of the failed May 2010 levy, the Lakota Board of Education has decided to continue to cut back on the funding given to the athletic department, and the situation could get worse.

“We have to be at a certain level [financially],” says East’s Athletic Director Richard Bryant. “We have to make up [the deficit] somehow, which led to significant loses for coaches and players.”

So far, the district has cut sophomore boys’ basketball and junior varsity-B soccer for boys and girls, saving nearly $30,000 across the district.

“I hope [the teams] do get reinstated to give opportunities for kids to develop and possibly make it to the next level,” says Tara Schafer-

64 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Kalkhoff, who is in her 13th year of coaching Lakota West Girls’ Soccer and her 14th year in the district.

“We will not know the impact on the program until we get into the season and see what kind of numbers and the talent of the players we are going to have to let go,” she says.

While Schafer-Kalkhoff ’s 8-3 soccer team copes with losing valuable players, the Burdnos will have to deal with not setting foot on the gridiron.

The proposed cuts for the athletic department total to about $3.8 million, which includes raising of pay-to-play fees from $300 to $550 per player per sport with no family cap, and the elimination of junior high sports and the junior high athletic director.

East has also made the decision to cut an athletic trainer and an athletic assistant. This may dole out more responsibility to adjacent athletic officials at East, but it has saved the school nearly $100,000.

While this will save the district almost $3 million, the $200 pay-to-play increase will turn off many Lakota athletes.

“Next year, my brother [Deven] will graduate, my younger brother [Hunter] will not have a football team [to play on] and I will have to pay the $550 by myself,” says Connor.

Despite the increasing cost to play sports in Lakota, the teams still do what it takes to keep their programs alive.

According to football Head Coach Rick Haynes, “The football players going door-to-door selling value cards raised over $20,000. The spaghetti dinner on average raises $8,000 which goes directly into funding our new pants, pre-game meals and camp.”

In addition to the football team’s efforts, several other programs on the brink of elimination have been stepping up to support themselves.

“The jazz band’s pancake breakfast is amazingly successful, and for

a while 40 percent of a person’s bill at Jet’s Pizza went into the funding of girls’ tennis,” Bryant says. “Our teams could not survive without private fundraising. With the cutting of teams, we lose opportunities for kids.”

Even with the athletic budget being reduced by 50 percent and pep rallies getting shorter with fewer teams, girls’ tennis managed to add a varsity-B team to give its seniors playing time.

“We had a record 30 girls show up at tryouts,” says Coach Karen Barnes in her fourth year with the team. “12 kids would have been cut from the team and we needed underclassmen to stay on the teams to become stronger and become more competitive for future years.”

Barnes says that she recruited private lesson teacher Ben Woo to volunteer and coach the new team, but the fundraiser at Jet’s Pizza was needed to buy proper uniforms without using any money from the district.

Due to transportation being eliminated by 75 percent across the district, the girls also paid the $300 pay-to-play fee even though they play fewer matches.

“I think it is highly unfair for people on sports like Academic Quiz Team and varsity-B tennis to pay the same amount as those requiring more officials and equipment on teams like football and basketball,” says Michael Burkart, a senior at Moeller High School.

Burkart is in his second year competing in varsity boxing at Moeller and has paid $325 each year, while he watches his fellow Crusaders fork

over $3,000 for a spot on the ice hockey team.

This fee would scare away the Burdnos and the rest of East from continuing in their sports, and, in some cases, will cause Lakota athletes to transfer to adjacent disctricts.

In a recent poll of East, 40 percent of the 325 surveyed students who play a sport say they would not continue to play if pay-to-play fees increased.

East junior Farah Hussain says that her 8th grade brother, Fidel Hussain, will transfer to St. Xavier pending the results of the upcoming levy in order to continue playing tennis.

“It was either transfer or wait for him to start high school here. He would risk losing an opportunity to grow as a player or get recruited by a college if there are not any sports offered by the time he reaches East,” Farah says.

Her fear resonates across the district, especially in the minds of the athletic directors and the Board of Education. The Burdnos’ tenure on the turf for East would end and the boys would be left with academics and part-time jobs. This is because Lakota recognizes band, choir, foreign language clubs, activity clubs and sports as extra-curricular activities.

“The fact that it is ‘extra’ means it can be cut, which also means it will be the first thing to go when the budget is cut,” Bryant says. “If the district does not have increased revenue, it is a possibility that down the road athletics will cease to exist.” n

If the athletic pay-to-play fees increased, 40 percent of the 325 surveyed student athletes who play a sport say they would not continue to play.

Checking Sports Costs in the Region

Current athletic participation costs and how they are expected to change in the future Key Archbishop Moeller High School

$300 $300

2010-11 Morgan Weinheimer, an East volleyball player, can expect to pay $550 a season.

$300 Mason City Schools*

2009-10

2011-12

no cost no cost

Abby Tepe, an East varsity golf player, pays $330 this season.

no cost Little Miami Schools*

$431 $651

Taylor Holden, an East varsity tennis player, would have only had to pay for equipment if she went to Mason.

no sports

Lakota Local Schools*

Family cap: $280

$140

Rob Harpring, East football’s starting quarterback and varsity basketball player, can expect to pay $1100 this year.

$300

$550 *levy on ballot

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Dollars per student per season

65 | Spark | lehsspark.org

sports | faces

Player Spotlights photo eric muenchen

Scott Duncan

Jon Riehle

E

S

C

Girls’ Volleyball

ast senior Stephanie Gregory may have more titles than a library. She is the East National Honors Society (NHS) president, this year’s homecoming queen and one of three varsity volleyball team captains.

With a resume this impressive, her future is bright.

“It’s been extremely stressful figuring out which college I want to go to, but in the end I know it’s worth it,” says Gregory, who has played varsity volleyball throughout high school. “Being stressed out actually makes me really excited.”

Gregory’s affinity for responsibility has helped her blossom into one of the team’s key leaders.

“I was a freshman on varsity when there were older girls, and I was terrified to speak up,” Gregory recalls. “Now I tell people what’s on my mind and I try to motivate people more than I did before.”

East junior teammate Lauren Beitel recognizes Gregory’s leadership abilities.

“She’s a very good leader and very vocal. If the job needs to be done, she’ll tell them they need to do it,” says Beitel. “When I first met her, I was intimidated because she was older than me, but then we got to be really close.”

Although only in her first year coaching the Hawks, head coach Cassie Garland has already taken note of Gregory.

“Stephanie is a great leader and role model for our team. I know a lot of girls who look up to her,” says Garland. “She is the most vocal contributor on the court and she makes everyone around her better.”

The Hawks hope to defend their conference championship and possibly advance further this year.

“We were GMC Champs and went to sectionals last year. That was a record for us,” says Gregory. “Hopefully this season, we’ll set another record and go to state.” n —Kyle Morrison

photo eric muenchen

photo eric muenchen

Stephanie Gregory

Football

trength, leadership and determination are all characteristics of a successful football player. East senior Scott Duncan has all these traits, and with his recent election to the East homecoming court, the spotlight is shining on him his senior year.

“I’m hoping that I will be able to play [football] in college,” says Duncan, a three-year varsity offensive lineman. “But I want to go to a big school. Being able to make the football team at Ohio State University will be unlikely.”

East Assistant Varsity Football Coach David Sharpe says that Duncan’s future is bright.

“Duncan is one of the hardest working players I have ever seen,” says Sharpe. “He works extremely hard during practice and 10 times harder in games.”

East senior Tyler Ray, a varsity defensive lineman, has observed Duncan’s ardent work ethic.

“He works his butt off [during] every down and never gives up,” says Ray. “He leaves it all out on the field.”

After East’s wins against Glen Este and Fairfield, Duncan feels that the team is uniting.

“We always need to work as a team and never back down,” says Duncan. “I love the game and will do anything for my team.”

Along with the praise he receives from his team, he also appreciates the recognition he gets from the senior class.

Duncan says he felt honored when he found out he was on homecoming court and could not wait to jump out of the convertible while holding the arm of fellow East senior and homecoming court member Kelsey Chapin.

“It was a wonderful experience,” says Duncan. “That [homecoming] crown would have just topped it off.”

After seeing the great result against Fairfield, Duncan predicts more wins in the future.

“Playing Lakota West will be an absolute blood bath.” n —Michael Sell

66 | Spark | October 18, 2010 TICKER: GIRLS GOLF—Abby Tepe fourth in GMC

n

Cross Country

ross country runners average six miles per practice. But after playing soccer for seven years, East senior Jon Riehle’s transition to cross country was a smooth one.

Riehle joined Hopewell Junior School’s cross country team in seventh grade and has loved the sport ever since. In his final season on the Hawks’ cross country team, he has assumed a de facto leadership role on the team.

East senior cross country runner Christian Decker says that Riehle is the unofficial captain of the cross country team.

“He’s the team leader. He leads all the stretches,” says Decker. “We do not really have a team captain, but he could easily be the captain. He’s always showing the most spirit.”

Riehle enjoys his position as the team pacesetter. His goal is for everyone to have fun.

“I’m not one of those people who will try to boss everyone around, but I’ve got to lead people,” he says. “I like to be friends with everybody.”

Riehle has several motives for being the unofficial captain of the team. He follows the example of many runners in his family, including his father, Mike Riehle.

Mike ran cross country in high school, and believes that his interest in the sport has rubbed off on his son. He says, however, that the decision to start running was not his, but Jon’s alone.

“I used to tell him stories that I had [from running], but I didn’t push for it,” says Mike.

“Although, when he did [cross country], I encouraged him.”

Jon, like his father, has a relaxed view of cross country, saying that the sport is supposed to be a good time for everybody involved with it.

“You want to go out and have a really good race, but at the end of the day, it’s all about having fun,” says Jon. “Everyone [on the team] is close. That’s what I like about the sport.” n —Scott Koenig

FOOTBALL—Stephen Sensel fourth in GMC receiving yards

BOYS’ GOLF CAPTURES GMC TITLE story victoria reick-mitrisin photo sarah wilkinson

A

fter the death of fellow East teammate, Jordan Day, this season has been both turbulent and rewarding for the East boys’ golf team. The team has rallied together to win the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) title and transform from a team focused on individual performance to a community focused on optimism.

The squad has moved up from fifth place in the district at the beginning of the season to take first place in the GMC tournament.

GMC Coach of the Year Jeff Combs attributes the team’s recent winning pattern to a strong sense of unity among all of the team members.

“GMCs was the first time that I saw guys conscious of what the other players were doing,” says Combs, whose squad finished the dual meet season 113-57, with a total of 16 matches against other schools in the Cincinnati area.

East junior Ben Gallow averages 39.9 strokes per match. Gallow believes that the GMC was the first time that everything clicked for the Hawks.

“As a team, we’ve all had our moments when we played well separately, but we are all coming together now,” says Gallow.

The team will finish the season by competing at sectionals at Glenview, where it can advance to the district and state tournaments.

Gallow finds that the team has been brought together by its fellow teammate, Day, who died in an auto accident on Aug. 12.

“I think we really thought deep down that

we could [win the GMC tournament] for Jordan,” says Gallow. “We really thought that on a good day we could just prevail and win.”

When Day’s tragic accident occurred, Coach Combs went to Gallow’s house, along with fellow teammate Mikey Goldman. “[Jordan] was there when tragedy struck all of our lives,” says Gallow.

Goldman agrees that the players and the coach have grown closer after the accident.

“It showed the team that golf is not the only thing in life to focus on,” he says.

The group makes a point of going out to eat after practice and facilitating encouragement with an optimistic atmosphere.

Along with the fact that only one varsity player will graduate next year, the team predicts

that it will be easier to pick up where they left off this season.

“We are one of the best teams in the city,” says East senior Anthony Fiorenza. “But when people think of the best teams in the city, they think of Moeller and Saint Xavier.”

The coach and the players do all they can in order to allow the team to come together as more than a group of individuals.

“We like to keep practice interesting,” says Fiorenza. “When we are out on the course, we are relaxed.”

After their GMC victory, four East players were named first team all GMC, and two others were named second team.

“Next year, anything less than state would be unsuccessful in my eyes,” says Goldman. n

HAWK CULTURE

A look into the lives of East athletes infographic drew souders

Taylor Stephens VARSITY GIRLS’ TENNIS

Ben Gallow VARSITY BOYS’ GOLF

Courtney Schauble VARSITY GIRLS’ SOCCER

David Stewart VARSITY FOOTBALL

Hailey Monnig VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

Bengals Going to Playoffs?

YES

OF COURSE

OF COURSE

GUARANTEED

OF COURSE

YES

AWESOME

TIME TO PARTY

EXCITING

HYPED

LIVE

SEXY

DON’T WATCH

DON’T WATCH

NO IDEA

THE SITUATION

THE SITUATION

THE SITUATION

East Football is...

STRUGGLING

EMBARRASSING

DEVELOPING

IMPROVING

NO

AWFUL

Favorite Teacher?

MR. LINDEMAN

MS. SITES

MR. LINDEMAN

Homecoming was...

Dancing With The Stars Winner?

n

The Varsity Boys’ Golf Team poses with the GMC Trophy at Weatherwax Golf Course on Sept. 23.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL—Madeline Garda first in the GMC in attacks

n

MR. SCHMALTZ

MR. WILES

Hunter Booth VARSITY BOYS’ SOCCER

MRS. COATS-HAAN

67 | Spark | lehsspark.org GIRLS TENNIS—Taylor Holden first in GMC in second singles

sports | feature

U

On the

Carolyn Pitman serves during her match against Mt. Notre Dame. East won 3-2.

68 | Spark | October 18, 2010

UPSWING Senior Carolyn Pitman and the East Girls’ Tennis team are celebrating conference-wide honors, including the team’s first Greater Miami Conference championship. story joey armentrout photo eric muenchen

A

ll the girls’ tennis players in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) gathered around the tennis courts, anticipating the announcement.

The struggle of all the practices, all the matches and all the hard work culminated in this one moment. The East girls already knew the outcome. They won the matches they knew they had to win, but the announcement was eagerly awaited. The words East tennis had fought for years to hear were on the tip of the GMC announcer’s tongue.

And then he spoke—East was the 2010 GMC champion.

After a 17-1 regular season, the East girls tennis team has raised both local praise and statewide recognition for its success.

The team earned a spot in the top ten list of the Greater Cincinnati women’s tennis rankings and earned another in the Southwestern District Tennis Finals.

Head Coach Karen Barnes believes that a major reason for the team’s success has been the presence of a common ideology—selflessness.

“Everyone has focused on winning for the team and not just for themselves,” says Barnes. “It has truly been a team effort this year.”

“Carolyn leads the team by demonstrating the time, effort and mental toughness to compete,” says Barnes. “Samar has unified the team and kept it on task at practices and matches.”

The “team first” mentality undoubtedly helped East achieve a perfect 9-0 conference record.

“We are really good and have been playing together for a few years now,” says Pitman. “We know what our strengths and weaknesses are and we know how to support each other to make the team better.”

East entered the GMC tournament as one of the favorites to win, and certainly lived up to expectations.

In addition to winning the tournament, East also won two special honors. Coach Barnes won the GMC Coach of the Year award and Pitman won GMC Player of the Year after finishing the season second in the GMC first singles with a record of 13-2. The tournament was the most successful in East tennis history, resulting in its first GMC championship victory.

The tournament featured a top performance by East sophomore Taylor Holden, who put together a strong showing and managed to edge out Lakota West’s Nicole Souter to claim the number one spot in second team singles. The doubles team also performed well in the pressure-filled tournament. First team doubles duo Stephens and Sheriff claimed the three spot in the final standings, while second team duo junior Sofey Fugate and sophomore Leeah Floyd overcame Sycamore for the number one spot.

Lakota West, the reigning GMC champion, tied with Sycamore for the second place spot in the final standings.

Stephens was not surprised by the success of her team.

“We knew we had all the tools to be successful,” says Stephens. “All we had to do was execute and play well.”

Coach Barnes agrees with Stephens.

“Everyone approached each practice and each match with the positive attitude and work ethic it took to be successful,” she says.

East was eliminated from the state team tournament when it suffered its first loss to Ursuline in the first postseason match. The team lost four out of five matches and its postseason run was effectively ended. State matches for the individual players that qualified will continue through October.

Coach Barnes says she is not going to predict what kind of success East will have next year. Instead, she will focus on finding the talent and teamwork East relied on this year.

“It is too early to predict what will happen next year. With five graduating seniors, there will be a lot of shoes to fill,” says Barnes. “We have several talented players from our varsity silver team and junior varsity team that we will look to and hope to have a few new freshman as well.”

Complacency is not an option for East. The desire to maintain steady improvement is common among the team and Barnes.

“There is always room for improvement, no matter if you’re the worst player or the best player in the world like Federer,” says Pitman.

Barnes is adamant about the need to continue building the team and continuing to improve.

“No matter what sport you play, there is always some aspect of your game you can improve upon,” says Barnes. “The day an athlete thinks they have no room for improvement is the day they stop being competitive in their sport.” n

“There is always room for improvement, no matter if you’re the worst player or the best player in the world like Federer.”

The team entered this fall coming off of a very successful 15-3 season last year. However, the difference between this year and last is the mentality, according to senior Taylor Stephens.

“We all play for each other and not for ourselves,” says Stephens. “We are much closer this year than we were last.”

Last year East lost to West in its rivalry matchup, dropping three out of five games. East turned the tables this year however, defeating Lakota West in four out of five games to claim the match.

Leadership has been another focus this season. Barnes says there are two players who have had significant leadership roles on the team: seniors Carolyn Pitman and team captain Samar Sheriff.

69 | Spark | lehsspark.org

sports | eight things

story abby tepe east girls’ golfer (as told to drew souders) photo eric muenchen

Focus

“Clear your head. You can’t change your shot when you’re over the ball. Try to have one swing in mind, making sure you have a steady head position.”

Know Your Approach

“Set up and get into your posture— knees bent and square to your target, with hands in front of the ball.”

Practice Makes Perfect

“Take your practice swing. Check your alignment. If you’re off-line, it could cause you to hook or cut the ball.”

Plan Your Shot

“Check your line again while you’re set up. Tell yourself to make sure to follow through with the swing.”

Follow Through

“Make sure you go to a full finish after the ball is hit and keep your balance.”

Always Think Ahead

“If the result of [my] ball flight is not what you want it to be, I usually think “What can I do on my next shot to make it right.”

8a golf swing

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW about

70 | Spark | October 18, 2010

Have a Short Memory

“If you make a bad shot, you have to clear it out of your mind. If one bad shot stays in your head, it could mess up the whole round.”

Be Consistent

“Make a fluent swing so everything is not rushed. You want to be on time with every swing you make.”

Kyle Morrison Adieu, Athletics?

The Little Miami Local School District’s student athletes are fighting to keep their athletic program intact—East is walking in their ill-fated footsteps.

T

here’s nothing quite like coming to school with goggle-marked eyes, reeking of chlorine after a 5:30 a.m. swim practice. I have practically given my right arm to the team, and I still have the surgical scars to prove it. Swim meets in Canton with a 102 degree fever are a blast. I found out that there is no better method of team bonding than a post-meet trip to El Rancho Grande. Without East swimming, I would not be the person I am today; I am sure that almost every athlete at East would say the same about his or her sport.

That is why I am so worried about the future, or lack thereof, of Thunderhawk athletics.

Lakota Local School District Superintendent Mike Taylor has publicly stated that the district is only two years behind Little Miami Local School District—the district in Morrow that has been taken over by the state.

This sentiment has been echoed by teachers in both districts.

There is a strong possibility that Little Miami will cut all sports after this school year, and if Lakota really is two years behind, there is a possibility that this year’s freshmen, one of the most talented groups of athletes in recent years, might have their high school athletic careers ended one year short. As a senior athlete, I am supposed to set an example for these underclassmen, but they might not get the opportunity to do the same when they are seniors.

Lakota’s plan to save sports emulates that of Little Miami—a raise in the pay-to-play prices.

Little Miami had to raise its fees to $651 per sport in order to generate enough funding for an athletic program this season, as the state is not allowed to fund one. Lakota plans on raising the price to play sports to $550 in the next few years if the levy fails.

This is only a temporary fix, however, as it is nearly impossible to sustain a self-sufficient athletic program based only on football revenue and athletic fees.

Perhaps the only thing that can save sports is a levy.

Unfortunately, prominent figures in the community such as Rich Hoffman, the man in the headlines promising to “whip” the levy, are using the levy as a channel to send a message to the state government.

On the anti-levy website, Hoffman calls the state’s lack of support for Lakota a “mismanagement of state funds” and “an intolerable situation.”

This is a very valid opinion and most people on both sides probably agree with it. Hoffman’s “solution,” however, is developed more out of anger than concern for the district. He says that a levy merely puts a “band-aid on a larger problem of massive mismanagement at the state level,” and even goes on to say that passing a levy will “invite more mismanagement in the future.”

While the passion Hoffman puts behind his views is commendable,

his motivation is to stick it to the government. A levy failure, however, sticks it to the students, and in this case, the athletic program, which actually leads to more government intervention and taxes. Just ask Little Miami, a district that is now completely controlled by the state, which Hoffman thinks has been “mismanaging” districts like Lakota.

There’s no nice way to say it—Little Miami is dying a slow, painful death. If the aid given to the district by the state exceeds $10 million, the district will become the first in Ohio to be dissolved, and the students will be relocated to the surrounding districts, Kings and Loveland.

Little Miami senior and defending 100-yard backstroke state champion Steven Zimmerman is feeling the effects of the failed levies.

His three-trimester schedule contains six study halls this year after nearly all electives were cut. Zimmerman is losing hope in the levy’s chances of passing.

“I hope [the levy is] going to pass, but to be honest, there’s no support in the community anymore. I think everyone’s just fed up with it,” says Zimmerman. “The state isn’t doing this for free; we’re going to have to pay them back.”

With so many academic cuts crippling Little Miami—cuts that are seemingly imminent for Lakota—many students have embraced athletics, even if they cannot afford to play. Little Miami students now rally around sports as the only thing their district can be proud of—and state champion Zimmerman, Morrow’s Michael Phelps, is a source of pride for this small community. “[Swimming] doesn’t just serve as a sport; it serves as much more than a sport and it’s something the whole community can get behind. I’ve seen kids cry— grown kids my age cry—because their sports are taken away,” laments Zimmerman. “If you take away sports, you’re taking away everything the school is proud of.”

Zimmerman’s illustrious high school athletic career will never be matched by another Little Miami Panther if the Little Miami levy fails.

Lakota is on the same downward spiral as Little Miami, and the athletic program is at risk.

To vote against the levy on the basis of sending a message to governor Ted Strickland is pointless—recent polls show him trailing Republican John Kasich. Many of those standing against the levy are trying to send a message to someone already on his way out—and the student athletes will suffer the consequences.

Student voters, parents and other adults in the community need to realize that athletics teach lessons in humility, commitment and teamwork that cannot be learned in the classroom. It is time for the voters to step up to the plate for Lakota athletics. n

“I’ve seen kids cry—grown kids my age cry— because their sports are taken away.”

71 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | column

HEAD t

Zach

Net Ne

Armstrong A Soon the wild party years of the Internet shall end.

The Internet will start a career and wear a suit because network neutrality will soon be gone.

72 | Spark | October 18, 2010

astroturf organizations like Americans for Prosperity. I actually used their website to look up information on the aforementioned telecom company’s donations. If network neutrality wasn’t a de facto policy, these companies could have easily choked CMD’s website and I would be screwed. The opponents of net neutrality are not necessarily a bunch of shady corporate puppets, though. Besides corporations and the people that love their donations, there are also well-meaning people who want greater regulatory power to eliminate the illegal, much less cool than the real world underbelly of the Internet, like P2P file sharing sites such as Bittorent. But the thing is that P2P networks are not necessarily illegal.

Stolen files do get put up on Bittorent. But traffic on these websites is also composed of legal, licensed files like the 1,000 plus albums that the record label Sub-Pop releases via Bittorent and the popular games Starcraft II and World of Warcraft that Blizzard Software distributes via Bittorent. Attempting to crush the entire website just for the illegal files that users upload is like burning down a Wal-Mart because of the crack dealer that hangs out in the back. With network neutrality, the Internet, with users mostly unregulated, anonymous and difficult to track down, does leaves the door open for ugly, illegal things like child pornography, but every online community that doesn’t collapse under the weight of spam and trolls has moderators, people who ban users that post illegal or otherwise terrible content on forums or other online communities. Even the nightmarish void that is the random board (/b/) of 4chan, a forum where users can post with little to no restriction on content, users that post child pornography are banned. Just banning people who break laws is not necessarily effective, but for the most part, people on the Internet are just human beings that happen to be anonymous, and they’d rather not have the places they spend time on become a debauched orgy.

The Internet is a great place because it is not controlled. Yes, bad things are on the Internet, but anywhere free speech is has to deal with the ugly ideas that come crawling out of it as well as the great ones. Even the KKK have the right of free speech, for instance. Under network neutrality, the Internet, with its awfulness, connects people with ideas and other human beings on a larger scale than anything else, ever. Handing over control of that to telecom companies, who would gladly give it away to the highest bidder, is like letting HAL run the ship’s life support. n

Glossary

art lisa cai

s a social pariah, I spend a lot of time on the Internet. It’s a wonderful place that’s led to the creation and discovery of great things, like image macros subtitled with IMPACT FONT, information on the basic principles of quantum physics and the names of the voice actors for Thunder Cats. The Internet is where people can discuss issues and educate themselves about a terrifyingly vast array of things, while remaining comfortable in the fact that even if something is a lie, the denizens of the Internet can eventually dig up the truth.

Alas, the Internet cannot escape from the gaping maw of free enterprise forever, and soon the wild party years of the Internet shall end. The Internet will start a career and wear a suit because network neutrality will soon be gone.

Recently, the telecom company Comcast was found in violation of network neutrality by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after the FCC discovered that Comcast was “choking” the servers of Bittorent, a file-sharing site, for Comcast’s users. Comcast was blocking its users from the site. The FCC took Comcast to court over the issue, claiming that this impeded on Comcast’s users’ right to use the Internet as they see fit. The FCC promptly lost the case. Now the commission is going to have a very difficult time preserving net neutrality, because according to Judge Tatel, who wrote the opinion for the case, the FCC has no authority on the Internet.

The decision is akin to allowing a starved obese man who was locked in a closet for several weeks access to a lobster buffet. It means that anything on the Internet is fair game to be choked to death by large companies like Comcast. Preventing telecom companies from opposing pro-neutrality legislation will be difficult. Now there’s precedent against the policy and these corporations spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising and lobbying solely for the purpose of distorting public discourse.

For instance, AT&T spent $14 million lobbying against net neutrality in 2009, and Comcast spent $12 million lobbying in 2009, also against net neutrality.

The millions spent on lobbying doesn’t include the money given to think tanks like the groups Freedomworks and Americans for Prosperity (AP), while telecom companies support to smear proponents of net neutrality. These groups publish op-eds that paint net neutrality as a terrifying government assault on FREEDOM, CAPITALISM and VAGUE PATRIOTIC CONCEPTS. AP also launched a $1.4 million advertising campaign against net neutrality with donations from Verizon, Comcast and AT&T to make it appear that there is widespread public support for the companies’ attitudes towards net neutrality.

Thanks to the FCC’s failure, corporations can now whitewash and distort ideas they don’t like or activities they don’t want exposed using official-sounding organizations that are paid to love them or outright censorship of watchdog websites like the non-profit Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), a group that fact-checks corporate PR and

Net Neutrality: a proposal for all Internet users to have equal access in which neither Internet Service Providers (ISPs) nor governments restrict access.

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: allows searching for files on other people’s computers.

Meanwhile, other users on the network can search for files on your computer.

Bandwidth: the amount of data sent through a network connection.

How an ISP Works:

You pay an ISP company (broadband, dial-up) for a general internet access. information techterms.com

o HEAD

u trality

Breland

I

magine a society where each American has access to a computer, but no one can download a single file because of overloaded bandwidth. The Internet is overflowing with more music, videos and publications than there have ever been. Peer-to-peer sharing of files has become legal, to the dismay of now penniless musicians, actors and producers who relied on revenue now stolen by file sharing. These artists cannot work, or refuse to, because their livelihood has been stolen from under their feet and no government intervention exists to help. Internet deregulation leads to a crime-riddled world rampant with the evils of child pornography and immorality. Enter a world where the Internet cannot change due to the equal access of all internet users—anarchy on the Internet.

Network neutrality has the possibility of driving billions of dollars in revenue and a system 40 years in the making out of existence.

Supporters of the net neutrality movement have said that Internet Service Providers (ISP) hope to create a tiered Internet service, allowing users to pay more for “better” Internet content and connection, but limiting the amount of information that can be viewed by subscribers on a lower tier. However, no ISP has ever planned on limiting service. John Thorne, a senior vice president at the Internet and telecommunications giant Verizon, has stated that upon the inception of network neutrality, companies would have no incentive or ability to update their infrastructure.

It is inconceivable that an Internet conglomerate would limit or eliminate access to an already lucrative business. Upon consideration though, this policy is no different than that of modern retail stores. You get what you pay for.

So much bandwidth will be used to support users on “equal” services that no connection will exist for the purpose of updating or changing the Internet itself. Americans should then get used to reading stale webpages and viewing the same content hundreds of times.

Net Neutrality on the Internet also poses an immense legal problem.

Today, much to the dismay of authorities and private citizens alike, the problems of child pornography and other illegal downloaded material, including Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing, run rampant across the world.

The use of neutrality on the World Wide Web would lead to untraceable downloads and hundreds of thousands of thieves. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enacted several rulings against

That ISP company then pays an Upstream ISP company for wider access to the internet.

Andrew

The internet connection is sent back to your computer, allowing you to surf the web.

Comcast Corporation for slowing down access to P2P sites to all who used the company’s Internet services. According to a study conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University, 63 percent of people in the United States believe file sharing should be illegal, many saying it violates their moral code. It results in the creation of a community of copyright negligent criminals who deny income to the owners of music, videos, games and other files. Prosecution of such Internet criminals has increased in recent years. Over 10,000 individuals have been convicted of felony copyright infringement and have been sentenced to three years in prison.

Positively, 81 percent of respondents in the Leeds Metropolitan University study believe that those who create songs, movies and other forms of art should be paid. Conversely, those who steal should be punished. In an era of network neutrality, suddenly it becomes impossible to prosecute these criminals because of untraceable connections and “equal access” opportunities for the internet.

This same principle applies to prosecution of child pornography under network neutrality. Child pornographers should not be free to roam the streets, but this is the reality we face if the era of net neutrality occurs.

Both file-sharing and child pornography in the United States have run rampant. Statistics have shown that there is a troubling rise in such illegal and immoral sites. McAfee Corporation reports a 300 percent rise in the number of file sharing sites over the last three years and more than 100,000 child pornography sites, totaling a $4 billion business nationwide. This balloon of immorality and criminal acts is already inflating. There is no need to amplify this rate of increase with shield laws for criminals.

Many ask, “How are the files on Youtube any different than those being shared on P2P sites?”

Youtube has no way to infringe on copyrights by downloading content, therefore it is legal.

Just over a year ago the founders of The Pirate Bay, a popular file sharing site, were found guilty of criminal copyright infringement and sentenced to one year in prison and a $2.8 million fine each. Had these criminals not been convicted, thousands of musicians, filmmakers and designers would have suffered over this perversion of justice.

The ramifications of network neutrality and the impossibility to prosecute criminals with its inception would be immense. Previously illegal acts would be legal. But the morals of everyday Americans will not change. Legality will take precedent over morality, but they should move hand-in-hand as is already the case. Internet morality should take the same approach as murder, thievery or rape where morals equal law.

The legal predicaments of child pornography and file sharing are not the only subjects that drive the dilemma of net neutrality, but the moral and monetary issues of each contribute heavily as well. People get what they pay for, and those who decide to cheat the system are criminals.

This holds true even for the Internet. But this moral and legal paradigm will evaporate in the era of network neutrality. n

This balloon of immorality and criminal acts is already inflating.

There is no need to amplify this rate of increase with shield laws for criminals.

73 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | column

Rachel Podnar

Benefits of Not Showering

I

Contact Rachel at rpod_86@yahoo.com

myth

74 | Spark | October 18, 2010

resulting in really oily hair. Unshampooed hair will effectively begin to clean itself after two weeks because it naturally starts to produce less oil.

Fascinating.

These are the arguments I provided my parents with when they decided that my lack of hygiene was a serious issue, and the same arguments I use when the issue comes up in casual conversation (which is more often than you would expect). And still, people refuse to listen. They prefer to roll their eyes and throw soap at me, instead of considering my wellresearched argument.

The stigma attached to not showering is a cultural problem. We have been conditioned since birth to buy into whatever self-cleansing products a company sticks on the market, regardless of whether or not they are necessary, as long as there is even a slight chance that it might improve our level of attractiveness.

Human hair has not changed, but advertising certainly has. It all started in 1908, when The New York Times published a column informing women of the day that it was acceptable to wash their hair every two weeks, versus the average frequency at the time—only once a month.

After that, various new shampoos and conditioners were released, and after 102 years of advertising, according to Procter & Gamble, we are up to shampooing an average of 4.59 times a week. At East, that statistic is higher. Out of the 523 East students surveyed, 83 percent shower daily.

In this society, we expect each other to waste large amounts of time standing under a stream of water and use a variety of unnecessary cleaning products to smell good. Simply applying deodorant in the morning and night and putting some mousse in your hair is sufficient to maintain an acceptable level of public decency and not scare away your lab partner.

I understand, however, that there are situations when not showering is gross. For example, if you smell like a gym bag after running a marathon, or engaging in some other strenuous activity, be classy and bathe.

I am not putting myself on this anti-soap soap box to endorse dirt, but rather, to endorse a sensible alternative to the crazy standards we have been holding each other to. Save money, save water, save time, save your hair— shower less. n

reality

art lisa cai

am not a dirty person. If you passed me on the street, you would not cross to the other side. People often compliment me on my scent, my curls and my skin, which are all healthy.

But the people who usually sit near me with no reservations immediately run in the other direction when I tell them the truth: I only shower two to three times a week.

It all started this summer. Sometime during the thrills of three months without school, sunny days at the pool and the smell of suntan lotion, I found myself too busy to shower. Showering was promptly shoved to the end of my to-do list, along with my summer reading and pre-calc homework.

My great discovery was that reprioritizing showering hardly impacted my life. I did not smell, my hair looked pretty much exactly the same on day three as it did on day one and society had not shunned me.

I limited my showering schedule to twice a week: Monday and Thursday. For the first week, I kept my plan to myself, just to see if anyone would note this change of habit.

No one noticed.

That’s because not showering is not visible. In fact, it is beneficial.

Let’s face it—showering takes time. I could spend an hour shampooing, conditioning, shaving, blow drying my hair and applying lotion and makeup. I could also spend that hour watching CNN or volunteering at a homeless shelter, both of which are life-enriching activities that would be more worthwhile than showering.

Besides, time and water are money. During the summer I worked for minimum wage, so if I worked that hour instead of showering and getting ready I would have made $7.30. Showering seven days a week adds up to $51.10 a week and $2,810.50 a year. I could buy four iPhones with that money, not even counting the sum I would save from not buying shampoo and using substantially less water.

But the benefits are more than monetary.

Consider your hair, for instance. Hair follicles have sebaceous glands, which make sebum, a fancy word for natural oil. Shampoo takes all of that oil out of hair, so, in order to compensate for the extra dryness, the glands produce more oil—

opinion | column

Christina Wilkerson It’s All on Us

A

Contact Christina at cwilkerson11@gmail.com

s I sat in Mr. Thomas’ office while he directed Symphonic Winds during fifth period, I made a hasty attempt to finish my honors precalculus homework. Thankful that he did not have any jobs for his band aides to do and determined not to face any math homework that night, I was crushed as Mr. Thomas suddenly interrupted my work to gather the class to watch President Obama’s speech, directed to America’s students, on Sept. 14.

I was a little irritated that I was being forced to listen to Obama tell me to work hard, to stay focused in school and to achieve my goals when I could have had one less assignment to add to my pile of homework that night. It was not until after his speech began that I realized it was not going to be just another one of those annoying motivational speeches.

Obama’s speech, which was broadcasted to more than 184,000 students was not simply about student enthusiasm, but rather a wakeup call for students to understand the importance of what they are doing in school and how it relates later.

“Your future is in your hands,” he said. “Your life is what you make of it. And nothing—absolutely nothing—is beyond your reach.

So long as you’re willing to dream big. So long as you’re willing to work hard. So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education,” he stressed.

When I scanned the room to see others’ reactions, I was slightly amused. It was ironic that, while the leader of the free world was expounding on the importance of student involvement in education, groups of my peers were whispering, laughing and generally not paying attention. Instances like these are the reasons for America’s sad education situation.

According to the Broad Residency, a leadership program that works to improve the instruction of all students, American students are falling behind students from all around the world, as they are ranked 25th in math and 21st in science out of 30 other industrialized countries.

Clearly, America’s students have room for some much-needed improvement.

Obama went on to say that “at a time when other countries are competing with us like never before, when students around the world are working harder than ever, and doing better than ever; your success in school will also help determine America’s success in the 21st century.”

According to the Broad Residency, 1.2 million American students drop out of high school every single year. That’s 6,000 students every school day—one student every 26 seconds.

When teens drop out of high school, chances are increased for criminal activity. A high school dropout is more than eight times as likely to be in prison as a high school graduate and nearly 20 times as likely as a college graduate. Yet each year, the US spends only $9,644 per

“

student compared to $22,600 per prison inmate.

A significant lack of quality education will even take its toll on the one aspect of America that everyone, regardless of level of education cares about: the economy.

The higher the dropout rates, the higher the chance of poverty is.

Dropouts from the class of 2007 alone will eventually cost America over $300 billion in lost taxes, wages and productivity.

Without an educated generation of students, the country will inevitably continue to fall behind the rest of the world. And when it continues to fall behind the rest of the world, it will continue to divide with people pointing fingers at each other, blaming each other for a nation in tatters.

In an interview on NBC’s Today Show, just two weeks after his backto-school-speech, President Obama noted, “You can’t defend a status quo when you’ve got 2,000 schools across the country that are dropout factories.”

Now, Obama is instituting education reform to do something about those 2,000 “dropout factories” with “Race to the Top,” a $4 billion competitive school reform grant program.

According to the U.S. Education Department, Ohio is expected to receive $400 million of the $4 billion, and the Lakota Local School District will receive around $329,000 of the total amount that the state received. These funds are aimed at meeting educational standards and improving the achievements of the student. This reform is the government’s attempt to help us “achieve to our fullest potential.”

After I thought about his speech, I came to a realization—this country is in fact in our hands. These clusters of uninterested students who were not watching the president’s speech might become part of the 1.2 million students who drop out of high school every year if they don’t pay attention. Finishing my honors pre-calculus homework before fifth period finished was a trivial task, especially compared to the enormous task that the future generations of America face today.

I, along with the rest of the students in the classroom and the millions more nationwide, watched the president make the closing remarks of his speech: “So, you have an obligation to yourselves, and America has an obligation to you to make sure you’re getting the best education possible. And making sure you get that kind of education is going to take all of us working hand-in-hand.”

The government can provide as much help to schools as it wants, but if students continue to display a lack of interest in their education, the aid from the government will do nothing for them in their future.

The president might as well be quoting Tom Cruise from Jerry Maguire to the students of America: “Help me…help you.” n

Without an educated generation of students, the country will continue to fall behind the rest of the world.”

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What you’re doing is worth it.

There is nothing more important than what you’re doing right now...

editorial cartoon ellen fleetwood

East Speaks Out How did you feel about President Obama’s speech on Tuesday, Sept. 14?

“

Nathaniel Lett, Sophomore

“I thought [that] he sent a very powerful message.

He was sending a good message to the kids.”

Kevin Cleaves, Junior “I didn’t see it because it wasn’t offered to me.

I thought that doing homework was more important.”

Chris Griffin, Junior

Alex Hanavan, Senior

“I thought it was inspirational because we found out that [President] Obama was just like us when he was our age. If he could overcome his struggles, then we can achieve our goals.”

“I thought it was very educational and informative. I was glad to see [President] Obama in action again.”

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opinion | finishing touch

MASONHOOD a sprinkle of summer

N

o stress. No expectations. No worries. That was all I wanted when I was jogging around my neighborhood and noticed two children, giggling with anticipation, jumping into a sprinkler.

Unfortunately, my elementary days are over. With just over a month left in the summer, I still had three books to read, a calculus packet to start, a journalism report to write and a computer science project to program. I was also working 35 hours a week at McDonald’s.

Now, even grade-school students are required to do more homework—my eight-year old brother had summer math homework.

As students age, expectations rise and summers disappear. In my case, this summer instead of watching the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I spent time googling state school funding and levy statistics for Spark’s first issue. Instead of playing soccer in the backyard, I spent time drawing graphs for Advanced Placement (AP) Economics. And instead of debating whether to eat peanut butter and jelly or bologna for lunch, I spent time at work putting two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on sesame-seed buns.

The theory behind summer work is that it will help students retain information when they spend three months out of the classroom. AP teachers rationalize the concept of summer assignments with the fact that students only have until May to prepare for their AP Exams.

In the increasingly competitive world of college admissions, students pile on honors and AP courses, complete hours of community service and join multiple clubs during the school year—all to boost a college application. Breaks like those in grade school are few and far between.

Relief from school, work and stress evaporates as students age.

Schools should put a limit on the amount of summer work and homework students receive—especially in elementary schools. Oak Knoll Elementary School in Menlo Park, California banned homework except for reading, big projects and make-up work after a study conducted by the University of Missouri found that elementary school students did not benefit from doing homework after the school day was over. The principal’s rationale: First graders spend six hours a day at school and should have time to play outside and be with their families.

Schools want to ensure a future educated, hardworking generation of leaders. Yet the stress 68 percent of teenagers feel because of school work, according to a Baltimore study, is not alleviated by schools, colleges or students themselves. Students try to take on too much work to obtain a high grade point average. To get into a good college. To get into an accredited graduate school. To obtain a job they love.

But students’ childhoods should not be exchanged to achieve this goal. According to a 2004 University of Michigan study, the amount of time students spend on homework since 1981 is up 51 percent. Kids no longer have time to be kids.

In late September, I was one of several people who babysat teachers’ kids for conference night. While we volunteers diligently did our homework at first, one Spark news editor eventually started acting like he was a five-year old kid again. I frequently found myself lying on the ground, having been tackled moments before. At first I was furious. But by the end, we ended up on the ground wrestling with each other like we were in elementary school again.

That night, I had more fun than I have had in a long time. The stress relief babysitting procured was remarkable. For students, stress is expanding. Expectations are increasing. Worries are rising. Free time is diminishing. Once in a while, we all need a little playtime. n

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