2010-11 Issue 2

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Lakota East High School November 22, 2010 Newsstand $4

with consumers exposed to 1,600 ads per day, companies

market to our minds

s

November 2010

Volume XIX Issue CXXXIII Simple Six

Envisioning Incorporation Becoming Billy Biceps Got Ink? A Wizard’s World Michael Boyd H2H: Funeral Protests

Contents

23 Surfboards and Angel Wings Exploring how Hollister Co. and Victoria’s Secret’s trademark ambiance and storefronts affect the clientele.

Convincing consumers to buy a product has always been difficult. Advertisers turn to psychology to literally get inside their customers’ minds.

23

photo illustration logan schneider

Package

12 16 42 48 60 72

26 Symbols Stick A look at how logos are designed to resonate in the minds of consumers based on the company’s product and mission.

28 Functional Beauty Comparing the effectiveness of advertisments featuring women with unattainable beauty versus women with “real” beauty.

30 Generic Rebound An in-depth look at the similarities and differences between name brand and generic products and how time has affected their popularity.

31 Battle of the Sexes Looking into how companies target and market to the separate genders using subtle cues to obtain the interest of the viewer.

34 Size Matters How a company’s scope affects the way it attempts to reach the customer.

cover faiz siddiqui, sarah wilkinson The 1,600 logos in the shape of a head depicts how firms are attempting to get inside the minds of consumers by bombarding them with ads. photos used with paid permission from mctcampus.com

3 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | letters

Dear Spark, I have been a dedicated subscriber of the Spark magazine for the last few years now.

Although I love the magazine, I would enjoy having more of the issues in the Spark relate to teen readers.

I do understand that this magazine has a diverse audience: students, teachers, parents and grandparents. Therefore, I would like to see sections of the magazine being devoted to each group of subscribers. For the teen audience, I would like to see adult issues and how they relate to us, if they do relate. I believe that this is a communication source to the students and would also like to see a part of the magazine devoted to teen issues. For example, it would be cool to have a section of the magazine that focused on what is going on around the school and what is going on in the community, centered around the teen and student population.

Although I would like to see more teenrelated issues in Spark, it doesn’t change the greatness and diversity Spark has already achieved. This magazine is great and unlike those produced by other schools, I hope that it continues to push forward and becomes even more diverse in the future.

—Olivia Lepper, East junior

and universities across the nation are being affected by violent intruders.

The ALICE training that all East students recieved is, I believe, a needed change to the old, outdated policies and a great way to raise awareness of the real danger of violent intruders —Nathan Hankins, East senior

Dear Spark, As the son of a Virginia Tech graduate, and with family members currently attending there, the recent implementation of the ALICE training and lockdown policy has been meaningful to me. Although I did not personally endure the awful events that happened at Virginia Tech, my association with the institute brings these events into perspective.

We as teenagers think that we are invincible and that the tragic stories we hear on the news will never come close to affecting us.

Sadly, the truth is that more and more schools

Dear Spark, May I congratulate the whole Spark staff on a job well done with last issue! Though the topic of the levy is a little overdone I found many of your articles engaging and informative. I felt that last issue showed the pros and cons of the levy and showed the perspective of both sides of voters equally.

But I must say in conclusion of reading this issue I was a bit disappointed.

When seeing the name or theme of last issue, Faces of Lakota, I thought this would hopefully show all faces of the levy, which I feel you failed to do to some degree. I,

being highly active in the fine arts through band, choir, marching band and theater, was disappointed that the issues facing those areas of school were not represented well.

Though you had the art teachers express their opinions, I feel that areas that I am involved in were not shown. I feel like the opinions of Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Huddilston, Mrs. Statt and Mr. Tanis could have been valuable to the readers and possible voters.

I also feel like students involved in sports and the fine arts did not have any area to voice their opinions and thoughts when that seemed to be a focus of your issue.

Though I am not involved in Spark and am not by any means a expert in journalism, I feel like those sides of the levy could have been valuable in truly representing the faces of the levy. Thank you for your time and I hope this issue is just as successful!

—Aimee Miley, East junior

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

Spark Notes

At the start of the new millennia a decade ago, the Lakota Local School District was faced with the comparable dilemma of passing a 6.74-mill tax levy in a community divided between differing opinions.

As signs concerning Issue 18 blared in yards, the newspaper and flyers, Liberty Township residents dealt with issues similar to today’s, such as the dirty politics of sign vandalism and how the failure of the levy would compromise the educational mission of Lakota.

In addition, this issue covered the 2000 Bush-Gore U.S. Presidential Election and East seniors who voted for the first time.

The was also Spark’s first issue with a pull-out cover.

4 | Spark | November 22, 2010

Spark

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

The Art of Perception 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 commuanity 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

E

rnest Hemingway shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch.

That is not to say that he ever left wearing a plaid shirt and “Signature A&F Jeans.” Hemingway bought his guns there, and there is speculation that Hemingway’s suicide-gun, a twelve-gauge, was manufactured by the company. Even so, the A&F of Hemingway’s era did not advertise its clothes either. Instead, its catalogues consisted of “rugged hunting gear” and custommade hand guns—a sharp juxtaposition from today’s ads, which primarily feature half-naked men. It is safe to say that A&F’s advertising has shed its 20th century reputation as the pinnacle of masculinity.

But A&F’s ads are more than tasteless photographs of female shoppers’ sexual fantasies. The gigantic displays that seem to violate patrons every time they enter the store serve a greater purpose. Over time, advertising from companies has consistently been indicative of the “ideal man” of society. Take the ads of Hemingway’s era and the current generation. As evidenced by the advertisements, the ideal men of Hemingway’s generation were burly big-game hunters who carried big guns; the ideal men of ours are shirtless beach-goers who carry “big guns”—in the figurative sense.

Advertising is society’s footprint. It is the concrete evidence of a people’s mindset. It is a tangible piece of a culture. After all, Kenwood Town Centre, which is arguably a big advertisement in itself, is an irrefutably accurate reflection of today’s mainstream culture. Take the mall’s Apple Store, for example.

Even though the Apple Store concept has established itself as the biggest waste of space since the Federal Reserve during the Great Depression, people drool over the company’s products in cult-like fashion. People are so infatuated by “innovative” concepts such as rectangular phones, computers and music players that they will flock to a store lined with rectangular tables in order to get their hands on said rectangles. Apple’s marketing has engrained that concept into people’s minds to the point that they do not find it peculiar in the least, leaving the company’s “visionaries” to laugh themselves all the way to the bank. Twenty years from now, society will scoff at the notion that people really crazed over a product like “iPod socks,” but the ads and the socks will certainly still be there.

Technology and advertising drive this generation’s rampant consumerism.

Advertising is rapidly transforming to reach people from a newer generation in new ways. The same could have been said for the advertising of the 1960s.

While the primary market 50 years ago was print or radio, the medium of today’s popular culture is the Internet. That might explain why web pages are flooded with banner ads from companies that only exist to promote Internet advertising or why the world’s most popular video-sharing website now plays video ads before its most popular clips. As the Internet proves, advertising adapts to the media platforms that define popular culture.

In this issue, Spark examines advertising and the psychology behind it.

The fact is, every generation wants and needs certain things. Ideologies of the time period will determine what those things are. Ads, in their essence, are just messengers of history that illustrate a mentality. The ads will always show the man of Hemingway’s time relishing in rifles and hunting gear.

And today’s men will come to be known as something quite different. The ads will depict an apathetic and laid-back generation. A generation defined by rampant consumerism, ripped jeans and rectangles. n

5 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | world map

NEWSWIRE Dharra Adam Khel, Pakistan

[Nov. 6] A suicide bombing in a mosque killed 72 civilians. On the same day, another bombing took place at a different mosque, killing four and injuring 20. No organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Pakistani Taliban, however, has been active over the years in this area.

Matamoros, Mexico

[Nov. 6] Mexican Security forces killed Ezequiel Cardens, the leader of a strong Mexican Gulf drug cartel.

Lasting two hours, a shoot-out involved 150 Mexican Marines, three helicopters and 17 other vehicles.

Three gunmen and two Marines were killed.

Somalia [Nov. 6] After releasing two ships, Somalian pirates received $12.3 million in ransom money. One of the ships was a South Korean oil tanker, Samho Dream, taking $170 million of crude oil from Iraq to the U.S. One ship had 24 crew members, and the other had 23.

information – www.bbc.co.uk images with paid permission – www.mctcampus.com

Haiti

[Nov. 5] Hurricane Tomas ripped through western Haiti at 85 mph, causing flooding and killing four people. This disaster displaced many citizens who also were hurt by the earthquake this January. Government officials feared an outbreak of cholera, which would kill many more.

Jakarta, Indonesia [Nov. 6] Flights between Jakarta and Singapore have been suspended due to volcanic ashes expelling from Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has been erupting for the past two weeks and has killed more than 130.

infographic shivang patel

AROUND THE SCHOOL 6 | Spark | November 22, 2010

story alex griffin photo sierra whitlock

Junior Statesman of America (JSA) president Matt McCormick (left) and vice president Elaine Laux held a formal debate about “green technology” on Friday, Oct. 22. This was to prepare the 42 members for Fall State, a debate contest between JSA members across Ohio, which will take place on Nov 13 to 14 at the Marriott Hotel in Union Center. This year’s theme is “Energizing America: Capturing the Winds of Change.”

On Nov. 19, the club will host a teacher debate between government teacher Tisha Menchhofer and social studies teacher John Lindeman concerning gun control. All are welcome to come and watch the debate in room 127 right after school.

TEA at VOA story victoria reick-mitrisin

Election Day marked a time when candidates and platforms were pitted against one another, and when the party that is the minority rallies for a change.

This past election was no exception, as the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party political group hosted a rally at the Voice of America (VOA) Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The purpose of the rally was to support all the candidates who parallel the party’s views of “fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.”

Although they appear to be a mainly political organization, the TEA Party also acts to inform the public of the current political situation. The group tries to remain unbiased, but conservative political leaders such as Butler County sheriff Rick Jones, and Butler County Judge of Domestic Relations Sharon Kennedy made appearances throughout the evening to show their support.

“If it wasn’t for [the TEA Party] standing up and fighting, we would be having some of the same people in office,” said Jones. “Thanks to the TEA Party, some people are getting fired tonight.”

Jones predicated a conservative majority in the House of Representatives, as well as both the national and state Senate. In preparation, Jones met with several other sheriffs around the country in the past weeks leading up to Election Day in order to secure their stance on immigration laws, which Jones believes will be one of the major aspects that will change if there is a majority.

Consistent with Jones’ prediction, U.S. Representative John Boehner was able to Skype with the group of TEA Party members in order to celebrate.

“I think [Boehner’s] intentions are to repel the [health care reforms],” said TEA Party member and Liberty Township resident Cheryl Keitel. “I know he is going to take back some of the things that have been passed against the people’s will.”

TEA Party member Don Duvall agreed that the country was in need of a change.

“We are trying to maintain the country the way it was originally adopted,” said Duvall.

He stressed that fact that Boehner is not representative of the entire party and that the event was not focused on him. The rally’s purpose is to send a message to the government to stop extending its power. “[Boehner] is only a part of [the evening],” said Duvall. “All these people are working for the same type of agreement—to keep the government of the straight and narrow.”

Screens of local and national news were projected onto the walls of the two rooms, displaying the results of elections around the nation. The catered event had interludes of speeches thanking sponsors and thanking people for attending.

“We are just trying to show our support in the best way we can,” said Duvall. n

Spark

Spark High School Lakota East Online Edition

story ameera khalid photo used with permission from frank joa

.org

“In a media age where news judgement is determined by reporting only what elicits the highest ratings, drama on-camera has been increasing exponentially.”

—East senior Mason Hood on the changing role of media (opinion)

“You can only yell at the TV so many times before you realize it is not going to yell back.”

—LEADPAC Founder and former NFL player Rocky Boiman on political frustration of many Americans (news)

“I literally grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermione. While I wasn’t surrounded by magic, I was entering a new school when they first went to Hogwarts.”

—East senior Nitya Sreevalsan on Harry Potter’s influence on her life (entertainment)

“To this day, I do not know how my injury happened. There was never a play where I felt a rip or a tear, but jut a moment on the court of instantaneous pain.”

—East senior Brittany Bennett explains how injury led to the end of her athletic career (sports)

For information regarding TEA Party rally at the Lakota Freshman Campus, go to the news section on lehsspark.org, and click on Rachel King’s story.

The East Marching Thunderhawks’ “A 2010 Space Odyssey” show received the first place Grand Champion award at the Springfield Shawnee March-O-Rama on Oct. 23. The band’s overall score, 282.42, broke last year’s record of 281.65. In addition, the band was awarded first in auxiliary, percussion, general effect, visual and music.

East senior Melissa Lower (left) and the band performed the show in four contests this season, including the 2010 Ohio Music Educators Association state competition, where they were awarded the first place.

lehsspark

On Nov. 5 to 7, the Thunderhawk Theater performed The Mouse that Roared, a political satire about a tiny, imaginary European country that unexpectedly defeats the United States in war. Directed by drama advisor Kristen Statt, the play featured juniors Ainsley Ellison and Jake Huddleston (left).

Auditions for East’s winter play, My Son Pinocchio, will take place on Nov. 16. This children’s musical will be showing Jan. 28 and 29 at 7:00 p.m. and Jan. 29 and 30 at 2:00 p.m. story jasmine tuazon photo sierra whitlock

7 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | degenerating technology

Aging Technology Slows Schools As the Lakota Local School District technology ages, it requires a “refresh,” but the funds required for keeping the district “up-to-date” cannot keep up with the technology. story ameera khalid | photo dan turner

D

ue to the Lakota Local School District technology department’s budget reductions, scheduled technology updates for both East and its freshman campus are at a standstill.

Since the 2008-09 school year, the technology department’s budget has been reduced by 36 percent, and although the technology department operates on a five-year replacement cycle for their technology, Lakota does not currently have the funds to follow through on this cycle.

Two buildings in the district have 80 percent of their computers for over six years.

Six more buildings’ computers are running on their fifth year. However, according to Lakota Executive Technology Director John Laws, there are only funds to support the existing equipment—not replace it.

In today’s technological age, where new software is being produced rapidly. East principal Dr. Keith Kline believes that keeping up with technology is “an uphill battle, because the minute you buy something [it becomes] outdated.”

Kline would like to finish installing 3M machines in every classroom, update teacher desktops to laptops, increase wireless Internet availability and upgrade computer labs, but the school’s current budget cannot support the changes.

East English teacher Kellie Shepherd said that her biggest challenge with technology is the size of the computer labs.

“Even in the biggest computer lab there aren’t enough computers for all my students in my bigger classes. It makes it difficult to do [class work] on the computer,” she said.

When teachers do give assignments to do in the lab, often times students cannot work independently.

“Students in my French class sometimes have to sit three to a computer,” said East junior Abby Carr, is also frustrated by the hassle of outdated software whenever she tries to upload photos for Robotics Club.

The computer labs were designed to hold 21 to 24 students, but some of Shepherd’s classes have up to 35 students, making it difficult to use the computers for class work.

Even if each student in the smaller classes is assigned to a computer, some computers malfunction, while others are not connected to the network. The district does not have the staff to support an increase in technology failures, which occur more frequently as computers wear down.

8 | Spark | November 22, 2010

“Lakota has always been very lean in technology support, with six building breakfix repair technicians and one technician manager,” said Laws. “This equates to approximately 700 computers per technician, not including the 1,200 thin clients (computer systems that rely on servers to perform traditional functions).”

He added that, in the business world, the average ratio of computers to technicians is 250:1 and operate on a three-year refresh cycle. To meet these standards, Lakota would have to more than double its technology support staff.

In 2005, the Blue Ribbon Committee, which examines Ohio’s finances through the study of all of the city’s operations, suggested that Lakota add another six technicians for a total of 12 to better support Lakota’s technology. Due to the addition of three buildings, the remodeling of three more and the addition to both of the high schools, that would require a total of 10 more technicians.

Laws, however, said that Lakota’s “financial climate” will not allow such additions.

In addition, Lakota no longer has technicians in individual buildings. Although some staff members have been assigned to help with technology during their duty periods, Kline does not believe that it is as effective as having paid technician positions, because technology requests must now go through Lakota’s Central Office before they are addressed. Currently, Laws estimates that it can take up to five days before a request can be met.

“The beginning of the year is our busy season, with upwards of 250 requests arriving East freshman Eric Kirchner works on a computer in a multimedia class.

each day from Aug. 1 through late October.” said Laws. “During this period, we average between three and nine days [to fulfill each request], closing on average 75 calls a day. The remainder of the year, the requests slow down to several hundred a week, with a close-range dropping down to an average of five days.”

According to Shepherd, a problem with student-used and general technology, such as computer lab computers and printers, can take up to a couple weeks to be fixed. However, problems with teacher computers are quickly attended to because they can be fixed remotely from the Central Office, using a program called LANDesk. The program allows a technician to see and control a teacher’s computer from their computer at the central office. However, if there is a problem with the hardware, a technician must repair it at East.

Laws said that it may seem like it takes a long time to fix problems, “but consider [our] 24 buildings with 2,000 employees, 5,000 computers, 1,200 thin clients, 500 plus printers, thousands of network devices and mile upon mile of network cables.”

Since the passage of the levy in 2005, the technology department has seen a rise in support requirements, annual update requirements, ongoing development and daily or weekly support needs. It used the money from the 2005 levy to lay the groundwork for an outlined five-year replacement plan.

However, there has been no rise in money available to support what was laid down earlier.

“Now that we made all these additions, we are having to see what we can take back out,” said Laws. n

news | west chester

Envisioning Incorporation story ariadne souroutzidis | photos sara patt | infographic rashma faroqui

Cars shuffle through the intersection of Tylersville Road and Kingsgate Way during rush hour.

W

est Chester Township might not fit the image of a bustling metropolitan area that many would perceive as a typical city. There has recently been a movement, however, to incorporate the township into a city.

The Committee for West Chester is responsible for organizing the effort to get the issue placed on an upcoming ballot. The committee is comprised of approximately 40 volunteers whose goal is to gather the 4,319 signatures required to place the issue on the ballot, as well as educate the community about the issue. As of Nov. 6, it needs roughly 1,000 more signatures for the issue to appear on the May 2011 ballot.

“West Chester is my community. I think that [West Chester] has tremendous potential.

I decided that [deciding whether or not to become a city] is really important to the community,” said Committee for West Chester spokesperson Bill Zerkle. “It’s become my commitment to help make West Chester a better place to live.”

Currently, West Chester is a home-rule township governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of three township trustees and a fiscal officer, and run by the township administrator. A home-rule township allows a township with a growing population more liberties because of its size, compared to a regular township which has up to 5,000 residents. According to the 2000 Ohio Census, West Chester is the third largest township in Ohio with a total population of 54,895. As the township continues to grow, some residents feel that it is imperative that the government grows.

“In the past we didn’t [need to be a city], but because of our [current] size, I feel that we need this,” said Committee for West Chester member Bill Owen. “We would be better funded as a city through taxes, because a larger amount of tax dollars would come back from the state.”

Not everyone agrees, however, that the community would function better as a city.

“There is not one city, one state, one county that we are close to that is in a better financial state than we are. We have the highest rating of any municipality in this entire southwest region of Ohio,” said West Chester Township Board of Trustees Vice President

very simple: police, fire, roads and cemetery.

That’s it,” said Lang. “Our carryover, retained earnings in the corporate world, has grown from $700,000 five years ago to $13 million today. You would be hard pressed to find a city that is more efficient than a township.”

Indeed, some of the people who are against West Chester becoming a city do not desire the creation of more government.

“If it’s not broken, why are you messing with it? Delhi has stayed a township for many years. Colerain Township has stayed a township for many, many years. West Chester’s budget has been maintainable, so why mess with something that works?” asked local real

You would be hard pressed to find a city that is more efficient than a township.

George Lang. “There is nobody that is even close to where we are. We were [showcased on CNN] last month. We are the 32nd most desirable community to live in because we are not a city. A city can’t compete with us.”

According to Lang, West Chester has received an Aaa rating from Moody’s, a national bond rating service which evaluates government and corporate bonds. The higher the rating, the lower the interest rate on the organization’s borrowed money. The ratings range from Aaa to C, with Aaa being the highest possible rating.

“There is nobody who has a higher rating than we do, and it’s primarily because we are a township. We don’t go out and borrow money. We need enough money to do our core competencies which for our township are

estate developer Mark Sennet. “I’m just for less government. When you bring a city in, you are now going to bring in an engineering department. If you’re a city, you’ll have your health department. And then you’ll have your building department. There is a zoning department in West Chester, but you’ll have a building department with building inspectors.

It’s unnecessary to be a city.”

If West Chester became a city, it would be able to assess an income tax under the Ohio Revised Code. Currently West Chester does not have an income tax. Instead, the township is funded by the $27.1 million collected in property taxes annually. Creating an income tax would not be part of the issue placed on the ballot. The city council, which would be elected if the issue passed, could vote amongst

9 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | west chester itself to implement an income tax of up to one percent. A tax above one percent would have to be placed on the ballot for voters to decide upon.

“For me personally, [becoming a city] is the only way I know of for the citizens to get some tax relief,” said Committee for West Chester member Ken Rieser. “And the way they get the tax relief is by instituting an earnings tax on people who are employed in West Chester.”

According to the 2000 U.S. Census Estimates, 80 percent of the people working in West Chester do not reside in the township.

Anyone who works in the township would be required to pay the tax, regardless of where they live.

“It is really tax fairness,” explained Committee for West Chester member Jim Fearing. “[Around] 20,000 to 25,000 people own property in West Chester. They support all people working and living here. And essentially those 20,000 to 25,000 [people] are families, so property taxes have ended up being a tax on families.”

East senior Garrett Holsinger, who works at the West Chester Library, concurs with Fearing’s assessment of the income tax fairness because “it’s just one percent. You have got to pay taxes.” In fact, out of 461 East students surveyed, 76 percent support West Chester becoming a city.

Residents who both live and work in the township would be required to pay the income tax along with their property taxes.

Theoretically, if the local government received additional revenue from an income tax, then the property tax values would decrease.

Therefore, the taxes that people would pay for income and property taxes should level out to equal what they are currently paying in property tax. Some people, however, do not believe that that would be the case.

“Don’t believe it. There isn’t anything that will lower property taxes,” said Sennet. “That’s just a way of trying to sell it to the public.”

According to the 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports, Mason City, where 84 percent of workers are not residents, collected $22.3 million in income taxes and only $6.2 million in property taxes. Blue Ash City, where 95 percent of workers are nonresidents, collected $29 million in income taxes and $2.9 million in property taxes.

“If you start giving [the government] more forms of revenue, guess what we as a government, are going to do? We are going to spend it. And we don’t need it. Don’t give it to us,” explained Lang. “I don’t think [that saying property taxes will be lowered as a result] is true at all. Show me one city, just one, where

handle the added duties.

Becoming a city could also eliminate the need for levies for fire, police and parks.

All amenities would be paid for out of the revenue the city generated from income taxes. Although Lakota Local School Districts financial woes would not be alleviated, some proponents of the levy theorize that it will make passing a school levy easier.

“Multiple levies on the ballot certainly affect [the outcome]. There are four levies on the ballot this time, and when somebody walks in there they say ‘Oh my goodness, my taxes are going to go up four times,’” said community member Tom McGill, who has been a local developer for 25 years. “With levies, people are not going to walk in and say ‘Oh, I’ll vote yes for everything.’ They have to

If you start giving [the government] more forms of revenue, guess what we, as a government, are going to do? We are going to spend it. that has happened.”

The city council would be in charge of controlling the property taxes. According to Zerkle, the fact that the city council is comprised of elected officials ensures that they will lower the taxes, or else they would not be voted back into office.

Along with an income tax, West Chester would also acquire certain duties for which Butler County is currently responsible. For instance, Butler County must maintain and clear the county and state roads. In addition, it oversees all zoning and building inspectors, auditors and other positions.

According to West Chester Township Administrator Judy Boyko, it would take West Chester roughly $7 to $9 million more to

really say, ‘Well, what’s that going to do to my pocketbook?’”

Although this may be true, it is uncertain whether fewer levies due to the altered tax system would make passing school levies any easier. Northwest School District located in Colerain Township, the largest township is Ohio according to the a census in 2000, failed 10 straight levies. According to Colerain Township Administrator David Foglesong, there is no talk currently of trying to change the Colerain’s government. In comparison, Sycamore School District, attended by students from Blue Ash City, was one of four districts to pass a levy on the Nov. 2, 2010 ballot.

“We’re going to destroy our school district

How a Township Becomes a City The committee collects 4,319 signatures from West Chester residents.

10 | Spark | November 22, 2010

Residents of the township vote to change the township into a city.

If the issue fails, residents must wait three years to petition the issue onto the ballot again.

information provided by bill zerkle

Signatures are given to the county commission, who must validate signatures within 90 days of receiving them.

The validated signatures are sent to the Board of Elections, which has 60 days to validate them.

The Board of Elections must deem the petition legal and place it on the next ballot.

If the issue passes, the township becomes a city and the new city must elect a city council.

here. Folks need to wake up and realize that the schools aren’t the problem. The problem is that we pay too much for local government.

We insist on paying for it ourselves, [and] we refuse to accept that local earnings tax,” said Zerkle. “[From an income tax, we could collect] $20 million which would eliminate our police and fire levies, so when I go to the polls and your parents go to the polls we have to decide: Are we going to vote for the school levy, the library levy, the police levy or the fire levy? Of course the first thing that we choose is the fire levy. Then we struggle with the schools.”

It has not yet been determined whether or not the outcome of school levies is related to the form of local government; additionally, the Lakota Board of Education has no comment on West Chester becoming a city.

“I don’t believe people will be more likely to vote for a school levy at all,” said Lang. “If you look at our batting average of getting the levies passed compared to other cities, we are about the same. You can go on and on [about] the school districts that are having a very difficult time getting the school levies passed right now. It has nothing to do with the fact that one is a city and one is a township. When that argument is made by the proponents, I believe that is just smoke in mirrors.”

With the income tax also comes the fear that businesses will relocate themselves in communities without income taxes.

“I believe businesses would leave the community. I know for a fact that growth and development in the business community would stop,” said Lang. “I have two very big deals that I’m working on right now.

Businesses that want to relocate to West Chester have told me everything is on hold until they see [whether or not] the proponents for cityhood make it to the ballot. And should

Left: The First Financial Bank Clock Tower in the Center of the Square at Union Center is located in the heart of West Chester Township.

Top: Committee for West Chester spokesperson Bill Zerkle is a strong supporter behind the effort for West Chester Township to become a city.

community in such a way.

“I don’t think you can make the general assumption that, because we have an income tax, businesses will leave. I think it’s pretty well known that Blue Ash has a very healthy business community by all outside counts,” said Blue Ash City Manager David Waltz. “We border Sycamore Township, which has no income taxes. Businesses are not leaving to go to Sycamore Township.”

According to the West Chester Zoning Department, 35 percent of land in West Chester is zoned for business. Of the 35

The [people supporting a city] are saying businesses are currently no paying their fair share of taxes. the issue make it to the ballot and win, the businesses will not come to West Chester.”

Sennet also encountered instances when an income tax determined the location of the business. Rocky’s Express leased a building from him in Middletown, but then chose to leave and come to West Chester because Middletown has a two percent income tax.

In West Chester Trustee Catherine Stoker’s opinion, the type of building the business is situated in would affect their decisions to leave or stay because “businesses who are just renting do not have the incentive to stay” compared to businesses that invested money in the construction of their building. Not everyone, however, believes that creating an income tax would affect the business

percent, 60 percent of the land is developed.

According to the Butler County Auditor, that amount of land pays roughly 58 percent of the taxes collected. In addition, for every dollar a business pays in taxes, they get about 45 cents back in services compared to the $1.50 that residents get back in services for every dollar they pay in taxes.

“The [people supporting a city] are saying businesses are currently not paying their fair share of taxes. They say residents are paying their unfair share. However, not only do businesses pay way more than their fair share, not only do they already pay more in taxes, [but] they [also] take out a whole lot more in services,” said Lang. “So this group is already carrying the majority of the burden in West

Chester; why do we want to penalize them more and stop them from coming here?”

Despite the uncertainity of how becoming a city would effect the community, some feel it is necessary because of the township’s size.

“The other reason is that we have something like 60,000 people living here and we are governed by a three-person legislature that has a majority of two and no executive branch,” said Fearing.

Others concur that West Chester requires a larger government because of its size.

“You would have more than three people on your city council and people would say ‘Ah, you’re going to have a bigger government.’

Why does someone think that three people are actually doing enough for the amount of people that we have here? You are going to get out of it what you are going to put in and we need to have a bigger government,” said Committee for West Chester member Bill Owen.

Currently, the Committee for West Chester is working on educating the community on the issue before it is placed on any ballot. The issue has been put on the ballot in the past and failed all three times, the last time being in 1993.

If the issue is placed on the ballot and fails, a minimum of three years has to pass before it can be voted on again. Whether the community will support the issue or not remains undetermined at this point.

“We are comfortable that the community will make the right decision,” said Zerkle. “If that means they don’t want to be a city, then so be it. At least the community decided.” n

11 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | levy results

Campaign signs dot the streets in front of East on Election Day. The signs urged voters to vote for their candidate or cause.

photo emily chao

Levy Leaves Lakota at Loss After the voters’ decision, the Lakota Local School District faces unpresidented cuts across the district. From specialists at the elementary schools to entire elective classes in the high schools, Lakota must make cuts to maintain a positive cash flow.

T

The Nov. 2 tax levy for the Lakota Local School District, requesting 7.9 mills which would generate $21.75 million, failed with 53.46 percent of the votes against it. After the first levy failure in May 2010, 52 teaching positions were eliminated along with 26 support and educational personnel to prevent the district from facing a deficit balance. Now, as Lakota has not generated any more revenue, more cuts and another levy are imminent.

After cutting $13 million from the budget at the beginning of the 2010-11 school year, the Lakota Board of Education must cut an additional $12 million from its budget as a result of the levy failure. Additionally, 130 teacher and staff positions will be cut by the 2011-12 school year.

“The Board is waiting for administrative teams to present us with purposed cuts,” said Board Vice President Ben Dibble. “Our first concern is to efficiently and safely make the cuts to transportation in January.”

According to Lakota Executive Director of Business Chris Passarge, the district is focusing on changing two main areas now that the levy has failed: transition to state minimums for transportation, and athletics. “[Lakota] has already communicated to the community that [transportation] would be one of the areas we would start to reduce in order to protect the classroom,” said Passarge. “The task is now to work with the buildings and the

12 | Spark | November 22, 2010

surrounding communities to ensure students, parents and staff can get in and out of the school grounds in a safe and timely manner.”

The Lakota Business Operations Department is also considering cuts in athletics for the 2011-12 school year. Lakota will have to work with the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) to see how cutting junior high athletics would impact league schedules.

In addition, Lakota might collaborate with local athletic organizations to create opportunities for students to participate in athletics outside of Lakota school teams.

“My department makes the business side of school as efficient and effective as possible.

Every dollar we can save in our operation goes back to support the teaching and learning that happens in the classroom,” said Passarge.

“Our goals and mission are still the same. We will continue to find ways to focus on ensuring that all students achieve to their fullest potential through efficient use of resources.”

East foreign language department chair Dana Chapman has already felt the effects of the first $13 million cuts and is bracing for the additional $12 million that will be coming within the school year.

“It’s just not fair to have three teachers do the job of what five teachers did last year,” said the 21-year teacher. “[As department chair], I cannot take all the responsibility of trying to save everything in this building.”

Chapman feels that quality education will be lost if class sizes continue to increase and cuts continue.

“Lakota has had hard times before and we’ve come out of them,” said Chapman, “I’ve never seen it quite this bad before though.”

Chapman believes that Lakota’s financial situation will soon be reflected across the state and nation.

“The problem is statewide, our story will be statewide,” said Chapman. “All the schools around here will be in our situation, too. Our whole country will pay the price if we don’t start feeling education is important.”

East teacher Tisha Menchhofer agrees with Chapman.

“I very much fear for a community that does not value public education,” said Menchhofer. “To me, it is a slap in the face of the students when you say, ‘We are washing our hands, we don’t have kids in school, we don’t care about public education.’”

East junior Christian Dawson will be directly effected by the imminent cuts.

“Next year, the only class I need to take to graduate is English,” said Dawson. “That means that I’d only really be coming to school for that and elective classes like band and jazz band, which might be cut. I don’t want to come to school next year and take one English class and five study halls.”

Junior School Setback Lakota Local School District junior high staff and students will adjust to changes in class offerings, school services and extracurricular activities in response to the Nov. 2 levy failure. The budget cuts have focused particularly on art and music electives. “[Junior High] is a good opportunity for students to take art, chorus and band, and then decide if those are classes they want to continue in high school,” said Hopewell Junior Principal David Pike. “If they don’t get the opportunity to take things in junior school, then it’s hard for them to know exactly what they want to take more of in high school.”

Hopewell Junior eighth grader Celine McNally wanted to continue taking band classes in high school because of the positive experiences she had in junior high. McNally, an eight-year piano player and a three-year clarinet player, believed that band classes gave her an opportunity to practice these instruments during her school day, which she felt reduced her anxiety levels.

“The school day would have been really difficult [if there had not been] an outlet to put all of my stress. It is nice to have a class that involves something I really enjoy doing,” said McNally. “Without band class, school would have been something that I wouldn’t look forward to.”

According to Hopewell Junior band teacher Julie Fuqua, junior high students will have less varied musical opportunities during the 2011-12 school year, including fewer concerts and less individual and small group instruction for students.

Hopewell Junior chorus teacher Jennifer Akers believes that these reductions will be detrimental to students’ education.

“Since musical ensemble classes like choir and band are performance-based by nature, [reduced concerts and instruction] will inherently destroy Lakota’s ability to deliver a full music curriculum to students,” said Akers.

Decisions currently outlined by the Lakota Board of Education involve select music courses being cut; consequently, the vocal chamber ensemble and jazz band class are at

risk, according to Pike.

The overall number of music electives available to students will decrease as well.

Although all junior high students can opt to take one period of music, they can no longer take band and chorus classes at the same time.

In addition to music department cuts, all junior high schools are expected to reduce the number of art teachers to one in the 201112 year. Only one semester of art will be available during students’ seventh grade year, and no art will be offered to eighth graders.

Liberty Junior art teacher Amy Womick is concerned about the effect these changes will have on students who are gifted in art.

“Lakota’s mission statement is to see that all students reach their fullest potential.

By eliminating art and music due to budget constraints, I do not feel that this goal is truly possible,” said Womick. “If art and music courses are not offered throughout all grade levels, how can Lakota ensure that those students with talent for art and music ever reach their full potential?”

Womick also worries that because art is facing many cuts, students who excel in that subject will feel that their talents are less valued than those of students who focus on the subjects not cut. Hopewell Junior art teacher Jane Patten also mentioned that many students who are not successful in core subjects can often find fulfillment through art.

“Art gives the creative students a voice,” said Patten. “Art gives students who are not sports-minded a chance to succeed and receive recognition for their creativity and talent.”

In regard to students who participate in sports, Pike said that all junior high athletics will be cut for the 2011-12 school year.

Hopewell Junior seventh grader Erik Sagedal, who plays on the school football team, was disappointed about this change for several reasons.

“I won’t be able to represent my school,” said Sagedal. “I am too old to play in another league [outside of Lakota]. Playing on the school team gave me football experience for high school.”

Despite concerns from parents that sports will be cut from junior high this year, the only initial cut will be to busing, according to Pike.

“Those students who live somewhere between a one and two mile radius from school will have to provide their own transportation,” said Pike.

As busing cuts are made, preparations for the next school year’s reductions will continue. Students can expect the language arts in junior high to be reduced to one period a day. The technology education elective will be cut, leaving only Butler Tech electives, like Lifeskills and Pathways, which are not funded by Lakota. The media aides, half-time guidance counselor positions, and schoolfunded clubs are also planned reductions.

“Any of this pre-planning is subject to

Lakota’s Budget Cuts infographic ian castro

East Principal Dr. Keith Kline also believed that East will see dramatic changes next year due to levy failure. He worries that the overall education that Lakota will be able to provide will diminish.

“I fear that universities won’t look at a Lakota grad as highly as they have in the past.

I see decreasing opportunities for kids who to get involved in activities, organizations, athletic teams, music groups and fine arts,” said Kline. “That’s going to make our seniors less competitive with other areas’ seniors as they’re trying to get into colleges of their choice.—Nathan Dibble

Elementary school reading and media specialists will be reduced.

Sixth grade band programs will be cut.

Busing will be cut as of Jan. 18 for high school students and a two-mile radius bus restriction will be enforced for the other schools District-wide 130 staff positions will be cut including 14 from each high school.

Junior high athletics will be cut for the 2011-12 school year.

Elementary schools will lose unified arts classes that focus on poetry and creative writing.

SCOPE and other advanced classes will be reduced in elementary schools.

Total Cuts: $12 million 13 | Spark | lehsspark.org

news | levy results change,” said Pike. “The Lakota Board of Education could look in February or March and say, ‘Maybe we can salvage this program or that program.’ Right now, it is just a little bit of a road map of where we are and where the Board is currently..—Sara Rayburn

High School Takes Hit

14 | Spark | November 22, 2010

preserve the quality education Lakota offers.

“I am department chair and I will fight to keep the number [of students in each class] at a level where the teachers can do a quality job,” said Chapman. “There is a lot of negativity and a lot of sadness, and it will be really stressful and hard. But when it is all said and done, we will still be doing the same job that we love.”—Nick Tedesco

Elementary Elimination Upon entering Van Gorden Elementary School and reading specialist Marie Walton’s classroom, a multitude of posters plastering the walls instantly capture the eyes’ attention.

These indicate proper vowel and consonant pair pronunciation and frame rows of Junie B. Jones and picture books which line the room. Walton utilizes tools like these each day to help struggling readers improve their comprehension skills. With the Nov. 2 levy failure, however, reading specialists will be one of many elementary reductions across the district.

Reading specialists analyze Common Base Measurement (CBM) and Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) test scores to determine which areas of reading are challenging for an individual student. Such reading skills include comprehension, fluency, predicting, summarizing and test-taking strategies. Walton believes that these scores can indicate “a 911 emergency,” red-flagging the students that are below the average for their age group.

“It’s critical to me to think about [test scores]; if a student gets behind in second Students work in wood technology at the district’s junior schools as one of their elective course.

photo sara patt

Deep cuts are imminent for both East and Lakota West because of the failed Nov. 2 levy.

Effective Jan. 18, all busing for high school students will be cut. In addition, beginning in the 2011-12 school year, over 140 offered classes will be removed, facilitating the cutting of 14 positions at each of the high schools.

Both academics, arts and athletics will suffer as a result of the widespread reductions, yet no specific decisions have been made as to which courses or activities will be removed.

“The 140 course selections that students depend upon to create a diverse academic experience will be eliminated, primarily through elective course offerings,” explained Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Ron Spurlock. “The high schools will move from a seven-period day to a six-period day. Additionally, some afterschool performance activities will no longer be funded by the district. [The number of] media specialist personnel will be reduced and athletic fees [will be] significantly increased.

Transportation will also be eliminated for all [high school] students.”

As a result of the reduced personnel and less class sections offered, class sizes will grow.

According to Spurlock, the average class size in 2005 was a 24:1 student-teacher ratio. Due to the failed levy however, Spurlock said that class sizes will have a bare-minimum of 29 students.

“We [eliminated] eight teachers going into this school year, which has caused some of our class sizes to balloon up to about 35,” said East Principal Dr. Keith Kline. “As more students are put into every teacher course load, class sizes are bound to impact the work [teachers] are able to do with students on an individual basis.”

Many teachers who have already begun to experience larger class sizes are in accordance with Kline. East Spanish teacher and foreign language department chair Dana Chapman has seen the size of her Spanish IV class expand significantly. Chapman believes that increased class sizes could possibly be detrimental to students’ learning ability.

“Last year, I always gave quizzes back the next day, every day, all the time. That is, basically, my policy. This year I can’t always do it, just because I have 160 kids. It makes a big difference,” said Chapman. “Asking a teacher to teach 40 or 45 kids [in one class] is not fair to the kids, and it is not fair to the teacher.”

Students, like the teachers, have noticed the

difficulties of increased class sizes. East senior Akash Umakantha is one of the 35 students in Chapman’s Spanish IV class.

“Being a part of a larger class definitely means that the teacher cannot give us the same amount of indicidualized education,” said Umakantha.

Other teachers are concerned with their ability to effectively communicate their subject matter in more crowded classes. East teacher Tisha Menchhofer is concerned that her students will not get the full benefit of government class that could be provided with smaller class sizes, such as doing debates and outlining essays.

“I have had to water down so much material. My biggest fear is that what I teach is going to be so basic and so fundamental that [the students] are going to lose a whole lot of diversity in the curriculum,” said the sevenyear Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics teacher.

Similarly, East teacher David Honhart fears that students will “slip through the cracks.”

“Everyone likes to say that schools should be run like a business without recognizing that we are in the service industry, not the manufacturing industry,” said Honhart. “Well, what successful businesses thinks it’s a good idea to reduce customer service? We would essentially be doing the same thing.”

The administrators also fear for the future of education in the Lakota.

“I certainly think that we’re going to have a significant decrease in the quality of education for our students,” said Kline.

Despite the severe cuts, many teachers are determined to stay optimistic and fight to

photo sierra whitlock

grade and you don’t try to get them caught up, the gap will get larger as they get older,” said Walton. “Then, by the time they get to high school, they’re really at risk.”

Walton knows that the approximately 30 kids she teaches each week need intensive instruction in addition to their reading classes in a regular classroom. Furthermore, she believes the one-on-one attention is most critical for students who are falling behind.

“A classroom teacher has about 25 students. Only some of them can have oneon-one time. The other students are either reading or doing some assignment,” said the 33-year district employee. “The struggling kids need a specialist—parent volunteers don’t have enough background knowledge or time in the day to tend to 30 children, five days a week for a half-hour each.”

Additional elementary school cuts would include increased class sizes due to reductions in staff, a 75 percent reduction in gifted services, limited transportation, and elimination of unified arts, sixth grade band and media specialists. In addition, art, gym and music will no longer be taught by specialized instructors; instead, the regular classroom teacher must instruct their homerooms in these subjects.

Van Gorden sixth grader Roshini Susarla is most concerned about the loss of transportation to residential areas within a two-mile radius of the school.

“I could understand why somebody would go against the levy. Either they don’t have kids in Lakota or they don’t have money to pay taxes,” she said. “Both of my parents work though, and I live close to Van Gorden. I know they wouldn’t be able to drive me.”

Elementary school children participate in arts and crafts projects during their art time. These lessons might be taught by their homeroom teacher in the future due to budget restrictions.

The students agreed that the increased class sizes would be a challenge for both elementary teachers and students. As it is, teachers spend much of the class time addressing individual student questions and pulling small groups into the hallway for

I could understand why somebody would go against the levy: either they don’t have kids in Lakota or they don’t have money to pay taxes.

Van Gorden sixth grader Tyler Redmond concurs, explaining that his mom watches five students of working parents each morning.

Because buses for the separate schools that the children attend arrive at about the same time, Redmond worries that some students his mom drives would end up late to school.

According to Van Gorden sixth grader Bemni Amsalu, morning babysitting is not uncommon in her neighborhood, which is within the two-mile radius from the elementary.

“One lady on my street watches so many kids that she makes them hold hands at the bus stop to keep track of them all,” said Amsalu. “If she had to drive all those kids to school and keep the younger ones in check, it would be chaos.”

clarification, according to Redmond.

“If we had more kids in my math class, it would be over before my teacher could help everybody,” said Susarla.

The students also believe that elective teachers like media specialists, who train students in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word 2007, are needed.

“If volunteer parents were running the library, it would be bad,” said Amsalu. “If I ask a parent for help, they’ll just tell me to wait for the media specialist because they don’t know how to do it.”

Amsalu is concerned by the cuts in elective staff because she believes that homeroom teachers and volunteer parents are not specialized enough to fill the roles of librarians and gym, art and music teachers. In

addition, Amsalu feels that the reduction in gifted services, like advanced social studies, is like saying, “You only get one day of regular social studies.” She fears that the reductions will eliminate opportunities to discover paths of interest or allow for extra progress.

“We are your future,” said Amsalu. “I know when you were a kid, you looked forward to that music or art [program]. And now, that will be taken away from even the littlest kids.”

Walton believes that the teachers lose just as much as the students from the cuts.

“I live in the community. I vote in the community. I have a lot invested in Lakota,” said Walton. “I think sometimes people forget that teachers are still community members and parents.”

Walton experienced a similar levy situation once before when her children attended public school in Mount Healthy. The district went to half-days due to the levy failure, and Walton could not leave her son and daughter home alone from noon to 6 p.m. Therefore, she paid private school tuition through high school, followed by college tuition.

“My husband is retired, so I understand the difficulty for the retirees, and I have a lot of empathy for those people. But hopefully parents recognize that this is an emergency situation,” said Walton. “People’s solution [will be] to take their kids out of public school and pay for a private education—it is a lot cheaper to vote for a levy.”—Jill Bange

15 | Spark | lehsspark.org

feature | dart

Becoming story tommy behan | photo illustration lisa cai

H

e dives. He dodges. He swings. He kicks. He shoots. He scores. He is East junior Billy Barren.

Playing one sport at a competitive level is difficult. Playing several competitive sports throughout the year, however, requires both hard work and natural athletic ability. Barren has both.

Currently, Barren not only participates in swimming and tennis competitively, but also plays basketball, football, golf, bowling and soccer recreationally, many of which Barren played competitively in previous seasons.

Attaining the athletic ability required to play several sports takes time. Since childhood Barren has worked to achieve and develop these athletic skills.

“I started when I was in kindergarten,” says Barren. “That was nearly 12 years ago and I have been playing sports ever since.”

Over the years, Barren began expanding his sports horizon, starting out with just a few sports, but by middle school, he was playing sports every season possible, sometimes even with multiple sports in an individual season.

At the peak of his athletic career, Barren was playing five sports per year. Since high school

16 | Spark | November 22, 2010

Each issue the Spark staff picks a random East student and covers a unique aspect of his or her life.

began, Barren has decreased the number of sports he is involved in to hone his abilities in a few sports: tennis and swimming.

“I like tennis because it is not only a lot of individual work with the single match play but also a team effort with double match play. It’s a healthy balance of team and individual glory,” explains Barren. “I like swimming because it’s all about the amount of work you personally put into it, and the support of the team.”

With his own training room, private lessons, hard work, support from parents and sources of inspiration, such as famous athletes and his own grandfather, Barren stands out as an athlete.

“I decided that I want to be the greatest at the sports that I play,” states Barren, also known by the nickname “Biceps.”

“So I set goals some would call unrealistic but are not impossible through hard work all day, every day.”

Barren’s private tennis coach for more than two years, Kim Jones, describes Billy as a very

impressive athlete.

“Barren is what I would call an aggressive baseliner because he attacks the ball. He is also very competitive,” says Jones. “He is just so driven because he expects so much from himself. He is one of the few students that I have to push to back off because he is so competitive. I thrive off of students, like Billy, who just keep wanting it.”

Barren receives much of his support from his parents. Growing up in an athletically inclined family has been a catalyst in the development of his athletic prowess. His father, Brian Barren, was a quarterback at Princeton University, and his grandfather, Ron Moeller, was an avid basketball player and track runner throughout high school. Brian has been a crucial part in building up Billy’s skills, he knows how Billy plays as an athlete. “[Like me], he works very hard, is very competitive and does the best he can. We are very proud of his efforts,” says Brian.

Kris Barren, Billy’s mother, adds to her husband’s remarks.

“We drive him everywhere and attend his sporting events. But we do believe in a healthy balance of school and extracurriculars.

Billy Biceps Therefore, we encourage him to work hard in the classroom as well,” says Kris.

Even so, Barren is inspired profoundly by many athletes’ stories such as that of Olympic swimmer Jason Lezak and his grandfather Moeller Barren..

Moeller, one of Barren’s greatest inspirations, supported his family, because they were going through the economic hardships of the Great Depression back when Moeller was a child. He is in fact Barren’s inspiration because

degree. We are very supportive of each other.”

Both of Barren’s inspirations encourage him, each with a different driving force.

“Jason Lezak and I are pretty similar, I think.

He used to play all kinds of different sports but then just focused on one sport—swimming.

He then overcame massive obstacles to win several Olympic medals. I even do the same workout as him.” explains Barren with a cheery grin. “My grandfather is a bigger inspiration though because of his difficult circumstances

“We live within a couple of blocks of each other so we have a close relationship. I am very proud of his accomplishments with sports and just as proud with his feats academically. It’s like being twice as proud,” says Moeller.

Even with all of his inspirations and support, Barren still has to work hard to be able to compete in the increasingly competitive high school sports. Former track and football teammate Ryan O’Connor testifies to Barren’s hard work ethic.

“Biceps is quick, definitely competitive and doesn’t give up “I decided that I want to be the greatest at the sports that until he wins,” confirms O’Connor.

“As a teammate he pushed me I play. So I set goals some would call unrealistic but are to do better. He brought natural not impossible through hard work all day, every day.” competitiveness to the teams he played and plays with.” of all the hard work he demonstrated to help growing up. His family was rather poor, so he As swimming season kicks into gear with his struggling family. quit sports so he could help them out. He left practice five days per week, and tennis calms “I supported my mother by working,” says to go to college when he was 16, which shows down for the winter, Barren will be working Moeller. “I started working as early as fifth commitment.” harder then ever to become stronger, more grade, which was very young because I had Moeller is very connected with Barren in athletic and basically everything he can be. As skipped third grade. The money I earned went both his sports and personal life. They visit other teammates sit down and take a water or into the family pool but ironically, all four of us each other frequently, strengthening their stretching break, Barren will be there working kids went to college. Combined we earned one grandfather-grandson bond. Subsequently, out, constantly serving as a reminder and role Ph.D., two masters degrees and one bachelors Moeller is very supportive of Barren. model for his peers. n

17 | Spark | lehsspark.org

feature | community feature

One of the Jordan Day grief groups meets during the school day to share their experiences with the grief from the death of their friend.

A local grief counselor is guiding students through their experiences with loss, using her own background to mend their

Healing Hearts story alyssa davis | photo sierra whitlock

A

red heart is drawn on white paper with colored pencils or crayons.

At first glance, it appears to be drawn by a child, maybe a present for a parent or a simple doodle from school. Upon closer inspection, however, a knife is visible stabbing the heart, leaving a wound—hardly an innocent drawing by a child. Instead, it is a representation of what grief has done to someone’s heart. A huge binder is filled with pages of shattered, broken and bleeding hearts drawn by students in grief groups.

Vulnerability, guilt, caution, anger, shock, exhaustion, anxiety—a barrage of emotions flood into the lives and minds of those who suffer the death of a loved one. But one thing is sure to conquer the grief: friendship and camaraderie. Fourteen years ago, in St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish on Hamilton-Mason Road, Shelia Munafo-Kanoza began the first open grief group for the Companions on a Journey (COJ) organization to aid people in the grieving process and provide them with the companionship they need.

According to COJ’s website, companionsonajourney.org, its goal in the community is “to reach out to those who grieve and educate those who do not understand grief and support those individuals, schools, businesses and organizations seeking grief support.”

After years of personal encounters with death, Munafo-Kanoza began a new chapter in her life after her husband died, one where she is dedicated to providing the support that she needed in her grief to other people.

“When I was fourteen, I had a couple of friends who died in two

separate accidents, a friend’s dad die by suicide, a teacher that died in a car accident and a guy’s dad that I barely knew died,” says MunafoKanoza. “The fear that set in me was tremendous. I remember praying to God, ‘Don’t let my mom or dad die until they are really old.’ And my greatest fear became my children’s reality. When my husband died, I realized that [compared to] the fear I had, my kids must be really afraid.”

The life she loved was completely different and even the love she had for her job was not the same anymore. She needed something more from life.

“I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I sold cosmetics and loved what I did. But after he died, I only worked because I needed the insurance,” says MunafoKanoza. “It was like, ‘OK, God, what am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?’”

Her grief bore a new purpose for her life and a new organization that began with 20 members in a small grief group and now helps more than 3,000 people in the community every year.

However, in order to be the benefactor that she is for the community, she had to first learn to deal with her own grief and counsel others who are grieving.

“While my husband was ill, I had to learn everything I could about his illness and how you raise children with a parent who has a terminal illness,” says Munafo-Kanoza. “When he died, I had to learn everything that I could about how to raise children after a parent has died. I had to learn about my grief first. You had to understand grief.”

This group creates something that “we can all lean on and depend on...

It is something we can depend on for security. A security blanket.

18 | Spark | November 22, 2010

”

After living through the illness and death of her husband, MunafoKanoza traveled throughout the country to study grief. She went to Oklahoma City three years after the bombing to counsel family and friends of the victims.

“There were families that came in, and I ended up working with those families who had loved ones die in the bombing. And they invited me into their homes,” says Munafo-Kanoza who also went to New York after 9/11. “Then they shared their stories—they would have their photo albums and say, ‘Let me tell you about my child that died.’ It showed me that they wanted to talk about their loved ones and because I had experienced that myself, I wasn’t a threat to them. I understood. To see their grief was an experience no college degree could have ever given me.”

Today, Munafo-Kanoza uses her experience to run COJ’s Teens in Grief program, which began in 2000, in order to help teens deal with problems specific to their age group and to respond to crisis situations, like a student or teacher death.

“While on a pilgrimage in Italy [my partner and I] realized that we were supposed to come together and start a grief group at Moeller because all of our [children] went to Moeller High School,” says Munafo-Kanoza.

“We went to the school, and they said that we could do it. During that process, a teacher died of a heart-attack in the hall—our first response was a crisis response.”

COJ works in the community and local high schools, including East, where it runs four grief groups. One is an open grief group where anyone living with the death of a friend or family member may come, and three groups have emerged from crisis situations—grief groups for friends of Sodany April Phann and Jordan Day. Though COJ helps 3,000 people every year, in a crisis situation or situation where current student or teacher dies unexpectedly, they can deal with the thousands of kids in a high school.

“We create a safe place where we can validate feelings and emotions and where the students can come share what they are going through,” says Munafo-Kanoza, who says that she prays in her mind before every group meeting. “We also do projects and activities, [like drawing their hearts], to help them open up and understand.”

When a Teens in Grief group begins, there can be anywhere from 15 to 30 students in attendance. All of the groups are headed by at least two facilitators.

A group teaches students how to deal with grief but also shows the students that they are not alone. After the death of East junior Jordan Day, his friends began coming to the grief groups in order to deal with the onslaught of emotions they were experiencing.

“This group brings everyone together and it is like a family,” says East junior Elliot Ludlow. “We can all relate on different things and different topics. If I am feeling down one day, I know [the group] won’t

shove away whatever I am telling them about because we have dealt with something so dramatic that we all have emotional ties.”

Munafo-Kanoza and her team of psychologists, social workers and nurses try to help students deal with all of their individual situations because, according to Munafo-Kanoza, everyone deals with death differently. She also says that one of the hardest things about death is missing milestones with loved ones and struggling with the fear of the unknown.

“When I lost my grandparents, I remember crying and crying and crying,” says Munafo-Kanoza. “When I lost my friend, I remember the fear. Then I realized it wasn’t just grandparents that died. People my age can die—I can die.”

Teens that lose a friend often deal with guilt. The last time they met they may have ended on a bad note or not said goodbye.

“This group creates something that we can all lean on and depend on,” says East junior Harrison Frost, who is in one of the Jordan Day grief groups at East. “If we have any issues we know that we can come to each other to talk about something that we want to get off of our chests. If we have anything that we need to talk about we have someone to come to instead of just going on with our day. It is something we can depend on for security. A security blanket.”

Munafo-Kanoza says the emotions that come with death are confusing and can make someone feel like they are “nuts.”

“When my husband died, I heard my kids crying and then I felt like someone reached in and pulled my heart out,” says Munafo-Kanoza. “I wanted to die. I was like, ‘God, go ahead and take me.’ Then the next second I am thinking of Star Trek and being beamed up like molecules.

I remember thinking, ‘What is going on here? Am I going insane?’ And then the very next second I remembered a conversation I had when I was 24 years old with my grandmother after my grandfather died—that it felt like someone had reached in her heart and pulled her heart out, that she prayed every night to die. All of that took place probably within a three or four minute period.”

Though her grandmother felt like she wanted to die, she continued to live for her purpose in life. Living life to the fullest is what MunafoKanoza learned from her grandmother, who knew that she still had a purpose for this life.

According to East junior Mikey Goldman, experiencing the death of Day has allowed him and his team to recognize their purpose in this life and to achieve more in golf. Because of this new found determination, the team was able to win the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) and advance to districts.

“For golf we really wanted to have a good season and to win the GMCs. We worked together and started trying harder than we would have, and it paid off,” says Goldman. “To know that other people are feeling the same way and you aren’t alone in the struggles that you have makes it easier to come together to get past it.”

Munafo-Kanoza has made this organization her passion and purpose and has nurtured COJ from its small beginnings to the critical program infographic christina wilkerson, logan schneider that it is today.

However, COJ is a non-profit organization.

Shock/Numbness: Comes in some way as one enters the spiral of It depends entirely on money from private Protest/ Denial: Comes as grief and can last from hours to donations and the community funds. In the shock of the death days to months, depending on order to run just the Teens in Grief program, begins to wear off. the type of death. the organization needs $32,000. All of the The Disorganization Stage: donations that the organization has received The Impact of Death: With each Comes as one begins death, the amount of pain may have allowed the group to expand and to help to move through grief, vary depending on factors such in local hospitals. when the reality of what as relationships, family dynamics, The broken, confused and downtrodden in happened starts to set in. friendships and personalities. the community now have a place where they can come to have their hearts healed. Scars will The Slinky Point: There will be forever be imprinted on the hearts of those Reorganization: When one many moments where people who have suffered the loss of a loved one. But searches for new meaning may find themselves bottoming in his or her life. through friendship and understanding, hope out and springing back into life. can emerge to heal the wounds. n

The Spiral of Grief

information sheila munafo-kanoza

19 | Spark | lehsspark.org

photo used with written permission from Moonbeam Studios

feature | community feature

rising up from the underground

A UGTV volunteer films Switchfoot’s performance.

Teens from all around the Cincinnati area are gravitating to a place where they can share their passion for filming. story christina wilkerson

A

s the lights dim and the crowd grows rowdier, a band prepares to take the stage. Screams and cheers add to the intensity of the already vivacious atmosphere. Weaving between frenzied fans, a teen watches the entire event from behind the lens of a video camera, capturing each adrenaline-filled moment.

For a group of media-loving high school students looking for something more to do with their Saturday nights, the Underground is their mecca. There, they learn the ropes of filmmaking and producing a live web show. Two years ago, however, high schoolers would not have wielded such power.

As the creative director of the nonprofit, faith-based concert venue, Ryan Hartsock has played a significant role in this change.

“Two years ago, we changed what we did [in the Underground].

We broadened ourselves to kids,” he says. “Our biggest change is the empowerment of teens. We’re not going to try to do things with them, we want them to do things and have us help them.”

This role reversal has enhanced the Underground’s positive and healthy atmosphere.

“Before that change, it was about adults doing and teens helping,” says Hartsock. “And now it’s a lot of teens doing and adults helping.

When you’re just helping someone build a house, it doesn’t feel like your house. But when you’re building the house and someone’s there helping you, you feel a sense of ownership.”

Stephen Sargent, a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati (UC), has witnessed this transformation through producing the live web show Underground Television (UGTV).

With 40 to 50 teens volunteering with the UGTV team every weekend, Sargent has seen a great deal of diversity.

20 | Spark | November 22, 2010

“The volunteer team for UGTV is made up of high school students from all over the Cincinnati area. There are people from Milford, Harrison, Mason, Fairfield and Lakota,” says Sargent, a Mason High School graduate. “When I was in high school, it was rare that I got to interact with people from other schools. [Now] every weekend, we’re here for four hours straight.”

Spending such a great amount of time with the volunteers led Sargent to develop closer relationships and deeper connections.

“Usually there are enough people here that we have down time, and we just get to hang out and get to know each other. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a very laid-back environment,” he says.

With the combination of camaraderie and teamwork, the UGTV production allows high school students to not only hone their filming skills but also to learn how to work with each other. “[The UGTV volunteer team] is made up of a variety of people, and they all come together because they all have a passion for media and they want to do something with [that passion,]” says Hartsock. “Where else could you do this?”

The Underground tries to create opportunities for teens to use the creative abilities of which they may be unaware, according to Hartsock.

“The idea of empowerment is a big deal for us,” he stresses. “We really believe that teenagers can do a whole lot more than they know they are capable of.”

In order to foster these capabilities, the Underground provides its volunteers with all of the material, leaving the ultimate task—running the show—up to the teens.

“We give them top-notch equipment and say, ‘Here you go, let’s see what happens.’ And they’ll do an amazing job,” says Hartsock. “National

“

bands will come in here and be so impressed with what happened and you’ll say, ‘Oh, by the way, that was run by a senior in high school.’”

The Underground also offers film camps over the summer, where teens can experience an in-depth education in the art of filmmaking.

“At film camps, we open doors for [teens]. They’ve talked to the producer of X-Men and they’ve talked to Brian Wells, who has had some recent films shown on NBC. They’ve talked to a film school up in Michigan.,” says Hartsock. “We’re trying to get them to come in contact with people who they normally otherwise wouldn’t have access to.”

With a deeper understanding of film and real life experiences, the film camps have allowed teens to successfully produce bigger projects. “[The students] are doing live productions for huge national acts,” says Hartsock. “When Switchfoot comes here, it’s high school students running it from top to bottom. They’re directing it, they’re producing it and they’re filming it. Our goal is to create opportunities for them to do that.”

Sargent, who is a team leader for the Advanced Film Camp, recognizes the benefits of creating opportunities for teens to “do it themselves.”

“The Underground lets high school students realize how much they can actually do—especially for a national show,” says Sargent. “You see coverage on TV of a national concert, and a high school student wouldn’t think they could run something like that. But here [at the Underground], they do.”

Not only do high school students learn how to enhance their filming skills, but they also learn how to work as a team and to feel as if they are a part of the bigger picture.

“Anytime you can get involved in a big team that produces a big production, it’s exciting to see,” remarks Sargent. “It makes you feel like you have a bigger part in something. That’s one reason why I think that teens keep coming back [to the Underground]. It really gives them a sense of belonging.”

According to Sargent the best part about being in charge of UGTV is “seeing growth in high school students.”

Hundreds of people fill the Underground Micah Simms, Sargent’s coto watch Switchfoot perform. intern since March 2010, also sees the great value in being a part of the Underground.

“I feel like I can make videos for a purpose,” he says. “At the Underground, [filmmaking] has a deeper impact on so many people.

Videos go beyond just something you can watch.”

Simms, like Sargent, is pleased with the enthusiasm of the UGTV volunteers.

“The high school students have a lot of energy,” says Simms, who has volunteered on and off for three years. “I really enjoy seeing teens with a real passion for video and producing. They are driven to get good videos done.”

Not only has Sargent seen the drive and growth in the UGTV volunteers, but he has also matured throughout his time working at the Underground.

“I’ve learned how to communicate in a working environment,” he says. “While working in the media, you have to really learn how to

communicate what you’re trying to get across through [the source of technology you are using]. You have to learn how to communicate [in a way that is] the same way to everyone—the way you want it to be [interpreted].”

Being a part of the Underground has also aided Sargent in starting his own business, Moonbeam Studios.

“There’s no way we could have started [Moonbeam Studios] without working [at the Underground]. You learn how to manage people, to organize events and to be in charge of a team.”

Because Sargent began working at the Underground as a senior in high school, he has been able to use his communication and business skills as he has transitioned into the adult world.

“I have the perspective of both sides. It’s easy for me to communicate with high school students because in a way, I still feel like one of them,” says Sargent. “But at the same time, I’m a college student. I’m running a business.”

Sargent, who is studying computer and electrical engineering at UC, started out working on video production under Hartsock, who has grown to become a primary influence for him—both with real life situations and managing his business.

Since he became an official Underground intern about a year and a half ago, he has grown to see Hartsock as his own personal mentor.

“He’s always there and is extremely supportive of me, no matter what I’m going through,” says Sargent. “Since [my co-intern and I] started Moonbeam Studios, he’s been really helpful because he has a lot of knowledge about how to run a small business.”

Hartsock can also attest to Sargent’s transformation during his time at the Underground.

“Stephen has matured a lot in the past two years,” he remarks. “He has become more aware of others, grown in his editing and shooting skills and become more of a leader of people.

He can inspire and cast visions.”

Apart from acquiring skills for his own life by working at the Underground, Sargent watches his UGTV volunteers grow as well.

“It’s exciting to see certain high school students mature over the course of time,” he says. “I get to see how I impact them, and how this whole environment impacts them.

[Watching their progress] makes me feel like I play a role in that.”

Watching these teens grow and learn reminds Sargent of his own experience at the Underground as a youth.

“The biggest changes I’ve seen in high school students is the same thing I went through when I was a teen,” he recalls. “Rather than always trying to do everything by myself, I had to learn to delegate and to work with other people. The main thing [teens] learn about is being a part of a team—many hands make light work.”

The Underground is a well-known name around the community, as it is a popular concert venue that 58 percent of 461 surveyed East students are familiar with. However, 72 percent of those students have never visited it.

Hartsock states the Underground’s most prominent goal: “We’re here to try and create an environment that is relevant for teenagers in the community to come to that is unlike anywhere else.”

Although, the Underground is typically classified as a concert venue, it functions as something much more than that. It is a learning experience, a place to improve and gain technological skills in a safe, communityfriendly atmosphere. n

The main thing [the teens] learn about is being a part of a team— many hands make light work.

”

photo used with written permission from Moonbeam Studios

21 | Spark | lehsspark.org

E

verything from smelling a spritz of perfume in a store to seeing a familiar logo on the side of a shopping cart influences how and when we buy.

Advertising is an integral part of the life of every American. Consumerism is forever. photos dan turner

Surfboards and Angel Wings A young girl meanders through Kenwood Towne Centre with her parents at her side and one purpose in mind—to buy a classic Auntie Anne’s pretzel. Sporting pig tails and holding a lollipop, she skips across the tiled floor and passes one gleaming white storefront after another.

The only differences are the names of the stores themselves. As she recognizes an overpowering scent and hears the thump of a tune ahead, her heart begins to race, as if the pretzel kiosk is beckoning her closer to its doughy delight. Rounding a corner, her skipping comes to a stop and her eyes pop to the size of the moon. The place her beloved pretzel store once stood now holds a beach shack storefront with waves of perfume mingling with the pounding sound waves of trendy, surf music. The intrigue of an Auntie Anne’s pretzel shop is nothing like the heightened atmosphere of a clothing store known as Hollister Co. The environments of Hollister Co. and Victoria’s Secret are known for their specialized trademarks—a California atmosphere and a world of pink and polka dots, respectively—stark contrasts from the general uniformity of most mall stores. The companies subtly incorporate means of advertising into the storefronts, attracting a desired demographic of shoppers into the gateway of the stores’ extended environments.

Of the 461 East students surveyed, 76 percent have entered a store because of the storefront appearance.

Through firsthand experience, East senior and Kenwood Towne Centre Hollister Co. employee Katie Strahan acknowledges the lure of the well-known social scene and environment associated with the clothing store.

“I wasn’t actually looking [for a job]. I was shopping and [the management] came up to me and asked if I wanted to work there,” says Strahan. “I really like [Hollister Co.’s] clothes and I get a discount

[for working there], so that would definitely be the reason [why I accepted the job offer].”

After she began to work at Hollister Co.’s distinctive environment, Strahan learned how the combination of store ambience and employee attitude creates the ideal work setting.

“It’s a fun environment. [The store atmosphere] is upbeat and everybody likes each other. We all get along,” says Strahan. “It makes [the work] easy and fun.”

Since the start of her job in Aug. 2010 for Hollister Co., which is a branch of the Abercrombie and Fitch stores, Strahan has learned that the trademarked darkness creates difficulties for the employees who take care of housekeeping or monetary tasks. As an employee whose work consists of manning the cash registers and folding clothes, Strahan sees a downside to the dim lighting even though it attracts shoppers.

“It’s really not that loud [in Hollister Co.]. Abercrombie is the loud store,” says Strahan. “[Hollister Co.] sounds loud from the outside but when you get in, it’s really not that bad. Hollister has music that’s at a normal volume, [yet] it’s dark—really dark.”

With the dual “attracting and repelling” nature of the store, Strahan has noticed a trend of consumer demographics from her employment experience: most shoppers are 12 to 20 years old. She attributes a regular customer base to the alternate world created from the clothing store’s environment and storefront itself.

“Not many [parents are in the store on a regular basis], but if there are parents, they are with little kids.

[Hollister Co.] is definitely unique.

It is interesting, so [its appearance] makes people want to go and check it out and be inside,” says Strahan, who believes that Hollister Co.’s environment markets the clothes themselves due to the store’s Fragrance is a major recurring “surf-oriented” theme. factor in a shopper’s “[Hollister Co. creates a an alternate attraction to a store. feel for shoppers] because you feel

23 | Spark | lehsspark.org

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Impact shows a product

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is coarse and assertive.

Gigi shows a product is happy and impractical.

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Kristen shows a product

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is cuddly and youthful.

Times New Roman shows a

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product is stable and formal.

Courier New shows a product is rigid and plain.

Monotype Corsiva shows a product is polite and elegant.

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Comic Sans shows a product

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is youthful and passive.

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Rage Italic shows a product is creative and rebellious.

how colors and fonts influence consumer perception information from Software Usability Research Laboratory at Wichita State University, Beth Gulley at BT Graphics, Kendra Cherry at about.com

like you’re in California. The surf-type music and the [digital computer] screen on the inside that pans over a beach help market the clothes.”

Cindy Strahan, Katie’s mother, observes that the common demographic that constitutes the majority of the store’s business has both male and female consumers.

“We actually love the beach shack-style theme of Hollister. And it’s always nice to check out the live feed of Huntington Beach,” says Cindy. “I enjoy the décor and the perfumed smell of the store [while] sitting in the lobby and checking out the people watching. I believe that the entire atmosphere is geared to kids between the ages of 12 to 20 years old and appeals to both male and female shoppers.”

Although Katie has learned to adapt to Hollister Co.’s environment, as an ordinary shopper, she acknowledges that the store seems

24 | Spark | November 22, 2010

mysterious to consumers at first, but that effect of the environment soon wears off.

“I probably didn’t like it when I first saw [the outside of the store] because it is really dark. You don’t know what to expect when you walk in. From the outside, I would think that [Hollister Co.] would be a weird place to shop and I wouldn’t want to go in there,” says Strahan. “I wouldn’t want to work at a boring store that [that] nobody wants to go in.

Working at [Hollister Co.] is interesting because people want to go in and check it out.”

Although Cindy enjoys the mix of certain aspects of the environment, including the theme of a California shore and store fragrances, she finds one unattractive aspect of Hollister Co.—the volume of the store playlist. Of the 461 surveyed East students, only 12 percent feel that the volume of music influenced them to enter a store.

“I would have to say that the only thing I have a problem with is the volume of the music. The music itself is OK but the volume is too loud,” says Cindy. “It’s annoying to me when I’m standing three feet away from the person behind the cash register and I can’t hear a single word they’re saying to me.”

While a fan of the store’s “casual” clothes and “fun and easy” work environment, Katie associates the reasons behind the scarce presence of shoppers above the teenager-totwenties age group to a limited appreciation for the California surf scene that is captured in the store’s four walls. Of the 461 surveyed East students, 49 percent were prompted to enter a store because of color instead of smell, sound or lighting.

“The store is so unique that it does attract younger people. [The store] is also unique in that it repels the older people like parents who

do not want to go [in] because [it is too] dark,” says Katie. “[My parents] will go in with me and will just sit down somewhere and wait.

They think that [the atmosphere] is too loud, think [that] the smell is too strong and [the store] is too dark.”

Katie believes that clothing stores such as Hollister Co. and Victoria’s Secret “catch your eye and make you want to go near them to shop.” Of the 461 surveyed East students, 76 percent have been given money from their parents to shop at a particular store so that the parents would not have to go in themselves.

However, no matter how attractive the exteriors may be, Cindy refuses to hand money over to her children to spend in an attempt to avoid any commotion.

“I’ve never considered giving money to my daughters to shop,” says Cindy with a smile.

“That could spell disaster if they were left without supervision.”

The consistent features of the store appealing to Cindy and Katie allow for a reliable consumer base for businesses.

University of Cincinnati Assistant Professor of Communication Nancy Jennings highlights the significance of developing a means of accessing shoppers’ emotions through a consistently attractive environment.

“It’s really important from a business perspective to try to figure out, ‘What is it that’s going to attract the audience into or the consumer into my store?’ By those types of entryways, [stores] create that atmosphere

With dim lighting, it is often difficult for Strahan to see the money she is handling at the register.

or familiar with that store, but you see bright colors, then that might signify that that is a place for younger kids,” says Jennings. “If you see the primary colors, you might think of [something] different. I do think that [the storefronts] are a good way to set the tone for

“It’s annoying to me when I’m standing three feet away from the person behind the cash register and I can’t hear a single word they are saying to me.” [and mentality] of ‘let me come in and see what’s going on,’” says the College of Arts and Sciences professor. “[Attracting a certain demographic] is the stores’ target, right? That’s the whole idea. [Businesses] are trying to get a particular target otherwise the stores would design [their storefronts] differently, which have a lot to do with the whole environment and how friendly [the stores] are.”

Jennings emphasizes how prominent a brand will become engrained in the minds of shoppers through the companies’ incorporation of the elements of lighting, music, and fragrances into the store environments, which are the affective, or tone-related, aspects that contribute to the trademarked environments of Hollister Co. and Victoria’s Secret.

“If you are not familiar with that brand

the business and also to attract the right target, using a signifier [through a storefront].”

Jennings explains that Victoria’s Secret, an additional store expanding the boundaries on consumer-directed atmospheres, upholds the power of lighting, smell and sound on the initial expectations of shoppers, with the notion of what shoppers will encounter within the store implied through these affective elements.

“For Victoria’s Secret, they have hot pink because that serves as a signifier that that’s [a store] for women. A lot of the research on advertising focuses so much on the affective [response], so using color, lighting, all those things evoke a certain kind of emotions and a certain kind of willingness to participate in that environment,” says Jennings. “Advertising today is much less about the cognitive aspect,

[such as] telling how many square feet a building has. Advertising is more about emotions.”

In addition to the affective elements of the Hollister Co. and Abercrombie and Fitch stores, the physical structure and extended beach-shack storefront adds to the seemingly exclusive nature of the stores. A combination of darkness forces shoppers to only see samples of clothes other than those on the mannequins, following the rule of simultaneous repelling and attracting natures through the enclosed store through the entrance as well as providing consumer privacy.

“Since [Hollister Co. and Abercrombie and Fitch] are really blocked off, you really have to know if you want to go into [those stores] because you can’t see. With most stores you can look through the glass to see what’s inside, but not with those kinds of stores,” says Jennings. “[This structure] does two things. One, it sets itself apart from the other stores in the area but it also kind of gives some consumers some privacy. [That way] when they go in it’s not like everybody can see them doing their mall shopping.”

Jennings recognizes that the business technique of cradle-to-grave advertising presents an advantage for the elaborately designed stores. This method allows companies to reinforce their consistent image in consumers’ minds. Hollister Co. and Victoria’s Secret instill a genuinely different images of younger consumers, and the children will undoubtedly remember the trendy atmosphere when they have reached the stores’ targeted consumer age group.

“Children are three markets in one. They

25 | Spark | lehsspark.org

are current consumers and markets because they have their own disposable income to buy whatever they want according to their parents.

They are influences because they influence what gets purchased in the household [and] they are a future market,” says Jennings. “If they are the youngest kids in the family or if they have older siblings or older cousins, they are watching up [and] wanting to be like older siblings or older cousins. [Being a targeted age] can definitely be something they can look forward to as they grow up.”

Hollister Co. management and Kenwood Towne Centre leasing representatives did not comment on marketing strategies due to stringent proprietary issues.

From the perspective of the marketing team at Victoria’s Secret’s PINK brand, team member Sarah Hagan believes the reliance on a consistent base of shoppers influences the success of the brand, with the pink and polkadotted atmosphere becoming synonymous with the company’s products.

“We strive to create an inviting environment, but because of the reputation of our brands we draw mostly upon a loyal customer base,” says Hagan. “Victoria’s Secret is an iconic women’s brand. We feel as though the pink and white evoke a sense of fun and femininity, which we feel carries over to our products as well.”

Utilizing the technique of connecting to a younger consumer audience, the PINK

Apart from price differnces, generic products are similar to brand name goods in both packaging and taste.

26 | Spark | November 22, 2010

marketing team attempts to connect to younger female audiences through the reminder of the relationship between the color pink, the essence of the product line and store atmosphere.

“The line is called PINK because at some point in every girl’s life, this is their favorite color. It has the universal feminine stamp of approval,” says Hagan. “Our PINK stores are designed with a comfortable and flirty atmosphere in mind. These emotions are evlolved through not only our store design, but also in our collection of products.”

A relationship is born between a storefront and a shopper, with subtle advertising tugging at the emotions of customers and their attraction to the companies’ product lines. Even though a young girl skipping along to find an Auntie Anne’s pretzel is star struck upon viewing Hollister Co. for the first time, Cindy, a mother familiar to the trendy ambience of the clothing store, admits to the influence the daring environment has upon returning customers.

“I wouldn’t say I am repelled from entering the store,” says Cindy. “I’m pretty sure when I enter, I will be spending time and money in there.”—Katie Szczur

Symbols Stick A freshly-made steamed tortilla makes its way down an assembly line, piled high with meat, beans, lettuce, cheese and sour

cream. The aroma of Mexican food fills the air and every patron’s mouth begins to water.

Ingredients are combined in the hands of an employee, creating a neatly foil-wrapped package--a gift for the paying customer.

In a survey of 461 East students, 89 percent were able to recognize the logo of Chipotle Mexican Grill, a common fixture in the community and among high school students.

The Chipotle logo, the McDonalds logo and several others, take a great amount of time and research to produce.

Owner and operator of BT Graphics Beth Gully has dedicated her career to figuring out how to design the most effective logo for local companies in West Chester. Gully stresses the difficulty of designing a logo that works, but reassures that a logo, when well made, will remain effective as long as the business exists.

“I think a logo can last forever. A lot of people say a logo lasts seven years. I think that’s crazy. I’ve had my logo for over 25 years, and it still says I’m an artist,” says Gully. “I do think that a logo that reflects the personality of the business and of the industry, it will survive the length of the company.”

Part of the design that makes a logo last takes place during first examining of the business in question, reviewing the goals of a company.

“I think about who their audience is, and where they want to be five years from now.

And then I match that up,” says Gully. “If they are real antiquated but they want to be a high tech company in five years, I to need design [a high-tech logo] because that is where they see themselves.”

Gully interviews members of each business, trying to discover the goals and notions of the company. She deals with the thoughts and concerns regarding logo planning, including design elements and appearance.

“Based on who they are trying to reach and what feel and flavor they want to add, one quick question I ask is where it falls on the high tech, high touch scale,” says Gully. “That becomes the psychological aspect for me. I am able to get into their head and understand what they’re looking for.”

What Gully describes as this high-tech, high-touch scale is a basic measure of the design of a logo or other advertisement. The scale runs one to 10. She describes a one as extremely high-touch, softer and flowing, while a ten insinuates a cold, mechanical and rigid design, high-tech. Gully uses this estimation to design a logo she feels will work for the specific business.

“Say they want a seven,” says Gully. “If I do the name in all caps, I need something soft and flowy to balance it. I do a logo and I do the name in all lowercase. I have the opportunity to do a bold line, or shape.”

In addition, the company also identifies goals for the new logo, as well as express

Apple’s MacBook branding is easily recognizable, distinguishing it from PC brands.

opinions about the logo they see in the future.

“I call that preconceived notions. It gives us a center place where we are speaking the same language,” says Gully. “They can say they picture a man holding a balloon floating over skyscrapers. And I can meet them there. I use it as a stepping stone. “ As a small business logo designer, Gully has worked out a method of logo design perfect for the small business world.

“I just sit down and throw ideas on paper,” says Gully. “They’re crazy. And then I’ll put them away. And I’ll take them out and read back through the objectives, and I’ll start designing again.”

Larger businesses, however, deal with marketing in a different perspective. Mark Davis, Herbal Essences Senior Scientist at Procter and Gamble Corporation, deals with marketing and logo usage every day and explains the process by which large firms design logos.

“We will bring consumers into a focus group like six-to-eight [people] at a time and find their responses to a new 2-D design of a package,” says Davis. “Sometimes we will even do that on an individual basis and interview a consumer one-on-one and ask them about specific aspects of a product design.”

This strategy often leads to extraneous

“They can say they want a picture of a man holding a balloon floating over skyscrapers...I use it as a stepping stone.”

Gully then reviews all the designs and funnels them through the list of objectives formulated by the business. She presents the finished designs to the company for approval.

The company, however, sees the best elements of each logo, and chances are the design will be changed.

“Sometimes they says, ‘Well, I like this about this [logo], and this about that [logo], and I like this one, too,” says Gully. “But can you put these [designs] together. And I do.

Sometimes that’s just them wanting to put their fingerprint on it.”

Gully says she has to remind her clients to consider “what they are looking at, how it will reach their audience and still satisfy what they want.”

information in a logo design or a shift from the intended message in an advertising campaign.

“One of the things that we really try to do when we create a concept is to make sure it is as singularly focused as possible. While they may want all of those benefits, it is much more effective to use a singular message that gets across one benefit that you want for that particular target consumer,” says Davis.

The way these logos react with consumers becomes its own science. Consumers’ interpretation and reaction to these differing logos has become the specialty of marketing psychologists and multiple research studies.

Jennings says, “The color choices [in logos] is important because they serve as that signifier. [Target’s logo] is red and white, so

it has more of a broader appeal. My children refer to Best Buy as ‘the blue and yellow store.’

They remember what’s on the outside to get to what they want on the inside. I think that the design of the logo is another important aspect and condition to the structure of the outside of the building.”

Jennings guesses that advertisements are placed in locations that appeal to a certain demographic. The consumers who are exposed to these advertisements then go on to spread the message to their dependents.

Businesses rely on this sort of planning to move advertisements. Cathy Shondel, the Director of Marketing at LaRosa’s Pizzeria Company, believes the use of the LaRosa’s logo and the caricature of Luigi have grown to become selling points in the LaRosa Company.

“Our logo keeps us focused on what we represent best and consistently. Without representing ourselves as the best of the best and most authentic, we would have no sales or no business. Our logo also continues to reflect a family name that is the first family of pizza— LaRosa.”

Design elements have played a large role in the planning of Larosa’s logo. Each individual color and design has an intended purpose when it comes to the consumer reaction. For example, the colors red and green represent rich Italian heritage according to Shandel, while the ribbon represents a superior quality.

The logo and the accompanying Luigi icon provide easy advertisements for non-business events such as community outreach and, in the case of Luigi, work as a general presenter of Larosa’s platform.

Part of the impact of these logos may be because of the originality in their design. Beth Gully described why businesses try to diversify their logo.

She believes that Larosa’s logo continues

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to perfectly demonstrate the elements of the company and will not a change any time in the near future. “[We] feel that we continue to nail what we are with our logo,” Shondel says. “Should our brand character change from being ‘your friendly neighbor who’s always cooking something delicious and inviting you to eat’ then we might have to think differently.”

—Andrew Breland

Functional Beauty

Impossibly thick, voluminous hair bounces over a woman’s shoulder as she effortlessly glides down a marble staircase to meet her gorgeous “Mr. Right.” Giggling, the woman proceeds to slip off her polka-dot heels as she realizes that the new spring of her hair has made her taller than the perfect man. But no fear the director calls, “cut,” the cameras stop rolling and the woman just prances out of the scene, ending the Pantene advertisement.

Many companies like Pantene create ads that have women with unattainable beauty, like the woman with ridiculously voluminous hair. Pantene ad after Pantene ad showcases women with thick and glossy hair, in addition to uncommon beauty.

On the other hand, a 2005 Dove ad features six “real” women posing in white underwear.

The women’s confidence in their unaltered beauty exudes from every page and commercial advertising the product. The women’s pride in their imperfect bodies deeply contrasts with the notion that only women of Pantene-level looks are beautiful.

In these “real” women, every woman and body type is represented. These mothers, sisters, daughters and wives align with Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. The campaign’s goal is to change the idea that beauty is unattainable and increase female self-esteem.

According to the Real Girls, Real Pressure: a National Report on the State of Self-Esteem commissioned in June 2008, 62 percent of girls feel insecure with themselves, and of that 62 percent, 71 percent feel that their appearance does not measure up to the sensationalized beauty of models, as if they are not pretty or thin enough.

This advertising campaign, which began in 2004, appeals to people like East junior Jessica Vandygriff, who likes Dove’s models because of how they relate to her life and views of beauty. As a consumer of Dove deodorant and body spray, she says that the company’s advertising campaign is more effective than that of Pantene’s because consumers are not envious of the models.

“They’re more real,” she says. “They don’t have the perfect hair.”

Unlike Dove, Herbal Essences looks for models that consumers strive to be like.

Davis comments that Dove’s campaign appeals to certain people, depending on their

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desire for reality or inspiration in ads.

“Dove takes an everyday woman perspective that has served [the company], but is somewhat of a turn-off for some consumers,” he says.

“Some people, when they see [the real women], want something aspirational instead, but some are like, ‘Yeah, they’re just like me.’ It depends upon the consumer.”

Those Pantene consumers, like East freshman Lexie Redmone, would rather see “aspirational” advertisements. Redmone, who uses Pantene’s Medium-Thick Hair Solutions shampoo, wants her hair to look like that of the models featured in the advertisements.

“I like how the commercials show how Pantene makes your hair stronger,” she says,

following Dove’s lead with ads featuring an ordinary image of beauty.

Davis explains that the advertising technique is effective because the brand is not showing the model’s hair in a way that is “way out there.”

“The girl that [Herbal Essences] has been using lately is a very attractive girl, but she does not look like she just walked off the runway, ” he says. “Because of that, she is more appealing to a larger audience than if she was up there looking like a Barbie doll.”

Jennings says that the recent pull in advertising toward models with ‘real’ beauty might also have to do with a shift toward reality TV in the entertainment industry.

“You won’t see a girl with messed up hair. It’s all about this really high-end beauty.” “and I think my hair will look like that.”

Compared to 461 East students surveyed, Redmone is in the minority. 69 percent of East students say they are more strongly influenced to buy a product if the ad features “real” looking people.

According to Jennings, how different people respond to a Dove ad or a Pantene ad simply depends on the person.

“Is it a beautiful woman or is it something that I would be attracted to?” Jennings says of how someone might process an ad, “or [are the cues] on more of a central processing route, so you’re thinking, ‘I need to buy soap, what kind of soap is the best that I need to get?’”

How someone processes an ad, whether it be through peripheral or central processing routes, Jennings explains, depends on its approach and how tired the person is. Peripheral cues are found in the aesthetics of an ad, like shiny hair, while central processing is the more logical way of reaching a conclusion on what to buy. Therefore, someone who is using central processing might be more responsive to an ad featuring “real” beauty versus “unattainable” beauty. The interpretation of information through peripheral cues and central processing is called the Elaboration Likelihood Model.

Davis says that unattainable beauty, a peripheral cue, is an element of continuity for a brand like Pantene.

“One piece of equity for Pantene is seeing beautiful hair shots in every single commercial,” he says. “You won’t see a girl with messed-up hair. It’s all about this really high-end beauty.”

While Pantene has always featured an “ideal’ beauty in its commercials, other Procter & Gamble brands, like Herbal Essences, are

“You are seeing more of that ‘real life’ kind of twist to things so [the products] may seem more appealing because that person used it on The Biggest Loser so I will too,” says Jennings.

“There may be more of an attraction to that reality based on [the] entertainment.”

According to Jennings, another reason behind the shift toward “real” beauty may be the state of the economy.

“Particularly with the economy,” Jennings says, “we are really starting to break down some of those class walls and trying to see through lay-offs and unemployment rates being really high. So what used to be glamorous is now not so available and not so accessible at this point.”

While this sort of advertising is gaining popularity, Jennings says that it is “buyer beware” when it comes to advertising with “real” women.

“Even if [a company] puts a real person in the advertisement or a real person in the content, they are still going to [retouch the ad],” she says. “They may not airbrush it, but they are still going to put the best parts together so you see the best part of that person.”

In that respect, the Pantene ads featuring models with long shiny locks might not be so different from those with the “real” women of the Dove ads.

“To what extent is she a real person?” asks Jennings. —Rachel Podnar

An Ad in Heels She is decked out in a gothic headpiece, complete with chains across her face. She tries to strut with purpose, but trips over the long drapes of heavy fabric that conflict with the

The Contours of Advertising

A model’s ideal positioning in lighting is determined by the shape of the subject’s face infographic lisa cai, victoria reick-mitrisin

Triangular Faces

Square Faces

should be angled so attention is drawn towards the lower portion of faces.

They can be shown in any type of light.

Round Faces

should be angled to the side.

Lighting should be split so that only one side of the model’s face is shaded.

can be angled in any direction. Light should hit the model at a 45-degree angle, where the portion of the face furthest from the camera. clunky black heels she is forced to wear.

She spots her mother in the crowd but has to keep control of her emotions—she has a job to do.

Not until she is hidden backstage from her audience, which expect a solemn attitude to match the theme of her performance, can she finally let out what has been building inside of her: giggles.

Lakota West senior, Taylor Kraemer had traveled to Paris to participate in one of the modeling industry’s most important fashion shows.

This trip was mportant, not only because she was part of what is internationally known as Fashion Week, but also because if it has one purpose above entertainment, it was to sell.

Kraemer says that this “sale” is more than just putting on an outfit and walking down a

Diamond Faces

should be facing the camera with no angle. Light should be placed directly in front of the model, emphasizing the subject’s cheekbones.

runway.

“It’s like a form of theater,” she says. “You put on a big show. A lot of time and work go into those 10 short minutes.”

The 17-year-old must suppress her giggles in adherence to one of the most important facts of high fashion modeling: Do not show happiness.

“Commercial-type modeling is smiling and happy,” she explains. “That’s the main difference between commercial and high fashion because high fashion is more serious— angry faces without any smiles.”

The reason for this difference is unclear to the Ohio-born model, but she believes that it has something to do with the emotions in high fashion.

High fashion modeling is a unique form of advertising. It incorporates solely emotional

and visual appeals versus the informational and persuasive appeals found in commercial, print, online, and political advertisements.

“Very often ads appeal to the affective (emotional) component of our attitudes.

Influencing emotions is often the first step to influencing beliefs, and ultimately, behavior,” says Richard Jackson Harris, in his book A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication.

Jennings identifies the most common emotional appeal in the modeling industry as the produced desire “to be like the model and want to purchase whatever they are modeling.”

It is these appeals that, according to Kraemer, tend to “mess with people’s heads.”

“Say you’re seeing an H&M advertisement and this really pretty girl is in a cool jacket,” she says. “You want to buy it because you want to look exactly like that girl when in reality, it’s

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just a jacket.”

Jennings does acknowledge the capability of consumers to differentiate between reality and the fantastical desire to look exactly like the model viewed in the advertisement.

“I still think there is a clear separation between the product and the model themselves,” she reasons. “Logically, but maybe not emotionally.”

In order to create these emotional appeals, high fashion designers develop shows that capture the attention of their audiences, as well as the attention of the media.

Kraemer has modeled for high fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenburg, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein.

Kraemer believes that models can have a big influence, even off the runway.

“I’ll be coming off [the] set after a photo shoot wearing my everyday clothes but people will still swarm me asking where each item is from,” says the 12-year veteran of the modeling world.

However, Kraemer’s experience has been

far from average. She acknowledges that when she walked her first Fashion Week show at age 15, she was younger than most of the girls Now, after having completed her third Fashion Week tour, Kraemer reflects on her good fortune.

“No average teenager gets to travel to Canada by themselves their senior year, go to Paris, walk in some shows, eat delicious food and meet cool people,” she says. “I am really thankful for that.”

Since signing with Heyman Talent Agency at age 15, Kraemer has seen a steady increase in the frequency of her jobs.

This is partly because of the high demand for girls with her dimensions and features. But the 6-foot-2-inch blonde also attributes her recent success to an advertising cycle within the modeling industry.

“A big part of fashion shows is getting your face out there, so walking in that show puts you out onto the buzz for people to see you,” she explains. “That way you are advertising yourself to get your next job.”

Aside from the self-advertising aspect, the

psychology of modeling can be as complex from the perspective of models as well as that for the audiences.

Now more aware of fashion than ever before, Kraemer says she wants to start going to see fashion shows to experience that different perspective. She wants to find out if that gothic contraption looks as ridiculous from the audience as it feels when worn on the runway. —Megan Fogel

Generic Rebound There is an underdog story that nobody— not even ESPN 8: The Ocho—has covered.

It is not very different from the time Average Joe’s Gymnasium miraculously defeated the mighty Globo Gym in an epic 2004 dodgeball tournament. It is the battle between the unadvertised, plainly labeled generic products and the flashy, pricier name brand products.

With the economy stuck in a downturn and showing little signs of recovering, saving money is paramount and purchasing generic brands is emerging as one of the easiest ways Lakota West senior Taylor Kraemer as a model is a walking advertisement for the companies and designers she represents.

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to do so.

Thirty-seven percent of the subjects surveyed on a 2010 consumer report done by the Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research report that they are buying more store brands as opposed to eight percent buying fewer store brands than last year and 54 percent buying the same number. A similar attitude is reflected by the East population, where only 8 percent of students do not purchase generic products.

Jennings says that there is a formula for what makes people purchase name or generic brands.

“Everything has its price point,” says Jennings. “People who are more likely to buy generic brands [are influenced more by] the cognitive appeal. The price is right [for their

together, so it’s more difficult to tell if you are getting [the generic or name brand] because they look like each other.”

However, some stores do not mix these products on the same shelves. In fact, some stores do not sell brand name products at all.

Some people who seek out generic products resort to shopping at Aldi, a chain of stores with 1,000 locations around the nation and stocked with 1,400 of their most frequently purchased products, 95% of which are sold under exclusive Aldi brands. To further eliminate the costs, the stores force customers to deposit a quarter to use a shopping cart so that they must return it to get their quarter back, reducing labor. They also do not provide shopping bags for free, instead allowing

“When you travel you’ll always find a McDonald’s. It’s that comfort level of knowing exactly what will be there.” budget], and as more consumers become aware, often times the product is the exact same thing as the one that is in the nice package. It oftentimes comes out of the same company.

[The generic product] just has a different cover.”

However, generic products have been moving toward better decorated products to stand out to consumers.

“What I found recently that is especially effective with kids is store brands incorporating Disney characters,” says Jennings. “There is cheese in the shape of the Mickey Mouse ears and they put the Toy Story characters on the outside of the wrapping of bread and apples. “ According to a 1986 study by K.D. Bahn published in the Journal of Consumer Research, four and five-year-olds inferred cereal characteristics based on the character on the box. They assume that only sugary cereals targeted toward kids would have cartoon characters on them, so any cereal without a character is assumed to be for adults, and therefore unsweet, healthy, and undesirable. He also found that the products’ spokescharacter influenced the subjects’ cereal preference and choice.

Another method that has improved sales of generic products is the placement of them alongside name brand products and a greater effort to mimic the name brand products.

“Generic products used to be really generic, with white wrapping and green ribbons around them. Also, when generic products were lumped together in one isle, if you were shopping in that isle, then it was an indication that you couldn’t afford other things,” says Jennings. “But now, they are all kind of blended

customers to purchase bags or bring their own.

West Chester resident Jim Blackburn began shopping at Aldi in January 2010 following a friend’s suggestion because he was no longer working and wanted to save money. Although shopping at Aldi requires a further drive and an extra trip to get the items that Aldi does not carry, Blackburn claims that he has developed a system for what to buy, allowing his family of four to live on a fixed budget and save approximately $40 per week.

“I know what is good and what isn’t by now. At Aldi, the fruits and veggies can be old, and the chicken is just alright,” says Blackburn. “[However,] most canned and dried goods are of the same quality.”

According to the same Integer Group study, higher-income households, defined as families making an annual salary of $75,000 or more, are the most likely to purchase name brands.

But to compete successfully with cheaper, generic alternatives, many companies have to emphasize certain consistent traits that appeal to customers.

“When you travel and go to a different place, you’ll always find a McDonald’s and always know what will happen when you go [inside],” says Jennings. “You know exactly what will be there. It’s that comfort level. That’s why brand names relate [to the consistency].”

Davis tries to develop additional advantages over the competition through extensive research and unique aspects to his products.

“We spends years and years developing new products and new materials,” says Davis. “It’s an iterative process, kind of like the scientific method. We spend lots of time with the

consumer understanding what they’re looking for.”

For his job, Davis has spent 20 years traveling to 15 different countries around the world, watching people shampooing and conditioning their hair and receiving feedback to better cater to individual audiences, an aspect that generic brands cannot match.

“We have more specific formulations by region, catering to individual desires,” says Davis. “The generic product can meet the need, but we take it a step further to delight the consumer and reach the point of difference.”

The point of difference is the point at which a name brand product becomes worth the extra money and can be determined by anything from better fragrances to more attractive labels.

The generic brand will try to emulate as many cues from the original as they can, from shape to fragrance to perceived benefits, to appear as similar to the original as possible.

“To combat that, we try to be distinct. We patent the shape of our packaging and our unique graphics,” says Davis.

However, according to Jennings, this method does not always prove effective for everyone.

“Some people will say, ‘I don’t want to pay for all of the ornate packaging, characters, and fluff—I just want the product,’” says Jennings.

“It is a different approach. You’re coming from a different, wiser standpoint than trying to appeal to [consumers] through some of the peripheral cues that might be pulling them into the brand, packaging, or logo.”

It is similar to what founder of Globo Gym White Goodman once said.

“Of course you’ll still be you in a legal sense, but think of it as a thinner, more attractive, better you than you could ever become without us.” —Victoria Liang

Battle of the Sexes As a brother and sister sit on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons, the show takes a pauses for one of many advertisements.

Men’s body-wash splashes across the screen with steamy shots filming a guy and girl, engaging the young boy for the duration of the advertisement. Although the brother is captivated by the ad, his sister is seemingly uninterested. When the commercial concludes, a perfume ad begins with a woman standing in a fantasy setting, recapturing the sister’s attention and boring her brother.

Consumers remember advertisements that appeal to them. Of 461 surveyed East students, 46 percent feel they are exposed to the most amounts of advertisements through television.

The music, the setting, the models and the dialogue are what resonate with the viewers after the commercial fades out. Over time, companies have begun to realize that different sounds and sights appeal to men in comparison

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The way advertisers campaign to men and women differs greatly in colors, pictures and format.

to women, causing a sharp difference in directed advertising between the two opposite genders.

Jennings emphasizes what appeals to men and women as very different but surprisingly simple. Advertising for males consists of quicker acts, louder music and intense aggression.

“Boys hone in on these [mentioned] things,” says Jennings. “On the other hand, women tend to focus more on longer and softer shots, quieter music, and fantasy settings.”

The most common analogy of the differences between men and women advertising is Old Spice deodorant for men and Secret deodorant for women according to Davis.

“Men receive advertising differently,” says Davis, who adds that comedy is a key component in advertisements channeled toward men because they relate comedy and “good advertising,” yet commercials geared toward females have little to no comedy.

“Women respond to what is good for their families and others.”

What remains unchanged as the largest influence in advertising for men and women is the model used. The way consumers process the ads causes companies to work with the intended audience to make the product personally appeal to them.

“We do all of our work specifically within the target consumer—you have to be very

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specific. Consumers deselect very easily,” says Davis. “We were advertising a product that was specifically for consumers that had frizzy, curly hair. The piece of advertising was actually shot with a girl [the advertising team] curls were created by the advertising team. Whenever consumers say the ad, they immediately disliked it because they were like, ‘Those aren’t real curls.’”

In order to create the right advertising for a target demographic, the process involves a variety of steps for the Herbal Essences franchise at P&G. The first priority is to make sure that consumers in each country can identify with the model promoting the product. For example using an Asian woman for a product being sold in Asia to avoid consumers “tuning out automatically.” However, due to the “wider latitude” in the American market, the ethnicity of a model is not as important.

The application of specific qualities in an advertisement for particular genders occurs even in the toddler age group. In a recent study conducted by the psychology department at the University of Cincinnati, advertisements for children were manipulated in an attempt to make them more gender-neutral. The study discovered that boys pay more attention to gender cues than girls do despite the common misconception that [gender cues] are more obvious to females.

The study also had young children sort a variety of toys to determine which was

considered to be a “girl toy” and which was a “boy toy,” with the boys sorting the toys according to how they were perceived in the advertisements.

Although the brother is not attracted to the perfume ad and the sister is not attracted to the body wash ad, both are interested in finding the perfect product to suit their individual needs. As Davis compares the “seemingly unattainable” qualities of Pantene hair products to the body wash and perfume, ultimately the consumer wants to find the “gold standard” through the merchandise.

“If you see a Pantene advertisement, most people would say, ‘I would love to have my hair look like that, but it’s not going to,’” says Davis. “It’s desirable for them. [The company] puts out there, ‘This is what Pantene can help deliver.’” —Rachel Knock

A Place for Politics

“How many of you are sick from too many political ads on TV?” asked late-night legend Jay Leno during one of his nightly monologues.

A massive roar from the crowd showed that Leno was not the only one in the studio who was tired of the onslaught of campaign ads.

From Sherrod Brown allegedly letting his people down to governer-elect John Kasich caring more about Wall Street than Main Street to a congressional candidate in Florida calling his opponent “Taliban Dan,” political ads are often more an attack on an opponent than

ANATOMY OF THE SENSES infographic rashma faroqui, nitya sreevalsan, jordan wheeler

Sight Light enters through the eyes Energy is converted to pixels in the Thalamus Pixels are combined to form an image in the occipital lob

2

Smell Chemicals enter the nostrils where they are converted into electrical signals in the olfactory bulb located right under the thalamus. The signal is identified in the olfactory cortex located in the very top of the temporal lobe.

The signal also travels to the hypothalamus and amygdala, linking smell directly with emotion.

2 2 3 2

Sound Soundwaves make vibrations in the ear.

Vibrations are passed to the cochlea in the inner ear which reads the frequency and amplitude of the waves and translates them into an electrical signal. The signal travels to the auditory cortex of the brain located in the temporal lobe, which interprets it and tells the brain how to respond to sound.

Taste Ions from food are sorted into salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami on the tongue. Three nerves in the tongue carry this information to the gustatory cortex in the frontal lobe which identifies it. Like smell, also goes directly to hypothalamus and amygdada, linking taste with emotions.

4

3

3

2 1 1 1

1

1

Touch Nerve endings all over the body respond to changes in pressure and temperature. Signals are sent to the Somatosensory Cortex in the parietal lobe which interprets them

support for the candidate doing the advertising.

These advertisements are downright maddening to many, such as East Advanced Placement Psychology teacher David Vogt.

“The problem is [when candidates] blatantly lie. Maybe they’ll retract [their statement] after the campaign, but they’re never held responsible,” says Vogt. “So they could say someone’s a pedophile, so this image of someone being a pedophile sticks. Even if it’s a blatant lie, the damage has still been done—it’s a lack of integrity.”

The ability to lie without repercussions is a pitfall of political advertising that is nonexistent in the realm of consumer product advertising.

“Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [regulates] truth in advertising, [and is] all about making sure that the ad is truthful and that is not being deceptive at full disclosure,” Jennings

of the University of Cincinnati department of psychology. “That is why you see all of the small writing at the bottom, [such as]‘Batteries not included.’”

The FTC’s’ regulation of false advertising is very ineffective at times, however, according to former CNN political correspondent Brooks Jackson.

“When it comes to product advertising, there are some federal laws that offer some degree of protection,” says Jackson. “They’re not very effective, and sometimes it takes the FTC months to get a false ad off the air because there’s so many legal barriers involved. By [the time the ad is off-air], it’s done its damage.”

Compared to consumer advertisements, political advertising is a completely different ballgame. Candidates can take swings at each other without any government agency

ultimately acting as a referee. During the 1992 presidential election between George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, CNN began airing its segment on their news program devoted to adwatching and checking the validity of claims in campaign advertisements—a journalistic discipline which Jackson is considered to have pioneered. In 2003, Jackson started factcheck. org, and has directed it ever since.

“In the case of political advertising, there is no protection for the public whatsoever, and there really can’t be under the First Amendment, as the courts have ruled. In a democracy, it’s up to the voters to rule what’s true and what’s false,” says Jackson. “People think that if it’s on television it’s true, and there must be some basis for that. Sometimes [politicians] just make stuff up, say things with a grain of truth, greatly exaggerate or give a

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misleading impression, omitting or twisting certain facts.”

Vogt, on the other hand, believes that the reason people believe false or hyperbolized negative political ads is, psychologiy, rather than simple ignorance.

“I think that by nature we are insecure and fearful people, we’re looking for security and honesty,” says Vogt. “[Attack ads] play on our doubts that politicians are corrupt, and no one is countering it. It’s not about accomplishments, it’s gone to character.”

The negativity isn’t limited to political attack ads—it is present in news programming, too. “[Viewers] like news that’s more negative.

We want to know what’s wrong and what we need to be aware of,” theorizes Vogt. “I pay more attention to a show like that because it’s feeding me [information], and I need to be concerned.”

Eliciting positive emotions can also be effective for advertisers, and sometimes can be just as manipulative as negative ads. “[With] alcohol products, [advertisers]

a product that is meaningful to the consumer.

We cannot show [a demo] in an advertisement if it is not something true about the product and [cannot] be repeated over and over.”

With political advertisements often displaying misinformation, Jackson’s endeavor of exposing erroneous political advertisements has consumed him for years. He believes the battle, however, is worth every second.

“There’s no better sport for a journalist than catching a politician in a false statement and giving him the Dickens,” says Jackson.

“We live for that, and sometimes it’s too much fun. If it weren’t so much fun, I’d be retired by now.” —Kyle Morrison

Size Matters One major question a company has to ask itself before advertising is “is it worth it?”

A business has to balance the amount of money it puts into advertising with the amount of revenue that will possibly arise from doing so. Small and large companies have to use

“Even if it’s a blatant lie, the damage has still been done. I struggle with that—it’s a lack of integrity.” can’t have an ad where someone is drinking.

It’s illegal, so they use classical conditioning,” says Vogt. “They associate good times with their product. [The ads] can be hilarious, but they have nothing to do with [the] product, so they’re selling an experience.”

According to Jennings, even the very subtle aspects can have a great subconscious effect and possibly sway viewers to buy a product.

“A lot of the research on advertising focuses so much on the effective [response], so using color [and] lighting evoke a certain kind of emotion and a willingness to participate in that environment,” says Jennings. “Advertising today is much less about the cognitive aspect or telling [consumers] how many square feet a building has or the type of material.

Advertising is more about emotions.”

Although many consumer advertisements are emotionally-based, instead of cognitively based, having correct facts is still essential. If any fact in product advertising is wrong, the company could be in serious danger.

“Whenever we do a demonstration at Procter and Gamble, we have to be able to show that they are not only repeatable, but they are also representative of scientific truth,” says Davis. “Whenever we create a demo, we try to convey a message about a particular attribute of

34 | Spark | November 22, 2010

different tactics, however, in order to make the most of their advertising to maintain that balance.

Jennings believes that advertising is worth the risk, although she admits that companies will spend more on advertising than they will make in revenue.

“Far more goes out in [a company’s] advertising budget than is ever going to come back in. But if [the companies] don’t advertise, then they are going to be swallowed up by everyone that is advertising,” she says.

According to Dave Sivertson, an independent insurance agent at Cincinnati General Insurance Agency, that balance has to be something measurable, so businesses can determine which part of the advertising works.

“So my measure is if I’m going to spend a dollar on advertising I want at least a dollar in return in revenue,” he explains. “It has to be measurable, so if you’re going to do direct mail there are so many variables. So you’ve got to test all those elements and then measure which ones are working the best, because a small tweak one way or the other can make a big difference in what your response is.”

Davis also agrees that the elements that go into advertising are important to figure out how much revenue the ads need to bring in to

maintain the balance.

“The product, package, manufacturing, TV advertising, research and development and plant costs, are all things that go into figuring out the number of people you need to reach, units you need to sell and money you need to make,” he says.

The elements that go into Sivertson’s advertising are very different from P&G’s elements, mainly because of the difference in size found between the two companies. Other than himself, Sivertson only employs one person--his wife.

Because of the small size of his business, Sivertson has to be more direct and “in-yourface” with his advertising.

“You’ve got to get in front of them, get them interested, and get a response,” he says.

Like Sivertson, P&G’s main goal is to get the customer interested, so that when they go to the store and see P&G’s brand, they will want to buy it.

“What changes the buying behavior; we give [people] a reason to believe that our product fits more perfectly to [their] needs,”says Davis, who has worked at P&G for 17 years.

An ad seen in print, on a website or on TV is considered a more indirect way of advertising because the ad does not go directly to the consumer, like direct mail, telemarketing or door-to-door methods. Instead it relies on the customer to see the advertisement and remember it when they decide to make a purchase.

Siverton believes that many other small businesses make the common error of advertising indirectly, which would be more effective for larger business, but is ineffective when the brand name is not able to be recognized.

“One of the mistakes [other small business] make is they are too passive in their advertising.

They are putting their name on shopping carts [and in] commercials at the movies,” he explains. “It is all passive, brandish advertising.”

Instead, Sivertson suggests that small businesses who want to advertise take a more direct approach by having a “strong, repeatable offer” that gives the customer a sense of immediate urgency to pick up the phone and call.

Sivertson often uses coupons or offers that expire after a certain period of time to create that urgency. Referrals are also a common tool he uses to “hook people in.”

“Referrals are great because when somebody else says something good about you it’s much more valuable. It’s a real customer, a real person and real savings,” Siverton says.

“It’s going to give me a little bit more credibly and trust when it’s a [real customer] saying ‘Hey, I saved $1,200,’ and not [me] saying ‘I saved somebody money.’”

An additional strategy Sivertson uses is offering low prices, because “price is really

what gets people to pick up the phone.”

Although the low price Sivertson offers might draw in potential customers, George Parker, author of MadScam, believes that relying only on price to catch a reader’s attention can be detrimental to a business’ success in the long run.

“The least desirable scenario is one that reduces you to competing strictly on price because you have not made the effort or taken the time to succeed in differentiating yourself sufficiently from your competition,” Parker says in his book. “If you fall into this trap, it will never fail to end up as a zero sum game.

There will always be someone who can bet you on your price.”

Sivertson does more than just offering people a low price, he offers value. Once he gets a potential customer to pick up the phone and call him, he can move the consumer--who is so focused on price, that they often purchase subpar products—out of the, “price bucket,” and into the, “value bucket.”

“The initial goal is to get them to call, and then it’s a bit of a process, but unless they call

photos used with paid permission from mctcampus.com information advertising educational foundation

I have no one to sell to,” Sivertson says. “So, I’ve kind of redirected my advertising to get that price point but then also have the quality of the product.”

ago.

Davis agrees that advertising is all about getting the consumer to buy the product that is most effective in addressing his or her own

“For us, the most important thing is to get the right message to the right consumer.”

Once Sivertson has a customer on the phone, he can explain that because he is an independent insurance agent he can shop around for the customer to find the perfect policy for them. The ability to give the customer a policy that fits their needs, rather than a “onesize-fits-all” policy, is why Sivertson switched from a large insurance agency a little over a year

needs.

“For us the most important thing is to get the right message to the right consumer,” he says. “So it doesn’t have to be expensive or flashy but it has to communicate the right message to the consumer so they understand what is necessary to go to the shelf, and find the product that’s right for them.”—Reb Vachon

35 | Spark | lehsspark.org

lifestyle l fashionable student

Elegant Emma East senior Emma Augutis is more than a pretty face. She has intelligence, ambition and best of all, a fabulous fashion sense. story victoria liang | photo dan turner

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nip. With one fluid motion, nimble fingers cut and thread a needle before pulling the thread taut. Deftly they dance back and forth across the tear, leaving behind a trail of stitches so precise that it’s almost a work of art in and of itself.

This vignette is a certainty in East senior Emma Augutis’ future. The only uncertainty is whether she will be stitching skin or textiles.

Emma is torn between her two loves of medicine and fashion, but has balanced the two with her senior year courseload, which includes both Honors Anatomy and Physiology along with AP Studio Art. Despite her equal interests in both fields, Emma does not look like the stereotypical scientist. Mild-mannered and softspoken, she allows her clothes to speak for her.

Today, her willowy, graceful frame is perfectly adorned with a a chunky yellow cardigan, black and white striped tank dress, multistranded bead necklace, crochet-patterned tights and studded boots. Each carefully crafted outfit is always topped with her long, tousled blonde locks that could make Rapunzel jealous.

Currently, she cites Urban Outfitters, H&M, Forever 21 and Anthropologie as favorite stores. However, her style has progressed over the years.

“In junior high, I was obsessed with Delia’s.

You know: obnoxious, bright colors. Now my style [has developed into] more of an urbanchic look,” says Emma.

Still, Emma gives the credit to her mother, East art teacher Linda Augutis, for inciting her interest in fashion.

“By growing up with artists and going to museums, Emma was exposed to art since she was young,” says Linda. “It has shaped her into the artist she is today.”

Like the proactive student she is, Emma transcended the role of a passive observer of famous artists and instead internalized their styles, incorporating them into her own.

“I get inspiration [for my outfits] from other artists,” says Emma. “From Jackson Pollock, I get bright contrasts and unique structures. From Claude Monet, I get flowing, pastel looks.”

Another source of inspiration for Emma was her summer trip to Italy, where she was captivated by famous works of art and fashions

36 | Spark | November 22, 2010

that were “more out there” than her own, although by East standards, Emma’s style is very unique.

“My friends all know that I like to wear weird things. Once, I wore harem pants and someone asked, ‘Why are you wearing a diaper?’” says Emma.

Unlike other students who only occasionally show personality in their ensemble, Emma hopes to implement her creative ideas into an entire fashion line.

“Emma is a hard-working industrialist. She thinks ahead and has good creative vision,” says East art teacher Karen Saunders. “Her most noticeable [attribute] is that she spends a lot of time thinking [about her ideas.] I think that with her meticulous, hard-working attitude, she can do anything she sets her mind to.”

This is the exact kind of outlook suited for Emma’s broad ambitions, for which she has formulated several different plans to achieve her lofty goals. On the science side of the academic spectrum, she has contemplated going into medicine and then eventually becoming a plastic surgeon, which has an artistic element.

“I would like to work with people and make them feel beautiful,” says Emma. “It is kind of like sculpting someone.”

As for art, she originally considered focusing on either industrial or fashion design, but ultimately chose fashion.

“With industrial design, you’re designing for someone else,” says Emma. “I want to work on my own concepts.”

To hone her skills, Emma makes art a part of her everyday life outside of skill. She draws portraits for Kumon’s Art Shop at Kings Island as a summer job and creates her own art in her spare time. For art club, she created an innovative dress out of coffee filters and took a class at Dayton Art Institute which she describes as a “Teen Project Runway.”

In the near future, she is working on taking a patterning and sewing class at Sew Easy in Sharonville.

As Emma carefully stitches together her latest work, her fingers fall back into their familiar dance. The needle weaves back and forth, stitching together the fabric of her project and of her life n

lifestyle | 8 Things

Each issue, a member of the Spark discusses his or her current favorite eight items.

Trident Bubble Gum:

Blackberry Messenger:

This gum is the best burst of original bubble gum flavor I’ve ever tasted. It makes me feel like I am five years old again but at the same time it whitens my teeth.

This program is kind of like text messaging, but it has some added elements that are much more appealing. BBM indicates when your contacts have read a message, and it notifies you when they are typing back.

Cake Balls: These are a fun and innovative way to have any cake in a round shape for a convenient on-the-go snack. The simplistic recipe allows anyone to make at least 48 pieces of their favorite type of cake.

08

Sperry Top Siders: These are the most comfortable and affordable shoes I have ever owned. Every time I put them on, it is like I am saying “Hi” to my best friend.

Amazon Kindle: I was a wary of purchasing a Kindle at first, but it truly makes reading exponentially easier. The no-glare screen makes reading possible in any environment.

things of the moment

Big Bang Theory: Dr. Sheldon Cooper and company can make me laugh when I am in the worst of moods. The hilarious antics of this group of nerds make me wish I was a physicist.

CBSFantasy Football.com: During Football season, this has become my most visited website. The user-friendly site aids any NFL fanatic in setting up lineups and checking out competition. This allows me to trash talk in the privacy of my home, while still maintaining first place.

Cardigans: They are my go-to piece of clothing for the chillier months. These stylish sweaters are great to wear all day or even to just throw on when sitting around a campfire. break the bank. Cardigans are cute, available and affordable.

SARAH WILKINSON

37 | Spark | lehsspark.org

lifestyle | how to

How To: Neat, but non-distracting, hair makes for a good first impression.

Rock a Job Interview A major factor in applying for any job is the interview and knowing the do’s and don’ts of the process can be the difference between landing the job and unemployment. story justine chu | photo sierra whitlock

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A modest, but flattering outfit is a must.

Simple, black, closed toed shoes complete the look.

38 | Spark | November 22, 2010

he waits, hands poised and in her lap.

Her hair is artistically fixed in a simple updo and her clothes are flattering, not flamboyant. Her entire figure is professional, not over-the-top. Just right. She sits, and she does not fidget. Her back is perfectly straight, but her shoulders are relaxed. She listens, waiting for the next question. When she answers, she is confident, but modest. Her resumé is tucked neatly in a manila folder, which she passes to her interviewer. She aces the interview before she flies out the door.

East junior Abby Carr is job-searching.

She is not, however, hunting for the average teen’s part-time position. Carr is looking for a modeling job.

Fresh from the six-month New View Modeling Management training, where modelsin-the-making learn how to secure jobs, Carr understands that once she steps into the interviewer’s presence, she cannot make any mistakes that will cost her the position.

“An interview is [a company’s] first impression of you. The first impression in modeling is everything,” she says. “If you do not have a good one, they will not look at you again. If you fail, you don’t get a job.”

As a contingency recruiter for the Mergis Group, which aids companies in hiring employees, Tom Monroe agrees with Carr’s assessment of the importance of job interviews. Monroe is in charge of finding candidates who would fit the company’s standards. Spending his time interviewing potential employees has given him an understanding of the impact an interview.

“People [often] make hiring decisions in the first minute of the interview,” he says.

Monroe suggests that interviewees be fully prepared for the interview and have the proper mindset.

“Dress professionally, [come] well groomed and make good eye contact,” he says.

He adds that a mistake interviewees make is bringing their cell phones.

“I’ve heard of people texting and looking at their cell phones during the interview,” Monroe explains. “I don’t care what [the situation] is. [You should] leave [your cell phone] in the car, which is hard for people.”

If a candidate makes errors, Carr says that teens should remain confident and push their mistakes to the back of their minds. “[Modeling agents] are so open with

their criticisms, and [the interviews are] very mentally challenging,” she explains. “You have to be strong and keep going.”

Carr believes that energetic attitudes accompanied with a broad spectrum of activities places a candidate in the employer’s favor. She adds that interviewees should anticipate what employers expect of them and be able to adapt their answers to a specific environment.

“This is the Cincinnati market, and if you’re not happy, you won’t get any [modeling jobs],” Carr says. “Cincinnati market is smiling advertising; it’s not serious.”

California Institute of Technology freshman Gracia Ng, who worked as a Kroger bagger the summer before her senior year, says that the interview is a time for students to communicate interests to potential employers.

“For the interview, I dressed well and calmed myself down. I figured my employer wanted honest answers, not cliché, overlyrehearsed ones,” Ng says. “The manager and I found out we’d be a good match for each other.

The interview allowed the manager to have an insight on what kind of employee I’d be and whether or not my work ethic, my availability and schedule is what they needed.”

Carr encourages applicants to present themselves as well-rounded individuals who are able to balance many extracurriculars. “[Employers] really like people [who are involved in] lots of activities,” Carr says. “They like people with lots of energy.”

Monroe knows that interviewees should discuss ways that they have improved a workplace or relate anecdotes that display initiative and reliability. He also advises interviewees to go into the interviews with references.

“You want to tell stories that display your initiative and your reliability,” he says. “Don’t wait for them to ask for references; go in with references and say, ‘These are the people whom I have worked for and are willing to talk about my work ethic.’”

To leave a good, lasting impression on the employer and secure a job, Monroe says there are three specific traits that interviewees needs to possess: confidence, initiative and reliability. “[Have] confidence, but not cockiness,” Monroe advises. “Be confident to talk about what you’ve done, other jobs you’ve had where you’ve been reliable. People who are hiring part-time workers look for people who are, first and foremost, reliable.” n

lifestyle | recipe

Slicing out the Calories

Thanksgiving dinner tastes great, but the overstuffed feeling afterwards does not. Eliminating the calorie intake is simple way to put a stop to the bloated after-meal effect.

Pumpkin Pie Sans Crust

story lauren barker | photos sierra whitlock Each issue, Spark explores nutritious dining options for each meal.

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afting waves of savory scents—a roasted turkey, peeled potatoes and prepared pumpkin pie—waft from the kitchen to the halls of a home during Thanksgiving. Although the tastes and smells are enticing, the nutritional information is not.

According to the Caloric Control Council, the average prepared holiday dinner contains more than 4,500 calories. “[After my Thanksgiving meal], I feel like I am about to puke,” says East junior Sara Grayson. “During the holidays, it is hard to portion the food. It is always just one more cookie or one more serving, and by the end of the day, you are like ‘Oh my goodness, I am about to explode.’”

In order to not over consume calories during the holiday feast, but still enjoy the meal traditions, a person should carefully portion the amount of food consumed. “[Because] Thanksgiving is focused on family, we pass [the traditions] down. I make sweet potatoes the same way my grandma made sweet potatoes. But I would advocate more for moderation of food than an alteration [of the recipes],” says Shannon Friend, a mother of three. “There is a comfort in having recipes handed down [to you].”

According to Spark People, an online dietplanning magazine, the recommended serving size for vegetables is one cup. Rather than measuring each serving, however, diners can estimate a one-cup serving size to be about the size of a baseball.

“Meat portion should be the size of the palm of your hand, while a piece of bread should be about the size of a CD,” says Spark People nutritionist Tanya Jolliffe.

According to Spark People, a method to eliminate 15 to 20 grams of fat is to skin the turkey before serving it. The fat content can also be reduced by cutting down on the usage

of butter, or making crustless pumpkin pie.

“There are a lot of family traditions and a lot of family recipes. The food comes off as a special treat in many ways,” says Jolliffe.

“But you can still make modified recipes that are good and fun and make you think of the holidays.”

Friend agrees, saying that although many people think more about the feasts, Thanksgiving is still about enjoying family time and tradition.

“I have tried to instill [in my children] awhile ago that [Thanksgiving] is not about the food, it is about everyone coming together [for the holiday]. But it is nice to walk into a room and smell the turkey and casserole,” says Friend with a chuckle.

Regardless of whether or not the celebration is focused around family, food or calorie intake, Thanksgiving is viewed as a tradition honored through a meal.

“The food sets the tone for the day,” says Grayson. “The house smells like Thanksgiving and the atmosphere feels like it, too. [During] Christmas, you smell ham, [but during] Thanksgiving, you smell turkey.” n

Ingredients 1 small can of 100 percent pumpkin 2 eggs 1/2 can evaporated milk 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves 40 drops liquid stevia

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine all ingredients and pour into a pie plate or pan that has been sprayed with Pam or Crisco.

3. Bake for 15 minutes 4. Reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake additional 45 minutes.

5. Cool in a refrigerator overnight before serving

Nutritional Info Serving Size: 1/8 of a pan Servings per Recipe: 8 Calories: 57.4 Total Fat: 1.7 g Cholesterol: 62.2 mg Sodium: 194.1 mg Total Carbs: 7.4 g Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g Protein: 4.2 g

Spark

For links to find all of the Spark products as well as the recipe for cake balls, go to the lifestyle section at lehsspark.org

39 | Spark | lehsspark.org

Knits help you stay toasty when the air gets chilly, pair with rich colors for the quintensential fall outfit.

Cuddle up in thick jackets and warm fabrics this fall.

On Chelsea:

On Jalen:

fancy grey hoodie: $19.95 burnt orange blazer: $39.95 black and grey dress: $9.95 blue plaid button down: $24.95 black wool pull-over: $35.50

Baby, it’s cold outside

On Chelsea: black turtleneck: $9.95

On Jalen:

bronze skirt: $29.95 grey button down: $24.95 black sweater vest: $19.50

Fight off the freeze with metalics and clean layers.

photos dan turner | outfits hannah berling, emily merrick, lauren barker | models chelsea rice, jalen goodwin

Welcome to late autumn. The sun is warm, but the breeze is chilly. The temperatures have slowly begun to drop and the summer heat has officially begun its hibernation. Breathe in the crisp fall air, sip on a steamy drink, and listen to the crunch of the glistening leaves beneath your feet. It is a time to bundle up in ample layers. Soft wool, comfy cotton and mild flannel are the perfect fabrics for the oncoming brisk weather. The color palet of late fall incorperates easy neutrals with bursts of rich and bright colors; resulting in a beautiful blend. Enjoy the leaves drifting down before the icy snow starts falling and these trends from H&M change with the season.

40 | Spark | November 22, 2010

On Chelsea: long sleeve plum dress: $9.95

chocolate cardigan: $19.95

soft knit scarf: $17.50 On Jalen: red plaid button down: $24.95

tan vneck sweater: $29.50

fleece lined zip-up: $39.50

Spark

For links to find Spark tutorials such as “baking a pumpkin pie”, check out the lifestyle section of lehsspark.org

lifestyle | accessories

In 2004, Michelle Romero revolutionized fashion with her advanced accessory: the Miche bag.

With hundreds of cloth shells to fit one simple bag, this purse is certainly one

Modernized Miche bags come in three sizes: large, small and mini.

story brittany bennett

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very girl has a favorite purse. But it can be a hassle to find patterns and styles to match outfits or to fit the season.

Transferring the contents of one purse to a suitable bag can also be tedious, making it easy to misplace a wallet or lose car keys. But with the trendy new Miche bags, those worries are a thing of the past.

Miche was founded in 2004 by creator Michelle Romero and friend Annette Cavaness.

Romero was inspired to create the handbag when she spilled something undesirable on her favorite purse. She was frustrated with the idea of having to find a new purse and transfer the contents from her old one to her new one. At that moment, an idea struck—she would create a bag with changeable covers. Because she lacked sewing skills, Michelle resorted to taking apart the stained bag, cutting a new scrap of fabric and super-gluing it to the shell of her old purse, making the first Miche bag prototype.

Michelle showed her idea to Annette, and Michelle’s simple idea flourished into their business.

Now, picking the right Miche bag is simple.

There are five base purses: a large black, a large brown, a small black, a small brown and a mini black purse. After picking a base shell, the entire appearance of the purse can be changed by changing the outer shell. There are dozens of shells in all sizes to choose from, including seasonal shells, as well as “Hope” patterns that donate a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer research. This gives buyers the opportunity to mix and match their favorite shells to fit their personal styles.

The shells are easily interchangeable due to the magnets inside the fabric of the base that

connect to magnets on the insides of shells.

This makes switching styles quick and easy for Miche bag owners.

Miche bags can be purchased online, through distribution at select stores, as well as through “home shows,” during which a Miche bag representative displays and sells bags at parties that homeowners can host.

Miche President of Distribution Cheryl Kidwell has been involved with the company since February and has already seen the trend take off in Greater Cincinnati. Kidwell finds the small black base bag to be the most popular because most shells match it the best, while a giraffe print called “Jayma” is the most popular shell.

Although the trend has began to take off, it is currently more popular among parents then students. Only 10 percent of students surveyed at Lakota East have even heard of Miche bags.

East parent Deb Weber loves that she can change her bag based on her mood. She also notes that it is great that everything fits into one purse, so she never has to worry about not having what she needs.

“I never used to change purses,” says Weber.

“I would by a $10 purse at Walmart and carry it until it fell apart and then buy a new one. I hated always having to move things from purse to purse and I was always losing things, so I like that everything is in one.”

Due to the popularity of the bags, Kidwell currently has 53 representatives working under her distributorship and loves that Miche gave her to opportunity to provide them with work.

She feels that being a Miche representative is a good supplemental income for people whose husbands have just lost their jobs or are looking

to help make a car payment.

“This company is all about you,” said Kidwell. “You sign up, and the progress is made through your sales and your abilities.”

The benefit of purchasing Miche bags from a Miche representative at a home show instead of online is that the bags are offered at cheaper prices. According to Kidwell, the bags are priced lower at home shows, and the buyer avoids paying full-price for shipping.

Patti Kovac, who owns a small black Miche bag and nine shells, first heard about Miche bags after attending a home show hosted by a friend, and later decided to host one of her own. Kovac was introduced to Kidwell through a friend and later asked Kidwell to run the show she was hosting. At the show, Kovac and fifteen of her friends watched as Kidwell demonstrated different shells on the bags and discussed the quality of the material.

After the demonstration, they proceeded to “play” with the purses for about an hour, and party attendees selected purses and shells for purchase.

The benefit of hosting a home show is that the hostess receives special incentives based on the purchases of the hostess’s friends. A hostess can receive up to $100 in free goods, as well as some half-priced items and discounts on additional items.

At her home show, Kovac received three shells free-of-charge, as well as a percentage off her purchases. Kovac felt that having a Miche bag home show was a great idea.

“It was nice to see all of my friends and introduce them to something new,” said Kovac.

“It was kind of like finding a new restaurant and having to tell everyone.” n

photo sierra whitlock

photo sierra whitlock

Miche bags are sold in stores like Boutique Allie in Bridgewater Falls shopping center.

photo jasmine tuazon

Miche

A portion of the profits from “Hope” bags are donated for breast cancer research.

41 | Spark | lehsspark.org

lifestyle | tattoo feature

Got Ink?

Various tattoos may have special significances to their wearers.

The decision to get a tattoo is not simply about sporting a nice design; tattoos represent personality. story alexandra wilson | photos dan turner

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he sports a Clash T-shirt, waiting excitedly as she stares at a sketch.

The short-haired woman in her early twenties sits with a bored brother and worried mother, waiting for her turn to have a needle pierce colors into her skin.

Despite the approaching promise of pain, the woman is the least concerned of the group, laid-back and laughing at the tattoo artist from Tattoo Design by Dana Inc. shouts about everything from parachutes to tattoo safety.

The woman is East teacher Kathleen Foldy, who got her first tattoo at a parlor in Cincinnati, Ohio when she was 21 years old.

Foldy’s continual interest in art—particularly in tattoos—stemmed from her involvement in high school art class.

“I have always liked the idea of permanent art,” says Foldy.

Symbols are very important to Foldy; she sees each tattoo as a representation of a part

of her personality and her lasting love of art.

Foldy got her first tattoo, part of a series of spiders in a vine design, when she was 21 years old. She has expanded the tattoo over the years. Spiders symbolize creation, femininity and creativity—all important ideals in Foldy’s life. Foldy also put her astrological sign, Libra, on her foot. Additionally, Foldy has initials of an important person in her life, an Egyptian ahnk, symbolizing of everlasting life, and a big tree top tattooed on her body.

Foldy saw the tree-top design at an art museum during a trip to Budapest, Hungary in 2000. Because of her Hungarian heritage, she hoped to get a tattoo in Budapest; however, she did not feel comfortable with tattooing practices in the parlors because she was not sure about the cleanliness of the needles.

Instead, she jotted down a sketch of a painting she saw and brought it to Mother’s Tattoo Shop in Covington, KY.

Foldy heard about the parlor from a friend.

She chose this shop multiple times because Foldy has developed a trusting relationship with her artist.

“It is important to trust your tattoo artist.

You have to look at him or her the same way you look at your doctor,” she says. “You must be sure you are getting the cleanest equipment possible.”

According to tattoo artist Nathan Abney of Tattoo Designs by Dana, Inc., common sense is the best way to protect against transmission of diseases from unclean needles.

“Watch them remove the needles from the autoclave (the plastic encasing that indicates the needle is fresh),” says Abney. “As long as you can see [that] the artist is using a sterile needle, you will be fine.”

At Tattoo Designs by Dana, Inc., the artists hand out a care sheet which explains the dangers of mistreating tattoos for customers.

The Process of Getting Inked

After deciding on a tattoo, the tattoo artist sketches the pattern. He or she will scan the sketch into a thermofax, which creates a stencil that can adhere to the skin.

42 | Spark | November 22, 2010

The area that will be tattooed must be shaved and cleaned. Any follicle can become ingrown. The area is cleaned with Green Soap, some of which is left. This helps the stencil stick to the skin.

The handout suggests that people should not irritate or pick the scab of the new tattoo. It also recommends that individuals stay away from excessive sunlight and large amounts of water until the tattoo is healed, which takes about two to four weeks.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, getting a tattoo puts people at risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), hepatitis or other bloodborne diseases, but there has been no documented spread of HIV by a professional tattoo artist with experience.

Tattoos can also interfere with some medical processes like a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), causing misdiagnoses due to the iron oxide and heavy metal pigments in the tattoo.

East junior Victoria Shea recognizes the importance of paying attention to health risks related to getting a tattoo.

“This is a decision you have to live with for the rest of your life,” says Shea.

Shea got her tattoo, a half-inch strawberry near her ear on her neck, about a month after her sixteenth birthday. Just like Foldy, her tattoo symbolizes something that defines her as a person.

“When I do something, failure is not an option,” says Shea. “Strawberries symbolize passion—something I live for.”

Shea has been interested in art since about the sixth grade, like Foldy. Shea’s mother was wary at first of the idea of her daughter getting a tattoo so early in her life. However, Shea says that her mom loves the tattoo now.

In the future, Shea hopes to get a tattoo of the Chinese symbol for strength between her shoulder blades for her seventeenth birthday because it represents another facet of her never-give-up philosophy.

Shea had difficulty finding a tattoo parlor at first. Many places in Cincinnati, such as Aloha Tattoo, Mother’s and Tattoo Designs by Dana, Inc., do not tattoo minors.

Although Abney says that he has done tattoos for minors before and many of the

Above: East teacher Kathleen Foldy got her first tattoo, a series of spiders, when she was 21 years old.

Right: Two of Foldy’s tattoos shown here are symbolic of important tenants in her life. The tattoo on her right arm is a line from Anne Sexton‘s poem Her Kind. The Buddhist ohm is tattooed on her lert arm and represents the entire cycle of life.

artists in the shop got tattoos before they turned 18, he does not recommend it.

“Sometimes you can get regretful tattoos, like Taz 1983 on your butt—not that I have that of course,” he laughs.

Getting a tattoo at a young age, however, does not always result in regret. Both Shea and Foldy are completely happy with their respective tattoos.

“Each tattoo remains special to me because they all have personal meanings,” says Foldy.

The rules for tattooing minors are dependent on the shop. Shea chose Body Jewelry at the Kenwood Towne Center. To get her tattoo, Shea had to have proof of ID to

show that she was 16 years old.

Because she was a minor, she also had to bring along her mom and prove that she actually was her mother. Lastly, in order to protect the tattoo parlor she needed to sign a liability form.

Foldy says that the choice to get a tattoo represents a desire to express a person’s inner creativity.

“I never felt like I belonged. The things I am interested in celebrate the fact that I do not conform. Of course I have to work and conform to an extent, but there are two sides to the coin,” says Foldy. “To me, tattoos are an art form.” n

infographic lisa cai

The tattoo is outlined with a liner, a tool made up of five needles. The liner should not pierce deeper than a millimeter. Otherwise too much ink will get underneath the skin and result in a blow out. Due to the pain of the needle, the liner should be lifted on average every three seconds.

The tattoo is colored. This is done with a shader, a tool with a cluster of needles off the end. The basic black shading is put down first. Then the actual colors are applied. The shading is done in a small circular motion. Like the lining, the tool should be lifted every three seconds.

During the procedure, ink bubbles and blood drips, so it is necessary to wipe the area every few minutes. Ointment is applied to sooth the pain. After completion, which can take from a few hours to days, the tattoo is bandaged for up to 24 hours.

43 | Spark | lehsspark.org

N w Playing

Good Charlotte

ALBUMS:

Good Charlotte Cardiology Captol records

Taylor Swift Speak Now Big Machine

Jason Aldean My Kinda Party Broken Brow

It’s hard to take a 31-year-old multimillionaire seriously when he’s married to Nicole Richie and still complains vaguely about being stepped on by “the system.” Joel Madden, lead singer of Good Charlotte, is that person. His band’s new album Cardiology was inspired

by Blink-182, according to Madden. Quite frankly, this album sounds nothing like Blink-182, as Cardiology emulates everything wrong over a terrible overly-synthesized electronic backdrop.

The record opens up with a short, auto tuned a cappella, singing “Cardiology is guiding you and me,” and struggles to rhyme from there, using incohesive fragments about history and new technology. This achieves a tacky, unpleasant tone that resounds through the rest of the record.

The next two songs, “Let the Music Play” and “Counting the Days” show that Good Charlotte has absolutely no idea what

Kid Cudi

44 | Spark | November 22, 2010

a cliché is. Whining about heartbreak and a broken system might have gained the band popularity ten years ago, but now they are all in their 30s, have millions of dollars and have left quaint little Waldorf, Maryland behind for Los Angeles.

The record’s lead single, “Like it’s Her Birthday” tells a story of the singer’s girlfriend getting wasted and doing crazy things. This is just another indistinct, catchy song about a girl who refuses to conform to this system that Good Charlotte loathes so much. Who knows, maybe it’s about Nicole Richie.

Good Charlotte is the Anakin Skywalker of punk music—they have become the very thing they sought to destroy. They could still be considered a rock band, when they were still a company of edgy twenty year-olds hailing from a small town with a message condemning the system. The band’s most famous song, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” makes fun of the outlandish culture of Hollywood’s elite.

Now, eight years later, true to the lyrics of their hit song, all they do is complain about how hard life can be. —Kyle Morrison

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean’s newst album is Come Around safe. The fifteen songs on My Sundown Kinda Party are all RCA painfully similar to each other, but they do not live up to those on his Man on the Moon II previous album, 2009’s chart-topping Wide GOOD Music Open, which captivated country music fans everywhere.

In songs such as “See You When I See You” and “Days Like These,” Aldean shows off country boy lover persona. These songs may not be boring, exactly, but they don’t break any new ground. His lyrics seem to get cornier with every song, with lyrics such as “Let’s don’t say goodbye/I hate the way it sounds” and “This might be the heartache that don’t stop hurting.” Most of his songs are about love, typical of country music. He says “It ain’t easy lovin’ me,” but it is probably harder to listen to this album to completion, as after track two you’ve basically heard everything Aldean has to offer There are some exceptions to the mentonony of Aldean’s album, and those

Kings Of Leon

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exceptions make the album a keeper.

“Don’t You Wanna Stay” is a duet with Kelly Clarkson that simply works. It strays away from the twang of his usual singing voice, having more of a soft rock sound to it. It has obvious potential to be the next single released off this album.

“My Kinda Party,” the current single from the album, has already been a success on the radio. It’s the only song on the album that has any energy behind it. It is unlike his other songs that talk of “cornbread and biscuits” and “small town Friday nights”. It’s certainly the kind of song that showcases Aldean’s southern rocker attitude. He says, “You can be my tan-legged Juliet/I’ll be your Redneck Romeo.” How sweet.

Aldean probably could have slashed about five tracks from My Kinda Party without any of it being missed. He spends most of his time going over the same musical ground. It gets old.

Listeners have to be in the mood for his kind of party. This album will not be enjoyable for certain audiences. To his fans, it is a nice addition to his prior work, but to new fans I would recommend his older albums. —Sarah Craig

Taylor Swift “Life makes love look hard/the stakes are high, the water’s rough/but this love is ours.”

If you ask any teenage girl, she will tell you that Taylor Swift has a talent for putting to words the feelings and daydreams of hopeless romantics. Her third studio album Speak Now certainly describes how every girl feels about love, loss and everything in between.

Swift began composing songs for the album two years ago, after the release of her second studio album, Fearless. She is the quintessential romance writer—the musical equivalent to Nicholas Sparks. She said in numerous interviews that she wrote every single song on the album herself. Her music is very personal, almost like a diary entry.

This vulnerability is what makes Swift so relatable.

Swift is coming into her own as a storyteller; her songs are simple and easy to envision. In “Speak Now,” a girl interrupts the

Kid Cudi

EDitor’s Pick:

 wedding of the boy she loves before she loses him forever. She also incorporates her personal life in a few songs. “Better than Revenge,” “Back to December” and “Dear John” are rumored to be about Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner and John Mayer, respectively. Swift is making herself look like the spiteful ex-girlfriend who is still seeking revenge.

The songs on the album are varied.

Some are sweet and have more of a country music feel, with fiddles and guitars, while others are vengeful and sound more like pop rock, with slamming guitar riffs and plenty of drum beats.

She writes an exorbitant amount of songs about love and loss. She also went overboard on writing songs about men that have hurt her in the past. If she wants to become a respected artist, she should avoid clichés and start writing songs about real life instead of overly adolescent fantasies.

Despite these flaws, Swift’s album will not disappoint audiences looking for a bitter breakup anthem or an adorable love ballad. —Claire Feyche

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Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” appears to have failed.

The rapper’s sophomore album, Man on The Moon 2: The Legend of Mr. Rager, finds him returning more focused, with a style uniquely his own. Like in his first album, Kid Cudi’s style is primarily dark, finding subtle bouts of optimism.

His new-age hazy style separates him from today’s other popular rap artists. While other artists are too caught up with such clichéd topics as weed, money, and girls, Kid Cudi gives reflection on the trials and tribulations of his own life. Maybe Kid Cudi smokes weed, but he’s more worried about introspection.

This album sets Kid Cudi apart from the rest of the otherwise overcrowded rap industry. It includes an incredible 17 tracks, is broken into five acts and focuses primarily on bringing the listener into Kid Cudi’s “reality,” rather than the dream world of his debut.

Guest artists on the album, such as

Kanye West, No I.D., The Neptunes, Ratatat and Jim Jonsin add variety. They also have helped to create some of the album’s best tracks. Their presence also adds musical diversity, pushing the rap genre’s boundaries.

“Erase Me,” which features a playful Kanye West, is the album’s catchiest track.

Although West’s verses sometime feel out of place with Kid Cudi’s stand out style, the song’s upbeat tempo and clever verses are sure to be a listener favorite. The irony here is that “Erase Me”, the album’s first single, doesn’t reflect the rest of the album’s dark tone at all—at least not at face-value. “Erase Me” is, in its essence, four minutes of selfdeprecation.

“Mr. Rager” is Cudi’s attempt at rock.

Other rappers like Lil Wayne have tried it before, but unlike Wayne, Kid Cudi is at least marginally sucessful at it. Kid Cudi’s honest style still shines through the lyrics of the rock-inspired song.

Kid Cudi seems to find himself in this album. His style is more refined and consistent and his growth as a rapper is evident. Cudi remains true to himself, an honest and inspired rapper who is not afraid to blend styles and pour out his heart to his listeners. —Sarah Fanning

Kings of leon

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When Kings of Leon released their first album, Youth and Young Manhood in 2003, they had modest ambitions. All they wanted to do was get laid, smoke weed and make music. With their next two albums, Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times, the Kings continued to fly under the radar, quietly garnering critical acclaim. But following the release of Only by the Night in 2008, a commercial smash hit, they became one of the biggest bands in America. Their newest record Come Around Sundown shows the band might just be ready for their newfound superstardom.

“And the crowd began to wander, and they cried to see your face,” croons Caleb Followill on the lead single “Radioactive.”

The song is a gospel-tinged anthem, the only one like it on an album that explores a wide range of themes. The introspective “Pyro” strikes a tone reminiscent of “Revelry,” from Only by the Night, and “Mary” sounds like a pre-Rubber Soul era Beatles track.

In the latter half of the album, the band recalls their southern roots, like on “Back Down South,” a song that probably belongs on a Zac Brown Band record, and “Beach Side,” a spacey, jam-band track that verges on over-indulgent. Arguably the strongest track on the album is the transcendent, U2-style arena rocker “The Face,” which showcases lead guitarist Matthew Followill’s unconventional, reverb-laden guitar breaks.

The album keeps a consistently high energy level, mainly due to drummer Nathan Followill’s relentless, hard-charging beats and bassist Jared Followill’s fuzzy, prominent bass lines, like on “No Money” and “Pony Up.” The most pleasing aspect of Kings of Leon’s sound is Caleb Followill’s soulful, Gregg Allman-esque vocals, especially on “Radioactive” and “Pyro.”

Like The Beatles and U2 before them, what sets Kings of Leon apart is their desire to change and further their sound. They began playing unpolished rock tunes in their garage in Tennessee and are now playing the biggest venues in the world. Although they are relatively young, they are on the fast track to becoming the defining rock group of a generation. —Zach Fulcinetti

45 | Spark | lehsspark.org

Due Date

N w showing



MOVIES:

Due Date Warner Bros R 100 mins.

Megamind Dream Works PG 96 mins.

For Colored Girls

Lions Gate R 120 mins.

Paranormal Activity Paramount Pictures R 91 mins.

46 | Spark | November 22, 2010

Due Date is stupid. It’s stupid in the way that The Hangover is stupid, with its far-out plot and sophmoric humor. It makes sense, considering both movies are directed by Todd Phillips. Unlike The Hangover, however, the plot in Due Date seems to have an actual purpose, rather than just behing a vehicle from which to get cheap laughs.

Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is in Atlanta for a business trip while his wife is home in Los Angeles, five days away from having their first child. He boards the plane for his flight home when he runs into Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis). He causes the two of them to be kicked off the plane, accused of being security threats after a misunderstanding involving a Blackberry and the word “bomb.”

Because Highman’s wallet containing his license is missing, Tremblay offers to drive

him all the way to L.A. so he doesn’t miss the birth of his child. The entire movie focuses on Highman’s experience with the eccentric Tremblay as they travel across the country in both a dangerous and hilarious manner.

Galifianakis is fantastic as Tremblay, an aspiring actor hoping to make it big in Hollywood. Galifianakis is clearly the right man was cast for the role. Tremblay drives Highman absolutely insane throughout the trip, and Downey Jr. and Galifianakis clash perfectly as their respective characters, making excellent foils. Highman’s reaction to Tremblay spending $200, almost all of their money, on “medical marijuana” is priceless. Due Date is not short on action either, with plenty of crashing cars, fist fights and spitting.

Overall, Due Date is consistently funny while maintaining a decent amount of interest in the actual plot. The acting is great and the movie takes the audience on an eventful road trip, allowing them to just sit back and watch as Highman is forced to get along with Galifianakis, who clearly just wants to be appreciated. Adults may not appreciate the immature, stupid jokes, but juvenile teenagers are sure to love it. —Christian Roehm

Megamind  Many animated children’s movies incorporate the traditional struggle between good and evil. In the beginning, it seemed as though that Megamind was going to follow this common path. However, the story takes an unexpected turn of events, distinguishing iteslf from the well-trodden traditional superhero movie plot.

After countless attempts, the supervillain Megamind (Will Ferrell) finally defeats his arch-nemesis Metroman (Brad Pitt) and Metro City is thrown into chaos. Megamind is able to rule the city and do whatever his heart desires.

As expected, Megamind eventually becomes bored with being the “Evil Overlord” because he has no one to challenge him or to make being evil exciting. In order to compensate for this, he uses his mega mind to do something unexpected from an animated superhero movie—create a new superhero named Titan (Jonah Hill).

Titan is trained by Megamind, in disguise, on how to be a good superhero and fight for justice. However, this backfires when Titan realizes how much instantaneous gratification being evil can give.

Since Titan becomes the new “bad guy” and wreaks havoc upon Metro City, Megamind has a change of heart and fights Titan in a climactic final battle between good and evil in order to save the city. His romance with the local television reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tiny Fey) helps catalyze this change of heart.

The three-dimensional (3D) effects, which are prevalent throughout the action packed movie, are unlike those in most children’s movies. They create an actual 3D environment, rather than just having random things pop out of the screen.

The 3D effects can cause a slight headache by the end of the movie, but the bits of romance, comedy and sly adult humor throughout the movie make the headaches bearable. Megamind’s twist on “good v. evil” is interesting and fun to watch for the kids.

However, Megamind does not offer anything unique to its genre other than a new outlook on the “good v. evil” motif.—Shivang Patel

For Colored Girls

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picture used with permisson from allmoviephoto.com

One tragic occurrence is enough to make a movie. But the catastrophic events that take place in For Colored Girls is enough to make at least a dozen movies. The movie becomes a heartbreaking tale of several women who become connected while trying to deal with life’s dilemmas. Based on Ntozake Shange’s play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, the film explores a group of friends’ struggle against adversity.

Yasmine (Anika Noni Rose) is an independent dance instructor, who unfortunately suffers a violent rape. She teaches dance to Nyla (Tessa Thompson), a teenage girl receiving a dance scholarship to attend college. However, Nyla encounters a bump in the road when she becomes pregnant. She tries to get money for an abortion from her sister Tangie (Thandie Newton), a promiscuous young woman who is a disgrace to her mother, Alice (Whoopi Goldberg). Living in the apartment near Tangie is Crystal (Kimberly Elise), who is living with an abusive husband and two children. Crystal works for Joanna (Janet Jackson), a successful business woman having relationship problems with her husband.

The women find strength in each other, but their problems are still not solved in the end. Although the conclusion wouldn’t be considered the typical “happy ending,” it shows the support of all the women together and displays hope for the future.

Originally the play was a series of poems which are also recited during the movie.

This metaphorical dialogue may give some people the extra emotion they are looking for while others get lost in the translation. The women go into a trance and begin saying these monologues which can become difficult to understand what exactly they are referring to.

Despite this slight confusion, the movie does succeed in making the audience feel the pain the characters are suffering helping to draw the audience in. The acting was stunning, especially because these roles deal with tough issues. The movie may be depressing and disturbing, but not all movies can have fairytale endings. —Jenn Shafer

EDITORS’ PICK

Security cameras within the house capture paranormal activity occuring in the bathroom of the baby’s room.

Paranormal Activity 2 

When Paranormal Activity hit theaters October of 2009, it became an overnight horror sensation. The highly anticipated Paranormal Activity 2 doesn’t disappoint audiences. Not only is it scarier than the first movie, it also has a much more developed story line that is very connected to the original Paranormal Activity.

Paranormal Activity 2 takes place roughly two months before its predecessor. Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and Daniel (Brian Boland), his teenage step daughter, Ali, and their newborn baby live in a suburban California house near Kristi’s sister Katie(Katie Featherston),protagonist of the original movie. She and her boyfriend make several appearences connecting the two movies and enriching the experience for those who have seen the original. The best part about Paranormal Activity 2 is that the film is not only extremely creepy, but has a much more complex and well developed story line that was lacking in the original Paranormal Activity.

After their home is completely ransacked, Kristi and Daniel purchase a secutiry system to improve the saftey of their home. The security camera’s act as the eyes of the audience, capturing a series of strange occurence. Despite the fact that the entire cast is unkown actors, they do a great job convincing audiences of the reality of their situation.The horror of the movie has a slow build up.

The first 40 minutes of the movie are disappointing. Not much occurs except for story set up and the occasional

sudden noise meant to make audiences jump. However, the mood takes a sudden turn for the worse, becoming the ultimate horror movie.

The events are much more dramatic, suspenseful and disturbing than the first. For example, seeing a person be dragged down flights of stairs from the top floor to the basement, struggling and screaming the whole way down, is hard to watch no matter how hardy a viewer is. The presence of the family dog barking and growling at what appears to be nothing is something the audience can relate to, making the movie more realistic. Many teenage fans can relate to the scene where the daughter is left home alone babysitting, constantly hearing strange sounds in the dark. Somebody in the audience summed up the feelings of the movie up best with a “ah hell no” at one of the mosy suspensful moments.The movie has a few twists that will leave audiences gaping in amazement and horror. These twists are not only messed up, but they lead to an ending that is completely unexpected—perfectly tying the series together.

Paranormal Activity 2 will leave audiences fearing to be left alone in the dark. Though the first 40 minutes may ruin the overall opinion of some moviegoers, those who wait around long enough to be scared will not be disappointed.—Lucy Stephenson

47 | Spark | lehsspark.org

A Wizard’s

hp sorting the series

infographic jeff cargill, faiz siddiqui, sarah wilkinson

Top Ten Movie Moments

from a muggle

1 1. Harry fights Voldemort after Voldemort is resurrected by Peter Pettigrew (Goblet).

2 2. Hermione punches Draco Malfoy (Azkaban).

4 4. Harry and friends break into the Ministry of Magic (Phoenix).

3 3. Harry is overwhelmed when Sirius Black is killed by Bellatrix Lastrange (Phoenix).

6

5

6. Harry slays a basilisk 5. Harry saves Ginny’s life (Chamber). (Chamber).

8 8. Harry, Ron and Hermione square off in a match of wizard’s chess (Stone).

7 7. Malfoy is tempted by the dark side (Prince).

10

9 9. Harry converses with Albus Dumbledore before his mentor is killed by Severus Snape (Prince).

10. Ron and Hermione harbor feelings for one another that neither will admit (Prince). photos allmoviephotos.com

Potter Through the Ages September 1, 1998 1990

June 30, 1997

J.K. Rowling comes up with the idea for Harry Potter on a delayed train ride.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is released in the United Kingdom.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is released in the United States under the name Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone.

July 8, 1999

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is released in the United Kingdom.

July 8, 2000 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is released worldwide.

1995

July 2, 1998

June 2, 1999

September 8, 1999

Rowling finishes Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and sends it to possible publishers.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is released in the United Kingdom.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is released in the United States.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is released in the United States.

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World

289 of 461 East students surveyed believe Harry Potter has had an influence on our generation.

A World of Magic

Great Britain

France

Spain

Germany Netherlands Italy

Movie Galleons 100,000,000

900,000

800,000

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Stupefies Muggles On June 18, 2010 the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened its doors as one of the nine special theme parks that make up Universal Studios, enabling Potter fans to find all of their favorite wizarding commodities.

700,000

600,000

500,000

Butterbeer and Peanut Butter-Strawberry

400,000

Three broomsticks: stop in for a pint of butterbeer.

Full feast of fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, turkey legs, strawberry and peanut butter ice cream,

300,000

200,000

Dark Destinations

100,000

Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Goblet of Fire (2005)

Movie budget

May 31, 2007

Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince is released worldwide.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix is released worldwide.

Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Amount grossed world wide

July 16, 2005

June 21, 2003

Order of the Phoenix (2007)

The construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is officially announced

July 2, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released worldwide.

June 18, 2010

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is opened to the public.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Take a tour of Hogwarts and see some of the set locations seen on films such as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom, the Headmaster’s office, The Gryffindor’s Common Room, The Room of Requirement, the Grand Staircase, the Greenhouses, the Dungeons. In addition scenes that the cast filmed on the Deathly Hallows are viewed throughout the entire twenty minute ride.

Props and Souvenirs

Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods: It is a general gift shop offering Hogwarts souvenirs (such as clothing and stationery), replicas of props from the Potter films, and other toys and souvenirs.

Every Wizard’s Weapon

Ollivander’s: A place for young wizards to be fitted with their wands. The exclusive store only allows twenty people in at a time so they can view the moment the perfect want and wizard meet.

49 | Spark | lehsspark.org

There's Something story lucy stephenson

The Harry Potter phenomenon has had a deep and profound impact on the muggle youth.

I

t all began in 1990, when a poor British woman on a train traveling from Manchester to London had a brilliant idea.

As if destined by fate, the story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry suddenly appeared into Joanne Rowling’s mind.

As soon as she arrived home, she immediately began scribbling down her idea—unaware of the impact she would make. J.K. Rowling was writing the first installment of a series that would have a profound worldwide influence on an entire generation.

Harry has become an international icon for children everywhere. The Harry Potter series has sold 400 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 62 different languages, including Latin. Today it is hard to find a person who does not know a thing or two about or his friends, even if they have not read the books. Most people can easily identify the boy with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead as “the boy who lived”, or hewho-must-not-be-named as Lord Voldemort.

Although the Harry Potter series has had a large impact on popular culture, its greatest and most significant influence has been on the reading habits of children. For many teenagers, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first true novel they read as a child, either independently or with the help of their parents. Young readers can easily become enchanted by the fantasy with of the series says Tracey Kelly, a teacher at Woodland Elementary.

“I think it’s just a fantasy world that these kids can jump into and forget everything,” says Kelly, who has been teaching for 17 years. “That fantasy, fairytale [genre] inspires kids to read, and even write.”

The fantasy, thrill and magic of the Harry Potter books is exactly what got East senior Niki Lozier hooked on the series.

50 | Spark | November 22, 2010

“I love all things Harry Potter. It’s the ultimate story of good vs. evil. Yes, the movies are awesome, but the books are at least 20 times better,” says Lozier. “To this day, I still pick up the Harry Potter series and re-read the books. They are the type of books that keep you on the edge of your seat, cheering the entire time for Harry and his buds to overcome Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter got me to love reading.”

The Harry Potter series has been praised by many to create a love of reading among children. In fact, The Kids and Family Reading Report, released in July of 2006, showed that 51 percent of Harry Potter readers ages 5 to 17 say that they did not read books for fun before they started reading Harry Potter. This was a national survey comprising of 500 kids, 5-17 years old, and one parent of each child interviewed, for a total of 1,000 people. 89 percent of the parents agreed, saying that the series has helped their child enjoy reading more. The study even showed that 65 percent of teenage Harry Potter readers say that their academic performance has improved since reading the series, with 76 percent of parents agreeing. Dr. Lori Campbell, an English professor at the University of Pittsburgh, says she has seen Harry Potter’s effect on a child’s love of reading “first hand.”

“The books definitely get children started toward thinking that reading is worthwhile, and then they go on and look for other books that they’ll like just as much,” says Campbell, who specializes in fantasy literature and mythology.

Lozier is a perfect example of the effects of Harry Potter books on a child’s reading development. Her mother began reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to her and her sister in second grade, and from there she began reading the series by herself, with Harry

hp

About Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets being the first “real” book she read by herself.

“Being as young as I was, I think Harry Potter was probably a little advanced for my reading ability. However, reading it certainly helped me develop my reading skills. Harry Potter was such an entertaining series that I always wanted to read it. I was never bored,” says Lozier. “Reading books like Harry Potter helped me realize that reading was fun. This might be an exaggeration, but if I did not begin to read Harry Potter at the age that I did, I probably would not enjoy reading to the extent that I do now.”

However, the Harry Potter fan base is not limited to children. As they grow, the kids begin to understand the inner-workings of the story and start to see past the wands and spells. As Harry grows up and matures through the stories, readers are doing the same. Harry, Ron, Hermione and all the other characters face the same basic issues that everyone faces in adolescence.

“The books have relatable characters. Even though the situations often include magic, the novels are set in a version of our own world and the experiences are human experiences,” says Campbell. “[Rowling] just adds magic and exaggerates the experiences any boy or girl would go through as they go through school and try to find a sense of identity.”

Kelly agrees because “Harry is a kid that all kids can relate to.” As a third grade teacher, Kelly has very few students who are mature enough as a reader to read a Harry Potter book independently. But, she does have one student who begged her to let her borrow Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and subsequently “read that thing cover to cover.”

“I would never say to a student ‘No, you’re not allowed to read

sorting the series

that book.’ They can have at it, as long as their parents are okay with it,” says Kelly. “You want kids to have a love of learning. The worst thing a teacher could ever hear is ‘I hate to read.’ So if you have a kid who is a higher level reader and all you have are Magic Tree House books, and they want to expand…there isn’t a teacher on the planet who would say no.”

Kelly suggests that Harry Potter would be a great first novel for many fourth and fifth graders. Every Harry Potter book has a storyline much more complex not only with more extensive characer development, but also more mature themes that are not present in several elementary school novels such as the Magic Tree House series. Even with the heavier topics, Rowling is able to mix in enough fantasy to keep young readers entertained.

“I think that Rowling does a great job using conventional fantasy elements to create an original story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking,” says Campbell. “The books are funny, but they also dig into serious issues such as class consciousness, prejudice, politics, and all of the issues typically involved in growing up and finding your place in the world.”

This hook of magic and imagination draws in young readers, while developing their reading levels through more advanced literary techniques. Harry Potter is not just a pop culture trend with a passionate fan base—it has proven to help kids to learn to love reading and to help them grow into mature readers.

On Nov. 18, it is guaranteed that the Rave will be packed with numerous fans waiting for the midnight premier of the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment of the series. Even though Harry’s story is over, the boy who lived will continue to inspire reading for generations to come.

^

According to A Spark survey of 461 East students...

48 percent have read the Harry Potter series 22 percent

have attended a midnight premier of a Harry Potter movie 51 | Spark | lehsspark.org

bob

dylan mythical creature

story tyler kieslich | art daham marapane

M

argie McDowell is a nice lady. Right now she is selling me potato chips in a Walgreen’s just south of the bubbling cesspool that is the Ohio River. Just up the road sits Northern Kentucky University, which is quaint and quiet, if not a little unassuming.

“You goin’ up to the concert tonight?” she asks me.

“Oh, yeah,” I tell her. “Are they expecting a big crowd?”

“Well, I’ve never seen the place in such commotion!” she exclaims, her kind eyes bright behind thick spectacles. I look out the window and I can make out the Bank of Kentucky Center, where Bob Dylan will be playing in a few hours. I might have seen one car, and it might have been lost. Either way, the place isn’t exactly in an uproar. I give her that polite little nod and smile, which is probably terribly condescending, and hand her $2.50.

“Well, you have yourself a good night,” she tells me as I’m heading out the door.

I make my way up to the arena, and there are maybe 20 people standing in line outside the door, but still, isn’t this Bob Dylan? Don’t people come out in droves for this guy? Isn’t he the “poet laureate of rock n’ roll”, or something? Hey, what do I know, I’m just a journalist.

I’m trying to find my way to the box office, and some guy asks me if I need tickets, and I tell him no thanks, and then I walk five more

52 | Spark | November 22, 2010

feet, and some guy asks me if I need tickets, and I tell him no thanks, and then I walk maybe another five feet, and some guy asks me if I need tickets, and I tell him no thanks. Apparently I was covering the first concert in the history of mankind that had more scalpers show up than attendees.

Regardless, I found the box office and asked for my press credentials, which I had been told were left for me there.

“I think you have to go around back for those,” the woman behind the glass screen tells me. “Cheryl! Press credentials are around back, right?”

“Uh, I think so,” says Cheryl.

“Yeah, you’re going to need to go around back for those,” the woman tells me.

“Where?”

“Around back, where they’re loading everything.”

So I go around back, where the tour buses are parked and roadies are scattering to and fro, carrying equipment this way and that. There’s an open door back here, and I assume this is what the ladies at the box office were talking about, so I walk in.

“Uh, kid, what are you doing?” I turn around and see one of the roadies, a cigarette drooping carelessly out the corner of his mouth, looking at me like he might want to maim me.

“Press credentials, right?” I ask, trying to sound like I know what I’m talking about.

“What?” He had no idea. This was my opportunity.

“I’m with the press. Where’s Bob?” “Uh, Bob’s not here,” he says. “And he doesn’t want to talk to you.

Bob doesn’t like people.”

I notice he’s wearing a tank top, which seems inappropriate, considering it is November. I also notice his large biceps and his thinning patience with me. I might have one more shot at this.

“Well, where is he? I just have a few questions—“ “Seriously, man. I work for the guy, I’m on the road with him, and I don’t even see him. For all I know, he shows up five minutes before the show and leaves right after.” The roadie seems to be about done with me, so I get out of his way and head back around front.

I sort out the little misunderstanding with the ladies at the box office, whom I’m later told are “new and easily confused,” and get my credentials and start to head inside when I’m stopped by a security guard. He points to my camera bag.

“No cameras,” he says.

“Oh, I’m here with the press. Can I just— “ “No cameras. Bob doesn’t like them.” I shrug and decide that a concert without a camera is better than no concert at all, and I run back to the car to put it away. When I come back I’m allowed inside and the place is starting to fill up. I see a guy in a leather jacket and the balding remnants of a mullet and overhear him talking.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve been following him since he played Kalamazoo, I always do this when he hits the Midwest…” Close by there is a group of ladies talking. They look like they could have come here from knitting club, and the argument is getting fierce.

“I’ve always said it, Denise. He peaked with Freewheelin’.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love that record, but how can you not go with Highway 61? It changed everything!”

I chuckle and move on, excusing myself as I step on the back of someone’s shoe. The place is packed now, most of the crowd proudly wearing the tacky and overpriced t-shirts available for purchase at the table just past the concession stand.

I try to find someone who works here, someone who can lead me backstage, or at least to an open door I can sneak through to hijack an interview. I’m still holding onto the last shreds of my fraying hope.

Most of them just laugh, or don’t know, or tell me that “Bob doesn’t do interviews.” I find a guy in a suit, and decide that he is probably my best shot, so I tap him on the back of the shoulder.

“Hm?” he says, turning around.

“Hi, yeah, I’m here on a press credential,” I say, showing it to him, “and I’m wondering what the procedure is for backstage access?”

“Yeah,” he says, “I don’t think there is backstage access for this concert. He doesn’t like to be around people, I’m told. I’ve been here all day and I haven’t even seen him. We’re actually not entirely sure where he is.” The man in the suit laughs.

“Does this guy even exist?” I ask. I am getting the impression that Bob Dylan is Bigfoot, that he hides out in the woods somewhere until it’s time to come out and play a few songs. Those of us that hunt him are only allowed quick glimpses and speculation.

“What?” he asks.

“Never mind,” I say. “Is there any way I can get back there for someone else?” Maybe I could talk to the drummer or something.

“We were explicitly told to not let anyone back there. I’m not even allowed back there, and I’m in charge!” he laughs again. I nod, and I decide to go down to my seat, as the concert is about to start.

I take my seat, and somehow I’m in the third row, and the lights dim and then they explode, and there is Bob Dylan and he is standing behind a piano. He tips his fedora to the crowd, and then the band kicks into “Rainy Day Woman #12 and 35.”

Sometimes I forget that Dylan is the same age as my grandfather and not that young folk singer you see in pictures, the one who roamed around Greenwich Village chasing Woody Guthrie while the rest of the world stood and watched. His hair is the same but it is fading and gray. His face is etched with many more lines and his voice is about a hundred times raspier than it was when he first sang “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Still, he is charismatic as ever, and the audience is glued to him as he insists that “everybody must get stoned.”

Next he goes into “It’s All Over, Baby Blue,” which is probably the best song he ever wrote. On the record it’s a slow and haunting ballad, just Dylan and his guitar, but now he plays it with a full band. There is somebody playing a steel-string guitar and they sound like The Byrds. Dylan is Gram Parsons, if Gram Parsons was Jack Kerouac dressed like a Spanish matador. It’s incredible.

At one point Dylan moves to guitar, and a spotlight shines directly on him. His silhouette towers on the wall behind him, the shadow 20 feet tall and looming over the crowd like the Jolly Green Giant. It seems like a fitting metaphor for a man that truly is larger than life, if anyone deserves such hyperbole.

The rest goes on like this, with Dylan going through all of his classics while pretending he is playing them with a country band.

During the eleven minute epic “Desolation Row,” the people behind me, who are enjoying a whole host of different adult beverages, start yelling every line up to Dylan just before he sings it.

“Hanging!” they yell, drunk. “…they’re mailing postcards of the hanging…” Dylan sings.

It was cute at first but it’s quickly getting old, and now they’re stumbling all over me and asking me what I think about the Pittsburg Steelers. Somebody says something to a security guard and a couple songs later the drunks are escorted out.

The two hour set comes to an end much too quickly. The crowd yells and cheers for an encore, and the band comes out and plays “Like a Rolling Stone.”

When Dylan played the song in 1966 he did it with all the terrible beauty of youth. When he said he was on his own with no direction home he meant it, he was angry, he was looking for someone to blame.

It was all about lost identity. Now, here in 2010, backed up by all that twang, and no longer able to yell like he did without coming up for air, Dylan makes “Rolling Stone” into something more reflective, like he’s looking back on everything and saying he’s moving on. How strange it must be, to at 70 say the same words you wrote when you were 25 but have their meaning be so different. The song comes to a close, and Dylan rushes off the stage. He is back in the bus, a flash in a pan, disappearing into the unknown until the next show, where he will do it all again. n

“And he doesn’t want to talk to you. Bob doesn’t like people.”

53 | Spark | lehsspark.org

A

pril 11th, 2007, the day Kurt Vonnegut died, was one of the worst days in American history. One of the most intelligent, insightful and all-around incredible writers in America died, and I never got to meet him. He could have at least had the common courtesy to live until I got to talk with him for about eight hours, after which he would be free to jump out a window, if he had felt like it.

But Kurt’s up in heaven now, and the last thing he left us was Armageddon in Retrospect, a collection of short stories and essays about war. It focuses particularly on the second big one, the one that Mr. Vonnegut happened to be in, though he spent it as a prisoner of war in Germany, working to clean up the hundreds of thousands of human bodies left in the aftermath of the Allied bombing of the city of Dresden. Something like that tends to lead one towards pacifism.

So, sometime when he wasn’t writing Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut decided that he was going to write about the horrors of war from the viewpoint of an American POW in the ruins of Dresden. Hence, four of the 11 stories are about just that, and one of them, “Just You and Me, Sammy,” is terrible. It’s not poorly written. It’s just hateful. In a book where most of the stories are parables about how terrible and dehumanizing war is, or how it leaves everyone who survives it bitter and hateful, this story is about how the narrator killed that goddamned Kraut. Maybe I misread, or maybe Kurt Vonnegut really hated Nazis, but the story just does not gel with the rest of the book. Hating Nazis is reasonable, but the story never suggests that the Nazi spy the narrator kills had really done anything at all to deserve it.

The abject, amoral hatred of the story jars considerably with the hopeful one about how great and non-violent the future is, or the one about a father trying to teach his son that cool things like guns and tanks are not cool.

Obviously, one off story is a minor complaint, because “Spoils,” another one of the “American-POW-in-German-prison-camp” stories, made me weep openly in public. The Road couldn’t make me cry. Requiem for a Dream couldn’t make me cry. To draw tears from me, you either have to not return my affection or be really moving.

It’s a really well-written story, is what I mean.

“Wailing Shall Be in All Streets” also deserves a mention, because it’s a nonfiction essay about Vonnegut’s reflection on being an American POW in a German prison camp, particularly the absolute horror of Dresden, “the most beautiful city in the world,” being reduced to a corpse-ridden cinder.

Plus, the title story is hilarious and weird and Vonnegutian, if that’s a real word yet. And whoever arranged the book to put it at the end deserves a medal, because it immediately puts any reservations about the collection out of mind, at least until you realize that the other stories are not nearly as good as it is. The story, about a dumb Texas oil baron pouring billions of dollars into discovering scientific proof of the Devil causing mental illness because he read a book by a crackpot psychologist, is the sort of thing people love Vonnegut for, and it’s filled with lines that will inevitably be quoted by some Midwestern pseudo-intellectual.

If you take into account that the transcript of Vonnegut’s last speech is in the book, as well as a previously unpublished letter that he sent to his family after World War II ended, Armageddon in Retrospect is clearly not for the kind of person that doesn’t wish to purchase T-shirts featuring Vonnegut’s art for the easy price of $20, now available at vonnegut.com. Most of the stories in the collection are just all right or bad, but it’s against my better Vonnegut fanboy instincts to recommend not buying this literary epitaph. At least not until you’ve read Slaughterhouse Five. —Zach Armstrong

Armageddon in Retrospect author kurt vonnegut publisher g.p. putnam’s son pages 234 cost $12.82 paperback

55 | Spark | lehsspark.org

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sports | inside east sports

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1—Senior Patrick Henry intercepts a pass as the Hawks go 9-2-5 on the season. . 2— Senior Nathan Hankins boots the ball past two defenders near the goal 3— Senior Ben Slageter lunges for the ball in the Hawks 2-1 loss to Walnut Hills on Oct. 16.

Finding Unity on the Pitch The East Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team has consistently been ranked in the city and state, despite injuries to key players. story drew souders | photos eric muenchen

A

roar rises the opponent’s stands as the final whistle blows. Players on the field cheer, jumping into each others’ arms and forming a bright yellow circle around junior Aaron Gatio, thanks to his goal four minutes into the second half of the game, Moeller seized the Division Championship and will be heading on to the state tournament.But not everyone is happy.

Lakota East players brush the dirt off their knees and make their way over to the sideline.

Tears well up behind the eyes that stare blankly forward, avoiding the golden flashes of jerseys that dance across the outskirts of their vision.

Like a splash of water, it hits them—it is over.

The 2010 season has ended. The state championship title that the team has worked so hard for is now out of reach. For nine of the 11 players on the Thunderhawk’s starting roster,

Bloomberg recalls that the ranking, along with a couple of strong wins in scrimmages before the start of the regular season, led to high expectations for the Hawks.

The varsity team lived up to the hype during the first part of the season. East remained undefeated throughout its first eight games, breaking its winning streak after a 2-1 loss to the Fairfield Indians. In the tournament, East produced three to move them on to the district championship against Moeller.

East’s road to districts was not easy as the team often had to compete without the aid of a few of its key players. Seniors Patrick Henry, Troy Ward and Phil Rawlins all had to play at points throughout the season despite injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), ankle and back, respectively. Ben Slageter, a midfielder with 11 goals on the season, also had to play

A small breakdown in the defense led to a loss against the Moeller Crusaders, ending a season of hard work and large success for the Hawks. But according to the seniors, the team will not let this small breakdown define the entire season.

The squad has instead chosen to remember the effort that the players have put forth and the relationships they have made through playing the sport that they share a mutual affection for.

“We’re all pretty much like one big family,” says East senior Phillip Rawlins, who had five goals and 12 assists on the season.

The “family-like” atmosphere between the seniors has been constant throughout the 2011 season. The squad has participated in team breakfasts organized by the parents along with other social events, including an impromptu pizza party at coach Danny Landrum’s house after a practice was cancelled due to rain.

Gatherings were not only reserved for the seniors, however.

“It’s not like we divide it into seniors and juniors—we don’t see it like that,” says Rawlins.

“We see it as who’s the best, who can play.

When I think of Hunter [Booth] and Elliot [Ludlow], those are two people that I want to play with.”

Landrum says that he will miss this kind of camaraderie more than anything after this year’s seniors head off to college.

“I felt that we were the best team in Cincinnati, but our lack of success wasn’t for the boys’ lack of effort,” says Landrum. “The biggest disappointment of all is that it comes to an end.” 

“Every game in the tournament could [have been] the last competitive soccer game I ever [played].” the cold, rainy day could mark the end of their athletic careers.

“Every game in the tournament could [have been] the last competitive soccer game I ever [played],” says East senior Eric Bloomberg. “I always have that in the back of my mind.”

The defeat to Archbishop Moeller comes after a strong, eventful season for the Hawks.

East came into the fall ranked in the top five in the area according to Greater Miami Conference (GMC) pre-season polls.

through a hurt groin.

To overcome these problems, varsity coach Danny Landrum made sure to implement a strict practice regimen. “[Danny] cares about us, but shows it by pushing us to our limits every day,” says East junior Hunter Booth. “We’re not afraid to go at each other when we’re playing bad.”

But even preparation could not prepare the boys varsity soccer athletes for their district championship game.

57 | Spark | lehsspark.org

sports | briefs

ast Football ended its season at Lakota West on Friday with a 7-27 loss, finishing the year with a record of 3-7 in the first season under Coach Rick Haynes.

“I’m obviously not happy with a 3-7 record,” said Haynes. “But for the first year under the new system, I think the guys handled it well.”

The Thunderhawks will bring back a number of starters for the beginning of the next season, including both quarterbacks, sophomore Rob Harpring and junior Trevor Huizenga. Both were in the top three in quarterback rating in the GMC, with ratings of 143.3 and 155.6 respectively.

“We have to continue to work hard to compete in such a tough league,” said Haynes.

With the JV football team achieving a 5-5 photo eric muenchen

Soccer

Sophomore midfielder Brooke Huber dibbles down the pitch against Middletown.

Spark

Football

T

he East girls’ soccer team adopted a new motto this season.

“It’s not the first to one,” said first year East girls’ soccer coach Amy Kreider.

She means that just because the other team had scored the first goal, it had not necessarily won the game. The squad used this statement to keep itself mentally focused after the opposition jumped to a quick lead, both on the scoreboard and in the win-loss record.

The team had a final record of 4-13, 3-6 in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC).

“They came out and competed in every match,” said Kreider.

Senior defender Alex Ancona agrees.

“We did better in the end,” said Ancona.

Ancona shared the team lead in goals with

in East history.”

With a postseason win over St. Ursula, the season was full of achievement.

Varsity head coach Casie Garland said that she is very satisfied with the efforts of her team, but will be sad to see the two seniors leave.

The graduating seniors are Stephanie Gregory, to whom Garland referred as “the heartbeat of the team,” and Samantha AlBayer, whom Garland called a “great leader and a respected volleyball player.”

But no matter what losses the Thunderhawks endure, the team remains confident about its capacity for success during the next season.

“Next year will definitely be our strongest season yet,” said Evans. “We’re still really young. Our talent is so deep in the team.” n —Scottt Koenig

two, while also adding three assists.

East sophomore midfielder Andi Felix coled the team with two goals of her own.

“We have a lot of talent. With a new coach it’s a lot different [than last season],” she said.

The Hawks ran a stopper-sweeper defense as opposed to last year’s flat back defense.

“Next year, we hope to have a winning record and compete for a GMC championship,” Felix said.

Leading the team to a GMC championship will be a challenge for Felix and the rest of the squad, considering they finished seventh out of ten GMC teams this season.

“Next year I think it will be easier for us to accept changes and play to our full potential every game,” Felix said. n —John Grasty photo eric muenchen

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s the 2010 Lakota East Women’s Varsity Volleyball team reflects on the successes of the past season, players keep their heads held high for next year.

The Thunderhawks ended their season with an overall record of 18-7, 7-2 in conference.

Despite the tough loss to Lakota West to cap off the season, the team had several big wins and made a great deal of progress, as the quality of their victories increased this season.

“The season started out okay, but as it went on we progressed a ton,” said Evans. “We’ve come together a lot.”

Fellow sophomore Madeline Garda also recognizes the accomplishments this season.

“This year was a big success,” said Garda.

“We’ve made it further than any team ever has

record, senior captain tailback JD Whetsel sees a bright future for the Hawks.

“We have a great coach and a great system,” said Whetsel. “We have a bunch of good guys on the team, and I wish them luck for the years to come.”

Whetsel led the team with 1,222 all-purpose yards. He also added three touchdowns.

“This year was pretty successful,” said sophomore center Johnny Detherage. “I’m looking forward to making the playoffs by senior year.”

Following the loss to Lakota West, the Thunderhawks will play with a chip on their shoulder next season, according to Dethererage.

“I plan on never losing to West again. Ever,” he said. n —Brett Colburn Senior captain J.D. Whetsel evades a defender.

photo eric muenchen

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Hawk Briefs

Volleyball Girls’ varsity volleyball poses after their first district championship win.

Check updates of East winter sports throughout the season and read the results of every East-West classic, including the volleyball battle at Tippacanoe at lehsspark.org

TICKER: GIRLS’ BOYS GOLF—Fourth GMC score TICKER: SOFTBALL­— in Tied for average 2nd in GMC

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n GIRLS VOLLEYBALL—Ashley eighth in GMC kills per game BOYS’ TENNIS— First in GMCEvans n

East Tennis Falls in Second Round story mike sell | photo eric muenchen

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ast sophomore Taylor Holden and senior Carolyn Pitman experienced déjà vu as they strolled down Main Street. For the second year in a row, the East varsity athletes were sent off to state girls’ tennis tournament.

The two qualified as the number two seed in the city after undefeated seasons.

In the first round of the tournament, the doubles team faced off against the team from Cleveland’s Westlake High School and won easily 6-2, 6-2.

The second round would not be as easy.

East got a tough draw, matched with the number one team from the Columbus area, Dublin Jerome. Sophomores Lauren Bellinger and Sarah Stein came out very strong for Jerome in the first set, winning 6-3. “[Bellinger and Stein] came out very energetic,” says Barnes. “They were one of the best high school doubles teams I have seen, especially being sophomores.”

Pitman and Holden responded to their first set loss, winning the second set 6-2.

Momentum was not enough, however, as the Hawks lost to the Columbus team 5-7.

“It’s been a tremendous season,” says Barnes. “Carolyn and Taylor played their hearts out and they have a lot to be proud of.”

The 2010 state tournament was not the first time that Holden and Pitman had been paired up. Along with experience in last year’s state tournament, the doubles team also placed second at the Ohio Valley Midwest Qualifier during the 2010 season. Experience working together in these events helped the girls gel

A look into the lives of East athletes

Taylor Holden and the Thunderhawks remained undefeated this season against Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Holden played second singles against Dominique Baxter and won 6-1, 6-0.

and prepare for the post-season.

Despite a disappointing performance in the state tournament, the two varsity leaders led their team to a successful regular season.

Pitman was undefeated before her loss to West’s Brooke Broda in the finals of the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) tournament.

East sophomore Taylor Holden also had an undefeated record during the regular season.

Her win against West’s Nicole Soutar in the second singles finals helped get valuable points for the team.

“After winning my match I just felt like a star,” says Holden. “I had butterflies in my stomach the whole day.”

With the GMC championship under their

belt, the Pitman-Holden combination then advanced to the Sectional Tournament. The girls easily rolled over the Mason Comets in the finals with a score of 6-1, 6-1.

The first round of the District Tournament proved to be equally successful for the Hawks.

The team rolled over Ursuline’s Sabo and Egan in the semifinals, winning 6-2, 6-1. The pattern of success, however, did not translate to the finals, where East fell to Komal Safdar and Mehvish Safdar of Ursuline. The 6-7, 4-6 loss still earned the Hawks the second seed in the city moving into the state tournament.

“This is one of my favorite teams I have ever played with and everyone got along,” says Pitman. “It was one big family.” n

HAWK CULTURE Alex Espinoza VARSITY SWIMMING

infographic natasha rausch

Rob Harpring VARSITY BASKETBALL

Anna Star VARSITY GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Sofey Fugate VARSITY GIRLS’ TENNIS

Danielle Favors VARSITY CHEERLEADING

Kyle Souders VARSITY BOYS SOCCER

Favorite Disney Movie?

SPACE JAM

LITTLE MERMAID

WALL-E

CINDERELLA

POCAHONTAS

ALADDIN

REGGIE BUSH

PETER CECH

MICHAEL PHELPS

Favorite Athlete?

MICHAEL JORDAN JENNA HAGGLUND NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Dream Vacation?

CARIBBEAN

ANY BEACH

AUSTRALIA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

AUSTRALIA

BAHAMAS

Best College?

AUBURN

ALABAMA

BALL STATE

OHIO STATE

DUKE

MICHIGAN

Jersey Shore or Glee?

JERSEY SHORE

GLEE

JERSEY SHORE

JERSEY SHORE

GLEE

JERSEY SHORE

n GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY—Kelly seventhnin GMC FOOTBALL—Stephen Sensel second GMC receiving yards BOYS’ BASKETBALL— First in GMCBurrows for rebounds BOYS’nBOWLING— Mitch Geers 2nd team all in GMC

sports | feature Senior Michael Boyd is ready to impress scouts and work with his teammates for the first time since his sophomore year.

60 | Spark | November 22, 2010

“play I just want to

the game”

After suffering a leg injury that benched him from two sports in his junior year, East senior Michael Boyd is determined to make an impact in his final season. Boyd is not concerned with missing a season crucial to college offers, but about being a bystander to a sport he has played all his life. story devin casey | photos eric muenchen | infographic devon lakes

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he sun pierces through the blinds and creeps into the room on a Saturday morning in September.

He casually rises and pulls the blankets away, which are still dampened with sweat from last night’s game. The athlete sighs while rubbing his eyes—he is still bitter about being benched late in the third quarter. With a whole day off, he wastes no time in getting ready as he swings his legs over the cold mattress and walks towards his closet.

He screams in pain and stumbles back into his bed.

“Mom!” he shouts, clutching his leg. “Get the crutches!”

His mother runs into the closet and rummages around for 15 minutes before finding a pair of crutches last used on a sprained ankle his brother James had in elementary school.

“It hurts really badly,” he says. “Now I am positive I am not playing football again.”

Senior Michael Jordan Boyd spent the rest of that day early in his junior year on the couch while his mother called the nearest orthopedic surgeon to examine his torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). While Michael was dreading returning to school on Monday, he could not help but reminisce about the prevous night’s game at LaSalle.

“It was a simple option play and all the receivers were covered so I decided to tuck it and run,” he says. “The only defender ahead of me was a short guy so I knew he was going to hit me low.”

Michael leapt for the end zone and picked up six points. But he could not pick himself up. The crowd gasped while he stayed on the ground.

“It was not like Michael to stay down after a hit,” says Tracy Boyd.

“I knew something was wrong, but I did not know it would be this bad.”

After limping to the sideline and talking to the trainer, Michael was benched the rest of the game, still unaware of the severity of his injury.

“It was only the third week of the season. I did not know how bad it was,” says the varsity quarterback. “I just wanted to play with my teammates.”

His mother walked into the room to inform Michael of his orthopedic

appointment on Sept. 21. Michael filled his time doing homework and watching his favorite sport on TV—basketball.

Normally Michael would be playing rather than watching. His brother James and his father both played basketball in college, which propelled his love for basketball beyond football. He has played varsity basketball at East since his freshman year he finished third in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) in assists per game and was eighth in free-throw percentage. Michael has led the Thunderhawks in both categories since his freshman year, while being third on the team in points per game.

Several universities noticed Michael’s talent and tried to recruit him through emails and phone calls since the end of his sophomore year. “[The first call] was really exciting,” says Michael. “I was a young guy and I could not believe I was getting calls from my favorite schools.”

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) was the first to call Michael, and ever since he has wanted to attend the university to play basketball like his brother, Cordale, who plays collegiate basketball in West Virginia.

Michael had an abundance of unread emails from other schools, as well, because offers were the least of his concerns even after his injury “I was not nervous about colleges not calling or making offers [after the injury],” he says. “I know our coach (Wally Vickers) has connections and we are already seeing scouts coming to our practices and pre-season camps. I understood that the injury would get out to the colleges, but I just wanted to get back out on the court and play the game that I loved so much.”

The next week at his orthopedic appointment, Michael found himself on a stretcher headed into surgery at 6:30 A.M. A few hours later, Tracy

61 | Spark | lehsspark.org

ACL Anatomy

Photo used with written permission of Cincinnati Orthopedic

sports | feature

There is extensive swelling and a feeling of instability.

The audible crack occurs at the time of the injury, which is repaired with screws in surgery.

Positive signs in the anterior drawer test and Lachman’s test.

Michael Boyd’s MRI of his torn ACL, taken Sept. 14.

came into the recovery room to find Michael lying on the stretcher in tears while being consoled by the physician’s assistant.

According to Michael’s nurse, Lola Jones, seeing an athlete break down was a typical occurrence when working with sports injuries. She blames the outbursts on athletes holding in their emotions for too long.

“It did not even hurt [after the surgery].The nurse was telling me I broke down because I was holding in all my emotions. I was heated. I knew this meant I could not play basketball,” says Michael, pointing to the three-inch scar on his left leg.

For the next eight days that Michael missed school, he “buckleddown” on school work, which friends and teammates brought to him.

The first day after the surgery, Michael was greeted by senior teammates R.J. Leppert and Jalen Goodwin. The two basketball players were gripping a basket full of Doritos, Skittles, Snickers and some of Michael’s other favorite foods.

“His reaction was hilarious and he definitely loved it,” says Goodwin.

“We wanted him to know that we were there for him.”

For the first three months of his six month injury hiatus, he was driven to physical therapy twice a week by both of his parents until they felt that he was really improving.

“He improved pretty rapidly and we knew he was determined to play with his friends again,” says Tracy.

In spite of his crippled condition, Michael persevered through his junior year.

On homecoming night, Michael pulled into East’s parking lot and limped out of his car. As he reached back into his sedan and picked up his crutches he saw his date, junior Alexis Thomas, waving him over to the front of the school. He sighed, tossed the crutches down on the backseat and tired to walk normally. Although he received a lot of attention in school for his injury, he did not want to be embarrassed on the dance floor.

When November came and basketball season began, while soaking up support and fame around the school, varsity basketball head coach Wally Vickers shook his head at the sight of Michael and his silver crutches.

“This is high school sports, guys should be able to play what they want to play,” says Vickers. “His parents told me they did not want him to play [football] before his junior season started and they told me to talk to him about it. But when a guy has played a sport since elementary

62 | Spark | November 22, 2010

information www.sportsinjuryclinic.net

school there is no stopping him. Nevertheless, I was heartbroken when I saw the injury.”

After being coached by Vickers for two years, Michael spent his junior year on the bench. While watching from the sidelines, he remained a leader and helped out his classmates on the hardwood.

“He was always coming up to us after plays and giving us advice from his perspective,” says Goodwin. “We all knew it was hard for him to watch us play and only be able to contribute verbally.”

Although Michael helped out as much as he could from off the court, the college offers stopped. By the end of his junior year, he was not receiving calls from EMU or any schools that filled his inbox in his sophomore year.

“Michael fell off the radar screen,” says Vickers. “Colleges moved on from him, unfortunately. He had to start back at square one.”

The season ended with the Thunderhawks finishing 10-12 and fifth in the GMC. Michael knew that he would have to work hard to impress scouts in his senior season.

After being a back-seat driver to his team, Michael saw his first action in March in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball league where he has played every summer since third grade. Along with some teammates from East and players from all over the state, Michael was determined to make a full recovery, especially with a section of the crowd devoted to scouts at every game.

“The first game was a wakeup call,” says Michael. “I had gained 15 pounds during my break. I had to work hard to get back into the groove of basketball and, fortunately, I lost all the pounds before conditioning started at East.”

After the AAU season ended, the calls and offers retuned. But Michael still ignored most of the requests and was more pleased in returning to the hardwood with his friends.

“So far East has had an outstanding preseason and summer,” says Vickers. “We are thrilled he’s back and thrilled for him. I know he’s going to have good options [for college] after this season.”

Fully recovered and ready to start for the Thunderhawks, Michael returned to practices and team outings. On Dec. 7, East will start its season at home against defending GMC champion Princeton. This season, he plans to lead his team on the hardwood while leaving his crutches back in the closet to collect dust. n

sports | eight things

story kelly burrows east girls’ cross country (as told to drew souders) photo eric muenchen

Get Through Hell Week

“A few weeks before [Greater Miami conference] is called Hell week, and its just a whole week of intense workouts. It’s supposed to help us run our better races later on in the post-season.”

Take One Step at a Time

“I was taking it more week by week and going a long from there. I just wanted to run the fastest race that I possibly could every time.”

Be Fast off the Blocks

“You have to start out fast or you get buried in the back, so this past week I was more focused on my speed training rather than my long mileage.”

Rally Support

“All the support, like the send-off, really helped me mentally. Knowing that I had all that support behind me going in really helped.”

Do Not Over Think

“It might be the state meet, but it’s just another five-kilometer race.”

Have Fun

“I figured that I could go out and overanalyze it and drive myself crazy, or I could let myself enjoy it. I picked the second one.”

Warm Up

“Before the race actually starts, our coach has us do a bunch of run-out drills. We do high-knees, butt-kicks, skips and stride-outs.”

Be Confident

8

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT going to state

“I’m always afraid of letting people down, so I just had to adjust to it and realize that I could do this.”

63 | Spark | lehsspark.org

sports | ATP

T

he sweet aroma of fresh cinnamon-sugar pretzels lined the air. A seemingly endless line for Lulu’s frozen lemonade wrapped all the way around the facility. The sweltering heat from the August sun had crept its way into every corner of the newly-renovated venue and the steam from the constant grilling in the food court had created a mirage effect in front of me. As I walked towards center court, lemonade in hand, the voices in the crowd grew softer and softer. My walking turned to a standstill. I could not advance to my seat until the next break in play. If I would have made the slightest peep, 10,000 fans would have stared at me incessantly as I clinched in embarrassment. This was nothing like 1 P.M. kickoff.

“Game, Roddick,” the chair umpire said. The restrictive chains across the entrances receded. Hundreds of fans began to flock in.to the seats I started to walk past the bourgeoisie of the tennis fans before stopping in my tracks.

“Hey kid, get to your seat,” a volunteer said. “They’re about to start up again.” American favorites Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish were squaring off against each other in a semi-finals match.

I found myself the most obstructed view in the stadium, even spilling my lemonade to obtain the seat. I could not watch much tennis from where I was, but it did not matter. I was here for a reason. My obstruction of choice was a three foot tall top hat. The obstructer: none other than a Hall of Fame member and a Cincinnati legend.

I sat behind a man adorned in what looked like a red velour suit, with a Cincinnati Reds jersey on his back and a red imitation of Abraham Lincoln’s top-hat on his head, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member Bootsy Collins. Loyal fans of James Brown’s fellow funk master paid him visits of their own. A middle-aged woman, a fan “since [she] was born,” began to cry in excitement when she saw him. After another break, Collins began to mingle with other fans in casual fashion, treating them as family, sharing stories and listening to theirs.

“Oh, man. Actually, I wanted to get the experience of a real live tennis match,” he began to tell me. “My wife and I wanted to check it out.”

Collins was not disappointed.

“It was much better than we expected,” he said. “It’s much better than TV. We didn’t think it would be this fun, but actually it’s really pretty fun.”

An estimated 9,000 were in attendance at that night’s semi-finals match, but it felt like there were at least twice as many. Most of these fans from all over the country had convened in the quaint city of Mason, Ohio them to unleash their inner teenage-girl in support of fan-favorite Andy Roddick, erupting into a boisterous roar every time the man did so much as adjust his cap. [But these were still tennis fans.]

While the crowd didn’t necessarily pull for Fish, fans were always quick to cheer on a well-fought-out point or the rare “tweener”—a shot hit between the legs. Tennis etiquette demands this behavior out of its fans, and in this regard, Cincinnati fans surely succeeded, a claim validated by tennis royalty.

“The fans here are great,” says four-time tournament champion and former world no. 1 Federer. “They have a lot of tennis knowledge and they even come to the practices.”

Roddick feels the same way.

“The fans here are so enthusiastic about the sport, and really get behind their countrymen,” he says. “You know, it’s a place I’ve always appreciated playing, and always look forward to coming back to.”

As thousands of these fans exited the venue, still excited after Mardy

64 | Spark | November 22, 2010

Backdrop

Cham story faiz siddiqui, sarah fanning | photo sarah wilkinson

Mason, Ohio is home to one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments, and is expanding for 2011.

Fish’s three-set routing of Roddick, two stayed put. Collins and his wife remained to their box seats so the funk master could sign autographs.

Nobody found it ironic to hear a rock and roll artist tell them about the electricity he felt at a tennis match.

“When you actually sit here and watch it, there’s a lot of energy,” he said. “And that is just so cool.”

EXPANSION ON THE HORIZON

Before The University of Michigan defeated Stanford University in the first Rose Bowl, and before Boston outlasted Pittsburgh in the first World Series, Cincinnati has hosted professional tennis. Since the first Cincinnati Open, which was played in Avondale in 1899, the tournament has gone through five venue changes, and has held six different names, but remains the oldest tennis tournament played in its original city.

Now held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, the Western and Southern Financial Group Master’s and Women’s Open plays host to the world’s top ranked tennis players, and welcomes spectators from 48 out of the 50 states. The grounds of the event are the largest of any tournament in the United States, outside of the US Open.

The tournament’s men side is one of nine Association of Tennis Proffesional’s (ATP) Master’s 1000 series events, where all of the top

Roger Federer prepares to serve on championship point to Mardy Fish in the Men’s Final of the Western and Southern Financial Group Master’s and Women’s Open in Mason, Ohio.

of

mpions players are automatically entered. The women’s side is a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Premier level event, which expects an estimated seven out of the 10 ten ranked players each year.

Attendance records were broken during the 16 day, 29 session tournament in 2010. 233,775 spectators from all over the country walked through the gates, compared to the estimated 220,000 in 2009. This gives the tournament the third highest attendance rate within to events that host both the ATP and WTA tours. Only The BNP Paribas Open, held in Indian Wells, CA and The Sony Ericcson Open, held in Miami, Florida have more attendees with 339,657 and 312,386 respectively.

The suburban setting of the tournament appeals to top players, such as Roger Federer, who is ranked second on the ATP tour.

“I like to return to tournaments like here,” says Federer. “That kind of relaxes you; it’s less stressful; I drive my own car here; go to coffee shops; go hang out, read some books; spend time with friends; go to the movies. You know, it’s just a bit of a different feeling here.”

The tournament also stands out from other ATP and WTA events because it is run almost entirely by volunteers. The tournament relies on over 1,300 to take tickets, usher spectators, and attend to the player locker rooms, as well as various other tasks.

The volunteers not only benefit the tournament, but local charities.

The men’s tournament has donated to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital since 1974, and has benefited Treatment Center II since its inception in 1987. In total, the tournament has donated over 7 million dollars to the hospital. Since 2004, the women’s tournament has benefited UC Barrett Cancer Center at University Hospital.

The tournament also has benefited local tennis teams, including the Lakota East’s Girls’ Tennis program. On Aug 8. 15 members of the program volunteered with the Extreme Clean USA Inc, which cleans the grounds. For eight hours of service, the program earned $840.

In 2009, the girls’ varsity team was also given day session tickets during the women’s tournament.

“Going to the tournament is beneficial to us as a team,” says three year varsity member Taylor Stephens. “Watching the players helps with our strategy, and it’s a fun thing to do as a team or with teammates.”

Prior to the 2010 tournament, the West side of the tournament was expanded to include a new player and media facility, which also added additional seating to the 11,400 seat Center Court. The new structure greatly expanded the size of the player locker rooms for both the men and women, as well as the player lounge.

“The men’s locker room is awesome. There’s a lot of space compared to last year” says John Isner, who is famous for his 11 hour first round match at Wimbledon against Nicolas Mahut. “There’s more space in the locker room here than I think any tournament on tour, and think the player’s appreciate that. Just what they’ve done [with the player lounge] is amazing. This is really a top-notch tournament.”

The face of the tournament will again change prior to the 2011 event. In 2011, it will be an eight day combined event spanning from August 13-21 2011. Both the men and women will be competing at the time.

“I prefer only the men to be here just because it’s more quiet. There’s less players around and it’s easier for the practice courts. Everything is just a bit simpler,” says Federer, “But then again, I’m excited for the city here, that they get it the same week.”

In order to facilitate the amount of players and matches occurring, the tournament will expand into the North and East grounds.

“The goal of the master plan is to create a festive urban tennis garden that generates excitement and action throughout the grounds,” says Greg Jacoby, executive vice president of Browning, Day, Mullins & Dierdorf who designed the expansion plans.

The new grounds will include six new courts, one with a capacity of 4,000 that can be used as a television court, and one which will have a seating capacity of 2,500. A 2,750 square-foot enclosed ticket office and a 10,000 square-foot entry plaza and nine gates will also be constructed. After the expansion, the grounds will span 19.0 acres, as compared to 13.6 acres in 2010.

Ken Berry, president of Tennis for Charity, which owns the land and leases it to the tournament, says that the expansion is necessary, “With the tournament planning to host the men and women simultaneously in 2011, this expansion is necessary to accommodate the increase in tennis and attendance expected at the combined event,” says Berry The upgrades prior to the 2010 tournament, and the expansion for the 2011 tournament has been well received by the players.

“I love playing here, I always enjoy coming back here,” says top ranked American Andy Roddick. “They’ve [the tournament directors] shown commitment to keep this tournament here for long after I’m playing, which is probably the biggest issue that [the tennis community] is dealing with.” n

65 | Spark | lehsspark.org

sports | opinion

Tyler Kieslich A Lotta’ Zenyatta

Contact Tyler at tyler.kieslich@gmail.com

Zenyatta may have a more impressive record than Manning, Phelps and Tebow combined—but that does not mean she is an athlete.

T

he only thing worse than turning on ESPN to find Marty Smith talking about carburetors and Jimmy Johnson on NASCAR Now is turning on ESPN to the four hour build-up before the Breeder’s Cup. Well, MMA Tonight is pretty terrible. But seriously, watching horse racing on television is less interesting than watching women’s collegiate bowling. I would much rather see McKendree take on that pesky Lindenwood squad than the marathon analysis of a bunch of crotchety old handicappers and retired jockeys.

This all being said, sometimes the remote gets lost in between the seat cushions and I have no other choice. The other day I found myself stuck in this situation, staring blankly at Hank Goldberg’s chins jittering in the wind as he blabbered about so-and-so’s 9-2 odds. I don’t know what that even means, really. By the way, someone should probably be concerned about Hank Goldberg. All I ever hear Hank talking about is gambling. He might have a problem.

But mostly all I hear is Zenyatta this, and Zenyatta that. I’m told that she’s one tough chick, and by chick I mean mare, and that she can keep up with the boys, that she’s never lost, blah, blah, blah. This is all fine, but then Rick Reilly comes on the screen. He’s standing on Churchill Downs’ iconic dirt track, talking about Zenyatta’s legacy, as this will be her last race, and what her retirement means for racing as a whole. Rick has a right to say all of this, but then he says something about how Zenyatta has to be considered “maybe the best athlete of all time.” No, Rick.

Just, no.

I’ve heard the same argument made for other legendary horses.

Secretariat had a SportsCentury, for crying out loud. Granted, when a horse like Zenyatta runs like she did at this year’s Cup, coming from dead last to just a hair behind first, it can be a beautiful thing. There’s something graceful about the way Zenyatta explodes down a straight away at full speed, her head rhythmically bobbing, her muscles flexing with effort. But she is not an athlete—no horse is, no matter how many wins it accumulates or prize money it earns.

Zenyatta never had a choice about racing. She was bred for it, and her human handlers decided that she was going to be a champion from day one. Granted, Tiger Woods was bred in much the same way, but we can at least assume that Tiger could have quit if he wanted to. Plus, she’s a horse; she doesn’t have the capacity to understand competition. She only knows to run faster when prodded by the jockey or to turn to the outside when he tells her to. All of her success and talent comes from these learned responses, instilled in her by the trainers who saw dollar

signs in her lengthy stride and chiseled physique.

We can’t ask Zenyatta if she ever enjoyed racing, or if she really cares about all of her wins and accomplishments. “She likes to run from the back,” they say, but there is really no way to tell. I’m not knocking anything she has done, but to call her the “greatest athlete of all time” is inherently flawed. Yes, Zenyatta never lost until the last race of her career. But she exists primarily to line the pockets of her owners. She is more business venture than athlete.

One could argue that someone like Tiger Woods exists for the same reason. Maybe his father handed him a golf club at the ripe old age of three because he saw his son’s potential handicap as a solid retirement plan. But at least Woods had some semblance of a life off the course.

He has at least enough time to seduce waitresses at Perkin’s. Zenyatta, however, isn’t allowed time to womanize. Her entire existence hinges on her career as a racer. There is something very sad about that idea, that most of the affection she receives is based on how fast she can run.

It’s not really possible to compare horses against humans in terms of who is the better athlete. It is impossible to try to put them into any kind of legitimate sequential order. Zenyatta may have won 19 consecutive races, but there is no way to judge this against something like Barry Sanders running for 2,000 yards or Nolan Ryan striking out 5,000 batters. We use horses to pull our things, it just does not make sense to think of them in this same sense.

There are too many variables to really tell with any tangible evidence.

We can’t really include other species in discussion about sports. It just flat out does not work.

So, naturally, I watched the entire length of ESPN’s coverage. I still do not really know anything about horseracing, or gambling, two things that seem to be one in the same.

Mostly what I learned was that ESPN thinks spending four hours talking about two minutes of action makes good television. I will say this; the race was exciting to watch, with Zenyatta at first looking like she’d finish dead last, then making that hard charge to finish a disappointing but valiant second.

These racehorses become ingrained in the society that treasures them so dearly. Man O’ War has a street named after him in Lexington, KY. Seabiscuit inspired an Academy Award winning film. Zenyatta will be remembered just the same, as one of the best racehorses in the sport’s history.

But Rick, please Read Brittany Bennett’s column don’t call her an Spark on the insight of sporting injuries athlete.

She’s on lehsspark.org not Air Bud. n

Zenyatta exists primarily to line the pockets of her owners. She is more business venture than athlete.

66 | Spark | November 22, 2010

opinion | column

Eric Muenchen Restricting the “R” Word

T

“That’s retarded.” Not one eyebrow is raised. Not one breath is lost.

Not one response is heard. My second period class is not filled with the cold stillness I expect. The usual side conversations and rustling of papers continues without pause. The “R” word has become so common that it can be used while answering a question from a teacher in front of the entire class. I was apparently the only one in the class phased by the blatant display of ignorance. It occurred to me that, had the student so much as muttered “fuck,” the reaction of the class would certainly have been very different. “Retard” comes up in dialogue almost every single day, and its ethicality is seldom questioned by other students or teachers.

Usage of the word has been the subject of latest attention in popular culture. Just recently, actress Jennifer Aniston used the word “retard” on the morning talk show Live with Regis and Kelly. Aniston’s refusal to do so much as issue an apology statement is just another example of how that word manages to linger in the common vocabulary of American society.

The issue lies in the fact that the “R” word has become interchangeable with “stupid” and “dumb” in today’s modern language. It may seem innocent enough to drop it a few times through the course of a day.

The truth of the matter, however, is that millions of people could take offense to such a seemingly innocent comment as “that’s retarded.”

An estimated five million people in the U.S. are considered mentally handicapped. Include friends and family members of the disabled, there are tens of millions of people who live every day with the challenge of intellectual and developmental disorders. At East there are at least 100 students who suffer from mild to severe mental disabilities. These

Contact Eric at ericmuenchenspark@hotmail.com

students walk the very same hallways as those who so carelessly insult these students’ handicap in casual conversation.

To put the situation into perspective, we must think of the word in the same context as the “N” word. Both words’ principles are to describe a person in a derogatory or lesser manner. It is far less common to hear students walking down main street use the “N” word in the context that they use “retard.” An obvious double-standard is present. People with disabilities are often seen as defenseless and in many cases cannot stand up for themselves—many people with mental disabilities cannot verbally confront the offenders. The average student would use the word “retard” in a public place without hesitation. Yet it has become socially unacceptable to use the “N” word because of the possible retaliation of those who it offends. Just because the mentally disabled cannot retaliate does not mean that people with disabilities should remain vulnerable.

The spreading epidemic of acceptance surrounding the word is unacceptable. Students should encourage their peers to instead expand their vocabulary when the word is dropped nonchalantly and contest them when it is used with malicious intent. Ill-informed individuals cannot continue to remind those people with disabilities, as well as their friends and family members, of their perceived superiority-complex. It starts with simple reminders on what is no longer acceptable to say. With a little patience and no tolerance for continued ignorance, the “R” word can be erased. n Spark

For a different perspective regarding the word “retarded,” go the opinion section of lehsspark.org.

Justine Chu

Juan-na Be a Journalist?

Contact Justine at justinechu4268@yahoo.com

O

On a roll after his infamous appearance on The View, Fox News correspondent Bill O’Reilly felt the need to justify the racist comments he made on the show. He did what every talk show host would do after a stint with bad publicity—try to clear his own name. He invited National Public Radio (NPR) news analyst Juan Williams to The O’Reilly Factor on Oct. 18 to help.

According to the Fox News website, “Juan Williams joined Fox News as a political contributor. He is a regular panelist on Fox Broadcasting’s Sunday morning public affairs program.” In addition, Williams anchors weekend daytime live coverage on the Fox News Channel.

Williams, hardly a stranger to Fox News, accepted O’Reilly’s invitation, packed up his bags and his political views, and took a cab over to the studio. He thought he left his title of, “journalist” at home. He hadn’t.

They had a good time. In the midst of the witty banter, thoughtful meditations, etc., etc., O’Reilly struck up a heart-to-heart conversation with Williams-the-journalist.

He asked Williams if there was a Muslim dilemma in the United States.

Williams-the-journalist said yes.

As an afterthought, Williams added, “I mean, look, Bill I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb, and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”

Williams had shared his personal, casual opinion with O’Reilly. It is a pity that he had also shared his personal, casual opinion with all the people who watched The O’Reilly Factor that night. He made remarks that were, according to NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller, “inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.” That was a euphemism for “you’re fired.” And opinions flared.

People pointed out that Williams held the title of “news analyst” and that he was merely doing his job, albeit on The O’Reilly Factor and not NPR. Those people, illustration ellen fleetwood however, forgot that Williams also held the title “journalist.” So did he, apparently.

Public figures have to be careful with their words, which hold more weight than that of non-public figures. What they say is dissected, analyzed and blared back to the people by the media.

And, whether they like it or not, people who

work in communications and journalism are also public figures. They can ad lib and slip in their own opinions when they report the news. Phrases like, “That’s awful” or “I can’t believe that happened!” pollute the air.

Journalists can let their own feelings prevent them from delivering information in the rightful black-and-white.

Williams did not understand how much power he wielded as a journalist. He presented himself as a commentator on Fox News, but people still saw him as a reporter for NPR at the same time. A doctor does not stop being a doctor when he leaves his office. He does not ignore a person on the streets who needs medical attention, saying, “This isn’t during work hours.” Being a journalist is like having a constant shadow from which you cannot escape. Williams did not understand that. Hari Sreenivasan did and does.

Last summer at a journalism camp, I had the privilege of participating in a question-and-answer seminar with Sreenivasan, an online and on-air correspondent of PBS NewsHour. All of the young journalists there had thoroughly researched his background: He had been a CBS News correspondent and then an ABC News anchor. The obvious question was: Why did he leave both highly-regarded posts and join an obscure public-television news channel?

One of us bravely voiced the question. He laughed and wryly answered, “Well, I joined NewsHour because it was publically funded.”

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) News Hour is arguably the most cut-and-dry television news show in the twenty-first century. Because it is the only publically funded news station in the nation, it has one big discrepancy from all news stations—it cannot and will not allow personal views to corrupt the show. The only words the reporters say besides the who, what, when, where, why and how of the news is “thank you” to guests.

As he transferred from ABC News to PBS NewsHour, Sreenivasan understood the responsibilities he held as a journalist. He respected the pedestal he was put on as a public figure. He realized that even though he was only with 42 high school students, off the air and off the job, every word he said held more weight than a non-journalist. Reporters wield the power of news—the power of recording down history with complete objectivity.

Williams misused his power and paid the price. He may have earned a better position on Fox News from his outburst, but he lost the credibility and respect that he would have kept if he had spoken wisely. n

69 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | column

Lucy Stephenson Breaking Down the Levy

Contact Lucy at llsteph12@gmail.com

I

I didn’t have to watch Fox 19 or Channel 5 to know the results of the Lakota levy. By 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 2, there were already more than 20 statuses on Facebook announcing that the levy had failed. As the night went on, even more statuses relating to the levy popped up on my newsfeed. “Goodbye, excellence” was a common statement. I’d never seen so many students so upset and angry at one time.

I was never a big proponent of the levy—I stayed away from the numerous Facebook invites for “Teens for the Lakota Levy” and other similar groups. Though I understood both sides of the heated debate, I found it much easier to agree with those against the levy. Times are really rough right now—The country has been in a recession for over a year and people are recieving pay cuts and losing jobs. I found it difficult to support a school board that voted themselves a pay raise at the first board meeting after the issue of teacher contracts was resolved back in 2008. It was also personally hard for me to understand how the teachers could ask for more money in that same contract issue. Many teachers make $10,000 more than my mom, who is a single mother. I can completely understand why people would not want to pay $900 more each year in taxes.

But I wasn’t against the levy.

I wasn’t really worried about my own programs getting cut—being a senior, I won’t be affected, except for busing cuts, which would only add to the annoyance of trying to enter and leave the East parking lot.

Also, unlike a large portion of my Facebook friends, I wasn’t completely freaking out that Lakota’s excellence as a school district was forever lost and that future students would become mindless zombies. People were being over pessimistic, instead of thinking of how to improve and deal with the situation in the future. I realized that the intelligence of Lakota’s students are not necessarily dependant on the variety of classes offered.

The last time Lakota’s financial situation was seriously in danger, the levy passed on the third try. And students will not suddenly become less intelligent simply due to a levy failure.

But I still wasn’t against the levy.

Students will definitely be missing out on experiences that are influential on a child’s academic development. Several programs and specialists that aid struggling students and help advanced students, like reading specialists and SCOPE, are on the list of proposed cuts. More proposed reductions include the elimination of art, music and physical education at the elementary school level. These classes help develop a child’s interests, and these teachers can have a significant impact on their students.

Woodland Elementary had an awesome music teacher. Everyone

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loved Mr. T (or Mr. Tipkemper, as he was formally known), the ex-banddirector-turned-music-teacher. Not only was he a really fun teacher who fostered student interest in music, but he also left a positive impression on nearly all his students—kids came back to visit him frequently and were devastated when he retired a few years ago. He and many other teachers like him, helped us explore a different side of ourselves that many students would have never been able to explore with parents alone.

For that, almost all former Woodland Elementary School students are grateful.

Elementary students are not the only students being affected by the levy failure. Junior high sports will no longer exist, creating a problem for those who can’t afford to pay for club sports. The lack of playing experience will hinder a student’s athletic future, including earning high school positions and possible university scholarships. At a high school level, several electives, honors and Advanced Placement classes will probably be cut. This not only hurts those who want to take these classes, but the entire school as well. Though it may not necessarily ruin Lakota’s “Excellence with Distinction” rating streak, it will definitely make the high school students less competitive in the dog-eat-dog world of college admissions.

As a 17-year-old, I was not able to vote in the Nov. 2 election. However, if I could, I would have voted yes on .

Issue 2. Younger students deserve the same opportunities that I had.

As a swim coach, I work with over 50 kids who belong to the Lakota Local School District. They are so bright, each with their own unique abilities and needs. It troubles me to imagine them not having the same opportunities that I had. They all deserve the same academic, artistic and athletic opportunities students in Lakota have now. Every child does, no matter what district he or she belongs to.

Though the saying is cliché children are the future of this country.

Their education will mold them into the adults who will someday lead America. I understand that money is an issue to most families at this point in time, but if the levy continues to fail, the effects could be devastating to our community’s future. Everyone—voters, the school board and the Ohio Department of Education—needs to see the potential in all students that I see in my swim team. All students need to be given the opportunity to reach their full potential. n

Every child deserves the same academic, artistic and athletic opportunities that students in Lakota have now ”

70 | Spark | November 22, 2010

Spark

For a different perspective regarding the Lakota Levy go the opinion section of www.lehsspark.org

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We need to send a message to the state

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East Speaks Out How did you feel about the Nov. 2 Lakota levy failure?

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Jonothan Riehle, Senior

Anthony Sciutto, Junior

Buse Aydore, Junior

Melissa Lower, Senior

“It sucks for sure. The economy is already in recession, and it’ll go into a deeper hole now because all of the teachers are going to be out of jobs. It’s a bad situation for West Chester and Liberty Township. It’ll decrease property value which will hurt everyone.”

“I am indifferent towards the levy. My future career will most likely not be in band or art. The levy passing won’t affect my future career choices.”

“I think it’s bad that people are losing their jobs. Lakota is in a lot of trouble. ”

“I was disappointed when it failed because I think this will have an impact on the music programs that I’m in, and will hurt advanced classes. But we need to be optimistic because even though the levy failed, we can made do with what we’ve got.”

71 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | column

Tommy

Behan I

I have a cousin who serves in the military. He fought for many years, not only in the Middle East, but also around the world. His journey through enlisting and re-enlisting has not always been pleasant. He has fought and seen what would make normal citizens cringe. He has experienced battles one cannot begin to imagine. He has made a great emotional and mental sacrifice. When he comes home, the nation should welcome him—not by protesting and disregard everything that he and every fellow soldier go through.

Contentous words on protestors’ signs from the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), an extreme sect of Baptists originating in Topeka, KS, are appearing across the nation. Members of this church are march to Washington, D.C, protesting the military’s tolerance of homosexual soldiers. The message they are sending is one of pure detestation— against homosexuals.

The firestorm began back in 2006 as members of the church protested at Lance Corporal Matthew Synder’s funeral.

“God hates fags!”

“You’re going to hell!”

“Thank God for dead soldiers!”

These cruel picket signs tainted the funeral of a soldier who had given the ultimate sacrifice to defend this nation. Ironically, the very nation he died to protect used the freedoms protected by all of the military against him. The WBC, on its notorious website, www.godhatesfags.com, clearly expresses hatred towards the United States, with messages repeating the damnation of “doomed America.” Yet the church uses freedoms from the very country that they hate, through the First Amendment, to defend what they believe is free speech.

Instances of mistreatment of soldiers by the Westboro Baptists bring back memories of times earlier in American history. The returning veterans from Vietnam experienced harassment and protests, unduly deserved, just because they were a part of the military. Many soldiers felt as if they were outcasts of society and of America. Now soldiers returning from Iraq are being subjected to similar treatment. Repeating history with disrespect seen from the current protestors weakens the morale of soldiers in a war that has already damaged confidence.

Legally, what is going on with these protests is in the gray zone. These people have been specifically targeting the military for its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. By specifically targeting funerals such as the Snyder’s with defamation, the WBC has violated rights of soldiers. Snyder was in fact, a heterosexual. By holding picket signs suggesting he was not heterosexual, because of mere association with the military, the organization attacked Snyder’s professional character and standing.

Synder and his family were not the only victims of the church’s malicious protests. According to the church’s website, nearly 400 funerals have been disrupted by the church since 2006. Funerals are sacred ceremonies meant to provide peace of mind and heart. They are also a way for families to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones.

“Protesting funerals results in conflict and fractions, unnecessary for a country that is already undergoing hard times and stress.“

72 | Spark | November 22, 2010

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Funeral

Protesting these funerals degrades the final goodbye in a ceremony that is best left untouched.

According to the WBC, the United States has been damned to Hell ever since it has tolerated homosexuality. This is not the way, however, an organization functions to protest in a civil manner. It is not only inappropriate at sacred ceremonies but also casts a negative light on Baptists throughout the nation, even though most of the Baptist community does not share this radical belief. But since the Baptist community does not have a central hierarchy like the Catholic Church, the WBC cannot be disassociated or excommunicated from the other more moderate Baptist churches across America.

As this conflict is scrutinized by the U.S. Supreme Court under legality issues from the First Amendment, Americans need to unite against freedoms being taken too far. Protesting funerals results in conflict and fractions, unnecessary for a country that is already undergoing hard times and stress.

When my cousin does return home, he will be praised for his valiant service to his country. He will be received with a warm welcome, because what he has given to this country is more important than his personal beliefs.. n

March 8, 2010 Supreme Court

Sept. 24, 2009 Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

March 10, 2006

Feb. 4, 2008 US District court of Maryland

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Protests

Nitya

Sreevalsan

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I do not support or agree with, in any way, shape or form, the beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) goers that say that God hates homosexuals and is killing soldiers in Iraq to punish to the United States.

Nor do I believe that their protesting during the funeral of a soldier is a morally correct form of expression. Their rights, however, as American citizens do allow these particular Christians and all other Americans to believe whatever they choose to believe and protest and demonstrate in this way. These privileges are the basic foundation of America and the U.S. Supreme Court should not limit these unalienable liberties because they happen to disagree strongly with the message that the Westboro Baptists have to send.

The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…” The WBC is doing just that—assembling peacefully. According to the WBC’s interpretation of the Christian religion, the U.S. is being punished for tolerating homosexuality through the deaths of soldiers and various diseases. It publicly expressed this belief by assembling 1,000 feet from the church where the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder was taking place. The followers of the church held up offensive signs and

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The Supreme Court accepts Snyder’s appeal to overturn the Circuit Court’s Decision

Reversed the district court’s jury’s verdict and set aside the 5 million. Ordered A. Snyder to pay the WBC $16,500 .

Matthew’s father, Albert Snyder, sues the WBC and it’s pastor Fred Phelps. The WBC is ordered to give 5 million dollars.

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) pickets the funeral of US marine lance corporal, Matthew Snyder.

chanted, causing no physical harm to anyone. Yes, their signs were distasteful and unsympathetic to Snyder’s family, but they were exercising their rights as American citizens. And this was not the first time they have done so.

According to the WBC website, www.godhatesfags.com, they have picketed at over 400 military funerals since their inception. The First Amendment Center found that, almost directly because of this, over 40 states have imposed restrictions on funeral protests. These restraints include that the protests must be 200 to 300 feet away from the funeral and that they must leave a 60-minute hiatus from the beginning and end of the ceremony. The WBC followed these rules, which were set in place to allow for freedom of speech while respecting the wishes of the families.

Though the WBC’s mission is to notify the U.S. of its crimes against God in order to spur change, their protests do exactly the opposite.

Their efforts to make their message known has garnered them many enemies, like the Lesbian Gay Transgender Alliance who hold counter protests involving homosexual students publicly displaying affection towards each other right in front of protesting WBC members. However, even the AntiDefamation League, who has publicly spoken out against the ideas of the WBC, agrees that the WBC has a legal right to protest. A brochure entitled “Responding to the Westboro Baptist Church” written by the Anti-Defamation League, states that “No matter how distasteful and offensive, people are legally permitted to protest on public lands…

The government cannot criminalize the sending of a fax message to a recipient based only on the fact that it is offensive.”

Attempting to stop them only corroborates their cause and encourages them to find more creative ways to attack America, much like Prohibition did.

On Jan. 16, 1920, alcohol was deemed illegal in the Unites States with the eighteenth amendment. According to the U.S. National Archives, by 1925, anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 illegal underground drinking clubs called “speakeasys” could be found in New York City alone.

Prohibition was late repealed with the twenty-first amendment, but this historical precedent is that something should be avoided, lest the WBC resort to more harmful and illegal methods to get their message across.

The Constitution of these United States was instituted to protect the rights of citizens, even when, at times, the beliefs they have the right to express oppose the majority. Though most Americans, including myself, disagree with the mission and amorality of the Church, we simply cannot infringe on their rights to express their opinions, regardless of the medium, especially when they are abiding by the law. Soldiers do deserve more respect, but denying Americans the very freedoms for which soldiers are fighting, is not following American values, even if the way those freedoms are expressed is disrespectful. Voltaire put it best: “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it.” n

“We simply cannot infringe on rights to express opinions, regardless of the medium, especially when people are abiding by the law.”

73 | Spark | lehsspark.org

opinion | finishing touch

ARIADNESOUROUTZIDIS flaunting failure

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AILED. The results of the recent Lakota Local School District levy were clear enough, even before somebody taped ballot receipts of voters who had voted “no” for the levy on East’s front door.

People have the right to not vote for the levy. But having rights does not mean that someone can flaunt the failed levy in the faces of the people who it will impact the most, especially considering that the majority of students at East are not eligible to vote.

East students had no control over the levy’s outcome, but they will have to live with larger class sizes, fewer class choices and even fewer extracurriculars. Today’s kids will be the adults who are running society tomorrow. We should do everything in our power to make sure they have the best opportunities now to prepare them for the futures.

Issue 2 divided our community and upset people on both sides.

Their anger led them to steal political yard signs, flip off teenagers standing on the side of the road asking for support on the levy, and tape ballot receipts to a school’s door. Expressing anger this way does not do anything to solve the actual problem.

A large part of the problem seems to be the how the district spends its money. Everyone has a different opinion of what is important or necessary for education. For instance, I have no interest in athletics. But my parents pay their taxes to the school and some of that money goes to fund programs in which I will never personally participate. However, my parents are paying for someone else’s kid to be able to play sports, which means someone else’s parents are paying for me to have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

While other companies have downsized due to the current economy, Lakota has grown. Legally, the district has to accept new students, regardless of space or money issues, and comply to all state or federal mandates, even if they are not funded. That is completely out of Lakota’s control. The Ohio education finance system is set up so that school districts must rely on their communities to provide the funds they need. Because Lakota is considered a rich district, they do not receive much funding from the state. On top of that, the district has been flat funded since 2005, which means the 1,510 students that have joined our district since then are not funded by the state.

The school district has some control over where their money is spent, like on teachers. As of 2009, teacher salaries took up 59 percent of the district’s budget. So people are pointing to the teacher salaries and expecting the entire problem to be fixed by lowering their pay.

There is no other business, however, where the company is expected to function without paying their employees. This is not some factory where workers assemble part of a machine. It is a school, where teachers are expected to teach kids what they need to know to for the rest of their lives. During the last teacher contract negotiations, the teachers took a pay freeze. Some community members, however, feel that that is not sufficient sacrifice on the teacher’s part. But teachers are still people, with families, who need a source of income. They cannot just work for free.

There is a major problem with our state funding. The Ohio Supreme Court has even declared it unconstitutional—four times. This is not an issue that has suddenly popped up–the problem has existed for years, but the state funding still has not been fixed. Until things change at the state level the problems that are happening right now in Lakota are just bound to happen all over again in the future. n

74 74| Spark | Spark| November | November22, 22,2010 2010