Lakota East Spark 2018-2019 Issue #5 by Lakota East Spark

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019 $5 Newsstand

DECONSTRUCTING MASCULINITY

CONTENTS Inside-the-Issue

#187

news

Juuling Part Two

The newest teen epidemic has many concerned, and studies blame JUUL’s marketing strategies.

culture Meet Sinju Part Two In a continuation from last issue, East foreign exchange student Sinju Cho finishes illustrating her experience in Ohio.

package The Men’s Issue After last year’s Women’s issue following the #MeToo movement, Spark now explores masculinity and what it’s like to be a male in America.

entertainment Captain Marvel Review

Spark movie critic Regan Denham reviews Marvel’s newest movie, before the release of Avengers End Game.

sports Referee Numbers Dwindle The OHSAA has taken action in an attmept to help solve its rapidly growing officiating crisis.

opinion Head to Head

East cross country and track distance coach Adam Thomas runs in the annual Shamrock Shuffle race, finishing first.

As conversations regarding gender-related issues become more common in schools, two Spark staffers debate if schools can productively discuss these subjects with students.

online

Yarn Bombers Check out our website for a look at the community’s local Yarn Bomber’s crew, including East art and photography teacher Karen Saunders.

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 3

Spark 2018-2019 STAFF

Editor-in-Chiefs

Business Manager Assistant Manager News Managing Editor Culture Managing Editor Culture Section Editor

Katey Kruback Lauren Maier Landon Meador Jack McFarland Alex Fernholz Caroline Bumgarner Anna Mullins

Package Managing Editor Package Section Editor

Abby Bammerlin Rebecca Breland

Entertainment Section Editors

Alanna Schlaeger Isis Summerlin

Sports Editors

Opinion Section Editors

Photography Editors

Stephen McKay Broc Nordmark Jessica Jones Alex Hood

McKenna Lewis Leo Rolfert

Design Coordinators

Katey Kruback Lauren Maier

Survey Coordinator Webmaster Copyeditor

Advisor

Dear Spark, Being a Barista is something unique on its own. I never thought I’d ever end up in the world of coffee, let alone make drinks for guests. Drinking coffee became a habit during my freshman year of high school and I always assumed people drowned their coffee in cream and sugar. As time passed, I grew to love drinking my coffee plain, even just straight espresso. I get weird looks from my friends whenever I order a plain coffee or a latte with no flavor. It’s usually, “How do you drink coffee without cream or sugar?” Different blends of coffee have their own flavors. Dark roast is very bold, whereas blonde roast is usually light and has a citrus/acidic taste. It’s strange. A lot of people think dark has more caffeine but it’s blonde since it’s denser. The Barista part has so many different components. We’re not always making drinks or brewing coffee. With my store being a huge café and not a drive-thru, we have a strong connection with our guests and regulars. I’m not saying other locations don’t have their own strong connections. They do. I just feel my café has something that stands out more than the other stores. Those regulars have become good friends of mine and we even keep in touch outside of work. Two of my regulars invited me to go kickboxing and ever since, it’s been a weekly workout. What is it like working at Starbucks? It’s being part of one of the best teams, having fun, making people’s day and creating connections in just the few moments we get to interact with guests. Again, it’s absolutely biased when I say Liberty Center Starbucks has the best team. Not to brag, but our store has held the highest score in customer connection in the district. It’s a friendly competition. We lost the lead when Mad River in Dayton scored higher than us in January, and believe it or not, the Store Manager there was promoted from Liberty Center. Coincidence? Starbucks is a very wholesome company. Our culture is about making the moment right and creating a warm environment for everyone. Sure, I like Starbucks and their values, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be open and walk in another coffee shop and support them. Every coffee shop has its own spotlight. — Eric Luong, community barista

Abby Bammerlin Meredith Niemann

Art Managing Editor Art Section Editor

Graphics Coordinator

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Lauren Maier Caroline Bumgarner

The Spark encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent to the publication at lakotaspark@gmail.com or delivered to room 118 at the Lakota East High School Main Campus. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit the letters for length, grammar, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The opinion editors will contact writers for confirmation.

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019 $5 Newsstand

Lauren Maier Katey Kruback Katey Kruback Dean Hume

DECONSTRUCTING MASCULINITY 4 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

ON THE COVER cover by mckenna lewis

After last year’s Women’s issue following the #MeToo movement, Spark now explores masculinity and what it’s like to be a male in America.

NOT JUST GIRLS

LAUREN MAIER T photography meredith niemann

he morning announcements on March 27, 28, and 29 stated the following: “Attention senior girls…..Did you know that one in four young women will be assaulted? Don’t let that Happen to you! College SAFE classes will be offered at Lakota April 1-5, 3:30-5:30p.m. You can register at WestChersterOH.org or call the Police Department at 513-759-7260.” The statement “Don’t let that happen to you!” resonates with me. I’d first like to state that any type of assault, especially sexual assault, isn’t something that someone can stop. “Just say no” or “Keep your legs closed” are things I see on social media constantly in the comment sections and replies. Yes, these actions may prevent a small percentage of sexual assaults, but the fact of the matter is, assaulters are going to go through with the act no matter what the victim may say or do. Instead of there being a class, only for senior girls, defending themselves, there should maybe be a class that all high school students should take on sexual assault. The course can cover protection, however, it should most definitely teach what sexual assault really is, and that consent is needed for both genders. Sexual assault is not just girls, nor does it just happen in college, and all high school students should be informed about the issue on both sides of the spectrum. Out of all sexual assault victims, one of every 10 are males and in the United States (US), roughly one in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. In this day and age, we need to look at the Last year, Spark issues at hand and address them as a society, covered the modernnot towards a specific age or gender. A study day woman after the conducted by edurisksolutions.org stated that events of the #MeToo in the year 2017 nearly half of all high school movement. Now, students are having consentual sex. Our school Spark is covering the systems and our society cannot ignore the modern man after the fact that kids are sexually active, but what’s release and controversy truly disturbing is that only 24 of 50 states in surrounding the Gillette America have mandatory sex education classes. advertisement. Columbia University did a study to find out if there was a link between abstinence-based sex education and sex education teaching proper use of contraception. In total, they surveyed 1,671 undergraduate students age 18-29 about their experience with penetrative sexual assault. The study concluded to say that abstinence-only sex education classes were not associated with the risk of sexual assault. It didn’t reduce the odds of being sexually assaulted, but it didn’t increase them either. However, when students were offered and took a sex education class that included training in sexual communication skills, especially in terms of how to turn down unwanted sex, and the response was linked to a lower risk of victimization. When it comes down to student’s sexual health, the Midwest and ultimately most of America fails to demonstrate what really needs to be taught: contraception. If adults get their heads out of the clouds and actually face the world the way it really is, sexual assault will go down. •

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com Jan. 26 2018 $5 Newsstand

THE WOMEN’S ISSUE With recent events of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movement, women have taken a stand in society for their issues.

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 5

news | captions

LAKOTA RECAPS photography lauren maier

A photography michael szczepkowski

ikki Drew (pictured above), Meridy Glenn, and Wendy Smith held a seminar in the gymnasium regarding women in athletics. During the seminar, students, coaches, and parents from all over the community participated in the seminar. Female athletes who participated in the seminar reflected positively on the experience.

“Women have obtained more voice and power in athletics, but that has not always been the case for everyone,” East junior and track runner Heather Strauss said. “[In the future,] women will always have an influence in sports, no matter what other people say.”

t Union Center, at 9 a.m., a sea of green inundated a portion of West Chester Road. A blank is fired into the sky and East cross country and distance track coach Adam Thomas starts and soon finishes his one of many 5k Shamrock Shuffle races, which is a fun run that participants can donate to any charity. “This was really fun today. I just came out here to test where my training is right now,” Adams said. “Usually winning by 16:30 at a race like this, you win by a lot. Right off the start there was this guy in front of me and we had some friendly competition. I had fun racing.” —Lauren Maier

—Karaline Abney

photography kate harvey

photography used with permission

eople from all over West Chester came to hear Journalist Steve Herman speak about Voice of America (VOA)’s Museum of Broadcasting’s goal to share America’s unbiased story. Herman’s talk was part of a partnership between MidPointe Library and VOA to bring a series of speakers to the public to discuss the importance of journalism. By discussing issues such as science and technology, women’s issues, and disinformation, journalists like Herman hope to

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promote expansion and empowerment across the globe. “Public relations have a bad reputation, and it can actually be a manipulator [of the public],” Community member and former journalist at both National Public Radio (NPR) and CSPAN Susan Eiswerth said. “But we’re fortunate enough to have a service to the community and the world that gives out the truth.” —Kelly Johantages

Hopewell’s second-grade Boys BLACK team placed first in the Lakota March Madness tournament, out of 1,000 total student participants. The tournament sets Lakota Elementary schools against each other and teams are eliminated following their first loss. Any Lakota student in grades 2-6 can participate while East and West basketball players were given the opportunity to referee and coach these games. Last year, the tournament, which gives students the ability to train and perform athletically for the first time for a large majority of the students, raised over $13,000 for local charities. “There’s a huge difference between from day one,” Hopewell parent and March Madness coach Steve Henry said about his first tournament win. “They’ve made a big improvement, in just over the three-four weeks we’ve been playing as a team.” —Kate Harvey

captions | news

JAZZ N’ CAKES E

ast’s and West’s cafeterias were abuzz with people listening to live jazz music and eating unlimited hot pancakes, eggs, and sausage on two spring mornings at the schools’ annual Jazz and Hotcakes fundraisers. West band director Andrew Carr said that 55 to 60 percent of band students played in the event, but many other students volunteered. The

A TOUCH OF CULTURE

arm spring light from floor-to-ceiling windows shone across students in jeans, suits, niqābs, and sarees as they mingled among parents, teachers, and IKEA customers. The room filled with the babble of many languages, laughter and music as visitors to Lakota’s first annual Culture Fest snacked on cheese, matzah bread, and meatballs. “I just am overjoyed,” Lakota Outreach, Diversity and Inclusion (LODI) Head of Parent Engagement and Community Outreach Angie Brown told Spark. “For its first time, this is really a slam out of the ballpark.” Visitors to IKEA were greeted by a variety of student volunteers from Ridge Junior School and Plains Junior School, who manned stations that taught visitors languages like Spanish or American Sign Language (ASL) or taught visitors the art of beads around the world. A small green screen tent called a Pop Up Pod, was available for visitors to experiment with green screen technology. “Just as much time as we put in other things, we have to put into to realize the demographics in our district have changed,” Brown said. “And because of that, we need to allow people to feel good about who they are, and to feel welcomed.” The idea of a Culture Fest was brought up in a meeting between LODI and several teachers as a way to engage both parents and students at Lakota. Teacher and Diversity Representative at

and we’re going out and asking the community for donations and things like that.” On Mar. 30, an estimated 1,000 community members attended the West fundraiser, and brought in an estimated $10,000 for West bands. East’s Apr. 6 fundraiser was sponsored by both Coffee Beans and Brew and United Dairy Farmers (UDF) who donated coffee and pancakes. “[East bands] just bought a new truck for the Marching Band and part [of the profits] will go towards that or keeping up the uniforms,” East Jazz Band Director Aaron Todahl said. “If there was anything that [the band] would need to buy, all of that [money] would come from [Jazz N’ Hot Cakes].” East and West high school jazz bands photography played, as did bands from freshman and alexandra fernholz junior schools Plains, Hopewell, Liberty, and Ridge. events are fundraisers for jazz bands across the “I think the event was a great success,” East district, along with Tag Day and the Swing Dance, student volunteer Michelle Antiri said “I’ve gone according to West Upbeat Club co-president to this event for the past four years and every Candi Vance. single time, it’s a great experience. Every jazz “[West] probably has 200 volunteers,” Vance band that performed was incredible and all the said. “Plus, we had a whole committee of people guests seemed delighted with the food, service, that have been working on this since December, and entertainment.” making sure that everything is getting ordered —Karaline Abney and Anna Florence

photography alexandra fernholz Adena Tricia Paugstat took charge of the idea and helped spearhead it to completion from October to April. “There’s been a very big push in the area of diversity. We’re growing more, we’re learning more, we’re including more,” Paugstat said. “[We] want [people] to understand that there are more cultures outside of their own, to appreciate other cultures, to be exposed to different languages, different representations of culture, [and] just have a dialogue.” Throughout the day, different Lakota teachers, Principals, and student volunteers read stories and poetry from different countries to the surrounding crowd. The event concluded with a fashion show in which six girls displayed traditional clothing from Ghana, India, Morocco, Mexico, and China. For seventh-grader Lynae Spruance, this part of Culture Fest was particularly powerful because it allowed her classmates to express themselves outside of school. “At school, you’re just one of the people. But when you are at Culture Fest, you can express not just who you are at school, [but] your origins or your ancestry. And we should celebrate that,” said Spruance, who plans to take Spanish in high school like her sister. “Being able to learn that about other people, I think that’s pretty meaningful.”

—Alexandra Fernholz

Parents, children, and Lakota students were able to take part in a variety of activities, including bead crafting. April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 7

news | state of the schools Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller speaks at the second annual State of the Schools.

LAKOTA LOOKING FORWARD Lakota officials, teachers, and students provide a view of what Lakota will look like at the second annual State of the Schools. story karaline abney photography alexandra fernholz

he Lakota West Choir and Liberty Junior Jazz Band serenaded various parents, community members, and students as they congregated in East Main Street prior to the second annual State of the School address. When the clock struck 7 pm, Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller began to speak extensively about the current mindsets being developed by the district. “[In the State of Schools address,] we talked about what we believe in and what our mission is,” Miller said. “Everything we do is designed to provide a future-ready, student-centered learning experience for every single child.” As part of Lakota’s strategic plan, the district is developing a personalized learning experience for all students within the district. This will involve programs specialized for each student’s own learning experience via real world experiences. “One of the things that we focused on, and should focus on, is the personalized part— building relationships,” Miller said. “It’s not just about getting kids a diploma starting in kindergarten through grade 12, it’s building relationships and connections to our kids and to each other.” The real world learning mindset Lakota presents is part of a national movement called the real world learning challenge collaborative. According to Miller, Lakota is one of two nationally leading districts in this initiative. “It’s going to be a worldwide platform for our kids to talk to businesses and community places where they’ll have internships,” Miller said. “It’s almost like a LinkedIn program for our kids, they’ll be able to connect, find what

8 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

they want to do, what they want to get into and what jobs are open with what they’re doing here in school.” The real-world learning mindset takes the form of many new programs throughout the district, such as weekly specials for Elementary and Early Childhood students. Specials are weekly classes that educate students beyond the traditional core classes. Lakota currently offers six different specials courses: gym, art, music, health, and technology. The sixth specials class combines skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math in a program called STEAM. “If we didn’t [have specials] we would get tired of being in the classroom and doing the same thing,” Endeavor fifth-grader Sam Dragon said. “Having specials every morning gets you ready for the day and prepares you for later learning.”

nother addition to the real world learning challenge collaborative is the reintroduction of all-day kindergarten at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year to provide students a head start in their educational careers. “One of the biggest changes we made was going back to a no-lottery kindergarten system,” Miller said. “We see the value in early literacy and in getting those kids in [school] as soon as we can to help build that foundation. Kindergarten is the hardest thing to teach.” Another example of real world learning is the Lakota Cyber Academy, introduced this spring that will award students a cyber security certificate upon completion.

“The cyber security field right now has one million job openings— three million in about three years,” Miller said. “We see a niche for our kids, those that are interested in computer sciences, and or cyber security, [so they can] get high school credits, and, right when they graduate, they’ll be able to get government clearance and a job.” The district’s goal is to give every student in the district an opportunity to have an internship before they graduate— approximately 1300 internships per year, according to Miller.

akota parent Alyssa Louagie is happy that the district is incorporating real world learning into the curriculum and class structure. “Hopefully it’ll help [the students] with good problem-solving skills and things like that,” said Louagie, who has two children in the district. “With math, especially because my eighth-grader is not great with reading math problems. If you gave her a real-world problem, then she can solve it well. But when all you’re doing is reading it off a piece of paper, it doesn’t have the same effect for her.” Lakota School Board Member Kelley Casper knows Lakota is changing. Lakota’s current student population of 16,500 students will gain an estimated 365 students by the 2023-24 school year. “[School] is different than when we were in school,” Casper said. “The times are different, the future is different, the way the kids learn is different, and the world is different. We’re trying to embrace that at Lakota. We’re trying to make sure we can give every student what is best for them when it comes to learning.” •

state of the schools | news Elkhan Meydanov works to create a handmade robot at Independence Elementary’s showcase table.

A NEW TAKE ON PI story nicco morello photography kelly johantages

SHOWCASING LAKOTA story karaline abney | photography alexandra fernholz

The State of the Schools speech provided an opportunity for Lakota schools to display their unique programs and advancements.

akota’s State of Schools address provided a new opportunity to allow students in the district to display the “real-world learning” experience their respective schools provide. The Student Showcase, which took place before the second annual State of Schools address, consisted of booths manned by students and teachers to emphasize their school’s innovative programs. “Everyone wants to showcase all of the great things that are going on in the schools,” Director of Student Services Lori Brown said. “There’s a lot of different buildings that don’t get to interact with each other and [they got to] show off what they love about Lakota.” Ridge Junior School, one of the many schools present, displayed its new virtual reality (VR) and technology department. “We can use the VR headsets to see visual representations of things in science class and language arts,” Ridge eighth-grader Nicholas Pytlinski told Spark. “Let’s say you’re in history, you can see Ancient Rome, or something to help you learn more about

what you’re learning.” At Van Gorden Elementary, kindness and social skills are being emphasized through bulletin boards where students post positive comments about their peers and through videos teaching kids the formula Event + Response = Outcome (E+R=O). “Our school has really great principles that all incorporate kindness,” Van Gorden fifth-grader Sophia Clever said. “People that have kindness don’t always get the happiness they deserve, and they usually get picked on. But at our school that doesn’t happen because of [the kindness] we are spreading.” Sophia’s mother, Jodi Clever, supported the initiative Van Gorden was taking. “I love the kindness aspect that they’re going after this year. I’m excited to see that side—that it’s not just academics and curriculum-driven, but also social skills,” Jodi said. “Being good to one another, and being cognizant of the differences each of us have—that’s a life skill that is missed, especially in today’s world.” •

est tubes bubble, Stormtroopers roam the floor and children’s excited laughter fills Main Street. This was the atmosphere at Lakota’s sixth annual Pi Day celebration (pictured above), held and sponsored by Lakota’s Enrichment and Academic Development of Students (Lakota LEADS). Former teacher and leading member of the Gifted Services program Lauren Webb emphasized the importance of the opportunities Pi Day presented to students. “[This is] hands-on experience for [students] that we can’t always give in the classroom,” Webb said, pointing to her booth. “Students [enjoy] being able to highlight the work that they do.” Various vendors, organizations, and educational programs were present that night. Some groups and organizations, like Lakota’s Gifted Services program and Voice of America (VOA) Museum of Broadcasting, were at the event. The children were able to participate in science experiments, pet animals, view the future cities exhibit and even to touch a human brain. Darth Vader and some Stormtroopers from the 501st Legion of the Ohio Garrison were there that night as well, walking around and taking pictures with the children. East geometry teacher Jeff Flory was at the Pi Day event, simply for leisure. He recalls learning about Pi Day as a student and using pi in classes as a teacher. “At Lakota, it’s grown so much in the last decade,” Flory said. “Applying a celebration [to Pi Day] is pretty exciting.” VOA Museum of Broadcasting Volunteer Jocelyn Brault was at the Pi Day celebration letting kids play with his “Power Tower,” where kids were able to crank a device which measured how much voltage was being generated. “Just getting something that they’re not familiar with, and seeing something different is opening up their brains to other possibilities,” Brault said. “You only know what you’re comfortable with or what you’ve done, so we’re trying to give everybody a different experience in one night.” •

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news | butler tech

Butler Tech senior Madison Pucke, in training to be a phlebotomist, practices drawing blood from a mannequin arm.

A DAY OFF

Butler Tech rearranged its calendar for the 2019-2020 school year to allow students more internship, activity or project time. story katey kruback | photography used with permission

utler Tech has announced that during the second semester of their 2019-2020 school year, they’re going to try something new: a four-day work week for 14 consecutive weeks. The idea, according to Butler Tech Public Relations Coordinator AJ Huff, was to give students more opportunities outside the school building. “Especially with career tech, we know a lot of our students are seeking ways to get more hands-on experience and shadow more career opportunities through internships and co-ops,” Huff said. “With the Fifth Day Experience, we looked to create an opportunity for students to have the time, because that’s one of our biggest barriers, to get out in the field and use a full day to shadow, or work a job.” Starting Feb. 7, 2020, Butler Tech students and teachers will no longer have school on Fridays. But the administration was able to rearrange the calendar for students and teachers to be going to school the same total amount of days and hours as a normal school schedule. “There’s a couple of additional days on both ends of the calendar, and then the biggest change is that we will not have a scheduled spring break,” Huff said. “Really, we’re kind of a mess around spring break time with ten

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feeder schools all on different schedules, so our attendance is all over the place when our students’ vacation on their sibling’s schedule instead of ours. If they decide to go on vacation next year anyway, this way they’ll only be missing four days.” The goal of the Fifth Day Experience is to create opportunities for students to personalize their learning, something Butler Tech Bioscience Principal Abbie Cook is taking into consideration when exploring options for next year. “[Butler Tech] offers a good deal of career opportunities, but in Hospitals, for instance, there can be over 400 different job descriptions. No way can we show [students] all 400 on campus,” Cook said. “But there’s probably five or six that they probably should see. This will be a great experience for students to get out there and make things happen for themselves.” This will also give students the opportunity to narrow their career focus and find a specialty. “Students come in and will say ‘I want to be a doctor,’ or ‘I want to be a nurse,” and by the end of the program, they’re able to say ‘I want to be a respiratory therapist,’ or ‘I want to be a specialist in this area,’ and they become more specific,” Cook said. “This experience will help

them tailor their experiences better and narrow their focus.” According to Cook, this experience was looking to fulfill a new educational model for the 21st-century students that are looking to personalize their own learning and growth. But experience can come in many different forms. Adam “AJ” Steele is a Butler Tech junior in the automotive technology branch of Butler Tech, and he said he’s had an “amazing” experience in the school so far. “I’ve made a bunch of close friends and learned a ton of new things from my amazing instructor,” said Steele, whose car mechanic uncle got him into cars. “The teachers are kind, and always willing to help.”

ut Steele also works five days a week at the Oil Express off Tylersville and is planning on utilizing his Fridays off to catch up on sleep and work long shifts. “I’ve always had a thing for taking things apart and putting them back together to see how they work, and pursuing a career in the automotive trade just seemed right,” said Steele, who is planning on entering the workforce directly after graduation. “As corny as it sounds, if you do something you love,

butler tech | news

“In the 16 years I’ve been with Butler Tech, they’ve always been committed to innovation. This will be a great experience for students to get out there and make things happen for themselves.” —Abbie Cook, Butler Tech Bioscience Principal you’ll never work a day in your life.” Steele, according to Huff, is not an odd case. “A lot of our students work half days, causing them to miss half a day of lab time,” Huff said. “So where they could be improving their craft, even doing it in the workforce, they’re missing the opportunity to do so with an instructor. Hopefully, that fifth day will free up some time and give them the best of both worlds.”

lthough the Fifth Day Experience is meant as a day for further career enrichment, students are not required to pursue any internships or co-ops. “We realize that sometimes a student may just need a day to recharge, and [will] utilize that day to catch up on things. It’s not a school day, it is a day off, so we can’t require the students to do anything,” Huff said. “However, all of our teachers and administrators are committed to creating networked opportunities available for the students, and finding ways to utilize that fifth day.” Teachers are also able to register themselves to create their own opportunities for their students.

“For example, we have a phlebotomy program, so our phlebotomy instructor could say she wants to work on certain Fridays and, for example, do data posters all day,” Cook said. “She could bring people in [from the field] to talk to students, and students would be able to attend.” But internships, co-ops, work, and sleep aren’t the only things on the agenda for those Fridays. Butler Tech will be offering programming and workshops for interested students, and Huff said there’s a diverse range of possibilities. “We’re still in the planning stages, but we’ve talked about many things, including drivers education, where students are able to come here on Fridays and earn their drivers education credit here instead of having to do it at night or on weekends,” said Huff, who assures that transportation to the building will be available on those specific Fridays. “We’ve also discussed college scholarship help, a Miami University leadership program, and different workshops.” This is a relief for Butler Tech students like Deja Plair, a junior in the vocals program. “The [loss of] spring break [was] a bit upsetting, and while I’m sure I’ll get used to it,

Columbia /

I don’t think [the Fifth Day Experience will] be that effective for our campus,” Plair said. “It’s a great idea for every Butler Tech campus except for the Arts division, as it will be difficult finding internships for Arts nearby.” Still under discussion is whether special needs students will be following the same schedule. “Our Project Life and Project Search students are already in an internship format in their program, and the goal is that they have gainful employment at the end of their program,” Huff said. “As long as they’re signed up for the programming we have available, they will be able to come in on that Friday, with the regularly provided transportation. But the specific details are still in discussion.” Although there’s been some concern, according to Cook, the feedback has been largely positive and hopeful. “In the 16 years I’ve been with Butler Tech, they’ve always been committed to innovation,” Cook said. “Next year is going to be an experiment, and if the trial falls flat, then we won’t do it. But to be innovative you have to take risks, so that’s what we’re doing with this experience. We’re going to give it a try.” •

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Jon McFarland Jack McFarland 10981 Montgomery Road • Cincinnati, Ohio 45249 Main (513) 489-2000 • Fax (513) 489-7377 Visit us at our website www.columbiahyundai.com • www.columbiagenesis.net

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 11

news | edge The EDGE Teen Center starts its ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of their 10th anniversary.

EDGE-ING FORWARD The EDGE Teen Center hosted an anniversary party to celebrate their ten years of operation in the Liberty Twp. community. story and infographic amy bohorfoush | photography alexandra fernholz fernholz

magine Dragons’ “Thunder” thudded through speakers in the corner of the room in celebration. Teens sit at the tables eating pretzels, talking, and playing cards and playing pool. Gold balloons are anchored behind a table of puzzles in the shape of the number 10. As the EDGE Teen Center celebrated its 10-year anniversary, EDGE Teen Center Executive Director Brenda Yablonsky surveyed the celebrations for the teen center’s 10th anniversary with a sense of pride. “We invite the community to come in and

2006- Wellspring Community

Church first creates a vision of a teen center to serve teens in the Lakota district.

12 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

engage with our students, so we are a center that really believes its full circle, and with that we just feel really tight-knit,” Yablonsky said. The recognition of 10 years of studentcentered operation resulted from the combined efforts of EDGE staff and students, including East junior and EDGE member Reagan Rose. “There were definitely questions that [the staff] asked, like, ‘Would you enjoy doing this?’ and we would answer that, but some things are still a surprise,” Rose said. The EDGE Teen Center, a nonprofit

2007-Advisory group of school,

located on Wyandot Way behind East, is an organization that provides a safe place for teens to go after school and teaches them skills that will prepare them for success after graduation. Students can become members of EDGE by paying a total of $75 or paying $50 and completing five hours of community service, which the students can fill at the counter of the EDGE cafe or with a local business. In addition, students can come to EDGE for job preparation, to do homework, for mental health counseling through Focus on Youth, or

business, and community leaders begin fundraising. Wellspring Community Church provides seed money.

March 7, 2009- EDGE opens, initially serving 30-40 teens per day.

edge | news

Of East students surveyed who attend EDGE, 42 percent said their favorite part was the community service opportunities they offer.

Editor-in-Chief of Liberty Township West Chester Magazine Michelle Moody (right) shakes hands with West Chester Chamber Alliance Director of Membership Development Yasmen Brown-Jones (left). simply to play pool, basketball, or video games with friends. EDGE funds these programs through donations, student membership fees, sponsorships with local businesses, and fundraisers such as a 10-year anniversary dinner in Liberty Center. East senior Jaden Bennett moved to the Lakota district in his junior year. Over the course of his education, Bennett has adjusted to 11 different schools. “East was a little scarier since it was bigger, but EDGE really helped, especially because of basketball,” Bennett said. “You see a white ginger kid and think he’s not good at basketball and that’s my outlet for meeting new friends.” Bennett is now able to make a positive impact on others in turn as EDGE’s first student employee. “I thought the staff was great, but they could use a hand, so I would help start cleaning and sweeping,” Bennett said. “I made a lot of

Fall 2010- Community service program launches

relationships with the staff and kids, so one day they said ‘hey we’re looking to hire a student employee for EDGE,’ and I said yes.”

he Wellspring Community Church first conceived the idea for a center to serve teens in the Lakota district in 2006. The vision became a reality when EDGE opened on Mar. 7, 2009, serving between 30 and 40 students per day. Over the past decade, EDGE has grown to more than 100 teens, with the largest increase occurring after the Lakota district lost busing in 2011. The teen center was remodeled in 2016 to accommodate for small-group programs, including discussions and activities geared toward establishing healthy relationships and preventing substance abuse. The newest EDGE program is Job Prep, launched in February 2019. Job Prep works with teens from around the area, not just Lakota. According to Yablonsky,

September 2011- EDGE attendance grows to 100 teens

the program teaches the teens “soft skills,” such as how to apply and present themselves for job interviews. Then, teens have the opportunity to apply those skills through working in the cafe at EDGE as they cook, sweep, mop, and handle money responsibly. Job Prep culminates with an interview at Frisch’s, Skyline, Kings Island, Chick-Fil-A, or Tide Dry Cleaners, as these businesses worked with EDGE to create the curriculum for the program. Participants aren’t guaranteed a job, but they are guaranteed an interview. EDGE Teen Center Director Annie Droege works closely with the students at EDGE. Over four years as teen center director and two previous years as the community service coordinator, she has taken a lot of joy in her role as a mentor. “I’d never worked with teens before, but I thought it would be the coolest thing to help lead students in to helping other communities,” Droege said. “I think [the students] are starting to understand that we have quality programming that will help them become better versions of themselves.” Future plans for EDGE include opening a new teen center at West Freshman Campus. Cornerstone Church is devoting one wing to EDGE after school, where West students will be able to participate in the same programs and activities that East students have access to. “The people from the community were asking for a really long time if we could build a teen center to serve kids on the West side of town, so we’re excited we’re finally able to do that through this partnership,” Yablonsky said. East senior Sela Weaver drew the EDGE logo to create a banner displaying the options EDGE presents for students, with some playing basketball and pool, some volunteering, and some meeting friends in the cafe. From volunteering at Liberty Center to bonding with friends during games, the teen center has played a pivotal role in her life for four years. The impact EDGE made on her own life inspired Weaver to draw the banner. “I started to think, ‘what makes EDGE [the way it is?]’” Weaver said. “It’s all the kids, and the employees. It’s not just the cafe.” •

2016- Center rennovated for for small group programs.

February 2019- Creation of “Job Prep,” EDGE’s newest program.

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 13

news | mobile dentist

The mobile dentist’s bus waits outside Hopewell Early Childhood to provide dental care to kids.

MISSION DENTAL A mobile dentist is pulling into the parking lots outside Lakota schools to make dental care more easily accessible to students. • story anna mullins | photography anna mullins

itting in the back of the classroom, a student feels pain explode in his mouth. It is not the first time. The teacher’s words fade to the background of the student’s focus as his tooth captures his attention. Rising to go to the nurse, he knows he won’t be offered a solution. The solution arrives in the mobile dentist, a space-themed bus that can service patients without the need for a physical building. Inside, the large bus has been outfitted with two fully-functioning dental workspaces and the equipment to do almost all dental procedures. On board, there is a full-time dentist, dental assistant, and a clerk/driver that man the mobile dental unit Monday thru Friday. “We do have kids that come into our clinics on a daily basis that have tooth pain, toothaches, cavities, abscesses, and they’re not in class because their teeth hurt so bad [that] they can’t even pay attention,” Lakota Manager

14 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

of Health Services Lauren Brown said. “That was what sparked the idea to start running this through some pilot schools to see how it goes.” The unit, owned by Primary Health Solutions, has been operating for ten years and is now partnering with Lakota to service all Lakota families by offering a unique way to make dental care accessible. “I didn’t know the mobile dental unit existed until I was driving home from East one day, and I saw this big RV drive by that said ‘Mission Dental’ on it and [it was] spacethemed,” Brown said. “It said ‘if you want more information, call this number,’ so I called the number and got to their administrative offices and learned more about it.” Primary Health Solutions is a nonprofit safety net health care provider that operates centers throughout Butler County. It is a federally qualified health center, so they receive special consideration to be gap fillers

for individuals who may have barriers from healthcare because of their type of insurance or the lack of insurance altogether. “We have different types of insurances that we accept, most of the Medicaid plans have dental care in them,” Primary Health services Vice President of community engagement Ronda Croucher said. “But for anyone who doesn’t have dental insurance, we use a sliding fee scale and [the cost is] based on their household income.”

ince Primary Health Services is able to accept all types of dental insurance, it is much easier for them to be able to provide healthcare to all individuals. The mobile dental unit not only visits Lakota schools, but they also visit other schools and workplaces around Butler County. “Truthfully, we have a lot of students that are newcomers to our country, or students

mobile dentist | news

“We care about the whole child. We’re educating a whole child and we want everyone to feel safe and loved at our school, and then they can learn.” —John Mattingly, Adena Principal [for whom] English is a second language,” Adena Principal John Mattingly said. “And there’s either a language or insurance barrier, with the parents being able to seek out dental appointments. That barrier literally got knocked down when the mobile dentist came to our parking lot and our school.”

ccording to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, 13.3 percent of children had untreated dental problems in their permanent teeth. A recent multivariate analysis, published by the American Journal of Public Health, also found that children with poor oral health miss more school days and receive lower grades than children with good oral health. “Children with poor oral health and/or untreated tooth decay are three times more likely to miss school,” mobile dentist doctor Lisa Marion said. “Cavities can cause difficulty in chewing, sleeping, and paying attention in class. If left untreated, dental cavities can lead to severely detrimental health effects that can lead to hospitalization and even more dreadful outcomes.” The Surgeon General marked tooth decay as the number one unmet healthcare need for kids. The mobile dentist is able to diagnose and treat these dental problems so that they do not progress into a detrimental health issue in adulthood. “It’s so awesome that our district partners with the mobile dentist so that we can make sure our kids are healthy,” Mattingly said. “We care about the whole child. We’re educating a whole child and we want everyone to feel safe and loved at our school, and so then they can learn.” In preparation for the mobile dentist visit, school nurses send out information packets to students and parents. The packets included information regarding the dentist, the cost, and how to sign up for an appointment. “There is an information packet that is sent home a couple of weeks before the dentist comes,” Hopewell school nurse Lisa Brady

said. “It lets parents know that if they want their students to see a dentist during the school day, they can sign up. They just have to fill out a packet and provide [their] health history. Then they send it back to me, [the nurses] make a schedule, and the students can be seen the day that the dental van comes.” The students are scheduled to see the dentist during class time, avoiding lunchtime, recess, and specials. Then after they are seen, they are given a too-shaped sugar-free sucker. “After a student is seen, they will remain in the system with Primary Health Solutions and they don’t have to fill out paperwork again,” Brady said. “After six months, they will [send] an automated call and advise the student to either be seen in a Primary Health Solutions location or wait until [the mobile dental unit] comes back to [their] school. If they need treatment, like a filling or extraction, they will coordinate with me and arrange for that to happen on the van somewhere in the district.”

he Lakota administration plans to bring the mobile dentist to the high schools, but as of right now, it visits only early childhood (ECS) and elementary schools in the district. To make sure that all students have access to care, high school students can work with their school nurse to arrange an appointment at a school that the mobile dentist is visiting to receive dental care. “They have committed to us, every Wednesday, for the remainder of the school year and if we have enough need, they will add more days into [the schedule]. Our goal would be to get a second day a week.” Brown says. “Then they’ll rotate back through once they [get to] all of those schools,

and do the treatment at those buildings. So we could [reach] the students because we’re going to need to expand to the junior high and the high school-level as well.” During the initial seven weeks, the mobile dentist has been able to visit six Lakota schools, treating 108 students. The dental unit is scheduled to visit five more Lakota schools and then it will begin to circle back to the initial schools to give additional treatments. “We love providing this service to the community,” Croucher said. “It’s a great way for us to begin to help people connect with how to properly access care. If they’ve not been to the dentist for whatever reason, it’s a great way to get them introduced and get their care started. And there’s a lot of people who have anxiety around going to the dentist, so we hope that their experience helps to ease that anxiety and makes it easier for them.” •

Of 300 East students surveyed, 85% of students have visited the dentist in the last six months.

art rachel anderson

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 15

news | juul

THE SMOKESCREEN

The newest teen epidemic has many concerned, and studies blame JUULâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing strategies. story alexandra fernholz infographic gracie estep photography isis summerlin

* denotes name change

16 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

Part 2

juul | news tobacco or nicotine through e-cigarettes rather than through cigarettes.” E-cigarettes were first introduced to the US market in 2006, but the FDA was not authorized to regulate tobacco products until the Family Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed by then President Obama in 2009. And up until 2011, it was still uncertain whether e-cigarettes should be classified as tobacco products. In April of 2011, the FDA announced its intention to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products. This meant that any retailer who sold e-cigarettes would have to check the ID of any customer under 27 and refuse to sell to any customer under 18. The new decision also prohibited sales of e-cigarettes from a vending machine (except in adult-only facilities), and prohibited free samples or parts to be given away to consumers.

n Juul’s infamous 2015 Vaporized campaign, there are no clearly visible warnings about nicotine or the possibility of addiction in the advertisements, unlike those present in ads for other tobacco products. These labels warning consumers of the potential dangers of an e-cigarette were not required by the FDA until Aug. 10, 2018. “Juul didn’t make explicit claims that e-cigarettes are harmless,” Yang said. “[But] those marketing ads are pretty persuasive in terms of making young adults think that e-cigarette use is less harmful and a safer option to smoking.” In a recent survey, of 300 East students, 72 percent have seen a Juul ad within the past year on social media. Madison has observed e-cigarettes around

photography fair use

plume of vapor rises from the lips of a young model who stares sultrily into the camera, one hand on her hip and the other holding the now infamous Juul. Wearing leggings and a grey jacket pulled aside to reveal a white crop top and a belly button, hair pulled into a high ponytail against a bright, eyecatching yellow background, this photograph of the model is one of many from the 2015 ‘Vaporized’ campaign (pictured below). The campaign was funded by PAX Labs, the maker of the Juul and owner of Juul Labs, a subset which broke off as its own company in 2017. These original ad campaigns by Juul were all of similar styles, featuring young, trendy looking models, bright colors, and the seeming idea that juuling was something done by “cool people.” However, Juul is now under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for potentially luring its customers into something much less harmless than it seemed—especially the underage consumers. “In its early marketing efforts, about 2015 or 2016, [Juul] actually had a pretty explicit intent to target young adults,” Annenberg School of Communication Doctoral Candidate Sijia Yang told Spark. “Social influence is one of the biggest reasons [teens] cited for why they wanted to use e-cigarettes.” For East junior Madison*, this was exactly the case. She first tried a Juul at the beginning of her junior year, after Riley*, a friend of hers, expressed interest in getting one. Riley had previously juuled, but after her parents found and confiscated her device,

Riley became intent on having a replacement. After agreeing to split the cost of the Juul, Madison and Riley drove to an old gas station somewhere in Mason to pick up the device. “[We went to] a gas station. The guy who worked there knew [Riley] from one of her friends,” Madison said. “It was really sketchy. I thought ‘what did I get myself into?’” After purchasing the Juul, Riley wasted no time in testing out the device. “She broke it out like right then [in the car],” Madison said. “She was like, ‘ready?’ and I was like, ‘what?’” For millions of teens, a Juul is not an uncommon device. According to the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), almost five million youth, or 20.8 percent of adolescents, currently use some form of tobacco product. Of these five million, 3.6 million reported using e-cigarettes. Despite the popiularity of e-cigarettes, only 37 percent of surveyed youth and young adult users knew that a Juul pod always contains nicotine, according to a recent study by the Truth Initiative, a national tobacco prevention campaign. Stanford University Professor of Pediatrics Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, who also works as part of the Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising research group, has spoken to many adolescents on the subject. “[Teens] think that [pods are] basically harmless, or just water vapor, without realizing that there’s a significant amount of nicotine and other chemicals in the Juuls,” HalpernFelsher told Spark. “We’re basically creating a generation of people who are now addicted to

An original advertisement from the July 2015 Vaporized campaign. April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 17

news | juul

“We’re basically creating a generation of people who are now addicted to tobacco or nicotine through e-cigarettes rather than through cigarettes.” —Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Professor of Pediatrics her, not only at school, but behind closed doors, and sometimes around dumpsters at her job at a popular chain restaurant. “I know other people who do it and that’s all they do,” Madison said. “Everyone openly talks about it, because no one cares.” When Vaporized first launched in July 2015, Juul spent over $1 million to market the product online, expanding its presence on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. “One of the things Juul did differently than others is that [they] very explicitly targeted social media as one of the major outlets for its marketing efforts,” Yang said. “Young adults heavily rely upon social media all the time— that definitely got to them.”

ther key parts of the campaign in the summer of 2015 included a series of launch parties featuring youth-oriented bands, free tastings, and a key feature: flavored pods. According to the 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 31 percent of surveyed youth cited the availability of flavors as the reason they started using e-cigarettes. Some even believe, incorrectly, that the flavored devices are not harmful Out of 100 East at all. students surveyed, “From 65% claim to juul. talking to

THE DRAW TO JUUL

Below, they say why.

22% 19% 60%

youth, they have said to us that they really like to have something that’s tasty, without calories or without as much harm as they think it has,” Halpern-Felsher said. “We’re meant to eat cheese, we’re meant to eat milk chocolate, we’re not meant to heat them up and inhale it. And so the buttery flavors, the cinnamon flavors, and the vanilla, can be very harmful to your lungs and to your respiratory system.” While cigarette flavors, other than menthol, were banned by the FDA in 2009, stopping the sale of kid-friendly flavors like chocolate and strawberry, other tobacco products were not subjected to the same law. For this reason, cartridges of e-liquid flavored and packaged as Swedish Fish, Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, and even Thin Mints were available online and in stores. Taking advantage of this legal discrepancy allowed Juul sales to jump nearly 800 percent from 2017 to 2018, and as of December 2018, after American tobacco giant Altria aquired a 35 percent share in Juul stock, the company was valued at $38 billion, more than both SpaceX and Airbnb. Despite public concerns, Juul continues to grow. According to Bloomberg News, Juul’s 2018 revenue stood at $1.3 billion and the company made a profit of $12.4 million that year, making it one of the most successful startups in the world. And in 2019, sales growth is predicted to balloon another 160 percent. “Nothing is happening, with [Juul] being forced to stop selling certain flavors,” Madison said. “Even if they do stop

selling, people are still going to find a way to get it.” According to Halpern-Felsher, Juul is popular for a variety of reasons. “They are marketed as being cool, and they’re marketed as being flashy,” HalpernFelsher said. “Youth tell me that it’s also because they can hide it [easily].”

hough Juul Labs has reportedly invested $30 million toward youth and parent education and independent research, it insisted in a July 2018 press release that the company marketed its product “responsibly” and followed “strict guidelines” to market the product to adult smokers. “ W e

Glycerol is a compound found in sugar additives.

Because of the flavors Anti-freeze is used to make Juul pods.

Because they thought it “looked cool.” Because their friends do it

Nicotine is used as a stimulant.

source US National Library of Medicine 18 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

juul | news have never marketed to anyone underage,” Juul said in the July 2018 press release. “Our growth is not the result of marketing but rather a superior product disrupting an archaic industry.” In Madison’s experience, Juuls are popular among her friends, classmates, and co-workers because of its size. “[Juuls are] small and you can carry [them] in your pocket,” Madison said. “I know a lot of people do. It’s very portable. It’s everywhere here.” For Riley, portability meant accessibility. And having access to a Juul led her to nearly constant use. “Back in December, [Riley] would ask me constantly for it. I started taking it from her to get her to stop,” Madison said. “She couldn’t function without it.” Up until that time,

Benzoic acid is found in vinegar due to its acidity

Food grade flavoring is used for different tastes.

Madison says, she and Riley had switched who bought pods, alternating purchases and sharing each pack. Then, Riley started using more and more. “There’s like four [pods] in a pack. And it would be gone within two days,” Madison said. According to Vice President of Prevention and Public Health of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio Amy Bush Stevens, one of the biggest concerns among officials is the likelihood of dual-use among adolescents who use e-cigarettes. Dual-use, which is the use of both e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco products, is reportedly common among e-cigarette users. The 2018 NYTS survey found that among adolescents who used tobacco products, 40 percent used more than one. “Once you become dependent on nicotine, then people will often move to dual-use, using both e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco,” Bush Stevens said. “Up to this point, you see really good reductions in traditional cigarette smoking among adolescents in the US and in Ohio and that’s fantastic. It’s really concerning because it threatens to undo all of the progress that we have made.” But times have changed since the original Vaporized campaign in the summer of 2015. In September of 2018, then FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb declared youth vaping to be an “epidemic” and gave Juul and several other major e-cigarette manufacturers 60 days to submit plans to prevent youth vaping to the FDA. Then in November, Juul halted sales of mango, crème brûlée, cucumber, and fruitflavored pods at over 90,000 retail stores, and shut down both its Facebook and Instagram accounts in response to the FDA’s crackdown. And in March of 2019, Washington became the ninth state to raise the legal smoking and vaping age to 21, after Hawaii, California, New Jersey, and others. The previous minimum age issued nationally by the FDA was 18.

difference in age between adult and young adult users. Adults who had previously used tobacco products reacted differently to the nicotine than those who had never experienced it before. “Scientifically speaking, the longterm health impact still remains largely unknown,” Yang said. “We don’t quite understand [Juul’s] long term impact on people’s health, but we know for sure that for young adults it causes an addiction [to nicotine].” According to Bush Stevens, education is just as important as long-term research. “We want to make sure that we prevent as many kids from starting a nicotine [dependency] before that addiction is fully established,” Bush Stevens said. “We need to continue to educate and improve that knowledge and awareness. That’s really important.” In Madison’s experience, her peers know all about juuling but may not have known the dangers behind it when they started. “Everyone started hearing about it because it was advertised everywhere on all the social media, places like Snapchat and Instagram. We grew up watching these people around a similar age, or a couple of years older than us [smoking and juuling]. That’s what they were all doing,” Madison said. “I’m planning on getting rid of [my Juul], because I don’t want to use it [anymore].” •

n the wake of pressure from the federal government and negative media scrutiny, Juul has also rebranded itself, featuring images of former smokers who quit traditional cigarettes using a Juul. Rather than their former campaign of young and trendy models, it now places an emphasis on juuling as a viable option for adults who want to quit smoking rather than a new trendy fad. However, this new version of Juul may not be entirely accurate, either. “There is really no good evidence to show that adults really successfully quit,” HalpernFelsher said. “Instead a lot of the evidence shows that adults who try quitting with e-cigarettes wind up using cigarettes and e-cigarettes, which is a bigger problem.” Yang also emphasized the

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 19

news | cinderella’s closet

Step One

The princesses tried on a variety of dresses, assisted by their fairy godmothers.

Step Two

Accessories assistants select a variety of jewelry, shoes, and hair accessories for the Princesses to try on.

A CINDERELLA STORY

Southwest Ohio’s Cinderella’s Closet has been helping teenage girls turn dresses into dreams for 10 years. • story rachel anderson | infographic lauren maier | photography alexandra fernholz

’m going to look like Cinderella! These words are all it took for the nationwide program Cinderella’s Closet to help thousands of girls turn dresses into dreams. Erin Peterson was at a consignment shop in 2006 when she overheard a teenage girl asking the clerk if she could put a beautiful Prom dress on hold while she figured out a way to pay for it. The girl had asked her foster mother for some money, but the family couldn’t afford to spend that much on a dress she would only wear once. Peterson knew she could buy the dress for the girl. After convincing the girl to let her help, and through many tears, the girl left the store holding the dress that she knew would make her feel like Cinderella on Prom night. Peterson decided she’d go back to the store the next year and wait for girls who couldn’t afford the dress of their dreams so she could help even more.

However, over the next year, those plans grew bigger than Peterson expected and the very first Cinderella’s Closet was held in Immanuel United Methodist Church in Lakeside Park, Kentucky. Cinderella’s Closet is a volunteer-run organization that relies on the donations of individuals and organizations to collect new and gently-used Prom dresses and accessories. The dresses are provided for free to girls who are experiencing personal or financial hardship and need assistance in obtaining the perfect dress for Prom. There are now locations in 17 cities in 11 different states. The Southwest Ohio branch has been operating since 2009 and is held at Crossroad Church in Mason. When Peterson saw former Lakota teacher Sara Mosteller volunteering at a similar type of program that held a Prom for adults with special needs, Peterson knew Mosteller had the heart to join

20 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

the Cinderella team. “It was just one of those things that once I got started [volunteering], I couldn’t stop,” Mosteller said. “I couldn’t say no.” To qualify for the Cinderella’s Closet, a school counselor or social service worker has to make a referral for the girl to attend. The girls have to be enrolled in school as a junior or senior. The student will then get an appointment time to shop at Cinderella’s Closet during one of the days it is open. The specific date is usually in March or April, but can differ depending on the location. The magic begins when the doors open and the girls are greeted by their fairy godmothers. The fairy godmothers represent a portion of the 388 volunteers it takes to run the two-day outreach event. They stay by the side of the girls, who for that night are called Princesses, to help them find their perfect dress. “The way they greeted me made me

cinderella’s closet | news

Step Three A team of seamstresses assist each Princess to ensure her dress fits perfectly.

Step Four

Step Five

Princesses are taken to a makeup artist and hairstylist, who helps each Princess to look beautiful on Prom night.

A professional photographer takes photos of each Princess to remember their special day.

“There is a visible transformation. You watch girls raise up their shoulders, stand straighter, and they’re beaming by the end.” —Sara Mosteller, Former Lakota Teacher feel like I was welcome,” Talawanda junior Nicole Marco said. “I came in really anxious and nervous, but I felt fine when [my Fairy Godmother] was here.”

he girls start by choosing four dresses out of the 2,000 lined up against the walls of a giant dimly-lit room. Once they narrow the dresses down to their two favorites, they can go to the waiting area to model the dresses for their friends or family. They can try on as many dresses as it takes to find the perfect one. Dress sizes range from zero to 28 and Cinderella’s Closet has on-site tailors who will make alterations to the dresses, guaranteeing that each girl will leave with a dress that fits them perfectly. After finding the perfect dress, the Princesses are ushered to the accessories boutique area where an assistant will select everything needed to complete the look: jewelry, wraps, purses, hair accessories, and shoes. The only decision the girls have to make is which accessory they like best. It is the volunteer’s job to make this part as stress-free and fun as possible. “Like in Cinderella, our accessories

assistants bend down on their hands and knees and put the glass slipper on [the Princess’s] foot,” Mosteller said. “It’s a really humbling experience to allow someone to serve you in that way, but it also feels really good.” The Fairy Godmothers carry the dresses, shoes, and pink and gray duffel bags filled with goodies to each station for the Princesses. This year, on April 8 and 9, when the local Cinderella’s Closet event was hosted, they gave away 723 different accessory items. That includes 196 pairs of shoes, 197 necklaces, 195 pairs of earrings, 15 rings, 30 bracelets, 20 purses, 20 wraps, and 50 various tiaras and hairpieces.

ext, the Princesses get their hair and makeup touched up so they are picture perfect and ready for the following stations. Once the look is complete and alterations have been made, a professional photographer takes an 8x10 photograph and delivers it to the girl’s school a few weeks later for her to keep as a reminder of their special afternoon. The last stop of Cinderella’s Closet is the

Princess checkout area. Volunteers will steam and bag the dress, as well as stuff a duffel bag full of cosmetics and personal care items for the Princesses so that they can replicate their look on Prom night. This includes soap, face wash, shampoo, lotion, make-up, and fake eyelashes. This year alone, Mosteller estimated that they gave away over 1,500 items. Everything at this event is donated either by community members or businesses. This year Johnson & Johnson, Neutrogena, and Kiss cosmetics all donated items. “We’re a great place for high school girls, who have already worn a dress, shoes, or jewelry and know that they’re not going to wear it again,” said Mosteller. “[Then they’re] able to give it to somebody who will value it and make them feel like a princess.” Boutiques such as Pure Couture Prom donate dresses for various reasons, but not because they are defective. The value of the dress may vary from $250 to more than $800. The dresses all still have tags on them. While Cinderella’s Closet is thankful for those donations, they also heavily rely on donations from the people in the community.

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 21

news | cinderella’s closet extra inventory is stored in a storage unit. While the title of Director is a non-paid role, Mosteller said she easily works six to eight hours a day in the months leading up to the event to make sure everything runs smoothly. There is a team of 17 volunteers who help Mosteller plan throughout the year. They are each in charge of an area and are responsible for the donations and volunteers. There are 576 volunteer roles that need to be filled on the day of, from setup and teardown, taking pictures, serving as a Fairy Godmother, and everything in between.

“There is a visible transformation. You watch girls raise up their shoulders, stand straighter, and they’re beaming by the end,” said Mosteller. “It makes all the hours of planning and organizing and the months that lead into the event absolutely worth it.” Kimberly Nimeskern was the recipient of a dress in 2016 and 2017. She came back to volunteer as a Fairy Godmother this year. “I want to make girls feel how I got to feel,” Nimeskern said. “I never got to feel beautiful or great about myself and [Cinderella’s Closet] gave me that opportunity.” •

2019 Prom Season

PRICES RANGE were $100-$800+ but . donated for FREE M: SIZES RANGE FRO 0-28

CINDERELLA’S

PRICE TAFRGOM:

196 pairs of shoes donated

CLOSET

75 percent of dresses were donated by girls 22 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

197 necklaces donated 195 pairs of earrings donated 30 bracelets donated 20 purses donated 50 hair pieces donated

2,000

About 75 percent of the dresses in the inventory have been donated by girls who want to make an impact by dropping off their dresses. To donate dresses, shoes, or jewelry, anyone can drop them off at one of three local dry cleaners. Deluxe Dry Cleaners on Cox Lane, Deluxe Dry Cleaners at Union Center, and Lapels Dry Cleaning on Princeton Rd all accept donations and will clean the dresses for free if donors say they are for Cinderella’s Closet. When the dry cleaners accumulate a stack of dresses, they will call Cinderella’s Closet and a representative will go pick them up. All of the

dresses donated

locational feature | culture

A Taste of Paris

Le Macaron has a display of togo boxes customers can fill with their choice of maracons.

A new macaron shop moves into Liberty Center.

story and infographic megan finke photography caroline bumgarner

he double doors swing open and a tasteful rainbow appears. A cheerful hello comes from the back room but eyes are locked on the color. The scent kicks in, and most don’t know what it is. Ahead, a mesmerizing display of macarons lay, ready to satisfy customers. Le Macaron has made its first official debut to Ohio in Liberty Center. Originating in Florida in 2009, the French pastry store quickly erupted into a franchise in 2012. It has expanded throughout the United States. Le Macaron now has 57 locations. The Le Macaron story began when the French mother-daughter duo, Rosalie Guillem and Audrey Guillem-Saba wanted to share the true taste of French macarons with America. They wanted to show how macarons are different from the sugar-coconut cookie, macaroons. Liberty Center franchisee Marina Amaral said that a lot of people in the area don’t know what the french pastries are. She wants to bring the community something new. “We wanted to give every guest a little piece of Paris.” Amaral says. Described as a dessert, a macaron is a small decorative cake with a whipped filling that varies in flavor. While biting into one, a person can expect a rush of flavor as well as a little bit of crunch and fluff. The 80 calorie desserts are comprised of gluten free ingredients, with a single priced at $2.50, a box of six for $15.00 and so on. The spread of color meets the assortment of flavors creating 21 flavors ranging from Bubblegum to Belgian Chocolate.

aniela Gausmann works on the logistics of the store and has a strong role in customer experience. Gausmann says she knows what would be right for the customers. “We make selections [on products] based on what we know is selling well in Ohio,” Gausmann says. Aside from macarons, Le Macaron has a variety of other French based sweets. Some of which include gelato, which can be compared to ice cream, eclairs, which is another type of pastry and many other desserts. “We don’t only serve macarons, we have other pastries, eclairs, napoleons and some tarts. We have macarons cakes, like if you have a party which would be enough to serve 10 to 12,” Amaral says. “I also have an Italian coffee and bread. We also have milkshakes made with gelato from France and its really unique.” Each of the pastries served at any of the Le Macaron locations are made by French chefs at the Le Macaron French Pastries commissary and then shipped to each location. This process allows each pastry to taste the same, whether it is in Ohio or Florida. “All of us use their [commissary] product,” Gausmann says. “Our croissants and such things have a few providers that we are able to use through the recommendation of Le Macaron.” East senior Hannah Rehm first discovered macarons when she was in downtown Cincinnati and wanted something sweet, and she instantly fell in love. When Le Macaron opened in Liberty Center, she couldn’t

wait to try it out. “I was very excited that a new macaron shop was so close,” Rehm says. “The first time I went there I tried both the gelato and macarons and they were great.” When trying her go-to flavor, she knew the wait for a nearby macaron shop was worth it. “My favorite macaron flavor is raspberry. I love sweet things, but I also love a good tart flavor,” Rehm says. The Liberty Township location creates a stir in the community with new tasteful experiences, and Le Macaron is planning another location to open in northern Ohio. “I truly enjoy seeing a customer have something that they never had before,” Gausmann says. •

The Magic Behind the Macaron Bases: —combine ground almonds with icing sugar into one bowl and beaten egg-whites in another. —fold the mixtures together to create a textured substance similar to “shaving foam.” —leave to harden, cut into shape and then bake. Fillings: —use ingredients like cream cheese, ganache and many others to create a creamy filling. —mix and add in other ingredients until a desiered flavor is reached. Le Macaron uses gluten free ingredients, no artifical flavoring and no high fructose corn syrup to create their macarons.

sources wikipedia and Le Macaron April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 23

culture | pic 6

PIC SIX

Wayback Burger

Fifth Issue Features:

Spark chose six burger restaurants to vist and review. Lauren Maier ordered the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialty burger. Here are her rankings. reviews and photography lauren maier graphics and art caroline bumgarner

7690 Voice of America Centre Dr, West Chester Township Hours: Everyday 10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Quatman Cafe

224 W Main St, Mason Warren County

Butler County

Hamilton

Liberty Center 4 1

Mason 5

Hamilton County

Hours: Mon-Wed 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thurs-Sat 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sun 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Flipside

Kenwood

Hours: Sun 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mon-Thurs 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fri-Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Northstar

7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Township Hours: Everyday 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

24 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

7622 Blake St, Liberty Township

Bru Burger

Bagger Daves

Hours: Sun 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mon-Thurs 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fri-Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Hours: Sun-Tue 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Wed-Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

41 E 6th St, Cincinnati

9421 Civic Centre Blvd, West Chester Township

pic 6 | culture

1st

3rd

2nd

Northstar

Northstar Burger $14.00 Another amazing place located at Liberty Center is Northstar Cafe. I love going here if I’m going on a cute friend date or going here with my mom and/or dad after watching a movie at the Cobb Theatres. What’s different about North Star’s burger is that is not a meat burger, it’s made out of black beans, beats, and rice. This burger was by far the most flavorful with white cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and onion. It sounds really simple but all of the flavors was in the meatless burger. I loved it.

Bru Burger

The Bru Burger $11.00 Although this isn’t my first time going to this burger restaurant, there is a reason why I wanted to go again. Each time I have gone to this burger joint, I have always ordered something different and I have always enjoyed what I ate. This occasion, I ordered that house burger, and it was fabulous. It had taleggio cheese, which I’ve never had (but it was great), bacon, tomato jam, caramelized onions, chopped lettuce, and mayo. If I wasn’t doing this review, I wouldn’t have ordered this burger, but it has a surprisingly good combination of flavors and it was a great burger.

Flipside

Flipside Burger $10.29 After the heartbreaking, but well fought sweet sixteen game, a hearty burger was needed. Located at Liberty Center, Flipside is a small chain burger joint that serves a variety of homey meals including burgers. The flavors of the burger were pretty good. I’m not a big fan of onions on my burger, they made it work. Flipside uses a unique combination of BBQ sauce and balsamic vinegar that really gives it a unique flavor. If the bottom bun wasn’t drenched grease, the burger would have been very good.

Trainwreck $13.79 Wow, was there a lot of unique choices. I had the pleasure of heating the Train Wreck Burger, which included an over-easy egg, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, their house sauce, onions, and a nice brioche bun. The burger was great. It was nicely cooked and was medium rare, just the way I like it. This overall atmosphere was like going to a Ruby Tuesdays or a T.G.I. Fridays. I would go again, especially after seeing a movie, as the restaurant is conveniently located next to the AMC movie theater in Union Center.

6th

5th

4th

Bagger Daves

Quatman Cafe

Classic Cheese Burger $7.50 If you want to have a good and cheap time with friends, Quatman Cafe is the place to go. It’s a neighborhood cafe that welcomes anyone and everyone in. From the checkered tablecloth to the paper plates, it was as if I was in a backyard barbecue. However, contrary to the AOL Cities Best rating of the “best burger in Mason,” the quality of the burger is not up to parr. The meat was well done and the fries were just a little bit better than cafeteria fries. But overall, it boasted a great atmosphere and I would go again if I was craving a burger in Mason.

Wayback Burger

Wayback Classic $10.50 Hidden in the VOA area, Wayback Burger can be found. It has Smash Burger type interior design, the service was rather slow and not organized. Walking in, there was already a backed up. I ordered anyway and waited. Before anyone else in front of me received a burger, I got mine. I think that speaks to poor customer service. The burger was two patties stacked with a layer of cheese dividing them. The meat was well done and tough. The amount of grease that was on the burger and absorbed into the bun made stopped my meal three bites in.

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 25

culture | day-in-the-life of a theater kid

East freshman Marley Metz applies East junior Alex Pletikapich’s makeup, transforming him into an ancestor for the musical.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Spark looks at what goes into making a musical through the lense of actor East junior Alex Pletikapich.

weeks of short rehearsals, only an hour and a half in length, each one dedicated to learning a new song or dance. After the 34-person cast learns their music, things start coming together. Rehearsals end a little later and more is expected from the cast. “The rehearsals start to go until 5 p.m and we’ll usually start blocking and putting scenes together with the music and dancing,” Pletikapich says. “This is also the point where we’ll have off book, which means you can’t use your script and you’re expected to have your part completely memorized.” Then comes the dreaded tech week. Every actor’s worst nightmare, but also the point where anticipation is high in the theater. Actors watch excitedly as the set is built and they are fitted for costumes. Each member of the cast and crew is expected to pay a $140 fee (crew pays a $60 fee) to participate in the production. This money pays for costumes and any materials needed to

he call time for actors is 5 p.m., but he likes to get there early. The stillness of the theater reminds him of the rush of adrenaline he’ll get when he runs on stage and says his first line. This is the moment he’s been waiting for. Three months of preparation has led to this anxiously awaited day. It’s show time. Three months ago, East Junior Alex Pletikapich auditioned for The Addams Family, Thunderhawk Theater’s spring musical. On the day of the audition, Pletikapich woke up a little earlier. In fact, he had trouble sleeping at all, with excited and nervous thoughts rushing through his brain. His routine doesn’t change much on the day of an audition, but he does try to maintain an awareness of his physical health. “I try to eat healthier in the days leading up to an audition and the day of an audition,” Pletikapich says. “I drink water all day to keep my voice healthy.” In the minutes before his audition is

26 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

scheduled to begin, he gets serious. Pletikapich closes off, giving himself the opportunity to focus. He knows that maintaining his focus could make or break the audition. In the week before his audition, Pletikapich prepared and memorized a minute-long monologue. He also worked with his vocal coach, Melody Wallace, on the audition music that was assigned to him. The audition whizzes by and Pletikapich wonders why he was even nervous at all. He executes his monologue perfectly, each word so rehearsed, it’s almost sewn into his brain. The directors have him sing the audition music a few times before they come to a decision. When the cast list comes out, Pletikapich is thrilled to learn he received the role of Lucas Beineke, Wednesday Addams’ new fiance. The spring musical is double cast, meaning Pletikapich will have the opportunity to learn from and work with his counterpart, AJ Holtel. The rehearsal process begins with a few

story and photography eliza bush

| culture construct the set. “Right as the bell rings [during tech week], I pack up all my stuff and I run to the theater,” Pletikapich says. “I really do. It gets really crazy in there with everybody, so I try to get a head start.”

ctors are given until 3:30 to get ready. Hair and makeup must be done and approved, costumes should be on, every actor should have their mic, and the entire cast and crew is expected to read the notes from the previous rehearsal. In the weeks prior to the beginning of tech week, the costume and makeup teams start designing makeup and costume plans for the entire cast. As tech week begins, actors have detailed descriptions of their hair and makeup and have costumes that have been altered to their specifications. At 3:30, the cast does a vocal and physical warm up to prepare their bodies for the rehearsal ahead of them. During tech week, the cast and crew rehearse until 7 p.m. While this process is taxing for the actors, vocally, physically, and mentally, theater director Kristen Hoch has carefully planned the tech week rehearsals to make sure her actors are keeping up with their school work and are staying healthy. “After years of practice, I run a very detailed rehearsal and technical calendar,” Hoch says. “I hear of other directors keeping casts during tech week until 10 p.m. This is unacceptable. Student actors are students first.” However, it is still difficult for many actors, including Pletikapich, to balance their rehearsal schedule with school work, along with many other things. “I think it’s really hard to balance rehearsal, school work, and a social life on top of that,” Pletikapich says. “You also have to spend time with your family, possibly have a job, and make sure you’re staying healthy for the show.” Karen Pletikapich, Alex’s mom, is proud of how well Alex is able to balance theater and school. “Alex does a great job of managing his time,” Karen says, “During rehearsals, he cuts his work schedule and somehow fits everything in.” After two weeks of tech week rehearsals, the time comes for the cast and crew to showcase their hard work. On the day of a show, Pletikapich sleeps in, making sure he’s fully rested. Life goes on as it normally would, save the pounding in his chest as it gets closer and closer to show time. Actors are expected to arrive at the theater two hours before the show begins. They get ready, they warm up, and they take their places for the top of the show. As he stands in place, he reflects on the past three months and how much has changed from that first audition. •

AJ Holtel and Kelly Croy perform “The Addams Family” on stage together.

HIS OWN WORLD East junior Alex “AJ” Holtel fulfills his creative ambitions through theater and photography. story abbie westendorf | photography cassandra mueller

he cast stands in a circle squeezing each other’s hands, their hearts beating in anticipation. They pray for a good show, their patience thinning and thinning. Then, finally, it’s showtime; the blinding lights come on, the curtains open, and adrenaline fills their veins. East junior Alex “AJ” Holtel acted in his in his eighth Thunderhawk Theatre show, “The Addams Family” in late March. He starred as Lucas Beineke, Wednesday Addams’ fiance. “Playing Lucas has been a lot of fun; the music is fun,” Holtel says. ”He’s just overall a very fun character.” For Holtel, being on stage is fast and exciting, and before he knows it, he’s bowing for an applauding audience. “When you’re playing a character that you’ve pretty much been with for a few months, you just go out there and truly be that character and put everything into it,” Holtel says. East theatre teacher and Thunderhawk Theatre director Kristen Hoch loves how theatre encompasses so many different skills and prepares students to be successful in whatever it is they want to do next in life. “Holtel is a hard-worker,” says Hoch, who has been teaching at East for 16 years. “He is coachable on stage, has a nice voice, and functions well as a part of a team.” Performing is Holtel’s favorite part of theater, but the hours leading into the performance are nerve-wracking. That’s why the cast does some pre-performance rituals. “We do a hand squeeze, where we pass around a circle this hand squeeze without talking or looking,” Holtel says. “It solidifies our performance and shows we trust each other.” East junior and fellow thespian Kelly

Junior Croy played Holtel’s fiancé, Wednesday Addams. Croy says that Holtel’s commitment to stage chemistry and acting naturally makes him a very easy scene partner. “When we did “Magic Treehouse: a Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens,” the day of the filmed performance, his character had to run around the mezzanine and he tripped over some camera equipment and his knee started gushing blood all while he was singing,” Croy says. “He popped right up and just kept moving [like nothing] had happened.” The theater is not Holtel’s only creative outlet. He also has a passion for photography and does yearbook when he isn’t doing theater. “I love taking pictures of flowers, and sunsets, just pretty much anything I can,” Holtel says. “If I’m going out, I’ll usually take my camera with me just in case I find something to shoot.” Holtel’s favorite thing he’s ever shot was last summer in Hawaii, where he took a lava boat tour. “I took my nice camera and was taking pictures of the lava. I could feel it from where we were, it was crazy and incredible,” Holtel says. “There were just so many things you don’t see [in Ohio] that I took pictures of.” But his heart is always stuck in the theater. Holtel isn’t entirely sure what his future has in store, but he knows he doesn’t want to leave theater completely behind. “When I’m on stage, I feel like I’m in my own world,” Holtel says. “I don’t ever want to lose that feeling.” •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 27

culture | comic

SINJU’S STORY Part 2

With the Fernholz family, East foreign exchange student Sinju Cho continues her journey in West Chester from Jinju-si, South Korea. comic selena chen

Foreign Exchange Part Five

On Sinju’s first day of school, she struggled finding her next class. She asked a teacher in the hallway where the room was and he showed her the way.

Sinju had to read Macbeth for CP English 10. She used an English version but struggled to make sense of the story.

As the semester progressed Sinju became more and more frustrated with her school work.

28 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

Sinju’s host mom Kedzie makes traditional Korean food when she notices Sinju is homesick.

Sinju’s English teacher Mindy Robertson talked to her fellow English teacher Erin Schneider about Sinju. Schneider knew of another Korean student at East and suggested that they meet.

comic | culture

Yuna and Sinju got to know each other. Sinju finally had someone she could relate with.

Sinju enjoyed her winter break experiencing a real Mid-West winter.

Sinjuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s host parnets bought a Korean version of Lord of the Flies, the book her English class was reading after break, making class work easier.

Sinju visited Savannah, Georgia with her host family over spring break. She posed with the Forsyth Park fountain.

As second semester progresses her friendships grow deeper and she feels more included in the school.

The week after spring break, Sinju went to New York City, Washington D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts with Rotary Club students from across the country. April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 29

culture | personal narrative

pandas my life with

East senior Caroline Bumgarner shares what it was like having an autoimmune disorder that not many doctors believed was legitimate. personal narrative caroline bumgarner | phototography abby bammerlin | illustration mckenna lewis

s a kid, I was always playing soccer, whether it was in my side yard with my neighbor Keagan or at Hillside Elementary, my school in Ashburn, Virginia. I was a defender because of my height and lack of fear. I would run girls over and boot the ball up the field. In fourth grade, I had worked my way onto one of the top travel teams. In third grade, I was bitten by a deer tick at a soccer game when I was foraging in the tall grass to retrieve the soccer ball after our opponent missed a goal. My mom thought it was just a mosquito bite but took me down the street to our neighbor, who was a nurse and had her take a look. By then a bullseye rash had formed and my mom called to make a doctors appointment. Before I got in to see the doctor, large blisters had formed on the rash and it all continually grew bigger as time went on. My mom took me to the emergency room (ER) where they put me on an IV. The doctors confirmed I had Lyme disease transmitted to me from the deer tick. The doctor wanted to keep me overnight but my family was going out of town the next morning so he sent me home with three gag-inducing antibiotics. He outlined my bullseye rash with a pen. It had grown to

30 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

reach from my belly button to my mid back. The doctor said if it grew any larger I would have to come back. Thankfully the bullseye didn’t grow and I was able to enjoy my trip. After the rash started fading from my skin, my medical problems faded with it. I resumed my childhood as if nothing had happened. Little did I know, there was another storm forming just out of sight. In the beginning of fifth-grade out of the blue, I told my mom I wanted to quit soccer and join a dance team. My mom was flabbergasted that I would want to leave behind the countless hours of training, coaches who supported me, and friends who I thought would last a lifetime. Despite her concerns, she let me switch over midseason. This is the first of many 180s that I experienced during the fifth-grade. The storm had hit our shores and had every indication of wreaking havoc on my life. All of a sudden my clothes were scratchy and I could only stand to wear one type of black swishy pants. Lights bothered me so I got ready in the mornings in the dark. Loud noises bothered me so my mom whispered and rubbed my shoulder every morning to wake me up. Food didn’t taste the way it used to so I didn’t eat much. But those were just little changes. The next symptom to develop was a tick.

I was very self-conscious of my inability to spell. I started to spell any and every word that came into my head by drawing the letters with my thumb onto my index finger. I developed extreme Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) behaviors mixed with anger issues. Bedtime was consistently the hardest on my parents. I had a nightly routine where my dad would come in and say goodnight and then I would ask my mom what we were going to do the next day. Then we would sing “Row row row your boat,” and I would go to bed. If even one word was wrong or something happened out of order, I would scream and cry and we would have to start over. Of course, some nights were worse than others, but my parents weathered through my unpredictable outbursts.

uring the day, if something would make me mad I would scream and cry and run up to my room. After slamming and locking my door I would bury myself under all my pillows in the small space between my bed and the wall. It was the only place I felt I could be alone. My mom would try and reason with me from outside the room, but I didn’t want to hear it. I remember saying awful things to her. One that still echoes in

personal narrative | culture my mind is “I wish I was adopted.” My parents had no idea what was going on. One second I was reading on the couch and the next I was a destructive hurricane locked in my room. My fits got so bad that one time when my mom was home alone and I was locked in my room, she called 911 and an ambulance showed up at our house.

didn’t ride in the ambulance but my mom took me to the ER where a doctor from the psychology department knew of a disorder called Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). My mom and I sat obediently yet confused as she had my blood tested for strep throat. I had never knowingly had strep before. She explained that a result of the Antistreptolysin O Titer test over 400 is an active strep infection. My test came back as 1200. According to the PANDAS Network, an advocacy and research organization, “PANDAS occurs when strep triggers a misdirected immune response and results in inflammation on a child’s brain. In turn, the child quickly begins to exhibit life-changing symptoms such as OCD, anxiety, tics, personality changes, a decline in math and handwriting abilities, sensory sensitivities, restrictive eating, and more.” The way my mom described the disease to me was that I was constantly in “fight or flight mode” due to the strep attacking my basal ganglia in my brain. After getting my results, my mom immediately began fighting the storm. Even though she was a stay at home mom, she was completely driven to be a part of my sister’s and I’s lives. She was team mom for my soccer team and always came into all the class parties and never missed a s game. My dad had a job at Duke Realty that was very demanding, so my mom, who was a genetics major in college with a strong background in science, did most of the research and took me to my appointments. When she found out about PANDAS she spent every extra minute online trying to find out more information. But, most importantly, trying to find me a doctor. Of course my dad cares about me and my well-being. He worked an hour away without traffic so he left early in the morning and get home late at night. His job at Duke Realty was very demanding so he was not present at any of my doctors appointment The hunt for help began. It started with my pediatrician who did not believe PANDAS was a real disease. After that my mom took me to a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist thinking maybe they would believe her that I had PANDAS and could help. My mom also thought the

fact that I had Lyme could be a factor they would look at. The doctor was not helpful and said that because they treated the Lyme, they couldn't help us with anything else. They referred us to a Pediatric Neurologist. When we got there they said “I have no idea why they sent you here. I don’t know what PANDAS is and we can’t help you.” According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a partner of Pandas Network, “the diagnosis of PANDAS is a clinical diagnosis, which means that there are no lab tests that can diagnose PANDAS. Instead, health care providers use diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of PANDAS. At the present time, the clinical features of the illness are the only means of determining whether or not a child might have PANDAS.” After the wild goose chase, my mom read about Dr. David Band and saw that he was nearby. We had to first do testing with a different doctor in the practice costing over $1,000, which was not covered by insurance before they would refer me to him. The only result of the testing was something called ODDNOS which stands for Oppositional Defiant Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. After receiving this result, we then qualified to see Dr. Band.

fter only a few minutes of describing my symptoms and what I had been going through, it was a huge relief when Dr. Band said, “Caroline, I know what you have and I can make you better.” He was the first doctor to confirm my mom’s suspicions that I had PANDAS. I was immediately started on a long term program of Augmentin, traditionally used for sinus infections, among other things. Due to my dad’s poor medical insurance, my medication cost our family $500 a month. I took 1,000 mg a day for two and a half years. We saw results almost immediately and I was 85 percent cured. Multiple times a week I would have to leave school early and the front office began to ask questions. It got to the point where a single doctors note wasn't enough. I had to meet with the principal and explain why I was missing so much school. Kids obviously asked questions but I would always just say I had a doctors appointment. The most embarrassing memory I have is in fifth-grade when I had to change seats because a boy in my class had strep. It doesn't sound like a lot but back then changing seats was a whole to-do because you had to

clean out your desk or carry it to its new location. My teacher, Bessie Philips, was understanding because she knew someone who had PANDAS. I was grateful for this when it came time to do a big book report. I had to make items that represented things in Little House on the Prairie and put them in a large paper bag. I had specific items stuck in my head and there was just no way I could make them by hand. I couldn’t make what I wanted but there was no deviating from my plan, resulting in lots of yelling and streams of tears. I don’t remember if Mrs. Philips extended my deadline or just let me turn it in incomplete, but she definitely helped end a monumental meltdown.

had to get my blood drawn all the time to test my strep levels. Because of the regularity, needles didn’t bother me anymore. After I stopped taking the Augmentin and didn’t need to get my blood tested, I suddenly hated needles. I get really dizzy, lose my vision, and often pass out once they are put into my arm. My peak strep throat titer was 1,400 but in eighth-grade, once I was mostly cured, it was down to 600. My mom decided it was best to take my tonsils out, despite a lower test result. We found an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon who would remove my tonsils. Tonsillectomies are common among children but as people get older the recovery time gets longer and side effects include dehydration, pain, and pneumonia. My strep level will never be normal but after the surgery, it is as low as it will be. I was fortunate, I had a mild case compared to other kids. Some people have to be homeschooled or go on an individualized education plan. I know of someone who had to be homeschooled because he could not wear a stitch of clothing. It took years to even get him in a robe. When antibiotics don’t work, like they did for me, doctors rely on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). It is an extremely expensive and invasive blood transfusion. Even though my symptoms have subsided, I will always have PANDAS. I can differentiate when I feel PANDAS-y versus when I feel normal stress and anxiety. I still spell random words with my thumb on my index finger. The storm has passed but there will always be small showers. •

eternal April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 31

freshman

DAWN DAVIDSON When you go what do you normally go for? When I go to liberty center I usually go to buy food or if I specifically need something. What is your favorite place at Liberty Center? Definitely NorthStar Cafe. I especially like it for breakfast because they have the best coffee and pancakes.

homo sop re

ELI WILLIS When you go what do you normally go for? [I go] to buy things like clothes. I’m not the kind of person to just go there and walk cause that’s pointless. When I go I go with my friends or parents. What is your favorite place at Liberty Center? Foot Locker because that’s where I buy most of my stuff.

HAWKS ON: LIBERTY CENTER

culture | hawks on

junior

TERIUS MADRIGAL

When you go what do you normally go for? I go for the shops. I either go with a friend or just shopping by myself. What is your favorite place at Liberty Center? Jakes Toggery

senior

BECCA HIGGINS

When you go what do you normally go for? I normally go to get food with my friends and family. What is your favorite place at Liberty Center? I love North Star and Bibibop.

interviews caroline bumgarner photography caroline bumgarner and meredith niemann

32 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

a closer look at masculinity | package

A CLOSER LOOK AT

MASCULINITY

Last year, Spark covered the #MeToo movement, now following the controversy surrounding the Gillette ad, Spark explores masculinity and the modern male in America. art mckenna lewis April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 33

package | umbrella

BOYS OF TODAY, MEN OF TOMORROW

During the Super Bowl, Gillette released a new advertisement challenging today’s men and boys, and although it received much backlash, East junior Alex Bastin thinks it was a good way to start the conversation about masculinity in today’s society. story rebecca breland | art alexandra fernholz

he National Football League (NFL) football season ends on football fans’ biggest Sunday of the year: Superbowl Sunday. As everyone in the country waits for the best commercial breaks of the year, they get something unexpected. Upon the screen pops a Gillette advertisement with a slogan of “We Believe: The Best Men can Be,” testing the actions of men today. The advertisement includes different scenes where characteristics typically associated with masculinity, turn into toxic behaviors such as aggression, lack of emotion, and sexual harassment. Gillette introduced their “The Best a Man Can Get” tagline into their marketing efforts thirty years ago. Since then, the mission statement published on Gillette’s Instagram says, “[The tagline] has been an aspirational statement reflecting standards that many men strive to achieve. But we still have more work to do. And it starts today.” The advertisement received much backlash, as many said they felt the advertisement was generalizing men. East junior Alex Bastin saw the advertisement as a good way to start the conversation about masculinity. “The [Gillette] advertisement has a

generally good concept, and did an excellent job of starting a conversation,” Bastin says. “It’s shining a light on issues [of masculinity] that are prominent in today’s society.” University of Cincinnati Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Associate Professor Giao Tran explains what masculinity is. “Masculinity is the standard of behavior that men feel applies to them and that cause them to act as they do,” Tran says.

ssistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, J.A. Carter explains the history of masculinity and how it has embedded itself within the culture and flow of people’s everyday lives. “Sociological and psychological research has found that violence and aggression are core aspects of masculinity both in contemporary society and historically,” Carter says. “While we tend to associate [aggression] with [male] biology, such as testosterone, the connection between violence, aggression, and masculinity has been embedded into our culture.” Carter says that from a young age, boys are taught what behaviors to participate in and what not to participate in such as crying. These different lessons are not only taught by

“[Boys] should be allowed to express themselves when they’re when they’re happy when they’re sad, and the whole range of emotions instead of just anger.” –Alex Bastin, East junior 34 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

experiences but come through media as well. “Consider what films and television shows represent as masculine: physical dominance, sexual conquest, and suppression of emotions, like fear, sadness, insecurity,” Carter says. The influence of media is not the sole reason masculinity can turn toxic. University of Cincinnati Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Associate Professor Lisa Hogeland believes that peer interaction can also result in a negative feedback loop. “Masculinity becomes toxic when boys and men are rewarded for being jerks,” Hogeland says. “These boys and men develop a sense of entitlement by virtue of being the superior sex. They believe other people owe them attention, service, sex, admiration, obedience, and submission. [Those men feel] they don’t have to earn it; they assume it.” The Gillette advertisement includes different scenes of two young boys fighting. This fighting plays into the aggression that is typically associated with the masculinity in which Carter says boys are expected to exhibit, and when they don’t, society often tells them to “Man Up.” Bastin believes that having this scene included in the ad is important because it sheds a light on an issue of boys not being able to express other emotions. “Toxic masculinity just focuses on guys either expressing nothing at all, or if they are going to express something, expressing anger,” Bastin says. “This is unhealthy for our society to encourage.” Bastin sees this at East when he is walking down the hall seeing two boys in an argument ready to fight.

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“Solving [this] will require boys to become more comfortable with a more fluid definition of masculinity. Instead of teasing or bullying a friend for showing emotion or a disinterest in sports, boys can support their friends and police those who engage in bullying.” —J.A. Carter, UC Blue Ash Assistant Professor of Sociology “If a guy isn’t able to adequately express how they feel to someone they dislike, it feels as though their only resort is to fight,” Bastin says. “Instead of being able to resolve conflict via communication, it turns into a physical conflict.” According to Bastin, the issue of toxic masculinity can be helped by allowing boys to express other emotions so that they get their energy out in a healthier way.

ut, as Carter says, many men have trouble expressing these other emotions as they can be teased. “Use of teasing and slurs serves as a mechanism to police young men’s behavior,” Carter says. “Showing emotion, caring too much for a girlfriend, failing to be aggressive or make lewd comments, and presenting a lack of athletic ability, all put young men at risk of being teased and bullied.” This kind of teasing is included in the advertisement where there is a scene of a boy crying into his mother’s arms due to bullying from other children, flooding the screen with comments such as “everyone hates you,” “you’re such a loser,” and “sissy!” “[The policing of men’s emotions] is a sign of our culture that we don’t value boys showing the full spectrum of emotion,” Bastin says. Bastin is a member of Hope Squad, an organization that seeks to prevent suicide through peer counseling and intervention, he sees this suppression of emotion regularly with his peers. With his role in this organization, he

talks to peers constantly about their emotions and in it, he sees that the males have a harder time expressing negative emotions. “Guys don’t want to seem weak,” Bastin says. “So instead of talking about things that are bothering them, they just kind of shove it aside and try to bolster their self-esteem.” Bastin believes that in today’s society men’s ability to show emotion is restricted. He says that the pressure to act a certain way and bullying for not doing so hinders boys’ ability to be healthy members of our community. This is supported by Carter who says that bullying can alter a man’s future behavior. “Instead of being kind and empathetic, [boys] may choose to use lewd comments, sexual innuendo, and/or violence when engaging with other [boys],” Carter says. Another prominent scene in the advertisement is set up to be during the filming of some kind of video. The character on screen grabs a woman on the bottom which is then laughed at by the live audience. “We often see behavior [such as violence and lewd comments] as ‘boys being boys’ and hesitate to address it,” Carter says. “Which along with the more direct process of learning the behavior from other boys and men, can indirectly indicate that this is acceptable behavior.” With the indication that these are acceptable behaviors, such as fighting and catcalling, it becomes hard to understand what the good

behaviors are. “I think that for those who don’t [subscribe] to or have not been taught [the sensitivity of masculinity], they don’t realize that, actually, sensitivity is a good thing,” Tran says. According to Carter, phrases that are commonly heard throughout society today like “man up,” “boys will be boys,” “don’t act like a girl,” etc., create a culture in which men’s violence, sexual aggression, physical dominance, suppression of emotion, and lack of empathy seem normal and natural. Bastin agrees with this and would like to see phrases like man up and boys will be boys taken out of our common language today. “[The term boys will be boys] almost seems like it’s trying to justify the way boys act sometimes,” Bastin says. “In some ways, it takes away the accountability behind men’s actions.”

oung boys hear these terms and are told to “be a man” from a young age, which can quickly turn toxic. According to a study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, boys as young as 14-years-old suffer psychological problems from toxic masculinity. “There is considerable pressure on boys to conform to someone else’s standards: don’t cry, don’t fail, don’t show the stress, don’t act like a girl,” Hogeland says. The pressure to act hyper-masculine comes from

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 35

package | umbrella

Pictured above is one of the most iconic screenshots of Gillette’s newest advertisement challenging masculinity in America. photography fair use many different places such as society, family, friends, and media, with some having a greater influence than others, Tran explains. “A lot of the pressure comes from society,” Tran says. “How you act and what you are allowed to do have become solidified expectations, creating a need to be the macho man.”

his immense pressure from society causes men to act certain ways, and to help solve the issue society needs to nip the problem in the bud rather than focusing on symptoms of the issue, explains Bastin. “We need to stop rewarding boys and men for being jerks. The sentence, ‘boys will be boys’ needs to stop,” Hogeland says. “Boys need to be taught to behave better, develop empathy, and understand that they are not entitled to anyone’s anything.” Bastin believes that not only should men be taught to behave better, but they should also be able to express emotions when they want to. “[Boys] should be allowed to express themselves when they’re when they’re happy

when they’re sad, and the whole range of emotions instead of just anger,” Bastin says. Carter explains that when men repress their emotions, it causes major issues and that this is one of the reasons men are four times as likely to commit suicide. She believes there are things that men themselves can do. “Solving these issues will require boys and men to become more comfortable with a more fluid definition of masculinity,” Carter says. “Instead of teasing or bullying a friend for showing emotion or a disinterest in sports, boys and young men can support their friends and instead police those who engage in bullying.”

arter explains how supporting each other and defining their own idea of masculinity can help men to prevent the toxicity of different behaviors shown in the advertisement from becoming an issue. “Boys and men can choose to treat women with more respect, especially in romantic and sexual relationships,” Carter says. “Girls and women can allow men to be more vulnerable in relationships and respect those boys and men

“Commonly heard phrases like “man up,” “boys will be boys,” “don’t act like a girl,” create a culture in which men’s violence, sexual aggression, physical dominance, suppression of emotion, and lack of empathy seem normal and natural.” –JA Carter, UC Blue Ash Assistant Professor of Sociology 36 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

who do not meet the traditional definition of masculinity.” Though support can help to prevent the issue of toxic masculinity now, boys can also be raised differently to allow them to be more emotionally open, explains Carter. Parents can allow their male children to cry, talk about their feelings, and participate in activities and sports traditionally associated with femininity. The is the kind of change Gillette is hoping to achieve with their advertisement is for the next generation of men. According to Gillette’s Instagram, “The men of tomorrow watch what we do today. It’s time for us all to take action.” Though there is still much work to do Carter believes there are many things we can do to start. “As a whole, we can support media that offer more well-rounded portrayals of men and masculinity, and reject media that glorifies violence and sexual dominance,” Carter says. “The discussion needs to be about men and boys expressing themselves in ways that aren’t aggressive, in ways that aren’t fighting, or shouting, or yelling, or whatever else.” Bastin believes the first step in helping to combat toxic masculinity, as shown in the Gillette advertisement, is for everyone to stop any toxic behaviors they may see. “Solving these issues should not be solely on men, but on everyone,” Bastin says. “It’s got to be a cooperative involvement of everybody calling out [toxic] behaviors.” •

history of blue and pink | package

BLUE AND PINK THROUGH THE HISTORY FEMININE

GENDERLESS 1893 1900’s

1893 “Always give pink to a boy and blue to a girl” –NYT

MASCULINE

Pink was believed to be a secondhand red. Pink was a strong, sturdy color and blue was weak and dainty.

1920’s

1939’s-1945’s During WWII many women in the industry wore blue and black rather than pink.

1953 The First Lady Mamie Eisenhower showcased a huge pink gown and routinely wore pink throughout Eisenhower’s presidency.

1978 Grease the movie was released featuring The Pink Ladies who used the color for a powerful meaning.

1920’s-1940’s Major retail stores

1940’s 1960’s 1980’s

showed a mix of pink and blue in women’s clothing.

1960’s With the start of the women empowerment movemet in the 60’s pink and blue started to become less divided.

2000’s infographic lauren maier sources cnn.com, voxnews. com, pbs.org

present

today Through the decades, blue has lost its masculine touch but still remains to represent the primary color of males. April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 37

package | family court

DIVORCING

A MYTH As divorce becomes a more common occurance in America, custody battles no longer have the traditional cut-and-dry approach. story jessica jones | infographic selena chen | art alexandra fernholz

eparated parents have been the norm for him since he can remember. His parents have been divorced since he was two years old. Switching from his mother’s house to his father’s house twice a week is his normal. His parents don’t talk to each other and send messages through their kids. East junior Logan Kaminsky is one of the millions of kids with divorced parents. It is approximated that throughout their life, 50 percent of children will experience a parental marriage breakup. Kaminsky’s parents have been divorced for 14 years and have equal custody. He is with his father Monday and Tuesday, with his mother Wednesday and Thursday, and alternating parents every weekend. “I act a certain way to keep one parent happy, then act another way to keep the other parent happy. I end up becoming two different people,” Kaminsky says. “With my dad, I am more goofy and carefree, but with my mom, I am more antisocial and focused on school.” According to the United States (US) 2013 census, it is most common to see a mother take the primary custodial role after a divorce. Only one out of six custodial parents are fathers. From a recent Spark survey, 32 of the 56 students polled say they live primarily with their mom, 13 primarily live with their dad, and 11 have shared custody. However, according to Domestic Relations Lawyer Maury White, no bias from the court system is involved when determining a custodial parent or shared custody unless there is actual cause, such as a criminal record or an unstable living arrangement. “When the case comes up on the court, it is the court’s responsibility to consider the mother and father equally in determining what is best for the children,” White says. While the court has to stay unbiased in terms of gender, parents can go into custody battles with their own bias on who has the best chance of getting custody. Cordell & Cordell CEO Scott Trout, whose law firm with offices in 34 states specializes in representing fathers, says fathers can go into the dispute feeling cornered. “[Fathers] settle for minimum custody because they think it’s all they can get,” Trout says. “Pessimistic attorneys will tell their clients that it

may be the best deal on the table.” Kaminsky says his father has expressed that this was a concern in the past. His father (who did not want to comment) has said that courts do favor the mom in custody battles. “I was younger when all of this happened,” Kaminsky says. “But hearing about it now that I am older, I do feel bad for my dad and that he felt that way.” When either parent feels victimized by the other, they can make exaggerations and lies for a better case, according to guardian ad litem (GAL) Timothy Carlson. During a combative custody disagreement, a GAL may be requested by the parents or appointed by the court. When appointed, a GAL is tasked with representing the best interest of the child. They question the kids, the parents, and anyone else who could give insight to the case, in order to give the court a basis of information for what would be best for the children.

57%

of East students surveyed live primarily with their mother.

23%

of East students surveyed live primarily with their father.

20%

arlson says it is not uncommon to have parents feed their children lies in order of East students to make the other parent look bad and surveyed decrease their chance of custody. It is his parents have job to find out what the truth is through the shared custody. questioning process. “Parents [can] use their children as weapons in a divorce,” Carlson says. “When that happens I get appointed to be an independent third party to get what the parents are trying to do. I try to get them to stop this behavior and show them that it is harming the children.” Carlson has also experienced cases where the mother will think she

“In a custody case, it is the court’s responsibility to consider the mother and father equally in determining what is best for the children,” —Maury White, Domestic Relations Lawyer 38 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

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“Traditional roles have changed through the years. There aren’t really family units made up of a stay-at-home mother and a father who works [anymore], there are two working parents.” —Timothy Carlson, guardian ad litem has a better chance of getting custody solely because she is the mother. This is based on an old stereotype of parenting roles. “[Mothers] feel that, based on an old-time bias, the courts are going to always find that the children are better off with her when that is not necessarily the case,” Carlson says. “Traditional roles have changed through the years. There aren’t really family units made up of a stayat-home mother and a father who works [anymore], there are two working parents.”

he roles of parents have been changing every decade. Compared to the 2.5 hours a week fathers spent on childcare in 1965, in 2011 fathers now spend upwards of seven hours a week on childcare, according to the Pew Research Center. Mothers spend 21 hours per week in the workforce in 2011, compared to the eight hours a week in 1965. As parental roles continue to converge for both parents, the decision of custody doesn’t lean toward the mother in the courts. Throughout the 1900s, the mother would have

the benefit of the doubt in a custody battle due to the fact that she spent the majority of the time with the kids. However, before 1900, the mother was not entitled to custody and only the father could get custody because women had no legal rights. University of Akron Chair of Constitutional Law Tracy Thomas says the law changed and it was said that for young children under the age of six, mothers would be the “better parent because they were more nurturing.” “Studies also show that fathers did not request custody,” Thomas says. “It was still a more classic setup where the mother stayed home and cared for the children and the father worked. So the father would continue his job and the mother was the one who had the time and the ability to take care of the children.” The more likely outcome of a custody battle in today’s modern-era is shared custody. Thomas says shared custody is the preferred outcome, because then the child will still have adequate time with both parents. “[Shared custody] is not always 50-50, but

The development of a child with a mother’s care —Builds emotional bonds —Learns to give sympathy, care, and help —Be thoughtful and sensitive

it means both parents are involved somehow,” Thomas says. “They don’t have to have equal or shared living but they both deal with decision making, and care of the children.” According to Thomas there are five factors that go into a custody decision: the wishes of the parents, wishes of the child, the child’s adjustment to school and the environment, the child’s interaction with other people, friends, siblings, step-parents, and finally the health of everyone’s mental and physical health. With these factors in mind, the decision was made to give Kaminsky’s parents equal custody. Kaminsky says he likes the equal custody that his parents have because he can see both of them. Though Kaminsky likes the custody agreement he says the scheduling can get “clunky.” Switched so often between houses can make it easy to leave things at the other parent’s house and then he has to go without those items until he sees the other parent again. “I grew up with them always being apart,” Kaminsky says. “I got used to always switching between houses.” •

The development of a child with a father’s care —Expands child’s vocabulary and intellectual capacities —Two times likely to go to college —Academic success

—Stress the importance of relationships —Learn trust —Gives primary source of comfort and care

—A positive self well being —Less likely to fall into depression —Tend to be happier

—Promotes equity —Sees the rest of the world in relation to their child sources focusonthefamily.com, Psychology Today, Pediatrics of Franklin, India Parenting, healthunits.com

—Give insight into the world of men —Challenges life with tough love. —See children in relation to the rest of the world

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 39

package | growing up gendered

The rise of the term “toxic masculinity” has led many to ponder what masculinity is and how it can affect young men and women today. story and photography abby bammerlin | art lauren maier and mckenna lewis and katey kruback

e lifts up his brush with the delicacy of an artist. His wrist flicks up as he applies the last bit of crimson red eye shadow. He looks in the mirror and snaps a picture. He has been transformed East junior Braden Mason has been experimenting with drag makeup designs since December of 2018. As Mason explains, drag refers to trying to imitate the opposite sex. He says that he started after seeing videos of drag makeup on Instagram. “I would see people doing drag and how happy they were with themselves,” Mason says. “I kind of wanted to try it out because it looked fun.” However, Mason knows that his art is not considered to be traditionally masculine. Mason, who is openly gay, had some anxiety about revealing his sexuality in middle school. “[Middle school] is when I was first coming to terms with myself,” Mason says. “I was scared people would call me gay or whatever.” According to an East survey of 117 male students, 32 percent of students say they have trouble expressing their emotions in front of peers. In 2012, Changepoint partnered with East to create a customized Be The Difference (BTD) program to try to address emotional issues at East. Changepoint speaker Scott Pagel helped develop the BTD program at East. He says that bullying mostly happens during fourth through ninth grade. When discussing how to format the East’s program, Pagel explains that East wanted its program to emphasize responsibility. “By the time [students are] in tenth grade,

it’s not like we’re going to go change a bunch of kids’ minds on a dime in one program,” says Pagel, who has been working with Changepoint since 2010. “Instead, knowing that [students] learned empathy in previous programs, we decided to move more into allowing kids to own their actions in a very different way than it did previously.” ast Principal Suzanna Davis says that this emphasis on ownership is important for students to learn. “Getting away from the one size fits all is really kind of what it boils down to,” Davis says. “To get as many diverse experiences as possible within our school environment.” Pagel says that the program has been expanded to other school districts around Lakota. However, East has discontinued this partnership with Changepoint. Davis says that the anecdotal feedback she received from students was that they were experiencing a lot of overlap between what they were learning in junior high during the ID Project and what they were learning in BTD. Davis explains that BTD is being replaced with programs like MindPeace, a third-party organization that pairs schools with medical therapists, and Hope Squad, a group of students and faculty members helping prevent suicides through peer counseling. “I think it’s critically important that students are owning their being: instructionally, socialemotionally, and socially,” Davis says During the ID Project, Pagel says that the program coordinators will separate the boys from the girls and hold two different talks: be a man and be a woman. During these talks, Pagel says he tries to explain what it really

40 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

means to be a man. “We can empower young men to make decisions that are based on integrity, while also giving them the message that it’s okay to have feelings,” Pagel says. “It’s okay to cry. You don’t have to live in that place. But it’s okay to be there.” University of South Florida psychology professor Jennifer Bosson has done research in social roles and stereotypes. She says that gender psychologists, like herself, define masculinity as any qualities or traits that are more strongly associated with men. “It’s a kind of a tricky definition though, because it implies that the contents of what we think of as masculinity can change across cultures or time,” Bosson says. “Masculinity is whatever we all as a culture decide is associated with men.” Hegemonic masculinity is a term used by psychologists such as University of Sydney professor Raewyn Connell. The term describes masculinities that vary across time, culture and the individual. Connel says to her, the term “toxic masculinity” refers to patterns of behaviour among men, or among certain men, that are socially disruptive. “[The term toxic masculinity] seems to have come into widespread use in journalism in the United States (US) quite recently, as a result of public debates about sexual harassment in workplaces, the prevalence of an aggressive and abusive style in politics, and the persistence of racist and sexist violence,” Connell says. Bosson says that the US is a contemporary society and tends to think of masculinity as being traits or qualities that has to do with assertiveness, confidence, dominance and suppressing emotions.

growing up gendered | package

“We can empower young men to make decisions that are based on integrity, while also giving them the message that it’s okay to have feelings. It’s okay to cry. You don’t have to live in that place, but it’s okay to be there.” — Scott Pagel, Changepoint speaker Sociology professor at Occidental College Lisa Wade explains that men are generally confined to what is considered masculine. “We tend to value men and masculinity more than girls and femininity,” Wade says. “We tend to be more aggressive about making sure boys stick to masculinity.” Mason feels that when men are around male peers, masculinity can start to become toxic. According to an East survey, 34 percent of the 86 men surveyed say they pressured to act more masculine around peers. “Guys are just really scared of being themselves on the outside,” Mason says. “So [men] just try to repress all of it. They’re too scared of what other people feel about them.” According to a report written by the American Psychological Association (APA) in Aug. 2018, “men who depart from this narrow masculine conception by any dimension of diversity (e.g., race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression) may find themselves negotiating between adopting dominant ideals that exclude them or being stereotyped or marginalized.”

East sophomore Zaiver Owens has felt the effects of being bullied because of how he dresses. Owens, who will often wear skinny jeans, explains that bullying started when he was in eighth grade and continued on into high school. “I would dress a little differently and kids found that odd,” Owens says. “I got bullied a little bit for it. But it really got bad freshman year. Freshman year, I think is when the peak of it hit.” agel says phrases and ideas like “men don’t cry” can be handed down colloquially or culturally, through media, as well as family members like brothers, fathers, and uncles. “I think there are ways in which young men and young women are socialized that are good,” Pagel says. “I think there are ways in which young men and young women are socialized that areis not. One of the ways that young men are socialized that is not good is through phrases like, ‘toughen up,’ and ‘be a man.’” Bosson explains that socialization can start young. At infancy, parents will react differently to their crying children depending on their gender. She says if parents are responding to a boy, they will think he’s angry. If responding to a girl, parents will think she’s crying because she’s scared, sad, or lonely. “Parents interpret the same crying behavior differently,” Bosson says. “I think our tendency to view boys and girls as being emotionally different. Stereotypes start to influence [children] very early in life. From the moment [children are] born, they’re born into this world in which people are interpreting them in a certain way based on gender and that can subtly influence their experience.” Wade agrees that children begin being gendered at a

very young age, even before they are born. “We tend to think that the girl infants are so sweet and the boy infants are so strong,” Wade says. “So the children are being treated differently, even before they themselves could conceive what gender is.” Wade says that by the time children are about three years old, boys are proud that they are boys and girls are proud that they are girls. This continues until about the age of six. “Girls start to kind of feel less proud about being girls and more embarrassed, and more worried about what it means for them and their life choices and their characteristics,” Wade says. “Whereas boys continue to stay proud of being boys rather than girls.” The APA report titled ‘APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men’ also found that some boys are socialized from an early age to avoid intimacy and deep connections with others, potentially leading to serious relational difficulties later in life. Connell believes that violence and abusive behavior often has links to economic, institutional and racial inequalities. She uses the #MeToo movement as an example of women being vulnerable because they are economically dependent on powerful men for their livelihood or career prospects. “Some patterns of violence are linked with cultural definitions of manhood - for instance physical confrontations in public places, or the way military forces have developed rhetorics of masculinity to keep their forces from breaking up,” Connell says. Bosson says that today’s men have more choices than they have had in the past. “Definitely a big difference between my generation and yours, is that boys are freer to reject masculinity all together,” Bosson says. “Whether it’s because they’re identifying as gay or they’re modern guy.” Mason believes that the stigma, at least in high school, is getting better with time. He hasn’t experienced many negative reactions towards his make-up, besides the occasional glance his direction. “I think society now is definitely more understanding with that type of stuff,” Mason says. “I feel like it just doesn’t make sense to make fun of someone for who they are.” •

East junior Braden Mason discovered drag makeup in December of 2018. He often experiments with different looks and color themes. April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 41

package | body image

ROAD TO BODY POSITIVE East sophomore Trevor Oswald describes how stereotypes surrounding male body image have impacted his perception of himself. story shiloh wolfork | infographic caroline bumgarner | art alexandra fernholz

t’s just another day. He wakes up and at first everything appears normal. Until he looks into the mirror and his perception of himself changes. He is unhappy with the body of the person staring back at him. East sophomore Trevor Oswald had trouble with feeling completely comfortable with his weight for three years. And he is not alone. “One day I woke up and realized I didn’t like how I looked,” Oswald says. “I wasn’t skinny anymore.” According to the Body Image Therapy Center, an organization that works to promote body positivity, 43 percent of men are dissatisfied with their bodies. Based upon a study conducted by Psychology Today in 2018, 301 men identified as heterosexual and 131 men identified as a sexual minority (gay, bisexual, transgender, etc). Heterosexual men were reported as having a more positive image in comparison to sexual minority men. Oswald explains why he believes it is difficult for some men to find acceptance for their bodies. “The way that Hollywood portrays men in film and television as hyper-masculine and sometimes toxic attracts people,” says Oswald, referring to the term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, emphasizing physical strength, aggression, and sexuality. “It makes everyone want to live up to those

42 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

“It takes other people highlighting [various] bodies as beautiful for them to actually get the credit they deserve,” —Lori Bishop, UC Assistant Director of the Student Center standards.” University of Cincinnati Student Wellness Center Ryan Anderson explains how these portrayals in media can be harmful to the way that men view themselves. “The typical male body image is seen as a pristine, hairless, white body with some form of larger muscle supply,” Anderson says. “Other bodies are seen as lesser than especially if there’s some kind of weight involved.” According to University of Cincinnati Assistant Director of the Student Center Lori Bishop, body composition and portrayal of a specific “male attitude” within media stimulates the lack of acceptance. “Our media portrays what a man should be as someone whose muscular someone who is tall in comparison to women,” Bishop says. “It’s someone who conveys a strength, carries themselves in a sense of confidence and is seen as more tough or competent. And for men who might not identify with that, [this image] might set unrealistic expectations and possibly

impact self-confidence. ” A 2018 study conducted by Ipsos reports that 54 percent of Americans describe the “perfect” body as being athletic amongst both females and males. Of those surveyed, 20 percent describe the “dad bod” as the ideal male physique and more than ten percent describe the “perfect” male body as very muscular. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, muscle dysmorphia, a type of body dysmorphic disorder is a condition that mainly affects male bodybuilders. Individuals who have the disorder tend to obsess about gaining muscle, focusing on spending many hours in the gym, supplement intake and potential use of steroids. “Being a health educator, it really flows into physical health, where a lot of men are going to the gym and getting physical exercise,” Anderson says. “But then they might push it to an extreme where they have a sort of body dysmorphia because they’ve constantly been

body image | package

told they’re not good enough.” According to the Huffington Post, the severity of struggles with male body image stems from the inequality between the recognition of diverse male and female body types within the media. Miami University Assistant Fitness Director Shannon Speed explains how the lack of appreciation of male body types prevents men from acknowledging their struggles with body image. “It’s been a bigger fight for women because so many more have been affected by it. But there are men who have been affected,” says Speed, who has held her position for nearly three years. “It’s a stereotype that men don’t have that problem. So if they do, they may not recognize it, or they may recognize it and be too ashamed to talk to anyone about it.” According to Young Men’s Health, the effects of body image on self-esteem are even more powerful as a teenager.

swald feels that male body insecurity is heightened as a high schooler because teenagers are more emotional and more likely to place the opinions of others before their perception of themselves. “Students contribute to stereotypes surrounding body image by sometimes bullying kids that don’t look the way that they think people should look,” Oswald says. “I mean, I’ve been called fat before but that doesn’t usually hurt me.” “The less secure you are as a person, the more other images and things people are saying are going to affect you,” Director of Recreational Sports at Miami University Seth Cropenbaker says. “So generally millennials feel the pressures to fit in more than those who are older.” The National Eating Disorder Association reports that 90 percent of teenage boys exercise with the goal of bulking up. According to the Bradley University Body Project, which encourages body acceptance, men tend to be quieter about body negativity and seek medical treatment less frequently

because of shame. “It takes other people highlighting [various] bodies as beautiful for them to actually get the credit they deserve,” Anderson says. Male body image is also usually more misunderstood than female body image. Many people perceive male body insecurity as a “lack of muscle,” typically ignoring reasoning that is potentially more complex, including insecurities with balding, body hair, and height. According to Bishop, promoting and recognizing different bodies within society is necessary in order to limit the stereotypes. “There’s more discussion around more open or broad views of what it means to be a man. There are outlets for men to talk about being their more authentic selves and not trying to live up to certain standards in terms

of how they look or act,” Bishop says. “But it is not yet totally normalized to have these conversations. So of course, there’s a lot of work to do.” And progress is being made. According to The Independent, growing numbers of alternative modeling agencies such as AMCK Models London are helping to reimagine the traditional male underwear modeling scene. By offering diverse body types in lessconventional clothing styles, these agencies are signing male models that challenge the stereotypes and changing what it means to be a male model. “There was a time in my life where I was once uncomfortable,” Oswald says. “But I’ve realized that as long as I feel good and I think I look decent, that’s all that matters to me.”•

The Average Body Size of Professional Athletes, Compared to an Average US Male 5’ 9”

BMI 26.6

195.5 lbs

Average U.S. Man

6’ 2”

6’ 1”

6’ 7”

BMI 24.9

BMI 31.5

BMI 27

246.9 lbs

208.9 lbs

222 lbs

Average MLB player

Average NBA player

Average NFL player

sources cdc, psychguides.com April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 43

package | education

FOR THE

BOYS

Former Lakota student and current Moeller high school senior DJ Tower discusses what it is like attending an all-male high school. story isis summerlin photography meredith niemann

Former East student and current Moeller senior DJ Tower understands the difference between single and multi-gendered schools. 44 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

very other year, students at Moeller attend a retreat to bond with their peers. Moeller senior Dean Joseph (DJ) Tower reflects on the lasting brotherhood that formed through these experiences. “Kids were crying and it [was] weird because we’re all guys, and we’re not supposed to do all that,” Tower says. “But when in a really tight group of friends, you’re in a safe environment. I think it’s so beneficial to everyone in that room. I wish that public schools did this sort of thing, but I know they don’t.” According to studies from the National Education Association (NEA), students who attend single-gender schools receive many benefits in the classroom. This research suggests that when boys are in single-gender classrooms, they are more prone to explore a broader range of activities and overall do better in school. “Students excel in the disciplines that aren’t ‘cool’ for their gender; for males, these courses would be the performing arts and literature,” three-year Elder Principal Kurt Ruffing says. “For females, the courses would be math and science.” The School Mental Health Project created by the University of California (UCLA) explored the pros and cons of attending a single-gender school. One advantage was that it helps students to break through certain stereotypes. Both genders are encouraged to take on leadership positions and become involved in things that are often considered unorthodox in co-educational settings.

education | package

University of North Dakota professor Marcus Weaver-Hightower has taught classes on how schools can do research to try to combat social issues such as race, social class, and gender. “Certainly boys and girls grow up with different expectations of how they should act in class, how they should interact with each other, what subjects are ‘manly or ‘feminine,’ and general attitudes toward academics and making efforts,” Hightower says.

fter graduation Tower plans to pursue his love for music by attending a college that is specifically geared toward helping people in the music industry. “I’ve been working with music all my life. I’m going to a college in Columbus called Groove U,” Tower says. “They teach you how to record and master music, do management, or video production.” Not only do single-gender schools allow students to expand their interests and branch out by trying unconventional activities, but it also allows them to focus more inside of the classroom. “In gender studies, we call this [lack of focus] the ‘distraction hypothesis’. It’s the notion that boys just can’t focus on anything else if there are girls in the room,” Hightower says. “Though, there’s little proof that this is a real phenomenon. Distraction for boys comes from so many places: the opposite sex is just one source, even though perhaps an important source.” Since Tower moved out of Lakota in eighth grade he can attest to the idea of the “distraction hypothesis.” He feels that it is easier to express his opinions and raise questions without the presence of the opposite sex. “It’s different being in a total guy environment than it is being in a mixed-gender environment. You don’t have to feel like you’re going to say something stupid because [a girl] over in the corner is looking at you,” Tower says. “You don’t really have to worry about trying to impress people, because when you’re in high school it’s all about public image. But with all guys, you’re not really worrying about that as much.” Six-year Saint Xavier (St. X) Principal Terrence Tyrrell agrees and recognizes how males can strengthen themselves academically when there are fewer distractions. “Young men can be themselves without trying to impress young women,” Tyrell says. “They are able to focus more on their daily tasks without worrying about how they look [and] how they are acting.” Psychology Today states that male and female brains often process information in different ways. For this reason, faculty at

single-gender schools are trained on how to communicate with a specific gender. “Teachers can tailor their instruction methods to the unique ways males and females learn,” Ruffing says. At Ursuline Academy, Senior Abbie Brink feels that teachers work hard to make connections with their students and help them find success. “I like how the teachers know everyone and actually care a lot about the students,” Brink says. Moeller faculty take into account that most of their classes are filled with around 30 males,

Chapter seven of the book “Reconsidering Choice, Competition, and Autonomy as the Remedy in American Education” argues that public schools have an advantage because they are funded by the government. The regulation gives public schools access to newer methods in education. “What we’re able to do when we’re a government entity, the expectation is that we can pull our collective knowledge and resources and every teacher and every classroom working on best practices,” Lakota Director of Curriculum Andrew Wheatley says. “Then pull that information together and have some

“Certainly boys and girls grow up with different expectations of how they should act in class, how they should interact with each other, what subjects are ‘manly or ‘feminine,’ and general attitudes toward academics and making efforts.” — Marcus Weaver-Hightower, University of North Dakota professor therefore they are trained on how to regain the attention of this type of class. Tower reflects on his own experiences in class. “I would say about one-fourth of the teachers at Moeller are less strict,” Tower says.”They understand that it’s an all guys school so they expect the testosterone in the class to be a lot higher than normal, so it’s almost okay for us to get rowdier than we would in a public school.”

lthough going to a single-gender school contrasts from public schooling, the NEA states that some reports argue that a student’s success depends on the quality of their education, not whether it is single-gender or co-educational. “I don’t know what my experience at East would’ve been like,” St. X junior Maxwell Fritsch says. “Moving to this other school, I had to focus on meeting new people and doing other stuff. I don’t know if I would’ve had all the opportunities I have now if I had stayed at Lakota.” A study done by UCLA on single-gender schools agrees that there is no evidence to prove that one kind of schooling results in greater success if the value of education is the same. “I would say [the education] is about the same,” Tower says. “I wouldn’t say it’s easier or harder. But you can definitely push yourself at Moeller.”

consistency [in] what works for kids.” Kennedy Chenault, a junior at East, feels that Lakota has given her many opportunities to take leadership positions in Relay for Life and Dragonfly Foundation. “One of the things I like the most is that it provides so many options for students. [East students] are sure to find something they are passionate about and enjoy it in the process,” Chenault says. Single-gender schools also push their students to take on more leadership roles. Tower runs his own deejaying business called DJ Farr with other high school students on his staff. “Males take on more leadership when females are not present,” Tyrell says. “My experience at a co-ed school is that young women tended to take on the leadership.” Moeller senior Chase Widener is involved in many activities such as cross country and track. But he also has taken on leadership positions directed toward bettering his community. “I’m on the campus ministry executive board, the youth philanthropy board, [and] I’m a mentor group captain,” Widener says. In reference to his interest in music production, Tower says that he enjoys that he isn’t pursuing a traditional career path. “It’s really a completely different path than I’ve heard that anyone else is taking,” Tower says. “I personally like that I’m not doing the normal thing.” •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 45

package | expression

M A N U P! The “silent epidemic” of expression among boys and men has become a growing concern, and attention is being drawn to create improved communication about the subject. story vivica heidenreich photography meredith niemann infographic anna mullins

49% of East males surveyed believe it is socially acceptable to avoid talking about feelings.

32% of East males surveyed are not comfortable expressing their emotions.

or some, high school is a concrete oasis, overflowing with the empathy radiating from their peers. Around every corner is a smile and an outreached hand, waiting patiently to provide positivity and care. For others, this sense of encouragement isn’t quite so obvious. It’s easy to drown in their thoughts— but still, it’s much preferable than sharing them with others. High school students can be brutal and unwilling to help, making it increasingly difficult for some to speak their mind without the fear of being judged. “It’s hard to talk to people about [my feelings],” an anonymous East male student says. “I’ve tried talking about it with some people, and they just kind of ditch me, or roll their eyes and walk away. It’s been kind of traumatic.” In a survey distributed to East by Spark, 49 percent of 102 male students answered that they feel it’s more socially acceptable to not talk about their mental health. Although high school can be a time of social discomfort for some, this way of life can transfer over to adulthood as well. Due to the growing stereotype that men aren’t “manly” enough if they discuss their problems, it becomes difficult for most to feel heard, resulting in severe cases of unhealthy mentalities. In 2017, men died by suicide 3.54 times more frequently than women, according to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Depending on personal life and environmental factors, the degrees of suicidal thoughts and depression can vary from man to man, making it difficult for some to communicate about their emotions.

iami University masculinities professor Kyle Ashlee has studied the socialization of men, and how they are taught to fit within their gender stereotypes. He comments on the cultural conditions men are brought into, and how it affects their ability to express themselves. “Men, when it comes to challenges and problems, very rarely look to other people for help and assistance,” Ashlee says. “We do pretty unhealthy things to cope

East sophomore depicts various experessions

and try to solve those problems ourselves. Whether that’s through violence, aggression, alcohol, and other substances, sexual dominance—whatever that might be.” Statistically, women tend to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression more often than men, according to the American Psychological Association. Men, however, are more likely to struggle with substance abuse and antisocial disorders above everything. As the United States (US) National Library of Medicine states, “men suffer from depression as women do, yet how that depression is expressed can differ for men. Particularly in the early stages, it often manifests as irritability, anger, hostility, aggressiveness, risk-taking, and escaping behavior.”

hese actions are typically labeled as “toxic masculinity,” a term that has become controversial more recently. The term is defined by The Good Men Project as “a narrow and repressive description of manhood; the cultural idea of manliness, where strength is everything while emotions are a weakness.” “I don’t use the term ‘toxic masculinity’ anymore, because, essentially, you’re telling somebody that they’re toxic,” Miami University psychology and individualized studies major Katie Freeman says. “It forms in a society where we’re raising people to be strong and not do anything feminine. When you’re avoiding all things that are feminine, you’re sort of trapped with that power—and you can never show weakness because otherwise, you lose it.” Traditionally, masculinity is based on a man’s ability to “‘tough it out” on your own,’ something that is drilled into the male psyche from birth, as Unity Behavioral Health rehabilitation center states. Generally, men tend to be more affected by indicators of success, in terms of where they place their worth—things like career achievement, their paycheck, and if they provide enough for their families. If these goals, along with other personal objectives, are unmet, that burying of emotions may manifest into toxic behaviors. Impulsive and

expression | package

10.4% of women are likely to get depression

women require treatment for depression

Aches Anger Pains Hopelessness Irritability Cramps Suspicious Loss of Sleep Headaches Denial Difficulty Bloating Sadness Loss of Appetite Withdrawl Aggression Suicidal Thoughts Loneliness Risk Taking Concentrating Hopelessness Hostility Loss of Memory Mood Swings Impulsive Loss of Energy Internalizing Decreased Emotions Interest in Extreme sadness Activities

Women are 12% more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem

9% of men in the US have daily feeling of depression

of those men spoke to a mental health professional

Men die via suicide more times than women

3.54

sources National Health Interview survey, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Longitudinal study of the mental health of adults, National Institute for Clinical Excellence, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, American Psychological Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health.

“I’ve tried talking about [my feelings] with some people, and they just kind of ditch me, or roll their eyes and walk away. It’s been kind of traumatic.” —Anonymous East male student aggressive actions, although common, are not the limit; diagnosable mental illnesses can quickly be brought to the table, according to Unity Behavioral Health. Whether or not this personal information is shared, in order to release built up emotions to receive helpful advice, is a choice all face. One of the East and West school psychologists, Bethany Noble, recognizes the difficulty in this. “It’s difficult because some people want to disclose and some people don’t,” Noble says. “You can’t just bring it out. Iit’s a cultural, generational kind of change, where people are feeling more like they’re going to be accepted, even if they have mental health [issues].”

ithout the will to seek help—or the availability of assistance—suppression, failure to recognize symptoms, or minimizing of signs, can arise. Unity Behavioral Health concludes that this results in an epidemic of undiagnosed mental health issues, especially in men compared to women. According to the US National Library of Medicine, this wave of under-diagnosis, along with spiking rates of suicide and poor engagement with mental health services,

highlights the complexity of the issue. Multiple factors are at play, and must be managed properly in order to help men overcome the burden of mental health issues. “Generally speaking, men don’t like to talk about anything, especially personal things that might be challenging or difficult,” Ashlee says. “They are aching for an opportunity to talk about themselves where they’ll feel safe, not like they’re less of a man or inferior somehow. I always try to tell people to allow men to be human, to be their authentic selves.” For many, this opportunity can come from professional help through individual or group therapy, along with medications to help relieve the symptoms of mental illnesses. HelpGuide, an information center for health and wellness, notes that if this isn’t an option for the individual, one can always seek support in their peers or in themselves, as HelpGuide states. East, for example, hosts a chapter of the Hope Squad in order to spread mental health awareness and provide help. The organization is a suicide prevention program that also tries to “reinforce the ripple effect of kindness and positivity,” according to East English teacher and Hope Squad Lead Advisor Erin Schneider.

“The very fact that Hope Squad exists is a step in the right direction,” Schneider says. We have a long way to go, because the misconceptions about mental illness still exist. We have to make a pointed effort, especially with our male students, to let them know it’s okay not to be okay, and that it’s okay to share those feelings and get help.” Hope Squad, along with the availability of guidance counselors and psychologists, continually provides assistance to those with mental health concerns at East. Constantly improving education on the subject is key, as Schneider says, and these groups are doing everything in their power to contribute. The same can be said for society as a whole, according to Ashlee. Small changes are being made to allow individuals to be heard, encouraging the entire demographic of men to connect more with their own sense of vulnerability. “It’s very hard to change societal pressures and how society thinks. It will take a lot of time,” the anonymous East student says. “It’s a start; what we’re doing is right. We’re taking the right steps, but it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s a process.” •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 47

package | single dad

HOME ON THE ROAD

David, Katie, Stephen and Rebecca Addison pose for a picture at Fort Liberty.

Katie Addison’s family loves nature and hiking. Her single-father David makes sure his children are able to see as much of the environment as possible via their traveling experiences. story ekra khalid | photography and infographic lauren maier

er father made sure that his kids were going to spend their last summer in an extraordinary way. From surfing the oceans and exploring the islands of Hawaii, to sledding with dogs in training, to seeing the beautiful glaciers of Alaska, and hiking through an eight-mile trail to LeConte Lodge in Tennessee, David Addison wants to pass his love for traveling down to his kids. Through the course of an unforgettable five-week trip, East sophomore Katie Addison and her family took a road trip to all the fifty states of the United States, making memories that will last them a lifetime. “It’s pretty cool. I really like traveling,” Katie says. “My siblings and I definitely bonded a lot more than I see other people have bonded with their siblings. We will always joke around and talk about the experiences we had when we

were kids. We’re all best friends.” David has been a single father for twelve years, raising East sophomore twins Katie and Stephen Addison, as well as East graduate Rebecca Addison. David worked for Procter and Gamble in the purchasing department when he lost his wife to breast and pancreatic cancer. “I worked for five years after my wife died, but trying to work and having sitters watch after [my kids] during the day [and] especially during business trips, became a little bit challenging,” David says. “But I tried to make sure there was always somebody here that I knew and trusted that could stay with my kids.” After five years, David had the chance to take an early buy-out at work and decided to retire from his job. He did this so he could spend more time with his children as a stay at

48 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

home dad. There are many misconceptions in particular about single fathers. When it comes to mind, society usually depicts a female to play the role as a single parent.

ccording to Miami University Associate Professor of Psychology Aaron Luebbe, 30-35 percent of households are single parent households. Of those 23 percent are single mother households, while 8-10 percent are single father households. Through Luebbe’s research, a single mother and single father households look very similar toward factors such as the mental health and sexual behavior amongst adolescents that grew up in single-parent households. On average, kids from single-parent households are doing just as well, whether it’s a single mom or a

single dad | package

“But at the same time, I think sometimes single dads do get that response of ‘Oh wow, you’re doing this all on your own’ because they don’t believe that they can, whereas single moms kind of don’t get that benefit of heroism.” —David Addison, single father of three single dad, from two-parent households, assuming they take into account income differences.

uebbe told Spark that single father portrayal in media and life is “certainly less than single mother portrayal” and sometimes those play into stigmatizing stereotypes. He explains that the media will show an incompetent father trying to do it all. The media tends to show that single mothers are more competent and potentially more heroic than single fathers. “But at the same time, I think sometimes single dads do get that response of ‘Oh wow, you’re doing this all on your own’ because they don’t believe that they can,” Luebbe says. “Whereas single moms kind of don’t get that benefit of heroism.” David has dealt with the stigma of his single father parenting, recalling once in the past with a divorced woman at a singles group. “I had mentioned to her about my three children. Her perspective was usually the moms have the kids all the time, and that the dads see them occasionally. She asked, ‘Do you get to see your children often?’ My answer was, ‘Yeah, I see them every day.’ Then she asked ‘Do they live nearby?’ I said, ‘Yes, right down the hall.’ She said, ‘Wow’ in response because she was thinking that I wasn’t involved as much with my kids.” Shortly after David was widowed, he attended Companions on Journey, a widower support group, to connect and talk with others. “It’s pretty good. Sometimes, you get some people that are very down and I tend to be more of an upbeat, happy person and that is sort of draining,” David says. “But, I found some people that I enjoyed talking to and sharing my ideas with.” David incorporates the two attributes of discipline and nurture into raising his children, as he feels he has to play the role of both parents, essentially be a mom as well as dad.

“I think sometimes you have different parenting techniques, and often the father’s tend to be more of the disciplinary actions,” David says, “and the mothers are more the nurturing kind.” According to Brown Leadership Consulting Counselor Michael Brown, fathers, in general, have a positive impact and help give children stability. A father can help instill discipline and cement their child’s identity. The child can feel secure and emotionally stable when the fatherly role is done well. Katie used to be open about her mother’s death, but she realized as she got older it wasn’t socially acceptable to tell people in situations about her mother because it usually makes people uncomfortable. But if people keep pushing it, then she’ll have to say something. “In one of my classes this year, my teacher asked me about my road trip this summer and if my mom or my dad drove during the trip or if they split it halfway. And I was like, ‘Oh no, my dad and my sister drove.’ He then asked if my mom doesn’t like driving, and I was like, ‘Yeah, not really, I guess.’ Then he asked if she went us with us, and I just [had to say], ‘She’s dead.’ And he was like, ‘I’m so sorry.’ And he wouldn’t look at me for the rest of us class because he felt so bad,” Katie says.

atie really didn’t miss having a mother because she didn’t know what it was like until she started getting older and would talk to other girls and seeing the things they were doing with their mom such as doing crafts together or cooking. “My mom died when I was three. I don’t really remember anything other than living with a single dad. If I see a family photo, I think, “Oh, yeah, that’s my family.” I’m not going to say “Oh, well, there’s someone missing. I’m just like, yeah, that’s my family,” Katie says. “I don’t really know what it would be like living with two parents.”•

7 SPECIAL STATES

Alaska -sled dogs -saw glaciers -saw waterfalls Tennessee -long hiking up -mountains -exploring Hawaii -surfing -zip lining -exploring Kentucky -kentucky derby -UK basketball - visit teacher Colorado -skiing -hiking -family bonding Arizona -hiking -the grand canyon -family bonding Florida -swimming in ocean -looking at allegators April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 49

package | fashion vignette

FASHIONING HIS WAY East senior Ryan Kmieske looks forward to exploring his fashion interests at UC’s DAAP Fashion program. story and photography lauren maier

alking down the hallway, East senior Ryan Kmieske heads to his next period. Heads turn as they see him strutting a daunting outfit consisting of black bulky leather boots, paired with jet black jeans with a chain dangling down his side pocket along with a thrifted red t-shirt. There is a method to Kmieske’s fashion madness; he says it’s a way for people to judge him based off of his looks. It’s a different form of art for him to express himself to others. His “trendy” looks come with his future at the University of Cincinnati (UC) as he majors in fashion design at DAAP. Kmieske says that he is excited to be majoring in fashion design to jumpstart a future career in trendy clothing. Kmieske currently is heavily involved in art, but he doesn’t believe it can be a profitable career. “I’m going to school so I can learn more about design,” Kmieske says. “Although it would be great to do freelance art, it’s not realistic. Going into fashion design will get me a job and I’ll still, hopefully, enjoy it.” At the Fashion Institute of Technology, 84.6 percent of all enrolled students are female and at Pratt Institute, 54 of the 58 students that graduated in 2017 were female. However, in one of the most recognized fashion shows, Milan Fashion Week, only 31 percent of designers were women. According to Drexel University Fashion Professor Lisa Hayes, a reason why this change may be caused is due to women wanting to start a family around the same time where higher authority roles are presented. “There’s an awful lot of international traveling involved,” Hayes says. “You’re traveling three weekends out of a month. it’s a lot of time away from trying to [take care of a family]. I think it’s really difficult and challenging.” Hayes says that there’s probably a similar

criteria about this kind of moving up position in the workforce. At the age of 30 to 45 is a critical career point in a time where if women are going to choose to start a family it’s going to be between 30 and 45. Based off of a survey done by Glass Runway, starting out in the industry, 70 percent of women aspire to be a top executive whereas 60 percent of males aspire the same role. However, fast-forwarding 10 years, women’s aspirations for the top only goes up to 75 percent where men’s aspirations go up to 100 percent. Kmieske aspires to be an owner of a niche clothing company and hopes to be one of the few niche fashion designers in the country. Over time ambitions change, but perspectives are changing as well. Hayes mentions that having men in her classes adds a new and more purposeful perspective that many of her female students would overlook. “The girls [in my class] love these guys. The men of the program become so popular because it’s just different,” Hayes says. “Whatever the style is that people want, they want to wear it and it doesn’t matter if it’s not comfortable. Males tend to be focused on definite function out of their clothing. They all have different opinions about that in class.”

or Kmieske in his art class, gender doesn’t play a huge role in the final product. It tends to be more of the artist’s role and style that factors in. “I don’t really focus on other people when I’m in [the art room],” Kmieske says. “It’s more just my thing. Socialization-wise, it’s not a ton different either.” When it comes to different perspectives that males may provide in the classroom, Kmieske says he doesn’t interact with a lot of guys who are as invested in art like him. Another way he does express himself is through his fashion. “At the end of the day, people make snap

judgments,” Kmieske says. “If I can express something about myself that someone can pick up through a snap judgment, I feel like that is important. In this age especially, we don’t get to know each other a lot before we make these judgments and others can pick up on [these personality traits] through a snap judgment.” However Kmieske expresses himself, he says that living in this area of Ohio makes him an object of fascination to his peers. “People either love it or they hate it. The plaid pants [that I wear], guys like to [make fun of] it because it’s different,” Kmieske says. “I feel like girls see me as an object like ‘oh my god Ryan you dress so interestingly’ in like an object of fascination. It’s like a zoo sometimes, but I understand. Like tattoos, this is just another way of expressing myself on my body.” Kmieske also expresses his personality in the art room and through his art. East junior Anna French is a close friend of Kmieske and has worked closely with him throughout his art processes. “He’s very outgoing and almost rebellious in a way,” French says. “He doesn’t always listen to what our art teacher says and he kind of just does what he wants. His mind is so open to being creative. Once he has his mind set on something he won’t let go of it.” One of the biggest reasons why Kmieske expresses himself through art is because he is good at it and that excellence pushes him to only do bigger and better things. “When I’m in the process of painting I [don’t know what the end product is going to be], it’s more of just my headspace and what I know to do,” Kmieske says. “It’s just how I’m feeling and I’ll do a couple of strokes, leave, come back and I’m feeling completely different and what I put on the canvas is completely different. I just love seeing the end product of my work and how all of my feelings can be translated onto the canvas.”•

“If I can express something about myself that someone can pick up through a snap judgment, I feel like it’s important [for others to] pick up on [my personality traits] through my clothes.” —Ryan Kmieske, East senior 50 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

East senior Ryan Kmieske sports trendy fashion while goofing off on a train in the Lebanon Rail Yard.

entertainment | captain marvel

CAPTAIN MARVEL art cassandra mueller

eing released on International Women’s Day perfectly suits Marvel Studios’ latest installment in its popular Avengers series. Since Captain Marvel’s initial announcement in Oct. 2014, it was plagued with much controversy, as it was Marvel’s first take on a solo heroine. But despite the hype, the film was able to combine all of Marvel Studios’ secret ingredients in the recipe for making an incredible movie. Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel). Starting her acting career at nine years old, Larson was well equipped to handle the large role. But playing the role of Captain Marvel required more than just good acting for Larson, as she had set a goal to perform all of her own stunts. Larson did extensive physical training for a year in order to bring her character to life. The film goes in the reverse order of storytelling. Starting with Carol Danvers’ new life on Hala, the Kree homeworld. Then as the film progresses, you discover her origins and backstory simultaneously along with her, as she has no memory of her past life. This order makes the film slow to build in the beginning, but quickly picks up after an astonishing truth is revealed. As someone who has never read a Marvel comic, I had to intently watch every scene for the film to make sense. Adding that aspect of complexity to the film made some of the slower acts more interesting. But being so attuned to the movie allowed me to take in the visuals of the film in a different way. A major part of the visuals was the computer-generated imagery (CGI) used. The de-aging of Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson) added a better sense of the early ‘90s setting. One complaint about the film is that in relativity to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) it left more questions than answers. Although it answered a few lighter questions like how Fury lost his eye and how the “Avengers” initiative was created, bigger questions like “where has she been for the last 20 years” arise. The film mainly contains the seriousness of the Captain America trilogy, but with a splash of Guardians of the Galaxy-humor to lighten the mood. One of my favorite parts of the film was Goose, the cat, who acted as the comic relief and added a dynamic to the usually serious Nick Fury. Captain Marvel is a masterfully done film that has all of the Marvel “it” factors that tell an empowering story. As of now, the film doesn’t perfectly fit within the MCU, but the longawaited finale Avengers: Endgame may bring everything together. —Regan Denham

52 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

movie reviews | entertainment

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

n 80 percent of custody court cases, the mother of the child wins, according to the Family Law website. But in the 2006 film, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” directed by Gabriele Muccino, the audience is shown an entirely different story. Chris Gardner (Will Smith) and his wife, Linda (Thandie Newton) go through many financial struggles. Chris sells bone density scanners but finds that doesn’t cover their expenses. Linda works double shifts at her job as well, and they can’t make ends meet for their son Christopher (Jaden Smith). Linda ends up leaving both her husband and son to go to New York. She asks Chris if she can take Christopher with her but both of them know she won’t take care of him. Now father and son, in a societal role switch, have to deal with their financial struggles together. Chris and his son get evicted from their home numerous times. Chris is also trying to better his life by getting a job as a stockbroker. Because of their money situation, daycare can only be used during these desperate times, so Chris must take his son with him on sales calls. After a night of homelessness, and seeking refuge in the subway, Chris takes his son with him to a homeless shelter. There, he does

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what he can to still study for his internships in the hopes it will turn over a new job with more money that can help him take care of Christopher. Chris does everything he can to make ends meet for his son; he runs around rushing his life in order to get a place to sleep and eat. At one point, Chris even donates blood in order to get enough money to fix one of the broken scanners so he can sell it. When Linda leaves for work, Christopher calls out to her multiple times saying goodbye and she doesn’t answer him at all. Even though this is just a simple act, it really shows how much better Chris is for his son than Linda, as Chris answers and has conversations with his son. With the outstanding performances by the Smiths and the beautiful structure of the film, with amazingly captivating plot points, enough back story, and no holes or gaps in the film; it gets five stars. This film showed the opposite side of a family, instead of the strong relationship between mother and child, this one showed the strong relationship between a father and his child and how equally important that is. —Rebecca Holst

KRAMER V. KRAMER

woman and a mother needs to cook for her family. She must stay at home with the children. Take them to and from school, and be there to provide for her husband when he needs it. These were the societal ideals that the 1979 film, Kramer vs. Kramer, flips over entirely. Directed by award winning director, Robert Benton and written by Avery Corman this film was definitely ahead of its time. With astonishing performances by Dustin Hoffman as the lead of Ted Kramer, and his wife Joanna played by Meryl Streep, this movie was set up to be amazing. Both Hoffman and Streep won Academy Awards for their acting in this movie. The film starts by showing Ted struggling with duties at work and coming home to find his wife Joanna is leaving both him and their son, Billy (Justin Henry). Now Ted has to do the jobs that are supposedly for a woman. Ted faces criticisms from various minor characters stating that Joanna did the duties better, or that he was messing up but he ignored them all and continued to do those jobs to the best of his ability for his son. One of the strongest parts of the film is a

critical plot point where Ted has taken Billy to the park to play with the neighbor kids while Ted talks to the neighborhood kids’ mother, who is also a single parent. While playing at the park, Billy gets hurt and has to be run to the emergency room for stitches. This is such a strong part of the film because it wasn’t Ted’s fault for Billy’s injury. This is also such an influential moment because this is where it is truly shown that Ted can and will do whatever he can for his child, regardless of any societal role of him being just a moneymaker for the family. As the film progresses, another major issue is tackled: child custody. After a few months go by, Joanna comes back and she wants to take Billy with her. Ted does whatever he can, he vows to get a job in 24 hours and testifies that Billy’s injury wasn’t serious. This is such a monumental thing for a film, especially in the 1970s. Even in today’s world, fathers winning custody cases isn’t as common, according to the United States Census Bureau, so even depicting a father’s side of the battle is extremely amazing. Fathers have about a one in ten chance of getting custody over the mother. By using the bare minimum, this film does

highlight the seriousness of issues concerning the societal role of men in their households. This movie doesn’t carry the heavy impact it needs in order to really stick the landing of the seriousness of these issues. —Rebecca Holst

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entertainment | movie reviews

WHAT MEN WANT

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irected by Adam Shankman, the maker of movies such as Scream 2 and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, “What Men Want” is a visual representation of the word “meh.” With a cast containing Taraji Henson (Hidden Figures and The Good Doctor), Aldis Hodge (Hidden Figures and Big Momma’s House), and Tracy Morgan (The Longest Yard and Half Baked) as well as an estimated budget of $20 million, the movie had potential. That potential was grossly underutilized. The slapstick comedy forced down the viewer’s throat becomes predictive and boring after the half-hour mark and the quality of jokes never improves. So many opportunities for clever, thoughtful comedy existed yet almost never were those opportunities utilized. Following Ali Davis, a sports agent working in a male-dominated company, Ali struggles with finding a promotion and being taken seriously by her male colleagues. Seeking answers from a psychic, Ali drinks a strange concoction and, following a night of clubbing, she wakes up being able to hear the thoughts of men. With her newfound ability, Ali sets out

to conquer her workplace. That being said, the over the top style of quips may, in fact, lend itself to the movies’ governing theme of male crudity. To say I wasn’t uncomfortable during several instances would be to tell a blatant lie. Quite frankly I’d be surprised if the 20 or so other people in the theater also weren’t. The thinly veiled innuendos, followed by not-so-thinly-veiled innuendos, and then even later followed by blatant sexual remarks. I saw the people in front of me cringe more than a few times.

ith that in mind, “What Men Want” can be looked as a direct response to current times. In the era of locker room talk and what should and should not be acceptable, it provides men with an outsider’s perspective on such comments and the results of them. If this is what the film is aiming in creating, a look into an unfiltered microcosm, then it has achieved its goal. Unfortunately, I simply don’t believe that it ever developed enough for that to be the main purpose. —Michael Szczepkowski

FIVE FEET APART

box of tissues, a pint of ice cream, and a pair of sweatpants is all that’s needed to need to watch the romance, drama “Five Feet Apart.” This film will leave viewers in an emotional mess from its expected ending that could easily be seen from the very beginning. The main focus of the film is the life of Stella Grant (Haley Lu Grant), who is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The film starts with Stella talking with her friends in what is assumed to be her bedroom. However, when Stella’s friends leave, the view pans out to reveal that Stella is living in a hospital. The audience sees much of Stella’s life with CF through her YouTube channel. She explains that CF is a disorder that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe, usually causing patients to cough up mucus. Many of her videos consist of her showing her daily routines that she must do in order to stay healthy. As we are introduced to Stella’s daily life, a new patient is introduced, Will Newman (Cole Sprouse), who also has CF. The two start off with a quarrelsome relationship, however, they quickly grow close when they start doing their daily regimens together. Released on Mar. 15, 2019, by CBS Films and Lionsgate, the movie was projected to gross $6-10 million from 2,600 theaters. Overall, the film made $5.4 million on its first day, including $715,000 from its Thursday night previews.

The film was originally based off the 2018 book written by Rachael Lippincott, Tobias Iaconis, and Mikki Daughtry. However, the endings of both the movie and the book were completely different, and I feel this costed a good storyline for the movie. I watched this movie with my friends the day it came out and was prepared for the emotional trauma I was about to face. However, I was somewhat disappointed by the predictableness of the film. Due to the constant distraction of cheesy lines, it was difficult for me to have an attachment to any of the characters for the first half of the movie.

n the second half of the movie, something finally clicked in the movie and my friends and I were a mess. I forgot that there were actors playing roles, and instead felt as though they were real people facing real obstacles. Overall, I felt that “Five Feet Apart” was just another teen romance film that I’ve seen at least 10 times. I do applaud it for bringing awareness to CF, however, the film falsely stated that CF patients could be five feet apart when in reality, they need to be six feet apart to avoid spreading bacteria. I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone looking for a good cry, but not for anyone looking looking to find a captivating story. —Leah McCain

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BASED OFF THE BOOK authors rachael lippincott, with mikki daughtry and tobias iaconis publisher Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers average rating 4.2 stars per Goodreads.com

car review | entertainment

STILL ON TOP?

Spark staffer Jack McFarland reviews the 2018 Honda Civic Sport. photography fair use

he Honda Civic. Arguably a car that has been the backbone of small cars in America since 1973. The Civic gave Honda a reputation in the United States (US). Now fast forward to 2019 and the Civic is still among one of the best in its class. There are two variations of the Civic that exist today: the sedan or the hatchback. The sedan can be had in many trim levels including the mild performance SI (Sport Injected) version. The hatchback can be had in the same trim levels except for SI, and instead has a sport version. To top all of that off, Honda also offers a 306 HP ultra high-performance Civic hatchback that will satisfy anyone’s “need for speed.” The Civic Sport has very outgoing styling, and consumers will either love it or hate it. Up front houses Honda’s new signature grille that definitely stands out. The headlight design is nice, the halogen projector beam headlights with LED daytime running lights complement the car nicely.

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Since this Civic is a hatchback, the trunk lid sits up higher than the sedan and has the typical two window design with an added wiper for the bigger window on top. The trunk lid does have an integrated spoiler that adds a sporty look to the car. The added fake vents and center exhaust add to the sporty character. The Civic Sport sits higher in the rear over the regular Civic. All Civic Sports get bigger 18-inch wheels that back the Sport badge on the car. If opting for the Honda Factory Performance (HFP) package, it includes an optional 19-inch wheels and a bigger spoiler. Overall the look of the Civic Sport is good, but it’s not the best looking for the class. Stepping inside, the Civic Hatch is just what is expected for the class and price range. Seats are comfortable for the price range and the materials feel good. There is very minimal use of gloss black plastic in the interior which is always a bonus. I found the 5-inch center display unimpressive, even for the price range.

MPG

well put-together and built to last. While driving the cabin isn’t overly noisy and well sound insulated for the class. Out on the road, the Civic Sport is peppy and fun to drive. The sport package adds a manual transmission and more power. Honda tuned the sport to make 180 HP and 177 LBFT of torque which is up from the base civic hatchback which is only 174 HP.

all-season tires. The Civic rides on strut-based front suspension with coil springs and a multilink rear suspension. The suspension mixed with the super responsive light steering makes for a great ride and a very easy-to-drive car. Body roll is minimal, and the car feels confident and planted as it enters corners. During high-speed runs, the car starts to show some weakness, and seems to get unsettled and doesn’t want to push past 100. This isn’t noticeable on the highway, unless around construction zones. The clutch is light, and the shifts MPG are very clean and crisp. Overall, the Civic Sport is a very fun, responsive hatch that will provide fun when wanted, and comfort for when it’s not. Overall, the 2018 Honda Civic Sport is a great car. Apart from the rather uninspiring interior, the Civic Sport would be a great car for anyone. It provides the usefulness of a hatchback with the sporty character of a small sedan while getting a very impressive MPG of 30 city and 39 highway. Is the civic still top of its class? The simple answer is no. It’s missing just a couple of things inside the car that other cars have for the price. In terms of a performance-oriented car, consumers can get a better package by upgrading to a Civic SI for just a little bit more or even a Hyundai Elantra Sport for the same price. But the Civic sport is a car that is extremely user-friendly with great storage space (25.7 cubic feet) all wrapped up in an easy-todrive car. I gave the Civic Sport a 3.5/5 because it is fun to drive and user-friendly, but it could have more for the price. •

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The dash has added fake carbon inserts which add more to the sporty look the car is trying to go for. The gauge cluster layout is simple and easy to read. With the sport package, the car gets an added leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather wrapped shift knob, and aluminum sport pedals, all of which look and feel great. The interiors’ build quality is what is expected from any Honda product, extremely

he 1.5L engine is very strong, with great low-end torque. However, when out on the road, the car isn’t by any means impressive when it comes to power. Honda also scrapped V-TEC in exchange for a turbo on the 1.5L engine which, takes some of the Honda charm away from the car. The Civic Sport is surprisingly fun to drive when thrown around on twisty back roads. The grip is far more impressive than I would expect for the car and price range. The car rides on regular Continental ContiProContact

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entertainment | car review

THE NEW KID? T

he Toyota Corolla Hatchback is the best small daily driver with great economic status great for both teens and adults. The Corolla has been a major small car hitter since 1966 through today, and in 1974 the Corolla was named a bestseller and remained at the top since then. Dubbed safest small car in 2018 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and be given the award of Best Resale Value title by Kelly Blue Book. The Toyota Corolla has reached a huge milestone of

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40 million units sold over 11 generations in July 2013. Into 2019, the Corolla hatchback is the best-selling car with msrp base price coming at $21,090 and for the fully loaded XSE trim it is $24.413. Some of the main competitors are the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and the Chevy Cruze. The exterior of the new 2019 Toyota Corolla comes with two body styles, the sedan, and the hatchback. Engine option is limited to one choice which is the 2.0L 4-cylinder 168 horsepower and 151 torque engine but no smaller size for economical practicality. The new Corolla comes with new refreshed face and both body styles come with new LED headlights, which would light up and pitch-black baseball field if needed too. The top Corolla hatchback trim comes with extra

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passenger area shows that. It is all-around more luxurious vehicle than the Civic, it’s rival, with its all-cloth seats as standard.

better fuel economy than the civic. The New 2019 Civic has a sleek body look with the all new hatchback body style and it comes with a 1.5T 4-cylinder motor and mated with the choice of a 6-speed manual or a CVT. The interior of the Civic comes standard with cloth seats but able to opt for the top Touring trim and be set with leather seats, but still coming standard with Apple Car play and Android Auto. Some other competitors like the all new Elantra does not the best looks but has its positives like the Dual Clutch Automatic or the 6-speed manual and coming with a 1.6L 4-cylinder or a 2 liter 4-cylinder. The 2019 version’s style does not match up to the older 2018 model, but the interior comes standard with Apple Car play MPG and Android Auto and with heated leather seats. Finally, the Chevy Cruze comes with either a sedan or hatchback version either with a 1.4L 4-cylinder with either a choice of a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic. The Chevy Cruze comes Apple Car play and Android Auto like a lot of cars in this segment do, the interior comes with an optional leatherette material but still beating the Civics’ cloth seats. The 6-Speed manual Transmission makes the Corolla a fast-little efficient daily driver and having the ability to opt for the Automatic CVT transmission which still zips around and earning better fuel economy or opt for the more fun manual transmission. Overall the 2019 Toyota Corolla is a small midscale luxury, reliable every day driver, the new Toyota Corolla will give no trouble and the only obstacles are is whether to pick the Corolla or one of the many competitor’s like the Civic or Elantra and even the Cruze. •

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trunk storage and comes with stunning 18inch machine finish alloy wheels, while the top Corolla sedan trim comes with lavish 17-inch machined finish wheels. The interior of the 2019 Corolla is better than its competitors coming with side bolstered leather sides with cloth inserts and heated front and passenger seats and a heated steering wheel coming standard but no rear USB ports and no rear heated seats, it’s not like an upscale German car but being a Toyota, the company had to cut corners somewhere and the rear

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Spark staffer Spencer Li reviews the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback.

he Corolla earns a 5/5 with exterior looks because of the new refreshed facial making this car look better in this class, better than the Honda Civic, and the Chevy Cruze, and Hyundai Elantra and. Interior styling earns a 3/5 because of the lack of luxuries the vehicle has, and for especially being a new car, technology has moved on and Toyota needs to incorporate new technology to the vehicle. Driving aspects earns a 4/5 with getting 30 miles per gallon in the city, and 38 miles per gallon on the highway, but only making 168 horsepower it doesn’t match up to the civics 201 horsepower engine but at the end receiving

PITCH PERFECT

East senior and varsity pitcher Grayson Hamilton makes history by pitching a perfect game.

story ryan murphy | photography kate harvey | additional research drew bachman and nicco morello

East senior Grayson Hamilton uses his classic pitching mechanics (shown above) for every East baseball outing, including his historic 94-pitch, 12-strikeout, 8-0 perfect game victory against GMC rival the Princeton Vikings.

ne ball, two strikes; East senior Grayson Hamilton takes a breath and composes himself for the next pitch the Princeton batter just 60 feet and six inches away. He gets the sign from his East senior catcher Kyle McDonough. Hamilton goes through his routine and delivers a fastball that has been working all afternoon. Strike three. Hamilton has done it. He has made history. Throwing his first perfect game of his career and the first perfect game of East history, which was an 8-0 victory over Princeton at Princeton. From the start of the game, East locked in. A solid warmup and an upbeat dugout was key for the Hawks and for Grayson. “There was a lot of energy, everything was very intense we were all ready to go from the start,” East junior Mitchell Vincent said. Stellar play from the field helped contribute to his success as well, Hamilton said. “My teammates were amazing as always, always supportive,”Hamilton says. “I trusted that they would make the outs when the time came.” As the game progressed, questions arose if Grayson could really pull off the perfect game.

The first three innings Hamilton pitched very solid but it wasn’t until the fourth inning he started to answer those questions. “I felt something good; my location was there. [I was] trusting what I had,” says Hamilton, who threw 94 pitches and struck out 12 Princeton Viking batters.

Hamilton’s sights. “Nate Haberthier had a no-hitter to start the year than we had a duo no-hitter with Drew Bachman and Jake Fisher, so we all felt that a perfect game was coming at some point,” East junior Mitchell Vincent says. This performance was not only important

“There was a lot of energy, everything was very intense we were all ready to go from the start,” —Mitchell Vincent, East junior The Ohio Dominican University Signee started the season hot with a 4-0 record with a top-15 in the conference 0.56 Earned-Run Average (ERA) and a 0.96 Walks and Hits per innings pitched (WHIP). Now, with the 12-strikeout perfect game, Hamilton now leads the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) in strikeouts as well as wins and is top 10 in both ERA and WHIP. “I just wanted to be better every outing and win every pitch,” says Hamilton about his success to start the year. It was because of this hot start that teammates felt that a perfect game was in

to Hamitlon but to his teammates as well after the win on Wednesday, April 17 and the stellar starting pitching all year have escalated East to a 11-1 conference record only half game ahead of conference rival Mason Comets who are at a 10-1. East Relief pitcher Cole Talarek wasn’t shocked. “We know going into every game when he is on the mound he will deliver for us and he certainly had the potential to throw a perfect game,” Cole says. “Going into the game we knew it definitely was a possibility, and on that became [reality]. •

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sports | the family affair

THE FAMILY FACTOR

There are many pairs of siblings playing the same sport at East this year.

THE SET UP

East seniors and twin brothers Reese and Trenton Kuhlman hope to lead East to their fourth consecutive Greater Miami Conference (GMC) title.

Reese (7) and Trenton (3) face off against Fenwick High School.

story broc nordmark photography lauren maier

ryant Kuhlman and the East volleyball team were participating in a tri-match in 2012. The junior varsity (JV) volleyball team for East was struggling. Off to the side of the court, Bryant’s brothers were passing the ball, goofing off with each other and having a good time with each other. With her team struggling, East coach Brittney Billiter threatens to sub in 12-year-olds Reece and Trenton Kuhlman if their team doesn’t start playing better. Reese and Trenton have been exposed to the East volleyball program for a very long time. It started with their older brother Bryant, who is currently the assistant volleyball coach for East. Following in Bryant’s footsteps was their other older brother Evan, which is currently a sophomore at the University of Evansville and played both volleyball and basketball in his time with the Thunderhawks, leading the East volleyball team to two straight GMC titles. Now the torch has been passed on to Reese and Trenton, who are both seniors on the team this season. The twin brothers have played volleyball together for East for a long four years, but their time playing volleyball goes back much further in the past. “My favorite part of playing with Reese is the bond we’ve got,” Trenton says. “It’s like at East we have this separate family together, and we play with that family mentality.” Reese and Trenton started their volleyball careers in third grade, playing for a CYO league at St. John’s church. All the time they’ve spent playing volleyball has helped them develop together as teammates.

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“We’ve basically grown off of each other. We liked our coach and we got to play with the same people for a long time,” Trenton says. “We’ve been able to learn from each other and grow together over the years.” When playing with the same people for an elongated period of time, a certain level of chemistry is developed with that person. Playing together for so long has allowed Reese

and Trenton to essentially think with one brain, always knowing what the other is going to do. “We’ve really gotten to know each other’s tendencies when it comes to volleyball, and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Reese says. “Most of the time, I know where Trenton is going to set the ball before he sets it, so I know where to pick up the hit.” Trenton is East’s main setter. He hits the

the family affair | sports ball up into the air, usually the second hit, for one of his teammates to hit towards the opposing team. Trenton has 97 assists this season, averaging 8.82 assists per game. Reese usually plays towards the outside of the playing area. He often hits the ball after a set from Trenton. Reese has 30 kills so far out of 92 attempts this season, with an efficiency rate of 25 percent.

illiter knows that mutual trust is a key aspect of volleyball, due to the extremely vital team aspect of the game. With players constantly talking and moving around, as well as the erratic movement of the volleyball, players must have someone they can always trust to get the job done. “There’s a really cool trust dynamic between them. Trenton and Reese both came in and started on varsity as freshmen, so they’ve gotten comfortable at that level,” Billiter says. “They each know that their brother is the person they can go to and trust to do a good job when times get tough.” East senior Sam Middendorf has played alongside Reese and Trenton for a long time. Middendorf joined their CYO team at St. John’s a year after they did, and has been their

teammate ever since. Throughout Middendorf ’s volleyball career, he has gotten the opportunity to watch Reese and Trenton develop their game together. With all three of them growing up playing together, they have each carved out a distinct role for themselves in terms of their team dynamic. “Trenton is really good at talking and making sure everyone is on the same page, so that we’re all in position and ready for anything coming our way,” Middendorf says. “Reese is great at lifting up everyone’s spirits. He makes sure everyone is being positive, talking, and truly doing their best.” More than just their relationship as teammates, however, Reese and Trenton’s relationship as brothers has been reinforced by the time they’ve spent together playing volleyball. Spending all that time together has brought them much closer to each other. “I think a lot of people think we’d fight a lot and are always conflicting towards each other. Sometimes we’ll fight a little when we play volleyball because we’re competitive, but most of the time we’re very agreeable,” Reese says. “We don’t usually fight. Most of the time we work on homework together outside of class, and we work well together.”

Since Reese and Trenton work so well together, they’ve been able to embrace a leadership role with the team this season. The years of experience they have under their belts has helped them guide the rest of their teammates in the time they’ve spent playing for East. “Not only have they become leaders on the court, but [helping to] tech the kids volleyball sometimes is helpful to me, since there’s only one of me and there’s 14 of them,” Billiter says. “They’ve taken on the role to help teach positioning and other helpful things, and they definitely have a more trusted relationship with the players because of their role on the team.” In 2012, Reese and Trenton were just the kids on the side of the court that coach Billiter would jokingly threaten to sub in if the team didn’t start playing better. Now seven years later, they have worked their way onto that same court they almost got subbed onto back in fifth-grade, and have grown into an impactful duo for the East program. “We have so much fun winning and succeeding together in volleyball,” Reese says. “It’s fun because of the connection we have with our teammates and with each other,” Reese says. •

THE CHOSEN ONES

Brothers Albert and Alex Cho look to be the leaders the East tennis program so desperately craves. story isaac lukose | photography lauren maier

he last time senior Albert and junior Alex Cho stepped onto the hardcourt, they left with a sour taste in their mouths. With seniors Chris Holden and Kamil Sacha leading the way, this older group, who had been awarded the 2018 team Sportsmanship Award by the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Association, seemed ready to make a run in the GMC and state tournament. Except, they didn’t. Only one player, Chris Holden, made it to state last season. Albert and Alex were only able to muster a sectionals appearance. The team in general yet again placed third in the GMC for a fifth straight season. To put it lightly, the season didn’t go as planned for the two brothers. “I felt pretty disappointed we lost in the first round because the game could have gone either way,” Albert says. “Cameron Hall and I just got outplayed by the Anderson players.” This loss was only amplified when Albert and Alex realized that this would be the last game they would be able to play with all the seniors. This meant no more challenging but

enjoyable practices with the seniors. No more veteran advice from the seniors. No more sitting back and letting the seniors take on the toughest opponents. continued on page 61 ...

Albert (above) and Alex (right) played Sycamore High School April 2. East lost to Sycamore 5-0.

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sports | the family affair

STICKING TOGETHER

tepping out of their Mazda CX7 on a crisp Tuesday afternoon, they head for the field to prepare for practice. They walk and talk, but they don’t look like more than two teammates chatting about practice. From just simple observations, it is difficult to tell that the shorter East senior Karen Carpenter and the taller East sophomore Kelly Carpenter are sisters. Shortly into the team’s season, the team’s record is 3-1. With a recent win against Lakota West, They play different positions on the lacrosse field, with Karen, number 22, at backer and Kelly, number 5, in the front. In other terms, Karen protects the goal with a longer stick to deflect the ball, and Kelly tries to score on the opponent’s goal with two other attackers. Furthermore, they have obvious contrasts in their personalities. While Karen has a more serious temperament, Kelly is usually labeled as the more humorous sibling. “I don’t even know how Kelly practices at lacrosse sometimes,” Karen says. “She is really goofy, but Kelly definitely knows when she has to be serious.” Their personalities may seem mismatched, but the Carpenter siblings fit together just like two matching puzzle pieces. They both have the same tanned skin, brown eyes, and medium hair length. They even have a similar fashion sense, as they often show up to lacrosse practices both wearing pairs of black Nike athletic shorts. The girl’s father and assistant coach Rick Carpenter attends most of the practices and notices their shared love of competition that brings their interests together. “They are both really competitive, so you can see how there would be conflicts sometimes just between those two,” Rick says. “Even though their positions and personalities are different, I think that they complement one another more than clashing over things.”

lthough the girls’ lacrosse program is a relatively new Greater Miami Conference (GMC) sport, its physical nature is attracting many young women from the school who want to show off their ambitious edges. Since the Carpenter siblings’ introduction to the program three years ago, they have expressed a winning edge, driving them to help each other on the field. “Karen knows what Kelly is capable of as a younger player, so she really pushes Kelly to do her best out there every day, just so they can compete together,” Rick says. “But Kelly returns the favor.” Despite their different positions on the field, their sisterly relationship helps Karen and Kelly to learn from each other’s playing

East senior Karen Carpenter and East sophomore Kelly Carpenter unite on field to play varsity lacrosse together. story and photography joe phelan

Kelly (left) and Karen (right) play against Oak Hills. East won 17-1. styles. For Kelly, having an older sister on the team can give her more insights and bits of advice to increase her volume of success. “Since we are home together every day, we can help each other more,” Kelly says. “It’s easier for us to talk to each other about what goes on since Karen is an experienced player and a really good role model.” With Kelly performing at a very productive level as a younger player on the team, Karen recalls that their age difference plays a positive role for Kelly on the field. “We both want each other to be the best players we can be. With Kelly being a sophomore, I definitely push her more than I would if she was my age,” Karen says. “It’s like making her realize that if she wants to start varsity, she will have to work hard, and that is pushing her even more.” Karen and Kelly use their shared love for competition to boost the morale of the team, even in the locker room. East senior and lacrosse player Zoe Sefton, witnesses the impact at first hand. “What is interesting is seeing that Karen and Kelly truly are family, despite their competitive edges. That adds a new dynamic to our team,” Sefton says. “They have their fair share of disagreements, but that is not without the love and celebrations of achievements as well.”

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When on the field, East lacrosse coach Ken Kinch observes their love-and-hate relationship towards each other. With Karen usually defending the attacking Kelly during practice, Kinch says that their competitiveness rubs off on the players. “It’s always good when you actually have family on the field, so that you can see that and model that,” Kinch says. “It’s nice to see the good in their sistership, but also the bad times too. It’s good for our players to see that and to shape our program like that.” With three more seasons ahead of Kelly, Karen is already planning to continue onto the next level. Kelly says that she wants to keep playing lacrosse at a collegiate level if she can find the college that fits her and her intended academic major. On the other hand, Karen’s last season is underway. Even though she is not looking to pursue lacrosse in college, she is looking to attend the University of Alabama to continue her academic success on track with pre-med. Nevertheless, Karen and Kelly’s sistership sticks around to make the team better and more comfortable, and Sefton cannot agree more. “Karen and Kelly are the definitions of the family that the coaches want us to have with the program. They really makes the atmosphere of the team better,” Sefton says. “We may disagree sometimes, but we all know at the end of a hard game that the love will always be there.” •

the family affair | sports

THE CHOSEN ONES, continued ...continued from page 59. No more up to the seniors of the team. In short, the changing of the guard had occurred that very evening.

ast season, five seniors, one junior, and two sophomores comprised the varsity team. This season, two seniors, four juniors, and a freshman make up the varsity squad. The only two players from last year’s varsity team are Albert and Alex, both of whom made the third team all-conference in first doubles and third singles respectively. This means that Albert and Alex will be relied upon heavily this upcoming season by second-year varsity coach Jon Burchfield to keep the team focused. “Albert’s the type of person that will do anything for anybody, and being a senior, it was really quite easy for me to make the decision that he would be our team captain,” Burchfield says. “He leads both by actions and words.” When it came to Alex, Burchfield believes that he has a contrasting leadership style to his brother’s more extraverted approach.

“Alex certainly is not as talkative as his brother. He really works hard and leads by example. When he gets in close sets, he keeps playing the same way. He doesn’t tighten up and he keeps hitting the ball,” Burchfield says. “When he’s in a tight match that he might not win, he’ll at least play well and make good decisions. And some of the younger players will see that and that’s what you need to do.” With all of that being said, it’s not like the Cho’s were gifted this opportunity. They had to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to get this point. One thing they did extensively was look at the film of some of their favorite players. “It was between Federer or Nadal,” Alex says. “I was focused on their techniques: how they hit the ball and most of their baseline shots because that’s the only thing I’m really good at, being at the back. When I get to the net, that’s my weakest part.” It hasn’t all been peaches and roses for these two siblings. Not long ago, when Albert was a sophomore and Alex was a freshman, the two were doubles partners. Although it would be

easy to assume that this would’ve been a great pairing, the two weren’t used to each other’s playstyles and strategies.

owever, looking back on that season, their parents Paul and Mi Jung Cho, find that season to be especially close to their heart. “They started off the season rough and fought on the courts,” Paul and Mi says. “But as the season went on, the chemistry between them got better and they gave each other high fives, talked about strategies, and complemented each other.” In the end, both brothers want to make sure that the culture in the East tennis program remains the same: work hard, have respect, and win, but most importantly, have fun. “What motivates me to play tennis at East is to show to people how the East tennis program isn’t a bad program,” Albert says. “I just want the East program to continue to develop into a better program. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to win the GMC as we did in 2009, while also being a tough team in the state tournament.” •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 61

sports | ohsaa referee letter

THE RIGHT CALL The OHSAA has taken actipn in an attmept to help solve its rapidly growing officiating crisis. story jack parr photography lauren maier

Mike Brown pauses during East’s. Regional semi-final loss to Moeller to determine a call.

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n a 2015 meeting between executives from high school athletic associations across the country, a question was posed by the head of the Kansas state association: “What are you going to do when you don’t have enough officials to cover games?” At the time, most of the executives in the room didn’t take the comment too seriously. The decline in registered officials was just beginning to take root nationally, and it wasn’t seen as a huge issue in most interscholastic athletic circles. Four years later, the conversation regarding officiating has changed. After the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) lost over 300 officials, what was once seen as a minor decline in participation has evolved into a fullfledged shortage with alarming consequences. “We are now to that point in many sports, soccer being the most pronounced,” OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass told Spark. “Many games this past year had to be cancelled because of not enough available officials and it continues to be a big problem.” While the lack of registered officials in Ohio has become a bigger cause for concern recently, the problem has existed for more than just a few years. The OHSAA has just 1,154 total enrolled officials across all sports for the 2018-19 school year, down 59.9 percent from a high of 2,876 in 2010-11. With such drastically decreasing officiating classes each year, one can’t help but wonder what is causing the sudden decline. The OHSAA offered an explanation in a recent letter written to fans, titled “Dear Mom and Dad: Cool It.” The letter explained that parents were playing a significant role in the dropoff and urged them to be more respectful for the sake of their children. A 2017 survey from the National Association of Sports Officials indicated that not pay or time constraints, but poor fan behavior was the number

ohsaa referee letter | sports

one reason for people leaving officiating. “Far and away the number one reason cited is unwillingness to take the constant criticism and abuse from both fans and coaches,” Ohio Director of Officiating Development for basketball Danny Morris told Spark. “Most of the targeted individuals have recently completed HS/College competition and have witnessed firsthand how coaches treat officials. Fans are even worse especially at the lower levels which is exactly where our novice officials break in and are so quickly discouraged.

ong-time Ohio referee Jerry Fick, who has officiated softball, baseball, and football games during his career, has experienced poor treatment for fans and understands why it is continues to cause officials to choose to pursue other opportunities off the court or the field. “Unfortunately, we don't have many young people getting involved. Lots of times we hear that they don't want to listen to the abuse that officials take and sometimes they cite their own parents as offenders,” Fick told Spark. “A complicating factor now is the economy where there are so many jobs available that don't require the dedication and effort involved in being a sports official. These other jobs are also paying more and more.” In addition to being a part of a generation that condones disrespecting officials, Fick thinks technology made it easier for young people to criticize referees while discouraging them from entering the profession themselves. “It's always been an issue but has gotten worse with modern technology and more criticism of officials at all levels,” Fick told Spark. “That filters down and ‘cell phone replays’ coupled with a lack of understanding of rules and calls made seem destined to make it continue to grow as a problem.”

o how can fan behavior at high school athletic events be improved to prevent the problem from growing even larger? According to East Athletic Director Richard Bryant, it’s all about having a consistent message to create a positive game environment. “We try to be consistent on message. Our overarching point is that we cheer for Lakota East, not against the other team,” Bryant says. “Any time we’re tearing down a kid, I can’t get behind that. I don’t put up with it. We’re going to take some steps moving forward to address that.” As the Athletic Director, Bryant focuses much of his efforts with fan behavior on the East student section. He has worked closely with the student leaders this year to ensure that they are representing the school in a positive light and understanding their role in the game. “There’s this idea that paying to get into a game gives you free shots at the referees and

that you can say whatever you want without being accountable for it,” Bryant says. “We have an environment where that is commonly accepted. Kids see professional sporting events where its permitted. Kids see collegiate sporting events where its permitted and sometimes even encouraged. I can’t figure out why it’s acceptable in a high school gymnasium. East football coach Rick Haynes tries to keep things in perspective with regard to officiating and understands that the referees are doing the best that they can, which is his message to his players. “It’s [easy] to criticize someone from afar when you’re not out there in the middle of the action,” Haynes says. “[officiating] isn’t an easy job and our message to teams is that complaining about calls isn’t going to change anything. We want to behave in a way that is a good reflection of our school and our program.” While a well-behaved student section as well as respectful players and coaches are certainly important for a positive game environment, the recent letter written by the OHSAA was specifically directed towards parents, who Senior Director of Officiating and Sport Management Beau Rugg explains have been most problematic and hostile towards officials. “Interestingly, the parents (non-student section, non-coaches) have been the nastiest and the vilest,” Rugg told Spark. “Student sections on average are very good. Part of that is because they are part of the environment and there are administrators, teachers that are there with them and they are just a more positive environment and they get into doing positive things. Within the educational realm they are easier to communicate with and identify with. Adults are much more of a problem.” Through his experiences on the court and the field, Fick also recognizes the difficulty of communicating with parents who aren’t connected to the school on a daily basis and wants fans to understand that high school sports is about more than simply winning and losing. “The only way I see improvement is through awareness and programs at the school level to improve sporting conduct. Those programs often focus on student fans as they are in the school each day and readily accessible. Often, it's difficult to address the parents and others who may only come to the school for an occasional game,” Fick says. “Too many fans judge the success of a school by its athletic

success. I think that students, in class all day and all week better understand the importance of getting a strong education - it's their future that is at stake.” While training referees to handle and respond to criticism may help over the course of a game or a season, Morris highlights the difficulty of employing a successful strategy and puts the responsibility on school administrators to enact long-term change.

NUMBER OF REGISTERED

OHSAA REFEREES

2010-11 - 2,876 referees 2018-19 - 1,154 referees source ohsaa.org “We have always stressed that you need thick skin and a short memory. But at the hostile environments grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to find individuals willing to buy into this,” Morris says. “Ultimately, I believe school administrators will have to step up and calm some of this hostility. After all, the schools are the ultimate consumer of officials and interscholastic activities will suffer the most.”

nother practical solution to the referee crisis may involve giving the fans who often make their opinions heard during the game a chance to- put on the uniform and give officiating a try, which, according to Rugg, could have two different positive outcomes. “We really need to do more of identifying people at sporting events that complain and say that we need to get them involved,” Rugg says. “They need to try it and see what it’s like. Some will be humbled, and others will even be good at it and become part of the solution. We need to be aggressive in that.” How the OHSAA and athletic departments across the state choose to address the issue is up to them, but something has to change in order to solve the shortage of officials that becomes more profound with each tick of the clock, each point on the scoreboard, and each blow of the whistle. “Behavior in general is declining. It’s not good. Is that a reflection of our society?” Rugg considers. “I don’t know the answer to it, but what I say across the state when I speak is that we’re in this together and we should be better. We should be better than society because this environment is better. It teaches more.” •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 63

sports opinion | lucas fields

SHOULD THERE BE A Spark sports writers Lucas Fields and Ethan McCracken discuss if there should be a designated hitter in America’s favorite past time, baseball.

t’s 2019, and sports fans enjoy watching offense. The National Football League (NFL) saw their highest scoring season ever last season after rules designed to help quarterbacks and the offense were put in place, and changes to the National Basketball Association (NBA) have also resulted in higher scoring games, keeping it more interesting for fans. The MLB has already shown they aren’t scared to make some changes to the game. Complaints of games becoming too long have become more prevalent, and the league has incorporated pitch clocks into spring training games. National League “purists” refuse to accept a change in the rules that have been in place since the 1980s. For over 30 years, Major League Baseball (MLB) has had half of their teams play with a different rule than the other half. The designated hitter rule has been a staple in MLBs American League since 1973. The rule

East junior and DH Preston Dorsey hits a single up the middle in East’s 14-4 victory over Oak Hills.

allows one player who isn’t assigned a defensive position to bat in place of that team’s pitcher or position player. The National League still doesn’t include a designated hitter. The main reason for this rule is simple: Pitcher’s can’t hit. Since the designated hitter rule was adopted by the American League over 40 years ago, the American League has averaged a higher batting average than the National League every single year. In the past 10 seasons, the National League has an overall batting average of 0.253 while the American League has averaged 0.257.

he majority of pitchers are “easy outs” when they come to the plate. Because pitching requires so much time and skill to master, pitchers rarely turn into good hitters. Simply being an “easy out” when they come up to the plate doesn’t do any good. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed the possibilities of change to league rules in the future. The focus as of late has been increasing the speed of the game, with new rules such as less time between innings and a pitch clock being proposed. “Some of these items need to be part of broader discussions that certainly will continue after opening day,” Manfred says. “I hope we can focus on some of the issues that need to get resolved quickly in the interim.” MLB’s popularity has continued to decline while fast-paced leagues like the NBA have grown. Rule changes resulting in a faster paced, more offensively-minded league could be what the MLB needs to get back on track. This season, the NBA added a shorter shot clock after offensive rebounds, as well as more offense-friendly foul rules which have resulted in one of the highest scoring seasons in the association’s recent history. The MLB also typically has longer games than other professional sports leagues. With more offense, games will become more interesting, and fans have more of an incentive to watch the whole thing. Former Angels manager Mike Scioscia is open to the idea of a universal designated hitter, stating there would be strength throughout

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YES

the lineup and make for easier strategy in the national league. “In the National League, it’s tough to move a runner up with the pitcher’s spot coming up,” Scioscia says. “With regular hitters all the way through the lineup, you might move runners up with your eighth hitter and try to score a run with an out. In the National League, that strategy just doesn’t play.” Players have also expressed an interest in bringing the designated-hitters (DH) to the National League and more consistency to the majors. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Clay Buchholz has stated his support for pitchers not needing to step up to the plate. “A lot of money is paid for starting pitchers, and many of us aren’t comfortable hitting,” Buchholz says. “Everybody is a competitor, so when you hit a ground ball, you want to run it out. Guys get injuries running the bases.” In 2015, St. Louis Cardinals All-Star pitcher Adam Wainwright suffered a season-ending Achilles injury while batting. This quickly caused debate throughout the league as to whether or not pitchers should continue to risk their health at the plate when their pitching roles are one of the most important for a baseball team.

o other league in professional sports has inconsistencies like this in between two conferences. Each team in both leagues is playing the same nine-inning game of baseball, but with a different rule that simply makes both leagues different. On top of this, these teams play each other multiple times every season. The home teams league determines whether or not both teams will be able to use a DH for a given game. Not only do both leagues have a different rule, but that rule may be different depending on where the teams are playing, which just adds confusion and inconsistency. With MLB showing it’s willing to change its rules in recent seasons, it could be sooner rather than later that a universal DH is finally put into the rulebooks. It’s long overdue, and it’s odd to continue this inconsistency between the two leagues for so long. •

ethan mccracken | sports opinion

DESIGNATED HITTER? NO

columns isaac lukose and ethan mccracken photography kate harvey

aseball has been around was never in Toronto. The DH for well over one is a way to get pitchers to focus hundred years. It is one only on pitching, something no of the core American other sport does, and it’s for a sports, one of the sports reason. That reason being that that almost every kid in each player should have to North America knows or contribute to every area of the has played and has survived team effort to winning, offense with the only rule changes and defense. being necessary to keep The point some people bring the sport alive in their up is that people like David respective eras. Bringing the Ortiz made their career off designated hitter (DH) into of being a DH. The problem the National League (NL) with this argument is that there is not one of these changes, aren’t really any David Ortizand while it may increase the type players anymore, they just number of runs in a game, aren’t as valuable to a team if it won’t stop the “baseball is they are too slow or can’t field. boring” argument. The main purpose a DH brings The same goes for kids; to most teams is allowing them if kids don’t take the time East senior and varsity pitcher Grayson Hamilton, with a .388 to bring in a player who is pretty to learn a sport and don’t batting average, is the only East varsity pitcher who is allowed much just good at defense, who understand what’s going on, to bat. All the other pitchers are DH’d in the line-up. is fast and who is used at the kids won’t understand when to be excited, and shot over the left field wall at Safeco Park in back end of the lineup. in today’s world, a kid would have to truly know San Diego. The American League (AL) last I also don’t know anyone who didn’t enjoy the game and what is going on to really enjoy year only saw around 200 more home runs Madison Bumgarner smacking a dinger off compared to the 2,685 NL home runs and the of Clayton Kershaw in front of Giants fans the game. The length of Major League Baseball (MLB) NL was still only behind by .012 in On Base in San Francisco. Some may know of the games is one of the problems the MLB faces, Percentage plus Slugging Percentage (OPS). magical Dae-Sung Koo double off of the great One of the most memorable moments bird-killer Randy Johnson, then scoring from and every year there are more rules instituted to try and speed up the pace of play. The problem for pitchers hitting home runs is Michael second. Every sport needs underdog stories, is, the time games take will increase with more Lorenzen. Lorenzen already pinch hits for the that is, arguably, what makes sports so great. offense, obviously because it will take more Reds sometimes as a pitcher and has hit six There are no fans that wants to go to batters to get the three outs. Even if pitchers home runs in his career as a pitcher in84 at- a baseball game just to see one team win are an easy out, wouldn’t that help the game bats. But one of those stands out more than every time, that’s why ratings in the National time by giving the defending team a better the rest. On Aug. 19, 2016, the first game after Basketball Association (NBA) are dropping. chance at recording an out? A pitch clock is Lorenzen’s father had passed, Lorenzen pitched Basketball currently has had nearly the same needed for the purpose of making the game 1 2/3 shutout innings, went to bat with two teams either win or play in the finals for the runners on and took Pedro Baez deep. With a past five years, and fans are getting sick of more enjoyable, not adding a DH in the NL. DH, how are moments like these supposed to it. National games on TNT have dropped 18 eople also have to look at how the MLB happen? The simple answer is: they can’t. percent and games on NBA TV have dropped Even with the difference in numbers, 17 percent, as of Feb. 19, according to the gets their talent, and that is obviously through the development of kids and high there’s a difference that nobody can measure Business Journals. schoolers. Some of these kids are only with numbers. The experience of watching a The same can be said about players. Yes, pitchers, but a lot of those pitchers can hit, baseball game and seeing a pitcher like Zach it’s great to see these amazing players hit home and even the ones who can’t still dream about Britton walk into a batter’s box and belt a home runs all day, but at some point, it becomes the run like he did eight times in 2011. hitting a home-run in the MLB. norm and when that happens sometimes what I’ve only watched one pitcher hit a home run baseball fans need is something like a home run When MLB gets rid of a pitcher hitting, fans don’t get to see Bartolo Colon ripping a live in my life, and as a Toronto Blue Jays fan, it from Bartolo Colon to mix things up. •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 65

sports | nate feature

MOUND MIND

East junior Nate Haberthier pitches at the Fairfield game, East winning 2-1.

East junior Nate Haberthier is going on to continue his career at Ohio State University. story hannah myers photography andrew marshall

hen he was younger, he did not think about the chemistry test he had to take the next bell or what it was going to be like in college. It was more of just playing with the toy bat and ball he always had on hand and watching the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) specials with his dad. But East junior and varsity baseball player Nate Haberthier always had an eye for sports. He always knows all the statistics and which player plays for which team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nate has played for baseball teams for a long as he can remember. He played tee ball at age four and went to play 9U in kindergarten. Since then, Nate has spent his time with the Cincy Flames Organization. “Nate has always been rather quiet as a boy,” Nate’s mom Kelli Haberthier says. “But [through baseball] he has developed special bonds with teammates and coaches over the years.” These bonds will continue to grow, as Nate has committed to play baseball at Ohio State University (OSU). For Nate, the choice was between OSU and Tennessee. “It came down to the best fit and it’s hard to beat Ohio State,” Nate says. “Another big part that influenced my decision is knowing that my parents don’t have too far of a drive to watch me play in college.” Nate’s abilities and knowledge of sports have given him opportunities to travel to many places. Traveling to Puerto Rico, Disney, Cooperstown, New York, Gulf Shores,

Alabama, Atlanta, GA, and Ft. Myers, FL, gave him a peek into what his future looks like. “Baseball has already taught me so many life lessons,” Nate says. “And as long as I keep working hard and continuing to get better, the sky is the limit.”

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ate always has a focused and hardworking mindset. Although he leaves time to watch his favorite sports and have a good time with friends, he always has time to give it his all since he was just a little kid. “My mindset is to always work as hard as I can,” Nate says. “I want to reach my end goal of getting to play in the MLB.” Although Nate can be shy, he has always been able to express himself through baseball with the talents that he has. “As parents, we knew he had something special,” Kelli says. “He’s so excited to be playing baseball at a higher level [at Ohio State].” Having the chance to play at the next level has helped Nate to set himself up as a role model. As a junior, Nate has recorded pitches averaging around 90 miles per hour (mph), says Hamilton. “The players look up to Nate because he’s already committed to Ohio State,” Hamilton says. “They look to him to see how he’s gonna conduct himself on a daily basis.” East senior football and baseball player Sean Church says that Nate is a leader on the team and is always working hard for himself or for his teammates. “Nate is one of my best friends on the

team and gets along with everyone very well,” Church says. “He’s always involved and people see this and try to do the same. He leads by example every day.” According to Church, with his abilities on the mound, Nate is the guy that has the ability to shut out any batter. If his work and determination continue, Church expects to see him making it big and playing professional baseball. The talent, as well as the work ethic, are all there in Nate’s favor. Although Nate is set up to do great things, he’s just a simple kid at heart, says Kelli. His talents and hand-eye coordination are beyond his years, but that doesn’t take away from the quiet kid who once loved watching The Wiggles and playing all the sports and games he could with his friends. “I’m truly excited to add another chapter to my journey of playing baseball and meeting new friends and family that will last a lifetime,” Nate says. “And I can’t wait to be a part of Buckeye Nation.” •

The “Hab” File Games: 5 Wins: 4 (two shutouts) Loses: 0 IP: 30 WHIP: 1.10 ERA: 0.70 K’s:36

sydney larson | sports

STRIKE-OUT SYDNEY Ohio University bound East senior Sydney Larson leads the softball team as their record remains unblemished. story stone shields photography abby bammerlin

ff the field, she is the light-hearted, laid back friend who always has a smile on her face. She brings these same characteristics to the pitching circle every single time she gets the ball. She always wears her sunglasses when pitching as an attempt to cover up her easy going personality. But don’t be fooled by the smile on her face, she is still locked in and focused on how she is going to get her next strikeout. East senior softball player Sydney Larson struck out a total of 108 batters last season and looks to do more of the same in her senior campaign. Larson will be asked to throw a lot of innings again this season after throwing 103 innings last year. Larson is committed to play collegiate softball at Ohio University. She also had other offers from the University of Buffalo and Taylor University and was expecting offers from Valparaiso University and Elon University. However, she always knew she wanted to stay in Ohio. “I really liked the atmosphere and the competitiveness that Ohio had to offer,” Larson says. “I felt very welcomed by the team and I loved Coach Hermanek. I was sad when she left, but I am still super excited to be a part of that program.”

oach Jodi Hermanek was the head softball coach at Ohio University for ten years and she is the coach that recruited Larson. Hermanek took the head coaching job at the University of Pittsburgh this past season. Kenzie Roark is now the coach of the Bobcats. Roark has spent the past four seasons as the pitching coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Roark may have not recruited Larson, but she knows a lot about her and is ecstatic to coach her. “Sydney is extremely athletic and versatile,” Roark says. “She fits in with the chemistry and personalities of our team and staff, we are so thrilled she is going to be a Bobcat.” Roark knows Larson will love Ohio since

she, herself, fell in love with the university in such a short period of time. “Everyone in the community loves Ohio, the pride around the campus is exciting to be a part of,” Roark says. “The team is an incredible group of young women and athletes. They have become my second family and I am just incredibly honored to get to lead them.”

ut Larson isn’t looking too far into the future, she still has the rest of the year of high school ball left and she wants to make the most of it. She has very high expectations for herself and the team this year, but they are definitely attainable ones. “Obviously the big goal is to win state, that is the goal every year,” Larson says. “We’d also love to bring a Greater Miami Conference (GMC) Championship back to East and personally I would like to come out on top against our two biggest rivals: West and Mason.” The softball team is out to a fast start, winning their first two games, including a 2-1 extra-inning win against Mason. Larson had a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to clinch the victory for the Thunderhawks. This was the first time East has beat Mason since 2016. A lot of head coach Steve Castner’s roster has played together for a while now and have gotten to be really comfortable with each other. “I like the way that we all mesh and I really like the way our coaches push us,” Larson says. “I know there is no one out there that thinks we can make it further then they do.” Another pair of games the Thunderhawks have circled on their calendars is the annual two-game set with West. The Thunderhawks and Firebirds split their series last year. West head coach Keith Castner has a lot of respect for Larson and recognizes her as an

East senior Sydney Larson paints a fastball on the outside corner for strike three.

elite player. “Sydney is a hard worker that wants the ball in her hand when she is on the mound,” Castner says. “This is especially true when the game is on the line. She does a really nice job of mixing up her pitches.” Coach Keith Castner loves being able to compete against his brother twice a year but stresses the game is about East playing West, not brother vs. brother. “The game is about the girls playing on the field, not us coaches,” Castner says. Larson is not just a talent on the field, she is a talent in the classroom as well. Larson ranks in the top 25 in her class academically. In college, she plans to major in psychology for her undergraduate degree and then eventually do occupational therapy in graduate school. She wants to be an occupational therapist and potentially work with disabled kids or with the elderly. Larson stresses the importance of staying focused throughout the season and taking every game seriously. “We are blessed with another great group of girls this year,” Larson says. “If we want to get to where we want to be we have to take it one game at a time and control what we can control.” •

April 2019 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 67

sports | wrestling indepth part two

Top: East senior Nick Stowe shakes hands before his match against his West opponent. Left: East freshman Tavier Lugo-Flowers puts his West opponent in a headlock

SWEATING THE DETAILS Top: East senior Lackson Leahy starts in the up position in his match against West. Left: East senior Nick Stowe looks to pin opponent to win his match against West.

68 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

wrestling indepth part two | sports

Wrestlers know what they’re getting into in this difficult and demanding sport, like eating a balanced diet and cutting weight. story stephen mckay | photography abby bammerlin and lauren maier and andrew marshall

he daily grind of keeping weight for the next match, the long, cold winter nights of training, running as much as humanly possible, and the early morning to go workout and keep himself in as good of a shape as he can is a long, hard, but that’s just part of the sport. East senior Jackson Leahy was one point away from reaching the state meet this year after a close district match that ended his high school wrestling career. Leahy was considered as a senior leader on this year’s wrestling team by teammates and coaches because of the hard work he put in and the example he set for the younger wrestlers. Much of the work Leahy put into his body had to do with making weight for each match and each invitational. The goal of most wrestlers is to be in the one pound under the maximum weight for their weight class. So for Leahy in the 145 weight class, it was ideal to be right under that mark. “Cutting weight is basically like working up as much of a sweat as possible before the weigh-in and then not refueling your body and rehydrating it until after the weigh-in when you do not have to be under a certain weight,” Leahy says. This takes a lot of hard work by Leahy, especially if he had to lose four or five pounds in a matter of days in order to qualify for invitationals. There are times where I bike or run with three to four layers on for long periods of time just to sweat off as much weight as much as possible,” Leahy says. “The hardest part is going home and having to refrain from eating or drinking much.” Doing this can dehydrate the bodies of the wreslters and put them at risk. According to the Mayo Clinic some side effects of dehydration include dizziness, fatigue, and even passing out. Dehydration can also eventually lead to seizures and kidney problems.

enterville High School’s head wrestling coach Alan Bair knows how difficult losing weight and the type of training that his wrestlers have to go through is, but he also knows that it is one of the only ways to win. “[Wrestling is] the only sport that deals with weight. No one likes to not eat or drink. Work out like a mad man and then dehydrate or not eat,” Bair says. “It is the mental toughness of the individual to make this happen. It's really dumb to do this, but it is what your opponent is doing, and if you don't then you are probably

PART TWO: SPARK EDITOR STEPHEN MCKAY DEPICTS THE ROUGH SPORT OF WRESTLING IN A TWO-PART SERIES smaller than him.” For this reason, Bair believes that mental toughness is the quality that makes wrestlers unique because of the seemingly endless mental and physical training they go through. “Obviously, a wrestler has to have a talent for success, but the main component is his mental toughness,” Bair says. “He makes his body do things that he doesn't want to do. This is why the armed forces love wrestlers.” Losing weight and this sort of training and eating is also a part of the lives of top college wrestlers who also have to constantly go through this grind.

owever, Rutgers University assistant wrestling coach John Leonardis thinks that the act of cutting weight is a negative stereotype about the sport. “The hardest part about wrestling is facing the opponent on the mat and the one in your head. It is a one-on-one combat sport, so there is no room for excuses, make a mistake and you have to own it and the result that comes from it,” Leonardis says. “Mentally dealing with the stress of this situation can lead to doubt and that is an obstacle that needs to be faced in order to wrestle. Physically, [wrestlers] needs to be aggressive, strong, super conditioned and disciplined in every aspect of their life.” This point at the beginning of the match is when East senior wrestler Nick Stowe tries to prepare himself mentally for what is about to come. “I just kind of get angry while looking at them before the fight,” Stowe says. “This is how I encourage myself to get ready for the fight.” East senior wrestler Christian Chavez, however, believes that the training and preparation that goes into getting ready for a wrestling match prepares him for the toll it may take on his body so he is confident when the time to wrestle comes. “Going up against [another wrestler] can make me very nervous, but when I get out on the mat I’m not afraid,” Chavez says. “I feel in control and like there’s nothing I can’t do. I don’t feel my body is at risk because I believe in

how I’ve trained and how I’ve been coached so that there’s no risk for my body.” According to Leonardis, the whole point of losing weight before a weigh-in is to make yourself sweat as much as possible and then refraining from replenishing and rehydrating your body until after the weigh-in so that your body doesn’t gain all of that weight back before the weigh-in takes place. “The amount of weight that has to be cut depends on the individual, the frequency usually depends on how many times the wrestler competes,” Leonardis says. “Before every competition, there needs to be a weighin, therefore, each competitor must make their weight each competition.” Stowe, who has a lot of experience cutting weight to prepare for a match believes it is an all-day everyday job. “There’s a lot of hard work that goes into [getting prepared for a match],” Stowe says. “You just have to be on top of what you are eating all of the time and can’t slip up.” Chavez has also had to cut weight himself before and believes that it is more of a mentally challenging thing than it is physical. “Cutting weight is a mental thing. It does involve your body, but your mind will give up way before your body will,” Chavez says. “Honestly you just need to make sure your body gets the right things in it and it makes losing weight a lot easier. The only time it will take a toll on your body is if you are doing it the wrong way. That’s when you start getting dizzy and passing out. With a healthy lifestyle all that can be avoided.”

restling is a sport that breeds toughness and perseverance. The matches are not too easy either as it is one person constantly trying to pin the other and get them in the most uncomfortable position possible, which is a grind in itself. “Wrestling is hard because the training you have to put your body through. It’s a mental game,” Bair says. “You have to do it by yourself and there is no one else to blame. You often times will win a match and feel like you’d just gotten beat up.” •

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sports | justin dwyer feature

THE FINAL SPRINT East senior Justin Dwyer is making strides to be the best 400 meter sprinter in Ohio after being out of condition for two years. story and photography lauren maier

East senior Justin Dwyer sprints the final leg of his part, preparing to pass the baton off to his teammate Brady Richmond. 70 lakotaeastsparkonline.com April 2019

hen East senior Justin Dwyer tore his hamstring his sophomore year, he didn’t realize how huge of an impact it would have on his athletic career. All of the running that he has done since the age eight stopped. To Dwyer, at that moment, it seemed like his running career was over. “I’ve never been hurt like that before,” Dwyer says. “I couldn’t do anything. I tried to run, but it just hurt. Then once my hamstring healed, the other one started acting up. I strengthened one, and then the other got weaker, it was just [out of] balance. Other things started bothering me that I never thought would bother me, too. I started having pain in the back of my leg and my knees; it was just bad.” Dwyer had to stop his training. He had to stop doing the sport he loved. He did some rehab, some training and tried to come back. Two meets into what was thought to be Dwyer’s comeback, his injury came back and he had to stop his season altogether. Over the course of Dwyer’s junior year, he slowly worked his way up to peak condition. He ran through the normal season meets and then went onto Greater Miami Conference (GMC) championships, then Districts. “I got to the district meet, and I qualified to go to regionals but my dad, my coach, shut me down,” Dwyer says. “I wasn’t feeling right. Everything was tight. I did a lot of active recovery over the summer. I did a lot of jogging and staying healthy. Now I am where I am now.” This season, Dwyer’s biggest competition is himself. In Dwyer’s indoor track season, he was able to stay healthy and he prevented himself from obtaining any injuries. For his outdoor season, he ultimately hopes to win the state title for the 400-meter dash. East track coach and Dwyer’s dad Mike Dwyer says that the indoor season went well with no bumps in the road. “Everything that we planned to do, we did. His health and his speed is back, so he’s going to be running faster than he’s ever run before,” Mike says. “Right now, he’s ranked eighth in Ohio. For someone who hasn’t run in two years, that’s pretty amazing.” Justin says that his indoor season wasn’t that bad for his first indoor season in two years. By staying healthy and training hard, Justin was able to come in sixth place in Ohio for the 400 meter dash. Though Justin had a successful indoor track season, Mike has Justin on a special training plan so he doesn’t injure himself and so he can have the best results come post season. “Right now, the numbers look right and I’m still holding him back for his own good because the weather conditions right now are not conducive for sprinters,” Mike says. “Distance runners, they can push it a little bit more, but for the short sprinters, it’s not conducive at all. Ohio is a tough place to run sprints.” At practice, Justin’s teammate and friend East senior Brady Richmond pushes him to be his best on and off the track. “Off the track, we’re pretty good friends, we help each other with basically anything,” Richmond says. “Track-wise it’s really competitive. We push each other day in and day out, which is really good because we have someone who can challenge us each day.” With the outdoor season starting up and his senior year ending, Justin hopes he can make the most of the time he has left on the track. “For outdoor, I want to push to run 47 seconds or better for the 400,” Justin says. “Hopefully I’ll run really well in the 100 meter and the 200 meter too.” •

column | opinion

HATS OFF REGAN DENHAM art mckenna lewis

y mother had been dreading this day, always concerned for my safety and wellbeing. But this is something I knew had to be done. And when my eyes fluttered open for the first time that Saturday morning, I had no idea what was in store for me. While I did my usual routine and picked out my outfit, I added a unique addition. As I left my house with the special accessory sitting atop my head, I decided I would experiment with malls around the area. With my bright red Make America Great Again (MAGA) in tow, I was on my way. It is known that Butler County, Ohio is particularly conservative in its politics. In New York Times’ Ohio election results for 2016, 65 percent of those who voted in Butler County voted for Donald Trump. But in contrast, 55 percent of Hamilton County voted for Hillary Clinton. To encompass a wide variety of people, I went to multiple locations across Butler and Hamilton counties, which included the Liberty Center Mall, Kenwood Mall, and Rookwood Commons. The reactions were surprisingly the same, aside from the variation in the amount of extra friendly old people. When I put on my bright red hat and set out for the day, I was convinced some crazy person would come attack or yell at me, because that’s all I see on social media. It seems like every day there’s a new thing trending on Twitter or Facebook about someone being attacked for expressing their opinions.

hrough its easy accessibility, social media is able to exaggerate a false perception of the world. It is estimated that two-thirds of Americans receive their news through social media, according to a Pew Research Center study, with the most popular site being Facebook and it’s one billion active users. This trend of people getting their information from

“Through its’ easy accessibility, social media is able to exaggerate a false perception of the world.” unreliable and biased sources is a dangerous path and its effects are already being seen in today’s society. The incident that occurred with students from Covington Catholic High School and Nathan Phillips, a Native American protester, is an example of social media spreading inaccurate news. The public was so quick to put blame onto the MAGA hat-wearing students just because it fit their already perceived narrative. The ill-informed public misconstruing this information led to death threats towards the students and caused Covington Catholic High School to be shut down for one day, citing safety concerns. This violence towards any group regardless of political or religious affiliation is unacceptable in today’s society. Nick Sandmann, the student at the forefront of the video, has since filed a defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post. The lawsuit states the Post’s publishing of false information subjected him to “public hatred, contempt, scorn, obloquy, and shame.” While defamation is one of the hardest cases to prove in court, Sandmann certainly has an arguable case that will be a landmark one, regardless of the decision. The rise of social media opinion disguised as “news” has risen in correlation with the rate of hate crimes. A relationship that is too close to be a coincidence. As stated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes have risen an average of five to 15 percent per year since 2010. Many things factor into these statistics.

Whether it is to be blamed on America’s evergrowing gun issues or the increasing amount of non-tolerant political divides, social media is adding fuel to the fire. Social media has also coincided with high rates of depression and suicide. In studies conducted by Clinical Psychologists at Florida State University, evidence showed that adolescents that spend more time on social media were more likely to report mental health issues.

lso, in research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it showed that suicide rates among 15 to 19-year-old-girls had doubled between 2007 and 2015, which is a 40-year high. Girls are constantly exposed to Instagram Influencers who seem to be entirely perfect in every facet of their life. But these influencers control what their audience sees, and girls are left to the subjugation of being shown the “ideal woman” without seeing the whole picture. Social media as a whole has had a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of humanity. Our cultures, values, and beliefs have all been altered by these platforms. This easily accessible wealth of “information” has brought up ignorance and intolerance to the point where if it is not controlled soon, it will be humanity’s downfall. •

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opinion | head to head

HEAD TO HEAD C

oming back from spring break students were met with the voices of faculty members, namely East Principal Suzanna Davis and Student Activities Director Kyle Vanderhorst, reading an announcement from a third party to students promoting a self-defense class geared towards senior girls, “Did you know that 1 in 4 young women will be assaulted? Don’t let that happen to you!” Now omitting the questionable nature and phrasing of that announcement, those kind of announcements do belong in school. School exists to provide an education that will be valuable from the first day after graduation to our last day on earth. No skill is then more important than that of

communication. Knowing how to treat the opposite gender, speak to the opposite gender, and understand social expectations towards the opposite gender is a life skill, one that must be taught preferably as soon as students can understand such topics, schools are the perfect location to teach people how to do just that.

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lasses and opportunities for such discourse already exist not only at the local level but also other high schools in the United States. While only some of these classes are required, like health (and even these are not fully required in every state), these classes are unmistakably valuable towards a student’s education. In these classes students that may be oblivious to societal issues like sexual assault learn about them, and the signs that could show someone is being abused. These classes allow for a discussion to take place that may not normally be acceptable to talk about in a different setting like a household. To look for an example of a school already providing a medium for utilizing these skills, all one has to do is look at East. JSA and GSA all promote discussion that would normally not occur and on top of that they provide a place where everyone’s discussion (be it an attempt at one or a masterpiece) is welcome. These clubs expand students understanding of how others around them think and feel. How others approach these gender specific problems and how they problem solve. That is what communication is, effectivity of social interactions between two people towards a common goal. With such opportunities, it would be irresponsible to ever even consider implementing rules that would move to impede girls and boys from learning about problems that impact them as a group specifically. High School is the final step before a higher education or movement into

SHOULD SCHOOLS ADDRESS GENDER SPECIFIC ISSUES? the workforce, a final rite of passage before the adult world. It’s at this point that teens began experiencing independence from their parents and other mentors and begin to make decisions for themselves. Not acknowledging the brutal truth of problems their gender must face babies them into being ill prepared for a world not fully in their own control, a world they must react to, and a world where they will not always have someone to lean on. So a controlled environment like school is by far the best one to talk about problems related to one gender or the other.

ow the idea that parents should be in charge of that education is a valid one. They are the students role model for the first 10 or so years, and to say that they can not provide that education would be foolish. Most parents do a wonderful job of raising their kids to be wonderful individuals, treating each other wonderfully. Unfortunately though there is that small minority of parents who simply are either unable to or purposefully don’t raise their kids correctly. To be fair, what a correct upbringing is also not truly defined; as seen in recent reactions to Gillette’s recent advertisement. School’s become a safety net for instances where a household may not provide an optimum education on gender issues. Those who are raised right won’t have an issue with such a conversation and will be understanding. Those who haven’t had the best upbringings will be provided with the information they need, and will be guarenteed to learn the lessons deemed appropriate that they may not have from their parents. There is nothing lost by placing significant importance on a students understanding of the issues impacting their gender, in fact the only way this situation is lost would be by actively differing such learning moments. From the moment students step in school they are able to interact with the microcosm that high school provides them with. To take that away would not only be an impossible task but also a needless effort. Students are coming out of high schools ready to be adults and ready to do great things with whoever they surround themselves with. Stopping them from understanding what they’ll most likely face in the real world is to stop them from living to their best and most aware abilities. •

head to head | opinion

As conversations regarding gender-related issues become more common in schools, two Spark staffers debate if schools can productively discuss these subjects with students. columns michael szczepkowski and alex hood art lauren maier

ooking around a high school lunchroom can give most people an idea of the social breakdown of the school. These groups all came together differently, usually over multiple years, formed by none other than the kids themselves. Though many friend groups often contain both genders in high school, elementary schools often see kids become friends based on being the same gender alone. Though often segregating themselves naturally by gender at a young age, kids eventually learn how to interact with the other gender sometime around middle school. Part of learning how to understand the other gender comes with understanding their specific problems, and schools exclusively discussing these topics with one gender doesn’t allow the other to understand these issues. Schools themselves don’t often teach kids gender based lessons, it’s usually left to the kids to figure out how to interact with the opposite gender by themselves, just like adults in the real world have to. When schools do try and directly address gender specific material, it’s often met with complaint from the students themselves, as usually they already understand the point that’s trying to be made by the school. Assemblies about these gender based issues like sexual assault or abuse are almost always meant with groans, jokes, or general apathy. Trying to teach students to behave a certain way is ineffective, as those who already are behaving that way already understand the point, while those who misbehave generally won’t have a change of heart.

ven with attempts to teach these lessons, they often prove ineffective, as the only way to directly to get across to some students is to discipline them. Punishments for issues like sexual assault are already in place, through law and through school discipline. The deterrent to acts like these is largely already in place, and telling the majority that will never actually cause problems isn’t effective at all. The ideal way to teach young males and females about gender specific topics is through the kid’s parents, as they are the example a child will be looking up to for most of their lives. If a child doesn’t have a good support system at home in place, nothing taught to them at school will have any impact. Effectively, nothing a school says will have anywhere near the impact that a parent saying the same thing would.

Parents should be given the trust of the state to teach their kids about these topics. Discussing things like sexual abuse in health class does nothing but reinforce the stereotype that women need to learn how to defend themselves from men, and that men are always the ones perpetrating the abuse. Often, health classes make interaction between genders seem fearful, rather than portraying a more accurate depiction of gender relations. The ultimate goal of school is to prepare kids for the real world they’ll be in after high school. The idea of having gender specific schools seems counterintuitive, as harboring genders in separate schools doesn’t teach interaction between them in the very years leading up to college or careers. Many advocates for these private schools cite that students learn better in a single gender environment because they can avoid so called “ d i s t r a c t i o n s.” Though this can be true, these students won’t be as experienced or prepared for the next steps they take afterwards as those who have already been in a multigendered school.

be involved in them in the first place, and they need a “push” from somebody to get into them. Instead, schools should host these programs encouraging anyone to attend that is interested in the material, focusing on the material rather than who is interested in the topic. Though trying to address educational material specific to gender may seem ideal, this only further drives home flawed ideas that support preconceptions about each gender. Schools reinforcing stereotypes does nothing but assign a societal role to a gender. To cause effective societial change, problems that aren’t biologically gender–specific should be treated as a problem that both sexes must face. •

s debates about gender are increasingly prevalent in media today, it seems irresponsible for lines to be drawn between genders in education. Schools reinforcing gender specific stereotypes only helps to further establish and give voice to problems that already exist, rather than trying to change future generations to interact better than todays. Programs like those that encourage women to be involved in STEM may seem like a good way to put women into a field dominated by men, but in reality this can be counterproductive, as it reinforces the stereotype that women don’t want to

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MILLENIAL RAP LEAH MCCAIN art mckenna lewis

rowing up with music, I’ve always loved the idea of school dances. Dressing up and taking pictures with a date always seemed like a fantasy to me. I’m a sucker for romance and I have always loved trying on new clothes. Subsequently, when I started my freshman year of high school, I couldn’t fathom the idea that I was going to be attending my first proper school dance. I vividly remember arriving at East with my friends and seeing a lengthy line of people waiting to go in the front doors. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach begin to grow as we slowly inched our way towards the entrance. When my friends and I finally entered the dark gymnasium, we were bombarded with loud rap music. I was immediately filled with disappointment when I started listening to the lyrics of the song, which I came to realize I couldn’t

dances. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy listening to rap music occasionally. In fact, there’s nothing I enjoy more than jamming out to Kendrick Lamar or Childish Gambino while doing my homework late at night. Rap is a fun, creative way for people to express their beliefs and bring awareness towards serious issues. Not to mention that it’s a very popular genre of music, according to a Billboard article, with studies showing that 24.5 percent of all music consumption in America was rap. My hatred for millennial rap music stems from rappers who promote reckless, immature behavior. One of the most immature rappers I know of is Daniel Hernandez (Tekashi 6ix9ine). His most well-known offenses occurred Oct. 20, 2015 where he pleaded guilty to performing sexual acts with a minor. In addition, he was recently taken into custody in

“I’ve always felt like rap music ruins school dances... I’ve never learned how to dance to the music and I don’t think I ever will.” understand because half of it was bleeped out. I gave my friends a disapproving look as loud gibberish gushed out of the speakers and the mass of high schoolers jumped up and down on the gym floor. The music was insanely loud, angry, and I couldn’t understand a single word. This was nothing like what I imagined. Ever since my freshman homecoming, I’ve always felt like rap music ruined school dances. Despite attending four dances, including Sadie’s, I’ve never learned how to dance to the music and I don’t think I ever will. Instead of playing one slow song at the very end and rap for the rest of the dance, the DJ needs to include more genres. This will accommodate more people, which will lead to higher attendance at school

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November of 2018 for participating in gangrelated activities and pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, 2019 to nine charges, including racketeering, firearm offenses, and violent crimes. This also applies to Jamell Maurice Demons (YNW Melly) who was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Feb. 13, 2019. More recently, Melly allegedly killed both Anthony Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy), two aspiring rap artists described as Melly’s closest friends. I would never support someone as negligent as Tekashi or violent as Melly by buying or even listening to their music. I would feel like I’m encouraging gang-related activities, a murderer, and a pedophile who got too “caught in the

moment.” I do understand that their life decisions don’t affect the quality of their music, nevertheless, I would never listen to even a second. It’s not my place to tell people what they can and can’t say, however, if their words are used in a derogatory manner it’s difficult for me to keep my composure. Rap has started using more profanity in their lyrics to insult many groups of people. On the Rap Genius website, a word can be entered and it will give the frequency of that word in rap lyrics.

ords such as the “b-word” and “hoe” in the ‘90s had a frequency of 0.18 percent, however, the frequency more than doubled in 2017 to 0.38 percent. Words revolving around sex had a frequency of 0.25 percent and increased to 0.39 percent in 2017. Finally, the “n-word” had a frequency of 0.19 percent in the ’90s and sharply increased to 0.49 percent in 2017. Out of all the words I looked up, the “n-word” increased the most and was the highest in frequency rate. The word peaked in 2016 with a frequency rate of 0.51 percent. As I finish out my junior year and go on to becoming a senior, I hope that songs will show a better variety at dances. That way they’ll accommodate more people and even spark people’s interest to come to school dances. It’s unreasonable to only provide for one group of people and leave others to just deal with it. I don’t want to listen to another ‘lil’ rapper mumble about sex, money, or drugs. I just want to go to a dance where I can actually dance and sing along to the music instead of awkwardly side-stepping in the corner. •

IN KINDNESS, I TRUST EMILY SANDEN art mckenna lewis

very day I start my morning by standing, raising my hand to cover my heart, and reciting the pledge of allegiance. Many kids remain silent. Saying the same thing every day can get repetitive, boring. Some partake in the pledge but exclude the words “under God” if it doesn’t connect with their religious beliefs. Religion in schools has always been a hotly debated topic,growing into a more serious issue during this pressing time of public school threats, including the 10-year-old Muslim girl in Massachusetts that received death threats for being a Muslim in November 2016. Recently, Kentucky passed a bill which will require public schools to prominently display “In God, We Trust” in or on the school building. This would start at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. It is in succession of the bills that have passed in other states, including Florida, Illinois, and Louisiana earlier this year and late last year. Kentucky Republican Representative Brandon Reed backs up the bill with claims that the motto is an essential part of being an American. “There is no reason for us to be

having to stress over a state-required plaque would simply add to the baggage of taking care of thousands of children. While the school will not receive any penalties for noncompliance, they could be sued. This stress simply adds to the many burdens of Kentucky’s poor funding. Kentucky was one of the five states to cut funding to education. With this movement gaining popularity, it can be difficult to assess the true intentions behind it. Its intended use is to unite our nation’s fearful children, though it might simply be pushing an agenda. Many advocates, including Florida Representative Kimberly Daniels, are religious leaders as well as politicians and have fought many battles to push religion in schools before. Allowing religion to be a structure in public schools should not be allowed, and requiring it is unconstitutional. Separation of the church and state is in our constitution. Politicians advocating their agendas under the covers of attacks on our nation’s future generation should not be tolerated. Yes, our nation is facing a serious and troubling

“Giving out “hopes and prayers” along with bulletproof backpacks will unite these school children in fear, rather than hope.” ashamed of our national motto; it is a vital part of our culture,” Representative Reed said. The reason the bill is gaining popularity is that it is intended to inspire unity and hope in these times of fear. However, with the number of school threats and attacks on the rise, the trend requires real solutions. Giving out “hopes and prayers” along with bulletproof backpacks will unite these school children in fear, rather than hope. Kentucky schools are already trying their hardest to follow all the state requirements, and

problem. Yes, our children are afraid. Yes, there is something society can do about it. And sure, there are people who believe society needs God now more than ever, but just because our schools are weak from societies sickness does not mean that politicians can tear down the separation of our public school systems and religion. Not every child who goes to school believes in God. Being an elementary student and seeing “In God, We Trust” in the cafeteria every day might make a child feel divided,

rather than united. A phrase that only applies to 73.4 percent of the population should not be in any public schools. Just because they say a different prayer or have different skin does not mean that they are not akin to their friends in their English class. At school, they should feel united with their peers. A plaque over the door or student art in the cafeteria displaying a motto is not going to fix this crisis. Pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes every morning is not going to unite the school. Having more armed officers at a school will not prevent an attack.

s long as anyone feels divided, alienated, and surrounded by people who don’t understand or care for them, there will be threats. As long as children don’t understand the gravity of their words and actions, there will be consequences. As long as kids continue to run without an outlet, or feel misunderstood and alienated, then there will be attacks. Honest care and communication will allow these children to feel more comfortable in school. If they worship, then it is their personal choice, not politicians preaching. It is not politicians agendas that will fix society’s problems, but rather kindness. Reaching out to the kid that is struggling, that sits alone at lunch or doesn’t ever have a partner in class can make someone’s day. Understanding the consequences of what is said, and diminish the stigma around mental health. In kindness, I trust.

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opinion | cartoon / East Speaks Out

Funding the Wall - Alexandra Fernholz

EAST SPEAKS OUT Is body image a bigger issue today than in the past? interviews alex hood | photography michael patterson and lauren maier

YES

Yes, I think it is, because the internet makes people feel self-conscience about themselves, and it didn’t used to be like that in previous years.

No, I do think that there is a lot of stigma around looks. But personally, I think now, that so long as they are a good person people don’t care what they look like.

Yes because back then people only really cared about what a person wears. Now we as a society focus more on how a person looks bodily-wise than what they wear.

No. I feel its shown with the whole thing with the Barbie dolls. The Barbie dolls have been trying to turn it [around] recently.

—Jackson Heidenreich, sophomore

—Jackson Keller, junior

—Christopher Ruggles, junior

—Sean Butterfield, senior

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column | opinion

DISMANTLING THE DELUSION TANYA KUKREJA art mckenna lewis

ometimes I feel as if I’m being crushed by the pressure. There’s the pressure to receive the best grades, the pressure to stand out in extracurriculars, and, in general, the pressure to excel in every single facet of my life. More and more piles on, like a swaying Jenga tower, and there are times where I can physically feel it squashing my mental health. It’s almost laughable, that most of these pressures don’t actually originate from an external source. Most of them are self-inflicted ultimatums. I seem to have a tendency to put the weight of the world into even the most mundane tasks, like getting an A on a vocab quiz. I have a theory of why I do this: I think that it’s a habit that has been irreversibly inculcated into me. From when I was a child, my parents always emphasized how important it was to succeed in everything because it would eventually make or break my future. I don’t resent them for this; at the most, I become annoyed at myself for inflating my own fears and worries to the point of ridiculousness. However, this bad habit isn’t just my own personal idiosyncrasy—it’s a common pattern throughout the Asian American community. Almost every other South Asian or East Asian kid I know does the same thing; they feel as if getting into college is the most important thing in their life, and this worry is magnified by the fact that affirmative action does not apply to them. This perpetuation of the importance of education is extremely prevalent throughout Asian culture and has impacted the Asian minority in America. According to the Pew Research Center, the current median annual income of households headed by Asian Americans is $73,060, compared with $53,600 among all households in the United States (US). This study also states that Asians were less

GUEST COLUMN likely to live in poverty in 2015 compared to the general US population (12.5 to 15 percent). When I first read those statistics, I felt pride for these immigrants who have economically succeeded despite decades of discrimination and racism. Then I felt guilty and ignorant because I had just felt pride for something I did not achieve myself, nor contribute toward. And finally, I felt an unpleasant twist in my heart as I read about the ugly implication of those statistics. I read about how Asian success has led to the phrase “model minority,” which is essentially a term to depict Asians as the exemplar for all immigrant and minority groups. The phrase originated after World War II and has since been wielded as an ignorant, ideological club. It has received backlash and protest from Asian American activists since its conception, and yet, it still seems to subtly manifest itself within American media.

ne might initially believe the term “model minority” is a compliment. Who wouldn’t want to be called a model? However, further consideration must take into account the damage that these words do. Not only do they damage Asians by setting a standard of expected accomplishments; but they damage other minorities, such as African-Americans or Latinos, by invalidating the existence of significant underlying discrimination. The “model minority” myth amplifies the already undeniable stigma of mental health problems in Asian culture. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Asian Americans are more likely to have considered

suicide than whites. However, the American Psychological Association reports that relative to other US populations, they are three times less likely to seek mental health services. By establishing that they are expected to behave as role models for other minorities, society piles on more unfair stereotypes that it pressures them to fulfill (and chastises them if they don’t). Additionally, National Public Radio (NPR) says the “model minority” myth is used as a “racial wedge” between Asians and other minorities, and I couldn’t agree more. It is racistly utilized in order to subtly imply that African-Americans and Latinos do not strive to their “full potential,” and ignores centuries of enslavement and stereotypes that led to deeprooted institutional discrimination. Each race faces its own unique obstacles in the US. Generalizing all minorities is a slippery slope in which the end results are foolish, uneducated comparisons between them. There is never any justification for the disparagement of entire racial groups. Race politics are tedious and tiring, but they must be addressed because of the extremely palpable racial tensions in the US. In a society where racism against Asians is saturated throughout media—the emasculation of Asian characters on television, the suspicious consistency of lower scores in personality tests,—it is hypocritical for this same society to do a 180-degree turn and disingenuously praise the apparent exceptional work Asians have done.

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opinion | chief column

DANCE EVOLUTION KATEY KRUBACK photography meredith niemann

was a competitive dancer for over ten years before I gave it up for Spark and my role as Editor-in-Chief within it. Most high school students, who decide not to play at the collegiate level, go through the same transition when they graduate and go to college, and it was disappointing to have to make that choice a year early, but it was undoubtedly the correct one. I miss dancing a lot. I miss the camaraderie and acceptance within my team, I miss the daily burn in my muscles—actually I just miss my muscles—and I miss the slow and meaningful movements into the sudden explosion of intensity and strength on stage. I miss feeling that heavy sense of accomplishment that I pushed myself past my own expectations and managed to do something amazing and impressive with my body. I miss being a part of a beautiful story that’s told on stage, whether that be through the twirl of my skirt and the lift of my leg, or through the sounds of my feet on stage, adding to the music and cadence of my movements. I was always a very expressive dancer. No matter what style we were doing, I was able to emulate that through my face, dedicating myself to the moment, always. My coach (and fellow dancers) used to have to yell at me constantly to stop singing (or lipsyncing, as the case was) while I was dancing because I never realized that I was doing it, I was so lost in the music. I started dancing at All That Jazz Dance Center, my second home for a long time, when I was eight. Since then, I’ve gone day-to-day having the same songs in a loop on my mind, mentally running through the steps, stretching my ankles under the desk in class, tap-dancing in the kitchen at home and looking forward to going to practice every minute I wasn’t there. Dancing was always my emotional outlet for my frustrations. Typically I’d go home after school, read and do what homework I could before going to practice, and then go home to shower at 10 p.m. and do more homework until the wee hours of the morning where I’d sleep, go to school, and start again. It was the part of my day that I felt most free, even while covered in sweat and running the same two eight-counts for over an hour. Especially then. After my freshman year, my beloved studio closed and my team was disbanded. I had to find a new studio, and the unexpected blow was crippling. It felt like I’d lost my whole support system of my team, who were amazing. We weren’t all friends, but we’d been family. I danced at the second studio for two years before stopping, but it was never the same. I mourned the loss of my old studio, my motivation was low, and it became something that I loved occasionally, rather than consistently. When I received my new position(s) within Spark for the 2018-19 school year, it became very clear that I could not do both, and when I decided not to continue dancing my senior year, it came with a great feeling of relief instead of sadness. Before, quitting dance always seemed like this “big thing” that would forever be lost. But now, nine months into my senior year, with less than one month to go, that is clearly not the case. I’ve found another great group in the Spark staff, and my contributions to the paper is something that I can also feel incredibly proud of. I still love to dance, that hasn’t changed. And I often find myself going through my stretching routines and practicing movements to this day, even though I have no reason to anymore. But my love for the sport has evolved in a way that I appreciate so much more than I did a year ago. It’s no longer about pointed toes, tight muscles, or keeping my shoulders back. It’s just about letting go, feeling free, and enjoying myself. But of course, I still whip out the technical moves every now and then, just for fun. •

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